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fig1 a and 2b show a first embodiment of a bar - type ultrasonic motor which implements the present invention . the bar - type ultrasonic motor of this embodiment is housed in upper and lower case portions 8 and 9 . a vibration member arranged in the center of the case 8 and 9 comprises two elastic bodies 1 , electrode plates 2a , 2b and 2c , piezoelectric elements ( pairs ) 3a , 3b and 3c , and a support member 4 . the components constituting the vibration member have through - holes in their respective axial centers and are secured together by a hollow bolt 5 which is screwed into internal threads of the two elastic bodies 1 . the hollow bolt 5 has an external thread on its outer circumferential surface which is screwed into internal threads of the elastic bodies 1 to connect the two elastic bodies 1 . an output shaft 10 runs through the hollow portion formed along the central axis of the hollow bolt 5 . the output shaft 10 is supported by bearings 11 that are press - fitted into the top and bottom portions of the respective case portions 8 and 9 . the case portions 8 and 9 are thus substantially sealed . the ultrasonic motor of this embodiment has two movable bodies ( contact bodies ) 12 at respective axial ends of the vibration member and a clamping member 15 integral with a spring washer 14 is press - fitted around the output shaft 10 in the vicinity of each movable body 12 . by adjusting the press - fit position of the clamping member 15 relative to the output shaft 10 , the spring washer 14 exerts pressure on a friction member 13 , having a spring feature , arranged on the end of the movable body 12 against the elastic body 1 . since a rotation stopper , though not shown , is provided between the spring washer 14 and the movable body 12 , the two components rotate integrally . the vibration member combines two bending vibrations having different phases when driving piezoelectric elements 3a and 3b are supplied with alternating signals by an unshown drive control circuit , and moves like a rope in a skipping - rope motion . any given point on the end surface of the vibration member moves in a circular or elliptical motion , and imparts a rotary force to the friction member 13 of the movable body 12 pressed into contact with the end surface of the vibration member . since the friction member 13 is fitted into the movable body 12 , the movable body 12 also rotates . the principle of the ultrasonic motor is known as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 548 , 175 , and the discussion in detail about it is omitted here . the present invention is not limited to a driving method using a composition of two bending vibrations , as used in this embodiment . alternatively , a driving method using a composition of a vertical vibration and a torsion vibration may be used . the outer circumference of a generally cylindrical support member 4 clamped in the vibration member is welded to the junction between the case portions 8 and 9 . although the support member 4 is designed to support the vibration member , it also has a structure that facilitates generation of the vibration of the vibration member ; for example , the support member 4 provides a high rigidity about the axis but permits some degree of flexibility of the axis in a radial direction . electrode plates interposed between piezoelectric elements 3a , 3b and 3c have respective terminal portions 2a , 2b , and 2c projecting radially out from the outer diameter of the piezoelectric elements . these terminal portions 2a , 2b , and 2c extend radially , and are angularly shifted respective to each other around the axis so that they are not aligned in the axial direction , as shown in fig2 b . fig2 b is a cross - sectional view taken along a line ii -- ii in fig1 and the three electrode plate terminal portions 2a , 2b , and 2c extending from the vibration member are angularly spaced at 0 °, 90 ° and 180 ° in this embodiment . alternatively , the three electrode plate terminal portions 2a , 2b , and 2c may be equally angularly spaced by 120 °. the terminal portions 2a , 2b , and 2c are pressed , in the axial direction , into contact with conductive metal members 6a , 6b , and 6c arranged in the lower case portion 9 for electrical connection . the conductive metal members 6a , 6b , and 6c are secured to an insulating resin member 7 by means of hooks 7a arranged within the lower case portion 9 . the insulating resin member 7 has a cup - like shape with an open bottom , and is secured within the lower case portion 9 with locating projections 17 on its bottom side received in holes 9a of the lower case portion 9 . ends of the conductive metal members 6a , 6b , and 6c run to the end of lower case portion 9 , so that the ends may be connected to lead wires or a flexible printed circuit board ( not shown ), to feed a required power ( electrical signal ) to the motor . to assemble the motor of this embodiment , the vibration member , the movable bodies 12 and the output shaft 10 , all of which are pre - assembled , are together fitted into the upper case portion 8 having a bearing 11 . on the other hand , a bearing 11 , the insulating resin member 7 and the conductive metal members 6a , 6b and 6c are assembled into the lower case portion 9 . when the upper case portion 8 having the required components assembled therein is finally mated with the lower case portion 9 having the required components assembled therein , the assembly of the motor is completed with the electrode plate terminal portions 2a , 2b , and 2c respectively pressed into contact with the conductive metal members 6a , 6b , and 6c at a pressure sufficient to maintain good electrical contact therebetween . the upper case portion 8 and the lower case portion 9 are secured to each other using an adhesive agent . alternatively , electric - resistance welding , laser welding , or brazing may be used . the two case portions 8 and 9 may be manufactured using a press draw forming technique , and then connected with their joints mutually caulked . alternatively , the case portions themselves may be constructed of an insulating resin , thereby dispensing with the need to provide insulating resin member 7 . fig2 a is a view of the motor viewed from the arrow i . the three terminals of the conductive metal terminal portions 6a , 6b , and 6c and a common electrode terminal 16 ( for ground ) are projected out of the end face of the motor . the terminal 16 is connected to the lower case portion 9 , and is thus maintained at the same potential as that of the lower case portion 9 . since the lower case portion 9 is metallic in this embodiment of the present invention , it is electrically conductive . the lower case portion 9 remains in contact with the support member 4 , and is at the same potential as that of the elastic bodies 1 and the hollow bolt 5 . the two metal conductive members 6a , 6b feed power to the pair of piezoelectric elements 3a to generate in them a bending vibration in one direction , and feed power to the pair of piezoelectric elements 3b to generate in them a bending vibration perpendicular to the one direction . the conductive member 6c is used to detect a voltage generated by the pair of piezoelectric elements 3c , thereby to detect the vibration state of the vibration member . in the conventional ultrasonic motor , one movable body is arranged for one vibration member . in this embodiment , however , two movable bodies 12 are provided on respective sides of the vibration member . since the two movable bodies are also coupled to the same output shaft , the following advantages are provided in comparison with a motor with one movable body . 1 ) the starting torque is doubled . although the friction limits the pressure working between the vibration member and the movable body , the output shaft generates a torque twice as strong as that of a conventional art motor if the pressures are equal . 2 ) irregular rotation is reduced . irregular rotation is attributed to an unstable contact condition on the contact area . the unstable contact conditions are caused by an insufficient flatness of a friction surface or an insufficient roundness ( eccentricity ) of the vibration of the vibration member with respect to the axis . since these factors are chiefly attributed to machining accuracy , they are inevitable to some degree . when the two movable bodies are employed , however , the unstable contact conditions cancel out each other , and the irregular rotation is thus reduced . 3 ) a decreased internal loss in the vibration member results in an improved motor efficiency . when only a single movable body is used , one end of the vibration member with no movable body pressed against it moves freely , and the resultant vibration attenuation thereby consumes energy . suppose that a motor with two movable bodies generates power twice as high as a motor with a single movable body . this case may be interpreted as identical to the case in which torque is doubled with the rotational speed remaining unchanged . the internal losses in the two vibration members are equal to each other . thus , the overall efficiency is increased . the second embodiment is almost identical to the first embodiment in construction , and the difference therebetween is discussed below . in the second embodiment , the terminal portions 2a , 2b and 2c of the electrode plates are bent approximately at a right angle , in the axial direction . the contact portions of the conductive metal members 6a , 6b , and 6c have a step portion ( see , e . g ., 6aa in fig3 ) so that a gap is provided between the conductive metal member and the insulating resin member 7 . the gap between each of the conductive metal members 6a , 6b , and 6c and the insulating metal member 7 receives a respective one of the terminal portions 2a , 2b , and 2c in the axial direction . to assemble the motor of the second embodiment , the assembled vibration member and the support member 4 are fitted into the upper case portion 8 . the conductive metal members 6a , 6b , and 6c are attached to the insulating resin member 7 . the insulating resin member 7 is then secured into the lowers case portion 9 . finally , the upper case portion 8 with the conductive metal members 6a , 6b , and 6c and the insulating resin member 7 mounted therein is mated with the lower case portion 9 with the support member 4 clamped therebetween . the assembly of the motor is now completed . each of the terminal ends of the electrode plates 2a , 2b , and 2c is clamped between a respective one of the conductive metal members 6a , 6b , and 6c and the insulating resin member 7 to provide electrical connection therebetween . since the terminal ends of the electrode plates 2a , 2b and 2c are clamped against the insulating resin members 7 by the recovering force of the conductive metal members 6a , 6b and 6c in the second embodiment , the electrode plates are free from unstable electrical contact even under vibration conditions , and the electrical connection is reliably maintained . fig4 a and 4b show a third embodiment of the present invention . the third embodiment is almost identical in construction to the first embodiment shown in fig1 and the difference therebetween is discussed below . in the third embodiment , the terminal portions of the electrode plates 2a , 2b , and 2c extending from the vibration member respectively are twisted by 90 ° so that their width section is aligned in the axial direction . to receive these terminal portions , the end portions of the conductive metal members 6a , 6b , and 6c are bent to form a socket portion u - shaped in cross section ( see end portion 6ab in fig4 b ). the terminal portions of the electrode plates 2a , 2b , and 2c are inserted in the axial direction and maintained in press contact in the socket portions . when the lower case portion 9 is mated with the upper case portion 8 in the third embodiment , the terminal portions of the electrode plates 2a , 2b and 2c are reliably clamped in the conductive metal plates 6a , 6b , and 6c , respectively . by twisting the electrode plate terminal portions by 90 °, their rigidity in the axial direction is increased . fig5 a and 5b show a fourth embodiment of the present invention . the fourth embodiment is almost identical in construction to the first embodiment shown in fig1 and the difference therebetween is discussed below . in the fourth embodiment , the electrode plate terminal portions 2a , 2b , and 2c extend radially in the same manner as in the first embodiment , and the end portions of the conductive metal members 6a , 6b , and 6c are formed with a socket portion u - shaped in cross section and extending in a circumferential direction around the vibration member inside the insulating resin member 7 , as shown in fig5 a . in the fourth embodiment , after the lower case portion 9 is connected to the upper case portion 8 , the lower case portion 9 is rotated about its own axis so that the electrode plate terminal portions 2a , 2b , and 2c are inserted into and then press contacted to the respective socket portions to obtain electrical connection therebetween . in the above embodiments , the movable body ( contact body ) 12 is designed to rotate relative to the vibration member . the present invention is not limited to this arrangement . alternatively , the vibration member and the contact body may be moved relative to each other in a manner such that the vibration member moves relative to the contact body . in the above embodiments , as described above , the conductive metal members 6a , 6b and 6c , separate from the electrode plates , are mounted on the lower case portion 9 , and the terminal portions of the electrode plates 2a , 2b and 2c are arranged in press contact with the conductive metal members . the above arrangement provides the following advantages . 2 ) since the separate members are employed where the stress in the electrode plates is at its maximum , damage to the electrode plates is prevented , and a reliable vibrating actuator results . 3 ) the use of conductive metal members secured to the case by means of another member shortens the terminal portions of the electrode plates projecting out of the vibration member . as a result , the natural frequency of each terminal portion is raised , lowering the possibility that the terminal portion will vibrate and generate sound . 4 ) since each terminal portion is shortened as described above , a case having a small diameter may be used to obtain a small outer diameter of the vibration member . this accordingly reduces the diameter of the vibrating actuator . 5 ) the conductive metal members , secured to the case , are reliably held without aging and reliably feed power to the vibration member elements . while the present invention has been described with respect to what is presently considered to be the preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments . to the contrary , the present invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements and structures included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . the scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions .	7
the present invention is particularly adapted to employment with a conventional syringe 11 as shown in fig1 . the syringe 11 includes a barrel 12 within which there is disposed a longitudinally movable plunger or piston 13 that may be manually operated by withdrawal to draw a fluid into the barrel at a front opening and by depression to expel fluid from the front of the barrel . conventional practice provides a disposable mounting unit 16 which is adapted for removable attachment to the forward end of the syringe barrel 12 . the unit 16 conventionally carries a hollow needle 17 extending axially forward therefrom and communicating with the front end of the syringe barrel . it will be appreciated that the retraction of the plunger 13 in the syringe 11 will produce a suction at the needle 17 so as to draw a fluid contacted by the needle 17 into the barrel of the syringe . subsequently , physical depression of the plunger 13 in the barrel 12 of the syringe 11 will cause a fluid disposed in such barrel to be forced outwardly therefrom through the adapter 16 and thence through the needle attached thereto . conventional operation of an injection or hypodermic syringe provides for loading or filling thereof by drawing a fluid therein through the needle , as described above . it has long been recognized that fluid drawn into a syringe may possibly contain contaminants which may thus be drawn into the syringe and subsequently discharged through the syringe needle into an intravenous ( iv ) solution , for example . injection of contaminants of any type or kind into an iv solution and thus eventually into the blood stream , for example , is at least injurious and may prove to be fatal . the present invention precludes this possibility with apparatus that is quite inexpensive and even more importantly is operated in exactly the same manner as conventional syringes so that the likelihood or even possibility of human error or laxness will not reduce the effectiveness of the invention . referring again to the drawing , there will be seen to be shown in fig2 and 3 a preferred embodiment of the present invention incorporated in the adapter 16 . the adapter 16 includes a housing or body 21 having a small diameter aperture or bore 22 extending therein from the front end of the adapter and dimensioned to receive and retain the rear end of the hollow needle 17 . within the body 21 the bore 22 branches into two relatively parallel passages 23 and 24 which extend to a rear opening 26 in the housing . a hollow cylindrical portion 27 extends from the rear of the housing 21 with the opening 26 conically expanding through this portion to receive a hollow conical forward extension 28 of the syringe barrel 12 . the adapter and syringe are removably joined by this mating conical or tapered connection which is commonly termed a lure lock . alternative connections may be made ; however , the one shown and described is conventional and is commonly employed by those employing disposable needles with syringes . the adapter of the present invention provides one passage 23 for drawing fluid into the syringe and a second passage 24 for ejecting fluid from the syringe . this directed flow is herein achieved by providing a one - way or check valve 31 in the passage 23 wherein such valve admits of fluid flow only into the syringe barrel and positively prevents fluid flow in the opposite direction through the passage 23 . in the passage 24 there is also provided a one - way check valve 32 which admits of fluid flow out of the syringe barrel but positively prevents fluid flow into the syringe . in accordance with the present invention there is also provided a fluid filter 33 in one of the adapter passages 23 or 24 and the filter is shown to be preferably disposed in passage 24 on the syringe side of the valve 32 . by the illustrated location of the filter 33 maximum protection is afforded by the present invention , inasmuch as any and all fluid forced into the needle from the syringe must then pass through the filter for removal of any contaminants . this filter location will be seen to provide for removal even of contaminants that might have resided in the syringe barrel before the fluid was drawn therein for ejection . the valves 31 and 32 may be formed as shown in fig3 and referring to valve 31 , it will be seen to be comprised as a disc 41 disposed in an expanded portion 42 of the passage 23 and normally resting against an annular shoulder 43 between the expanded portion 42 of the passage and a portion 44 of lesser diameter . the larger or expanded portion 42 of the passage extends from the rear opening 26 to the shoulder 43 and the small portion 44 extends therefrom to the front bore 22 in the adapter body 21 . the disc 41 is mounted to pivot or bend away from the shoulder 43 as indicated , for example , in fig4 . one part of the edge or periphery of the disc is secured to the wall of the passage portion 42 or to the shoulder 43 and the disc may be flexible to bend , as shown . the disc 41 normally seats against the shoulder 43 so as to close the passage 23 as illustrated in fig3 . any pressure exerted to the left on the disc 41 as shown in fig2 i . e ., away from the syringe end of the adapter , will only more tightly seal the disc 41 against the shoulder 43 . on the other hand a suction applied to the right side of the disc 41 as shown in fig2 as by retraction of a syringe plunger , will cause the disc 41 to pivot or bend away from the shoulder 43 to admit fluid flow through the valve 31 . the other valve 32 may be likewise formed by a disc 51 disposed in an expanded portion 52 of the passage 24 communicating with the needle bore 22 and normally disposed in sealing engagement with a shoulder 53 about the inner end of the expanded portion 52 and a smaller portion 54 of the passage 24 extending into communication with the rear opening 26 . the valve 32 is operable to pass a fluid under pressure from the syringe 11 to the needle 17 as by deflection or pivoting of the disc 51 and to positively prevent fluid flow in the opposite direction . it will be appreciated that the one - way valves of the present invention may be formed in a variety of different ways and the illustrated and described structure is only exemplary although advantageous . it is also possible to form the adapter housing in a variety of different ways and from various different materials . the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated is formed of a plastic material that may , for example , be molded as separate halves and joined together after valve disc insertion . operation of the present invention is quite clear from the foregoing description of the elements of a preferred embodiment of the invention . there are , however , illustrated in fig4 and 5 the operations of the present invention during filling or loading of a syringe equipped with the present invention , and discharge of fluid therefrom as by injection of a medicament into a bottle containing an iv solution , for example . fig4 shows the position and relation of elements hereof during the drawing of fluid into a syringe , as from an ampule 61 that has had the top thereof broken off in conventional manner to provide access to the fluid therein . such an ampule may inadvertently contain small shards of glass from breaking the top therefrom , for example . suction in the passage 23 produced by drawing the plunger 13 rearwardly in the syringe 11 causes the disc 41 of the valve 31 to be deflected or pivoted away from the shoulder or valve seat 43 , as shown in fig4 to open the passage 23 to the flow of fluid from the ampule into the syringe . this fluid flow is indicated by the arrows in fig4 and it will be seen that the aforementioned suction serves to even more tightly seal the valve 32 in the passage 24 so that no fluid can traverse this passage . discharge of a fluid from a syringe equipped with the present invention is illustrated in fig5 wherein the plunger 13 of the syringe is being forced into the barrel as indicated by the large arrow and fluid pressure is thus being exerted in the upper ends of the adapter passages 23 and 24 . pressure applied above valve 31 in passage 23 will tightly seal the valve disc 41 against the shoulder or valve seat 43 . pressure applied above valve 32 in passage 24 will pivot or deflect the disc 51 of the valve 32 away from the shoulder or valve seat 53 to open this passage for the discharge of fluid therethrough to and thence through the needle 17 . fluid forced under pressure through adapter passage 24 must pass through the filter 33 which removes any and substantially all foreign particles from the fluid . the filter 33 may be comprised of a wide variety of different porous materials through which a fluid may be forced and which has the property of entrapping and retaining solids that may be carried by the fluid forced therethrough . it will be appreciated that the material of filter 33 need not be provided as a dimensionally stable element nor need the filter have any particular structural properties other than the general capability of filling the entire cross section of the passage 24 in order to insure that all fluid discharged from the syringe is , in fact , filtered . the filter 33 may , for example , be comprised simply of a fibrous material such as cotton or cellulosic material &# 34 ; stuffed &# 34 ; into the passage 24 and generally the filter may be most easily inserted in the upper portion 54 of the passage 24 , as shown . the present invention , as described above , will be seen to provide a simple but highly effective system for preventing the injection of impurities or foreign bodies into an iv solution or a human being , for example . in fig5 the syringe needle 17 is shown to be inserted into an iv bottle 66 through a diaphragm 67 disposed across the top thereof as an example , and the needle might also be inserted into the body of a person . even a minute particle entrained in the fluid injected into the body of a person may be seriously injurious or even fatal , and the present invention positively precludes this occurrence . of further importance is the certainty of use and proper operation of the present invention to thus insure attainment of the desired result despite the presence of human error and resistance to change . although relatively trained personnel normally are employed to fill injection syringes with fluids and to inject fluids with such syringes , it is well known that the human being is resistant to change and is prone to error in executing normal operations wherein minor changes from normal may be required . these problems are now existent in the field of the present invention wherein prior art devices intended to produce the same or similar results as the present invention fail to do so because of the human factor . failure to take certain actions or to make certain necessary adjustments or the like may and in fact does result in failure to properly filter fluids injected into iv solutions , for example in doctors &# 39 ; offices and hospitals . the present invention , on the other hand , is entirely &# 34 ; invisible &# 34 ; to the user . a technician , pharmacist , vocational nurse , registered nurse or even a medical doctor may fail to follow particular deviations in long established procedures which would ensure complete filtration of all fluids injected with prior art devices . the present invention ensures complete filtration without the operator in any way deviating from normal or standard operating procedures and in fact without any discernible change of equipment so that the operator &# 34 ; automatically &# 34 ; produces the proper results . it is indeed a practical and highly useful result that is achieved by the present invention . the present invention has been illustrated and described with respect to a particular preferred embodiment hereof ; however , it is not intended to limit the invention to the precise terms of description or details of illustration , for it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous variations and modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention .	0
referring to fig1 integrated turbogenerator system 12 generally includes generator 20 , power head 21 , combustor 22 , and recuperator ( or heat exchanger ) 23 . power head 21 of turbogenerator 12 includes compressor 30 , turbine 31 , and common shaft 32 . tie rod 33 to magnetic rotor 26 ( which may be a permanent magnet ) of generator 20 passes through bearing rotor 32 . compressor 30 includes compressor impeller or wheel 34 that draws air flowing from an annular air flow passage in outer cylindrical sleeve 29 around stator 27 of the generator 20 . turbine 31 includes turbine wheel or impeller 35 that receives hot exhaust gas flowing from combustor 22 . combustor 22 receives preheated air from recuperator 23 and fuel through a plurality of fuel injectors 49 . compressor wheel 34 and turbine wheel 35 are supported on common shaft or rotor 32 having radially extending air - flow bearing rotor thrust disk 36 . common shaft 32 is rotatably supported by a single air - flow journal bearing within center bearing housing 37 while bearing rotor thrust disk 36 at the compressor end of common shaft 32 is rotatably supported by a bilateral air - flow thrust bearing . generator 20 includes magnetic rotor or sleeve 26 rotatably supported within generator stator 27 by a pair of spaced journal bearings . both rotor 26 and stator 27 may include permanent magnets . air is drawn by the rotation of rotor 26 and travels between rotor 26 and stator 27 and further through an annular space formed radially outward of the stator to cool generator 20 . inner sleeve 25 serves to separate the air expelled by rotor 26 from the air being drawn in by compressor 30 , thereby preventing preheated air from being drawn in by the compressor and adversely affecting the performance of the compressor ( due to the lower density of preheated air as opposed to ambient - temperature air ). in operation , air 110 is drawn through sleeve 29 by compressor 30 , compressed , and directed to flow into recuperator 23 . recuperator 23 includes annular housing 40 with heat transfer section or core 41 , exhaust gas dome 42 , and combustor dome 43 . heat from exhaust gas 110 exiting turbine 31 is used to preheat compressed air 100 flowing through recuperator 23 before it enters combustor 22 , where the preheated air is mixed with fuel and ignited such as by electrical spark , hot surface ignition , or catalyst . the fuel may also be premixed with all or a portion of the preheated air prior to injection into the combustor . the resulting combustion gas expands in turbine 31 to drive turbine impeller 35 and , through common shaft 32 , drive compressor 30 and rotor 26 of generator 20 . expanded turbine exhaust gas 100 then exits turbine 31 and flows through recuperator 23 before being discharged from turbogenerator 12 . referring to fig2 combustor dome 43 is formed in a annular configuration to creating turbine exhaust gas passage 50 . exhaust passage 50 channels expanded turbine exhaust gas and directs it to flow towards exhaust dome 42 disposed at the end of combustor dome 43 distal of turbine 31 . exhaust dome 42 is formed with a generally semi - spherical configuration that directs exhaust gas to flow radially outward and reverse direction towards recuperator core 41 . to maximize the diffusion of exhaust gas and thus maximize the expansion ratio across turbine 31 , exhaust passage 50 is formed with a generally conical configuration that allows the exhaust gas to diffuse as it flows towards exhaust dome 42 . exhaust gas exits turbine 31 at very high speed and with a rotational directional component due to the rotation of the turbine impeller 35 . thus , the flow of exhaust gas resembles a vortex flow in which the primary or main flow travels along the outer annulus of passage 50 and the secondary flow travels in the center of passage 50 and is generally characterized as low energy or low velocity flow . in some cases the secondary flow can be in the reverse direction and travel back toward the turbine impeller . most of the mass flow discharge from the turbine is contained in the primary flow . the primary flow in effect forms an acoustic cavity around the secondary flow . due to the highly turbulent and unsteady nature of the flow , this acoustic cavity ca be excited to thereby create an acoustic resonance within the cavity created by the secondary flow . to facilitate the diffusion of the exhaust gas as it flows through passage 50 , one embodiment of the present invention provides exhaust vortex disrupter 200 disposed within exhaust passage 50 . disrupter 200 is mounted to exhaust dome 42 and extends from the exhaust dome coaxially towards turbine 31 to terminate proximal to turbine impeller 35 . in the preferred embodiment illustrated , disrupter 200 is formed in a generally conical configuration that cooperates with combustor dome 43 to define passage 50 as an annular , generally conical passage for the exhaust gas . disrupter 200 is configured and spaced from combustor dome 43 to displace the secondary core region of the flow in passage 50 and to promote a more even velocity distribution in the flow as well as sustained diffusion of the exhaust gas . a more even velocity distribution helps to reduce pressure losses created in passage 50 . by occupying the central volume of passage 50 , disrupter 200 guides the exhaust flow towards exhaust dome 42 with greater diffusion , lower pressure losses , and a consequent greater expansion ratio across the turbine and higher turbine power output . furthermore , disrupter 200 continues to direct exhaust gas as it arrives at exhaust dome 42 , encouraging the gas to flow radially outward . in conventional systems , the exhaust gas would impinge generally perpendicularly upon exhaust dome 42 before being forced radially outward by the upstream exhaust gas that is being discharged by the turbine impeller . furthermore , in conventional systems the effective flow area increases rapidly as the gas passage turns radially . the rapid area increase causes flow separation which prevents further diffusion . additionally , the momentum of the flow tends to pull the flow off the wall of combustor dome 43 as the flow turns radially outward . this flow separation increases the pressure losses in passage 50 and promotes uneven velocity distribution as the exhaust gas flows towards the recuperator inlet . thus , the base of disrupter 200 at which the disrupter is mounted to the exhaust dome is contoured with a generally conical surface to direct oncoming exhaust gas 100 radially outward and thus allow the exhaust gas to continue diffusing after it exits passage 50 . the contours of combustor dome 43 and exhaust dome 42 are designed to guide the flow radially outward through a smoothly varying cross - sectional flow area and thus prevent flow separation and promote continued diffusion through the passage . disrupter 200 further acts to more evenly distribute exhaust gas as it exits passage 50 and is reversed by exhaust dome 42 to enter recuperator core 41 , thereby enhancing the heat transfer efficiency of the recuperator . because exhaust dome 42 provides a stable platform onto which to mount disrupter 200 , there is no need for struts or similar structures to fasten and secure the disrupter . avoiding the use of such struts is highly desirable because the struts cause pressure loss and noise . noise is also reduced by the use of disrupter 200 because it displaces the potential acoustic cavity that may be created by the secondary flow downstream of the turbine and eliminates the noise associated with acoustic resonation of this cavity . an additional advantage of using disrupter 200 is that by enhancing the diffusion of exhaust gas 100 , passage 50 may be shortened and thus entire turbogenerator 12 may be constructed with a reduced footprint . having now described the invention in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes , those skilled in the art will understand how to make changes and modifications to the present invention to meet their specific requirements or conditions . such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention , as defined and limited solely by the following claims .	5
referring to fig1 - 8 , an embodiment of the key - cutting device 10 is operable to produce by a punching technique one or more notches 11 in a key blank 12 . the key - cutting device includes a body comprised of foundation beam 13 elongated upon an axis 26 between forward and rearward extremities 14 and 15 , respectively , and further bounded by side surfaces 16 , upper surface 17 and lower surface 18 . a handle 19 is downwardly and rearwardly emergent from lower surface 18 adjacent rearward extremity 15 . a punch rod 20 is slidably held within a housing 21 which is removably secured upon upper surface 17 by first holding bolt 78 . said punch rod , adapted for reciprocating axial movement within housing 21 , has a rear extremity 22 and a forward extremity milled to have an upwardly directed angled apex 23 which constitutes a key - shearing punch . punch rod 20 is constrained to non - rotative movement by virtue of retaining pin 24 configured to slide within slot 25 positioned atop housing 21 in parallel coplanar alignment with axis 26 . an anvil 27 removably held upon upper surface 17 adjacent forward extremity 14 , has an aperture 28 disposed in alignment with punch 23 . said anvil is secured in place by abutment plate 29 having debris - emergent port 30 disposed forwardly of aperture 28 , and bolts 31 that treadably engage anvil 27 . a second holding bolt 32 , upwardly directed through beam 13 , threadably secures abutment plate 29 . a removable hand lever 33 , mounted by pivot bolt 34 to beam 13 adjacent handle 19 , extends to an upper extremity 35 located above upper surface 17 . said upper extremity 35 holds thrust wheel 36 adapted to rotate in the plane of lever 33 . said thrust wheel contacts rear extremity 22 of punch rod 20 . accordingly , when lever 33 is squeezed toward handle 19 , thrust wheel 36 forces punch rod 20 forwardly . a track beam 37 extends orthogonally upward from upper surface 17 and is threadably secured in place by third holding bolt 38 upwardly directed through beam 13 . a channel 43 in beam 37 allows penetrative passage of punch rod 20 . carriage 39 , slideably mounted upon beam 37 for reciprocal thereupon , is comprised of side panels 40 which laterally embrace beam 37 , top panel 41 , and forward surface 42 . the lowermost portion of panel 41 contains a passage 44 aligned with channel 43 and configured to permit passage of punch 23 . a transverse slot 45 is disposed in forward surface 42 and bounded by upper and lower straight shoulders 46 and 47 , respectively . a positioning shaft 48 is secured by plate 49 to the upper portion of forward surface 42 and axially centered within vertical plane 50 , shown in fig5 that includes axis 28 of beam 13 as shown in fig1 . the forward extremity of shaft 48 is equipped with knurled turning knob 51 , and the rearward extremity of shaft 48 has a pinion configuration having teeth 52 that protrude downwardly through the upper shoulder 46 of transverse slot 45 . the lowermost extremity of plate 49 extends downwardly below upper shoulder 46 , forming therewith a trough - like guide channel 53 . a circular positioning drum 54 is rotatively supported by removable bolt 55 upon track beam 37 , and extends rearwardly therefrom upon an axis parallel to axis 28 within plane 50 . drum 54 is provided with a plurality of numbered peripheral detents 56 of varied depth . a ball bearing 57 , disposed above drum 54 and centered within plane 50 , is adapted to enter the uppermost detent 58 . a calibration bolt 79 , threadably held by top panel 41 of carriage 39 , is positioned to abut ball bearing 57 and force it toward said uppermost detent . paired restorative coil springs 58 are interactive between top panel 41 and track beam 37 in a manner to urge carriage 39 downwardly upon track beam 37 . by said virtue of such manner of construction , rotation of drum 54 causes said carriage to be positioned at different elevations with respect to punch 23 . as will be seen , this controls the depth of cut of a given notch in a key blank , said depth being selected merely by rotation of drum 54 to a numbered position . interchangeable key - gripping vise assembly 59 is comprised of upper vise plate 60 , lower vise plate 61 and locking bolt 62 having threaded rear extremity 63 , winged forward extremity 64 , and bearing shoulder 65 . a hole 66 in upper vise plate 60 permits passage of threaded extremity 63 which then engages threaded hole 67 in lower vise plate 61 but does not penetrate said plate 61 . such disposition causes shoulder 65 to urge both plates together to grip intervening key blank 12 . a threaded spacing bolt 68 in upper vise plate 60 seats within recess 69 in the forward face 70 of lower vise plate 61 . such construction affords control over the alignment and spacing of both clamping plates . the upper edge of lower vise plate 61 is configured to slide within guide channel 53 of transverse slot 45 , and is provided with a straight rack of teeth 71 adapted to interact with pinion teeth 52 . the lower edge of forward face 70 of lower vise plate 61 is provided with a key - receiving recess 72 which accurately controls the length of the key disposed within the vise assembly , and precisely disposes the lower edge of the key blank parallel to the lower straight edge 73 of vise plate 61 . as shown in fig4 said lower straight edge 73 is provided with a series of positioning notches 74 . the distance of separation of said notches corresponds to the coded spacing of the notches to be cut into the key blank . on the rear face 75 of said rearward clamping plate 61 there is disposed a series of markings 76 which correspond to the sequence number of particular notches to be cut into a key blank . by virtue of the aforesaid construction , said key - gripping vise permits the cutting of notches in both straight edges of a key blank . in the operation of the device , a vise assembly 59 having a key blank properly gripped is pushed into transverse slot 45 , as shown in fig5 . knob 51 is then rotated , thereby sliding assembly 59 and key blank across axis 26 until the number one position is observed from the rear upon lower vise plate 61 , as shown in fig7 . the exact transverse position of the vise assembly is assured by spring urged ball 77 that protrudes through lower shoulder 47 into transverse groove 45 . with each successive transverse position of the vise assembly , corresponding to the notch number of the key blank , the depth of the notch is selected by rotating drum 54 to a numbered position . lever 33 is then squeezed , causing punch 23 to move forward and interact with anvil 27 to create a notch in the key blank . the cut out piece of metal from the key blank emerges from exit port 30 . upon release of squeezing force upon lever 33 , punch rod 20 is urged to its rearward , starting position , by the action of coil spring 80 disposed upon said punch rod and interactive between pin 24 and track beam 37 . the vise assembly 59 is sequentially advanced transversely to the carriage to perform the coded cutting or punching of notches in the key blank . the key is then removed from the clamping member and the removable vise assembly is ready to reload in preparation for cutting other keys of like code . if the next code is different , then the vise assembly is easily slid out of the transverse groove 45 , and the appropriate vise is reloaded with an option of having the key preloaded ( before installation into the transverse groove ) or loading once the vise assembly is installed onto the transverse groove . it is interesting to note that the aforesaid particular construction of the vise assembly and the means whereby the assembly is held during key cutting is such that the lower edge of the vise assembly can be pushed forward slightly before the key blank abuts the anvil . such motion is achieved by virtue of a deliberate loose fitting of the upper edge of vise plate 61 within guide channel 53 . this permits swinging forward motion of the lower edge of said rearward clamp . such movement is permitted by ball 77 which maintains accurate transverse registry of the key blank despite the fact that the lower edge of the key blank is displaced forward slightly during the punching operation . such manner of function minimize wear of the punch . furthermore , said loose fitting of the upper edge of plate 61 within guide channel 53 causes minimal interaction of pinion teeth 52 with the teeth of rack 71 . by virtue of such construction , the positioning of the vise assembly is controlled by the interaction of stopping notches 74 with ball 77 . as can be seen from the foregoing description , various vise assemblies can be utilized interactively with the device . each vise assembly is designed to hold a given style of key blank at a controlled degree of insertion , and contains the notch spacing code 74 for that particular series of keys . drum 54 , which contains the depth of cut code , can be easily removed by removal of holding bolt 27 . punch rod 20 and matching anvil 27 can be removed and replaced with a punch rod and anvil which provide a different notch - cutting angle . removal of punch rod 20 is achieved by first removing hand lever 33 , then housing 21 . while particular examples of the present invention have been shown and described , it is apparent that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention in its broadest aspects . the aim of the appended claims , therefore , is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .	8
referring to fig1 , a power toothbrush 10 includes a head 12 and a neck 14 . as is well known to those skilled in the art , head 12 is oscillated during brushing . an electric motor ( not shown ) oscillates the head through gearing , linkages , cranks , and / or other drive mechanisms as is well known . electrical power may be supplied to the motor by rechargeable or single use ( disposable ) batteries . further details as to how the head is oscillated will not be provided , as this aspect of the brush is not the focus of the invention . head 12 includes a generally circular support member 16 , and , extending from the support member 16 , a plurality of bristle tufts 18 . although each tuft is shown as a solid mass in the drawings , the tufts are actually each made up of a great mass of individual plastic bristles . the bristles may be made of any desired polymer , e . g ., nylon 6 . 12 or 6 . 10 , and may have any desired diameter , e . g ., 4 - 8 mil . the tufts are supported at their bases by the support member , and may be held in place by any desired tufting technique as is well known in the art , e . g ., hot tufting or a stapling process . the tufts may also be mounted to move on the support member , as is well known in the toothbrush art . head 12 further includes a cup - shaped member 20 , which can be seen clearly in fig1 a , in which some of the bristle tufts have been omitted . cup - shaped member 20 includes a side wall 22 that defines a central open area 24 . generally , the central open area 24 has a depth of from about 2 to 5 mm , measured from the highest point of the rim of the cup - shaped member to the lowest point of the central open area . cup - shaped member 20 also includes a plurality of ribs 26 that extend inwardly into the open area 24 . the cup - shaped member 20 is preferably formed of a resilient material such as an elastomer , e . g ., a thermoplastic elastomer . the material hardness for such structures may range from 10 to 70 shore a , with the preferred hardness selection depending on the design and dimensions of the cup - shaped member . the cup - shaped member 20 may be fixedly mounted on the toothbrush head , or may be rotatably mounted , so that the cup - shaped member 20 can spin about its long axis while the toothbrush head is oscillated . the spinning motion may be driven by the same motor that oscillates the head , as would be understood by those skilled in the art . if the cup - shaped member is fixedly mounted , it may be mounted by any conventional technique , e . g ., by screwing it in place or over - molding it onto the support member . as shown in fig1 b , the height of bristle tufts 18 above the top surface s of support member 16 will generally be greater than the height of the cup - shaped member 20 from surface s . this height differential allows the head to contour around each tooth , enhancing the tooth - to - tooth indexing effect mentioned above . there is also a height differential between the different bristle tufts . the end bristle tufts 18 a , i . e ., the tufts that are adjacent the long axis of the toothbrush neck 14 when the head 12 is at rest , are taller than the side tufts 18 b . for example , the height of the cup - shaped member may be from about 5 . 5 to 10 mm , with the end tufts 18 a being about 20 to 30 % taller than the cup - shaped member , e . g ., from about 6 . 6 to 13 mm in height , and the side tufts 18 b being about 5 to 15 % taller than the cup - shaped member , e . g ., about 5 . 8 to 11 . 5 mm in height . making the side tufts shorter than the end tufts allows the longer tufts to reach in between the teeth , while the shorter tufts clean along the gumline . toothbrush heads according to other embodiments are shown in fig2 - 10 . in each of these embodiments , the support members 116 are generally elliptical , rather than circular as shown in fig1 . the elliptical shape provides more room for additional bristle tufts , and thus these toothbrush heads further include curved , elongated interdental tufts 28 . in these embodiments , the cup - shaped member and bristle tufts are generally shorter than in the embodiment discussed above . in an elliptical head , the reduced height will tend to make the brush more comfortable and less “ bulky ” feeling in a user &# 39 ; s mouth . as in the embodiment discussed above , the bristle tufts are generally taller than the cup - shaped member . as shown in fig2 a , the interdental tufts 28 are also taller than the cup - shaped member , e . g ., by about 30 to 40 %. each of the embodiments shown in fig2 - 7 includes a different type of cup - shaped member . in head 112 , shown in fig2 , cup shaped member 120 includes a side wall 122 , and extending inwardly from the side wall , a plurality of ribs 30 that converge at a generally cylindrical central hub 32 . in alternate embodiments ( not shown ) the central hub may be conical or cup - shaped . in this design , as shown in fig2 b , the ribs are at the same height as the cup at the outer perimeter , and decrease in height as they approach the center . this arrangement allows the ribs to act as “ squeegees ” to clean the tooth surface . the addition of the central hub adds strength to the total structure and the ribs . if this additional strength is not required for a particular design , the central hub may be omitted , and the ribs may simply intersect each other , or may stop short of intersecting . in head 212 , shown in fig3 , cup - shaped member 220 includes a side wall 222 and , extending inwardly from the side wall , a plurality of larger ribs 34 and smaller ribs 36 . the larger ribs are longer ( i . e ., extend further into the center ), and may have a different thickness and / or height than the smaller ribs . in the embodiments shown in fig4 and 5 , the cup - shaped member is segmented , i . e ., it has a discontinuous side wall that includes a plurality of arcuate segments . the segmented structure imparts flexibility to the cup - shaped member , and may allow the cup - shaped member to conform better to the tooth surface . as can be seen in fig5 , in these embodiments the segments are defined by grooves 42 that do not extend to the bottom of the cup - shaped member . as a result , the segments are connected to form a unitary structure . in head 312 , shown in fig4 , cup - shaped member 320 includes a segmented side wall that includes four arcuate segments 40 having grooves 42 therebetween . within the open center area defined by the cup - shaped member 320 are disposed two concentrically arranged smaller inner cup - shaped members 44 and 46 . these inner cup - shaped members have the same segmented structure as the outer cup - shaped member 320 . the concentric members provide a large surface area for contact with the tooth surface , which may provide improved cleaning . in head 412 , shown in fig5 , cup - shaped member 420 again includes a segmented side wall comprised of four arcuate segments . in this embodiment , ribs 126 extend inwardly from the side wall , as in the embodiment shown in fig1 . in the embodiment shown in fig6 , head 612 includes a cup - shaped member 620 that has a wavy fringe 54 extending above its upper edge 56 . the wavy fringe is relatively soft and flexible , so that it will lay flat when pressed against the surface of the teeth . this may allow the fringe to slide under the gums and between the teeth , providing plaque removal and gum stimulation which may reduce gingivitis . generally , the fringe has a thickness of about 0 . 15 to 0 . 25 mm , measured at its top edge , and about 0 . 4 to 0 . 8 mm measured at its base ( where the fringe joins the rim of the cup - shaped member ). while four relatively large waves are shown in fig6 , if desired more waves and / or smaller waves may be used . the number and size of the waves are selected to provide desired product attributes . head 612 also differs from the designs described above in that the cup - shaped member 620 includes ribs 60 that are inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cup - shaped member . in the embodiment shown in fig7 , head 512 includes a fan - shaped member 520 that has a plurality of ribs 50 extending radially from an outer surface of its side wall 52 in a fan - like arrangement . in this embodiment , the side wall 52 is generally conical . alternatively , if desired , the side wall may be cylindrical ( not shown ). in this embodiment , the fan - like structure of the cup - shaped member may enhance the foaming action of some toothpastes . the ribs may also act as “ squeegees ”, enhancing tooth - cleaning action . in the embodiment shown in fig8 , head 712 includes a textured member 720 that is comprised of a plurality of lammelae 722 that extend from a common base 724 together define a unitary structure . the lammelae 722 are arranged in different directions to give a “ textured ” feel . in this embodiment , the lammelae define a generally circular member , and are arranged in groups that are at right angles to each other in a “ woven ” pattern . however , the textured member may have any desired shape and arrangement of lamellae . it is generally preferred that the lammelae be relatively closely spaced , e . g ., that spaces 726 be less than about 0 . 75 mm wide , more preferably about 0 . 5 mm or less . in the embodiment shown in fig9 , head 812 includes a textured member 820 . textured member 820 includes a generally cylindrical base 822 and , extending from the base , a contact portion 824 that includes a central hub 826 and a plurality of ribs 828 extending radially from the hub . textured member 820 may be formed of a foam , as shown , to provide a surface texture . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , head 912 includes a textured member 920 , including a generally cylindrical base 922 and , extending from the base , a plurality of small nubs 924 that provide the member with a textured feel . a textured feel may be provided in many ways , for example by forming a resilient member of any desired shape of a material having a macroscopic surface texture , e . g ., an open celled foam , or a material having texture - imparting particles embedded in its surface . for example , while the cup - shaped member is shown in the drawings as centrally - located on the toothbrush head , if desired it may be positioned off - center . in fig2 - 10 , the support members 116 are generally elliptical , rather than circular as shown in fig1 . fig1 illustrates a generally elliptical head 116 having cup - shaped member 320 , which is positioned off - center of the elliptical head . the remaining elements are substantially the same as the similarly identified elements described with reference to fig4 . moreover , while various embodiments are shown in the drawings and described above , many other types of cup - shaped members may be used , as will be well understood by those skilled in the art . for example , the side wall of the cup - shaped member may have a tapered outer surface , or may be straight sided or have any other desired design . additionally , which the cup - shaped member is described above as being surrounded on all sides by bristle tufts , if desired the cup - shaped member may be only partially surrounded by bristle tufts . for example , if desired the side tufts 18 b in fig1 could be omitted moreover , while heads for power toothbrushes have been described above , resilient members having the features described above may be used on manual toothbrushes , if desired .	0
the invention provides new types of passively fitting prosthodontic frameworks and rapid methods for fabricating the frameworks and components thereof . fig1 shows a stone cast model of a patient &# 39 ; s mouth 150 that include six osseo - integrated oral implants at positions 160 a - f . primary abutments are shown screwed into the dental implants at positions 160 a - 160 d . the primary abutments are internally threaded so that a secondary abutment may be reversibly fixed thereto using a screw . as discussed further below , the primary abutments will later support secondary abutment sleeves of a passively fitting framework embodiment of the invention . in this embodiment , at positions 160 e and f , abutment sleeves configured to directly mount to the dental implants via screw connection ( not shown installed in fig1 ), rather than to an intermediate primary abutment , were used . fig2 shows a top view of the unitary metallic framework component 201 of a full arch embodiment of the invention positioned on hard model 150 . the dental implants ( not visible ) are disposed into the patient &# 39 ; s jawbone ( and represented in the model ) at positions 160 a - f as shown in fig1 . at this point , a primary abutment ( not visible ) is screwed into each of the dental implants at positions 160 a - d in the model . at each of positions 160 b - d , a titanium sleeve secondary abutment , 265 b - f respectively , is screw - connected to the primary abutment . at each of positions 160 e and f , an abutment sleeve configured for direct attachment to a dental implant is reversibly fixed directly into the underlying dental implant using a screw . the abutment sleeves may , for example , be circumferentially ribbed as shown or have a non - ribbed outer surface . at one end of the elongated framework component is a screw attachment portion 202 in which a hole is formed for screw attachment of the prosthesis to a primary abutment which , in turn , is attached to the underlying dental implant . proceeding from screw attachment portion 202 toward the opposite end of framework component 201 are connecting segments or “ bars ” 203 , 205 , 207 , 209 that connect screw attachment portion 202 and abutment - surrounding segments 204 , 206 , 208 , 210 / 211 to each other as shown . specifically , screw attachment portion 202 is connected to abutment - surrounding segment 204 by connecting segment 203 , abutment - surrounding segment 204 is connected to abutment - surrounding segment 206 by connecting segment 205 , abutment - surrounding segment 206 is connected to abutment - surrounding segment 208 by connecting segment 207 , abutment - surrounding segment 208 is connected to abutment - surrounding segment 210 by connecting segment 209 . as shown , implant positions 160 e and f are so close to each other that abutment connecting segments 210 and 211 are directly joined to one another by sharing a common segment there - between . viewed from the top ( or bottom ), each of the abutment connecting segments of framework component 201 is c - shaped ( inclusive of u - shaped and crescent - shaped ) having a convex side and a concave side . the shape of the abutment - surrounding segments generally defines a concavity ( or recess ) into which the titanium sleeve secondary abutment can be at least partially disposed ( the central axes of the sleeves extending in a direction from the tissue side to the occlusal side ). framework component 201 has a generally arch - shaped profile following the gum line with a convex ( facial / labial ) side and a concave ( lingual ) side . as shown , the concave side of each abutment - surrounding segment opens on the convex side of framework component 201 . each of the abutment - surrounding segments has radial protrusions from its concave surface extending radially inward ( e . g ., 214 a and 214 b in abutment connecting segment 204 ). the ribs of the titanium abutment sleeves and the radial protrusions of the abutment - surrounding members facilitate the joining of the neighboring abutment sleeves and abutment - surrounding segments using polymer resin and help to transmit forces applied to the framework in the final dental restoration down into the attached dental implants . although in framework component 201 all of the abutment - surrounding segments are commonly oriented with their openings being labial facing , the orientations of some or all of the abutment - surrounding segments could be such that their openings are lingual facing and / or labial facing and / or for abutment - surrounding segments at the end of a metallic framework component , labial - facing ( facial ), lingual - facing or opening in - line with the axis of the underlying jaw bone . screw attachment portion 202 is shown screwed to the underlying abutment at position 160 a and framework 201 is thereby able to pivot on the screw connection when the screw connection is sufficiently loose . the connecting segments of framework component 201 have longitudinal axes ( in the horizontal dimension shown ) that generally follow the gum - line , i . e ., the curvature of portion of the mandible or maxilla extensive with the restoration that is being prepared . thus , the connecting segments and the abutment - surrounding segments are mutually sized and configured in framework component 201 so that the abutment - surrounding segments are able to partially surround and approach the titanium abutment sleeves whilst the connecting segments follow the curvature of portion of the mandible or maxilla extensive with the restoration that is being prepared . a passively fitting framework is then formed in situ , in the patient &# 39 ; s mouth . abutment sleeves are reversibly attached ( directly or indirectly via an intervening abutment as planned out using the model ) to each of the dental implants in the patient &# 39 ; s jaw bone using screws . framework component 201 is attached to the dental implant corresponding to position 160 a via screw connection portion 202 and set in a final position ( by tightening the screw connection at portion 202 ) so that the abutment - surrounding segments of component 201 are facing the abutment sleeves ( similarly to the view shown for the model in fig2 ). component 201 is then joined to each of secondary abutment sleeves 265 b - f by filling in the space there - between with a hardening polymer resin such as an acrylic or a light - curable resin such as triad ® gel ( dentsply international inc ., york , pa ., usa ) or primopattern lc gel ® ( primopattern , bad homburg , germany ). the resin bonds to the surfaces of the abutment - surrounding segments and the adjacent abutment sleeves and spans the space there - between . fig3 shows the hybrid prosthodontic framework 370 so obtained , having been removed now from the patient &# 39 ; s mouth . the hybrid framework includes the metallic framework component 201 joined by hardened resin to each of titanium sleeve abutments 265 b - f . the use of a hardening / curable resin intra - orally as the joining material ensures that the resulting framework will be passively fitting . the invention also provides a related , but less preferable , method in which the hybrid framework is formed by joining the elongated component to the abutment sleeves using the resin while these members are attached to the oral model ( such as shown in fig2 ). by the term “ hybrid ,” what is meant herein is that the framework is formed of different materials joined together , namely an elongated one - piece framework component such as that described , one or more abutment sleeves and a hardened , curable polymer resin joining the elongated component and the abutment sleeve ( s ) to each other . optionally , once the resin has hardened , one or more of the abutment sleeves 265 b - f can be welded to the metallic framework component 201 using metal spanning members such as rods . hybrid framework 370 is then positioned over the dental implants in the patient &# 39 ; s mouth and reversibly fixed by screw connection . bite registration is recorded and an impression is made to create a new master model that preserves the new frame - implant position that was achieved . a tooth set - up may then be prepared on and around hybrid framework 370 , for example , by any of the methods known in the art . fig4 shows the occlusal side of the completed prosthesis . fig5 shows the tissue side of the completed prosthesis with the interior surface of each abutment sleeve 265 b - f as well as the primary abutment - interfacing surface of screw connection member 202 a visible . advantageously and in contrast to conventional frameworks , a metallic framework component according to the invention ( such as component 201 of fig2 ) may be formed from non - precious metals , for example , cobalt chromium alloys as known in the art such as argeloy n . p . special ( the argen corporation , san diego , calif ., usa ). the metal content of argeloy n . p . special is 59 . 5 % co , 31 . 5 % cr , 5 % mo , 2 % si , and less than 1 % each of mn , fe , and c . a framework component according to the invention , such as component 201 , may be formed by any means . one preferred method involves forming a model of a metallic framework component of material , such as wax and / or acrylic , which can be burned out in a lost wax ( investment ) casting procedure . since each metallic framework component is custom - made for a patient , a direct method of investment casting may be used . fig6 shows stone cast model 150 of the patient &# 39 ; s mouth with dental implants at positions 160 a - f and titanium abutment sleeves 265 b - f there - above . the burnable model 601 is composed of separate segments 602 - 611 that have been joined together by wax and / or acrylic resin and which correspond to sections 202 - 211 of the metallic framework component 201 of fig2 . segment 612 is a sacrificial portion later removed from the resulting metallic casting . connecting segments 603 , 605 , 607 , 609 and segment 612 may be formed from castable modeling wax cut to length as needed . screw attachment model portion 602 is formed of castable material and is sized and configured to precisely fit over the primary abutment screwed into the dental implant and provide surfaces for screw attachment of the corresponding cast portion to the primary abutment . castable screw attachment members such as 602 , which is essentially a castable model of a secondary abutment , are commercially available from implant and abutment manufactures or may be custom fabricated , for example from castable plastic or wax , as needed . castable wax and / or acrylic , such as pattern resin ™ ( gc america , inc ., alsip , ill ., usa ), may be used to join separate elements of the castable model to one another , such as to join the screw attachment portion of the model to the adjacent connecting segment model portion and to build up surfaces around the screw attachment portion as needed or desired . abutment - surrounding segments 604 , 606 , 608 , 610 and 611 may for example each be individually formed from acrylic resin hardened in a silicone mold or alternatively formed of wax . fig7 shows an individual castable c - shaped abutment - surrounding element of the kind that may be used to form a castable framework component model such as 601 . on the tissue side of the connecting segments ( not visible in fig6 ), additional thickness of material , such as castable molding wax , may be added to form tissue stop structures . when the castable model is completed , as shown in fig6 , it is removed from stone cast model 150 and used to cast the metallic framework component . model 601 was used to cast metallic framework component 201 of fig2 . after casting , segment 612 was removed . the surface of the casting was ground to remove various sharp edges . the surface of the casting may be roughened by sand - blasting and / or by chemical etching . the roughening of the surface facilitates later bonding to acrylic or other resin used to join the metallic framework component to the abutment sleeves as well as bonding of the metallic framework components to the tooth set - up materials . the abutment sleeves are types of abutments . it should be understood from this description that the abutment sleeves used may be secondary abutments that mount on primary abutments that in turn directly mount on underlying dental implants or the sleeves may be primary abutments themselves , i . e ., mount directly to the underlying dental implants . as exemplified herein , a combination of these types of abutment sleeves may , if desired , be used in the manufacture of a hybrid framework of the invention or exclusively one type or the other may be used as desired . similarly , although the example of the figures shows a terminal screw attachment portion of a framework component that is sized and configured to mount on a primary abutment , such portions that are sized and configured to directly mount on a dental implant may also be used . as used herein , when an abutment , such as an abutment sleeve , or a terminal screw attachment portion of a framework component is said to be fixed or connected or attached to a dental implant it may be either directly fixed or connected or attached to the implant or indirectly fixed or connected or attached to the implant via at least one , such as one , intermediate abutment . as well known in the art , abutment sleeves may be reversibly fixed to an underlying component , either another abutment or a dental implant , using a screw inserted into the shaft of the abutment sleeve and received by a threaded socket of the underlying component . all of the various abutments described herein are commercially available for commonly used dental implants . abutments are also commercially available in varying lengths and can also be readily truncated as needed . abutments or a combination of abutments are selected so that the body of the abutment sleeve ( s ) that will be joined by resin to a c - shaped abutment - surrounding member of the elongate framework component extends into the plane of thickness of the c - shaped abutment - surrounding member when the elongate framework component is fixed in its operative position with respect to the patient &# 39 ; s mouth or model thereof . without limitation , the invention also provides the following embodiments and variations thereof . one embodiment of the invention provides a one - piece , solid , such as metallic , elongated passively fitting framework component having a tissue side and an occlusal side , that includes or consists essentially of or consists of : a terminal screw attachment portion forming a hole passing from the tissue side to the occlusal side of the component ; a connecting segment , such as an elongated connecting segment , joining the terminal screw attachment portion and the c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment . the component may optionally include further c - shaped abutment - surrounding segments and at least some adjacent c - shaped abutment - surrounding segments are connected by interposed connecting segments . a related embodiment of the invention provides a one - piece , solid , such as metallic , elongated passively fitting framework component having a tissue side and an occlusal side , that includes or consists essentially of or consists of : a terminal screw attachment portion forming a hole passing from the tissue side to the occlusal side of the component ; a first connecting segment , such as a first elongated connecting segment , joining the terminal screw attachment portion and the first c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment ; a second connecting segment , such as a second elongated connecting segment , joining the first c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment and the second c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment . one embodiment of the invention provides a method for fabricating a passively fitting hybrid framework for a patient having at least two adjacent osseo - integrated dental implants in a jaw bone , there being two terminal dental implants , that includes the steps of : reversibly fixing an abutment sleeve to each dental implant other than a first one of the terminal dental implants ; providing an elongated one - piece , optionally metallic , passively fitting framework component having a tissue side and an occlusal side , that includes : a terminal screw attachment portion forming a hole passing from the tissue side to the occlusal side of the component for attachment to an abutment of a terminal dental implant , a c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment defining a concavity for attachment to an abutment of each dental implant other than the first one of the terminal dental implants , a connecting segment , such as an elongated connecting segment , joining the terminal screw attachment portion and the c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment , wherein the elongated one - piece passively fitting framework component is sized and configured so that when the terminal screw attachment portion thereof is attached to the first one of the terminal dental implants in the patient &# 39 ; s jawbone , the concavity of the c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment faces the secondary abutment sleeve ; reversibly attaching the terminal screw attachment portion of the framework component to the first one of the terminal dental implants in the patient &# 39 ; s mouth such that the c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment faces the abutment sleeve ; and joining the c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment to the secondary abutment sleeve it faces with a hardening resin . a related embodiment provides a method for fabricating a passively fitting hybrid framework in which the resin is used to joined components mounted on a model , that includes the steps of : providing a solid model of a patient &# 39 ; s mouth with at least two osseo - integrated dental implants in a jaw bone there being two terminal dental implants ; providing an elongated one - piece , optionally metallic , passively fitting framework component having a tissue side and an occlusal side that includes : a terminal screw attachment portion forming a hole passing from the tissue side to the occlusal side of the component for reversible attachment to a first terminal dental implant , a c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment defining a concavity for attachment to an abutment reversibly fixed to a dental implant other than the first terminal dental implant , and a connecting segment , such as an elongated connecting segment , joining the terminal screw attachment portion and the c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment ; reversibly attaching an abutment sleeve to a dental implant other than the first terminal dental implant in the model ; reversibly attaching the terminal screw attachment portion of the framework component to the first terminal dental implant of the model such that c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment at least partially surrounds the abutment sleeve ; and joining the c - shaped abutment - surrounding segments to the at least partially surrounded abutment sleeve with a hardening resin . in framework component embodiments including a screw attachment portion , there may be a single screw attachment portion , such as single terminal screw attachment portion , forming a hole passing from the tissue side to the occlusal side of the component of the embodiments . a screw attachment portion , such as a single screw attachment portion may also be located at a position to attach to a non - terminal dental implant where three or more dental implants are present . the invention also provides embodiments in which , rather than an initial fixation of a framework component to an underlying dental implant via a screw attachment portion , such as a terminal screw attachment portion , of the framework component , the initial attachment of the framework component for setting the orientation for subsequent fixations is also made between an abutment sleeve ( installed on a dental implant in the patient &# 39 ; s mouth or on a model thereof ), such as a secondary abutment sleeve , and a lateral face of the framework component that faces the sleeve , such as the face presented by a lateral concavity formed therein , such as the face of a lateral concavity presented by a c - shaped segment . the fabrication of a passively fitting framework according to such a method is exemplified in fig8 - 13 . fig8 shows a hard model of a patient &# 39 ; s mouth ( maxillary ), with seven dental implants installed in the maxilla . secondary abutment sleeves 865 a - 865 g , as shown , are already installed on the dental implants of the model . a unitary wax mock - up of a framework component 800 manufactured by conventional means ( e . g ., bending , cutting , filing ) provides lateral concavities that face and at least partially surround the abutment sleeves . generally , the mock - up of the framework component may be made from wax and / or acrylic , which can be burned out in a lost wax ( investment ) casting procedure to provide a corresponding metallic framework component . rather than a casting process , a mock - up of a framework component may be three - dimensionally scanned and then three - dimensionally printed in a metallic or non - metallic material , such as by methods known in the art . if it is intended that the framework mock - up is to be scanned rather than cast , the framework mock - up may be made of any easily worked material ( rather than only a material that can be burned out in a casting process ). the shape and surface features of a metal framework component obtained by casting or other methods may , for example , be further refined if desired by machining or texturizing . fig9 shows a metallic framework component 900 , which was cast from framework mock - up 800 , disposed on hard model 850 so that the abutment sleeves are laterally adjacent to and at least partially surrounded by the lateral concavities of framework 900 . fig1 shows resin 1000 c filling the space between abutment sleeve 865 c and framework 900 to join the abutment sleeve to the framework . framework 900 joined to abutment sleeve 865 c by hardened resin is then removed from the model as a unit by removing the internal screw securing abutment sleeve 865 c to the underlying dental implant in the model . fig1 shows framework 900 resin - joined to abutment sleeve 865 c now installed as a unit in the patient &# 39 ; s mouth by screw attachment of abutment sleeve 865 c to the corresponding dental implant in the patient &# 39 ; s maxilla . secondary abutment sleeves are shown already installed on the remaining dental implants in the patient &# 39 ; s jaw . as shown , the remaining abutments are laterally juxtaposed to the lateral concave faces of framework 900 . each of the remaining abutments , 1265 a - b and 1265 d - g , is then joined with hardening resin to the adjacent portion of framework 900 , with the result shown in fig1 ( resin shown at 1000 a / b and 1000 d - g , respectively ). in this manner , a passively fitting prosthodontic framework is obtained . the resulting framework including framework component 900 and abutment sleeves 865 c , 1265 a - b and 1265 d - g joined by resin to framework 900 is removed from the patient &# 39 ; s mouth by unscrewing the screw member that secures each abutment sleeve to its respective dental implant . fig1 shows the isolated passively fitting framework , which can then be further processed to provide a dental restoration including a tooth set - up . one embodiment of the invention provides a one - piece elongated passively fitting framework component having a tissue side and an occlusal side that includes or consists essentially of : a first portion selected from the group consisting of a terminal screw attachment portion forming a hole passing from the tissue side to the occlusal side of the component and a terminal c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment defining a concavity ; a second portion which is a c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment defining a concavity ; and a connecting segment , such as an elongated connecting segment , joining the first portion to the second portion . in one variation , there is a single screw attachment portion , such as a single terminal screw attachment portion , forming a hole passing from the tissue side to the occlusal side of the component . in another variation , there is no screw attachment portion forming a hole passing from the tissue side to the occlusal side of the component but there may be least two c - shaped segments . in a related variation , there is no terminal screw attachment portion forming a hole passing from the tissue side to the occlusal side of the component . another embodiment of the invention provides a one - piece , elongated passively fitting framework component having a tissue side and an occlusal side that includes or consists essentially of : a connecting segment , such as an elongated connecting segment , joining the first c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment and the second c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment or the first and second c - shaped abutment - surrounding segments being directly joined . a related embodiment of the invention provides a one - piece , elongated passively fitting framework component having a tissue side and an occlusal side that includes or consists essentially of : a plurality of c - shaped abutment - surrounding segments sequentially ordered along the framework component ; and for each pair of sequentially adjacent c - shaped abutment - surrounding segments , a connecting segment , such as an elongated connecting segment , joining sequentially adjacent c - shaped abutment - surrounding segments and / or sequentially adjacent c - shaped abutment - surrounding segments directly connected to each other or any combination thereof . a further embodiment of the invention provides a method for fabricating a passively fitting framework for a patient having at least two adjacent osseo - integrated dental implants in a jaw bone , there being two terminal dental implants , that includes the steps of : reversibly fixing an abutment sleeve to at least one of the dental implants ; providing an elongated one - piece , passively fitting framework component having a tissue side and an occlusal side that comprises : a first c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment , a second c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment , and a connecting segment , such as an elongated connecting segment , joining the first c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment and the second c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment or the first and second c - shaped abutment - surrounding segments being directly joined , wherein the elongated one - piece passively fitting framework component is sized and configured so that if a secondary abutment sleeve is installed on each dental implant , the concavity of each of the c - shaped abutment - surrounding segments of the framework will face the secondary abutment sleeve of a dental implant ; positioning the framework in the patient &# 39 ; s mouth so that the concavity of each c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment will face a secondary abutment sleeve installed on one of the dental implants ; and joining at least one of the c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment to the secondary abutment sleeve it faces with a hardening resin . still another embodiment of the invention provides a method for fabricating a passively fitting framework that includes the steps of : providing a solid model of a patient &# 39 ; s jaw with at least two osseo - integrated dental implants in a jaw bone there being two terminal dental implants ; providing an elongated one - piece , passively fitting framework component having a tissue side and an occlusal side , that includes : a first c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment , a second c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment , and a connecting segment , such as an elongated connecting segment , joining the first c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment and the second c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment or the first and second c - shaped abutment - surrounding segments being directly joined , wherein the elongated one - piece passively fitting framework component is sized and configured so that if a secondary abutment sleeve were installed on each dental implant in the model , each of the c - shaped abutment - surrounding segments of the framework would face the secondary abutment sleeve of a dental implant ; positioning the framework in the model so that if a secondary abutment sleeve were installed on each dental implant , each of the c - shaped abutment - surrounding segments of the frameworks would face the secondary abutment sleeve of a dental implant ; reversibly attaching a first abutment sleeve to a first dental implant in the model ; and joining the c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment that at least partially surrounds the first abutment sleeve with a hardening resin . detaching as a unit from the model the framework component joined by resin to the first secondary abutment sleeve ; reversibly installing a secondary abutment sleeve on each implant in the patient &# 39 ; s jawbone except for that corresponding to the first dental implant in the model ; reversibly installing the framework component joined by resin to the first secondary abutment sleeve by screw attachment of the first secondary abutment sleeve to the dental implant in the patient &# 39 ; s jawbone that corresponds to the first dental implant in the model , such that concavities of the remaining c - shaped abutment - surrounding segments of the framework component respectively face the secondary abutment sleeves reversibly installed on the remaining dental implants ; and joining each of said remaining c - shaped abutment - surrounding segments with a hardening resin to the secondary abutment sleeve that it faces . the one - piece framework components may be sized and configured so that the lateral surface - presenting abutment - facing segments thereof , such as the aforementioned c - shaped segments , are disposed so that each ( simultaneously ) is laterally adjacent to and faces the vertical projection of a dental implant ( in the model and mouth ), which projections are actualized by the attachment of abutment sleeves to the implants . the concave faces of the c - shaped segments are preferably those that are laterally adjacent to and face , and may at least partially surround , the vertical projection of the dental implant . as shown , for example , by fig8 - 13 a single concavity - presenting abutment surrounding segment of a framework compound may face and at least partially surround more than one abutment sleeve at a time . the concavity - presenting abutment surrounding segments , such as c - shaped abutment - surrounding segments , of any of the embodiments may include one or more protrusions extending radially inward from the bounding surface of the concavity . the invention also provides hybrid passively fitting frameworks that include or consist essentially or consist of : an elongated passively fitting framework component according to any one of embodiments or variations thereof described herein ; a secondary abutment sleeve disposed at least partially in and / or facing the concavity of each c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment ; and a hardened resin joining each secondary abutment sleeve to the c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment defining the concavity in which the secondary abutment sleeve is at least partially disposed ( and / or faces generally ). at least some , such as at least one or all , of the secondary abutment sleeves may be externally ribbed . non - ribbed secondary abutment sleeves may also be used . the secondary abutment sleeves may be metallic such as titanium or titanium alloy . the invention further provides dental restorations for detachable , fixed attachment to osseo - integrated dental implants that include or consist essentially of or consist of : a hybrid passively fitting framework as and any variations thereof as described herein ; and a tooth set - up attached to the hybrid passively fitting framework . in any of the aforementioned method embodiments , the hardening resin may be a light - curable resin and the joining step may then further include illuminating the resin with a light source to cure the resin . the methods of forming a hybrid framework may also optionally include a further step of : after joining the c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment to the at least partially surrounded secondary abutment sleeves with the hardening resin , welding at least one of the secondary abutment sleeves to the metallic framework component using a metallic spanning member . more particularly , the spanning member may be welded at one end to the secondary abutment sleeve and at the other end to the adjacent c - shaped abutment - surrounding segment . in each of the method embodiments described , there may also be more than two dental implants , for example , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , or 8 , for which the framework is being prepared . in this case , as described herein , an abutment sleeve is reversibly attached to each of the dental implants , or to each one other than the first terminal dental implant , and an elongate framework component is provided that has a c - shaped abutment - surrounding member corresponding to each of the implant - attached abutment sleeves , the framework component being sized and configured so that when the screw attachment portion is reversibly attached to the first terminal dental implant , each of the c - shaped abutment - surrounding members at least partially surrounds ( or faces , generally ) the corresponding implant - attached abutment sleeve . each of the c - shaped abutment - surrounding members can then be joined to the adjacent abutment sleeve using resin as described and , thereafter , optionally welded as described . while the above embodiments and variations thereof have been exemplified with c - shaped concavity - presenting abutment - surrounding segments , which term is intended to be construed broadly with respect to shape and is inclusive of u - shaped and crescent - shaped , the invention also provides corresponding embodiments and variations thereof in which , more generally , lateral surface - presenting abutment - facing segments may be used such as , but not limited to , lateral concavity - presenting abutment - surrounding segments , such as but not limited to c - shaped and v - shaped abutment - surrounding segments . any combination may be used according the invention . furthermore , as shown throughout the figures , the segments of the framework component to which the abutments are joined using resin are not closed , i . e ., are not closed rings which fully bound an aperture into which an abutment sleeve is disposed . like the embodiments shown in the figures , the invention provides framework component embodiments in which none of the lateral surface - presenting abutment - facing segments present fully bounded apertures for surrounding an abutment sleeve . the invention also provides framework component embodiments in which at least one , at least two , at least two sequentially adjacent , at least three , at least some , or all of the lateral surface - presenting abutment - facing segments are laterally open ( such as c - shaped or v - shaped ) rather than closed in the manner of a fully bounded aperture sized to surround an abutment sleeve . each of the patent applications , patents and other publications cited in this disclosure is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein . although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments , it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to these specific embodiments .	0
all patients were diagnosed according to dsm - iv criteria by at least two senior psychiatrists . inclusion criteria were normal results of physical examination , electrocardiogram , and laboratory tests for renal , hepatic , hematologic , and thyroid function . after complete description of the study to the subjects , written informed consent was obtained for a 20 - 60 ml blood donation . in all cases blood was drawn between 8 : 00 - 10 : 00 a . m . the hamilton depression inventory was administered before blood donation . the study was approved by the institutional review board . the group of 36 untreated patients with major depression consisted of 27 ( 14 female and 13 male ) patients ( average age 41 . 9 , sd = 12 . 3 , range 19 - 71 ) with hamilton score ≧ 21 , who were found to meet the inclusion criterion of ham - d ≧ 21 and 9 untreated patients with hamilton score 10 - 20 , whose beta - arrestin measures were included only in the correlation between beta - arrestin levels and ham - d . patients were examined before the initiation of treatment . the healthy volunteer group consisted of 32 subjects ( 18 female and 15 male ), average age 39 . 2 ( sd = 12 . 6 , range 20 - 75 ) years , from the staff and staff &# 39 ; s families of ben gurion university . a group of 14 untreated patients with major depression consisting of 9 female and 5 male patients ( average age 36 . 6 , sd = 15 . 3 , range 18 - 58 ) with hamilton score ≧ 18 , were examined for both beta - arrestin1 protein and mrna levels , before the initiation of treatment and at one , two and four weeks after initiation of treatment . patients were blindly assigned in advance to receive either the ssri : citalopram or the snri : venlafaxine . half of the patients ( 7 patients ) received citalopram 20 - 40 mg / d , while the other half of the patients ( 7 patients ) received venlafaxine 150 - 225 mg / d . the healthy volunteer group consisted of 14 subjects ( 9 female and 5 male ), average age 37 . 1 ( sd = 12 . 6 , range 19 - 57 ) years , from the students and staff of ben gurion university . male rats ( sprague - dawley , 250 g ) were chronically treated for 21 days by intragastrical treatment with either imipramine , desipramine or fluvoxamine , 10 mg / kg , twice daily . control rats were intragastrically treated with either distilled water or 10 % ethanol , used as vehicle for imipramine / desipramine or fluvoxamine , respectively . no significant differences were found between the two groups of control animals . on the 22 nd day , rats were decapitated , blood collected and brain regions immediately dissected . tissue homogenization was carried out in a glass - teflon homogenizer with ice - cold buffer containing 20 mm tris . cl ph 7 . 4 , 2 mm edta , 1 mm dtt and antiprotease cocktail ( sigma ). after initial centrifugation at 800 g for 5 min , the supernatant was collected and further centrifuged at 48 , 000 g for 30 min using a beckman ti80 rotor . the resulting supernatant and pellet were separated : the supernatant fraction was collected and centrifuged at 120 , 000 g for 45 min and the supernatant obtained was used for all measurements ; the pellet was resuspended in the homogenization buffer and the pellet fraction obtained was used for all measurements . serum was prepared from blood collected at the time of decapitation and kept frozen for measurement of antidepressant levels . imipramine and desipramine levels were measured by fluorescence polarization immunoassay in a tdxflx system ( abbott ). mononuclear leukocytes were isolated from 50 ml heparinized fresh blood of adult donors , using ficoll - paque gradient . cells were homogenized in 25 mm tris - hcl , ph 7 . 4 , 1 mm mg + 2 , 1 mm egta , 1 mm dithiotreitol ( dtt ) and antiprotease cocktail ( 1 : 100 ) ( sigma ). the cytolosic fraction ( supernatant ) was separated from the membrane fraction by centrifugation at 18 , 000 g for 20 min . membranes were suspended in homogenization buffer and both fractions were frozen at − 70 ° until assayed . aliquots were taken for protein concentration determination using the lowry assay . on the day of assay , cytosolic and / or membrane fraction were thawed . 10 μg total protein aliquots were taken for protein separation by sds -( 10 %) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . the resulting proteins were transferred to nitrocellulose paper by use of electroblotting apparatus . blots were blocked with 5 % bsa for 1 hr in tbs containing 0 . 1 % tween - 20 ( ttbs ) and incubated overnight with a monoclonal antibody to beta - arrestin1 ( transduction labs , diluted 1 : 250 ). the immune bands were detected by subsequent incubation with anti - mouse igg labeled with horseradishperoxidase using the enhanced chemiluminescence western blot detection system ( amersham ) followed by exposure to kodak x - omat film . the range of linearity of the assay as related to the protein concentration was found between 2 . 5 - 20 μg membrane - protein . peak heights of immunoreactive bands presented as arbitrary absorbance units , were determined with a computer - assisted imaging system for semi - quantitative measurements . 10 μg rat cortical membranes run in each blot as a standard reference . 2 - d isolation of rna and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction ( rt - pcr ): isolation and purification of total rna from mnl was carried with ez - rna kit ( beit haemek , israel ). one - step rt - pcr ( abgene , england ) was performed with oligonucleotide primers selected from the highly conserved nucleotide sequences of beta - actin ( forward primer , 5 ′- ctacmtgagctgc gtgtgg - 3 ′( seq id no : 1 ), reverse primer , 5 ′- cgg tgaggatcttcatga - 3 ′( seq id no : 2 ), amplified product 320 bp ). to assess the specificity , beta - actin rna served as an internal control for cdna normalization . normalized cdnas were subjected to analysis of beta - arrestin1 ( forward primer , 5 ′- cmgcccttgcacctagaag - 3 ′( seq id : 3 ), reverse primer 5 ′- gttcgtgtcttcgtgcttga - 3 ′( seq id no : 4 ), 316 bp ). primers were synthesized by sigma genosys , israel . 1 μg of total rna was used for rt - pcr in 25 μl reaction volume . after a denaturation step for 5 min at 94 ° c ., thermal cycling was performed at 94 ° c . for 20 s , 50 ° c . for 30 s , 72 ° c . for 1 min , with a total number of 30 cycles for both beta - actin and beta - arrestin 1 gene products . after staining with ethidium bromide , amplified dna fragments were separated by gel electrophoresis in 1 % agarose . the relative density of the bands imprinted on the autoradiographic films was measured using a computerized image analysis system . pcr products were sequenced in both directions . rats were treated for three weeks with three types of antidepressants : the non - selective monoamine re - uptake inhibitor imipramine ; the norepinephrine specific re - uptake inhibitor desipramine ; and the serotonin specific re - uptake inhibitor fluvoxamine . beta - arrestin1 levels were measured in three rat brain areas : cortex , hippocampus and striatum . fig1 shows that both cytosolic and membrane beta - arrestin 1 were significantly elevated by all three antidepressants in the cortex and in the hippocampus , while in the striatum no alterations in beta - arrestin 1 levels could be detected . cytosolic and membrane beta - arrestin 1 in rat cortex were significantly elevated under imipramine ( cytosolic beta - arrestin - 1 : 165 . 6 % , sd14 . 3 , t = 5 . 5 , v = 32 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ; and membrane beta - arrestin 1 : 156 . 8 %, sd26 . 3 , t = 5 . 53 , v = 27 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 , respectively , bonferroni t test for 3 treatment groups in comparison with a single control group ), desipramine ( 163 . 4 % , sd21 . 9 , t = 7 . 27 , v = 32 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ; and 146 . 2 %, sd18 . 3 , t = 5 . 35 , v = 27 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 , respectively ) and fluvoxamine ( 172 . 8 %, sd15 . 6 , t = 10 . 3 , v = 32 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ; and 190 . 1 %, sd37 , t = 6 . 89 , v = 27 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 , respectively ) three weeks of treatment . cytosolic and membrane beta - arrestin - 1 in rat hippocampus were significantly elevated under imipramine ( 179 . 2 % , sd 27 . 8 , t = 7 . 89 , v = 32 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ; and 142 . 6 %, sd10 . 4 , t = 6 . 27 , v = 26 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 , respectively , bonferroni t test for 3 treatment groups in comparison with a single control group ), desipramine ( 151 . 6 %, sd21 . 7 , t = 6 . 29 , v = 32 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ; and 162 . 9 %, sd27 . 7 , t = 5 . 3 , v = 26 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 , respectively ) and fluvoxamine ( 134 . 7 % , sd22 . 3 , t = 4 . 14 , v = 32 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ; and 140 . 8 %, sd20 . 8 , t = 4 . 6 , v = 26 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 , respectively ) three weeks of treatment . the dynamics of antidepressant - induced increases in the levels of both cytosolic and membrane beta - arrestin - 1 indicate that the process became significant within 10 days and took 2 - 3 weeks to reach maximal increase ( fig2 & amp ; 3 ). the distinct elevations in the levels of beta - arrestin - 1 induced by antidepressant medications in rat brain areas indicate that alterations in beta - arrestin - 1 levels exist in humans suffering from a depressive episode . as it is known that beta - arrestin - 1 is expressed in mononuclear leukocytes , these cells were chosen for our human experiments . beta - arrestin - 1 levels were evaluated in mononuclear leukocytes obtained from a group of patients diagnosed with major depressive episode , before the initiation of an antidepressant treatment , and compared with a group of healthy volunteers . beta - arrestin - 1 levels in the healthy volunteers group were independent of the age ( pearson &# 39 ; s correlation coefficient =− 0 . 06 , n . s .) ( fig4 ) or gender ( average beta - arrestin - 1 levels for female and male subjects , 101 . 0 % and 99 . 0 %, respectively . us = 135 , ts = 0 . 283 , n . s ., mann - whitney u - test ) ( fig5 ) of the subjects examined . fig6 a shows that the levels of beta - arrestin - 1 were significantly reduced in mnl of patients with major depressive disorder with ratings of ham - d & gt ; 20 ( 37 . 15 %, sd = 15 . 66 %) in comparison with healthy volunteers ( 100 . 0 %, sd = 21 . 91 %). the sensitivity and specificity of the findings for diagnosing major depressive episodes were found to be 92 . 5 % and 93 . 9 %, respectively . including patients with depression with ratings on ham - d of & gt ; 16 ( fig6 b ) still resulted in high sensitivity and specificity values of 92 . 5 % and 90 . 9 %, respectively . the degree of reduction in mnl β - arrestin - 1 levels was found to significantly correlate with the severity of the depressive episode evaluated by the hamilton depression scale ( pearson &# 39 ; s correlation coefficient =− 0 . 661 ) ( fig7 ). similar to our previous findings concerning reduced g proteins levels in mnl of patients with depression the patients evaluated for g protein levels in the present study show significant reductions in both g - alpha - s levels ( 72 . 0 %, sd = 11 . 3 %) and g - alpha - i levels ( 73 . 2 %, sd = 12 . 0 %). cytosolic beta - arrestin - 1 levels correlated well with membrane g protein levels measured in the same mnl preparation of the depressed patients ( fig8 a , b ). for beta - arrestin - 1 versus g - alpha s : pearson &# 39 ; s r = 0 . 635 ; for beta - arrestin - 1 versus g alpha i : pearson &# 39 ; s r = 0 . 751 . beta - arrestin1 protein and mrna levels were evaluated in mnl obtained from a group of patients diagnosed with major depressive episode , before the initiation of an antidepressant treatment , during antidepressant treatment at 1 , 2 and 4 weeks of treatment and compared with a group of healthy volunteers . as shown by bonferroni t tests ( multiple comparisons against a single control group ) in comparison with the age - and gender - matched healthy subjects ( cytoplasmic fraction mnl beta - arrestin1 protein = 100 . 0 %, sd = 6 . 0 %; membrane fraction mnl beta - arrestin1 protein = 100 . 0 %, sd = 8 . 7 %; mnl mrna = 100 . 0 %, sd = 5 . 9 %), patients with depression , while untreated , had statistically significant lower levels of mnl beta - arrestin1 protein ( cytoplasmic beta - arrestin - 1 protein = 45 . 6 %, sd = 20 . 8 %, t = 9 . 275 , df = 65 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ; membrane beta - arrestin - 1 protein = 37 . 4 %, sd = 26 . 4 %, t = 8 . 085 , df = 65 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ) and significantly lower levels of mnl beta - arrestin - 1 mrna ( 46 . 9 % sd26 . 7 %, t = 5 . 01 , df = 65 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ) ( table 5 ) . the extents of reduction in beta arrestin - 1 protein and mrna levels in untreated patients with depression were found to be correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms assessed by hamilton rating scale for depression ( for cytoplasmic beta - arrestin1 protein : pearson &# 39 ; s r =− 0 . 764 , n = 14 , t = 3 . 93 p & lt ; 0 . 005 ; for membrane beta - arrestin1 protein : pearson &# 39 ; s r =− 0 . 795 , n = 14 , t = 4 . 35 p & lt ; 0 . 002 ; for beta - arrestin1 mrna levels : pearson &# 39 ; s r =- 0 . 661 , t = 2 . 92 n = 14 , p & lt ; 0 . 02 ). fig9 shows a prototypical example comparing the dynamics of clinical response of a depressed patient to an antidepressant ( lowering of the ham - d rating ) with the dynamics of normalization of beta - arrestin levels . treatment with antidepressant medications resulted in normalization of beta - arrestin1 protein levels in mnl cytoplasmic and membrane fractions and normalization of beta - arrestin1 mrna levels ( table 5 ). the low beta - arrestin1 protein and mrna levels in mnl of the untreated patients with depression were found to be normalized by 4 weeks of antidepressant treatment in a statistically significant manner , according to paired t tests ( cytoplasmic mnl beta - arrestin1 protein level 91 . 7 %, sd = 21 . 0 %; t = 6 . 956 , df = 13 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ; membrane mnl beta - arrestin1 protein level 97 . 2 %, sd = 18 . 3 %; t = 9 . 203 , df = 1 3 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ; mnl beta - arrestin1 mrna level 115 . 8 %, sd = 1 0 . 0 %; t = 4 . 925 , df = 13 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ). beta - arrestin - 1 measures after 4 weeks of antidepressant treatment were found to be not significantly different from those characterizing the group of healthy subjects , according to bonferroni t test ( for cytoplasmic beta - arrestin - 1 protein : t = 1 . 010 , df = 65 , n . s . ; for membrane beta - arrestin - 1 protein : t = 0 . 135 , df = 65 , n . s .). mnl beta - arrestin1 mrna levels after 4 weeks of antidepressant treatment were found significantly higher in comparison with levels characterizing healthy volunteers ( t = 3 . 15 , df = 65 , p & lt ; 0 . 01 ). repeated beta - arrestin1 measurements after 1 , 2 and 4 weeks of antidepressant treatment conducted alongside with clinical evaluation shows that biochemical normalization of beta - arrestin1 measures preceded clinical response by 1 - 2 weeks . the detailed dynamics of normalization of the measures of beta - arrestin1 protein and mrna levels in mnl of the depressed patients during the course of antidepressant treatment in relation to the dynamics of clinical improvement reveals that the biochemical normalization preceded clinical improvement by 1 - 2 weeks ( fig1 ). the dynamics of biochemical normalization of beta - arrestin1 protein and mrna levels was not found to significantly differ between the ssri - and snri - treated patients ( not shown ). while , after 1 week of antidepressant treatment , no significant change was observed in the severity of the depressive symptoms assessed by hamilton depression scale , beta - arrestin1 measures were significantly elevated . the low beta - arrestin1 protein and mrna levels in mnl of the untreated patients with depression were found to be significantly increased already after one week of antidepressant treatment according to paired t tests ( cytoplasmic mnl beta - arrestin1 protein level 71 . 4 %, sd = 24 . 6 %; t = 3 . 863 , df = 13 , p & lt ; 0 . 002 ; membrane mnl beta - arrestin1 protein level 86 . 6 %, sd = 26 . 0 %; t = 6 . 56 , df = 13 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ; mnl beta - arrestin1 mrna level 74 . 8 %, sd = 24 . 5 %; t = 2 . 562 , df = 13 , p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). the expression of grk2 was measured in the mnl of 3 patients diagnosed with major depression and compared to 3 healthy subjects . protein preparations and western blotting were carried out as described under methods , using a polyclonal antibody . similarly to the findings in beta - arrestin1 measurements , the immunoreactivity level of grk2 was significantly decreased ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 , mann - whitney test ) in the cytosolic fraction of patients as compared to healthy subjects ( fig1 ). taken together these data support initial evidence for alterations in signal transduction events in depressed patients , and evidence the involvement of grk2 and β - arrestin - 1 in this process . from the above examples , one can see that beta - arrestin - 1 is a biochemical underlying target site for the mechanism of action of antidepressants . the induction by antidepressants of the expression of beta - arrestin - 1 in rat brain present a defined , general and new mechanism of action of various types of antidepressants : serotonin specific ( ssris ) norepinephrine specific ( nsris ) and non - selective reuptake inhibitors . the elevation in beta - arrestin - 1 levels induced by the various types of antidepressants afford a defined and new explanation for their well - known induction of beta - adrenergic and other receptor down - regulation through post - receptor effects . reports concerning antidepressants post - receptor effects on g proteins involve proximal effects on receptor - g protein coupling and distal effects on g protein - second messenger activation . in 1983 it was first reported that long - term administration of various antidepressants facilitated the activation of adenylyl cyclase by gs . these initial findings have been substantiated by later studies . in contrast to the facilitation of g protein - second messenger activation by antidepressants , long - term treatment with these medication was found to decrease beta adrenergic receptor - g protein coupling , as well as 5 - ht1a receptor - g protein coupling . these findings of decreased receptor - g protein coupling are consistent with one of the classic biochemical hallmarks of chronic antidepressant treatment : down - regulation of several types of neurotransmitter receptors in the brain . very recent studies suggest that chronic treatment with antidepressant drugs results in redistribution of gs , which might partially explain reduced receptor - gs coupling as well as elevated gs - adenylyl cyclase coupling . the present findings describing the induction by antidepressants of beta - arrestin - 1 expression offer a new explanation for the mechanism underlying the previously described findings . increased levels of beta - arrestin - 1 ‘ arrest ’ intracellular signaling triggered by g protein coupled transmembrane receptors . arrestin binding to receptors thus results in desensitization of g protein - mediated signaling by preventing interaction of receptors with g proteins . thus proximal antidepressant effects at the level of receptor g protein are expected to show receptor g protein uncoupling due to the increased expression of beta - arrestin - 1 . indeed the “ proximal ” findings on receptor g protein uncoupling support the described above . this receptor g protein uncoupling induced by antidepressants through beta - arrestin - 1 induction may be the cause for redistribution of gs and for the “ distal ” elevated gs adenylyl cyclase coupling also described above . the dynamics of antidepressant - induced increases in the levels of beta - arrestin - 1 in rat brain indicate that the process became significant within 10 days and took 2 - 3 weeks to reach maximal increase . also , our findings show that both cytoplasmic and membrane beta - arrestin1 levels are reduced in mnl of patients with depression , suggesting that the protein is under - expressed in depression . indeed , the reduction in mrna levels in mnl of patients with depression confirms under - expression of beta - arrestin1 protein in mnl of patients with depression . similarly , the effects of antidepressants treatment of elevating both cytoplasmic and membrane beta - arrestin1 protein and mrna levels point to a possible biochemical mechanism of action of antidepressants through increased expression of beta - arrestin1 protein . the time frame of antidepressant induced increase in beta - arrestin - 1 levels correlated well with the time frame of antidepressant induced beta - adrenergic and other receptor down - regulation , as well as with the time frame of the clinical response . these findings lend further support to the clinical relevance of the antidepressant effects on the expression of beta - arrestin - 1 . the dynamics of normalization by antidepressant treatment of the biochemical measures of beta - arrestin1 levels in mnl of patients with depression did not follow , and thus reflect the clinical improvement of the patients , but rather preceded clinical improvement . the biochemical normalization , which was significant after one week , preceded clinical improvement by 1 - 2 weeks . it is very difficult to monitor the extent of specific clinical improvement in the early period of the first and second week after initiation of antidepressant treatment . since clinical response to antidepressant treatments is due both to the specific biochemical antidepressant effects of the medication agent , as well as placebo effects , and since the placebo effect is usually more pronounced during the early period of treatment initiation , it is very difficult to assess in these early days the specific antidepressant effects of antidepressant treatments . beta - arrestin1 measurements in peripheral blood cells of patients with mood disorder , as a state dependent characteristic , may afford biochemical monitoring of antidepressant effects and prediction of clinical response to antidepressant by 1 - 2 weeks in advance . comparing between the findings of reduced beta - arrestin - 1 levels with simultaneous findings of reduced g alpha - s and g alpha - i levels in mnl of patients with depression it is clear that the extend of reduction was found to be more prominent by two to three folds , with respect to beta - arrestin levels . while beta - arrestin - 1 levels were reduced by 62 . 9 %, g alpha - s and g alpha - i protein levels were reduced by 28 % and 27 %, respectively , in unipolar outpatients with depression in the present study . similar extent of reductions of g protein levels were observed by us in previous studies : reductions of g - alpha - s and g - alpha - i by 21 % and 23 %, respectively in unipolar depressed patients ; by 29 % and 39 %, respectively in hospitalised depressed patients before the application of ect in a previous study ; by 28 % and 20 %, respectively in sad outpatients with winter depression and by 21 % and 17 %, respectively for bipolar depressed patients ( table 4 ). thus , it can be concluded that beta - arrestin - 1 measurements in mnl of patients with depression is a better diagnostic assay for detecting depression . indeed the sensitivity and specificity of the beta - arrestin - 1 test were found to be 92 . 5 % and 93 . 9 %, respectively . these values are far greater than the values previously described for the immunoreactive g protein assay : 73 % and 81 %, respectively . from the results documented in the above examples it will be realized that the present invention , inter alia enables and provides for : ( i ) a new target for the mechanism of action of antidepressant drugs acting on beta - arrestin and / or grk2 levels and / or functioning and the ability to design new antidepressant medication through this mechanism of action , using similar techniques of measurements in animal brain and human peripheral models . ( ii ) the use of genetic polymorphism at the beta - arrestin 1 or grk - 2 locci in the pharmacogenetics of molecular predictions of response to treatment in mood disorders . ( iii ) the possibility to diagnose major depressive episode in a yet untreated subject using the beta - arrestin - 1 and / or grk2 assay , which has proven far better sensitivity and specificity than the previous g protein assays . ( iv ) the possibility to monitor and / or predicting treatment response or treatment resistance to antidepressant medications . it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing illustrative examples and that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential attributes thereof , and it is therefore desired that the present embodiments and examples be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , reference being made to the appended claims , rather than to the foregoing description , and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein . avissar s , schreiber g : towards molecular diagnostics of mood disorders in psychiatry . trends in molecular medicine . 8 : 294 - 300 , 2002 . schreiber g , avissar s : application of g proteins in the molecular diagnosis of psychiatric disorders . expert rev mol diagn . 3 : 89 - 100 , 2003 .	2
the alkyl glycoside reaction product of the present invention is obtained by a commonly known method . for example , it may be obtained either by directly reacting a sugar with a higher alcohol in the presence of an acid catalyst , or by preliminarily reacting a sugar with a lower alcohol ( for example , methanol , ethanol , propanol , butanol ) to thereby provide a lower alkyl glycoside , which is then reacted with a higher alcohol . the higher alcohol for use in the process of the present invention is represented by formula ( ii ) wherein r 1 represents a straight or branched alkyl , alkenyl , or alkylphenyl group having from 6 to 22 carbon atoms ; r 2 represents an alkylene group having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms ; and x indicates a mean value and is a number equal to 0 to 5 . specific examples of the higher alcohol represented by formula ( ii ) include a straight or branched alkanol such as hexanol , heptanol , octanol , nonanol , decanol , dodecanol , tridecanol , tetradecanol , pentadecanol , hexadecanol , heptadecanol , octadecanol , methylpentanol , methylhexanol , methylheptanol , methyloctanol , methyldecanol , methylundecanol , methyltridecanol , methylheptadecanol , ethylhexanol , ethyloctanol , ethyldecanol , ethyldodecanol , 2 - heptanol , 2 - nonanol , 2 - undecanol , 2 - tridecanol , 2 - pentadecanol , 2 - heptadecanol , 2 - butyloctanol , 2 - hexyloctanol , 2 - octyloctanol , 2 - hexyldecanol and 2 - octyldecanol ; an alkenol such as hexenol , heptenol , octenol , nonenol , decenol , undecenol , dodecenol , tridecenol , tetradecenol , pentadecenol , hexadecenol , heptadecenol and octadecenol ; and alkylphenols such as octylphenol and nonylphenol . these alcohols or alkylphenols may be used either alone or a mixture of two or more of them . further , an alkylene oxide adduct of these alcohols or alkylphenols can be used . the sugar for use as the starting material for the production of the alkyl glycoside according to the present invention may be selected from monosaccharides , oligosaccharides , and polysaccharides . examples of the monosaccharides include aldoses such as allose , altrose , glucose , mannose , gulose , idose , galactose , talose , ribose , arabinose , xylose , lyxose . examples of the oligosaccharides include maltose , lactose , sucrose and maltotriose . examples of the polysaccharides include hemicellulose , insulin , dextrin , dextran , xylan , starch and hydrolyzed starch . in the present invention , the production of an alkyl glycoside may be conducted with the use of the above - mentioned starting materials under known conditions ( for example , catalyst , temperature ) as disclosed , for example , in jp - b - 47 - 24532 ( the term &# 34 ; jp - b &# 34 ; as used herein means an &# 34 ; examined japanese patent publication &# 34 ;) ( corresponding to u . s . pat . no . 3 , 598 , 865 ), u . s . pat . no . 3 , 839 , 318 , european patent 092355 , jp - a - 59 - 139397 , and jp - a - 58 - 189195 . as the alkyl glycoside to be decolored according to the process of the present invention , those represented by formula ( iii ) are particularly preferable : wherein r 1 is an alkyl , alkenyl , or alkylphenyl group having from 6 to 22 carbon atoms ; r 2 is an alkylene group having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms ; g is a residual group originating from a reducing sugar having 5 or 6 carbon atoms ; x indicates a mean value and is a number equal to 0 to 5 ; and y indicates a mean value and is a number equal to 1 to 10 . in the present invention , the decoloring of the alkyl glycoside with hydrogen peroxide can be efficiently conducted in a system wherein the ph value is maintained within an alkaline region . the amount of the hydrogen peroxide to be used in the decoloring may range from 0 . 05 to 10 % by weight , based on the dry solid alkyl glycoside content , and preferably from 0 . 1 to 5 % by weight . the alkyl glycoside to be decolored is used in the form of an aqueous solution of the alkyl glycoside containing 15 to 75 % by weight , and preferably 35 to 65 % by weight , based on the dry solid alkyl glycoside content . in the process of the present invention , it is preferable to and still more preferably from about 8 . 5 to 12 , from the viewpoints of the color and odor of the alkyl glycoside . the treatment with hydrogen peroxide is accompanied by a decrease in the ph value of the alkyl glycoside aqueous solution . therefore an alkali may be optionally added to the system throughout the treatment to thereby maintain the ph value of the system at about 8 . 5 or above . examples of the alkali to be used for maintaining the ph value at the desired level include alkali metal hydroxides ( for example , sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide ) or alkali metal carbonates ( for example , sodium carbonate , potassium carbonate ) and each may be used in the form of either a solid or an aqueous solution . the treatment with hydrogen peroxide in the process of the present invention may be effected by adding a required amount of hydrogen peroxide to the alkyl glycoside aqueous solution followed by stirring or aging for 30 minutes or longer , preferably for one hour or longer . the hydrogen peroxide is usually added in the form of a 3 to 60 % by weight aqueous solution , though the present invention is not restricted thereto . the hydrogen peroxide may be added either at once or by portions . this treatment may generally be conducted at from 5 to 100 ° c ., preferably at from 20 to 80 ° c ., and still more preferably at from 30 to 70 ° c . examples of the metal / hydrogen complex of the formula ( i ) to be used in the present invention include lithium borohydride , sodium borohydride , potassium borohydride , tetramethylammonium borohydride , calcium borohydride and zinc borohydride . among these substances , sodium borohydride is particularly preferable . the metal / hydrogen complex of the formula ( i ) to be used in the present invention may be added to the alkyl glycoside aqueous solution , which has been decolored with hydrogen peroxide , either as such ( i . e ., in the form of a powder ) or in the form of an aqueous solution or an alkaline aqueous solution . the amount of the metal / hydrogen complex to be added generally ranges from 0 . 05 to 2 mole equivalents , and preferably from 0 . 3 to 1 mole equivalent , with respect to the hydrogen peroxide used for the decoloring . this treatment is generally conducted at from 10 to 80 ° c ., and preferably at from 20 to 50 ° c . this treatment is generally conducted for from 0 . 25 to 5 hours , and preferably for from 0 . 5 to 1 hour , at a ph value of from about 7 to 12 , and preferably from about 8 to 10 . the ph value may be adjusted to the desired level by adding an appropriate base ( for example , sodium hydroxide ) prior to the addition of the metal / hydrogen complex . next , the excess metal / hydrogen complex remaining in the system is decomposed with an acid , to thereby complete the treatment . examples of the acid include sulfuric acid and p - toluenesulfonic acid . an acid is slowly added while stirring to the alkyl glycoside aqueous solution containing the excess metal / hydrogen complex so as to maintain the ph value of the system weakly acidic . the decomposition of the metal / hydrogen complex requires approximately 0 . 5 hour . after the completion of the decomposition , the ph value is adjusted to neutral by adding an appropriate base , for example , sodium hydroxide . thus , the hydrogen peroxide remaining in the alkyl glycoside aqueous solution can be completely decomposed and eliminated . the amount of the hydrogen peroxide remaining in the system can be readily determined by , for example , iodometric titration ( eisei shiken chu - kai , editted by pharmaceutical society of japan , p . 192 ( 1973 )). the present invention is characterized by treating an alkyl glycoside aqueous solution , which has been decolored with hydrogen peroxide , with a metal / hydrogen complex of the formula ( i ). this treatment brings about a surprising effect of maintaining the hue and odor of the obtained alkyl glycoside excellent for a prolonged period of time . to further illustrate the present invention , and not by way of limitation , the following examples are described . unless otherwise indicated , all percents are by weight . ( a ) 1140 g ( 72 . 0 mol ) of decyl alcohol , 3240 g ( 18 . 0 mol ) of anhydrous glucose and 96 g ( 0 . 5 mol ) of p - toluene - sulfonic acid monohydrate were heated and stirred in a 30 liter reaction vessel . after heating to 95 ° c ., the pressure in the reaction system was adjusted to 40 mmhg , and then dehydration was initiated . then n 2 was blown into the reaction mixture at a rate of 0 . 3 nm 3 / h so as to efficiently remove the water formed during the reaction . after five hours , it was confirmed that the reaction mixture had turned transparency , namly the solid glucose had been completely consumed . next , the reduced pressure was relieved and the reaction mixture was cooled and neutralized with 20 g of naoh . after filtering the polysaccharides formed as by - products , 4270 g of the alkyl glycoside was separated from 8460 g of the unreacted alcohol by distillation at 130 ° c . under 0 . 4 mmhg . next , some portion of the solid matters was dissolved in water to thereby prepare a 50 % aqueous solution of a dark red color . ( hue : gardner 8 ) ( b ) 400 g of this aqueous solution of the alkyl glycoside was heated to 45 ° c . and 10 g of a 3 % aqueous solution of naoh was added thereto to thereby adjust the ph value to 9 . then 4 g of a 30 % aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide ( h 2 o 2 ) was added thereto and the mixture was stirred at 45 ° c . for 30 minutes . during this period , the ph value was maintained at 8 . 7 to 9 . 3 by appropriately adding a 3 % aqueous solution of naoh . next , 0 . 67 g of sodium borohydride was added thereto , and the mixture was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . then the ph value was adjusted to 5 by adding a 5 % aqueous solution of p - toluenesulfonic acid . after stirring for 30 minutes , the ph value was adjusted to 7 by adding a 3 % aqueous solution of naoh . the amount of the h 2 o 2 remaining in the alkyl glycoside aqueous solution was so small that it could not be determined by iodometric titration . the procedure of example 1 was repeated except that the sodium borohydride was replaced by 1 . 2 g of calcium borohydride , to thereby provide an alkyl glycoside aqueous solution . the procedure of example 1 was repeated except that no sodium borohydride treatment was conducted , to thereby provide an aqueous solution . in this case , 0 . 14 % by weight of h 2 o 2 remained . 400 g of the aqueous solution of alkyl glycoside prepared in example 1 ( a ) was heated to 45 ° c . and 10 g of 3 % aqueous solution of naoh was added thereto to adjust the ph value to 9 . then , 4 g of 30 % aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide was added thereto and the resulting mixture was stirred at 45 ° c . during this period , the ph value of the reaction mixture was not adjusted further , and the ph values after 10 minutes and 30 minutes were 7 . 8 and 7 . 7 , respectively . next , 0 . 67 g of sodium borohydride was added thereto and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes . after stirring , the ph value of the mixture was adjusted to 5 by adding a 5 % aqueous solution of p - toluenesulfonic acid . after stirring for 30 minutes , the ph value of the mixture was adjusted to 7 by adding a 3 % aqueous solution of naoh . the amount of the hydrogen peroxide remaining in the alkyl glycoside aqueous solution was so small that it could not be determined by iodometric titration . the procedure of example 1 was repeated except that the sodium borohydride was replaced by 0 . 38 g of sodium sulfite , to thereby provide an alkyl glycoside aqueous solution . an alkyl glycoside was decolored according to the process of jp - a - 1 - 290692 . namely , a 50 % aqueous solution of an alkyl glycoside of a dark red color was prepared by the same method as described in example 1 -( a ). 200 g of the alkyl glycoside aqueous solution thus obtained was completely mixed with 4 . 2 g of a 14 n naoh solution containing 12 % by weight of sodium borohydride . the mixture obtained was then allowed to stand at room temperature for 4 days . each of the alkyl glycoside aqueous solutions obtained examples 1 and 2 and comparative examples 1 to 4 was used to an alkyl glycoside content of 30 % by weight . then storage stability of each product was evaluated in air at 50 ° c . for 120 hours . table 1 summarizes the results . in table 1 , a lower gardner value shows the better hue . each odor was evaluated by five panelists , and the one of which most of the panelists have detected are indicated in the table . table 1__________________________________________________________________________chemical treatment for aqueous solution of alkylglycoside quality evaluation of aqueous solutioncondition at metal / of alkylglycosideh . sub . 2 o . sub . 2 treatment hydrogen at the initiation after temperature complex remaining h . sub . 2 o . sub . 2 odor 120 hoursexample no . ph (° c .) (% by wt .) ( gardner ) hue ( gardner ) hue odor__________________________________________________________________________example 1 8 . 7 to 9 45 sodium undetectable 1 no 1 noborohydride example 2 8 . 7 to 9 45 calcium undetectable 1 no 1 noborohydride comparative 8 . 7 to 9 45 not used 0 . 14 1 no 3 aldehyde - example 1 like comparative 9 to 7 45 sodium undetectable 7 no 7 no example 2 borohydride comparative 8 . 7 to 9 45 sodium sulfite undetectable 1 no 6 sulfur - example 3 likecomparative not treated sodium 0 . 00 8 no 8 alkali - example 4 borohydride like__________________________________________________________________________ table 1 indicates that an alkyl glycoside having excellently stabilized hue and odor can be obtained by the process of the present invention . 28260 g of one mole ethylene oxide adduct of diadol 18g ( manufactured by mitsubishi kasei corporation ) ( 90 mol ), 3240 g of anhydrous galactose ( 18 mol ) and 96 g of p - toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate ( 0 . 5 mol ) were heated to 95 ° c . and stirred under 40 mmhg , and dehydration was initiated , while blowing in nitrogen gas at a rate of 0 . 3 nm 3 / h so as to efficiently distill off the water thus formed . after confirming that the reaction mixture had turned transparency , namely the solid galactose had been completely consumed , the reduced pressure was relieved and the reaction mixture was cooled and neutralized with 20 g of naoh . after filtering the polysaccharides formed as by - products , 7880 g of alkyl galactoside was separated from 23600 g of the unreacted alcohol by distillation at 200 ° c . under the pressure of 0 . 3 mmhg . next , some portion of the solid matters was dissolved in water to thereby prepare a 50 % aqueous solution of a dark red color . ( hue : gardner 10 ) the thus obtained solution was decolored by hydrogen peroxide in the same manner as in example 1 ( b ) and then treated with sodium borohydride . an alkyl glycoside solution was obtained in the same manner in example 3 , except that sodium borohydride was not used . the amount of hydrogen peroxide remaining in the alkyl glycoside solution was 0 . 15 % by weight . the procedure of example 3 was repeated to prepare an alkyl glycoside aqueous solution , except that the ph value , which had been adjusted to 9 . 0 at the initiation of the treatment , was not adjusted further . the ph value after 10 minutes and 30 minutes were 7 . 6 and 7 . 5 , respectively . each of the alkyl glycoside aqueous solutions obtained in example 3 and comparative examples 5 and 6 was adjusted to an alkyl glycoside content of 30 % by weight . then , the storage stability of each product was evaluated in air at 50 ° c . for 120 hours . table 2 summarizes the results . table 2______________________________________ at the initiation remaining after 120 hours h . sub . 2 o . sub . 2 hue hue example no . (% by wt .) ( gardner ) odor ( gardner ) odor______________________________________example 3 undetectable 2 no 2 no comparative 0 . 15 2 no 4 aldehyde - example 5 like comparative undetectable 7 no 7 no example 6______________________________________ table 2 indicates that an alkyl glycoside having excellently stabilized hue and odor can be obtained by the process of the present invention . while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific examples thereof , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof .	2
referring to fig1 and 2 of the drawings , a construction line reel 10 of the invention can be seen having an elongated main body member 11 with oppositely disposed line engagement end surfaces 12 and 13 , each having respective upstanding line retainment guides 12 a , 12 b , 13 a and 13 b thereon . the main body member 11 has spaced parallel side surfaces 14 and 15 with respective interconnecting flat front surface 16 and oppositely disposed co - planar rear surface 17 as best seen in fig2 and 4 of the drawings . the side surface 14 has an offset handle support portion 18 with an enlarged aperture at 19 therein defining a static handle grip for the line reel 10 of the invention . a rotating handle assembly 20 extends from the handle support section 18 at an aligned midway point of the elongated body member 11 . the handle assembly 20 has a handle support rod 21 transversely through the main body member 11 and extending through the corresponding side surface 15 with a threaded rod end 21 a retained by washer and nut combination 21 b thereon . an elongated handle 22 is rotatably secured on the support rod &# 39 ; s free end 21 c so as to extend from the corresponding offset handle support section 18 . it will be seen that the defined orientation of the rotatable handle 22 from the main body member 11 will enable line reel rotation about the handle &# 39 ; s axis aiding in deployment and recovery of line l illustrated graphically in fig2 of the drawings as it is wound and unwound around the line reel respective line engagement end surfaces 12 and 13 as will be understood by those skilled in the art . an end line retention notch 23 is formed in a side support angular transition surface 18 a which will effectively hold the end of the line in place . referring back to the main body member 11 , it will be seen that a pair of enlarged openings 11 a and 11 b therein in elongated spaced aligned orientation to one another between the respective line retaining end surfaces 12 and 13 and between the correspondingly hereinbefore described respective side surfaces 14 and 15 . it will be seen that the pair of enlarged openings 11 a and 11 b in the main body member 11 by their orientation and design define a bracket configuration for retention and storage of the line during use . referring back now to fig2 of the drawings , it will be seen that the transverse midline placement of the rotatable handle assembly 20 between the enlarged openings 11 a and 11 b within the main body member 11 affords ease of use and free rotation and greatly reduces the physical stress on the user , not shown . it additionally be noted that the corresponding orientation and utilization of the rotatable handle assembly 20 and static hand grip opening at 19 reduces the time required to deploy and retrieve large lengths of construction line required for use in the industry . the construction line reel 10 main body member can be formed of a variety of compliant materials by common and well known manufacturing methods including , but not limited to injection plastic resin molding , medal dye cast or dye cut stamping , as required . the hereinbefore described and illustrated construction line reel 10 of the invention can be conveniently and safely utilized therefore to dispense construction cord by a construction worker with minimum attention directed to the process of dispensing the line and maximum attention directed to his or her free and safe support during use . the above described construction line reel 10 of the invention has further advantage in that the construction line can be conveniently wound and rewound with a minimum of tangle and snagging of the construction line . furthermore , the described construction line reel significantly speeds , as noted , the process of rewinding the construction line most significantly by the deployment of the ergonomically designed handle assembly 20 in conjunction with the added speed of rewinding the construction line greatly reduces the physical stress upon the construction worker &# 39 ; s forearm and wrist muscle , not shown , thereby enhancing the safety and physical wellness of the user . it will thus be seen that a new and novel construction line reel has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention . therefore i claim :	1
referring more specifically to the pomological details of this new and distinct variety of peach tree , the following has been observed during the growing years 1999 , and 2000 under the ecological conditions prevailing near the town of fowler , county of fresno , state of california . all major color code designations are by reference to the r . h . s . colour chart ( copyright 1995 , third edition ) provided by the royal horticultural society of great britain . size .— generally — average to above average as compared to other common peach cultivars . figure .— the original seedling was trained in a central leader configuration with a moderate spread in the crown of the tree . the tree is considered upright to upright spreading in form . height .— the original seedling had a height dimension of 3 . 99 m at the end of the 1999 growing season . width .— the original seedling tree had a width of 2 . 10 m at the end of the 1999 growing season . current season growth .— the current season growth for the new variety was approximately 0 . 73 - 0 . 88 m . regularity of bearing .— regular , and considered hardy under typical central san joaquin valley conditions . diameter .— approximately 13 . 7 cm in diameter when measured at a distance of approximately 15 . 24 cm above the soil level , at the end of the 2000 growing season . bark texture .— considered moderately rough with numerous folds of papery scarf skin being present . lenticels .— numerous flat , oval lenticels are present . the lenticels range in size from approximately 3 . 0 to 7 . 0 millimeters in width and from approximately 1 to 2 millimeters in height . bark coloration .— variable , but it is generally considered to be a grey - brown ( rhs greyed - orange group 175 b ). diameter .— the branches have a diameter of about 4 . 3 to 5 . 5 cm when measured during the 4 th year after grafting . surface texture .— average , and appearing furrowed on wood which is several years old . crotch angles .— variable between about 41 ° to 48 ° from the horizontal axis for scaffold limbs . this is not distinctive of the variety , however . color of mature branches .— medium brown , rhs greyed orange group ( 174 c to greyed - green group 192 b ). current season shoots .— color — light green , rhs yellow green group ( 144 c ), with some reddish - brown coloration appearing on exposed exterior shoots , ( rhs greyed red group 181 b ). the color of new shoot tips is considered a bright and shiny green , ( rhs green group 143 b ). size .— considered average for the species . leaf measurements have been taken from vigorous upright current season growth at mid - shoot . mid - vein .— color — light yellow green , ( rhs yellow green group 153 b ). leaf margins .— form — considered crenate , occasionally doubly crenate . uniformity — considered generally uniform . leaf petioles .— size — considered medium . length — approximately 6 to 9 millimeters . diameter — approximately 1 . 5 to 2 millimeters . color — pale green , ( rhs yellow green group 144 c ). leaf glands .— size — approximately one to two millimeters in height and two to three millimeters in width . numbers — generally 1 - 2 per side , occasionally two per side . type — reniform . small . color — greenish brown , ( rhs grey brown 199 c ). leaf stipules .— size — medium for the variety . length — approximately 6 to 9 millimeters . form — lanceolate in form with a serrated margin . color — green , ( rhs yellow - green 148a ) when young but graduating to yellow - brown ( rhs greyed - orange group n167a ) with advancing senescence . the stipules are considered to be early deciduous . number — typically 2 stipules per leaf bud and up to 6 per shoot tip are observed . flower buds .— generally — the floral buds are considered to be small in size , plump to slightly pointed in form , and slightly appressed , relative to the bearing shoot . flower buds .— color — the bud scales are gray - brown , ( approximately rhs greyed orange group 177 b ). the buds are considered hardy under typical central san joaquin valley climatic conditions . blooming type .— considered average in relation to other peach cultivars commonly growing in the central san joaquin valley . date of full bloom was mar . 8 , 1998 . flower type .— the variety is considered to be a showy type flower . flower size .— flower diameter at full bloom is approximately 32 to 37 millimeters . flower bud frequency .— normally 1 to 2 buds appear per node , although 1 bud per node is more common . petal size .— generally — considered medium large for the species . length — approximately 15 to 17 millimeters . width — approximately 12 to 15 millimeters . petal color .— light pink when young , ( approximately rhs red purple group 68 b ), and with advancing senescence to a very pale pink , ( rhs red purple group 68 d ). the lower portion of the flower petal is rhs red - purple 167d . petal claw .— form — the claw is considered truncate in shape and has small size when compared to other similar varieties . length — approximately 1 . 5 to 2 millimeters . width — approximately 1 millimeter . petal margins .— generally — considered variable , from nearly smooth , to moderately undulate . flower pedicel .— length — considered medium - short , and having an average length of approximately 2 . 0 to 3 . 0 millimeters . diameter — considered average , approximately 2 millimeters . color — bright green , ( rhs yellow green group 144 d ). floral nectaries .— color — dull , orange , and occasionally orange - gold , ( approximately rhs greyed orange group 168 b ). the color of the nectaries become more dull and slightly darker with advancing senescence . calyx .— surface texture — generally glabrous , with slight ribbing . color — a dull red , ( approximately rhs greyed purple group 184 a ). sepals .— surface texture — the surface has a medium length , wooly , and gray colored pubescence ( rhs greyed - purple group 183a ). size — average , and ovate in form . color — a dull red , ( approximately rhs greyed red group 178 a ). number — generally 5 per flower . typically 5 . 0 millimeters wide and 6 . 0 millimeters in length . anthers . — generally — average in size . approximately 14 . 0 millimeters in width , and 1 . 0 millimeters in length . color — red to reddish - orange dorsally , ( approximately rhs greyed purple group 187 d ). pollen production — pollen is abundant , and has a yellow - gold color , ( approximately rhs orange 26 a ). filaments .— size — variable in length , approximately 14 to 16 millimeters . color — rhs red purple group 69 d . pistil .— generally — average in size . length — approximately 15 to 17 millimeters , including the ovary . color — considered a very pale green , at mid - bloom , ( approximately rhs yellow green group 151 d ). surface texture — the variety has a long , pale green to white pubescent pistil . fruit : maturity when described : the present variety of fruit is described , as it would be found in its firm ripe condition at full commercial maturity . in this regard , the fruit of the present variety was first picked on approximately aug . 30 , 1998 . the date of last pick of the same fruit in 1998 was approximately sep . 7 , 1998 under the ecological conditions prevailing in the san joaquin valley of central california . fruit form .— generally — globose in its lateral aspect . the fruit is generally uniform in symmetry with a rounded and somewhat oblate form when viewed from the apical aspect . fruit suture .— generally — the suture appears as a thin line and slightly depressed , and which extends from the base to the apex , and appears slightly deeper , basally , within the stem well , and apically on both sides of the pistil point . no apparent callousing or stitching exists along the suture line . suture .— color — the suture normally is the same color as the underlying blush , both where the orange - yellow background , ( rhs orange group n25 d ) and the red orange color , ( rhs greyed red group 179 a to 179 b ) occur . stem cavity .— size — considered moderate for the species . width — approximately 19 - 21 millimeters . length — approximately 27 - 30 millimeters . depth — approximately 10 to 11 millimeters . form — considered narrowly oval . fruit apex .— generally — considered depressed and usually recessed below the height of the apical shoulders . fruit stem .— generally — considered medium in length , approximately 9 to 10 millimeters . diameter — approximately 3 to 4 millimeters . color — generally a pale yellow - green , ( approximately rhs yellow green group 145 b ). fruit skin .— generally — considered medium or average in thickness . surface texture — the variety has a short fine pubescent surface . skin acidity — considered neutral . skin color .— generally — variable , with approximately 70 % to 80 % of the fruit surface covered with a deep crimson red blush . blush color .— the blush color is generally more prevalent apically . this red blush color ranges from a dark red , ( rhs greyed red group 179 a and b , to rhs red group 45 b ), with many degrees of shading and blending between these colorations . skin ground color .— this is generally present in variable percentages covering approximately 20 % to 30 % of the fruit &# 39 ; s surface , and which is a yellow - golden , ( rhs yellow orange group 22 a to 28 b ). flesh color .— generally — considered variable , from a yellow / orange , ( rhs yellow orange group 20 b to 22 c ), occasionally areas of red radiate into the flesh from the pit area . this reddish color in the flesh ranges from ( rhs red group 46 a to yellow - orange group 22 b and 22c ). flesh fibers .— generally — present , numerous , fine and lightly colored . these fibers are present throughout the flesh . stone cavity .— color — pink red , ( from approximately rhs red group 52 a and red group 46 a , to a yellow orange , approximately rhs yellow orange group 18 b ). flesh texture .— generally — the flesh is considered firm and fine at commercial maturity . considered firm melting . flavor .— considered sweet and having moderate acidity . the flavor is considered both pleasant and balanced . eating quality .— generally — considered good and well above average when compared to older common varieties . attachment .— generally — the stone is considered a freestone with a little air space at the cavity margin . fibers .— generally — a few medium length fibers are attached along the entire surface of the stone . stone form .— generally — the stone is considered rounded to slightly oval . base angle .— the base angle of the stone is variable , but generally is considered oblique to the stone axis . hilum .— generally — considered medium in size , and moderately defined . the hilum is approximately 5 to 7 millimeters long and approximately 3 to 4 millimeters wide . form — considered oval . apex .— shape — the stone apex is raised and has an acute tip . stone shape .— considered variable . the stone is normally equal although occasionally may appear nearly unequal . stone surface .— surface texture — generally considered medium in roughness and exhibits substantial pitting laterally . substantial grooving is apparent over the apical shoulders . surface pitting is prominent generally . ridges — numerous fine ridges are present basally and converge towards the base of the stone . ventral edge .— width — considered medium and prominent , and having a dimension of approximately 4 to 6 millimeters at mid - suture with the wings being most prominent over the basal area . dorsal edge .— full , heavily grooved with jagged edges . dorsal edge moderately eroded over the apical shoulder . kernel .— kernel is mature when the fruit is ripe . form — oval . length — approximately 20 . 0 millimeters . width — approximately 16 . 0 millimeters . thickness — approximately 5 . 0 millimeters . pellicle — considered pubescent . color — rhs greyed - orange group 166 c . stone color .— the color of the dry stone is approximately a light to medium brown , ( rhs orange red group 34 c ). use .— the subject variety ‘ burpeacheight ’ is considered to be a peach of mid - season maturity , having a very firm flesh , highly attractive color and which is useful for both local , long diatance , and export shipping . keeping quality .— fruit has appeared to store well for as long as 18 days after harvest at temperatures of about 1 . 0 ° c . although this new variety of peach tree possesses the described characteristics noted above , as a result of the growing conditions prevailing in the central part of the san joaquin valley of central california , it is to be understood that variations of the usual magnitude and characteristics incident to changes in growing conditions , fertilization , pruning and pest control are to be expected .	0
as shown in fig1 - 3 , each lift element 1 comprises a base plate 3 of originally square cross - section . at two opposite corners , perpendicular to a base plate surface 2 , two guide arms 4 protrude therefrom . the guide arms 4 , as shown , are substantially prismatic . they are preferably integral with the base plate 3 so that their outer edges are defined by an extension of diagonally opposite corner portions of the base plate 3 . each of the two guide arms 4 has a guide surface 8 extending normal to the base plate surface 2 and parallel to the diagonal of the base plate connecting the corners thereof not extended to form the guide arms 4 . at these corners the edges of the base plate 3 are cut parallel to the diagonal which connects the two guide arm corners to form guide surfaces 6 . the length and spacing apart of the guide surfaces 6 correspond to the width and distance apart of the guide arm surfaces 8 . the base plate 3 has a base plate bore 10 , preferably centrally located , which may be plugged at one or both base plate surfaces 2 and 16 by an easily displaced plug ( not shown ). in each of the guide arms 4 a continuous bore 12 extends normal to planes 2 and 16 . a bore 14 in the base plate 3 intersects both the base plate bore 10 and the bore 12 in one of the guide arms . this bore 14 may be drilled or otherwise formed inwardly from the corner edge of the base plate , and may then be plugged at its outer end . the base plate surface 2 preferably is formed with a concentric circular groove 18 , whose inner edge is rounded . the lift elements 1 are advantageously made of plastic ; and the plugs which close the ends of the bore 10 can be removed or displaced when necessary . fig4 shows convenient form of bladder 20 . it consists of two superimposed circular sheets or films , preferably of plastic , which are sealed together at their edges , for example by heat sealing . thus an edge zone 22 is formed . the inside diameter of the edge zone 22 is somewhat larger than the inside diameter of the circular groove 18 in the base plate 3 . thereby the bladder 20 is protected from fold damages at its marginal areas , as these marginal areas , as shown for example in fig7 can be received in the open circular grooves 18 of the base plate 3 . one of the circular films forming the bladder has an opening 24 which is preferably centrally located . fig5 and 6 show how in principle a pair of lift elements 1 are mated together as a force - lift unit with a bladder 20 . the two lift elements 1 are interengaged with their respective surfaces 2 toward each other , and they are rotated by 90 ° relative to each other so that the guide surfaces 8 of the guide arms 4 of one lift element 1 engage with the guide surfaces 6 at the edges of the base plate 3 of the other element 1 . thereby the two elements 1 are movable toward and away from each other but are guided in such motion ay the guide arms 4 and guide surfaces 6 . between the two base plate surfaces 2 a bladder 20 is inserted . the area around the central bladder opening 24 is sealed , for example by a bilaterally adhesive washer or by an adhesive applied directly , to the base plate surface 2 of the adjacent lift element 1 in such a way that the central opening 24 communicates with the bore 10 of the lift element . alternatively the bladder may be formed with a nipple which sealingly engages in the bore 10 . however the connection is made , a fluid under pressure , such as compressed air , may flow into the bladder 24 through the bores 12 and 14 and the bore 10 , as indicated by the arrows in fig5 . the opening of the bore 12 not needed for introducing compressed air is closed with a plug 26 . similar plugs may close the ends of the other bores , and such plugs may be punched out whenever and wherever it is necessary to open the bores to the exterior . as the bladder 12 is inflated , the upper lift element 1 rises from the lower . the force exerted depends on the pressure of the medium and on the pneumatically active surface area of the bladder 20 . if the compressed air supply is released , the bladder 20 collapses and the lift elements may move back toward each other . due to the dimensions of the bladder 20 and of the circular grooves 18 , not all air necessarily escapes from the bladder 20 as it collapses . an annular portion of the bladder 20 may remain distended in the groove 18 . thus the inner edge of the bladder edge zone 22 , which is usually subject to alternating stress , is protected from excessive loading . some combinations of pairs of lift elements and their specific effects are described below . in fig7 three groups each of two lift units , are arranged one above the other . the lowermost supports on its guide arms 4 the underside 16 of the base plate of the lower element of the unit next above ; and this in turn supports on its guide arms 4 the underside 16 of the lower element uppermost of the three units . the mutually aligned bores 12 are connected fluid - tight by sealing sleeves 36 inserted in the bores 12 where the lift elements adjoin . instead of being inserted into the bores 12 , the connecting sleeves 36 may comprise collars or nipples arranged to connect the bores 12 of two abutted lift elements 1 tightly with one another . the lowermost of the elements 1 supports on the upper side 2 of its base plate a bladder 20 , which in turn supports the base plate 3 of a lift element which is rotated in relation to the lowermost by 90 ° and is mated therewith as shown in fig5 and 6 . the same arrangement of a bladder 20 and of a lift element 1 rotated by 90 ° is repeated in each of the second and third of the superimposed free lift units , with the downwardly directed guide arms 4 of these elements bearing respectively on the upwardly facing surface 1 of the corresponding lift element next below . the bores 10 of three elements 1 are open at the base plate top surface 2 and are adhesively sealed to the area around the central openings 24 of the bladders 20 . the triad of lift elements 1 with their guide arms 4 directed upwardly is assembled so that one aligned set of bores 12 is connected by the channels 14 with the bores 10 . the uppermost of such set of bores is closed by a seal plug 50 . through the lower opening of this aligned set of bores , a pressure medium such as compressed air is delivered through the channels 12 and 14 and through the base plate bores 10 into the bladders 20 , as indicated by the arrows . a nipple ( not shown ) at the base plate surface 16 may provide for connecting the pressure source to the channel 12 . the three lift elements 1 overlying the bladders 20 form one movement group . by admitting the pressure medium , this movement group , ( having downwardly pointing guide arms 4 ) is lifted with a force which is equivalent to three times the force which one bladder would effect at equal pressure of the medium . when external forces act on one of the movement groups , it is readily possible , when necessary , to connect such group together by bolts ( not shown ) which pass through the aligned bores 12 . such bolts fit loosely enough in the bores so that a free passage remains between the walls of the bores 12 and the bolts to allow the pressure medium to flow to the bladders . by coupling a relatively large number of elements 1 and bladders 20 in this manner to form larger movement groups , it becomes possible to create very large resultant lift forces , without altering the size or active surface area of the lift elements or increasing the medium pressure . the total force is then essentially proportional to the product of the number of working bladders and the force of a single bladder . in fig8 a first bladder 200 is inserted between two lower lift elements 100 which are mated by being directed against each other and rotated by 90 degrees . the upper of this pair of lift elements 100 carries on its side 116 the corresponding side 116 of another element . between the upper side 102 of the last named element 100 and the corresponding side 102 of another element 100 ( again rotated by 90 °), is a second bladder 200 . this fourth lift element 100 carries in turn on its side 116 the underside 116 of a fifth element 100 , between whose upper side 102 and the corresponding side 102 of a sixth element 100 a third bladder 200 is located . the first and second , the third and fourth , and the fifth and sixth lift elements , respectively in this assembly each form a lift group so that in the structures of fig8 three lift groups exist . the base plate bore 110 of the lower most element 100 is open at the base plate surface 102 and , as has been described , is sealingly connected with the central aperture 240 of the lowermost bladder 200 . the normally unperforated upper side of this bladder 200 is , in this combination , provided with a second central opening 240 which is sealingly connected with the bore 110 of the second lift element 100 . the bores 110 of the second and third from the bottom of the elements 100 are tightly connected by a sealing sleeve 35 . the bore 110 of the third element 100 opens through the corresponding central aperture 240 of the second bladder 200 into the latter . this second bladder 200 , like the first , is perforated on both sides . its second central aperture 240 is sealingly connected with the central bore 110 of the fourth lift element 100 , which is connected by a sealing sleeve 35 with the central bore 110 of the fifth lift element 100 . this bore 110 of the fifth lift element 100 opens by a central aperture 240 into an unilaterally perforated upper bladder 200 . the entire arrangement is fed with a pressure medium , e . g compressed air , as indicated by the arrows in fig8 through the bore 12 of the lowermost lift element 100 , which is connected with bore 110 by a channel 14 . as the second , third , fourth and fifth lift elements 100 have no channels 14 , the pressure medium flows into them through the bladders 200 connected in series . for this application it is advantageous to use lift elements which ( except for the lowermost no channels 14 , but if such channels 14 are present in all the lift elements , the intersecting bores 12 must be tightly closed to the outside with plugs . as the three lift groups are axially displaceable relatively to each other , there acts on each the force which is caused by a single bladder 200 . but the lift distance traversed by the uppermost element 1 is three times the lift distance which a single bladder 200 would cause at the same medium pressure . in fig9 the lowermost and uppermost lift elements 1 are set up with their guide arms 4 facing and abutting one another . in the space between them two additional lift elements 1 which are rotated 90 degrees into mated relation with the upper and lower elements , respectively , and are disposed with their sides 16 abutting one another . the two outer lift elements 1 are clamped together by bolts 48 which pass through the aligned bores 12 of the lift element guide arms 4 . the bolt dimensions are such that a free passage remains between the walls of bores 12 and the bolts 48 . the bores 12 are sealed at their ends by packing washers 49 . between the two inner lift elements 1 and the outer lift elements with which they are mated are two bladders 20 . the upper bladder is fed through the bore 10 , which opens into it through the upper lift element base plate surface 2 . the lower bladder 20 is fed similarly by the base plate bore 10 of the lowermost lift element 1 . the outer lift elements 1 are stacked so that the channel 14 of each opens into a different aligned pair of bores 12 ; for example the channel 14 of the lowermost element opens into the left bore 12 , and that of the upper lift element 1 opens into the right bore 12 . in this arrangement the two inner lift elements must move together , either up or down depending on which of the two bladders 20 is being charged with a pressure medium . in other words , this is a positive acting controlled reset . the line bores 12 can be charged with pressure medium through feed apertures 60 in the guide arms 4 . generally the distance through which the lifts may operate depends to a large extent on the dimensions of the guide arms 4 with respect to the thickness of the base plate 3 ; but it is readily possible to vary the lift ranges , and the space into which the lift elements may be fitted , by adding spacer pieces either to the guide arms or to the base plate top surface 2 . depending on their use , these spacer pieces ( not shown ) may be provided with bores to extend the length of the bores 12 or of the bores 10 . in liftadding assemblies as described for example with reference to fig8 additional lateral guiding means may be provided when a considerable number of lift element pairs are combined . the lift elements may alternatively have other cross - section forms than shown ( for example , they may be of circular form ), and they may be provided with more than two ( e . g . three ) guide arms each . the square cross - section form of the base plate , however , is advantageous . fig1 shows in axial section a modified form of lift unit , with fractions of the adjacent lift units assembled with it being also shown . in this modification one lift element 62 comprises a divided base plate 64 having an inner part 65 and an outer part 66 . the interface between the two parts 65 and 66 is indicated at 67 . axial bores 68 are provided in the guide arms , as well as channels 70 of rectangular cross - section which are connected at tone end with the bore or bores 68 and at the other end with a base plate bore 72 . the successive lift elements of like function are interconnected rigidly by sleeves 74 sealingly connecting the respective bores 68 of the elements 62 . secured to one of the lift elements 62 is a roll membrane 76 which is fixed in place by means of a bead 77 and a holding sleeve 79 . the cooperating lift element 62 comprises a base plate 81 which carries a piston 83 resting on the membrane 76 in the manner shown in fig1 . between the membrane 76 and the rigid inner part 65 is a bladder space 85 which is connected with a pressure medium source through the base plate bore 72 , the rectangular channel 70 and the bores 68 . when a pressure medium is delivered into the bladder space 85 the piston 83 with the base plate 81 and the remainder ( not shown ) of the lift element associated with it is raised . the maximum lift of this element in the assembly shown , is indicated at 87 . this design offers the advantage that it can be used for relatively large , single stage lifts . the formation of the channels 70 , when the parts are made by plastic injection molding , is extremely simple . the inner part 65 may in such case be joined to the outer part 66 at the interface 67 by gluing . the herein described force - lift unit has the advantage that various combinations of possibilities can be assembled readily , e . g . combinations of force and lift multipliers . reset of the assembly can be effected by springs or by hydraulic or pneumatic bellows or bladders . the same units can be easily assembled for force and / or lift addition . in consequence of the provision of internal connecting lines such as the axial bores 12 and the base plate bores 10 , it is possible to make assemblies with a minimum of external connecting means such as rubber tubes . the pressure forces of the bladder 20 , which act on the corresponding lift elements , ensures that the seal connection of the bladder to the base plate by a bilaterally adhesive ring actually is improved with increasing pressure . as the lift elements can be made of plastic , the cost of manufacture and of stockkeeping is minimal , compared with conventional constructions designed for similar purposes .	5
the identification plates illustrated in fig1 to 4 have different antenna and coupling variants . the identification plate according to fig1 shows a chip module 10 and an antenna module 12 . the chip module 10 comprises a chip 14 and a coupling loop 16 connected to the chip 14 . the antenna module 12 comprises an antenna lead 18 inductively coupled to the coupling loop 16 . the chip module 10 made of the chip 14 and the coupling loop 16 , as well as the antenna module 12 with the antenna lead 18 , are situated on a support platform 20 , wherein the latter is a plastic film in this case . the antenna lead 18 is an insulated wire attached mechanically to the support platform 20 by means of a laying technique using heat and pressure . the antenna lead 18 is structured in the form of a loop having the shape of a rectangle . a loop 24 is constructed on an arm 22 of the antenna lead 18 , wherein the arm is adjacent to the chip module 10 , and the loop 24 produces a close coupling of the antenna loop to the coupling loop 16 of the chip module 10 . two arms 26 , 28 of the antenna lead 18 , the arms lying opposite each other and completing the arm 22 at right angles thereto , are designed with a curved shape . the curved shape produces an electrical extension of a mechanically truncated antenna . on an arm 30 of the antenna loop which lies opposite the arm 22 and the chip module 10 , end regions 32 , 34 of the antenna lead 18 are positioned parallel , overlapping , and at a small distance to each other , but are not electrically connected . the identification plate illustrated in fig2 differs from that shown in fig1 in the design of its antenna module 36 . the antenna module 36 comprises an antenna lead 38 which is arranged and attached on a support platform 20 by means of a laying technique , wherein the support platform 20 comprises a plastic film . the antenna lead 38 has multiple windings , wherein the ends 42 , 44 thereof are routed to a chip 46 for the hf range , and the ends 42 , 44 are welded to the terminals of the chip 46 . the windings of the loop formed by the antenna lead 38 likewise have a rectangular structure . on the side which lies opposite the chip 46 , regions of the windings are routed as a loop 48 . similarly to fig1 , the chip module 10 is positioned and attached to the support platform 20 in such a manner that the coupling loop 16 is enclosed by the loop 48 . the multiple windings of the antenna lead 38 behave like a single - winding antenna for the chip module 10 in the uhf range due to the capacitive connection , similarly to the illustration in fig1 in the illustration in fig3 , an antenna module 50 comprises a circuit path which functions as the antenna lead 52 and which is produced by means of an etching technique . the circuit path is produced on a support platform 54 comprised of a printed circuit board . the antenna lead 52 forms a closed antenna loop . a loop 58 is formed on an arm 56 of the antenna lead 52 , wherein the arm is adjacent to the chip module 10 . this loop 58 provides a close coupling of the antenna loop to the coupling loop 16 of the chip module 10 . the coupling is realized inductively via a magnetic coupling field . the illustration in fig4 differs from fig3 in the manner of the coupling . the antenna lead 52 forms an open antenna loop . instead of an inductive coupling , as in fig1 to 3 , a capacitive coupling is included which works via an electrical coupling field . a coupling element 60 comprises two vanes 17 connected to the chip 14 . these vanes 17 are situated opposite interrupted segments of an antenna lead 52 of an antenna module 50 , and run parallel to the same . all of the illustrations in fig1 to 4 have in common that a field 62 is present , the same being drawn with a dashed line and bounding the coupling element 60 . this field 62 illustrates a region in which the damping of the coupling loop 16 and / or the coupling element 60 takes effect as a result of the insertion of a damping element . fig5 a to 5 c show an identification plate according to fig1 , having a damping element 64 in various positions above a field 62 . the damping element 64 comprises an electrically conductive surface which is oriented parallel to the support platform 20 , 54 . the damping element 64 can be displaced relative to the field 62 and parallel to the support platform 20 , 54 . the adjustment between the chip 14 and the antenna lead 18 , 38 , 52 is altered by means of a different width of shielding of the field 62 with the coupling loop 16 and / or the coupling element 60 , the former and the latter being situated in the field 62 . this adjustment becomes worse as the shielding of the field 62 increases , leading to a damping of the identification plate and a reduction in the reading range . three different damping positions are illustrated in fig5 a to 5 c . fig5 a shows a minimal shielding and therefore a minimal damping . fig5 b shows a moderate shielding and therefore a moderate damping . fig5 c shows a strong shielding and therefore a strong damping . with no damping element 64 , no damping effect exists . the damping element 64 in this case can be a sticker which can be adhered on the respective marked positions . this configuration is relevant for both an identification plate which can be removed from a guide or from a support holder , and also an identification plate in the form of a sticker which can be fixed to a windshield . fig6 shows a support platform of one of the previous embodiments of an identification plate , having different position marks 66 , 68 , 70 . numbers are displayed at the position marks 66 , 68 70 , and display the degree of reduction of the maximum reading range when the damping element 64 is positioned accordingly . in practice , the position marks are determined by undertaking reading range measurements at the levels associated with each of the marks , and determining the positions of the damping elements at each mark . fig7 shows a support holder 72 for a support platform 20 , 54 with an identification plate , as is used in practice in a motor vehicle . a damping element 64 which can be moved is situated on the support holder 72 . a spring - loaded latch 74 is arranged on the damping element 64 and can snap into place in one of the locking grooves 76 in the support holder 72 according to the position thereof relative to the support holder 72 . when a support platform 20 , 54 with an identification plate is inserted into a support holder 72 , the coupling loop 16 and / or the coupling element 60 is then automatically shielded to the degree necessary , thereby achieving the desired damping . the identification plate has its full range when outside of the support holder 72 . fig8 shows a supplementary card 78 with a damping element 64 . this supplementary card 78 is inserted into a support holder 72 together with a support platform 20 , 54 having an identification plate . a region of the coupling loop 16 and / or the coupling element 60 is then likewise shielded , and the desired damping thereby realized . three supplementary cards 78 are available , wherein the damping element 64 is arranged at different positions therein . corresponding number indications show the degree of reduction in range at a prespecified position of the damping element 64 . while the invention has been specifically described in connection with specific embodiments thereof , it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation , and the scope of the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit .	7
referring now to fig1 there is shown a block - diagram of a scatterometric measurement system 10 having a light source 12 , illumination optics 14 , beamsplitter 16 , detectors 20 and means for computation 18 for measuring an object under test or inspection 24 . the light source 12 may be a lamp , a laser , a super - continuum laser , a battery of lasers etc ., wherein any of these different light sources may produce depending on the measurement test being performed delivers either a continuous or pulsed beam of light for processing through the illumination optics 14 . referring once again to fig1 , the illumination optics 14 receives the beam of light and transforms the beam by performing optical amplitude shaping for the beam and in addition may perform polarization control , spatial control , angular control , phase control , spectral control for the same beam . it should be understood that the illumination optics 14 may be placed in a field conjugate plane ( referred to as “ object conjugate ”), a pupil conjugate plane ( which is the fourier transform of an object plane ), or anywhere in between . therefore , any combination may be possible depending on the type of measurement being performed . by way of example and not of limitation the optical amplitude beam shaping may be performed by any known number of techniques such as utilizing apertures , apodizers , spatial light modulators or filters ( e . g to control overall power — this may also be achieved by cross polarization techniques ). the polarization control may also performed by any known number of techniques such as utilizing polarizers ( linear , circular , elliptic , radial / tangential ), waveplates , nematic liquid crystals or other any known prior art spatial polarization controllers . the angular control may be performed by magnification optical techniques using apertures , spatial light modulators or apodizers . if phase control is needed as part of the measured data required to be collected , phase modulators may be used ( e . g . electrooptic , acoustoopticoptical path modifiers ( e . g . glass plates of various thicknesses , wedges on a translation stage , window on a rotation stage ) or spatial phase modulators ( e . g . liquid crystals ). lastly , if spectral control of the beam is needed than filters or spectral shapers may be used ( e . g . a combination of a grating with a spatial light modulator that enables specific on the fly ( e . g . in closed loop ) tailoring of the optical spectrum ). spectral control may also be performed using shutters ( when a battery of lasers is used — these can control which are used at a specific measurement ). turning once again to fig1 , the beam splitter 16 receives the processed beam of light from the illumination optics 14 and directs this light to the object under inspection 24 through optional optics 23 that may include for example an objective lens ( not shown ). the beam splitter 16 also enables light from the illumination optics 14 to go into a first detector 20 and additionally pass through collection optics into a second detector 21 . the first and second detectors 20 and 21 respectively , may be any of the following : a power meter , energy meter ( when a pulsed light is delivered ), a camera , or a field detection system such as a hartman - shack sensor . the first detector may be used for illumination beam monitoring when a modeling algorithm is needed for producing measurement results . the first detector 20 may also be used for power monitoring for safety reasons or to enable closed loop operation with the illumination optics 14 ( e . g . as in adaptive optics system ) that shapes the illumination according to specified criteria . the object under inspection 24 may be any type of tissue or sample that requires testing . the collection optics 23 includes all required optics to complete a measurement test according to specific measurement metrics which may be by way of example only any of the following metrics : amplitude shaping ( for example apodization of different types in either field plane ( object plane ) or pupil plane ( fourier transform plane )), phase control , angular control , spatial control ( e . g . a collection field stop ), polarization control ( e . g . a polarizer for cross polarization measurement ), spectral control ( e . g . a grating to separate the spectrum ). it should be understood that all the components that were mentioned with regards to the illumination optics 14 may also all be used here as well , along with any other known prior art components . lastly , the second detector 21 transfers the signal received from the beam splitter 16 through the collection optics 22 into a computation unit that calculates the require output according to an algorithm for a given measurement test . referring now to fig2 there is shown a block diagram for the scatterometeric measurement system of fig1 used for performing an eye examination . in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention , a human eye is the most suitable organ for using the scattometeric measurement system of fig1 . this is due in part that an eye examination is the type of measurement test that may be non - intrusively performed using an optical system . furthermore , it shows the most promise in a variety of test applications when it comes to this organ . referring once again to fig2 , the following scatterometeric system 11 shows a simple measurement of the angular distribution of the scattering and reflection from the human eye 26 and especially the retina . therefore , fig2 illustrates one example using the invention for the triage of eye disease . as shown in fig2 , the light source 12 with respect to an eye test may use any one of the following device ( s ): a laser , a set of lasers , a supercontinuum laser , a lamp or a lamp with different filters for transmitting a beam to the illumination optics 14 . as previously described , the illumination optics shapes the beam to be either uniformly distributed , gaussian or other known prior art shapes of intensity and phase . the polarization state may also be controlled . the beam is made such that it covers a known portion of the eye &# 39 ; s pupil 27 , particularly the entire pupil . the direct illumination beam goes into the first detector 20 that is used to monitor power delivered by the light source 12 ( i . e . a laser ) for further analysis and for safety reasons . turning once again to fig2 , a vision camera 28 is directed at the eye 26 to measure pupil size during an eye examination test . it could be done by various means e . g . placing a ruler next to the eye or using geometrical calculations . the vision camera 28 may also be used to determine the pupil location and orientation and include a light source that does not interfere with the test itself ( e . g . an infrared led light ). the deflected beam 29 from the beam splitter 16 enters the eye 26 ( which optics uses as an objective for the collimated input beam ) and is reflected / scattered from it . the eye 26 is held at a specific location and orientation by using for example a head and chin rest ( not shown ). the returned signal 25 is then brought into the collection optics 22 that consists of a focusing element such as a lens ( that may by example be either achromatic , a concave mirror or a parabolic mirror ). as stated before , filters may also be included in the collection optics 22 , wherein said filters may include spectral or spatial filters , apertures or stops . for an eye examination in accordance with the invention , the second detector is a camera 24 placed at the focus plane of this element to read the signal . the camera 24 is connected to a computation unit that uses special algorithms as described before to compute the desired outcome . an example here would be a comparison to a database of known signals for different pathologies . another example would be to use an eye model to find the main tissues that cause the signal to be as it is measured . the computation includes all data collected from the measurement including but not limited to : a signal from the vision camera 28 , a signal from the first detector 20 , an input illumination profile ( not shown ), a signal from the main camera 24 or knowledge and pre - measurement of the scatterometeric measurement system 11 properties , etc . in some instances it may be important to differentiate the signal from different parts of the eye , for example the reflection from the cornea . this may be done by optical means in the collection optics 22 ( e . g . filters or plates ), by indirect measurement and computation ( for example separate measurement of the cornea and subtraction of the measurement from the given signal , or by use of different optical parameters for measurement ( e . g . use of different wavelengths for reducing or eliminating corneal effects ). in this case the measurement may be done for a single wavelength or for a multitude of wavelengths either sequentially or simultaneously . further information may be derived from the spectral response of the device . another option would be to use “ white ” light as the light source 12 and replace the main camera 24 with a spectrometer to determine the spectral distribution of the signal . in this case the illumination optics 14 might also include apertures and other optical devices to determine the spatial and angular content of the input signal to the eye 26 and the collection optics 22 might also include such apertures and other optics to choose from the signals the desired portions ( angular or spatial ) to be measured . it should be appreciated that using the scatterometeric measurement system 11 shown in fig2 , it is important to have control of several parameters wherein three of the most important are the pupil size of the eye ( affected by ambient light , age , different illnesses / pathologies , treatments of different types e . g . pupil dilation drops ), the angle at which the patient is looking or at which the illumination light enters the eye and the accommodation state of the human lens . the latter two may be controlled by placing accommodation targets ( e . g . concentric circles , this target may also be made in a way that it glows in the dark when a dark measurements are required ) at different distances and locations ( lateral — these will convert into angles ). referring now to fig3 there is shown a block diagram for the scatterometeric measurement system 30 of fig2 used for performing an eye examination by incorporating a refractive power measurement system 32 ( referred to as a “ refractometer ”) into the system 30 for the accommodation measurement . a tilting mechanism ( not shown ) to control the angle of incidence of the illumination light upon the pupil 27 may also be incorporated . turning once again to fig3 , refractometer 32 is incorporated into the scatterometeric measurement system 30 as follows : a specific light source may be used or the measurement light source 12 could be used . the beam from the collection optics 22 is split to the refractometer part of the system . it passes through a refractometer lens 34 ( or other collimating optics ( e . g . concave mirror , parabolic mirror ) and through a refractometer aperture 36 . this aperture 36 is placed in a plane conjugate to that of the eye pupil . a refractometer camera 38 then uses the distance between the two generated spots to measure the refractive power of the eye 36 . for an emmetropic eye the center of the two spots is the same as the distance between the two holes in the refractometer aperture 36 since it is expected that the beam will be parallel . for hyperopia , the distance between the spots will increase and for myopia the distance will decrease . using ray tracing techniques and the geometry of the scatterometeric measurement system 30 enables the determination of the optical power of the eye 26 . referring now to fig4 there is shown a block diagram of another preferred embodiment for the scatterometeric measurement system 40 of fig2 used for performing an eye examination by incorporating a scanning laser ophthalmoscope ( slo ) 42 since it could benefit from the scanning capabilities of such a system ( measurement of different locations of the retina ). also , the scatterometeric measurement system 11 shown in fig2 incorporates into an slo system 40 in a relatively simple way . here the beam scans the retina ( by entering the eye at different angles ) and the data received on the slo detector 42 is used as the slo signal . referring now to fig5 there is shown a block diagram of yet another preferred embodiment for a scatterometeric measurement system 50 used for performing an eye examination by incorporating an adaptive optics system into the scatterometeric measurement system 11 of fig2 . the scatterometeric measurement system 50 cancels wavefront aberration that might be due to imperfections in the optics of the system or the optics of the eye . this will enable direct measurement of the retina itself without contribution from other optical elements . there is a risk though here that the correction might cause the signal to be distorted and not completely describe the actual status of the retinal tissue . here the first detector is replaced ( or in most cases it will be used in conjunction ) with a wavefront sensor 52 ( e . g . a hartmann - shack sensor ) wherein the wavefront distortion is measured — this may be done by an auxiliary light source dedicated for this purpose or by the scatterometer light source . the wavefront signal is then processed by a feedback system 54 that is connected to a slm in the illumination optics 14 ( e . g . a deformable mirror or mems system ). the feedback is processed until a defined distortion level or structure is achieved . the designed illumination is then used as the illumination for the scatterometric measurement . the measured signal may be compared to a population - wide standard for detection of different anomalies . another option would be to compare the measured signal to a modeled signal according to some models of the tested tissue with specific qualities and quantities that will help detect abnormalities . lastly , a third option would be to compare the tested signal to a library of signals ( either measured or modeled ) and find the most suitable anomaly resulting from the library comparison . in summary , use of scatterometry for triage benefits from all the properties of optical imaging such as the use of different wavelengths , different polarizations , and different phase and amplitude of the optical signal . the use of medical scatterometry may be applied to any tissue in the human body ( or other ) ( permitting a suitable wavelength that can reach it ). it should be noted that eyes and retinas are of particular suitability for the method of the present invention due to their transmission in the visible and near ir regions of the spectrum .	0
as shown in fig1 each pita loaf is formed to be substantially circular with perforations therein , preferably along a chord or the diameter thereof . in this manner a perforated pita bread is formed which can be easily separated into two sections by simply tearing them apart . if the perforations are provided along the diameter , each section has its pocket exposed so that it can be filled or stuffed with various foods according to its customary use . if the perforations are provided along a chord near the perimeter of the pita loaf , a single loaf having a large pocket is created . a second function of the perforations is to allow hot air and gases which are formed during baking to escape so that while the perforated pita bread rises and the pocket is filled with gases during its formation there is no rupturing of any of the surface of the perforated pita bread , even along the perforated line , because the gases can escape through the existing holes formed in the loaf by the invented apparatus before any such rupturing can occur . as shown in fig1 a standard conveyor system which is used for the manufacture of pita bread is disclosed in which there is first shown a hopper 11 in which the pita dough made in a separate assembly is placed . the dough may be filled therein to a desired level so that a proper flow of pita dough is fed to the remainder of the system . the dough travels through the hopper 11 to an auger 14 having spiral threads 16 thereon . the auger 14 is driven by a motor drive 15 which drives the dough 18 through chute 17 onto conveyor 20 . the pita then goes under roller 22 which flattens the dough 18a into a flat sheet of predetermined thickness . roller 24 disposed further along conveyor 20 flattens the dough 18b to approximately the desired thickness prior to baking . the resultng dough 18b from roller 24 is then passed under roller 32 which cuts the pita loaves 19 out of the dough 18b . as shown in fig4 the pita cutter 30 comprises a circular , oval or substantially circular blade 33 with a sawtooth shaped blade 34 disposed therein along the diameter thereof . the teeth of each pita cutter 34 as shown in fig4 are preferably 1 / 16 to 1 / 8 inches deep and there are approximately 6 teeth per inch across a diameter of 4 to 5 inches . the teeth are preferably rounded or flat , rather than pointed at the top thereof . of course the frequency , size and shape of the teeth can vary greatly , with the understanding that they are intended to be of sufficient depth and geometry so as to prevent rupturing of the pita loaf along the perforated line during baking . of course , it will be appreciated that it is not necessary for the perforations to be provided along the diameter and that they can in fact , be provided along a chord of the substantially circular or oval pita bread if a larger size pita pocket is desired . as shown in fig7 the perforating blade 42 of the pita cutter 40 is disposed along a chord displaced from the diameter of the pita cutter . as shown in fig1 pita cutters 30 are disposed in alignment across rows along roller 32 and each row contains three pita cutters . it will be obvious from one skilled in the art that the precise placement and spacing of the pita cutters can vary without departing the spirit or scope of the present invention . after the perforated pita loaves are cut from the dough , the remainder of the dough 18c can be removed and recycled into the 12 or otherwise disposed of . the cut loaves 19 are then run through a pita oven as is standard in the art and the pita loaves are allowed to rise and form pockets therein accordingly . it would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art that a number of changes and modifications can be made to the existing apparatus and process without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . it is contemplated that the present invention is encompased by the claims as presented herein and by all variations thereof coming within the scope of equivalents accorded thereto . fig5 and 6 illustrate an alternate embodiment of the present invention in which the pita dough is separately perforated on the conveyor belt and cut into pita loafs . as shown in fig5 the apparatus is substantially the same as the apparatus shown in fig1 except that the pita cutters 30 lack the perforating blade 34 , and a perforating means 44 is provided . in fig5 the perforating means is provided prior to the pita cutter , although it will be appreciated by a person of ordinary skill in the art that the perforating means can be disposed along the conveyor system subsequent to the pita cutter . as shown in fig6 the perforating means 44 comprises a horizontal support bar 45 , vertical support bars 46 and saw toothed wheels 47 disposed on spindles 48 so that they can freely rotate from the force applied by the dough thereon .	0
this specification describes exemplary embodiments that incorporate features of the invention . the embodiment ( s ) described , and references in this specification to “ one embodiment ”, “ an embodiment ”, “ an example embodiment ”, etc ., indicate that the embodiment ( s ) described may include a particular feature , structure , or characteristic , but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature , structure , or characteristic . thus , the invention includes more subject matter than may be shown in a single exemplary embodiment . moreover , such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment . when a particular feature , structure , or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment , it is understood that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature , structure , or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described . an embodiment of the present invention is now described . while specific methods and configurations are discussed , it should be understood that this is done for illustration purposes only . a person skilled in the art to which the invention pertains will recognize that other configurations and procedures may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . fig1 illustrates an exemplary network 100 in which notebooks 103 and 109 may operate . network 100 may include a personal computer 101 , a server 105 , a data hub 107 , a docking station 111 , and a network switch 110 . switch 110 enables computer 101 to communicate with notebook 103 , server 105 , or hub 107 . switch 110 also enables notebook 103 , server 105 , and hub 107 to communicate with any other computer systems connected to the switch . although not shown , computers 101 and 103 , server 105 , or hub 107 can be connected to other network systems such as lan , wan , or the internet . on a high level , when data is received by switch 110 from computer 101 , the data is examined to determine the data &# 39 ; s destination address . once the destination address and sending instructions are extracted , switch 110 makes a decision on where to send the received data . for example , computer 101 may want to send data only to server 105 . in such a case , switch 110 will forward data received from computer 101 to server 105 . in another example , computer 101 may want to send data to computer 103 and server 105 . in this scenario , switch 110 will forward data transmitted by computer 101 to both the computer 103 and server 105 . one skilled in the art will recognize other scenarios based on the discussion given herein . there are various types of switching devices . each type of switching device is specifically designed to function at a particular osi layer . at layer 1 , these switching devices are usually called “ hubs ” or “ repeaters ”. the main function of a hub or a repeater is to broadcast incoming data to one or more ports or spokes of the hub . in addition to data broadcasting , the repeater also amplifies the original signal for re - transmission . at layer 2 , the switching device is often called a multiport bridge or more commonly a switch . switches are designed to forward data based on a physical address known as media access controller ( mac ) address embedded in the header of a data frame . each network interface component ( nic ) of a computer system or a switch has a unique 48 - bit long mac address that may look like “ 2e id ac 01 00 01 .” using the mac address , a switch is able to route data to other switches or to a computer system with a matching mac addresses . a layer 3 switching device is called a router . routers forward data packages based on their destination network address or internet protocol ( ep ) address . similar to layer 2 switches , layer 3 routers are capable of learning addresses and maintaining address tables for referencing data packages with corresponding destinations . notebook 103 may be connected to network 100 using a rj45 network port or through a wireless ethernet port . notebook 109 is similarly configured , but is also configured to connect to network 100 through a docking station 111 , which also has a rj - 45 port connected to network 100 . fig2 illustrates an exemplary computer system 200 that includes a notebook motherboard 210 and a docking station 250 . motherboard 210 includes physical layer device ( phy ) 212 , a switch 214 , an isolation magnetic circuit 216 , a rj - 45 connector port 218 , and a link sensor 220 . as shown , motherboard 210 is being implemented on notebook 109 , but could also be implemented on notebook 103 . phy 212 is responsible for transmitting and receiving data signals for the motherboard 210 . during transmission , data signals that are received by switch 214 are either forwarded to rj - 45 port 218 or a docking station communication port 222 ( shown as 222 a and 222 b in fig2 ). typically , a notebook motherboard includes a signal sensor , such as sensor 220 , to detect the presence of an active link , either at the rj - 45 connector 218 or at the docking station through the connector 222 a . when sensor 220 detects an active link at communication port 222 a , it notifies switch 214 to exclusively switch data signals between phy 212 and communication port 222 a for transmission via the docking station . it should be noted that sensor 220 may also be integrated into switch 214 . similarly , when sensor 220 detects an active link at port 218 , switch 214 is instructed to switch all data signals between phy 212 and port 218 . to protect phy 212 and other components of motherboard 210 , data signals between phy 212 and communication port 218 are filtered through an isolation magnetic circuit 216 . in this manner , high voltage signals from the twisted pair cables may be filtered . as shown in fig2 , docking station 250 includes communication port 222 b , isolation magnetic circuit 252 , and rj - 45 port 254 . communication port 222 b is configured to mate with port 222 a of motherboard 210 . similar to isolation magnetic circuit 216 , isolation magnetic circuit 252 protects phy 212 from potentially high voltage signals at port 254 . fig3 illustrates a block diagram of a system 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention . system 300 includes a gigabit controller microprocessor 310 , isolation magnetic circuits 316 a - b , a rj - 45 port 318 , and a docking station communication port 322 . isolation magnetic circuits 316 a - b are coupled to input / output ( v / o ) ports 312 a and 312 b of gigabit controller 310 . in this way , gigabit controller 310 is protected from high voltage signals at port 318 or port 322 and from other voltage anomalies . alternatively , isolation magnetic circuit 316 b can be physically located in the docking station instead of in system 300 . gigabit controller 310 includes a media access controller ( mac ) 330 , a phy digital signal processing ( dsp ) module 332 , a digital switch 340 , a first phy analog front end ( afe ) circuit 342 , and a second phy analog front end circuit 344 . afe circuits 342 and 344 are coupled to 1 / 0 ports 312 a and 312 b , respectively . digital switch 340 is coupled between phy dsp module 332 and afe circuits 342 and 344 . switch 340 includes a first i / o port 341 a , a second i / o port 341 b , and a third p / o port 341 c . i / o port 341 a is coupled to phy dsp 332 . i / o port 341 b is coupled to afe circuit 342 , and p / o port 341 c is coupled to afe circuit 344 . in an embodiment , phy dsp module 332 comprises a physical coding sublayer ( pcs ) in accordance to the ieee 802 . 3 standard . in gigabit controller 310 , afe circuits 342 and 344 constantly monitor i / o ports 312 a and 312 b for link energy to determine which port is active . if a link energy is detected on port 312 a , switch 340 will forward data between phy dsp 332 and afe circuit 342 . if a link energy is detected on port 312 b , switch 340 will forward data between phy dsp 332 and afe circuit 344 . switch 340 is a bidirectional digital switch . in this way , data may be transferred from phy dsp 332 to afe circuit 342 or from afe circuit 342 to phy dsp 332 . switch 340 may have more than 2 possible switching paths , as opposed to only 2 switching paths shown . for example , gigabit controller 310 may have “ n ” number of communication port similar to port 312 ( collectively including ports 312 a and 312 b ). in this scenario , gigabit controller 310 would have a corresponding “ n ” number of afe , one for each communication port . further , switch 340 may be implemented to work with a 10base - t , 100base - tx , 1000base - t ethernet system , or other communication standards . in an embodiment , switch 340 is a bidirectional digital multiplexer . it should be noted that other switching implementations could also be used to switch digital signals between phy dsp 332 and afe 342 or afe 344 . the implementation of a digital switch to switch digital signals between a first circuit and a plurality of second circuits should be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art . the design of system 300 eliminates the need for an off - chip switch 214 between gigabit controller 310 and ports 318 and 322 . the elimination of switch 214 reduces power consumption and the cost of system 300 . further , without the off - chip switch , circuit designers no longer have to worry about impedance mismatch at the interface of the phy &# 39 ; s afe and the off - chip switch , which may cause signal distortions and amplitude lost , for example . additionally , when an off - chip switch is used , the phy has to be driven at a higher power level to offset for amplitude lost . further , the integrated switch of system 300 allows gigabit controller 310 to achieve higher cable reach as compared to system 200 , which is partly contributed by the elimination of hybrid mismatch and transmit distortion caused by an off - chip switch . in an alternative embodiment , system 300 further includes a connection sensor or a mechanical switch ( not shown ) and a link energy detector 325 . the connection switch detects whether system 300 is connected to a docking station . link energy detector 325 monitors each communication port to determine whether the link is active . if a port is determined to be inactive , system 300 may power down dedicated components for that communication port . for example , if communication port 312 is inactive , gigabit controller 310 may power down phy afe 342 and other support components such as a digital lock loop ( not shown ) dedicated to communication port 312 a . in this way , system 300 may save power by minimizing the power usage of gigabit controller 310 . in system 300 , special methods are used during the powering down or up process of the afes and related components to provide noiseless data switching between phy dsp 332 and one of the plurality of afes 312 a - n ( 312 c - n are not shown ). as mentioned above , n corresponds to the number of communication ports that gigabit controller 310 has . fig4 illustrates a method 400 for noiseless switching of data from phy dsp 332 to a communication port a then subsequently redirecting data transfer to and from dsp 332 and communication port b . method 400 begins at step 405 . prior to reading data from a connection sensor or switch ( not shown ), the connection switch is first de - bounced . the connection switch purpose is to detect the presence of the docking station . typically , this connection switch is a mechanical switch , which tends to bounce for several microseconds prior to stabilizing at a closed state . to insure glitch free switching , data from the connection switch are not collected until the connection switch is de - bounced . this may be accomplished using commonly known switch de - bouncing circuitry or by executing a software module . although a mechanical switch is described , other types of switches may also be used in place of the mechanical switch such as an optical switch or an electrical switch . in step 410 , system 300 may also override the phy dsp register bit to minimize the amount of registers from resetting due to noises or to false switching instruction from the connection switch . in step 415 , system 300 constantly monitors the connection switch for any status change . in step 420 , system 300 enters a loop and constantly cycles through steps 415 and 420 until the status of connection switch is changed . once the control state or status of the connection switch is confirmed the process proceeds to step 425 . in step 425 , if the connection switch indicates that the control state has changed ( e . g . from port a to b , or b to a , or a to n ) to port b for example , then dedicated devices for communication port b are powered up . for example , let &# 39 ; s assume that the control state changes from port a to port b , then dedicated afe 344 and dll ( not shown ) for port b are powered up to prepare and support port b for communication . in step 430 , system 300 executes a wait for approximately 40 microseconds . this allows the dll time to power up and stabilizes . the wait time does not have to be 40 microseconds , other amount of times ( e . g . 5 or 10 microseconds ) could also be used as long as the dll has stabilized or does not produce noise . in step 435 , digital switch 340 is configured to switch to port b , meaning port b is enabled . alternatively , if a separate digital switch is used for each port , then the digital switch for port b is enabled . in step 440 , system 300 executes another wait for approximately 10 microseconds . this allows the switch to be properly enabled . in step 445 , system 300 forces switch 340 to enable the port b . this force switching procedure is executed regardless of whether port b of switch 340 has been enabled or not . if port b of switch 340 has already been enabled , this force enabling procedure would still be executed but would not have any negative effect . method 400 continues to step 450 . in step 450 , system 300 or gigabit controller 310 powers down dedicated devices to the previously enabled port . for example , when system 300 switches from port a to port b , dedicated dll and afe for port a are shutdown . this allows system 300 to operate efficiently . in step 455 , phy dsp 332 is reinitialized to send and receive data from port b . fig5 illustrates a method 500 that may be implemented in system 300 to switch from one port to another . method 500 commences at step 510 . in step 510 , system 300 is powered up . in step 520 , system 300 initializes essential systems for communication with one of the ports 312 a - b . for example , phy dsp 332 is initialized by preprogramming all proper registers and port a is also selected as the default communication port , as shown in step 530 . further , smart switching mode is enabled , which includes the implementation of smart delays as outlined in method 500 . in step 540 , the communication link of port a is tested for link energy . this function is performed by link detector 325 . if link energy is not detected within 10 seconds , the process proceeds to step 550 . if link energy is detected , port a remains as the selected and active port . further , system 300 continuously tests the link at port a for activity ( whether link energy is present ). although 10 seconds is used as the test wait time , other test wait times could also be implemented such as 2 . 61 ms up to 171 seconds . step 550 is executed if the wait time allotted has passed and link energy is not detected . if link energy is not detected at port a after 10 seconds ( whatever the setting may be ) then gigabit controller 310 switches to communication port b or any other port with a detected link energy . as mentioned , gigabit controller 310 may have multiple communication ports 312 a - n . once port b is selected at step 560 , gigabit controller enters a loop , at step 570 , to continuously test whether port b is active or has detectable link energy . if a link energy is detected , gigabit controller 310 continues to select port b as the communication switch . if no link energy is detected , gigabit controller 310 switches to the new active port . as an example , port a has detectable link energy , thus gigabit controller switches to port a at step 580 . once this occurred , the link energy test loop , as outlined in steps 540 and 530 , starts again . system 300 is also configured to prioritize which communication port to use as the default data switching port when more than one communication ports are active . for example , system 300 may have two or more active ports such as port a and b . in an embodiment , port a is a rj45 data port from a notebook and port b is a rj45 port in a docking station . in this example , the notebook is docked to the docking station and both rj45 ports are connected to an active external network . an example priority rule may stipulate that data is to be switched from the mac to the first i / o port whenever the first i / o port is active . this rule applies regardless of the status of the second i / o port . alternatively , the priority rule may stipulate that data is to be switched from the mac to the second i / o port whenever the first i / o port is active , regardless of the second i / o port status . another exemplary priority rule may stipulate that data is to be switched from the mac to the second i / o port when the following condition ( s ) is met : a ) the second i / o port has a connected and active status while the first i / o port has an unconnected status ; or b ) the second i / o port has a connected and active status while the first i / o port has a connected but inactive status . other priority rules could be also implemented that would not depart from the spirit and scope of this invention . fig6 illustrates a method 600 for switching data between a docking station i / o port and a stand - alone connector port within a gigabit controller , without the need for a separate lan switch . in step 610 , gigabit controller 310 monitors at least one of its input and output ( i / o ) ports . in an embodiment , gigabit controller 310 only monitors i / o port 312 b , which is coupled to a notebook docking station . alternatively , gigabit controller 310 may monitor all of its i / o ports . in step 620 , gigabit controller 310 determines whether i / o port 312 b is active by measuring the energy level of the port . this may be done by measuring the voltage level of port 312 b , for example . in step 630 , gigabit controller 310 switches data between gigabit mac 330 and i / o port 312 b if it has determined that port 312 b is active . in step 630 , gigabit controller 310 switches data between gigabit mac 330 and i / o port 312 a if it has determined that port 312 b is inactive . in this way , the need for an off - chip switch between gigabit controller 310 and ports 318 and 322 is eliminated . this helps to reduce power consumption and cost . as a further benefit to internal switching , gigabit controller 310 may achieve higher cable reach as compared to system 200 . while various embodiments of the present invention have been described above , it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only , and not limitation . it will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . thus , the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above - described exemplary embodiments , but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents .	7
now the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig3 is a schematic view showing one embodiment of the biochip reader in accordance with the present invention . in the figure , elements identical to those shown in fig1 are referenced alike and excluded from the description hereinafter presented . in fig3 , numeral 10 denotes a microlens substrate , numeral 11 denotes a microlens , numeral 12 denotes a barrier filter , and numeral 20 denotes a telecentric zoom lens . on microlens substrate 10 , a plurality of microlenses 11 are arranged at equal pitch p 1 . zoom lens 20 comprises lens 21 with focal length f 1 and lens 21 with focal length f 2 , where both focal length f 1 and focal length f 2 are variable . zoom lens 20 is located between dichroic mirror 4 and specimen 6 . note that although each of lenses 21 and 22 is illustrated as a single lens for the sake of convenience , these lenses are usually composed of multiple lenses . barrier filter 12 , which is located between dichroic mirror 4 and lens 8 , has the effect of letting fluorescent light arising from specimen 6 to pass through and rejecting light with wavelengths other than that of the fluorescent light . in such an apparatus configuration as described above , excitation light projected from the topside of microlens substrate 10 is transformed into a multibeam by means of a plurality of microlenses 11 , and perpendicularly enters zoom lens 20 . in this case , light transformed into a beam with microlens 11 converges onto the focal point of microlens 11 ( the pitch between points of convergence is defined as p 1 ), and then diverges again and enters zoom lens 20 . each beam vertically projected from the lens 22 of zoom lens 20 is condensed ( the pitch between points of convergence is defined as p 2 ) and spot - irradiates the surface of specimen 6 . at this point , it is possible to change the ratio of pitch p 1 to pitch p 2 between beams of excitation light by adjusting the zoom lens and thereby changing the ratio between focal lengths f 1 and f 2 it is also possible to vertically shift the position of the specimen so that the excitation light beams applied to the surface of the specimen become out of focus . when defocused , the spot of excitation light irradiated at the surface of the specimen becomes larger , thereby flattening the light intensity distribution within the specimen &# 39 ; s surface . this means that samples on the specimen are irradiated with a uniform energy of luminance . it should be noted that the above - described embodiments of the present invention are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive . accordingly , it should be understood that all modifications falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention are covered by the appended claims . for example , the zoom lens may be a non - telecentric lens , as shown in fig4 . in this case , excitation light beams projected from the zoom lens do not vertically enter the specimen &# 39 ; s surface , but diverge as shown in fig4 ( a ) or converge as shown in fig4 ( b ). this modification does not pose any problem provided the beams are for the purpose of exciting the biochip . as another modification , the portion ranging from dichroic mirror 4 to camera 9 of the apparatus of fig3 may be located between lens 22 and specimen 6 . note that also in these modifications , the excitation light beams may be defocused to irradiate the specimen with a uniform energy of luminance . ( 1 ) since a specimen is irradiated with a multibeam , there is no need for moving a stage as has been conventionally done , resulting in a simpler apparatus configuration compared with the prior art apparatus . ( 2 ) since excitation light has been transformed into a multibeam , the light may be made weaker , in inverse proportion to the number of beams , than that used for optical scanning , if a comparison is made with reference to the same readout time . since there is no need for irradiating high - intensity laser light as has been conventionally done , the apparatus of the present invention avoids the risk of bleaching of fluorescent dyes . in addition , it is possible to measure even weak fluorescent light . ( 3 ) since the pitch between spots of excitation light being irradiated at a specimen can be freely varied by adjusting the zoom lens , the pitch between samples on the specimen need not be fixed . consequently , it is possible to read biochips of different kinds or for different purposes with just one biochip reader . ( 4 ) by vertically shifting the position of a specimen , it is possible to easily defocus excitation light beams being irradiated at the specimen . consequently , it is possible to irradiate the entire surface of each sample on the specimen with a virtually uniform energy of luminance . ( 5 ) for the zoom lens , not only a telecentric lens but also a non - telecentric lens may be used . even if beams being irradiated at samples diverge or converge and , therefore , obliquely enter the lens in the case of a non - telecentric lens , this poses no problems since the beams are for the purpose of exciting the biochip . fig5 is a schematic view showing one embodiment of the fluorometric imaging apparatus in accordance with the present invention . in fig5 , elements identical to those shown in fig2 are referenced alike and excluded from the description hereinafter presented . fig5 differs from fig2 in that the illumination system composed of light source 114 and lens 115 and the spots - of - light observation system composed of beam splitter 107 and lens 110 are excluded , and lens 121 and camera 122 having a two - dimensional photoreceptor device are included instead . lens 121 condenses excitation light passing through specimen 109 onto the photoreceptive surface of camera 122 . thus , samples on the specimen arranged in a two - dimensional manner are irradiated with multiple beams of excitation light , enabling the image of the specimen to be observed on camera 122 . in this case , it is also possible to observe the entire image of specimen 109 rather than images of the slices thereof . note that since each specimen 109 is scanned with condensed multiple beams , no speckle noise is produced in images observed on camera 122 even if a laser is used as the light source . a conventional confocal fluorescence microscope does not make use of excitation light passing through specimen 109 . in contrast , the present invention makes use of the light in order to position specimen 109 . this is one of the characteristics of the present invention . positioning of specimen 109 in the xy direction is performed while checking images observed on camera 122 . positioning in the z direction can be achieved by means of an auto - focusing mechanism ( not shown in the figure ). note that the present invention is not limited to moving only the specimen in the x , y and z directions . alternatively , the excitation light side of the apparatus may be moved by moving objective lens 108 in the x , y and z directions . as an auto - focusing mechanism based on , for example , a maximum contrast method , it is possible to adopt a mechanism for automatically controlling the movement of the specimen in the z direction so that the difference between the darkest and brightest points in images observed on camera 122 is maximum . fig6 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the present invention . in contrast to the optically scanned confocal microscope of fig5 , fig6 shows a non - optically - scanned ( scanless ) microscope . in fig6 , elements identical to those shown in fig5 are referenced alike and excluded from the explanation hereafter presented . in fig6 , numeral 10 denotes a microlens substrate where a plurality of microlenses 11 are arranged on a transparent substrate . numeral 109 denotes a specimen , for which a dna chip on which samples are arranged in a two - dimensional manner or a dna microarray , for example , may be adopted . in this case , each microlens 11 and each site of specimen 109 are arranged in a one - to - one positional relationship . in such an apparatus configuration as described above , each laser beam ( excitation light ) projected from the topside of microlens substrate 21 is condensed by each microlens 22 , and each site of specimen 109 is irradiated with the condensed laser beam . the subsequent steps are the same as those explained with reference to fig5 . that is , fluorescent light emitted from specimen 109 is reflected by dichroic mirror 103 , enters lens 111 and is condensed thereby , passes through barrier filter 112 , and forms an image on the photoreceptor device of camera 113 . on the other hand , excitation light passing through specimen 109 converges onto the surface of the photoreceptor device of camera 132 by means of lens 131 . specimen 109 is positioned according to images observed on the photoreceptor device surface . specimen positioning is the same as in the case of fig5 . that is , positioning in the xy direction is performed while checking images observed on camera 132 . for positioning in the z direction , the specimen is automatically positioned by means of an auto - focusing mechanism that functions according to observed images . in such a scanless fluorescence microscope , the positions of each beam and each site must agree with each other . for this reason , the aforementioned method of positioning is extremely useful for the apparatus configuration of fig6 . note that markers for xyz positioning may be provided on specimen 109 , so that positioning in the xyz directions is achieved on the basis of these markers . fig7 is a schematic view showing yet another embodiment in accordance with the present invention . unlike the scanless reflecting fluorescence microscope of fig6 , the apparatus of fig7 is a scanless transmission fluorescence microscope . in fig7 , elements identical to those shown in fig6 are referenced alike . fluorescent light produced in specimen 109 passes therethrough to enter lens 141 , wherein the light is collimated , and enters lens 142 . during this process , other types of light ( known as background light ) with wavelengths other than that of the fluorescent light are removed by barrier filter 112 inserted between lenses 141 and 142 . the fluorescent light wherefrom background light has been removed is condensed by lens 142 and forms an image on the photoreceptor device surface of camera 113 . catoptric light ( excitation light ), which reflects from specimen 109 and is used to position the specimen , reflects off beam splitter 7 to enter lens 131 , whereby the light is focused , and converges onto the photoreceptor device surface of camera 132 . by applying such an apparatus configuration as described above , specimen positioning can be achieved in the same way as in the case of fig6 , according to images of the specimen &# 39 ; s surface observed on the photoreceptor device . as described heretofore , the following advantageous effects are provided by the present invention . ( 1 ) specimen positioning can be easily achieved by using excitation light that passes through or reflects from a specimen and has not been made use of in the prior art . ( 2 ) the mechanism for specimen positioning is simpler and more economical compared with the prior art , and makes it possible to easily realize a fluorometric imaging apparatus with superior maneuverability . ( 3 ) the present invention is applicable to either a scanning or scanless fluorescence microscope , as well as to either a transmission or reflecting fluorescence microscope . thus , the present invention is significantly effective when used in practice . ( 4 ) by combining the zooming system shown in fig3 with the apparatus configuration shown in fig6 or fig7 , it is possible to easily measure even specimens that have different pitches between the sites thereof .	6
in the drawings and description that follows , like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same reference numerals , respectively . the drawing figures are not necessarily to scale . certain features of the invention may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form and some details of conventional elements may not be shown in the interest of clarity and conciseness . the present invention is susceptible to embodiments of different forms . specific embodiments are described in detail and are shown in the drawings , with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention , and is not intended to limit the invention to that illustrated and described herein . it is to be fully recognized that the different teachings of the embodiments discussed below may be employed separately or in any suitable combination to produce desired results . any use of any form of the terms “ connect ”, “ engage ”, “ couple ”, “ attach ”, or any other term describing an interaction between elements is not meant to limit the interaction to direct interaction between the elements and may also include indirect interaction between the elements described . the various characteristics mentioned above , as well as other features and characteristics described in more detail below , will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the embodiments , and by referring to the accompanying drawing . while specific embodiments have been shown and described , modifications can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or teaching of this invention . the embodiments as described are exemplary only and are not limiting many variations and modifications are possible and are within the scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described , but is only limited by the claims that follow , the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims . the apparatus and methods for measurement of conductivity described herein can be used in an open , uncased borehole or cased borehole in oil , gas , and / or water wells . additionally , water conductivity measurements can be measured continuously or periodically . the apparatus and methods can be used with various conveyance configurations , including wireline , electrical line , pipeline , tubing , coiled tubing , or any similar means , installed permanently downhole , deployed as a separate tool , incorporated in a string of tools , or integrated into a tool as a sensor . the apparatus and methods can also be used for tool calibration . the apparatus and methods can be used in a well that is flowing or a well that is shut - in and engaged in stationary or dynamic conditions . the apparatus and methods can also be used to identify fluid being produced at every level of production . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the conductivity tool 100 that can measure the conductivity of borehole fluid . the conductivity of the borehole fluid may optionally then be used to identify the fluid type . the conductivity tool 100 includes a housing 103 including a tool top connection 105 and a tool bottom connection 150 that allows for conveyance of the conductivity tool 100 downhole alone or in connection with a string of tools , pipe , or tubing . power can be supplied to the tool 100 by either an electrical line extending from the surface or through a self - contained battery located downhole . as shown , the conductivity tool 100 includes a power supply and control 115 that controls a signal processing circuit 110 . the signal processing circuit 110 may be an oscillator that generates an electric signal . in addition to being an oscillator , the signal processing circuit 110 may also be a receiver signal processing circuit as described in further detail below . when activated by the power supply and control 115 , the signal processing circuit 110 modulates an electric current into a signal and transmits the signal to a transmitter driver circuit 125 . the transmitter driver circuit 125 in turn drives a means for transmitting electromagnetic waves such as transmitter coil 130 , which transmits electromagnetic radiation at a selected power and frequency based on the signal sent to the transmitter driver circuit 125 . the selected frequency may be correlated to the frequency generated by a fluid of known conductivity , such as water . fig1 illustrates that the tool 100 also includes a borehole fluid contact 136 configured as a slot where the borehole fluid can enter the conductivity tool 100 and receive electromagnetic radiation from the transmitter coil 130 . the borehole fluid 135 can be wholly contained in the conductivity tool 100 , partially contained in the conductivity tool 100 , or contacted with the conductivity tool 100 in a variety of contact formations . regardless , the borehole fluid contact 136 allows the transmitted electromagnetic radiation to pass through the borehole fluid 135 . the transmitter coil 130 creates electromagnetic radiation that includes a primary magnetic field , which induces electrical current loops within the borehole fluid 135 at the borehole fluid contact 136 , creating a secondary magnetic field in the borehole fluid 135 . the currents induced in the borehole fluid are related to both the induced electrical field at each particular point and the conductivity of the borehole fluid 135 . both the primary magnetic field produced by the transmitter coil 130 , and the secondary magnetic field , produced by the borehole fluid 135 , induce a corresponding electric current in the receiver coil 140 , creating a received signal that is a function of the borehole fluid conductivity . thus , the borehole fluid 135 acts as a receiver with regards to the transmitter coil 130 and as a transmitter with regards to the receiver coil 140 . in this and other embodiments the transmitter coil 130 , borehole fluid contact 136 , and receiver coil 140 can be arranged in a variety of configurations . single or multiple transmitter coils 130 and receiver coils 140 can be employed with single or multiple borehole contacts 136 . fig1 illustrates the borehole fluid contact 136 as being a slot in the tool housing 103 . however , as previously mentioned , the borehole fluid contact may be in any suitable form such that the transmitter coil 130 and the receiver coil 140 are in electromagnetic communication through the borehole fluid . this includes electromagnetic communication through borehole fluid in the housing 103 as well as outside the housing 103 but within the borehole . the induced electric signal in the receiver coil 140 travels to and is amplified by the signal processing circuit 110 . the induced signal is then compared to the transmitter signal through a phase sensitive detector in the signal processing circuit 110 and undesired signals are cancelled out . further modification of the signal , such as required amplification of a known gain may also be performed . the induced electric signal in the receiver coil 140 may be sent up hole in the form of voltage or current . or , the signal may be stored in the conductivity tool 100 with a time mark , for example during slick line operations . in the case of electric line operations , e . g ., surface read out , the signal can also be multiplexed along with the other sensor signals used in a production logging . telemetry is used for the multiplexing and a transmitter circuit is used for driving the electric line . in case of memory logging , which is normally done using a slick line or coil tubing , the tool 100 electronics may be powered using a battery and the output data may also be stored inside the tool memory along with the event time . when the tool 100 is retrieved after the survey , the time based data may be converted to depth based using the depth to time converter recorded at the surface . the depth based log may be produced similar to electric line logging . comparison of the conductivity of the borehole fluid with fluids of known conductivity may then be performed to determine the bore hole fluid type . the tool 100 is also calibrated with different solutions of known conductivity before being deployed downhole such that any measurement offset will be corrected . for an example , the calibration can be done once a year in the factory using three different nacl ( common salt ) solutions . the actual conductivity of the nacl solution is measured using a precision conductivity measuring devise available in the market and then the apparatus output is plotted with respect to these conductivities . for oil field applications , the following example ranges of conductivity can be used for calibration with the apparatus response being linear . 0 . 5 to 1 siemens per meter — low conductivity range ; 5 to 10 siemens per meter — medium conductivity range , and 20 to 40 siemens per meter — high conductivity range . the gain and offset of the calibration is used to convert the apparatus output to conductivity . the conductivity tool 100 limits the conductivity measurement to measurement of conductivity of the borehole fluid and not the casing , if applicable , or formation . to do so , the conductivity tool 100 uses a set of tuned coils for transmitter and receiver having specific size and inductance , operating frequency , operating power . the spacing of the transmitter coil 103 and the receiver coil 140 is also selected to limit the distance the electromagnetic radiation is transmitted . for example , the spacing of between the transmitter coil 130 and the receiver coil 140 may be set at an appropriate distance to effect measurement of the conductivity of the fluid in the borehole . the spacing may be less than 1 inch to ensure that the conductivity measured comes from the fluid inside the borehole , and not the casing or the formation . other spacing distances may also be used , however . also , higher frequencies may help to ensure a smaller depth of investigation . for example , a frequency approximately greater than 20 khz and / or at least 100 khz may be used . in addition to measuring the conductivity of the fluids in the borehole to determine fluid conductivity and / or type , the conductivity tool 100 may also be used in the measurement of the salinity of any water in the borehole . fluids of differing salinity have different conductivity , i . e ., salt water has a higher salinity than fresh water and thus has a higher conductivity . using this principle , the present apparatus and methods can also be used to differentiate water types of differing salinity . for example , the conductivity tool 100 may be used to differentiate injected water from native water or indicate when water has entered the borehole , thus increasing the accuracy in correcting any borehole effect that may alter measurements made by other downhole tools . the present apparatus and methods can also be used to differentiate between fresh water and salt water . measuring borehole fluid conductivity can also be used in oil recovery methods employing water injection into the reservoir . injected water will be of a different salinity than water produced naturally from the formation into the borehole . thus , even though a producing well is producing native water of a certain salinity , injected water from a nearby injection well may migrate from the injection well and be produced through the producing well . changes in conductivity measurements would indicate if injected water from a nearby injection well has entered the borehole . once the conductivity measurements have been used to identify the borehole fluids , they can also be used to correct the borehole effect on other sensors . the borehole effect is any anomaly in measurement that is induced by measuring the borehole fluid itself . the conductivity of the borehole fluid as determined by the conductivity tool 100 can be used to correct measurements of saturation of oil , native water , and fresh water in the formation . this would allow for correction in direct measurement to help calibrate other tools . for example , the measured borehole fluid conductivity could be used to correct the measurement taken with a pulse neutron tool . these conductivity measurements could also be used in order to better predict reservoir characteristics . the conductivity tool 100 can also be used in conjunction with different downhole tools or sensors . for example , the conductivity tool 100 may be used with other downhole tools or sensors for measurement of water holdup for a production logging application , measurement of formation fluid salinity in cased and open hole logging such as testing the formation with a downhole formation tester , measurement of borehole fluid conductivity for a measurement - while - drilling tool , and measurement of water production in an open hole and / or cased hole sampling tool . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of a conductivity tool 265 used in measurement of water holdup in conjunction with production logging . the conductivity tool 265 is configured as discussed in the embodiment of fig1 , with the conductivity tool 265 being connected and working in conjunction with other production tools instead of standing alone . as illustrated , a production tubing 240 is installed in a borehole with casing 200 . a packer 235 isolates the annulus between the tubing 240 and the casing 200 that is above the packer 235 from the area below the packer 235 . below the packer 235 , the casing 200 is perforated with perforations 220 to allow fluid from the formation to flow into the borehole and be produced by flowing up the tubing 240 . a tool string 230 is conveyed through the tubing 240 by connection to a wireline or slick line 250 . the tool string 230 may also be conveyed by any other suitable means such as coiled tubing . the conductivity tool 265 is connected to the production logging tool 260 by its tool top connector 264 and to another production logging tool 270 by its bottom tool connector 265 . in an embodiment , the conductivity tool 265 can be used in this manner as a water holdup tool or water salinity tool in conjunction with the other production logging tools , 260 , 270 during a production log run . fig3 illustrates an embodiment of the conductivity used inside a borehole fluid sampling tool 360 in a well 300 . a portion of the well 300 may be cased and include perforations 320 , and a portion of the well may be open hole 310 . the borehole fluid sample tool 360 is conveyed through well tubing 340 by connection to a wireline or slick line 350 or any suitable conveyance means . a conductivity tool 365 is configured as discussed in the embodiment of fig1 with the conductivity tool 365 being integrated into the borehole fluid sample tool 360 . the tool 365 may alternatively act as a sensor embodied in the borehole fluid sample tool 360 instead of standing alone , in an embodiment , the conductivity tool 365 uses a sample chamber 370 of the borehole fluid sample tool 360 as a fluid contact to measure the conductivity of the borehole fluid sampled . fig4 illustrates an embodiment used inside a formation tester tool 460 in an open hole 410 . the formation tester tool 460 is conveyed by connection to a wireline , slick line 450 , or any other suitable means . a conductivity tool 465 is configured as discussed in the embodiment of fig1 with the conductivity tool 465 being integrated into the formation tester tool 460 or acting as a sensor embodied in formation tester tool 460 instead of standing alone . in an embodiment , the conductivity tool 465 can be used along with the formation tester tool 460 to measure the produced water salinity while sampling borehole fluid or formation fluid . while specific embodiments have been shown and described , modifications can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or teaching of this invention . the embodiments as described are exemplary only and are not limiting . many variations and modifications are possible and are within the scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described , but is only limited by the claims that follow , the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims .	6
referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first , particularly to fig1 thereof , there is shown a mechanism for the growth of a silicon dioxide layer as proposed by r . gordon et al . disposed on a process area 1 are hydroxyl groups 2 that can react with trimethylaluminum as reactive component . in this case , two methyl groups of the trimethylaluminum are replaced by the oxygen atoms of the hydroxyl groups 2 ; two methane molecules are liberated per molecule of trimethylaluminum . given an excess of trimethylaluminum , the reaction proceeds until all the hydroxyl groups 2 on the process area 1 have reacted . a monolayer of a starter layer thus forms which , with the methyl groups that are still bonded to the aluminum , has leaving groups for the hydroxyl groups of the tris ( tert - butoxy ) silanol . once any excess trimethylaluminum has been removed from the process space , tris ( tert - butoxy ) silanol is then introduced . the hydroxyl group of the tris ( tert - butoxy ) silanol reacts with the aluminum atom of the starter layer , the methyl group that has remained on the aluminum in each case being displaced with cleavage of a molecule of methane . if an excess of tris ( tert - butoxy ) silanol is offered , further tris ( tert - butoxy ) silanol molecules may be intercalated into the aluminum - oxygen bond , so that a chain lengthening occurs with cleavage of tert - butanol . a repeated intercalation of tris ( tert - butoxy ) silanol molecules leads to the formation of siloxane chains on the process area 1 . fig1 b schematically shows the configuration of these siloxane chains 3 . the chains all have an identical extent . since the individual tris ( tert - butoxy ) silanol molecules are in each case intercalated into the aluminum - oxygen bond at the process area 1 , the chain growth is largely insensitive to fluctuations in the concentration of the tris ( tert - butoxy ) silanol over the process area 1 . the tert - butyl groups bonded to a silicon atom can be cleaved thermally , with cleavage of isobutene and liberation of a hydroxyl group at the silicon . the mechanism is illustrated in fig1 c . the liberated hydroxyl group can then attach to a silicon atom of an adjacent siloxane chain , so that a crosslinking of the chains takes place with cleavage of tert - butanol . if hydroxyl groups are liberated in adjacent siloxane chains , the chains can likewise crosslink with cleavage of water . possible mechanisms for the crosslinking of adjacent siloxane chains are illustrated in fig1 d . finally , a layer made of silicon dioxide is obtained as a result of the increasing crosslinking . since no more tris ( tert - butoxy ) silanol can diffuse through the silicon dioxide layer , the chain growth comes to a standstill . if the layer thickness is to be increased further , therefore , a monolayer is produced anew from trimethylaluminum as starter layer , and the layer thickness growth is continued , as described above , by the subsequent introduction of tris ( tert - butoxy ) silanol . fig2 a to fig2 e show successive process steps in the fabrication of a collar made of silicon dioxide at the upper section of a trench introduced into a substrate . a substrate 6 including a semiconductor substrate 4 and an auxiliary layer 5 disposed on the semiconductor substrate 4 has a horizontal substrate surface 7 , from which a trench 8 extends into the substrate 6 in a direction perpendicular to the substrate surface 7 as far as a relief depth 9 . the trench wall 10 forms process areas 11 perpendicular to the substrate surface 7 . a coverage depth 12 , up to which the relief formed by the trench 8 is to be covered with a layer of silicon dioxide that is to be formed subsequently , is prescribed between the substrate surface 7 and the relief depth 9 . the coverage depth 12 divides the trench 8 into an upper trench region 13 oriented toward the substrate surface 7 and a lower trench region 14 . in accordance with the trench regions 13 , 14 , upper sections 15 of the process area 11 are disposed between the substrate surface 7 and the coverage depth 12 and lower sections 16 of the process area 11 are disposed between the coverage depth 12 and the relief depth 9 . the trench 8 is firstly lined completely with a thin covering layer 17 having a thickness of approximately 2 nm . the covering layer 17 may , for example , include silicon dioxide and be produced by thermal oxidation if the substrate 6 is constructed from silicon . as an alternative , by way of example , it is also possible to employ an ald or cvd method in order to produce the covering layer 17 made of silicon dioxide from suitable precursor compounds . in accordance with the method according to the invention , a starter layer 18 is produced on those sections of the covering layer 17 that are disposed on the substrate surface 7 and the upper sections 15 . due to the high sticking coefficient of the reactive component , the starter layer 18 grows proceeding from the substrate surface 7 in the direction of the relief depth 9 . the growth of the starter layer 18 in the direction of the relief depth 9 is restricted . by way of example , for this purpose a process quantity of the reactive component is restricted , so that the starter layer 18 grows no further than as far as the coverage depth 12 . the process of depositing the starter layer 18 also can be terminated upon reaching the coverage depth 12 , for example by reactive component that is still present in the process space being pumped away . a formation of a starter layer 18 as illustrated in fig2 c results in both cases . the starter layer 18 extends as a uniform monolayer above the coverage depth 12 . virtually no deposition of the reactive component takes place below the coverage depth 12 . after the reactive component has been pumped away from the process space , tris ( tert - butoxy ) silanol is introduced into the process space . in this case , the tris ( tert - butoxy ) silanol is offered in a concentration at which the formation of a siloxane layer 19 does not proceed in a diffusion - controlled manner . the trench 8 is thus completely filled with gaseous tris ( tert - butoxy ) silanol . however , a deposition of the tris ( tert - butoxy ) silanol takes place only in those sections of the process area 11 that are covered by the starter layer 18 . therefore , the siloxane layer 19 is formed only in the upper section 15 of the process area , whereas no reaction takes place in the lower section 16 of the trench 8 . the siloxane layer 19 thus extends uniformly and with a uniform layer thickness above the coverage depth 12 . no layer thickness growth takes place below the coverage depth 12 . the formation of a starter layer 18 in a first process step and afterward the formation of a siloxane layer 19 in a second process step is repeated a number of times , so that the thickness of the silicon dioxide layer formed in the upper section 15 increases to the desired extent . the state illustrated in fig2 e is obtained . a silicon dioxide layer 20 has been produced in the upper section 15 of the trench 8 by repeated deposition of a starter layer 18 and of a siloxane layer 19 . after the crosslinking of the siloxane layers 19 , the layer 20 is substantially formed from silicon dioxide , with which are admixed small quantities of aluminum , for example , which have resulted from the starter layer 18 . the silicon dioxide layer 20 typically contains proportions of aluminum ions in the region of approximately 1 %. afterward , the covering layer 17 is removed in the lower section 16 of the trench 8 by etching using dilute hydrofluoric acid and the layer 20 is removed on the substrate surface 7 by anisotropic etching . the construction illustrated in fig2 f is obtained . a collar formed from the silicon dioxide layer 20 is disposed in the upper section 15 of the process area 11 or of the trench 8 . the collar extends with uniform layer thickness from the substrate surface 7 as far as a coverage depth 12 . the silicon dioxide layer 20 , which is doped with aluminum ions , for example , is separated from the substrate 6 by a covering layer 17 made of silicon dioxide . the wall of the trench 8 is uncovered again in the lower section 16 of the process area 11 in the region of the trench 8 between the coverage depth 12 and the relief depth 9 . from the construction illustrated in fig2 f , a capacitor can then be constructed in a customary manner in further sections , for example by the semiconductor substrate 4 being selectively doped by vapor phase doping in the lower sections 16 . in the application in the fabrication of dt ( deep trench ) dram memory cells , the doped region thus produced corresponds to a low - impedance connection of an outer electrode ( buried plate ). after a dielectric has been deposited in the lower sections 16 , the remaining inner space of the trench 8 can be filled with highly doped polysilicon , for example , in order to obtain a counterelectrode . the schematic construction of such a trench capacitor is illustrated in fig2 g . vapor phase doping has resulted in doped regions 21 in the semiconductor substrate 4 , which form the outer electrode of the capacitor . disposed on the doped regions 21 is a layer 22 of a dielectric that extends below the collar 23 along the wall . the remaining space is filled with highly doped polysilicon in order to obtain a counterelectrode 24 . the counterelectrode 24 can be connected to a transistor ( not illustrated ) in subsequent work steps in order to control the charge state of the trench capacitor .	2
embodiments of the present invention replace the radioactive element of the standard ionization - type smoke detector with a field emission or field ionization ion source that is non - radioactive and uses no radioactive materials . the field emission ion source will operate at atmospheric pressures and will operate over a wide temperature range . what is described in detail below are embodiments that use carbon nanotubes as the field ionizer material , but there are many other materials that could be used for this application : 1 . functionalized or coated carbon nanotubes may be used to improve durability and lifetime and also reduce operating voltage . one example of this would be alkali - metal coated or alkali - salt coated carbon nanotubes . 2 . nanotubes or nanowires of other materials , such as si , zno , gaas , etc . these nanowires may also be functionalized or coated . 3 . metal or semiconducting microtips may be used , such as w or mo ( metals ) or si or ge ( semiconductors ). it may be possible that a spindt microtip configuration may be used with an emitter structure and a gate electrode . an electric field on the order of several megavolts / cm (˜ several 100 v / μm ) is sufficient to produce electron emission from materials . one way to achieve these fields practically is to use conducting or semiconducting structures , or materials that have very high aspect ratios ( they are tall and thin ), and place them in an electric field . because the high aspect ratios will concentrate the electric fields at the ends or tips of the structure , electron field emission can be achieved with applied electric fields as low as 1 - 10 v / μm since the electric field at the tips of these high aspect features can be as high as 100 - 1000 v / μm . fig3 a illustrates how a high aspect ratio ( h / r ) conductor concentrates the applied electric field ( f 0 ) so that the field at the tip of the conductor ( f ) is magnified . fig3 b illustrates a diode - type ( anode sued cathode electrodes only ) field emission display structure using carbon nanotube emitters . see , tonegawa et al ., “ development of large size cnt - fed ,” idw / ad &# 39 ; 05 , takamatsu , japan , p . 1659 . initially , metal or si microtip structures were designed and built to be used for field emission applications . see , c . a . spindt and l . n . heynick , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 665 , 241 , may 23 , 1972 . the first field ionization experiments were performed by müller . see , e . w . müller , phys . rev . vol . 102 , p . 618 ( 1956 ). there are two cases or methods to use field emitter structures as gas ionization sources : case 1 ) electrically bias the structures negatively such that electrons are pulled from the field emitters into the gas environment ( producing ions by electron - impact or electron capture ); or case 2 ) electrically bias the structures positively ( the reverse of above ) such that electrons are pulled from the gas molecules into the tips of the structures , thus producing positive ions . in both cases , it is well documented ( see , robert gomer , field emission and field ionization , pub . by the am . inst . of physics , 1993 , pp . 1 - 31 and 64 - 102 ) that the phenomenon that controls the behavior is quantum mechanical tunneling of electrons from the conduction band of the metal into the vacuum or gas environment as a result of high local electric fields ( case 1 ), or the reverse , electrons tunneling from the gas molecules into the metal ( case 2 ) from similar applied electric fields but polarized in the opposite direction . there are issues that are considered for implementing embodiments of the present invention : gas adsorption and changing work function of the tip emitters : since these emitters will operate in air , gas can form physical and chemical bonds to the surface , changing work function and aspect ratio and degrading emission properties . carbon nanotubes are relatively inert compared to most metals ( i . e ., an oxide layer is not formed on the surface ). they are flexible yet strong , ( young &# 39 ; s mod . of swnt = 1 tpa , max tensile strength = 30 gpa . see , m .- f . yu et al ., phys . rev . lett . 84 , 5552 ( 2000 )) and have high thermal conductivity . see , savas berber et al ., “ unusually high thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes ”, prl , v84 , p . 4613 , ( 2000 ). based on these properties , the carbon nanotube is a good choice , as it is expected to be the most stable . ion erosion of the emitter : water or oxygen ions may attach to the carbon nanotube material , converting it to co or co 2 . this may limit the life of the carbon emitters . it is found that this is true in high vacuum conditions . see , l . h . thuesen , r . l . fink , et al ., j . vac . sci . technol . b 18 ( 2 ), p . 968 , march / april 2000 . for embodiments herein , the electrons are emitted into air at atmospheric pressure at low energy ; thus , the electrons do not gain significant energy before impacting a molecule . therefore , ions are created by electron capture ( i . e ., they are negative ions ) and are repelled from the cnt electrode . the only concern may be positive ions . positive ions can be created if the electron energy striking the molecule is high . embodiments herein may adjust both the gap between the electrodes and the bias of the electrodes to change the electron impact energy and tune it for optimal performance . furthermore , the impact of ions on the cnt emitters may be limited because ion energy will be imparted to other molecules as a result of high collision rates at atmospheric pressure . there are examples of using carbon emitters as gas ionization sources in the literature . dong et al . and choi et al . used cnt emitters in ionization vacuum gauges . see , c . dong et al ., apl ., 84 , p . 5443 , 2004 , and in - mook choi , et al ., apl ., 87 , p . 173104 , 2005 . they operated their devices in partial vacuum , different from the proposed approach , and with much higher electron impact energy than proposed herein . riley et al . used multiwall carbon nanotubes to ionize he . see , d . j . riley et al ., “ helium detection via field ionization from carbon nanotubes ,” nanoletters , 3 , p . 1455 ( 2003 ). they were successful in ionizing he atoms at low pressures ( 4 × 10 − 5 mbar ). peterson et al . measured the performance of both carbon nanotubes and polycrystalline diamond as a gas ionizer at atmospheric pressure and in the case 1 mode , very similar to what is disclosed here . see , m . s . peterson , w . zhang , et al ., plasma source sc . and technol ., vol . 14 , pp . 654 - 660 . ( 2005 ). first , using the highly graphitic polycrystalline diamond material , they were able to generate a current between 5 pa and 10 μa with voltages of 20 v and 340 v respectively , using a gap of 10 μm . they were able to maintain the current in one case over 40 hours in continuous dc mode . this demonstrates that oxygen ions did not significantly degrade the performance of the carbon - based electron source operating in air . fig4 illustrates a first embodiment , which may be easiest to make and may be the lowest cost to manufacture of all the designs . it comprises two conductor plates or metal coated glass panels 404 , 405 . one conductor 404 is coated with cnts 403 . air 407 is allowed to flow in between the plates 404 , 405 . either dc or ac voltage may be applied between the electrodes . it is also possible to bias die electrodes with an ac voltage having a dc offset . in dc mode or with a dc offset , ions created will drift toward an electrode ; the direction of the drift will depend on the charge of the ion . an alternative ( not shown ) is that both sides may be coated with a cnt film to take advantage of the ac swing that may be needed to neutralize ion drift . the substrates are shown as glass that is metallized . it in fact may also be a metal foil or other conducting sheet of material . gas may be forced through the gap in one direction or there may be no forced flow at all and left open to the prevailing air currents in the room , entering the gap from any direction . sensor electronics 406 are coupled to the electrodes 404 , 405 to detect changes in the current and set off an alarm if a threshold of smoke particles are detected . fig4 b illustrates a second embodiment that is similar except the sensor electrodes ( electrode rings 424 and 425 ) are separate and independent of the gas ionization electrodes ( 404 and 405 ) although they may be formed or deposited onto the same substrate 426 . the substrate material in this case is insulating , such as ceramic materials or glass . in this embodiment , ions are created in a similar manner as in fig4 , but here the ion current is measured by collecting the negative ions oil the positive electrode ( 425 ) and by collecting the positive ions oil the negative electrode ( 424 ). these electrodes can be various shapes and sizes but they are in close proximity to the ion source so that they measure the ions created in the gap between electrodes 404 and 405 . as described before , the parameters of the ion source electrodes can be adjusted to create positive ions , negative ions or both . sensor electronics 406 are coupled to the electrodes 424 and 425 to detect changes in the current and set off an alarm if a threshold of smoke particles is detected . fig5 illustrates a third embodiment that is similar except it has a smaller area and thus the capacitance will be lower . the + and − lines may be easily patterned using standard photoresist - patterned metal lines 504 , 505 on glass substrates , or by screen printing . design factors , such as the gap between electrode plates and the spacing between the electrodes on the same plate , may be varied . the drive parameters , such as the bias level , frequency and duty factor , may be easily varied to achieve optimal conditions . the electrodes 504 , 505 may be operated in dc or ac mode , or in an ac mode with a dc offset . in this design , an insulating substrate may be required to maintain the potentials on the separate electrodes . gas 507 may be forced through the gap in one direction or there may be no forced flow at all and left open to the prevailing air currents in the room , entering the gap from any direction . a cnt coating 503 is deposited on the electrodes 504 , 505 in a desired manner . fig6 a illustrates two metal grids 601 , 602 that are parallel to each other ; one or both may be coated with cnts 603 . if the other grid is coated , then the coating would face the coating on the other grid . the gas flow 607 is through the grids 601 , 602 . once the grid material is chosen , the only mechanical parameter that may be changed is the gap between the grids 601 , 602 . as with extraction grids used for vacuum microelectronics , such as displays and x - ray tubes , a good rule of thumb is that the grid dimension ( size of grid openings ) is about the same as the gap between the grids . the metal grids 601 , 602 or electrodes may be operated in dc or ac mode , or in an ac mode with a dc offset . the drive parameters , such as dc voltage bias level , ac or dc potential and frequency of ac signal may also be optimized . this design allows for easy flow of gas through the grid . fig6 b illustrates an embodiment similar to the embodiment illustrated in fig6 a except there is only one “ grid ” that comprises cnt coated wires 610 , 611 that are biased relative to each other . referring to fig7 , several grids may be used , spaced apart from each other similar to the 2 - grid design shown in fig6 a . the grids may be biased opposite each other (+ then − then + and so on ). fig7 shows the cnt coating on selected surfaces , but the cnt coating may be on both sides of the grid . the bias between the grids may be dc , or it may be ac or could be ac with a dc offset . the embodiments described herein detect smoke in the same way that the prior art detects smoke , but from monitoring the change in current through one or more of the grids or electrodes . for example , if electrons are emitted into the gas on a negative electrode , this would create negative ions that would be collected at the positive grid or electrode . however , if there is smoke present , then the negative ions may react with the smoke particles ( typically carbon particles or hydrocarbon aerosols ) and neutralize or mask the negative charge to create neutral particles ; thus no current would arrive at the positive electrode . the current at each electrode may be monitored , and if a current decreases below a set value , an alarm may be triggered . fig8 illustrates a block diagram of sensor electronics 406 that may be utilized within each of the embodiments illustrated in fig4 , 5 , 6 a , 6 b . 7 and 11 . fig9 illustrates a detailed circuit diagram of the sensor electronics of fig8 . fig1 illustrates a detailed circuit diagram of the analog comparator 802 within the sensor electronics 406 . fig1 illustrates a detailed circuit diagram of the digital latch 803 of the sensor electronics 406 . as can be seen from fig8 - 11 , any of the embodiments of the smoke detector described above may be coupled to the sensor electronics 406 at the sensor inputs 801 . an alarm 804 or some other type of external output 805 may be the result for output from the sensor electronics 406 when a threshold current level is detected at senor input 801 , as predetermined by a threshold detection set point 806 . a further description of the sensor electronics 406 , including the component parts of the analog comparator 802 and digital latch 803 are not further described herein for reasons of brevity . the sensor electronics 406 are to be designed to receive an input from a smoke detector using cnt coatings , as described herein , and provide an appropriate output in order to make the smoke detector practically effective . the design of such sensor electronics is not pertinent to an understanding of the present invention . other sensor electronics may be substituted in order to arrive at the same result . fig1 illuminates a combination smoke detector that combines the cnt - based ionization smoke detector ( see fig4 . 5 , 6 a , 6 b , and 7 ) with one or more other sensors or smoke detector technologies . some fires give off gases as incipient indicators of a fire . the smoke from the fire may be different depending on what is burning . some fires give off heavy black smoke ; other fires may give of a gray smoke or very little at all . the combination of tie different sensors will help sense a fire faster while at the same time lower the chances of a false alarm . the combination sensor will also have the lo possibility of determining what kind of fire is present and relay this information to 911 or a subscription security service . a number of embodiments of the invention have been described . nevertheless , it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	6
an aqueous solution containing 4 - 8 % glacial acetic acid is commercially available in drug stores as vinegar ( ch 3 cooh + h 2 o ). it is theorized that the vinegar will upset the physiological balance of the insect and may also be effective in upsetting the circulatory system . particularly when the vinegar is combined with limonene extract and particularly the mint extract which appears to be more effective , this mixture penetrates the spiracles causing an insult to the body systems of the insect which is incompatible with life . the oil acts as a carrier for the mixture to enable penetration through the spiracles . a collection of 672 active honey bees were taken from a hive and placed in an 11 . 97 ml glass container with an 11 . 43 cm diameter opening . the container was covered with a cotton mesh to allow for ventilation . some bees clustered at various areas of the container while others flew about . a great buzzing noise was audible from the container . the bees were then sprayed through the mesh opening with the named solution i . within twenty seconds , most of the bees flew to the bottom of the container and after two minutes , forty seconds , two bees maintained flying ability . at three minutes , 22 seconds , only one bee was flying . at four minutes , none of the bees had flying ability . buzzing noise remained strong . at six minutes , abdomens having rapid in - and - out movement ( one hundred ten over a one minute count ) exhibited great inability to walk and buzzing noise was less audible . all of the bees exhibited the same behavior , some sooner than others . some attempted to fly but could only flap their wings . some attempted to walk but could not hold themselves up and collapsed . they formed an almost perfect ring on the outer portion of the base of the container , piling up on one another . the stronger and more resilient went toward the center base and attempted normal activity . after fifty - two minutes , none of the bees were able to walk and many appeared dead . the active bees continued to crawl over one another , some still attempting to spread their wings . prior to their death , they took a supine position , had rapid erratic movement of their extremities and curled the distal portion of their bodies inward once or twice . they gradually become more inactive and passive . total cessation of all movement of the 672 bees took three and one - half hours . a collection of 127 active honey bees were taken from a hive and placed in a 3 . 78 liter container with a 9 . 53 cm opening that was covered with cotton mesh to allow for ventilation . twenty - five bees clung to the mesh covering , others clustered at various areas of the container . the named solution was sprayed through the mesh opening . the bees at the mesh opening rapidly dropped ; some hanging on to one another forming a chain . all but seven bees dropped to the bottom of the container and exhibited the same behavior as described in example 1 . after twenty minutes , three bees remained at the mesh opening . after thirty minutes , one bee remained at the opening . after fifty minutes , the last bee dropped to the bottom of the container . prior to death , all exhibited the same behavior as described in example 1 . when named spray was used outdoors and sprayed directly at the vespa ( wasp , yellow jacket ) and apis ( bee ), they became disoriented and had erratic flying behavior . they were unable to fly straight , some dropping to the ground and others attempting to fly away . they seemed to communicate the danger to one another . visible insects would not come near the sprayed area . during the late summer , the vespa ( wasp , yellow jacket ) were more aggressive , especially when humans would dine outside . they were more difficult to control so spraying became more effective when the dining or sitting area was sprayed prior to human use . when the spray solution was used in this manner , there seemed to be an invisible wall and when the vespa ( wasp , yellow jacket ) or apis ( bee ) would come close , the area seemed to have an invisible wall which made the insects fly away as soon as they came in contact with the sprayed area . occasionally one or two bees or wasps would penetrate the sprayed area but would leave immediately when sprayed again , either by dropping or flying away . it was also noted in the open outdoor area that the spray was effective against other insects , including the mosquito which was effected in apparently the same manner in which the honey bees and yellow jackets were effected , although clinical studies were not conducted thereon . one hundred thirty - eight ( 138 ) active bees were taken from a hive and were placed in a 3 . 78 ml . glass container with a 9 . 53 cm diameter opening that was covered with cotton gauze to allow ventilation . the bees were flying about . a loud buzzing noise was audible . the bees were mist sprayed once with a solution ii : after 5 seconds , bees were dropping and flying to base of container . after 1 minute , eleven ( 11 ) of the bees were at the center of base of container . the remaining bees formed a ring at the outer aspects of the base of container and took a supine position . after 2 minutes , all the bees were exhibiting the same pre - death behavior as described in example number 1 . after 3 minutes , all but six ( 6 ) of the bees appear dead . these six bees had slight movement of extremities . after 9 minutes , two ( 2 ) bees continue slight movement of extremities . after 10 minutes there was no movement . they had a shrivelled appearance . death was instant for all but six of the bees . the anise mixture had a very pleasant aroma . one hundred twenty - seven ( 127 ) honey bees were taken from a hive and placed in a 3 . 78 ml . glass container with a 9 . 53 cm diameter opening that was covered with cotton gauze to allow ventilation . the bees were loudly buzzing and flying about . solution iii consisted of : 10 cc of 70 % solution of c 2 h 5 oh . this mixture was further blended with 10 cc 5 % acetic acid and 10 cc of h 2 o . the mixture , while not foul smelling , did not have a pleasant aroma . the bees were mist sprayed with solution iii . after 2 minutes , all bees remain active . six ( 6 ) bees remain at top of container at gauze opening . after 3 minutes , bees were sprayed a second time . two remain at top of container . most remain active . one bee attempting to fly . all bees have rapid erratic movement . after 7 minutes , two ( 2 ) bees remain at gauze of container opening . one ( 1 ) bee was attempting to fly . after 9 minutes , no bees at top of container . buzzing noise less audible . the bees formed a ring at outer aspects of base of container . after 10 minutes faint buzzing noise audible . after 20 minutes ring formation at base of container unchanged . all of the bees appear to be dying . all are in supine position exhibiting the same pre - death behavior as described in example number 1 . after 36 minutes the bees appear to be shrivelling , all in a supine position . after 90 minutes , eight ( 8 ) bees have slight movement . one ( 1 ) bee attempted to walk . all others are dead . one hundred twenty - one ( 121 ) active honey bees were taken from a hive and placed in a glass 3 . 78 ml . container with a 9 . 53 cm diameter opening that was covered with cotton gauze to allow ventilation . loud buzzing noise was audible . bees were then sprayed with solution iv : 1 part glacial acetic acid . within five ( 5 ) minutes the buzzing noise decreased . some bees attempted flying . bees were mist sprayed a second time . fourteen ( 14 ) minutes later , bees had formed a ring at base of container and exhibited the same behavior prior to death as described in example number 1 . after 41 minutes all bees were dead . one hundred twenty - eight ( 128 ) active honey bees were taken from a hive and placed in a 3 . 78 ml . glass container with a 9 . 53 cm diameter opening that was covered with cotton gauze to allow ventilation . loud buzzing sound was audible . the bees were then sprayed with solution v : 50 % pure mint and pure peppermint extract ( essential oils in ethyl alcohol solution ) and 50 % h 2 o . after 3 minutes , loud buzzing noise was audible and some bees attempted to fly . after 5 minutes buzzing continued . activity slowed , but all bees are active . after 1 minute activity resumed . within 30 minutes bees actively flying about . one hundred twenty - one ( 121 ) active honey bees were taken from a hive and placed in a 3 . 78 ml . glass container that was covered with cotton gauze to allow ventilation . bees were then sprayed with solution vi : after spraying bees , noise remained loud . all the bees were active , none were flying , some were falling to base of container . after 1 minute , bees were given three mist sprays . all bees were active , crawling on all areas of jar making a great humming noise ; none are grouped together . after 3 minutes some bees are clustering on bottom of container . after 5 minutes , more bees dropped to base of container . noise very audible . bees continue to drop , cluster , and crawl over one another , remaining active . many remain at top of container opening clinging to gauze . after 13 minutes , more bees clustering at base grouping together at left of base , some bees flying . after 25 minutes , all but eleven ( 11 ) bees were at the base of container . after 26 minutes , fifteen ( 15 ) bees actively climbing sides of container ; none are flying . seven ( 7 ) bees remain at top of container ; buzzing noise decreasing . after 29 minutes most of bees at base of container , crawling over one another . after 30 minutes , five ( 5 ) bees at top of container clinging to cotton gauze . after 34 minutes , one ( 1 ) active bee at top of container , buzzing audible , some bees attempting to fly . after 36 minutes , one ( 1 ) bee flying and one ( 1 ) bee remaining at cotton gauze . after 38 minutes , seven ( 7 ) bees attempting to crawl up sides of container . after 39 minutes , bees clustering in an oval formation at container base and up one side of container . after 46 minutes all bees clustered together . one bee attempting to fly . after 54 minutes , three ( 3 ) bees attempting activity . all remaining bees clustered at base . after 57 minutes , four ( 4 ) bees away from group attempting normal activity . after 64 minutes , eight ( 8 ) bees left cluster and attempted activity . bees were given 10 mist sprays . one bee attempted flying , nine ( 9 ) bees attempting activity . all other bees clustered on half of base of container . after 1 hour 17 minutes , one ( 1 ) bee attempting great activity , two ( 2 ) bees attempting activity . all other bees forming smaller clusters . after 1 hour 22 minutes , clustering in two groups at base of container - some attempting to leave their cluster and trying to attempt normal activity . after 1 hour 25 minutes , seven ( 7 ) bees attempting activity , they remained clustered at base , many have movement . after 1 hour 38 minutes , seven ( 7 ) bees still attempting activity , remaining bees have little movement . one bee is flying . after 1 hour 55 minutes , the bees are gradually making recovery . bees are moving and clustering up side of container . after 6 hours bees becoming more active with greater attempt at normal activity . no bees appear dead . after 9 hours 30 minutes all bees have fully attained and resumed normal activity , flying about and buzzing loudly . one hundred fifty - three ( 153 ) active honey bees were taken from a hive and placed in a 3 . 78 ml . glass container with 9 . 53 diameter opening which was covered with cotton gauze to allow ventilation . solution vii : 1 cc pure olive oil was dissolved in 5 cc of 190 % proof pure c 2 h 5 oh . this mixture was further combined with 5 cc pure glacial acetic acid and 200 cc of h 2 o . after 1 minute all bees sat in the base of container . after 4 minutes , five ( 5 ) bees returned to top of container . after 6 minutes bees have less activity , very audible buzzing noise . after 10 minutes , two ( 2 ) bees at top of container . remaining bees formed two clusters at base of container . noise less audible . after 17 minutes , one bee attempted flying . many attempting to spread wings . after 25 minutes exhibiting less activity . one bee flying . twelve bees are now in one cluster , remaining bees had clustered at opposite side of container . eight bees are attempting activity . after 34 minutes , six bees are attempting activity . two bees attempting to fly in short spans . after 35 minutes bees were sprayed again . fourteen bees attempted to climb opposite side of container where bees are clustered . after 45 minutes , all bees clustered on one side of container . two bees attempting activity . one bee attempting to fly . after 1 hour 10 minutes , three bees appeared dead in supine position , exhibiting the same pre - death behavior as described in example number 1 . after 1 hour 20 minutes , all bees completely immobilized , all grouped together at outer aspects of base of container having very little movement . after 4 hours 40 minutes , three bees died . all remaining 150 bees resumed normal activity , flying about and buzzing loudly . bees were then placed outside to fly away . some bees did not leave container . some flew away and three bees died after leaving container . approximately 90 active honey bees were taken from a hive and were placed in a 3 . 78 ml glass container that was covered with cotton gauze to allow for ventilation . bees were mist sprayed with this solution . many of the bees flew to the base of the container . many bees clung to gauze at the top of the container . bees remained active at base of container . none flying . after 1 minute , three additional mist sprays were given . bees very active , crawling over all areas of container . audibly loud buzzing . none of the bees grouped . after 3 minutes , some bees were clustered at the base of the container . none are flying . after 5 minutes , bees continue to drop from cotton gauze covering to the base of the container . many still remain clinging to cotton gauze . after 14 minutes , more bees clustering at one side of base . more of the bees are grouped together . some flying activity . after 30 minutes , recovery activity increasing . ten ( 10 ) mist sprays given through mesh gauze . all but nine ( 9 ) bees flew and fell to the base of container . grouping and crawling over one another . after 50 minutes , no bees at top of container . one bee attempting to fly . two bees attempting activity . after 1 hour , bees are clustered and quiet . three bees away from others -- attempting normal activity . no flying ability . bees moving in a cluster up one side of glass container . after 2 hours 30 minutes , bees becoming more active . normal activity increasing . none of the bees appear dead . after 3 hours 30 minutes , all of the bees have recovered . flying about container , buzzing loudly . normal activity resumed . the initial spray of this solution repelled the bees . additional sprays immobilized them . bees were taken outside to fly away . two bees stayed initially in the glass container ; three bees flew out of container to the ground and died . the remaining bees flew into the environment . one hundred twenty - four ( 124 ) active honey bees were taken from a hive and placed in a 3 . 78 ml glass container with an opening of 9 . 53 cm that was covered with cotton gauze to allow for ventilation . bees very active , buzzing loudly and flying about glass container . within five ( 5 ) seconds , bees dropped and flew to the base of container forming a ring at the outer aspects of container . all of the bees took a supine position . after 1 minute 50 seconds , all of the bees were exhibiting pre - death behavior . after 2 minutes 45 seconds , five ( 5 ) bees have slight movement of their extremities ; remaining bees appear dead . after 4 minutes , three ( 3 ) bees continue to have slight movement of extremities . after 8 minutes , all movement had ceased . all of the bees had a shriveled appearance . with one mist spray of above described solution , death was instant for all but five ( 5 ) bees , who maintained slight movement .	0
the present invention relates to compressed air systems . in particular , the present invention relates to an air compressor that uses lubricating oil and to a method and apparatus for preventing migration of oil from the compressor to the compressed air output . the present invention is applicable to air systems of differing constructions . as representative of the invention , fig1 illustrates schematically an air system 10 that is a first embodiment of the invention . the system 10 includes a compressor 12 for compressing inlet air from an inlet line 14 . compressed air from the compressor 12 flows through a discharge line 16 line to a reservoir 18 . the reservoir 18 is connected to various system devices as shown schematically at 20 , such as vehicle brake chambers , that use compressed air to operate . a governor 22 is operative to control operation ( loading and unloading ) of the compressor 12 , in response to sensed pressure in a line 26 from the reservoir 18 , via a control line 24 . fig2 shows schematically the compressor 12 and an apparatus 60 for removing oil from the compressed air output of the compressor 12 , being a first embodiment of the invention . the compressor 14 includes a block 32 and a cylinder head 34 . the cylinder head 34 includes portions not shown including an inlet passage connected with an inlet port , and a discharge passage connected with a discharge port . the inlet passage and the discharge passage are connected in fluid communication with the swept volume of a cylinder 36 in the block 32 . a piston 38 is reciprocable in the cylinder 36 , upon rotation of a crankshaft 40 , to compress air flowing between the inlet port and the discharge port . the compressor 12 has an unloader valve 50 that is normally closed . when the unloader valve 50 is closed , it blocks flow of air out of the cylinder 36 through an unloader passage 52 , so that the air in the cylinder 36 can be compressed by the piston 38 . the compressor 12 has an unloader port 54 for receiving an air pressure unloader signal over the control line 24 , to open ( actuate ) the unloader valve 50 . when the unloader valve 50 is actuated , in conjunction with operation of a discharge valve shut - off system , air can flow out of the cylinder 36 through the unloader passage 52 , thus disabling the flow of compressed air out of the compressor to the vehicle braking system air even when the piston 38 continues to reciprocate . the unloader port 24 also communicates with a discharge port shut - off valve to shut off the discharge port when in the unloaded mode . the compressor 12 , including the piston 38 and cylinder 36 , is lubricated by a lubricant ( not shown ) from a source , such as engine oil from the engine lubrication system 10 . typically a small amount of the lubricating oil flows out of the cylinder 36 ( migrates ) into the compressed air output of the compressor 12 . the system 10 includes an apparatus 60 for removing oil from the air in the system . in the illustrated embodiments , the apparatus 60 is shown as associated with the compressor 12 ; in other embodiments , the apparatus 60 could be located or associated elsewhere in the system 10 . the apparatus 60 includes an unloaded mode delivery chamber or oil removal chamber 62 . the chamber 62 is a volume defined by chamber walls 64 . the chamber 62 is in fluid communication with the unloader passage 52 when the unloader valve 50 is open as shown in fig2 . the chamber walls 64 may be formed as one piece with the compressor block 32 , as shown in fig2 . alternatively , the chamber walls 64 may be formed separately from the cylinder block 32 . a drain port or passage 66 at the bottom of the chamber 62 communicates with the compressor crank case 68 . a condensed oil drain valve 70 is located between the oil removal chamber 62 and the compressor crank case 68 . the valve 70 is controlled by an air pressure unloader signal from the governor 22 over the control line 24 . in the embodiment shown in fig2 , a filter element 74 is located in the chamber 62 . the filter element 74 may be any element suitable for filtering or coalescing oil from air . a regenerative aluminum filter is one example . when the pressure in the reservoir 18 is high enough that further supply of compressed air is not needed for the devices 20 , the discharge valve of the compressor 12 is closed , and air pressure is applied at the unloader port 54 , opening ( actuating ) the unloader valve 50 . air that would otherwise be compressed in the cylinder 36 and delivered out the discharge port is not so compressed . instead , air from the cylinder 36 is , on the piston up - stroke , delivered to the oil removal chamber 62 via the unloader passage 52 , which is open because of the opening of the unloader valve 50 . the air flows into the oil removal chamber 62 . as the air expands into the oil removal chamber 62 , it cools . some of the oil in the air condenses out and collects in the chamber 62 . the chamber 62 is preferably maintained at a lower temperature than the cylinder 36 , by being external to the cylinder . this can aid in the condensing of the oil . in addition , oil in the air can be filtered , that is , physically captured by the filter element 74 . on the piston down stroke of the piston 38 , the air in the chamber 62 expands back into the cylinder 36 . this process repeats with each cycle of the piston 38 . when the compressor 12 is thus in the unloaded mode , the pressure in the oil removal chamber 62 cycles constantly , at the frequency of the compressor operation , from one atmosphere to about 4 - 6 atmospheres . in this manner , at least a portion of the oil is removed from the air that is discharged from the cylinder 36 on the piston up - stroke . this can reduce or minimize the amount of oil that migrates into the air flowing into the downstream parts of the system 10 . when the compressor 12 is in the loaded mode , the unloader valve 50 is closed and compressed air is delivered out of the discharge port . during the loaded cycle , oil that was entrained in the filter 74 , as well as oil collected in the chamber 62 , can drain back into the crank case 68 . specifically , when the compressor 12 is loaded , the unloader valve 50 is closed and the drain valve 70 is opened . oil collected in the chamber 62 is allowed to drain from the chamber to the compressor crank case 68 . fig3 and 4 illustrate oil removal apparatus 60 that are other embodiments of the invention . features or alternatives shown in these embodiments can be substituted for or combined with , in any suitable combination , features of the embodiment of fig2 . fig3 illustrates an oil removal apparatus 60 a associated with a compressor 12 a . parts of the apparatus 60 a and the compressor 12 a that are the same as , or similar to , parts of the apparatus 60 and compressor 12 , are given the same reference numerals with the suffix “ a ” attached . in the embodiment of fig3 , the oil removal chamber 62 a is defined by walls 64 a that are formed separately from the compressor block 32 a . in addition , the chamber walls 64 a are spaced apart from the cylinder block 32 a to define a space or air gap 80 between them . this air gap 80 helps to cool the chamber 62 a . further , the chamber walls 64 a are provided with cooling fins 82 to help promote cooling of the chamber 62 a . greater temperature differential between the chamber 62 a and the cylinder 36 a can help to increase oil removal . the apparatus 60 a also includes an oil drain passage 66 a that does not connect the chamber 62 a with the compressor crank case 68 a . rather , the oil drain passage 66 a opens to a port 84 on the exterior of the compressor 12 a . an oil line ( not shown ) can be connected to the port 84 to deliver removed oil back to the lubrication system from which it came , for example , the engine lubrication system . fig4 illustrates an oil removal apparatus 60 b associated with a compressor 12 b . parts of the apparatus 60 b and the compressor 12 b that are the same as , or similar to , parts of the apparatus 60 and compressor 12 , are given the same reference numerals with the suffix “ b ” attached . in the embodiment of fig4 , the oil removal chamber 62 b is defined by walls 64 b that are formed separately from the compressor block 32 b . in addition , the walls 64 b are spaced apart from the cylinder block 32 b . a water jacket 86 at least partially surrounds the chamber walls 64 b . the water jacket 86 can be connected with the cooling system of the compressor 12 itself . the water jacket 86 helps to cool the chamber 62 b . the water jacket 86 is one example of a cooling system that can be used . from the above description of the invention , those skilled in the art will perceive improvements , changes , and modifications in the invention . such improvements , changes , and modifications within the skill of the art are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims .	5
hereinafter the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the appended drawings . in this specification , not only does recording mean a process for forming various kinds of images , whether the images have a meaning or not , or whether or not the images are visible , that is , whether or not the images can be detected by the human eye . in other words , it means the process for forming various kinds of images , including the process of treating recording medium itself . the meaning of “ recording medium ” is not limited to the paper used by an ordinary recording apparatus . that is , it includes a much wider range of medium , for example , fabric , plastic , film , metallic plate , glass , ceramic , lumber , leather , etc . in other words , it means anything on which an image can be formed with the use of ink . hereafter , “ recording medium ” may sometimes be referred to as “ paper ”. further , “ ink ” or “ liquid ” should be as widely interpreted as the above described meaning of recording . they include any liquid which can form images , that is , meaningful and meaningless patterns , can treat recording mediums , and / or can treat ink itself or recording medium ( for example , improve images in terms of fixation , quality , color development , durability , etc ., by solidifying coloring ingredient of ink deposited onto recording medium ). fig1 is a perspective view of the ink container in the first embodiment as seen from the bottom side , and fig2 ( a ) and 2 ( b ) are side and bottom plan views of the ink container in the first embodiment . fig3 is a sectional view of the ink container , at a plane parallel to the side walls of the ink container . it should be noted here that in the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention , the front surface of an ink container means the surface which a user faces to operate the apparatus ( to mount or dismount ink container , or the like operation ). the ink container 1 in this embodiment has a to supporting member ( latching lever ) 3 attached to the bottom of the front surface . the latching lever 3 is an integral part of the ink container 1 , and is formed of resin . it is formed with the container proper of the ink container 1 . it is structured so that it can be elastically deformed toward the container proper of the ink container 1 as the ink container 1 is mounted into the ink container mount ( which hereinafter may sometimes be referred to as holder ) of a recording apparatus , or as the like operation is carried out . the ink container mount of a recording apparatus will be described later . the ink container 1 also has first and second projections 5 and 6 , which engage with the counterparts of the ink container holder . the first and second projections 5 and 6 are located on the back and front sides , respectively , of the ink container 1 . in this embodiment , the second projection 6 is an integral part of the latching lever 3 . the ink container 1 is securely anchored to the ink container holder by the engagement between the projections 5 and 6 of the ink container 1 and their counterparts of the ink container holder . the procedure for mounting the ink container 1 into the ink container holder will be described later referring to fig4 . the bottom wall of the ink container 1 is provided with an ink outlet 7 through which ink is released . the ink outlet 7 couples with the ink inlet of a recording head as the ink container 1 is mounted into the ink container holder . the recording head will be described later . the corner portion of the ink container 1 where the front and bottom walls of the container 1 meet is shaped as if it were chamfered ; the front and bottom walls are connected with a slanted wall 130 , the angle of which is roughly 45 °. the angle of this slanted wall is roughly the same as the angle at which the latching lever 3 extends from the bottom of the front surface . to this slanted wall 130 , an information storage medium 104 and a circuit board 100 are attached . the information storage medium 104 stores the information about the ink container itself . the circuit board 100 has multiple contact pads 102 as electrical contacts electrically connectible to the connector of the holder . in the case of the ink container shown in fig3 , the information storage medium 104 was sealed with protective sealant after it was attached to the circuit board 100 . referring to fig2 and 3 , the external surface of the slanted wall 130 of the ink container 1 , to which contact pad 102 is attached , is one of the surfaces of the ink container 1 which are not suitable as the surface on which the ink container 1 is rested . in other words , the contact pad 102 is attached to the surface of the ink container 1 , which is not suitable as the surface on which the ink container 1 is rested . therefore , attaching the contact pad 102 to the external surface of the slanted wall 130 is expedient from the standpoint of preventing such a problem as an accidental damage to the contact pad 102 . in addition , providing the ink container 1 with this slanted wall 130 gives the bottom wall of the ink chamber 11 a slanted portion , which will conceivably impel the ink toward the ink outlet 13 , contributing to the minimization of the amount of the ink which fail to be drawn out of the ink chamber 11 . in this embodiment , the angle of the slanted wall 130 is 45 °. in the case that the ink container 1 is structured so that the ink outlet 7 thereof protrudes outward as shown in fig3 , the slanted wall 130 does not come into contact with the surface of a desk or the like on which the ink container 1 might be placed , whether the ink container 1 is placed on the desk or the like so that the wall having the ink outlet faces downward , or the latching lever 3 faces downward ( obviously , this is only hypothetical because it is impossible to place the ink container in this manner because of presence of latching lever 3 ). further , as will be described later in detail , an angle of 45 ° is the best angle in that the vertical and horizontal components of the contact pressure between the contact pad 102 and the connector 152 of the holder 150 best balance with each other . the angle of the slanted wall 130 may be varied within a range in which the above described effect can be expected . however , in consideration of practicality , the amount of the deviation is desired to be within ñ5 °. as the ink container 1 is mounted into the ink jet recording apparatus , it becomes possible for the contents ( for example , expiration date of ink , amount of ink in container , ink color , etc ., usable for controlling various aspects of image forming process related to ink container ) of the information storage medium 104 to be transmitted to the ink jet recording apparatus . this information can be used by the ink jet recording apparatus for various purposes . for example , the information regarding the expiration date of the ink container 1 can be used to suggest that a user replace the ink container 1 in order to prevent the recording failure attributable to the discoloration of the ink , and increase in the viscosity of the ink . the information regarding the remaining amount of the ink can be used for informing a user of the insufficiency of the amount of the ink in the ink container , in order to prevent the user from suffering from the inconvenience of the interruption of a recording operation ( ink ejection ) attributable to ink depletion , during recording . further , the information regarding the color of the ink in the ink container 1 can be used for preventing unsatisfactory recording by informing a user of the mounting of an ink container containing ink different in color from the intended one . in other words , with such information as the above described in the information storage means being available to the recording apparatus , it is possible to always obtain a high quality recording . as the information storage medium 104 , various means can be used , for example , a magnetic medium , an photo - magnetic medium , an electrical storage medium , a mechanical switch as a dip switch , etc ., in other words , any means capable of storing information that can be exchanged between itself and an ink jet recording apparatus by being placed in contact with the contact portion of the ink jet recording apparatus . further , it may be a flush memory , or an instantly writable magnetic medium . however , when it is desired that not only is the information storage medium 104 capable of providing the recording apparatus with the information , but also , the information from the recording apparatus ( for example , the amount of ink remainder , ink usage , etc ., estimated based on image formation data ) can be written into the information medium 104 , or the information therein can be modified or erased , it is possible to employ an eeprom ( electrically erasable programmable rom ). referring to fig3 , the internal space of the ink container 1 is divided into the ink storage chambers 11 and 12 . the ink storage chamber 11 is on the front side where the cartridge anchoring latching lever 3 and circuit board 100 are located , whereas the ink storage chamber 12 is on the back side , and has the ink outlet 7 . the two ink storage chambers 11 and 12 are connected through a hole 13 . the ink storage chamber 11 is an empty space in which nothing but ink is stored . however , the ink storage chamber 12 is completely filled with an ink absorbent member 15 formed of sponge or the like , or completely packed with fine fiber , or the like , and ink is stored in the ink storage chamber 12 by being absorbed into the ink absorbent member 15 . the ink absorbent member 15 is for generating negative pressure by the amount in the range in which the negative pressure is large enough to prevent ink from leaking from the ink ejecting portion , in coordination with the ink retaining force of the meniscuses formed in the ink ejection nozzles of the recording head , and yet , small enough to allow the recording head to eject ink . the structure of the ink container 1 does not need to be limited to the above described one in which the internal space of the ink container 1 is divided into the ink storage chamber completely filled with the ink absorbent member , and the ink storage chamber which is nothing but an empty space . for example , it may be such that virtually the entirety of the internal space of the ink container 1 is completely filled up with the ink absorbent member . further , instead of employing an ink absorbent member as a negative pressure generating means , ink may be directly filled into a pouch , which is formed of elastic substance such as rubber , the resiliency of which acts in the direction to stretch the pouch wall so that its internal space increases . in such a case , the negative force is generated by the tensile force of the pouch . further , the ink container 1 may be in the form of an ink pouch , a part of the wall of which is formed of elastic material , and which is directly filled with ink . in this case , the negative pressure is generated by the resiliency of the elastic wall portion of the ink container . further , the ink container 1 may be a combination of a container proper and a pressure adjustment mechanism ( for example , one - way valve which opens as internal pressure of container proper falls below predetermined level ). in this case , ink is directly stored in the entirety of the internal space of the container proper , and the internal pressure of the container proper is maintained at a predetermined level by the pressure adjustment mechanism . referring to fig1 and 3 , the bottom wall of the ink chamber 11 is provided with an ink level detecting portion 17 , which is positioned so that it opposes the ink remainder detection sensor ( which will be described later ) of the main assembly of the recording apparatus when the ink container 1 is in the main assembly . in this embodiment , the ink remainder amount detection sensor is an optical sensor made up of a combination of a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion . the ink remainder amount detection portion 17 is formed of transparent or semitransparent material . more specifically , it is in the form of a prism , the shape and apex angles , etc ., of which are predetermined so that when no ink is in the ink storage chamber 11 , the beam of light emitted from the light emitting portion is accurately reflected to the light receiving portion ( which will also be described later ). fig4 ( a )-( c ) are schematic drawings for depicting the ink container mount ( holder ) of the recording head unit , into which the ink container is mounted , and the procedure for mounting the ink container into the mount ( holder ). generally , the recording head unit 105 is made up of the holder 150 which removably holds ink containers , and a recording head 105 a located under the bottom wall of the holder 150 . as the ink container 1 is inserted into the holder 150 , the ink container anchoring first and second projections 5 and 6 of the ink container 1 engage with the ink container anchoring portions 155 and 156 , respectively , of the holder 150 which is an integral part of the recording head unit 105 comprising the recording head 105 a . as a result , the ink container 1 is firmly anchored to the holder 150 . at the same time , the ink inlet 107 of the recording head , which is located at the bottom of the holder 150 , couples with the ink outlet 7 of the ink container 1 , creating thereby an ink passage between the recording head 105 a and ink container 1 . also during the insertion of the ink container 1 into the holder 150 , the connector 152 of the holder 150 comes into contact with the contact pad 102 on the outwardly facing surface of the circuit board 100 , establishing electrical connection between the holder 150 and ink container 1 . next , the process through which the ink container 1 is precisely positioned relative to the holder 150 as the ink container 1 is mounted into the holder 150 will be described . when mounting the ink container 1 into the recording head unit 105 , the ink container 1 is to be inserted into the ink container compartment of the holder 150 from above ( fig4 ( a )) so that the ink container anchoring first projection 5 on the back surface of the ink container 1 will be inserted into the ink container anchoring first portion 155 , in the form a through hole , on the back wall of the holder 150 , and also , so that the ink container anchoring projection 6 of the latching lever 3 rests on the top edge of the front wall of the holder 150 ( fig4 ( b )). then , the ink container 1 is to be pressed down by the top front end of the ink container 1 in the direction indicated by an arrow mark p . as the ink container is pressed , the ink container 1 rotates in the direction indicated by an arrow mark r , with the contact point between the ink container anchoring first projection 5 of the ink container 1 and the ink container anchoring first portion 155 of the holder 150 serving as the center of rotation . as a result , the front side of the ink container 1 moves downward faster than the back side of the ink container 1 . while the ink container 1 is downwardly moving as described above , the latching lever 3 on the front side of the ink container 1 , is elastically deformed in the direction indicated by an arrow mark q , because the front surface of the ink container anchoring second projection 6 of the latching lever 3 of the ink container 1 remaining in contact with the top front edge of the front wall of the holder 150 , being therefore pressed by the reaction force generated as the ink container 1 is pressed . then , as the top edge of the ink container anchoring second projection 6 of the ink container 1 is moved past the top edge of the front wall of the holder 150 , and brought to the hole 157 located below the top edge of the front wall of the holder 150 , the latching lever 3 elastically deforms in the direction indicated by a arrow mark q ′ due to its own resiliency , snapping into the hole 157 . as a result , the projection 6 becomes locked with the top edge of the hole 157 ( top edge of hole 157 constitutes ink container anchoring second portion 156 ). obviously , the ink container anchoring second portion 156 may be the top edge of the hole of the front wall of the holder 150 as it is in this embodiment , or the front wall of the holder 150 may be provided with a small rib or projection capable of anchoring the projection 6 of the ink container 1 . when the ink container 1 is in the state shown in fig4 ( c ), the ink container 1 is kept pressured in the horizontal direction ( direction indicated by an arrow mark y ) by the ink container anchoring second portion 156 , more specifically , the resiliency of the latching lever 3 sandwiched between the container proper of the ink container 1 and the font wall of the holder 150 . as a result , the back wall of the ink container 1 is kept in contact with the back wall of the holder 150 . as for the angles of the back walls of the ink container 1 and holder 150 , the walls have only to be intersectional to the direction in which the ink container 1 is kept pressured by the latching lever 3 . however , from the standpoint of the level of preciseness with which the ink container 1 is positioned relative to the holder 150 , the walls are desired to be perpendicular to the direction in which the ink container 1 is kept pressured by the latching lever 3 . further , as the ink outlet 7 of the ink container 1 couples with the ink inlet 107 of the recording head 105 a , the elastic ink absorbent member in the ink outlet 7 comes into contact with the ink inlet of the recording head 105 a , being thereby compressed . as a result , the ink container 1 is subjected to the pressure generated by the absorbent member in the ink outlet 7 in the direction indicated by an arrow mark z in fig4 ( c ), that is , the upward pressure . however , this upward pressure generated by the ink absorbent member is negated by the ink container anchoring first portion 155 in engagement with the ink container anchoring first portion 5 , and the ink container anchoring second portion 156 in engagement with the ink container anchoring second projection 6 . in other words , the state of the ink container 1 shown in fig4 ( c ) is the state of the ink container 1 at the completion of the mounting of the ink container 1 into the recording head unit 105 . in this state , the ink outlet 7 and ink inlet 107 are in contact with each other , and so are the pad 102 and connector 152 . as described above , during the mounting of the ink container 1 , the above described reactive force acts on the ink container . therefore , if the ink container 1 is released before the ink container anchoring second portion 6 of the latching lever 3 engages with the ink container anchoring second portion 156 , in other words , before the mounting of the ink container 1 is completed , the ink container 1 will pop up from the holder 150 because of the pressure generated by the ink absorbent member in the direction indicated by the arrow mark z , that is , the direction to push the ink container 1 upward , informing an operator of the incomplete mounting of the ink container 1 , and therefore , ensuring that the ink container 1 is satisfactorily mounted . in addition , the fact that the surface of the ink container anchoring portion 6 , which remains in contact with the top edge of the back wall of the holder 150 , is tilted so that the closer to the bottom wall of the ink container 1 , that is , the wall having the ink outlet 7 , a given point of the surface is , the closer to the container proper the given point of the surface is , also contributes more or less to the upward force which causes the ink container 1 to pop up if the ink container 1 is released before the completion of the mounting of the ink container 1 . also when the ink container 1 is in the state shown in fig4 ( c ), the ink remainder detection portion 17 , in the form of a prism , of the bottom wall of the ink container 1 opposes the ink remainder amount detection sensor of the main assembly ( holder 150 ) of the recording apparatus . thus , it is possible for the beam of the light emitted from the light emitting portion to enter the ink remainder detecting portion 17 in the form of a prism , be reflected ( deflected ) by the first surface of the portion 17 , be reflected ( deflected ) by the second surface of the portion 17 , and then , enter the light receiving portion of the sensor . to describe the movement of the ink container 1 , shown in fig4 ( c ), which occurs during the mounting of the ink container 1 into the recording head unit 105 , compared to the principle of action of a lever , the contact point between the ink container anchoring first portion 5 of the ink container 1 and the ink container anchoring first portion of the holder 150 constitutes the fulcrum , and the point of the front side of the ink container 1 , by which the ink container 1 is pressed by an operator constitutes the force application point . further , the contact point ( area ) between the ink outlet 7 and ink inlet 107 constitutes the point of action , which is located between the point of force application and fulcrum , preferably being near the fulcrum so that as the ink container 1 is rotationally moved into the holder 150 , the ink outlet 7 is pressed onto the ink inlet 107 by a substantial amount of force . generally , the joint portion ( opening ) of the ink outlet 107 is fitted with a combination of a filter and a relatively flexible and elastic member , such as a piece of absorbent material , a seal , or the like , in order to ensure that ink is allowed to flow from the ink container 1 to the recording head 105 a , and that ink does not leak from the joint between the ink container 1 and recording head 105 a . in view of the purpose of mounting the ink container 1 into the recording head unit 105 ( holder 150 ), it is desirable to employ such a structural arrangement and an ink container mounting process as those described above for applying a relatively large amount of force in order to elastically deform the portions of the ink container 1 relevant to the formation of the ink passage between the ink container 1 and recording head 105 a , and the prevention of ink leakage from the joint between the ink outlet 7 and ink inlet 107 . further , after the completion of the mounting of the ink container 1 into the recording head unit 105 , the ink container 1 is prevented from becoming loose from the holder 150 , by the ink container anchoring first portion 5 having engaged with the ink container anchoring first portion 155 , and the ink container anchoring second portion 6 having engaged with the ink container anchoring second portion 156 . therefore , the aforementioned elastic members remain properly compressed ( elastically deformed ); for example , the absorbent member in the ink outlet 7 remains optimally compressed by the ink inlet 107 ( combination of filter and tip of ink outlet , if tip of ink inlet 107 is fitted with filter ), or the sealing member fitted around the tip of the ink inlet 107 remains optimally compressed by the ink outlet 17 ( if the tip of the ink inlet 107 is fitted with the sealing member ). on one hand , the pad 102 and connector 152 are metallic members which are relatively high in rigidity , and highly conductive of electricity , and a high level of electrical conductivity must be established between them . on the other hand , applying an excessive amount of pressure to achieve such a level of conductivity is not desirable from the standpoint of damages and durability . thus , in this embodiment , the pad 102 and connector 152 are placed as far away as possible from the fulcrum , that is , they are placed in the adjacencies of the front wall of the ink container 1 , in order to optimize the contact pressure between them , that is , make the contact pressure as small as possible without jeopardizing the conductivity . more specifically , the contact pad 102 is disposed on the external surface of the slanted wall 130 extending from the farthest point of the bottom wall of the ink container 1 from the ink container anchoring first portion 5 . therefore , when mounting the ink container 1 into the holder 150 , the contact pad 102 comes into contact with the connector 152 right at the end of the process of mounting of the ink container 1 into the holder 150 . with the provision of the above described structural arrangement , the force generated by the contact pressure between the contact pad 102 and connector 152 in the direction of the ink container anchoring first portion 5 ( direction of arrow mark y ) is a component of the force f generated by the contact pressure between the contact pad 102 and connector 152 in the direction perpendicular to the slanted wall 130 . in other words , the above described structural arrangement can minimize the problem , mentioned in the description of the japanese laid - open patent application 2001 - 253087 , that is attributable to the relationship between the amount of the resiliency of the latching lever and the amount of the contact pressure between the contact pad 102 and connector 152 ; it virtually eliminates the problem , ensuring that the contact pad 102 and connector 152 are correctly connected to each other in terms of electrical conductivity . in addition , according to the above described structural arrangement , the relationship between the positional relationship between the contact pad 102 and the ink container anchoring second portion 6 of the latching lever 3 , and the positional relationship between the connector 152 of the holder 105 and the ink container anchoring second portion , is such that the contact pad 102 comes into contact with the connector 152 immediately before the completion of the process of mounting the ink container 1 into the holder 150 , causing thereby the contact pressure between the contact pad 102 and connector 152 to be generated after the completion of the process ( after completion of engagement between ink container anchoring second portion 6 and ink container anchoring second portion 106 of holder 150 ). therefore , it is extremely unlikely that the ink container 1 will fail to be precisely positioned in the holder 150 as described above , and / or that ink fail to be satisfactorily supplied to the recording head due to the misalignment between the ink outlet 7 of the ink container 1 with the ink inlet 107 of the holder 107 . in addition , the above described structural arrangement ensures that the ink container 1 is precisely positioned relative to the electrical contacts of the connector . therefore , the contact pressure remains stable , eliminating the possibility that connective failure will occur in terms of electrical conductivity . further , the above described structural arrangement prevents the ink remainder detecting portion 17 in the form of a prism from deviating in position . therefore , the possibility is extremely small that the ink remainder amount will not be detected at all or will be incorrectly detected due to the misalignment between the light path and light receiving portion of the ink remainder detecting portion 17 . further , the above described structural arrangement in accordance with the present invention can solve the problems that occur when the structural arrangement disclosed in japanese laid - open patent application 2 - 178050 is employed without modifications , that is , the problem that occurs as the information storage medium and / or contact pad is placed on the bottom surface of an ink container , in other words , the problems that during the mounting of an ink container , the ink outlet comes into contact with the connector ; and / or that short circuit occurs because of the ink leakage from the ink outlet , or the like . the reason why the abovementioned problems are solved is all because the connector 152 in this embodiment is located at a level which is a step higher from the bottom wall of the holder 150 . moreover , in the case that the information storage medium and / or compact pad is placed on the bottom surface of the ink container , even if they are positioned as far as possible from the first ink container anchoring portion , that is , in the immediate adjacencies of the front wall of the ink container , the electrical contacts of the ink container and the electrical contacts of the holder come into contact with each other , while squarely facing each other , immediately before the completion of the process of mounting the ink container . in this case , therefore , in order to ensure that the satisfactory electrical connection is established between the ink container and holder regardless of the surface conditions of the electrical contacts on both sides , the ink container must be mounted with the application of a substantial amount of pressure , and the application of a large amount of pressure may result in the application of an excessive amount of pressure on the electrical contacts . in comparison , in the case of the structural arrangement in this embodiment , strictly in terms the balance between the amount of the reactive force ( generated in vertical direction ) applied to the pad 102 by the connector 152 , at the contact point between the pad 102 and connector 152 as a certain amount of force is applied to the ink container 1 in order to move the ink container 1 vertically downward , and the amount of the force applied to the ink container 1 , the reactive force to which the pad 102 is subjected is the component of the force generated ( in the direction perpendicular to the slanted surface 130 ) by the contact pressure between the connector 152 and pad 102 . therefore , the amount by which the pressure being applied downward to the ink container 1 increases at the end of the process of mounting the ink container 1 when electrical connection is established between the electrical contacts of the circuit board and the electrical contacts of the holder , is small , and therefore , does not drastically reduce the efficiency with which the ink container 1 is mounted by a user . also , according to the structural arrangement in this embodiment , as the ink container 1 is pressed to be placed into the final position ( in which ink container anchoring first and second portion 5 and 6 of ink container engage with ink container anchoring first and second portions 105 and 106 , respectively , of holder 150 ), a component force ( which causes pad 102 to slide on connector 152 ) is generated by the pressure applied to the ink container 1 in the direction parallel to the primary flat surface of the circuit board 100 , ensuring that the process for mounting the ink container 1 ends as satisfactory electrical connection is established between the pad 102 and connector 152 . also in the case of the structural arrangement in this embodiment , the contact pressure between the pad 102 and connector 152 does not occur until immediately before the completion of the mounting of the ink container , in other words , until the very end of the precise positioning of the ink container 1 . therefore , if the operation for mounting the ink container 1 is stopped before the ink container anchoring second projection 6 of the latching lever 3 reaches the hole 157 ( ink container anchoring second portion ) of the holder 150 , the ink container 1 is popped up by the combination of the component force of the force generated by the resiliency of the latching lever 3 , the slanted surface ( of ink container anchoring second projection 6 ) of which is in contact with the top edge of the front wall of the holder 150 , and the reactive force resulting from the pressing of the ink outlet 7 upon the ink inlet 107 . therefore , should the ink container 1 be incompletely mounted , a user will be informed that the ink container 1 has not been completely mounted . as described above , according to this embodiment of the present invention , the ink container 1 is provided with the resilient member ( latching lever ), which keeps the ink container pressured toward the referential point ( ink container anchoring first portion , or contact point between ink container anchoring first portion and corresponding portion of holder ) on the back surface of the ink container , and the circuit board having the information storage medium , and / or contact pad , is positioned between the referential point and resilient member , in terms of the horizontal direction . therefore , the ink container is more precisely positioned relative to the holder , ensuring that the connector and contact pad are precisely positioned relative to each other . therefore , the electrical contacts of the ink container are reliably connected to the electrical contacts of the holder , in terms of electrical conductivity . this , in turn , makes it possible to minimize the size of the contact pad , making it thereby possible to reduce the size of the circuit board on which the information storage medium is mounted . in other words , it is quite reasonable to say that the structural arrangement in this embodiment is superior to that in accordance with the prior art , in consideration of various factors in the design of the ink container and the holder therefor , for example , the amount of force necessary to be applied to an ink container when mounting the ink container , operability of an ink container , reliability in the state of electrical contact , protection of electrical contacts from ink leak , etc . fig1 shows another embodiment . an aspect of the present invention is particularly directed to the position of the contact pad 102 . in this embodiment of the present invention , the information storing medium 104 is disposed at another place , more particularly , at a top side , in use , or at a position facing the supporting member . in such a case , an electrode 103 or lead is extended from the information medium 104 to the contact pad 102 which is located at the position according to the aspect of the present invention . next , an example of a recording head , and also , an example of an ink jet recording apparatus , in which the ink container in the above described first embodiment is mountable , will be described . fig5 is a perspective view of an example of a recording head unit structured so that the ink container in the first embodiment of the present invention is removably mountable , and fig6 is a perspective view of a set of ink containers removably mountable in the recording head unit shown in fig5 . fig7 is an external perspective view of an example of an ink jet recording apparatus in which the recording head unit shown in fig5 and the set of ink containers shown in fig6 are mounted for recording , and fig8 is a perspective view of the ink jet recording apparatus shown in fig7 , the main assembly cover of which is open . generally , the recording head unit 105 is made up of the holder 150 for removably holding four ink containers 1 k , 1 c , 1 m , and 1 y , which correspond to inks of black , cyan , magenta , and yellow colors , respectively , and the recording head 105 a attached to the underside of the holder 150 to eject the four color inks . as any of the four ink containers is mounted into the holder 150 , the ink outlet 7 of the ink container couples with the ink inlet 107 of the recording head attached to the underside of the recording head unit 105 , creating an ink passage between the ink container and recording head unit 105 . as the recording head 105 a , it is possible to employ a recording head in which electrothermal transducing elements are disposed within the nozzles ( liquid paths ), and the pressure resulting from the change in the phase of ink , that is , the pressure resulting from the bubbling ( boiling ) of ink , caused by the application of thermal energy generated by applying electrical pulse to the electrothermal transducing elements is used for ink ejection . as for the transmission of the electrical pulses to the electrothermal transducing elements of the recording head 105 a , the electrical contacts ( unshown ), with which the carriage 205 , which will be described later , is provided for the signal transmission are placed in contact with the electrical contacts portion 157 of the recording head unit 105 , making it possible for recording signals to be transmitted through the wiring 158 to the circuit of the recording head 105 a for driving the electrothermal transducing elements of the recording head unit 105 . designated by a referential number 159 is a set of wires extending from the electrical contacts 157 to the connector 152 . the four ink containers of the ink container set are virtually the same , except that they are different in the color of the inks they store , and also , that the ink container 1 k for storing black ink is larger in the widthwise dimension than the other three . more specifically , each ink container has a latching lever 3 having an ink container anchoring second portion ( rib ) 6 attached to the front surface of the ink container 1 , an ink outlet 7 with which the bottom wall of the ink container 1 is provided , an ink remainder amount detecting portion 17 , in the form of a prism , with which the bottom wall of the ink container 1 is provided , a circuit board 100 and / or contact pad attached to the external surface of the slanted wall 130 connecting the bottom and front wall of the ink container 1 , and an ink container anchoring first portion ( projection , or rib ) 5 projecting from the rear wall of the ink container . these ink containers 1 k , 1 c , 1 m , and 1 y are removably and independently mountable in the holder 150 . fig7 is an external perspective view of the ink jet printer 200 in which the above described ink containers are mounted for recording . fig8 is an external perspective view of the ink jet printer 20 , shown in fig7 , the main assembly cover of which is open . referring to fig7 , the printer 200 in this embodiment comprises a recording unit 105 , ink containers 1 , a main assembly , a delivery tray 203 , and an automatic sheet feeding apparatus 202 . the main assembly comprises : the carriage 205 on which the recording unit 105 and ink containers 1 are mounted ; mechanism for reciprocally moving the carriage , for recording ; a main assembly cover 201 ; and various portions of external casing , which cover the mechanism for reciprocally moving the carriage . it also comprise a display panel , which is visible whether the main assembly cover is open or closed , and a control panel 213 having a power switch and a reset switch . referring to fig8 , when the main assembly cover 201 is open , a user can see the recording head unit 105 , ink containers 1 k , 1 y , 1 m , and 1 c , carriage 205 having an ic , moving range of the carriage 205 , and their adjacencies . in reality , as the main assembly cover 201 is opened , the sequence for moving the carriage 205 to roughly the center ( which hereinafter may be referred to as container replacement position ) of its moving range is automatically carried out , making it possible for the user to replace any or all of the ink containers . the recording head unit 105 of the printer in this embodiment is provided with four recording heads 105 a ( fig4 ) corresponding to four inks , one for one , different in color . recording is made as the four recording heads 105 a borne on the carriage 205 are reciprocally moved by the reciprocal movement of the carriage 205 along the surface of the recording medium such recording paper while ejecting ink in response to recording signals . more specifically , the carriage 205 is engaged with a guiding shaft 207 extended in the moving direction of the carriage 205 , being enabled to slide along the guiding shaft 207 , and is reciprocally moved by the combination of the carriage motor and driving force transmitting mechanism . the black , cyan , magenta , and yellow inks are ejected from the corresponding recording heads according to the ejection data sent from the control circuit of the main assembly through a flexible cable 206 . further , the main assembly is provided with a paper conveying mechanism comprising paper conveying rollers , discharge rollers , etc ., being enabled to convey recording mediums ( unshown ) fed from the automatic sheet feeding apparatus 202 , to the delivery tray 203 . the carriage 205 is structured so that the recording head unit 105 integral with the ink container holder is removably mountable on the carriage 205 . the ink containers 1 are removably mountable into the recording head 105 . as for the recording operation of this printer , while the recording head is moved by the above described movement of the carriage 205 , in a manner to scan the surface of the recording medium , it ejects ink therefrom , recording thereby on the recording medium by a predetermined width matching the length of the line of ejection orifices of the recording head . during the interval between a given scanning movement of the recording head unit 105 in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which recording medium is to be conveyed , and the following scanning movement of the recording head unit 105 , the recording medium is conveyed in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the recording head unit 105 is reciprocally moved , by a distance equal to the scanning width of the recording head unit 105 in terms of the direction parallel to the recording medium conveyance direction . as a result , recording is incrementally made on the recording medium by the width equal to the scanning width of the recording head unit 105 . the main assembly is provided with an ejection performance recovery unit comprising a cap for covering the surface of each recording head having the ejection orifices . the ejection performance recovery unit is located at one end of the range across which the recording head unit 105 is moved by the movement of the carriage 205 . the recording head unit 105 is moved for every predetermined length of time to the position in which it opposes the recovery unit , and in which it is subjected to the performance recovery procedure such as preliminary ejection . the number of ink containers employed by an ink jet recording head , manner in which color ink is stored in an ink container , structures of a recording head and an ink jet recording apparatus to which ink containers are attached , do not need to be limited to the above described ones . for example , referring to fig9 , an ink jet recording apparatus may be structured so that three ( for example , three containers for cyan , magenta , and yellow inks , one for one ) of the four color ink containers such as those in the first embodiment are mounted in the same holder , or attached to the same recording head unit . further , referring to fig1 , an ink container may be provided with two ink outlets 7 a and 7 b . in this case , the internal space of the ink container may be divided into two separate ink chambers , in which two inks different in tone are stored one for one . in this case , obviously , the structures of the holder and recording head unit have to be modified to accommodate such an ink container . further , referring to fig1 , the ink outlet of an ink container may be off - center , as long as it can be satisfactorily connected to the ink inlet of a recording head unit . regarding the tone of ink , single ink with a specific tone , or two or more inks which are identical in color , but different in tone , may be used . when using multiple inks different in color , the number of inks different in color may be four as it was in the above described embodiment , or may be just three . further , two or more inks which are the same in color , but different in tone , may be employed for each color component , in addition to , or in place of , inks different in color ; for example , cyan and magenta inks which are lighter in tone . further , inks different in color from the abovementioned ones may be employed in addition to the abovementioned one ; for example , red , green , and blue inks . regarding the type of liquid to be stored in an ink container , such ink ( liquid ) that contains ingredients for better fixing an image to recording medium , improving color development , and / or improving image durability , may be stored , in addition to the ordinary ink , that is , liquid which contains coloring ingredients . the above described embodiment of the present invention is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention . rather , the present invention can be embodied in various forms within the intent of the present invention . in the above described first embodiment , the ink container is provided with a springy latching member as the ink container anchoring second member which extends diagonally upward from the bottom portion of the external surface of the front wall of the ink container . as the ink container is mounted into the holder , the latching member is elastically deformed by the force applied to mount the ink container into the holder , keeping thereby the ink container pressured toward a predetermined referential point for mounting the ink container . however , the position , shape , direction in which force is generated by the latching member , of the latching member are optional . fig1 ( a )-( c ) are schematic sectional views of the combination of the ink container and holder in another embodiment of the present invention , showing the springy latching member thereof for keeping the ink container pressured toward the predetermined referential point for mounting the ink container , being different in structure from the one in the first embodiment , and also , showing the operation for mounting the ink container into the holder . in the case of this combination , the latching member 303 as a member for keeping the ink container 301 pressured toward the predetermined referential point extends diagonally downward from the top end portion of the front wall of the ink container 301 to take the force applied to mount the ink container . the latching member 303 is resiliently deformable in the direction indicated by an arrow mark c in fig1 ( a ). the ink container 301 is also provided with an ink container anchoring first portion 305 , which is on the external surface of the back wall of the ink container 301 , and an ink container anchoring second portion 306 , which is on the free end portion of the latching member 303 . designated by a referential symbol 303 g is a rib which can be used by a user to manipulate the ink container 301 when the user mounts the ink container 303 . the bottom wall of the ink container 301 is provided with an ink outlet 307 . the bottom portion of the front end of the ink container 301 are structured so that the front and bottom walls of the ink container 301 are connected by a slanted wall 430 , to the external surface of which a circuit board and a contact pad are attached . in fig1 ( a ), the virtually the entirety of the internal space of the ink container 301 is filled with a porous member 315 capable of absorbing and retaining ink , although the ink container 301 may be structured so that the porous member 315 occupies a part of the internal space of the ink container 301 as in the first embodiment . referring to fig1 ( b ) and 12 ( c ), the recording head unit 405 in this embodiment is structured so that its ink passage between the ink inlet 407 and the recording head 405 a vertically extends downward from the ink inlet 405 and then , horizontally bends , and also , so that the ink is virtually horizontally ejected from the recording head 405 . however , the direction in which ink is to be ejected is optional . the procedure for mounting the ink container 301 into the holder 450 of the recording head unit 405 is as follows : first , the ink container 301 is to be inserted into the ink holder 450 from above ( fig4 ( a )) so that the ink container anchoring first portion 305 in the form of a projection is put through the ink container anchoring portion 455 , that is , a through hole , of the holder 450 . then , the ink container 301 is to be pushed down in the direction indicated by an arrow mark p by the top end of the front wall of the ink container 301 , with the latching lever 303 being rotating in the direction indicated by an arrow mark c by pressing the rib 303 g in order to prevent the ink container anchoring second portion 306 from interfering with the ink container anchoring second portion 456 of the holder 450 . further , in order to allow the ink container 303 to smoothly rotate about the ink container anchoring first portion 305 in the direction indicated by an arrow mark r , it is possible to have the tip of the ink container anchoring second portion 306 and the tip of the ink container anchoring second portion 456 chamfered . as the ink container anchoring second portion 306 is lowered to the recess 457 located below the ink container anchoring second portion 456 , the former is fitted into the latter by the resiliency of the latching lever 303 , anchoring thereby the ink container 301 while the resiliency of the latching lever 303 keeping the ink container 301 pressured toward the back wall of the holder 450 , keeping thereby the ink container in contact with the back wall of the holder 450 . during this process of mounting the ink container 301 into the holder 450 , which is similar to that in the first embodiment , the ink outlet 307 of the ink container 301 is coupled with the ink inlet 407 of the recording head unit ( holder 450 ), and the circuit board or contact pad 402 disposed on the external surface of the slanted wall 430 of the ink container 301 is reliably placed in contact with the connector 452 disposed on the internal surface of the slanted wall portion 456 of the recording head unit ( holder 450 ). the shape of the springy member , or latching lever , for keeping the ink container pressured does not need to be in the form of a cantilever like the one in the second embodiment ; it is optional . fig1 shows one of the optional forms for the springy member . in this case , the springy latching lever 30 is virtually the same in shape as the latching lever 3 in the first embodiment , having the ink container anchoring second portion 6 , except that the free end of the latching lever 30 is connected to the ink container 301 with a flexible member . in the preceding embodiments , the resilient latching levers were structured so that the ink container was pressured by the resiliency of the latching lever straight toward the referential point ( ink container anchoring first portion of holder , or internal surface of back wall of holder ) for mounting an ink container . however , the direction in which pressure is to be applied by the resiliency of the latching member is optional ; it should be determined according to the position , structure , etc ., of the referential portion . fig1 shows one of the optional structural arrangements for an ink container and holder therefor . it is roughly the same as the one shown in fig1 , except that the latching portion 306 a as the ink container anchoring second portion of the latching lever 303 a of the ink container 301 , and the ink container anchoring second portion 456 a of the holder 450 , are structured so that the former fits into the recess 457 a of the latter from outward side of the holder to anchor the ink container 301 to the holder . further , in the preceding embodiments , the ink container was to be inserted vertically downward into the holder . however , the direction in which the ink container is to be inserted is also optional . fig1 shows one of these options . in this case , the ink container 1 identical in structure to the one in the first embodiment is to be horizontally pushed into the holder 550 of the recording head unit 505 . the positional relationship between the various portions of the ink container and the ink container anchoring first portion 5 is the same as that in the first embodiment , and so are the manner in which the contact pad 102 is placed in contact with the connector 552 of the holder through the rotational movement of the ink container 1 in the direction indicated by an arrow mark r about the ink container anchoring first portion 5 put through the ink container anchoring first portion of the holder , the manner in which the ink outlet 7 of the ink container 1 is coupled with the ink inlet 507 of the recording head unit 505 , and the manner in which the ink container anchoring second portion 6 of the ink container 1 fits into the recess 157 of the back wall of the holder 550 , are also the same as those in the first embodiment . incidentally , this recording head unit 505 ejects ink vertically downward , and the ink passage from the ink inlet 507 of the recording head unit 505 to the recording head 505 a is bent as indicated by the dotted line . also in the case of the structural arrangement shown in fig1 , the contact pad 102 is located above the level of the point of ink leakage from the ink outlet 7 , eliminating the possibility that the leaked ink will travel to the contact pad 102 . further , in the preceding embodiments , the springy latching member for keeping the ink container pressured toward the referential portion for mounting the ink container is provided on the ink container side . however , it may be a third member independent from the ink container and recording head unit . more specifically , it may be such an independent member which is v - shaped in cross section , having a first arm portion which is to be placed in contact with the external surface of the front wall of an ink container and has a latching portion , and a second arm portion which has a latching portion to latch with the catch portion on the internal surface of the front wall of the holder . the amount of its resiliency is determined by the angle formed by the two arm portions . it is to be inserted into the gap between the front wall of the ink container and the front wall of the holder , at the end of the process of mounting the ink container . or , it may be such an independent third member as the one disclosed in japanese laid - open patent application 8 - 230206 , which is independent from an ink container , and keeps the ink container pressured downward in coordination with a recording head unit . also in the preceding embodiments , the circuit board or contact pad was disposed on the external surface of the slanted connective wall , which appears as if it were formed by chamfering the bottom front corner of the ink container , between the front and bottom walls of the ink container . however , as long as the force applied to the ink container to mount the ink container can be made to act in the proper direction to establish reliable electrical connection between the ink container and holder , and as long as ink leakage is not concerned , the ink container 1 may be provided with an contact pad mount protruding from the edge between the top and bottom walls of the ink container , as shown in fig1 , and the contact pad 502 may be disposed on the end surface of the contact pad mount . also in the preceding embodiments , the information storage element was disposed on the opposite surface of the circuit board from the surface on which the contact pad is located . however , the information storage element and contact pad may be disposed on the same surface of the circuit board , as long as the information storage element does not interfere while the contact pad is being placed with the connector of the recording head unit . further , if the preferable location for the circuit board or information storage element is different from the preferable location for the contact pad because of the structure of the ink container and / or the portions thereof for attaching the ink container , the circuit board with the information storage element and the contact pad may be separately disposed on the optimal locations therefor , and connected with wiring . in other words , it is not mandatory that both the information storage and the contact pad are integrally placed on the circuit board . also in the preceding embodiments , the ink container was removably mounted into the recording head unit having the ink container holder . however , the ink container and recording head may be structured to be inseparable . in such a case , the inseparable combination of ink container and recording head is removably mounted in the carriage . the structural arrangement , in the preceding embodiment , for the electrical contacts through which recording signals are transmitted to the recording head , and also , through which the electrical signal reflecting the conditions of the ink container and recording head are exchanged between the combination of the ink container and recording head , and the main assembly , in order to display the conditions , is also applicable , with just as preferable results as those obtained by the preceding embodiments , to the inseparable combination of an ink container and recording head , and the holder therefor . also in the preceding embodiments , the information regarding the ink containers was displayed through the electrical connection between the ink container and main assembly of an ink jet recording apparatus . however , the present invention is also applicable to any mechanical connection , as long as the information regarding the ink containers can be displayed to a user through the mechanical contact between the electrical contacts of the ink containers and those of the main assembly . for example , the mechanical contact between the ink container and main assembly may be for magnetically transmitting information . in such a case , the contact pad is replaced with a magnetic storage means , and the connector is replaced with a magnetic head . the preceding embodiments are not intended to limit the structures of the anchoring portions of the ink container and the structure of the holder , to those in the embodiments . for example , instead of providing the holder of the recording head unit with the ink container anchoring second portion and connector , the carriage may be provided with the ink container anchoring second portion and connector . in other words , the ink container anchoring second portion 156 , connector 152 , and wiring 159 for the connector , may be attached to the carriage . in the case of such a structural arrangement , as the recording head unit is mounted into the carriage , the entirety of the anchoring portion of the ink container is realized , and the process of coupling the ink outlet with the ink inlet , and the process of placing the pad in contact with the connector , are completed through the same movement of the ink container as that shown in fig4 . further , the addition of the following features , which will be described next , to the ink container in accordance with the present invention further improves an ink jet printer in usability . generally , an ink container is filled with ordinary ink . the ink to be filled into an ink container may be pigment ink or dye ink . the color of the ink to be filled into an ink container may be red , green , blue , etc ., in addition to black , yellow , magenta , and cyan . regarding the tone of ink , cyan and magenta inks lighter in tone than the ordinary cyan and magenta inks may be employed in addition to the abovementioned ones . further , an ink container may be filled with solution for treating ink and / recording medium for improving ink and recording medium in fixation , color development , durability , and the like properties . an ink jet printer designed so that it can employ three to eight ink containers among the abovementioned ink containers different in the color and tone of the inks they store can yield an image comparable to a photographic image . incidentally , in the case of an ink container , such as the one shown in fig3 , the internal space of which is divided into a first chamber in which ink is directly stored , and a second chamber in which ink is stored in the ink absorbent member packed in the chamber , if the ink absorbent member is made up of two pieces of ink absorbent members which are vertically stacked ( interface of which is located above passage through which gas ( air ) is introduced from the second chamber to the first chamber ), the ink container is desired to be filled with ink by an amount enough for the ink to completely fill the entirety of the bottom piece of the absorbent member and reach the interface between the top and bottom pieces . filling the ink container by the amount described above can prevent the occurrence of such a situation , during the distribution of an ink container , that the ink in the first chamber travels into the second chamber and leaks out of the ink container through the air vent of the ink container . while the invention has been described with reference to the structures disclosed herein , it is not confined to the details set forth , and this application is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the purposes of the improvements or the scope of the following claims . this application claims priority from japanese patent application no . 435940 / 2003 filed dec . 26 , 2003 , which is hereby incorporated by reference .	1
further elaboration of the present disclosure combined with specific examples are as follows . to be understood , these examples are only to illustrate the present disclosure and not to limit the scope of the present disclosure . in addition to be understood , after reading the contents of the teaching of the disclosure , a variety of changes or modifications on disclosure can be made by the technicians in this field , which equivalent forms also falls in the defined range in the appended claims . 0 . 8 mg silica supported au nanoparticles ( aunps / sio 2 ) and 22 mg feso 4 . 7h 2 o were suspended in 2 ml acetonitrile containing 0 . 8 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 30 ° c . after 4 h of reaction , a visual color of the suspension was gradually changed from wine red to pale green , and the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be silica supported aucn . fig1 is a xrd pattern related to aucn preparation , which shows the solid product was pure aucn . aunps were fully transformed to aucn , and no ferricyanide was formed . 0 . 8 mg aunps / sio 2 and 22 mg feso 4 . 7h 2 o were suspended in 2 ml acetonitrile containing 0 . 8 mmol h 2 o 2 and 50 ul 1 mol / l hcl aqueous solution in air under stirring at 30 ° c . after 10 h of reaction , no aucn was formed with the solid color unchanged , indicating that aucn cannot be prepared through this method under an acid solution . 0 . 8 mg aunps / sio 2 and 22 mg feso 4 . 7h 2 o were suspended in 2 ml acetonitrile containing 0 . 8 mmol h 2 o 2 and 50 ul 1 mol / l naoh aqueous solution in air under stirring at 30 ° c . after 10 h of reaction , the visual color of the solid was gradually changed from wine red to deep blue . the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be au — aucn complex with aunps partially transformed to aucn . fig2 is a xrd pattern related to au — aucn complex preparation . this result indicated that the efficiency of fenton &# 39 ; s reagent decreased under a base solution and aunps may not be completely transformed to aucn . uv method for metal cyanide preparation , cn 102274740 a , which is incorporated herein by reference 0 . 8 mg aunps / sio 2 and 22 mg feso 4 . 7h 2 o were suspended in 2 ml acetonitrile containing 0 . 8 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution under stirring with uv irradiation of 350 w mercury lamp . after 3 h of reaction , the visual color of the solid was gradually changed from wine red to yellow . au 3 + was detected on the surface of the obtained product by xps characterization , indicating the metal au is over oxidation . no iron cyanide was detected . 2 mg aunps / sio 2 and 3 mg feso 4 . 7h 2 o were suspended in 3 ml acetonitrile containing 1 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 70 ° c . after 30 min of reaction , the visual color of the solid was gradually changed from wine red to pale green . the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be silica supported aucn . fig3 is the tem picture related to aucn preparation . no iron cyanide was detected . 10 mg aunps / sio 2 and 30 mg feso 4 . 7h 2 o were suspended in 1 . 3 ml acetonitrile containing 21 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 10 ° c . after 48 h of reaction , the visual color of the solid was gradually changed from wine red to pale green . the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be silica supported aucn . fig4 is the xps pattern related to aucn preparation , with two peaks ( au4f 5 / 2 and au4f 7 / 2 ) ascribed to au ( i ). no iron cyanide was detected . 20 mg agno 3 / mgo and 150 mg feso 4 . 7h 2 o were suspended in 3 . 5 ml acetonitrile containing 50 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 30 ° c . after 6 h of reaction , the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be mgo supported agcn ( agcn / mgo ). fig5 is the xrd pattern related to agcn preparation , which showed the solid product was pure agcn . no iron cyanide was detected . 20 mg agnps / zno and 100 mg feso 4 . 7h 2 o were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 72 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 50 ° c . after 2 h of reaction , the visual color of the solid fades gradually . the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be zno supported agcn ( agcn / zno ). fig6 is the xps pattern related to agcn preparation , with two peaks ( ag4f 3 / 2 and ag4f 5 / 2 ) ascribed to ag ( i ). no iron cyanide was detected . 60 mg active carbon supported au nanoparticles ( aunps / c ) and 200 mg h 2 o . fe 2 ( so 4 ) 3 were suspended in 10 ml propanenitrile containing 150 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 10 ° c . after 48 h of reaction , the visual color of the solid was gradually changed from wine red to pale green . the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be carbon supported aucn ( aucn / c ). no iron cyanide was detected . 30 mg titanium oxide supported nano ag 2 o ( ag 2 o / tio 2 ) and 100 mg feso 4 . 7h 2 o were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 22 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at room temperature . after 4 h of reaction , the visual color of the solid was gradually changed from black to grey . the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be titanium oxide supported agcn ( agcn / tio 2 ). no iron cyanide was detected . 6 mg carbon supported au nanoparticles ( aunps / c ) and 8 mg feso 4 . 7h 2 o were suspended in 14 ml acetonitrile containing 2 . 4 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 70 ° c . after 2 h of reaction , the visual color of the solid was gradually changed from wine red to pale green . the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be carbon supported aucn . no iron cyanide was detected . 5 mg supported ptnps and 20 mg feso 4 . 7h 2 o were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 6 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 50 ° c . after 20 h of reaction , the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be supported pt ( cn ) 4 . no iron cyanide was detected . 5 mg supported pdnps and 20 mg feso 4 . 7h 2 o were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 7 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 50 ° c . after 20 h of reaction , the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be carbon supported pd ( cn ) 2 . no iron cyanide was detected . 5 mg runps / c and 20 mg feso 4 . 7h 2 o were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 7 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 30 ° c . after 24 h of reaction , the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be carbon supported ru ( cn ) 4 . no iron cyanide was detected . 5 mg supported aunps and 12 mg ni ( no 3 ) 2 . 6h 2 o were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 7 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 50 ° c . after 2 h of reaction , the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be supported aucn . 5 mg supported agno 3 and 12 mg co ( no 3 ) 2 . 6h 2 o were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 7 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 30 ° c . after 6 h of reaction , the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be supported agcn . 5 mg supported aunps and 3 mg cu ( no 3 ) 2 . 3h 2 o were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 7 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 30 ° c . after 3 h of reaction , the solid product ( supported au 2 / 3 cu 1 / 3 cn ) was obtained by centrifuging and drying . if the reaction time was prolonged to 10 h , supported copper aurocyanide ( cuau 2 ( cn ) 4 ) would be obtained after centrifuging and drying . xrd pattern of copper aurocyanide is shown in fig7 . 5 mg supported aunps and 10 mg mnso 4 were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 7 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 30 ° c . after 6 h of reaction , aucn / c solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying . 3 mg aunps / sio 2 , 2 . 6 mg supported agno 3 and 22 mg feso 4 . 7h 2 o were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 0 . 8 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 30 ° c . after 4 h of reaction , the visual color of the solid was gradually changed from red to pale grey . the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be silica supported au 0 . 5 ag 0 . 5 cn . fig8 is the xrd pattern of as obtained solid product , and it can be assigned to au 0 . 5 ag 0 . 5 cn according to literature ( journal of the american chemical society 2012 , 134 , 16387 - 16400 ). 3 . 0 mg aunps / sio 2 and 2 . 6 mg supported agno 3 were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 0 . 8 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring under uv - irradiation of 350 w mercury lamp . after 4 h of reaction , the visual color of the solid is changed from wine red to green . the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be the mixture of aucn and agcn rather than au 0 . 5 ag 0 . 5 cn by xrd characterization . 12 mg supported agno 3 and 13 mg cu ( no 3 ) 2 . 3h 2 o were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 2 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 30 ° c . after 8 h of reaction , the visual color of the solid was gradually changed from wine red to pale grey . the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be silica supported ag 0 . 5 cu 0 . 5 cn ( ag 0 . 5 cu 0 . 5 cn / sio 2 ). 12 mg supported agno 3 and 13 mg cu ( no 3 ) 2 . 3h 2 o were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 2 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring with uv - irridiation of 350 w mercury lamp . after 4 h of reaction , the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying . xrd results indicated that agcn without ag — cu bi - metal cyanide was formed . 3 mg silica supported aunps , 2 . 6 mg agno 3 and 4 mg cu ( no 3 ) 2 . 3h 2 o were suspended in 5 ml acetonitrile containing 1 . 5 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 30 ° c . after 4 h of reaction , the visual color of the solid was gradually changed from red to grass green . the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be silica supported au 1 / 3 ag 1 / 3 cu 1 / 3 cn . fig9 is the ft - ir spectra related to au 1 / 3 ag 1 / 3 cu 1 / 3 cn preparation . 6 mg silica supported aunps , 2 . 6 mg agno 3 and 22 mg feso 4 . 7h 2 o were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 1 . 2 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 30 ° c . after 7 h of reaction , the visual color of the solid was gradually changed from red to pale grey . the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be silica supported au 2 / 3 ag 1 / 3 cn . no iron cyanide was detected . 2 mg silica supported agno 3 and 13 mg cu ( no 3 ) 2 . 3h 2 o were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 2 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 30 ° c . after 40 h of reaction , the visual color of the solid was gradually changed from red to pale grey . the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be silica supported ag 1 / 6 cu 5 / 6 cn ( ag 1 / 6 cu 5 / 6 cn / sio 2 ). 12 mg aunps / sio 2 , 2 . 6 mg agno 3 and 4 mg cu ( no 3 ) 2 . 3h 2 o were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 1 . 5 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 60 ° c . after 1 h of reaction , the visual color of the solid was gradually changed from red to grass green . the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be silica supported au 2 / 3 ag 1 / 6 cu 1 / 6 cn . 6 mg aunps / sio 2 , 1 . 3 mg agno 3 and 8 mg ni ( no 3 ) 2 . 6h 2 o were suspended in 4 ml acetonitrile containing 1 . 2 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 50 ° c . after 3 h of reaction , the visual color of the solid was gradually changed from red to grey . the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be silica supported au 4 / 5 ag 1 / 5 cn . 40 mg aunps / sio 2 and 100 mg feso 4 . 7h 2 o were suspended in 15 ml acetonitrile and 5 ml propionitrile containing 12 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 20 ° c . after 48 h of reaction , the visual color of the solid was gradually changed from red to grass green . the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be aucn / sio 2 . no iron cyanide was detected . 12 mg ptnps / sio 2 and 80 mg co ( no 3 ) 2 . 6h 2 o were suspended in 10 ml acetonitrile containing 5 mmol h 2 o 2 aqueous solution in air under stirring at 37 ° c . after 25 h of reaction , the solid product was obtained by centrifuging and drying , which was proved to be silica supported pt ( cn ) 4 ( pt ( cn ) 4 / sio 2 ).	1
certain exemplary embodiments will now be described to provide an overall understanding of the principles of the methods and devices disclosed herein . one or more examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . those skilled in the art will understand that the methods and devices specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non - limiting exemplary embodiments and that the scope of the present invention is defined solely by the claims . the features illustrated or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with the features of other embodiments . such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention . in one form , the gaussian lens equation ( for variable media ) can be written as follows : where s is the object distance from the lens , s ″ is the image distance from the lens , tc is central lens thickness and the first surface of radius ( r1 ) is separating a first medium of refractive index ( n ) from a second medium of refractive index ( n ′) and the second surface of radius ( r2 ) is separating the second medium ( n ′) from a third medium of refractive index ( n ″). the above equation can be used for a case where an air lens is disposed within the environment of the eye . in this case , the index ( n ) of the aqueous fluid on one side of the air chamber as well as the index ( n ″) of the aqueous fluid on the other side of the air chamber are each about 1 . 34 while the refractive index ( n ′) for air within the lens chamber is substantially lower ( n = 1 . 0 ). in this embodiment , the lens structure according to the invention is a bubble of air inside lens capsule of the eye , which is otherwise filled with aqueous humor . by employing the general equation above , it is noted that the terms ( n ′- n ) and ( n ″- n ′) are both reversed in sign from a typical case , where ( n ′) is the highest index , such as a simple glass lens in air . as a consequence , the focal length of the lens also has a changed sign from the typical case . however , the sign is reversed again by simply changing the sign of the radius of curvatures of the two surfaces . thus , a biconcave low index air lens that is immersed in a higher index medium behaves like a converging lens . according to the invention , a converging concave ( or preferably biconcave ) lens is built out of air and configured to be placed within the higher refractive index environment of the eye as a replacement for the natural lens to provide the same degree of accommodation ( nominally from about 14 to about 30 diopters depending upon the individual ). additionally , because the air chamber is deformable , radial forces exerted by the cilliary processes on the capsule can be used to change the shape of the air chamber . by changing the curvature of the front or anterior surface ( closest to the pupil ), the rear or posterior surface ( closest to the retina ) or both , the overall power of the lens can also be modified to provide focal accommodation . in fig1 a an accommodative iol device 10 according to the invention is shown including a flexible shell 14 defining an air chamber and a haptic 12 that at least partially surrounds the air chamber . fig1 b shows the device 10 of fig1 a in a second configuration in which the haptic has been flatten ( elongated in a radial direction ) causing a deformation of the flexible shell 14 . fig2 a and 2b provide cross - sectional views of the configurations of fig1 a and 1b , respectively . the flexible shell 14 of the air chamber has an anterior surface with a radius of curvature r 1 and a posterior surface with a radius of curvature r 2 . flattening of the iol device 10 causes an increase in both radii of curvature , e . g ., less concavity , thereby reducing the overall converging power of the air lens . in fig3 a an alternative accommodative iol device 30 according to the invention is shown including a flexible shell 34 defining an air chamber 36 and a haptic 32 that partially surrounds the air chamber . fig3 b shows the device 30 of fig3 a in a second configuration in which the haptic has again been flatten ( elongated in a radial direction ) causing a deformation of the flexible shell 34 . fig4 a and 4b provide cross - sectional views of the configurations of fig3 a and 3b , respectively . the flexible shell 34 of the air chamber 36 has an anterior surface with a radius of curvature r 1 and a posterior surface with a radius of curvature r 2 . flattening of the iol device 30 again causes an increase in both radii of curvature , e . g ., less concavity , thereby reducing the overall converging power of the air lens . fig5 a and 5b provide cross - sectional views of yet another alternative accommodative iol device 50 according to the invention again including a flexible shell 54 defining an air chamber 56 and a haptic 52 that at least partially surrounds the air chamber . in the device of fig5 a and 5b , a second optic 51 of conventional construction is used to supplement the converging power of the air lens . because r 1 is now fixed ( by coupling of the anterior surface of the flexible shell 54 to solid lens 51 ), flattening of the iol device 50 causes an increase in radius of curvature r 2 only , as shown in cross - sectional view 5 b , which nonetheless reduces the overall converging power of the air lens . it should be clear that other dual optic configurations can likewise be readily implemented by those skilled the art . a convention lens can be disposed on the posterior surface of the deformable shell 54 ( alone or in tandem with the anterior lens 51 ). additionally , the power of one or both lens can be negative or positive by appropriate lens shape choices . for additional details on air lens structures , see , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 785 , 061 issued to smith on aug . 31 , 2004 ; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 473 , 238 issued to daniell on oct . 29 , 2002 , both of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety . all of the embodiments described above are non - limiting examples of the present invention only . in addition , all papers and publications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety . one of skill in the art will appreciate further features and advantages of the invention based on the above - described embodiments . accordingly , the invention is not to be limited by what has been particularly shown and described , except as indicated by the appended claims .	0
the following description and the drawings sufficiently illustrate specific embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to practice them . other embodiments may incorporate structural , logical , electrical , process , and other changes . examples merely typify possible variations . portions and features of some embodiments may be included in , or substituted for , those of other embodiments . embodiments set forth in the claims encompass all available equivalents of those claims . fig1 is a top view of a jar opener in accordance with some embodiments . jar opener 100 is configured for loosening a jar lid using human force and includes first and second leveraging elements 102 and 104 , a threaded rod 106 coupling the leveraging elements 102 and 104 and a dual - axis hinge assembly 108 . the leveraging elements 102 and 104 have a handle end 114 and the dual - axis hinge assembly 108 couples the first and second leveraging elements 102 and 104 opposite the handle end 114 . the first and second leveraging elements 102 and 104 have at least two sets of oppositely positioned curved cut - out regions 110 a and 110 b located between the threaded rod 106 and the dual - axis hinge assembly 108 . the two sets of oppositely positioned curved cut - out regions 110 a and 110 b accept jar lids of different sizes . threaded rod 106 is at least partially threaded and is provided through elongated holes 122 and 124 in the first and second leveraging elements 102 and 104 . the elongated holes 122 and 124 are located between the curved cut - out regions 110 a and 110 b and the handle ends 114 of the first and second leveraging elements 102 and 104 . as illustrated in fig1 , both the elongated holes 122 and 124 have a greater elongation toward the insides 118 of the first and second leveraging elements 102 and 104 and have a lesser elongation toward the outsides 116 of the first and second leveraging elements 102 and 104 . the greater elongation on the insides 118 of the first and second leveraging elements 102 and 104 may allow for the threaded rod 106 to pass through both the first and second leveraging elements 102 and 104 as the first and second leveraging elements 102 and 104 are separated to accept jar lids of different sizes . the first and second leveraging elements 102 and 104 have a length selected to provide sufficient leverage to rotate a jar lid when the jar lid is tight . to loosen a jar lid , one hand may be placed on one of the leveraging elements and another hand may be placed on the jar . the leveraging element may be rotated counterclockwise with respect to the jar . once the jar lid is loosened , the jar lid may easily be removed . the operation of jar opener 100 is described in more detail below . in the embodiments illustrated in fig1 , the first set of the curved cut - out regions 110 a that is located closer to the dual - axis hinge assembly 108 has a greater concave curvature for smaller - diameter jar lids . the second set of cut - out regions 110 b that is located further from the dual - axis hinge assembly 108 has a lesser concave curvature for larger - diameter jar lids . in these embodiments , either the first set of the second set of the curved cut - out regions is selectable by an operator depending on the size of the jar lid . the dual - axis hinge assembly 108 includes a connecting member with bolts 111 provided therethrough to provide dual pivot points . in some embodiments , the dual - axis hinge assembly 108 includes three jar - size selection holes 109 , which may be arranged in a straight line . two furthest apart of the jar - size selection holes 109 are selectable for use as pivot points for larger - diameter jar lids . two closer of the jar - size selection holes 109 are selectable for use as pivot points for smaller - diameter jar lids . as illustrated in fig1 , the furthest apart jar - size selection holes have been selected and bolts 111 are illustrated as being provided through the furthest apart jar - size selection holes 109 leaving the center jar - size selection hole 109 open . in some embodiments , each of the opposite positioned curved cut - out regions 110 a and 110 b have gripping surfaces 112 comprising a gripping material disposed thereon . the gripping material may comprise a rubber - like or soft plastic material to help prevent slippage on the jar lid during operation . an adhesive may be used to adhere the gripping material to the leveraging elements 102 and 104 . in some embodiments , the threaded rod 106 may have a hooked - end to inhibit passage through the first leveraging element 102 . the leveraging elements 102 and 104 may be at least eighteen inches long to provide sufficient leverage . a rubber or plastic washer 126 and a wing nut 128 may be provided on the threaded rod 106 opposite the hooked end . rotation and tightening of the wing nut 128 may bring the first and second leveraging elements 102 and 104 closer together . in this way , when a jar lid is positioned within one set of the opposite positioned curved cut - out regions ( e . g ., region 110 a ) and when the wing nut 128 is tightened , the leveraging elements 102 and 104 are configured to tightly squeeze the jar lid to allow the leveraging elements to be rotated by human force to loosen the jar lid from a jar without slippage of the jar lid . accordingly , an elderly person or a person with arthritic hands does not need to have the strength to grip the lid of a jar , but simply needs to rotate one of the leveraging elements . the rubber or plastic washer 126 may help to prevent the wing nut 128 from loosening during use . fig2 is a side view of the jar opener of fig1 in accordance with some embodiments . the side view of the jar opener illustrated in fig2 shows the outside 116 of first leveraging element 102 and the dual - axis hinge assembly 108 . as illustrated in fig2 , the elongated hole 122 through the first leveraging element 102 has a greater elongation 208 toward an inside of the first leveraging element 102 and has a lesser elongation 206 toward the outside 116 of the first leveraging element 102 . similarly , for second leveraging element 104 ( not illustrated in fig2 ), elongated hole 124 ( fig1 ) provided through the second leveraging element 104 has a greater elongation toward an inside of the second leveraging element 104 ( fig1 ) and has a lesser elongation toward the outside 116 ( fig1 ) of the second leveraging element 104 . the dual - axis hinge assembly 108 includes a connecting member 209 and bolts 111 to provide for the dual pivot points . the dual - axis hinge assembly 108 also includes metal washers 214 and nuts 212 to retain bolts 111 . the elongation of the elongated holes 122 and 124 in conjunction with the dual pivot points allows the threaded rod 106 ( fig1 ) to pass through both the first and the second leveraging elements 102 and 104 when the jar - size selection holes 109 are selected for either the smaller - diameter jar lids or the larger - diameter jar lids . the selection of the jar - size selection holes 109 on the dual - axis hinge assembly 108 comprises inserting a bolt 111 through each of the selected jar - size selection holes 109 and further inserting each bolt 111 through a hole in each one of the leveraging elements to provide the dual pivot points . fig3 illustrates the operation of the jar opener 100 of fig1 in accordance with some embodiments . a lid 302 of a jar 304 is positioned within one set of the opposite positioned curved cut - out regions . the wing nut is tightened and the first and second leveraging elements may tightly squeeze the jar lid 302 to allow the leveraging elements to be rotated by human force to loosen the jar lid 302 from the jar 304 without slippage of the jar lid 302 . to loosen the jar lid 302 , one hand may be placed on one of the leveraging elements and another hand may be placed on the jar 304 and the leveraging element may be rotated counterclockwise with respect to the jar 304 . in the example illustrated in fig3 , the lid 302 is positioned within the opposite positioned curved cut - out region that is further from dual - axis hinge assembly 108 . the two closer of the jar - size selection holes 109 have been selected for use as pivot points as having bolts 111 provided therethrough . the combination of the three jar - size selection holes 109 and the two sets of opposite positioned curved cut - out regions 110 a and 110 b ( fig1 ) provide up to four different configurations to accept jar lids that greatly vary in size . for example , smaller jar lids may be positioned between curved cut - out regions 110 a and the two closer jar - size selection holes 109 may be selected . for slightly larger jar lids , curved cut - out regions 110 b may be used with the two closer the jar - size selection holes 109 . for larger jar lids , curved cut - out regions 110 a may be used with the two further apart jar - size selection holes 109 . for even larger jar lids , curved cut - out regions 110 b may be used with the two further apart jar - size selection holes 109 . as can be appreciated , jar opener 100 is suitable for loosening a wide range of sizes of jar lids . referring to fig1 through 3 , in some embodiments , a method of loosening a jar lid with a jar opener , such as jar opener 100 , is disclosed herein . the method includes positioning the jar lid 302 within one set of the opposite positioned curved cut - out regions ( e . g ., region 110 a ), and tightening the wing nut 126 to cause the first and second leveraging elements 102 and 104 to tightly squeeze the jar lid 302 . the method also includes rotating one of the leveraging elements by human force to loosen the jar lid 302 from a jar 304 without slippage of the jar lid 302 . the method may include placing one hand on only one of the leveraging elements and gripping the jar with another hand while rotating one leveraging element . in some embodiments , the method of loosening the jar lid may also include selecting a first set of the curved cut - out regions 110 a located closer to the dual - axis hinge assembly 108 with a greater concave curvature for smaller - diameter jar lids , or selecting a second of the curved cut - out regions 110 b located further from the dual - axis hinge assembly 108 with has a lesser concave curvature for larger - diameter jar lids . in some embodiments , the method of loosening the jar lid may also include selecting two furthest apart of the jar - size selection holes 109 for use as pivot points for larger - diameter jar lids , and selecting two closer of the jar - size selection holes 109 for use as pivot points for smaller - diameter jar lids . selecting of the jar - size selection holes 109 of the dual - axis hinge assembly 108 may include inserting a bolt 111 through each of the selected jar - size selection holes 109 , and inserting each bolt through one of the leveraging elements to provide two pivot points . the abstract is provided to comply with 37 c . f . r . section 1 . 72 ( b ) requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to ascertain the nature and gist of the technical disclosure . it is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to limit or interpret the scope or meaning of the claims . the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description , with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment .	1
the making and using of the embodiments of the present disclosure are discussed in detail below . it should be appreciated , however , that the embodiments provide many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts . the specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the disclosure , and do not limit the scope of the disclosure . fig1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a light device 100 . the light device 100 comprises a controller 110 and a light module 120 . the light module 120 comprises light areas l 1 , l 2 and l 3 , and each of the light areas l 1 , l 2 and l 3 is arranged axisymmetrically about the x - axis or y - axis . the controller 110 may selectively activate different light areas for adjusting the brightness of the light module 120 . for example , the light module 120 may generate the maximum brightness when the controller 110 activates the light areas l 1 , l 2 and l 3 , the light module 120 may generate the second maximum brightness when the controller 110 activates the light areas l 1 and l 2 , similarly , and the light module 120 may generate the minimum brightness when the controller 110 activates the light area l 1 . thus , the controller 110 can perform brightness adjusting . in another embodiment , the controller 110 may further comprise a brightness adjust unit 112 , wherein the brightness adjust unit 112 may be any component which can indicate a value , such as a control pad , a variable resistor , and a digital value adjustment unit . also , the controller 110 may selectively activate different light areas according to the value indicated by the brightness adjust unit 112 . thus , the controller 110 can perform brightness adjusting via the brightness adjust unit 112 . note that the relation between the brightness of the light module 120 and the value of the brightness adjust unit 112 is not limited thereto , but based on design of a user , for example , the threshold of the value indicated by the brightness adjust unit 112 can be set , or the smallest value of brightness adjust unit 112 can indicate the maximum brightness of the light module 120 . refer to the embodiment of fig1 , wherein each of the light area is not only arranged axisymmetrically about the x - axis or y - axis , but also arranged axisymmetrically about both the x - axis and y - axis . in other words , each of the light area is arranged in point symmetry around the intersection point of the x - axis and y - axis . in the embodiment , the light area may be arranged axisymmetrically about only one axis according to requirements . although the light areas are arranged as a rectangle and rectangular rings as shown in fig1 , the light areas still can be arranged as different shapes , and the amount of the light areas can be different according to design . for example , the light module has light areas l 1 ˜ l 8 arranged as a triangle and triangular rings as shown in fig2 a , the light module has light areas l 1 ˜ l 8 arranged as a circle and circular rings as shown in fig2 b , and the light module has light areas l 1 ˜ l 8 arranged axisymmetrically and discretely as shown in fig2 c . in the embodiment of fig2 c , each of the light areas has the same amount of light cells ( 32 ). in the embodiments , a different brightness adjusting scheme with more brightness levels can be achieved based on the arrangement of the light areas l 1 ˜ l 3 . since each of the light area is arranged axisymmetrically , and the light areas are activated in order from the inside to the outside and are deactivated in order from the outside to the inside , stable and uniform light can be produced at each brightness levels , and the brightness may be adjusted to prevent high frequency flicking which occurs when the pwm is used for brightness adjustment . for the pwm that is currently used for adjusting brightness , when the image sensor ccd or cmos has a scan frequency higher than that of the pwm , the image captured by the image sensor has dark ripples , which causes the image on the display to also have dark ripples , and adversely affects quality of the displayed image on the display . however the effect can be avoided in the embodiment . in addition , the led cells of the light area can be manufactured by the thin film led packages ( tfp ) process , such that the positioning accuracy of die bond is not limited , the gap between the light areas is reduced , and the non - uniform brightness or color of the light area is reduced . it should be noted , in another embodiment , the order of turning light areas on / off is not limited to tuning light areas on from the inside to outside or turning light areas off from the outside to inside , and can be designed according to the application or requirements . in an embodiment , each of the light areas l 1 , l 2 and l 3 of the light module 120 is composed of a plurality of light cells , such as a light cell of a micro - led array , or a led cell . in an embodiment , the light cells of the light module 120 may be a multi - chip led array , and the integrated multi - chip led array can be produced by the technique of die bond - welding line or a manufacturing process method of ac / hv led . the led cell can be produced by the manufacturing process of an led chip . for example , after the led cells manufacturing process of the light area on a sapphire substrate having led epitaxial layer is performed , the sapphire substrate is integrated with a packaged substrate . the integration can be in the form of a flip chip or similar thin - film led which has only a single - sided electrode junction with the packaged substrate . after the integration is finished , the sapphire substrate is removed by using laser stripping technology ( laser lift - off ). thus , independently activated pins of each led cells can be achieved by the wiring of the packaged substrate . in the case of a similar thin - film led which has only a single - sided electrode junction with the packaged substrate , independently activated pins of each led cells can be produced by the transparent electrode and the packaged substrate electrode manufacturing process . in an embodiment , in order to achieve the uniformity of the brightness difference , each of the light areas l 1 , l 2 and l 3 has the same amount of light cells or has the same dimension of lighting area , as shown in fig2 c . also , due to the light area l 1 being arranged inside of the light area l 2 and the light area l 2 being arranged outside of the light area l 1 , the average distance between the light cells of the light area l 1 and x - axis ( or y - axis ) is shorter than the average distance between the light cells of the light area l 2 and x - axis ( or y - axis ). fig3 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a light device 300 . the light device 300 comprises a power supply pw , a controller ctrl , switches sw 1 , sw 2 and sw 3 , linear regulators lr 1 , lr 2 and lr 3 , light area l 1 with light cells l 1 ( 1 )˜ l 1 ( m ) connected in series , light area l 2 with light cells l 2 ( 1 )˜ l 2 ( m ) connectcd in series , and light area l 3 with light cells l 3 ( 1 )˜ l 3 ( m ) connected in series . general speaking , the light cell may be an led . in an embodiment , the light cells connected in series may be designed according the grid voltage , such that the component with high surge current capability can shrink , and the integration and digitalization can be achieved . the power supply pw provides a driving voltage to the switch sw 1 , the linear regulator lr 1 , and the light cells l 1 ( 1 )˜ l 1 ( m ). if the light cells l 1 ( 1 )˜ l 1 ( m ) of light area l 1 need to be turned on , the user can transmit an activate signal to the switch sw 1 by the controller ctrl . when the switch sw 1 turns on , the linear regulator lr 1 generates a fixed current to the light cells l 1 ( 1 )˜ l 1 ( m ) according to the driving voltage provided from the power supply pw . due to the linear regulator lr 1 maintaining the driving of the fixed current within a large range of the working voltage , voltage error caused by the light cells with different driving voltages integrated in the silicon substrate can be overcome . on the other hand , if the light cells l 1 ( 1 )˜ l 1 ( m ) of light area l 1 need to be turned off , the user can transmit an inactivate signal to the switch sw 1 by the controller ctrl . in addition , the switches sw 2 and sw 3 , the linear regulators lr 2 and lr 3 , the light area l 2 with light cells l 2 ( 1 )˜ l 2 ( m ) connected in series , and the light area l 3 with the light cells l 3 ( 1 )˜ l 3 ( m ) connected in series operate in same way as the switch sw 1 , the linear regulator lr 1 , and the light cells l 1 ( 1 )˜ l 1 ( m ). by this , the controller ctrl can control the on / off states of the light areas l 1 , l 2 and l 3 individually . as described in the embodiment of fig1 , the light areas are arranged axisymmetrically , and the light areas are activated in order from the inside to the outside and are deactivated in order from the outside to the inside . this allows stable and uniform light to be produced at each brightness level , and the brightness may be adjusted to prevent high frequency flicking which occurs when pwm is used for brightness adjustment . in some embodiments , the switches sw 1 , sw 2 and sw 3 can be mos - controlled thyristors . thus , once the switch receives an enable signal ( such as high voltage impulse signal ), the switch keeps turning on , instead of being provided a continual enable signal , such that the power consumption is reduced . on the other hand , once the turn - on switch receives a disable signal , the switch turns off . in addition , fig3 merely discloses a simple embodiment of the circuit connection , wherein the light areas l 1 , l 2 and l 3 are still arranged axisymmetrically in this embodiment . although the embodiment merely discloses three light areas , more light areas can be set and controlled . in an embodiment , the components shown in fig3 can be integrated in a silicon substrate , and the silicon substrate further is integrated with a protection component . when one of the light cells fails , the protection component can change the current loop to bypass the failed light cell , such that the other light cells can still work . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure . in view of the foregoing , it is intended that the disclosure cover modifications and variations of this disclosure provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents .	7
as required , preferred embodiments of the present invention are described herein ; however , the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various forms . the figures are not necessarily to scale ; some features may be exaggerated to show details of particular components . specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are therefore not to be interpreted as limiting , but as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention . referring to the drawings , at least one embodiment of the apparatus and one method of the present invention may be appreciated for sensing patient distance . fig1 shows the preferred embodiment of an apparatus for sensing patient distance 5 where a force - responsive distance sensing apparatus 205 having a force sensing element 70 coupled to a force transmitting member 65 is functionally cooperating with a heterodyning proximation detector apparatus 105 , and a light - responsive distance sensing apparatus 30 to regulate the air pressure within an air mattress 15 accordingly . fig2 illustrates one embodiment of a force - responsive distance sensing apparatus 205 comprising a force sensing element 70 horizontally positioned within a force transmitting member 65 . fig3 illustrates a preferred method for regulating the air flow of an air mattress 15 using data obtained from a heterodyning proximation detector apparatus 105 . fig4 features one embodiment of a light - responsive distance sensing apparatus 30 comprising a light emitter 125 and a light detector 135 positioned at the opposing ends of a deformable inflatable chamber 150 . fig5 and 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a light - responsive distance sensing apparatus 30 incorporating a pliable covering 175 to cover and secure the light emitter 125 and the light detector 135 to the chamber 150 . fig7 shows various exemplary deformation configurations to which a light - responsive distance sensing apparatus 30 might be subjected . with reference to each of these illustrated embodiments , however , it should be understood by those ordinarily skilled in the art that various other apparatus and methods could be incorporated without departing from the scope of the present invention . referring to fig1 there is shown a patient 10 positioned partially atop an apparatus for sensing patient distance 5 above a patient support surface . as shown , an apparatus for sensing distance 5 of the present invention includes an air mattress 15 which defines a patient support surface , and is preferably supported by a conventional bed frame 25 . frame 25 typically comprises more than one articulatable section , and is preferably mounted on castors for ease of movement in the hospital environment . to rotate or elevate the patient thereon , frame 25 may include hydraulic lifting mechanisms for raising and lowering portions of the frame 25 , including the articulatable sections of the frame 25 . frame 25 may further be constructed of radiolucent materials , such as lexan , that are ideally suited for taking x - rays . a preferred air mattress 15 includes a series of air cells 31 which define an upper surface 20 and a lower surface 21 of the air mattress 15 . in its preferred embodiment , patient 10 primary support and cushioning is provided by a series of air cells 31 , however , the present invention is operable with an air mattress 15 comprising a single air cell 31 . the upper and lower surfaces 20 , 21 may be constructed of water permeable material which acts to draw moisture away from the patient 10 and , thus , assist in maintaining a sanitary environment . for therapeutic purposes , air cells 30 , 31 can be constructed using an air permeable material to facilitate a gradual flow of air through the upper and lower surfaces 20 , 21 of each air cell 30 , 31 , and thereby provide patient 10 with an air mattress 15 having a preferred therapeutic air pressure . in accordance with the present invention , each air cell 30 , 31 receives inflation pressure from at least one blower 40 that is connected thereto by a fluid conduit , not shown , or the like . fig1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention featuring a heterodyning proximation detector apparatus 105 ; a force - responsive distance sensing apparatus 205 ; and a light - responsive distance sensing apparatus 30 . as shown , the force - responsive distance sensing apparatus 205 includes a force transmitting member 65 and force sensing element 70 contained within at least one air cell 31 . a force transmitting member 65 is preferably constructed of a complaint cushioning material such as , but not limited to , foam , plastic or cloth batting . as will be appreciated , the force transmitting member 65 provides the present invention with a two - fold effect . first , the force transmitting member 65 defines an element of the force - responsive distance sensing apparatus 205 for detecting changes in the height of the upper surface 20 relative to the lower surface 21 as a patient is positioned atop the air mattress 15 . more particularly , changes in the patient 10 distance relative to the lower surface 21 are detected in real - time via a force sensing element 70 which measures a variable range of compressive forces exerted by the force transmitting member 65 in response to the compressive forces of a patient 10 resting thereon . second , the thickness of the force transmitting member 65 provides an air mattress 15 with extra support cushioning in the event air mattress &# 39 ; s 15 inflation pressure is reduced below that required to prevent the patient from bottoming - out , thus reducing the risk for patient injury . fig2 illustrates the preferred spatial relationship between the force sensing element 70 and the force transmitting member 65 of the force - responsive distance sensing apparatus 205 . as shown , the force sensing resistor 70 , which might be a force - sensitive resistor , piezoelectric crystal , or the like , is coupled to the force transmitting member 65 along a horizontal plane 85 ; however , situating such sensors on other spatial planes is contemplated as well . as will be understood be one skilled in the art , the force transmitting member 65 can be formed using a multiplicity of segmented members , which may differ in size and shape , to allow cooperative ease of movement in tandem with the air mattress 15 . moreover , at least one force sensing element 70 , which transfers the signal through the control wire 71 , may be coupled to at least one segmented force transmitting member 65 or throughout a non - segmented force transmitting member 65 to provide an array of sensors suited for detecting compressive forces from various parts of the body . the force sensing element 70 may also be placed and coupled to the either the upper or lower surface of the force transmitting member 65 , within the force transmitting member 65 , or generally wherever the height of the patient above the frame 25 is desired to be known . further illustrated in fig2 is an embodiment of the force transmitting member 65 configured as a trapezoidal prism . it should be understood that other configurations can be used without departing from the scope of the invention . other chosen configurations , however , should facilitate patient comfort , support and stability . as can be appreciated from fig1 compression of the force transmitting member 65 generates a resulting voltage across the force sensing element 70 which is representative of the compression exerted on the force sensing element 70 by the force transmitting member 65 . following compression of the force transmitting member 65 , the resulting voltage is delivered to a controller 75 where the received voltage is compared to a preset calibrating signal . deviations in the voltage signal as compared to the preset calibrating signal are then directed across a buffer amplifier 80 which modifies the voltage signal into a speed control voltage . the speed control voltage is then directed to a blower 40 or fluid regulating valve thereby either increasing or decreasing the rate of inflation air into the air mattress 15 . controller 75 can also be configured to communicate with a microprocessor 60 which stores and compares various voltage values , and is operable to regulate blower 40 or fluid regulating valve in response to changes in patient height distance . as shown schematically in fig1 a heterodyning proximation detector apparatus 5 includes an antenna 36 connected to a tank circuit and oscillator mock - up 45 which is in communication with detector 50 . in its preferred embodiment , tank circuit and oscillator mock - up 45 comprises a capacitor and variable inductor operatively connected to a frequency oscillator . frequency signals received by detector 50 are sent through a low pass filter 55 which operates to filter out high frequency signals , and emit only low frequency signals for conversion by a frequency - to - voltage converter 56 . the frequency - to - voltage converter 56 transforms the low frequency signals into a speed control voltage which activates a blower 40 or fluid regulating valve to provide inflation pressure to the air mattress 15 . detector 50 may also be configured with a microprocessor 60 for storing and comparing various voltage values to provide blower 40 speed control . in use , the heterodyning proximation detector apparatus 5 detects interactions between the electrical field pattern of the antenna 36 and the patient &# 39 ; s 10 electrical signature which is characteristic of that patient &# 39 ; s 10 dielectric constant . more particularly , the tank circuit and oscillator mock - up 45 operates to induce an electrical field within the antenna 36 which is responsive to a patient &# 39 ; s 10 electrical signature characterized by the particular dielectric constant of that patient . upon interaction with antenna &# 39 ; s 36 induced electrical field , a resulting change in the natural frequency of the oscillator is detected . the altered frequency is sent to detector 50 which functions to compare the altered frequency to a preset reference frequency . detected alterations in frequency signals are then transmitted through a low pass filter , and the resulting difference frequency is sent to a frequency - to - voltage converter 56 and / or servo control circuit which , in turn , communicates a generated speed control voltage to a blower 40 or fluid regulating valve . the generated heterodyning proximation detector frequency is compared to a frequency generated by a calibrating tank circuit and oscillator for any deviations between the two frequencies via a product detector 50 . a deviation in frequency represents any change in the patient &# 39 ; s relative position from the heterodyning detector apparatus 105 as compared to the calibrating , optimal therapeutic air pressure for the air mattress 15 . the deviation frequency from the product detector 50 is sent through a low pass filter 55 to allow only low frequency signals to pass as preparation for entering through a frequency - to - voltage converter 56 . the preferred method for regulating the inflation of an air mattress 15 of the present invention is shown in fig3 . initially , air mattress 15 is set to a deflated position 90 . while in a deflated position 90 , a patient is furthest away from the antenna 36 and air mattress 15 . referring to fig3 the antenna 36 and air mattress 15 are collectively depicted as the heterodyning proximation detector apparatus 105 ; thus , data representing the distance where the patient is furthest away from the heterodyning proximation detector apparatus 105 is recorded at the deflated position 90 . as the patient approaches the antenna 36 , the heterodyning proximation detector apparatus 105 detects the patient and signals blower 40 to begin delivering inflation pressure to the air mattress 15 . this step enables a sufficient amount of inflation pressure to be delivered into the air mattress 15 so as to inflate the air mattress 15 and prevent the possibility of patient bottoming - out as the patient is positioned atop the air mattress 15 . the air mattress 15 continues to inflate to a fully inflated position 95 so long as the patient remains positioned atop the upper surface 20 of the air mattress 15 . after the air mattress 15 reaches a fully inflated position 95 , data representing the patient &# 39 ; s closest distance away from the heterodyning proximation detector apparatus 105 is recorded . the patient &# 39 ; s optimal height distance 100 is then calibrated using the stored distances from the deflated and fully inflated positions 90 , 95 which are based upon the individual &# 39 ; s reactance as detected by the heterodyning proximation detector apparatus 105 . the air supply is continuously monitored and controlled 110 by the heterodyning proximation detector apparatus 105 to maintain the optimal height distance 100 . as the patient &# 39 ; s distance from the heterodyning proximation detector apparatus 105 increases or decreases , the air supply to the air mattress 15 is accordingly increased 115 or decreased 120 by control means specifically contemplated by this invention or the like . additionally , other methods would provide a force - responsive distance sensing apparatus 205 , a light - responsive distance sensing apparatus 30 or any other sensing means to cooperate and be included within the heterodyning proximation detector apparatus 105 to assist in controlling and monitoring the air supply of the air mattress 15 . fig4 illustrates one embodiment of the light - responsive distance sensing apparatus 30 of the present invention . the light - responsive distance sensing apparatus 30 comprises at least one inflatable chamber 150 forming an outer chamber surface 195 and a sealed inner chamber surface 200 . in a preferred embodiment , the inner chamber surface 200 is constructed of light diffusing materials , such as polyurethane , that are ideally suited to diffuse light within the inflatable chamber 150 . such inflatable chambers 150 may be arranged singularly , perpendicular to one another , in parallel or in any other preferred configuration that defines an inflatable air mattress 15 for providing primary cushioning and support . it is preferred that the inflatable chambers 150 be constructed of a flexible and pliable material that is receptive to a wide range of compressive forces , especially those forces generated by a patient positioned atop the upper surface 20 of the air mattress 15 . though other geometric shapes may be contemplated for the inflatable chamber 150 , fig4 depicts the chamber 150 as having a preferred cylindrical shape . as shown , the chamber 150 is constructed having a light emitter 125 releasably or permanently attached to the light emitter end 130 of the chamber 150 using fastening means , such as adhesives , tape , velcro , or any other fastening method known to one skilled in the art . a light detector 135 is attached to the light detector end 140 of the chamber 150 using the various fastening methods known in the art . the light emitter 125 and light detector 135 can be an infrared light emitting diode ( irled ) and a photo - transistor , respectively . however , it should be understood to someone skilled in the art that various other light emitters and detectors can be chosen without departing from the scope of the invention . in use , the chamber 150 of the light - responsive distance sensing apparatus 30 is inflated to an initial preset shape 165 , and the light emitter 125 and light detector 135 are activated to detect any deviation from the chamber &# 39 ; s preset shape . as illustrated in fig4 a chamber deformation 160 between the light emitter 125 and the light detector 135 is caused by compressive forces of the patient 10 when positioned on the upper surface 20 of the air mattress 15 . as shown , chamber deformation 160 causes the inner chamber surface 200 to scatter the emitted light , and , thus , results in less emitted light being received and detected by the light detector 135 . the resulting voltage output from the light detector 135 is transmitted through signal line 100 to a controller 170 which compares the light detector 135 voltage output to a preset calibrating voltage . any deviation away from the preset calibrating voltage represents a material disparity in air supply within the monitored chamber 150 . as shown in the embodiment of fig4 a microprocessor 60 may be configured along with the controller 170 to store and compare the various voltage values . where a material disparity in air supply is detected , the controller 170 and / or microprocessor 60 respond by delivering a voltage signal that activates a blower 40 or a regulating valve , not shown , to adjust the air supply accordingly . fig5 and 6 refer to an alternative embodiment of the light - responsive distance sensing apparatus 30 constructed with a pliable covering 175 . in this embodiment , the light emitter 125 and light detector 135 are situated outside of the outer chamber surface 195 at the light emitter end 130 and the light detector end 140 , respectively . other embodiments of the light - responsive distance sensing apparatus 30 position the light emitter 125 and light detector 135 within the chamber 150 , embedded along the chamber &# 39 ; s surface or any variation thereof . a pliable covering 175 having an inner surface 185 and an outer surface 180 is mated to the outer chamber surface 195 either along the entirety of the chamber 150 or substantially near the light emitter 125 or the light detector 135 . as shown in fig6 the pliable covering &# 39 ; s inner surface 185 is mated to the outer chamber surface 195 forming a pouch 145 for receiving the light emitter 125 or the light detector 135 therein . in effect , the pouch 145 seals and secures the light emitter 125 and the light detector 135 to the chamber 150 by restricting relative movement therein ; and the pouch 145 , with its pliable covering , aesthetically conceals the light emitter 125 and the light detector 135 . additionally ; the pouch 145 may be provided with releasable closings to facilitate either insertion or removal of the light emitter 125 or the light detector 135 into or out of the pouch 145 during maintenance or cleaning . fig5 and 6 show a chamber &# 39 ; s surface which partially forms a pouch 190 as constructed of either transparent or translucent material to accommodate as well as modify the projection of light from the light emitter 125 to the light detector 135 through the chamber 150 . to further facilitate the transmission of light through the chamber 150 , the inner surface 185 of the pliable covering which partially forms the pouch 145 may be constructed of opaque or reflective material . fig7 shows in detail the chamber &# 39 ; s deformation 160 in response to compressive forces exerted by the patient 10 when the patient 10 is resting on the upper surface 20 of the air mattress 15 . fig7 a . shows a possible chamber deformation 160 towards the light emitter end 130 . fig7 b . shows a possible chamber deformation 160 centered between the light emitter end 130 and the light detector end 140 of the chamber 150 . accordingly , one advantage of the present invention is that a deformation is detectable along the entire length of the light - responsive distance sensing apparatus 30 , and , thus , precludes the need for a vast and costly array of sensors along the length of the chamber 150 . as shown in fig4 and 5 , the light emitter 125 and light detector 135 are preferably situated at the opposing ends of the cylindrical chamber 150 . positioning the chamber 150 transversely across the frame 25 thus enables the caregiver to obtain patient x - rays along the length of the air mattress 15 without any x - ray interference from the light emitter 125 and light detector 135 . while the description given herein reflects the best mode known to the inventor , those who are reasonably skilled in the art will quickly recognize that there are many omissions , additions , substitutions , modifications and alternate embodiments may be made of the teachings herein . recognizing that those of reasonable skill in the art will easily see such alternate embodiments , they have in most cases not been described herein in order to preserve clarity .	8
in the following paragraphs , the present invention will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the attached drawings . while this invention is capable of embodiment in many different forms , there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail specific embodiments , with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an example of the principles of the invention and not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown and described . that is , throughout this description , the embodiments and examples shown should be considered as exemplars , rather than as limitations on the present invention . as used herein , the “ present invention ” refers to any one of the embodiments of the invention described herein , and any equivalents . furthermore , reference to various feature ( s ) of the “ present invention ” throughout this document does not mean that all claimed embodiments or methods must include the referenced feature ( s ). in order to improve wireless communication system performance and allow a single device to move from one type of system to another , while still maintaining superior performance , the systems and methods described herein provide various communication methodologies that enhance performance of transmitters and receivers with regard to various common problems that afflict such systems and that allow the transmitters and / or receivers to be reconfigured for optimal performance in a variety of systems . accordingly , the systems and methods described herein define a channel access protocol that uses a common wideband communication channel for all communication cells . the wideband channel , however , is then divided into a plurality of sub - channels . different sub - channels are then assigned to one or more users within each cell . but the base station , or service access point , within each cell transmits one message that occupies the entire bandwidth of the wideband channel . each user &# 39 ; s communication device receives the entire message , but only decodes those portions of the message that reside in sub - channels assigned to the user . for a point - to - point system , for example , a single user may be assigned all sub - channels and , therefore , has the full wide band channel available to them . in a wireless wan , on the other hand , the sub - channels may be divided among a plurality of users . in the descriptions of example embodiments that follow , implementation differences , or unique concerns , relating to different types of systems will be pointed out to the extent possible . but it should be understood that the systems and methods described herein are applicable to any type of communication systems . in addition , terms such as communication cell , base station , service access point , etc . are used interchangeably to refer to the common aspects of networks at these different levels . to begin illustrating the advantages of the systems and methods described herein , one can start by looking at the multipath effects for a single wideband communication channel 100 of bandwidth b as shown in fig1 . communications sent over channel 100 in a traditional wireless communication system will comprise digital data bits , or symbols , that are encoded and modulated onto a rf carrier that is centered at frequency f c and occupies bandwidth b . generally , the width of the symbols ( or the symbol duration ) t is defined as 1 / b . thus , if the bandwidth b is equal to 100 mhz , then the symbol duration t is defined by the following equation : when a receiver receives the communication , demodulates it , and then decodes it , it will recreate a stream 104 of data symbols 106 as illustrated in fig2 . but the receiver will also receive multipath versions 108 of the same data stream . because multipath data streams 108 are delayed in time relative to the data stream 104 by delays d 1 , d 2 , d 3 , and d 4 , for example , they may combine destructively with data stream 104 . a delay spread d s is defined as the delay from reception of data stream 104 to the reception of the last multipath data stream 108 that interferes with the reception of data stream 104 . thus , in the example illustrated in fig2 , the delay spread d s is equal to delay d 4 . the delay spread d s will vary for different environments . an environment with a lot of obstacles will create a lot of multipath reflections . thus , the delay spread d s will be longer . experiments have shown that for outdoor wan type environments , the delay spread d s can be as long as 20 microseconds . using the 10 ns symbol duration of equation ( 1 ), this translates to 2000 symbols . thus , with a very large bandwidth , such as 100 mhz , multipath interference can cause a significant amount of interference at the symbol level for which adequate compensation is difficult to achieve . this is true even for indoor environments . for indoor lan type systems , the delay spread d s is significantly shorter , typically about 1 microsecond . for a 10 ns symbol duration , this is equivalent to 100 symbols , which is more manageable but still significant . by segmenting the bandwidth b into a plurality of sub - channels 202 , as illustrated in fig2 , and generating a distinct data stream for each sub - channel , the multipath effect can be reduced to a much more manageable level . for example , if the bandwidth b of each sub - channel 202 is 500 khz , then the symbol duration is 2 microseconds . thus , the delay spread d s for each sub - channel is equivalent to only 10 symbols ( outdoor ) or half a symbol ( indoor ). thus , by breaking up a message that occupies the entire bandwidth b into discrete messages , each occupying the bandwidth b of sub - channels 202 , a very wideband signal that suffers from relatively minor multipath effects is created . before discussing further features and advantages of using a wideband communication channel segmented into a plurality of sub - channels as described , certain aspects of the sub - channels will be explained in more detail . referring back to fig3 , the overall bandwidth b is segmented into n sub - channels center at frequencies f o to f n - 1 . thus , the sub - channel 202 that is immediately to the right of f c is offset from f c by b / 2 , where b is the bandwidth of each sub - channel 202 . the next sub - channel 202 is offset by 3b / 2 , the next by 5b / 2 , and so on . to the left of fc , each sub - channel 202 is offset by − b / 2 , − 3b / 2 , − 5b / 2 , etc . preferably , sub - channels 202 are non - overlapping as this allows each sub - channel to be processed independently in the receiver . to accomplish this , a roll - off factor is preferably applied to the signals in each sub - channel in a pulse - shaping step . the effect of such a pulse - shaping step is illustrated in fig2 by the non - rectangular shape of the pulses in each sub - channel 202 . thus , the bandwidth b of each sub - channel can be represented by an equation such as the following : without the roll - off factor , i . e ., b = 1 / t , the pulse shape would be rectangular in the frequency domain , which corresponds to a ( sin x )/ x function in the time domain . the time domain signal for a ( sin x )/ x signal 400 is shown in fig4 in order to illustrate the problems associated with a rectangular pulse shape and the need to use a roll - off factor . as can be seen , main lobe 402 comprises almost all of signal 400 . but some of the signal also resides in side lobes 404 , which stretch out indefinitely in both directions from main lobe 402 . side lobes 404 make processing signal 400 much more difficult , which increases the complexity of the receiver . applying a roll - off factor r , as in equation ( 2 ), causes signal 400 to decay faster , reducing the number of side lobes 404 . thus , increasing the roll - off factor decreases the length of signal 400 , i . e ., signal 400 becomes shorter in time . but including the roll - off factor also decreases the available bandwidth in each sub - channel 202 . therefore , r must be selected so as to reduce the number of side lobes 404 to a sufficient number , e . g ., 15 , while still maximizing the available bandwidth in each sub - channel 202 . thus , the overall bandwidth b for communication channel 200 is given by the following equation : for efficiency purposes related to transmitter design , it is preferable that r is chosen so that m in equation ( 5 ) is an integer . choosing r so that m is an integer allows for more efficient transmitters designs using , for example , inverse fast fourier transform ( ifft ) techniques . since m = n + n ( r ), and n is always an integer , this means that r must be chosen so that n ( r ) is an integer . generally , it is preferable for r to be between 0 . 1 and 0 . 5 . therefore , if n is 16 , for example , then 0 . 5 could be selected for r so that n ( r ) is an integer . alternatively , if a value for r is chosen in the above example so that n ( r ) is not an integer , b can be made slightly wider than m / t to compensate . in this case , it is still preferable that r be chosen so that n ( r ) is approximately an integer . with the above in mind , fig6 illustrates an example communication system 600 comprising a plurality of cells 602 that each use a common wideband communication channel to communicate with communication devices 604 within each cell 602 . the common communication channel is a wideband communication channel as described above . each communication cell 602 is defined as the coverage area of a base station , or service access point , 606 within the cell . one such base station 606 is shown for illustration in fig6 . for purposes of this specification and the claims that follow , the term base station will be used generically to refer to a device that provides wireless access to the wireless communication system for a plurality of communication devices , whether the system is a line of sight , indoor , or outdoor system . because each cell 602 uses the same communication channel , signals in one cell 602 must be distinguishable from signals in adjacent cells 602 . to differentiate signals from one cell 602 to another , adjacent base stations 606 use different synchronization codes according to a code reuse plan . in fig6 , system 600 uses a synchronization code reuse factor of 4 , although the reuse factor can vary depending on the application . preferably , the synchronization code is periodically inserted into a communication from a base station 606 to a communication device 604 as illustrated in fig6 . after a predetermined number of data packets 702 , in this case two , the particular synchronization code 704 is inserted into the information being transmitted by each base station 606 . a synchronization code is a sequence of data bits known to both the base station 606 and any communication devices 604 with which it is communicating . the synchronization code allows such a communication device 604 to synchronize its timing to that of base station 606 , which , in turn , allows device 604 to decode the data properly . thus , in cell 1 ( see lightly shaded cells 602 in fig6 ), for example , synchronization code 1 ( sync 1 ) is inserted into data stream 706 , which is generated by base station 606 in cell 1 , after every two packets 702 ; in cell 2 sync 2 is inserted after every two packets 702 ; in cell 3 sync 3 is inserted ; and in cell 4 sync 4 is inserted . use of the synchronization codes is discussed in more detail below . in fig5 a , an example wideband communication channel 500 for use in communication system 600 is divided into 16 sub - channels 502 , centered at frequencies f o to f 15 . a base station 606 at the center of each communication cell 602 transmits a single packet occupying the whole bandwidth b of wideband channel 500 . such a packet is illustrated by packet 504 in fig5 b . packet 504 comprises sub - packets 506 that are encoded with a frequency offset corresponding to one of sub - channels 502 . sub - packets 506 in effect define available time slots in packet 504 . similarly , sub - channels 502 can be said to define available frequency bins in communication channel 500 . therefore , the resources available in communication cell 602 are time slots 506 and frequency bins 502 , which can be assigned to different communication devices 604 within each cell 602 . thus , for example , frequency bins 502 and time slots 506 can be assigned to 4 different communication devices 604 within a cell 602 as shown in fig5 . each communication device 604 receives the entire packet 504 , but only processes those frequency bins 502 and / or timeslots 506 that are assigned to it . preferably , each device 604 is assigned non - adjacent frequency bins 502 , as in fig5 a . this way , if interference corrupts the information in a portion of communication channel 500 , then the effects are spread across all devices 604 within a cell 602 . hopefully , by spreading out the effects of interference in this manner the effects are minimized and the entire information sent to each device 604 can still be recreated from the unaffected information received in other frequency bins . for example , if interference , such as fading , corrupted the information in bins f o - f 4 , then each user 1 - 4 loses one packet of data . but each user potentially receives three unaffected packets from the other bins assigned to them . hopefully , the unaffected data in the other three bins provides enough information to recreate the entire message for each user . thus , frequency diversity can be achieved by assigning non - adjacent bins to each of multiple users . ensuring that the bins assigned to one user are separated by more than the coherence bandwidth ensures frequency diversity . as discussed above , the coherence bandwidth is approximately equal to 1 / d s . for outdoor systems , where d s is typically 1 microsecond , 1 / d s = 1 / 1 microsecond = 1 mega hertz ( mhz ). thus , the non - adjacent frequency bands assigned to a user are preferably separated by at least 1 mhz . it is even more preferable , however , if the coherence bandwidth plus some guard band to ensure sufficient frequency diversity separate the non - adjacent bins assigned to each user . for example , it is preferable in certain implementations to ensure that at least 5 times the coherence bandwidth , or 5 mhz in the above example , separates the non - adjacent bins . another way to provide frequency diversity is to repeat blocks of data in frequency bins assigned to a particular user that are separated by more than the coherence bandwidth . in other words , if 4 sub - channels 202 are assigned to a user , then data block a can be repeated in the first and third sub - channels 202 and data block b can be repeated in the second and fourth sub - channels 202 , provided the sub - channels are sufficiently separated in frequency . in this case , the system can be said to be using a diversity length factor of 2 . the system can similarly be configured to implement other diversity lengths , e . g ., 3 , 4 , . . . , 1 . it should be noted that spatial diversity can also be included depending on the embodiment . spatial diversity can comprise transmit spatial diversity , receive spatial diversity , or both . in transmit spatial diversity , the transmitter uses a plurality of separate transmitters and a plurality of separate antennas to transmit each message . in other words , each transmitter transmits the same message in parallel . the messages are then received from the transmitters and combined in the receiver . because the parallel transmissions travel different paths , if one is affected by fading , the others will likely not be affected . thus , when they are combined in the receiver , the message should be recoverable even if one or more of the other transmission paths experienced severe fading . receive spatial diversity uses a plurality of separate receivers and a plurality of separate antennas to receive a single message . if an adequate distance separates the antennas , then the transmission path for the signals received by the antennas will be different . again , this difference in the transmission paths will provide imperviousness to fading when the signals from the receivers are combined . transmit and receive spatial diversity can also be combined within a system such as system 600 so that two antennas are used to transmit and two antennas are used to receive . thus , each base station 606 transmitter can include two antennas , for transmit spatial diversity , and each communication device 604 receiver can include two antennas , for receive spatial diversity . if only transmit spatial diversity is implemented in system 600 , then it can be implemented in base stations 606 or in communication devices 604 . similarly , if only receive spatial diversity is included in system 600 , then it can be implemented in base stations 606 or communication devices 604 . the number of communication devices 604 assigned frequency bins 502 and / or time slots 506 in each cell 602 is preferably programmable in real time . in other words , the resource allocation within a communication cell 602 is preferably programmable in the face of varying external conditions , i . e ., multipath or adjacent cell interference , and varying requirements , i . e ., bandwidth requirements for various users within the cell . thus , if user 1 requires the whole bandwidth to download a large video file , for example , then the allocation of bins 502 can be adjust to provide user 1 with more , or even all , of bins 502 . once user 1 no longer requires such large amounts of bandwidth , the allocation of bins 502 can be readjusted among all of users 1 - 4 . it should also be noted that all of the bins assigned to a particular user can be used for both the forward and reverse link . alternatively , some bins 502 can be assigned as the forward link and some can be assigned for use on the reverse link , depending on the implementation . to increase capacity , the entire bandwidth b is preferably reused in each communication cell 602 , with each cell 602 being differentiated by a unique synchronization code ( see discussion below ). thus , system 600 provides increased immunity to multipath and fading as well as increased bandwidth due to the elimination of frequency reuse requirements . fig8 illustrates an example embodiment of a synchronization code correlator 800 . when a device 604 in cell 1 ( see fig6 ), for example , receives an incoming communication from the cell 1 base station 606 , it compares the incoming data with sync 1 in correlator 800 . essentially , the device scans the incoming data trying to correlate the data with the known synchronization code , in this case sync 1 . once correlator 800 matches the incoming data to sync 1 it generates a correlation peak 804 at the output . multipath versions of the data will also generate correlation peaks 806 , although these peaks 806 are generally smaller than correlation peak 804 . the device can then use the correlation peaks to perform channel estimation , which allows the device to adjust for the multipath using an equalizer . thus , in cell 1 , if correlator 800 receives a data stream comprising sync 1 , it will generate correlation peaks 804 and 806 . if , on the other hand , the data stream comprises sync 2 , for example , then no peaks will be generated and the device will essentially ignore the incoming communication . even though a data stream that comprises sync 2 will not create any correlation peaks , it can create noise in correlator 800 that can prevent detection of correlation peaks 804 and 806 . several steps can be taken to prevent this from occurring . one way to minimize the noise created in correlator 800 by signals from adjacent cells 602 , is to configure system 600 so that each base station 606 transmits at the same time . this way , the synchronization codes can preferably be generated in such a manner that only the synchronization codes 704 of adjacent cell data streams , e . g ., streams 708 , 710 , and 712 , as opposed to packets 702 within those streams , will interfere with detection of the correct synchronization code 704 , e . g ., sync 1 . the synchronization codes can then be further configured to eliminate or reduce the interference . for example , the noise or interference caused by an incorrect synchronization code is a function of the cross correlation of that synchronization code with respect to the correct code . the better the cross correlation between the two , the lower the noise level . when the cross correlation is ideal , then the noise level will be virtually zero as illustrated in fig9 by noise level 902 . therefore , a preferred embodiment of system 600 uses synchronization codes that exhibit ideal cross correlation , i . e ., zero . preferably , the ideal cross correlation of the synchronization codes covers a period l that is sufficient to allow accurate detection of multipath 906 as well as multipath correlation peaks 904 . this is important so that accurate channel estimation and equalization can take place . outside of period 1 , the noise level 908 goes up , because the data in packets 702 is random and will exhibit low cross correlation with the synchronization code , e . g ., sync 1 . preferably , period 1 is actually slightly longer then the multipath length in order to ensure that the multipath can be detected . conventional systems use orthogonal codes to achieve cross correlation in correlator 800 . in system 600 for example , sync 1 , sync 2 , sync 3 , and sync 4 , corresponding to cells 1 - 4 ( see lightly shaded cells 602 of fig5 ) respectively , will all need to be generated in such a manner that they will have ideal cross correlation with each other . in one embodiment , if the data streams involved comprise high and low data bits , then the value “ 1 ” can be assigned to the high data bits and “− 1 ” to the low data bits . orthogonal data sequences are then those that produce a “ 0 ” output when they are exclusively ored ( xored ) together in correlator 800 . the following example illustrates this point for orthogonal sequences 1 and 2 : thus , when the results of xoring each bit pair are added , the result is “ 0 ”. but in system 600 , for example , each code must have ideal , or zero , cross correlation with each of the other codes used in adjacent cells 602 . therefore , in one example embodiment of a method for generating synchronization codes exhibiting the properties described above , the process begins by selecting a “ perfect sequence ” to be used as the basis for the codes . a perfect sequence is one that when correlated with itself produces a number equal to the number of bits in the sequence . for example : but each time a perfect sequence is cyclically shifted by one bit , the new sequence is orthogonal with the original sequence . thus , for example , if perfect sequence 1 is cyclically shifted by one bit and then correlated with the original , the correlation produces a “ 0 ” as in the following example ; if the perfect sequence 1 is again cyclically shifted by one bit , and again correlated with the original , then it will produce a “ 0 ”. in general , you can cyclically shift a perfect sequence by any number of bits up to its length and correlate the shifted sequence with the original to obtain a “ 0 ”. once a perfect sequence of the correct length is selected , the first synchronization code is preferably generated in one embodiment by repeating the sequence 4 times . thus , if perfect sequence 1 is being used , then a first synchronization code y would be the following : repeating the perfect sequence allows correlator 800 a better opportunity to detect the synchronization code and allows generation of other uncorrelated frequencies as well . repeating has the effect of sampling in the frequency domain . this effect is illustrated by the graphs in fig1 . thus , in trace 1 , which corresponds to synchronization code y , a sample 1002 is generated every fourth sample bin 1000 . each sample bin is separated by 1 /( 4l × t ), where t is the symbol duration . thus , in the above example , where l = 4 , each sample bin is separated by 1 /( 16 × t ) in the frequency domain . traces 2 - 4 illustrate the next three synchronization codes . as can be seen , the samples for each subsequent synchronization code are shifted by one sample bin relative to the samples for the previous sequence . therefore , none of the sequences interfere with each other . to generate the subsequent sequences , corresponding to traces 2 - 4 , sequence y must be shifted in frequency . this can be accomplished using the following equation : z r ( m )= y ( m )* exp ( j * 2 * π * r * m /( n * l )), ( 5 ) for r = 1 to l (# of sequences ) and m = 0 to 4 * l - 1 ( time ); and y ( m )= the first sequence ; and n = the number of times the sequence is repeated . it will be understood that multiplying by an exp ( j2π ( r * m / n )) factor , where n is equal to the number of times the sequence is repeated n multiplied by the length of the underlying perfect sequence l , in the time domain results in a shift in the frequency domain . equation ( 5 ) results in the desired shift as illustrated in fig1 for each of synchronization codes 2 - 4 , relative to synchronization code 1 . the final step in generating each synchronization code is to append the copies of the last m samples , where m is the length of the multipath , to the front of each code . this is done to make the convolution with the multipath cyclic and to allow easier detection of the multipath . it should be noted that synchronization codes can be generated from more than one perfect sequence using the same methodology . for example , a perfect sequence can be generated and repeated four times and then a second perfect sequence can be generated and repeated four times to get a n factor equal to eight . the resulting sequence can then be shifted as described above to create the synchronization codes . therefore , when a communication device is at the edge of a cell , it will receive signals from multiple base stations and , therefore , will be decoding several synchronization codes at the same time . this can be illustrated with the help of fig1 , which illustrates another example embodiment of a wireless communication system 1100 comprising communication cells 1102 , 1104 , and 1106 as well as communication device 1108 , which is in communication with base station 1110 of cell 1102 but also receiving communication from base stations 1112 and 1114 of cells 1104 and 1106 , respectively . if communications from base station 1110 comprise synchronization code sync 1 and communications from base station 1112 and 1114 comprise sync 2 and sync 3 respectively , then device 1108 will effectively receive the sum of these three synchronization codes . this is because , as explained above , base stations 1110 , 1112 , and 1114 are configured to transmit at the same time . also , the synchronization codes arrive at device 1108 at almost the same time because they are generated in accordance with the description above . again as described above , the synchronization codes sync 1 , sync 2 , and sync 3 exhibit ideal cross correlation . therefore , when device 1108 correlates the sum x of codes sync 1 , sync 2 , and sync 3 , the latter two will not interfere with proper detection of sync 1 by device 1108 . importantly , the sum x can also be used to determine important signal characteristics , because the sum x is equal to the sum of the synchronization code signal in accordance with the following equation : therefore , when sync 1 is removed , the sum of sync 2 and sync 3 is left , as shown in the following : the energy computed from the sum ( sync 2 + sync 3 ) is equal to the noise or interference seen by device 1108 . since the purpose of correlating the synchronization code in device 1106 is to extract the energy in sync 1 , device 1108 also has the energy in the signal from base station 1110 , i . e ., the energy represented by sync 1 . therefore , device 1106 can use the energy of sync 1 and of ( sync 2 + sync 3 ) to perform a signal - to - interference measurement for the communication channel over which it is communicating with base station 1110 . the result of the measurement is preferably a signal - to - interference ratio ( sir ). the sir measurement can then be communicated back to base station 1110 for purposes that will be discussed below . the ideal cross correlation of the synchronization codes , also allows device 1108 to perform extremely accurate determinations of the channel impulse response ( cir ), or channel estimation , from the correlation produced by correlator 800 . this allows for highly accurate equalization using low cost , low complexity equalizers , thus overcoming a significant draw back of conventional systems . as mentioned , the sir as determined by device 1108 can be communicated back to base station 1110 for use in the assignment of channels 502 . in one embodiment , due to the fact that each sub - channel 502 is processed independently , the sir for each sub - channel 502 can be measured and communicated back to base station 1110 . in such an embodiment , therefore , sub - channels 502 can be divided into groups and a sir measurement for each group can be sent to base station 1110 . this is illustrated in fig1 a , which shows a wideband communication channel 1200 segmented into sub - channels fo to f 5 . sub - channels fo to f 15 are then grouped into 8 groups g 1 to g 8 . thus , in one embodiment , device 1108 and base station 1110 communicate over a channel such as channel 1200 . sub - channels in the same group are preferably separated by as many sub - channels as possible to ensure diversity . in fig1 a for example , sub - channels within the same group are 7 sub - channels apart , e . g ., group g 1 comprises f 0 and f 8 . device 1102 reports a sir measurement for each of the groups g 1 to g 8 . these sir measurements are preferably compared with a threshold value to determine which sub - channels groups are useable by device 1108 . this comparison can occur in device 1108 or base station 1110 . if it occurs in device 1108 , then device 1108 can simply report to base station 1110 which sub - channels groups are useable by device 1108 . sir reporting will be simultaneously occurring for a plurality of devices within cell 1102 . thus , fig1 b illustrates the situation where two communication devices corresponding to user 1 and user 2 report sir levels above the threshold for groups g 1 , g 3 , g 5 , and g 7 . base station 1110 preferably then assigns sub - channel groups to user 1 and user 2 based on the sir reporting as illustrated in fig1 b . when assigning the “ good ” sub - channel groups to user 1 and user 2 , base station 1110 also preferably assigns them based on the principles of frequency diversity . in fig1 b , therefore , user 1 and user 2 are alternately assigned every other “ good ” sub - channel . the assignment of sub - channels in the frequency domain is equivalent to the assignment of time slots in the time domain . therefore , as illustrated in fig1 , two users , user 1 and user 2 , receive packet 1302 transmitted over communication channel 1200 . fig1 also illustrated the sub - channel assignment of fig1 b . while fig1 and 13 illustrate sub - channel / time slot assignment based on sir for two users , the principles illustrated can be extended for any number of users . thus , a packet within cell 1102 can be received by 3 or more users . although , as the number of available sub - channels is reduced due to high sir , so is the available bandwidth . in other words , as available channels are reduced , the number of users that can gain access to communication channel 1200 is also reduced . poor sir can be caused for a variety of reasons , but frequently it results from a device at the edge of a cell receiving communication signals from adjacent cells . because each cell is using the same bandwidth b , the adjacent cell signals will eventually raise the noise level and degrade sir for certain sub - channels . in certain embodiments , therefore , sub - channel assignment can be coordinated between cells , such as cells 1102 , 1104 , and 1106 in fig1 , in order to prevent interference from adjacent cells . thus , if communication device 1108 is near the edge of cell 1102 , and device 1118 is near the edge of cell 1106 , then the two can interfere with each other . as a result , the sir measurements that device 1108 and 1118 report back to base stations 1110 and 1114 , respectively , will indicate that the interference level is too high . base station 1110 can then be configured to assign only the odd groups , i . e ., g 1 , g 3 , g 5 , etc ., to device 1108 , while base station 1114 can be configured to assign the even groups to device 1118 . the two devices 1108 and 1118 will then not interfere with each other due to the coordinated assignment of sub - channel groups . assigning the sub - channels in this manner reduces the overall bandwidth available to devices 1108 and 1118 , respectively . in this case the bandwidth is reduced by a factor of two . but it should be remembered that devices operating closer to each base station 1110 and 1114 , respectively , will still be able to use all channels if needed . thus , it is only devices , such as device 1108 , that are near the edge of a cell that will have the available bandwidth reduced . contrast this with a cdma system , for example , in which the bandwidth for all users is reduced , due to the spreading techniques used in such systems , by approximately a factor of 10 at all times . it can be seen , therefore , that the systems and methods for wireless communication over a wide bandwidth channel using a plurality of sub - channels not only improves the quality of service , but can also increase the available bandwidth significantly . when there are three devices 1108 , 1118 , and 1116 near the edge of their respective adjacent cells 1102 , 1104 , and 1106 , the sub - channels can be divided by three . thus , device 1108 , for example , can be assigned groups g 1 , g 4 , etc ., device 1118 can be assigned groups g 2 , g 5 , etc ., and device 1116 can be assigned groups g 3 , g 6 , etc . in this case the available bandwidth for these devices , i . e ., devices near the edges of cells 1102 , 1104 , and 1106 , is reduced by a factor of 3 , but this is still better than a cdma system , for example . the manner in which such a coordinated assignment of sub - channels can work is illustrated by the flow chart in fig1 . first in step 1402 , a communication device , such as device 1108 , reports the sir for all sub - channel groups g 1 to g 8 . the sirs reported are then compared , in step 1404 , to a threshold to determine if the sir is sufficiently low for each group . alternatively , device 1108 can make the determination and simply report which groups are above or below the sir threshold . if the sir levels are good for each group , then base station 1110 can make each group available to device 1108 , in step 1406 . periodically , device 1108 preferably measures the sir level and updates base station 1110 in case the sir as deteriorated . for example , device 1108 may move from near the center of cell 1102 toward the edge , where interference from an adjacent cell may affect the sir for device 1108 . if the comparison in step 1404 reveals that the sir levels are not good , then base station 1110 can be preprogrammed to assign either the odd groups or the even groups only to device 1108 , which it will do in step 1408 . device 1108 then reports the sir measurements for the odd or even groups it is assigned in step 1410 , and they are again compared to a sir threshold in step 1412 . it is assumed that the poor sir level is due to the fact that device 1108 is operating at the edge of cell 1102 and is therefore being interfered with by a device such as device 1118 . but device 1108 will be interfering with device 1118 at the same time . therefore , the assignment of odd or even groups in step 1408 preferably corresponds with the assignment of the opposite groups to device 1118 , by base station 1114 . accordingly , when device 1108 reports the sir measurements for whichever groups , odd or even , are assigned to it , the comparison in step 1410 should reveal that the sir levels are now below the threshold level . thus , base station 1110 makes the assigned groups available to device 1108 in step 1414 . again , device 1108 preferably periodically updates the sir measurements by returning to step 1402 . it is possible for the comparison of step 1410 to reveal that the sir levels are still above the threshold , which should indicate that a third device , e . g ., device 1116 is still interfering with device 1108 . in this case , base station 1110 can be preprogrammed to assign every third group to device 1108 in step 1416 . this should correspond with the corresponding assignments of non - interfering channels to devices 1118 and 1116 by base stations 1114 and 1112 , respectively . thus , device 1108 should be able to operate on the sub - channel groups assigned , i . e ., g 1 , g 4 , etc ., without undue interference . again , device 1108 preferably periodically updates the sir measurements by returning to step 1402 . optionally , a third comparison step ( not shown ) can be implemented after step 1416 , to ensure that the groups assigned to device 1408 posses an adequate sir level for proper operation . moreover , if there are more adjacent cells , i . e ., if it is possible for devices in a 4 th or even a 5 th adjacent cell to interfere with device 1108 , then the process of fig1 would continue and the sub - channel groups would be divided even further to ensure adequate sir levels on the sub - channels assigned to device 1108 . even though the process of fig1 reduces the bandwidth available to devices at the edge of cells 1102 , 1104 , and 1106 , the sir measurements can be used in such a manner as to increase the data rate and therefore restore or even increase bandwidth . to accomplish this , the transmitters and receivers used in base stations 1102 , 1104 , and 1106 , and in devices in communication therewith , e . g ., devices 1108 , 1114 , and 1116 respectively , must be capable of dynamically changing the symbol mapping schemes used for some or all of the sub - channel . for example , in some embodiments , the symbol mapping scheme can be dynamically changed among bpsk , qpsk , 8psk , 16qam , 32qam , etc . as the symbol mapping scheme moves higher , i . e ., toward 32qam , the sir level required for proper operation moves higher , i . e ., less and less interference can be withstood . therefore , once the sir levels are determined for each group , the base station , e . g ., base station 1110 , can then determine what symbol mapping scheme can be supported for each sub - channel group and can change the modulation scheme accordingly . device 1108 must also change the symbol mapping scheme to correspond to that of the base stations . the change can be effected for all groups uniformly , or it can be effected for individual groups . moreover , the symbol mapping scheme can be changed on just the forward link , just the reverse link , or both , depending on the embodiment . thus , by maintaining the capability to dynamically assign sub - channels and to dynamically change the symbol mapping scheme used for assigned sub - channels , the systems and methods described herein provide the ability to maintain higher available bandwidths with higher performance levels than conventional systems . to fully realize the benefits described , however , the systems and methods described thus far must be capable of implementation in a cost effect and convenient manner . moreover , the implementation must include reconfigurability so that a single device can move between different types of communication systems and still maintain optimum performance in accordance with the systems and methods described herein . the following descriptions detail example high level embodiments of hardware implementations configured to operate in accordance with the systems and methods described herein in such a manner as to provide the capability just described above . fig1 is logical block diagram illustrating an example embodiment of a transmitter 1500 configured for wireless communication in accordance with the systems and methods described above . the transmitter could , for example be within a base station , e . g ., base station 606 , or within a communication device , such as device 604 . transmitter 1500 is provided to illustrate logical components that can be included in a transmitter configured in accordance with the systems and methods described herein . it is not intended to limit the systems and methods for wireless communication over a wide bandwidth channel using a plurality of sub - channels to any particular transmitter configuration or any particular wireless communication system . with this in mind , it can be seen that transmitter 1500 comprises a serial - to - parallel converter 1504 configured to receive a serial data stream 1502 comprising a data rate r . serial - to - parallel converter 1504 converts data stream 1502 into n parallel data streams 1504 , where n is the number of sub - channels 202 . it should be noted that while the discussion that follows assumes that a single serial data stream is used , more than one serial data stream can also be used if required or desired . in any case , the data rate of each parallel data stream 1504 is then r / n . each data stream 1504 is then sent to a scrambler , encoder , and interleaver block 1506 . scrambling , encoding , and interleaving are common techniques implemented in many wireless communication transmitters and help to provide robust , secure communication . examples of these techniques will be briefly explained for illustrative purposes . scrambling breaks up the data to be transmitted in an effort to smooth out the spectral density of the transmitted data . for example , if the data comprises a long string of “ 1 ” s , there will be a spike in the spectral density . this spike can cause greater interference within the wireless communication system . by breaking up the data , the spectral density can be smoothed out to avoid any such peaks . often , scrambling is achieved by xoring the data with a random sequence . encoding , or coding , the parallel bit streams 1504 can , for example , provide forward error correction ( fec ). the purpose of fec is to improve the capacity of a communication channel by adding some carefully designed redundant information to the data being transmitted through the channel . the process of adding this redundant information is known as channel coding . convolutional coding and block coding are the two major forms of channel coding . convolutional codes operate on serial data , one or a few bits at a time . block codes operate on relatively large ( typically , up to a couple of hundred bytes ) message blocks . there are a variety of useful convolutional and block codes , and a variety of algorithms for decoding the received coded information sequences to recover the original data . for example , convolutional encoding or turbo coding with viterbi decoding is a fec technique that is particularly suited to a channel in which the transmitted signal is corrupted mainly by additive white gaussian noise ( awgn ) or even a channel that simply experiences fading . convolutional codes are usually described using two parameters : the code rate and the constraint length . the code rate , k / n , is expressed as a ratio of the number of bits into the convolutional encoder ( k ) to the number of channel symbols ( n ) output by the convolutional encoder in a given encoder cycle . a common code rate is ½ , which means that 2 symbols are produced for every 1 - bit input into the coder . the constraint length parameter , k , denotes the “ length ” of the convolutional encoder , i . e . how many k - bit stages are available to feed the combinatorial logic that produces the output symbols . closely related to k is the parameter m , which indicates how many encoder cycles an input bit is retained and used for encoding after it first appears at the input to the convolutional encoder . the m parameter can be thought of as the memory length of the encoder . interleaving is used to reduce the effects of fading . interleaving mixes up the order of the data so that if a fade interferes with a portion of the transmitted signal , the overall message will not be affected . this is because once the message is de - interleaved and decoded in the receiver , the data lost will comprise non - contiguous portions of the overall message . in other words , the fade will interfere with a contiguous portion of the interleaved message , but when the message is de - interleaved , the interfered with portion is spread throughout the overall message . using techniques such as fec , the missing information can then be filled in , or the impact of the lost data may just be negligible . after blocks 1506 , each parallel data stream 1504 is sent to symbol mappers 1508 . symbol mappers 1508 apply the requisite symbol mapping , e . g ., bpsk , qpsk , etc ., to each parallel data stream 1504 . symbol mappers 1508 are preferably programmable so that the modulation applied to parallel data streams can be changed , for example , in response to the sir reported for each sub - channel 202 . it is also preferable , that each symbol mapper 1508 be separately programmable so that the optimum symbol mapping scheme for each sub - channel can be selected and applied to each parallel data stream 1504 . after symbol mappers 1508 , parallel data streams 1504 are sent to modulators 1510 . important aspects and features of example embodiments of modulators 1510 are described below . after modulators 1510 , parallel data streams 1504 are sent to summer 1512 , which is configured to sum the parallel data streams and thereby generate a single serial data stream 1518 comprising each of the individually processed parallel data streams 1504 . serial data stream 1518 is then sent to radio module 1512 , where it is modulated with an rf carrier , amplified , and transmitted via antenna 1516 according to known techniques . the transmitted signal occupies the entire bandwidth b of communication channel 100 and comprises each of the discrete parallel data streams 1504 encoded onto their respective sub - channels 102 within bandwidth b . encoding parallel data streams 1504 onto the appropriate sub - channels 102 requires that each parallel data stream 1504 be shifted in frequency by an appropriate offset . this is achieved in modulator 1510 . fig1 is a logical block diagram of an example embodiment of a modulator 1600 in accordance with the systems and methods described herein . importantly , modulator 1600 takes parallel data streams 1602 performs time division modulation ( tdm ) or frequency division modulation ( fdm ) on each data stream 1602 , filters them using filters 1612 , and then shifts each data stream in frequency using frequency shifter 1614 so that they occupy the appropriate sub - channel . filters 1612 apply the required pulse shaping , i . e ., they apply the roll - off factor described in section 1 . the frequency shifted parallel data streams 1602 are then summed and transmitted . modulator 1600 can also include rate controller 1604 , frequency encoder 1606 , and interpolators 1610 . all of the components shown in fig1 are described in more detail in the following paragraphs and in conjunction with fig1 - 22 . fig1 illustrates one example embodiment of a rate controller 1700 in accordance with the systems and methods described herein . rate control 1700 is used to control the data rate of each parallel data stream 1602 . in rate controller 1700 , the data rate is halved by repeating data streams d ( 0 ) to d ( 7 ), for example , producing streams a ( 0 ) to a ( 15 ) in which a ( 0 ) is the same as a ( 8 ), a ( 1 ) is the same as a ( 9 ), etc . fig1 also illustrates that the effect of repeating the data streams in this manner is to take the data streams that are encoded onto the first 8 sub - channels 1702 , and duplicate them on the next 8 sub - channels 1702 . as can be seen , 7 sub - channels separate sub - channels 1702 comprising the same , or duplicate , data streams . thus , if fading effects one sub - channel 1702 , for example , the other sub - channels 1702 carrying the same data will likely not be effected , i . e ., there is frequency diversity between the duplicate data streams . so by sacrificing data rate , in this case half the data rate , more robust transmission is achieved . moreover , the robustness provided by duplicating the data streams d ( 0 ) to d ( 7 ) can be further enhanced by applying scrambling to the duplicated data streams via scramblers 1708 . it should be noted that the data rate can be reduced by more than half , e . g ., by four or more . alternatively , the data rate can also be reduced by an amount other than half . for example if information from n data stream is encoded onto m sub - channels , where m & gt ; n . thus , to decrease the rate by ⅔ , information from one data stream can be encoded on a first sub - channel , information from a second data stream can be encoded on a second data channel , and the sum or difference of the two data streams can be encoded on a third channel . in which case , proper scaling will need to be applied to the power in the third channel . otherwise , for example , the power in the third channel can be twice the power in the first two . preferably , rate controller 1700 is programmable so that the data rate can be changed responsive to certain operational factors . for example , if the sir reported for sub - channels 1702 is low , then rate controller 1700 can be programmed to provide more robust transmission via repetition to ensure that no data is lost due to interference . additionally , different types of wireless communication system , e . g ., indoor , outdoor , line - of - sight , may require varying degrees of robustness . thus , rate controller 1700 can be adjusted to provide the minimum required robustness for the particular type of communication system . this type of programmability not only ensures robust communication , it can also be used to allow a single device to move between communication systems and maintain superior performance . fig1 illustrates an alternative example embodiment of a rate controller 1800 in accordance with the systems and methods described . in rate controller 1800 the data rate is increased instead of decreased . this is accomplished using serial - to - parallel converters 1802 to convert each data streams d ( 0 ) to d ( 15 ), for example , into two data streams . delay circuits 1804 then delay one of the two data streams generated by each serial - to - parallel converter 1802 by ½ a symbol . thus , data streams d ( 0 ) to d ( 15 ) are transformed into data streams a ( 0 ) to a ( 31 ). the data streams generated by a particular serial - to - parallel converter 1802 and associate delay circuit 1804 must then be summed and encoded onto the appropriate sub - channel . for example , data streams a ( 0 ) and a ( 1 ) must be summed and encoded onto the first sub - channel . preferably , the data streams are summed subsequent to each data stream being pulsed shaped by a filter 1612 . thus , rate controller 1604 is preferably programmable so that the data rate can be increased , as in rate controller 1800 , or decreased , as in rate controller 1700 , as required by a particular type of wireless communication system , or as required by the communication channel conditions or sub - channel conditions . in the event that the data rate is increased , filters 1612 are also preferably programmable so that they can be configured to apply pulse shaping to data streams a ( 0 ) to a ( 31 ), for example , and then sum the appropriate streams to generate the appropriate number of parallel data streams to send to frequency shifter 1614 . the advantage of increasing the data rate in the manner illustrated in fig1 is that higher symbol mapping rates can essentially be achieved , without changing the symbol mapping used in symbol mappers 1508 . once the data streams are summed , the summed streams are shifted in frequency so that they reside in the appropriate sub - channel . but because the number of bits per each symbol has been doubled , the symbol mapping rate has been doubled . thus , for example , a 4qam symbol mapping can be converted to a 16qam symbol mapping , even if the sir is too high for 16qam symbol mapping to otherwise be applied . in other words , programming rate controller 1800 to increase the data rate in the manner illustrated in fig1 can increase the symbol mapping even when channel conditions would otherwise not allow it , which in turn can allow a communication device to maintain adequate or even superior performance regardless of the type of communication system . the draw back to increasing the data rate as illustrated in fig1 is that interference is increased , as is receiver complexity . the former is due to the increased amount of data . the latter is due to the fact that each symbol cannot be processed independently because of the ½ symbol overlap . thus , these concerns must be balanced against the increase symbol mapping ability when implementing a rate controller such as rate controller 1800 . fig1 illustrates one example embodiment of a frequency encoder 1900 in accordance with the systems and methods described herein . similar to rate encoding , frequency encoding is preferably used to provide increased communication robustness . in frequency encoder 1900 the sum or difference of multiple data streams are encoded onto each sub - channel . this is accomplished using adders 1902 to sum data streams d ( 0 ) to d ( 7 ) with data streams d ( 8 ) to d ( 15 ), respectively , while adders 1904 subtract data streams d ( 0 ) to d ( 7 ) from data streams d ( 8 ) to d ( 15 ), respectively , as shown . thus , data streams a ( 0 ) to a ( 15 ) generated by adders 1902 and 1904 comprise information related to more than one data streams d ( 0 ) to d ( 15 ). for example , a ( 0 ) comprises the sum of d ( 0 ) and d ( 8 ), i . e ., d ( 0 )+ d ( 8 ), while a ( 8 ) comprises d ( 8 )- d ( 0 ). therefore , if either a ( 0 ) or a ( 8 ) is not received due to fading , for example , then both of data streams d ( 0 ) and d ( 8 ) can still be retrieved from data stream a ( 8 ). essentially , the relationship between data stream d ( 0 ) to d ( 15 ) and a ( 0 ) to a ( 15 ) is a matrix relationship . thus , if the receiver knows the correct matrix to apply , it can recover the sums and differences of d ( 0 ) to d ( 15 ) from a ( 0 ) to a ( 15 ). preferably , frequency encoder 1900 is programmable , so that it can be enabled and disabled in order to provided robustness when required . preferable , adders 1902 and 1904 are programmable also so that different matrices can be applied to d ( 0 ) to d ( 15 ). after frequency encoding , if it is included , data streams 1602 are sent to tdm / fdm blocks 1608 . tdm / fdm blocks 1608 perform tdm or fdm on the data streams as required by the particular embodiment . fig2 illustrates an example embodiment of a tdm / fdm block 2000 configured to perform tdm on a data stream . tdm / fdm block 2000 is provided to illustrate the logical components that can be included in a tdm / fdm block configured to perform tdm on a data stream . depending on the actual implementation , some of the logical components may or may not be included . tdm / fdm block 2000 comprises a sub - block repeater 2002 , a sub - block scrambler 2004 , a sub - block terminator 2006 , a sub - block repeater 2008 , and a sync inserter 2010 . sub - block repeater 2002 is configured to receive a sub - block of data , such as block 2012 comprising bits a ( 0 ) to a ( 3 ) for example . sub - block repeater is then configured to repeat block 2012 to provide repetition , which in turn leads to more robust communication . thus , sub - block repeater 2002 generates block 2014 , which comprises 2 blocks 2012 . sub - block scrambler 2004 is then configured to receive block 2014 and to scramble it , thus generating block 2016 . one method of scrambling can be to invert half of block 2014 as illustrated in block 2016 . but other scrambling methods can also be implemented depending on the embodiment . sub - block terminator 2006 takes block 2016 generated by sub - block scrambler 2004 and adds a termination block 2034 to the front of block 2016 to form block 2018 . termination block 2034 ensures that each block can be processed independently in the receiver . without termination block 2034 , some blocks may be delayed due to multipath , for example , and they would therefore overlap part of the next block of data . but by including termination block 2034 , the delayed block can be prevented from overlapping any of the actual data in the next block . termination block 2034 can be a cyclic prefix termination 2036 . a cyclic prefix termination 2036 simply repeats the last few symbols of block 2018 . thus , for example , if cyclic prefix termination 2036 is three symbols long , then it would simply repeat the last three symbols of block 2018 . alternatively , termination block 2034 can comprise a sequence of symbols that are known to both the transmitter and receiver . the selection of what type of block termination 2034 to use can impact what type of equalizer is used in the receiver . therefore , receiver complexity and choice of equalizers must be considered when determining what type of termination block 2034 to use in tdm / fdm block 2000 . after sub - block terminator 2006 , tdm / fdm block 2000 can include a sub - block repeater 2008 configured to perform a second block repetition step in which block 2018 is repeated to form block 2020 . in certain embodiments , sub - block repeater can be configured to perform a second block scrambling step as well . after sub - block repeater 2008 , if included , tdm / fdm block 2000 comprises a sync inserter 210 configured to periodically insert an appropriate synchronization code 2032 after a predetermined number of blocks 2020 and / or to insert known symbols into each block . the purpose of synchronization code 2032 is discussed in section 3 . fig2 , on the other hand , illustrates an example embodiment of a tdm / fdm block 2100 configured for fdm , which comprises sub - block repeater 2102 , sub - block scrambler 2104 , block coder 2106 , sub - block transformer 2108 , sub - block terminator 2110 , and sync inserter 2112 . as with tdm / fdm block 2000 , sub - block repeater 2102 repeats block 2114 and generates block 2116 . sub - block scrambler then scrambles block 2116 , generating block 2118 . sub - block coder 2106 takes block 2118 and codes it , generating block 2120 . coding block correlates the data symbols together and generates symbols b . this requires joint demodulation in the receiver , which is more robust but also more complex . sub - block transformer 2108 then performs a transformation on block 2120 , generating block 2122 . preferably , the transformation is an ifft of block 2120 , which allows for more efficient equalizers to be used in the receiver . next , sub - block terminator 2110 terminates block 2122 , generating block 2124 and sync inserter 2112 periodically inserts a synchronization code 2126 after a certain number of blocks 2124 and / or insert known symbols into each block . preferably , sub - block terminator 2110 only uses cyclic prefix termination as described above . again this allows for more efficient receiver designs . tdm / fdm block 2100 is provided to illustrate the logical components that can be included in a tdm / fdm block configured to perform fdm on a data stream . depending on the actual implementation , some of the logical components may or may not be included . moreover , tdm / fdm block 2000 and 2100 are preferably programmable so that the appropriate logical components can be included as required by a particular implementation . this allows a device that incorporates one of blocks 2000 or 2100 to move between different systems with different requirements . further , it is preferable that tdm / fdm block 1608 in fig1 be programmable so that it can be programmed to perform tdm , such as described in conjunction with block 2000 , or fdm , such as described in conjunction with block 2100 , as required by a particular communication system . after tdm / fdm blocks 1608 , in fig1 , the parallel data streams are preferably passed to interpolators 1610 . after interpolators 1610 , the parallel data streams are passed to filters 1612 , which apply the pulse shaping described in conjunction with the roll - off factor of equation ( 2 ) in section 1 . then the parallel data streams are sent to frequency shifter 1614 , which is configured to shift each parallel data stream by the frequency offset associated with the sub - channel to which the particular parallel data stream is associated . fig2 illustrates an example embodiment of a frequency shifter 2200 in accordance with the systems and methods described herein . as can be seen , frequency shifter 2200 comprises multipliers 2202 configured to multiply each parallel data stream by the appropriate exponential to achieve the required frequency shift . each exponential is of the form : exp ( j2πd c nt / rm ), where c is the corresponding sub - channel , e . g ., c = 0 to n − 1 , and n is time . preferably , frequency shifter 1614 in fig1 is programmable so that various channel / sub - channel configurations can be accommodated for various different systems . alternatively , an ifft block can replace shifter 1614 and filtering can be done after the ifft block . this type of implementation can be more efficient depending on the implementation . after the parallel data streams are shifted , they are summed , e . g ., in summer 1512 of fig1 . the summed data stream is then transmitted using the entire bandwidth b of the communication channel being used . but the transmitted data stream also comprises each of the parallel data streams shifted in frequency such that they occupy the appropriate sub - channel . thus , each sub - channel may be assigned to one user , or each sub - channel may carry a data stream intended for different users . the assignment of sub - channels is described in section 3 b . regardless of how the sub - channels are assigned , however , each user will receive the entire bandwidth , comprising all the sub - channels , but will only decode those sub - channels assigned to the user . fig2 illustrates an example embodiment of a receiver 2300 that can be configured in accordance with the present invention . receiver 2300 comprises an antenna 2302 configured to receive a message transmitted by a transmitter , such as transmitter 1500 . thus , antenna 2302 is configured to receive a wide band message comprising the entire bandwidth b of a wide band channel that is divided into sub - channels of bandwidth b . as described above , the wide band message comprises a plurality of messages each encoded onto each of a corresponding sub - channel . all of the sub - channels may or may not be assigned to a device that includes receiver 2300 ; therefore , receiver 2300 may or may not be required to decode all of the sub - channels . after the message is received by antenna 2300 , it is sent to radio receiver 2304 , which is configured to remove the carrier associated with the wide band communication channel and extract a baseband signal comprising the data stream transmitted by the transmitter . the baseband signal is then sent to correlator 2306 and demodulator 2308 . correlator 2306 is configured to correlated with a synchronization code inserted in the data stream as described in section 3 . it is also preferably configured to perform sir and multipath estimations as described in section 3 ( b ). demodulator 2308 is configured to extract the parallel data streams from each sub - channel assigned to the device comprising receiver 2300 and to generate a single data stream therefrom . fig2 illustrates an example embodiment of a demodulator 2400 in accordance with the systems and methods described herein . demodulator 2402 comprises a frequency shifter 2402 , which is configured to apply a frequency offset to the baseband data stream so that parallel data streams comprising the baseband data stream can be independently processed in receiver 2400 . thus , the output of frequency shifter 2402 is a plurality of parallel data streams , which are then preferably filtered by filters 2404 . filters 2404 apply a filter to each parallel data stream that corresponds to the pulse shape applied in the transmitter , e . g ., transmitter 1500 . alternatively , an ifft block can replace shifter 1614 and filtering can be done after the ifft block . this type of implementation can be more efficient depending on the implementation . next , receiver 2400 preferably includes decimators 2406 configured to decimate the data rate of the parallel bit streams . sampling at higher rates helps to ensure accurate recreation of the data . but the higher the data rate , the larger and more complex equalizer 2408 becomes . thus , the sampling rate , and therefore the number of samples , can be reduced by decimators 2406 to an adequate level that allows for a smaller and less costly equalizer 2408 . equalizer 2408 is configured to reduce the effects of multipath in receiver 2300 . its operation will be discussed more fully below . after equalizer 2408 , the parallel data streams are sent to de - scrambler , decoder , and de - interleaver 2410 , which perform the opposite operations of scrambler , encoder , and interleaver 1506 so as to reproduce the original data generated in the transmitter . the parallel data streams are then sent to parallel to serial converter 2412 , which generates a single serial data stream from the parallel data streams . equalizer 2408 uses the multipath estimates provided by correlator 2306 to equalize the effects of multipath in receiver 2300 . in one embodiment , equalizer 2408 comprises single - in single - out ( siso ) equalizers operating on each parallel data stream in demodulator 2400 . in this case , each siso equalizer comprising equalizer 2408 receives a single input and generates a single equalized output . alternatively , each equalizer can be a multiple - in multiple - out ( mimo ) or a multiple - in single - out ( miso ) equalizer . multiple inputs can be required for example , when a frequency encoder or rate controller , such as frequency encoder 1900 , is included in the transmitter . because frequency encoder 1900 encodes information from more than one parallel data stream onto each sub - channel , each equalizers comprising equalizer 2408 need to equalize more than one sub - channel . thus , for example , if a parallel data stream in demodulator 2400 comprises d ( 1 )+ d ( 8 ), then equalizer 2408 will need to equalize both d ( 1 ) and d ( 8 ) together . equalizer 2408 can then generate a single output corresponding to d ( 1 ) or d ( 8 ) ( miso ) or it can generate both d ( 1 ) and d ( 8 ) ( mimo ). equalizer 2408 can also be a time domain equalizer ( tde ) or a frequency domain equalizer ( fde ) depending on the embodiment . generally , equalizer 2408 is a tde if the modulator in the transmitter performs tdm on the parallel data streams , and a fde if the modulator performs fdm . but equalizer 2408 can be an fde even if tdm is used in the transmitter . therefore , the preferred equalizer type should be taken into consideration when deciding what type of block termination to use in the transmitter . because of power requirements , it is often preferable to use fdm on the forward link and tdm on the reverse link in a wireless communication system . as with transmitter 1500 , the various components comprising demodulator 2400 are preferably programmable , so that a single device can operate in a plurality of different systems and still maintain superior performance , which is a primary advantage of the systems and methods described herein . accordingly , the above discussion provides systems and methods for implementing a channel access protocol that allows the transmitter and receiver hardware to be reprogrammed slightly depending on the communication system . thus , when a device moves from one system to another , it preferably reconfigures the hardware , i . e . transmitter and receiver , as required and switches to a protocol stack corresponding to the new system . an important part of reconfiguring the receiver is reconfiguring , or programming , the equalizer because multipath is a main problem for each type of system . the multipath , however , varies depending on the type of system , which previously has meant that a different equalizer is required for different types of communication systems . the channel access protocol described in the preceding sections , however , allows for equalizers to be used that need only be reconfigured slightly for operation in various systems . fig2 illustrates an example embodiment of a receiver 2500 illustrating one way to configure equalizers 2506 in accordance with the systems and methods described herein . before discussing the configuration of receiver 2500 , it should be noted that one way to configure equalizers 2506 is to simply include one equalizer per channel ( for the systems and methods described herein , a channel is the equivalent of a sub - channel as described above ). a correlator , such as correlator 2306 ( fig2 ), can then provide equalizers 2506 with an estimate of the number , amplitude , and phase of any multipaths present , up to some maximum number . this is also known as the channel impulse response ( cir ). the maximum number of multipaths is determined based on design criteria for a particular implementation . the more multipaths included in the cir the more path diversity the receiver has and the more robust communication in the system will be . path diversity is discussed a little more fully below . if there is one equalizer 2506 per channel , the cir is preferably provided directly to equalizers 2506 from the correlator ( not shown ). if such a correlator configuration is used , then equalizers 2506 can be run at a slow rate , but the overall equalization process is relatively fast . for systems with a relatively small number of channels , such a configuration is therefore preferable . the problem , however , is that there is large variances in the number of channels used in different types of communication systems . for example , an outdoor system can have has many as 256 channels . this would require 256 equalizers 2506 , which would make the receiver design too complex and costly . thus , for systems with a lot of channels , the configuration illustrated in fig2 is preferable . in receiver 2500 , multiple channels share each equalizer 2506 . for example , each equalizer can be shared by 4 channels , e . g ., ch1 - ch4 , ch5 - ch8 , etc ., as illustrated in fig2 . in which case , receiver 2500 preferably comprises a memory 2502 configured to store information arriving on each channel . memory 2502 is preferably divided into sub - sections 2504 , which are each configured to store information for a particular subset of channels . information for each channel in each subset is then alternately sent to the appropriate equalizer 2506 , which equalizes the information based on the cir provided for that channel . in this case , each equalizer must run much faster than it would if there was simply one equalizer per channel . for example , equalizers 2506 would need to run 4 or more times as fast in order to effectively equalize 4 channels as opposed to 1 . in addition , extra memory 2502 is required to buffer the channel information . but overall , the complexity of receiver 2500 is reduced , because there are fewer equalizers . this should also lower the overall cost to implement receiver 2500 . preferably , memory 2502 and the number of channels that are sent to a particular equalizer is programmable . in this way , receiver 2500 can be reconfigured for the most optimum operation for a given system . thus , if receiver 2500 were moved from an outdoor system to an indoor system with fewer channels , then receiver 2500 can preferably be reconfigured so that there are fewer , even as few as 1 , channel per equalizer . the rate at which equalizers 2506 are run is also preferably programmable such that equalizers 2506 can be run at the optimum rate for the number of channels being equalized . in addition , if each equalizer 2506 is equalizing multiple channels , then the cir for those multiple paths must alternately be provided to each equalizer 2506 . preferably , therefore , a memory ( not shown ) is also included to buffer the cir information for each channel . the appropriate cir information is then sent to each equalizer from the cir memory ( not shown ) when the corresponding channel information is being equalized . the cir memory ( not shown ) is also preferably programmable to ensure optimum operation regardless of what type of system receiver 2500 is operating in . returning to the issue of path diversity , the number of paths used by equalizers 2506 must account for the delay spread d s in the system . for example , if the system is an outdoor system operating in the 5 giga hertz ( ghz ) range , the communication channel can comprise a bandwidth of 125 mega hertz ( mhz ), e . g ., the channel can extend from 5 . 725 ghz to 5 . 85 ghz . if the channel is divided into 512 sub - channels with a roll - off factor r of 0 . 125 , then each subchannel will have a bandwidth of approximately 215 kilohertz ( khz ), which provides approximately a 4 . 6 microsecond symbol duration . since the worst case delay spread d s is 20 microseconds , the number of paths used by equalizers 2504 can be set to a maximum of 5 . thus , there would be a first path p 1 at zero microseconds , a second path p 2 at 4 . 6 microseconds , a third path p 3 at 9 . 2 microseconds , a fourth path p 4 at 13 . 8 microseconds , and fifth path p 5 at 18 . 4 microseconds , which is close to the delay spread d s . in another embodiment , a sixth path can be included so as to completely cover the delay spread d s ; however , 20 microseconds is the worst case . in fact , a delay spread d s of 3 microseconds is a more typical value . in most instances , therefore , the delay spread d s will actually be shorter and an extra path is not needed . alternatively , fewer sub - channels can be used , thus providing a larger symbol duration , instead of using an extra path . but again , this would typically not be needed . as explained above , equalizers 2506 are preferably configurable so that they can be reconfigured for various communication systems . thus , for example , the number of paths used must be sufficient regardless of the type of communication system . but this is also dependent on the number of sub - channels used . if , for example , receiver 2500 went from operating in the above described outdoor system to an indoor system , where the delay spread d s is on the order of 1 microsecond , then receiver 2500 can preferably be reconfigured for 32 sub - channels and 5 paths . assuming the same overall bandwidth of 125 mhz , the bandwidth of each sub - channel is approximately 4 mhz and the symbol duration is approximately 250 nanoseconds . therefore , there will be a first path p 1 at zero microseconds and subsequent paths p 2 to p 5 at 250 ns , 500 ns , 750 ns , and 1 microsecond , respectively . thus , the delay spread d s should be covered for the indoor environment . again , the 1 microsecond delay spread d s is worst case so the 1 microsecond delay spread d s provided in the above example will often be more than is actually required . this is preferable , however , for indoor systems , because it can allow operation to extend outside of the inside environment , e . g ., just outside the building in which the inside environment operates . for campus style environments , where a user is likely to be traveling between buildings , this can be advantageous . fig2 illustrates an example embodiment of a wireless communication device in accordance with the systems and methods described herein . device 2600 is , for example , a portable communication device configured for operation in a plurality of indoor and outdoor communication systems . thus , device 2600 comprises an antenna 2602 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals over a wireless communication channel 2618 . duplexor 2604 , or switch , can be included so that transmitter 2606 and receiver 2608 can both use antenna 2602 , while being isolated from each other . duplexors , or switches used for this purpose , are well known and will not be explained herein . transmitter 2606 is a configurable transmitter configured to implement the channel access protocol described above . thus , transmitter 2606 is capable of transmitting and encoding a wideband communication signal comprising a plurality of sub - channels . moreover , transmitter 2606 is configured such that the various sub - components that comprise transmitter 2606 can be reconfigured , or programmed , as described in section 5 . similarly , receiver 2608 is configured to implement the channel access protocol described above and is , therefore , also configured such that the various sub - components comprising receiver 2608 can be reconfigured , or reprogrammed , as described in section 6 . transmitter 2606 and receiver 2608 are interfaced with processor 2610 , which can comprise various processing , controller , and / or digital signal processing ( dsp ) circuits . processor 2610 controls the operation of device 2600 including encoding signals to be transmitted by transmitter 2606 and decoding signals received by receiver 2608 . device 2610 can also include memory 2612 , which can be configured to store operating instructions , e . g ., firmware / software , used by processor 2610 to control the operation of device 2600 . processor 2610 is also preferably configured to reprogram transmitter 2606 and receiver 2608 via control interfaces 2614 and 2616 , respectively , as required by the wireless communication system in which device 2600 is operating . thus , for example , device 2600 can be configured to periodically ascertain the availability is a preferred communication system . if the system is detected , then processor 2610 can be configured to load the corresponding operating instruction from memory 2612 and reconfigure transmitter 2606 and receiver 2608 for operation in the preferred system . for example , it may preferable for device 2600 to switch to an indoor wireless lan if it is available . so device 2600 may be operating in a wireless wan where no wireless lan is available , while periodically searching for the availability of an appropriate wireless lan . once the wireless lan is detected , processor 2610 will load the operating instructions , e . g ., the appropriate protocol stack , for the wireless lan environment and will reprogram transmitter 2606 and receiver 2608 accordingly . in this manner , device 2600 can move from one type of communication system to another , while maintaining superior performance . it should be noted that a base station configured in accordance with the systems and methods herein will operate in a similar manner as device 2600 ; however , because the base station does not move from one type of system to another , there is generally no need to configure processor 2610 to reconfigure transmitter 2606 and receiver 2608 for operation in accordance with the operating instruction for a different type of system . but processor 2610 can still be configured to reconfigure , or reprogram the sub - components of transmitter 2606 and / or receiver 2608 as required by the operating conditions within the system as reported by communication devices in communication with the base station . moreover , such a base station can be configured in accordance with the systems and methods described herein to implement more than one mode of operation . in which case , controller 2610 can be configured to reprogram transmitter 2606 and receiver 2608 to implement the appropriate mode of operation . while embodiments and implementations of the invention have been shown and described , it should be apparent that many more embodiments and implementations are within the scope of the invention . accordingly , the invention is not to be restricted , except in light of the claims and their equivalents .	7
the signal transmission system represented in the figure in a general way by the reference 1 comprises three independent devices for the emission of signals identified by the references 2 , 3 and 4 , as well as three independent devices for the reception of signals referenced respectively 5 , 6 and 7 . these emission devices and these reception devices are , in the example , connected by means of radio . in the example , the emission devices are intended to transmit respectively binary signals b 0 , b 1 , b 2 . each one of these binary signals is composed of a condition one and of a condition zero , this binary signal or a succession of binary signals representing information or messages to be transmitted . the emission device 2 comprises an oscillator circuit 8 connected to an emitting antenna 9 . it comprises an input 10 for the binary signal b 0 , which is connected to a switch 11 , which is itself connected to a command input 12 of the oscillator circuit 8 . the emission device 2 operates in the following manner . when the binary signal b 0 is in its condition one , the switch 11 switches the oscillator circuit 8 in amplitude . this circuit 8 is controlled in such a manner as to oscillate on a frequency f 0 and the antenna 9 radiates this frequency f 0 . when the binary signal b 0 is in its condition zero , the oscillator circuit 8 is blocked and the antenna 9 does not radiate . thus , the antenna 9 radiates the binary signal b 0 on the frequency f 0 . just like the emission device 2 , the emission device 3 comprises an oscillator circuit 13 connected to an emitting antenna 14 , an input 15 for the binary signal b 1 , which input is connected to a switch 16 , which is itself connected to a command input 17 of the oscillator circuit 13 . as in the case of the emission device 2 , the oscillator circuit 13 is switched in amplitude by the binary signal b 1 and emits on the same frequency f 0 as the oscillator circuit 8 of the device 2 . thus , the antenna 14 radiates on the frequency f 0 when the binary signal b 1 is in its condition one . the emission device 3 further comprises a second oscillator circuit 18 , the output of which is likewise connected to the antenna 14 , a switch 19 which is connected to the switching input 20 of the oscillator circuit 18 as well as an inverter 21 which connects the input 15 to the switch 19 . when the binary signal b 1 input by the input 15 is in its condition zero , this condition is inverted by the inverter 21 and the switch 19 switches in amplitude the oscillator circuit 18 , which is controlled in order to oscillate on a frequency f 1 different from f 0 , so that the antenna 14 radiates on this frequency f 1 . accordingly , the emission device 3 is constructed in such a manner that its antenna 14 emits on the frequency f 0 when the binary signal b 1 is in its condition one and emits on the frequency f 1 when the binary signal b 1 is in its condition zero . this mode of operation appears in fig2 . thus , the emission device 3 is adapted to emit simultaneously the binary signal b 1 and its inverse , on two different channels . the emission device 4 differs from the emission device 3 in that it comprises only a single oscillator circuit 22 which , on this occasion , is a frequency hopping oscillator circuit , the output of which is connected to an antenna 23 and the command input 24 of which is connected to an input 25 by which the binary signal b 2 is input . the oscillator circuit 22 is controlled in such a manner as to oscillate at the same frequency f 1 as the oscillator circuit 18 of the emission device 3 when the binary signal b 2 is in its condition one . on the other hand , when the binary signal b 2 is in its condition zero , the oscillator circuit 22 oscillates at a frequency f 2 different from f 0 and f 1 . these frequencies f 1 and f 2 are radiated by the antenna 23 . the emission device 4 is therefore likewise adapted to emit simultaneously the binary signal b 2 and its inverse , on two different channels . the reception device 5 comprises an antenna 26 which is connected to the input of a reception circuit 27 , which comprises a filter 28 and a detector 29 , its output being connected to a signal output 30 . this reception circuit 27 is locked or controlled in order to be sensitive to the radio signals appearing on the frequency f 0 in such a manner that it is sensitive to the signals emitted by the emission devices 2 and 3 on this frequency . thus , the reception device 5 is capable of receiving and of supplying at its output 30 the binary signal b 0 emitted by the emission device 2 and likewise the binary signal b 1 emitted by the emission device 3 . the reception device 6 comprises an antenna 31 which is connected to two independent reception circuits 32 and 33 which comprise respectively filters 34 and 35 and detectors 36 and 37 . the detection circuit 32 is locked in order to be sensitive to the radio signals appearing on the frequency f 0 , while the detection circuit 33 is locked in order to be sensitive to the radio signals appearing on the frequency f 1 . the output of the detection circuit 32 is connected to a signal output 40 , while the output of the detection circuit 33 is connected to a second output 39 . just like the reception device 5 , the reception device 6 is capable of receiving , by virtue of its detection circuit 32 locked to the frequency f 0 , the signal b 0 emitted by the emission device 2 and the signal b 1 emitted by the emission device 3 and of supplying at its output 40 these binary signals b 0 and b 1 . furthermore , the reception device 6 is capable of receiving , by virtue of its reception circuit 33 locked to the frequency f 1 , the inverse of the binary signal b 1 emitted by the emission device 3 and of supplying this inverse at the output 39 . it should be observed that the signal b 1 and its inverse which are simultaneously emitted by the emission device 3 are simultaneously received by the reception device 6 and the reception device 6 is capable of supplying the signal b 1 or its inverse on the basis of the reception of a single one of the conditions of the signal b 1 via one of the frequencies f 0 or f 1 . as has been seen , the emission device 4 emits likewise on the frequency f 1 to transmit the binary signal b 2 . as the reception device 6 is sensitive to this , it is likewise capable of receiving and of supplying at its output 39 the signal b 2 emitted by the emission device 4 . the reception device 6 likewise comprises an and gate 41 , the two inputs of which are respectively connected to the output of the reception circuits 32 and 33 and the output of which is connected to the input of a time delay circuit 42 connected to a command signal output 43 . when the two detection circuits 32 and 33 are excited at the same time during the duration of the time delay of the time delay circuit 42 , a command signal appears at the output 43 of the reception device 6 . the appearance of this command signal signifies that the transmission channels associated with the frequencies f 0 and f 1 to which the detection circuits 32 and 33 are respectively sensitive , are excited simultaneously and that in consequence no signal detection is validly capable of being carried out . the reception device 7 is of a type different from that of the reception device 6 but exhibits the same functions . it is a scanning or frequency scrutinizing detection device which comprises an antenna 44 which is connected to the input of a frequency mixer 45 , the output of which is connected to an intermediate frequency detection circuit 46 comprising a filter 47 and a detector 48 . the output of this detection circuit 46 is connected to the input of a processing , command and feedback control circuit 49 , one output of which is connected to the command input of a frequency controlled oscillator 50 which supplies the various local frequencies to the mixer 45 . the circuit 49 exhibits a received signal output 51a and a command signal output 51b . this reception device 7 is controlled or locked in such a manner as to be able to detect the radio signals appearing on the frequencies f 1 and f 2 . it is therefore capable of supplying at its output 51a the inverse of the binary signal b 1 and the binary signal b 2 emitted respectively by the emission devices 3 and 4 on the frequency f 1 as well as the inverse of the binary signal b 2 emitted by the emission device 4 on the frequency f 2 . it is moreover adapted to supply a command signal on its output 51b when the two transmission channels associated with the frequencies f 1 and f 2 are excited simultaneously for a determined duration , this function being performed by the processing circuit 49 . the transmission system 1 described hereinabove exhibits numerous advantages . in fact , its structure permits , in particular , the assurance , in a simple manner , of a very reliable transmission of signals and detection of when it is impossible to receive signals which are desired to be transmitted . in fact , the binary signal b 1 or its inverse passes by means of radio from the emission device 3 to the reception device 6 through two independent transmission channels associated with the frequencies f 0 and f 1 , and this takes place simultaneously , so that if one of the transmission channels is disturbed , the binary signal b 1 or its inverse is nevertheless transmitted by the other transmission channel . this same objective is likewise achieved by the pair formed by the emission device 4 and the reception device 7 , since the binary signal b 2 or its inverse may pass independently through the transmission channels associated with the frequencies f 1 and f 2 . furthermore , if the two transmission channels associated with the frequencies f 0 and f 1 are excited simultaneously for a duration at least equal to the delay time of the time delay circuit 42 , this means that these two channels are at the same time disturbed or unavailable and that the transmission of the binary signal b 1 between the emission device 3 and the reception device 6 is impossible , this fact being indicated by the appearance of a command signal at the output 43 of this reception device 6 . the pair formed by the emission device 4 and the reception device 7 likewise ensures this objective . the binary signal b 0 emitted by the emission device 2 may be received by the reception devices 5 and 6 , the binary signal b 1 or its inverse emitted by the emission device 3 may be received by the reception devices 5 , 6 and 7 and the binary signal b 2 or its inverse emitted by the emission device 4 may be received by the reception devices 6 and 7 , these links by means of radio utilizing only three transmission channels associated with the frequencies f 0 , f 1 and f 2 . the objectives and advantages of the transmission system 1 which have been described hereinabove are particularly beneficial in the following application , in which a multiplicity of independent emitters may emit in a random and / or simultaneous manner . the transmission system 1 may , in fact , constitute a system of linkage by means of radio to a plurality of networks , for example a network for the monitoring and control of household appliances and a network for the security of assets and of persons , this security system being , in a general way , an alarm system . in this case , the binary signals b 1 and b 2 might be generated by detectors linked to the security of the property and persons and the signal b 0 might be generated by emitters linked to the monitoring and to the control of household appliances . as is evident from the aforegoing , a security signal , for example the signal b 1 or the signal b 2 , would be transmitted simultaneously and in a reliable and redundant manner on two transmission channels , it being possible for one channel to be disturbed or blocked without consequence upon the transmission of the said security signal . if the two transmission channels linked to this security signal are , for example , jammed at the same time , what is then involved would with a high degree of probability be a deliberate jamming and the command signal generated would then constitute an alarm command signal . the detection of jamming is not necessary where what is involved is the transmission of the signal b 0 , concerning which it can be considered that the function is less important than the function of the signals b 1 and b 2 which are linked to security . the present invention is not limited to what has just been described . in particular , the transmission system 1 might comprise other emission devices and other reception devices . the signals b 0 , b 1 and b 2 might be signals having more than two conditions or concerning messages or concerning a repetition of messages each composed of a succession of signals , each one of these conditions or messages being capable of passing simultaneously or successively through more than two transmission channels , as might be done by the frequency hopping oscillator 22 in association with synchronized receivers , each channel permitting the reconstruction of the entirety of the message or of the information emitted . each binary signal might , for example , be multiplexed between more than two transmission channels , each channel permitting the independent reconstruction of the entirety of the message or of the information emitted .	7
now , a first example of the semiconductor composite device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below , referring to the schematic configuration sectional diagram shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 , a semiconductor device 21 is formed on a substrate 11 . the semiconductor device 21 is composed , for example , of a semiconductor device such as transistor , capacitor , thyristor , etc . in the example shown in the figure , the semiconductor device 21 is a transistor formed in a device forming region isolated by device isolation regions 12 formed on the substrate 11 . in addition , the semiconductor device 21 is covered by an insulating film 41 . a microelectromechanical system 31 is formed on the insulating film 41 . further , first plugs 51 for connection with the semiconductor device 21 , the substrate 11 , and the like are formed in the insulating film 41 . the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 are connected to each other through a wiring , the plugs , and the like which are formed in a wiring layer 50 . incidentally , though a wiring for direct connection between the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 is not shown in the figure , they are connected to each other through the wiring , the plugs , and the like in a region not appearing in the figure . the wiring layer 50 has a three - layer wiring structure , for example . the wiring layer 50 includes , for example , the first plugs 51 ; a first wiring 52 formed on the insulating film 41 and connected to the first plugs 51 ; a first layer insulating film 53 covering the first wiring 52 ; second plugs 54 formed in the first layer insulating film 53 and connected to the first wiring 52 , the microelectromechanical system 31 , and the like ; a second wiring 55 formed on the first layer insulating film 53 and connected to the second plugs 54 ; a second layer insulating film 56 covering the second wiring 55 ; third plugs 57 formed in the second layer insulating film 56 and connected to the second wiring 55 ; and a third wiring 58 formed on the second layer insulating film 56 and connected to the third plugs 57 . the microelectromechanical system 31 is exposed to the exterior from the first layer insulating film 53 and the second layer insulating film 56 of the wiring layer 50 . for example , the microelectromechanical system 31 is exposed by removing the first layer insulating film 53 and the second layer insulating film 56 of the wiring layer 50 formed on the microelectromechanical system 31 . as will be detailed in the description of the manufacturing method later , at the time of removing the first layer insulating film 53 and the second layer insulating film 56 , a sacrificing film used in forming the microelectromechanical system 31 is also removed , whereby a space ( the voided portion in the figure ) for the microelectromechanical system is formed . in the semiconductor composite device 1 , the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 are formed on the same substrate 11 , and the wiring layer 50 in connection with the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 is formed . therefore , the microelectromechanical system 31 which has hitherto been a single functional device can be provided with a composite function , for example , the function of a semiconductor electronic circuit 20 composed of the semiconductor device 21 and the wiring layer 50 . for example , in the case of an rf ( radio frequency ) front end module hitherto produced by combining discrete component parts or the like module , the functions equivalent to those of the module can be realized on a one - chip basis by producing such rf component parts as filter , switch , mixer , oscillator , etc . as mems on chip . this has various merits such as a large reduction in the module size , suppression of power consumption , a reduction in the manufacturing cost , an increase in the degree of freedom in product design , etc . in the next place , a second example of the embodiment of the semiconductor composite device in the present invention will be described below , referring to the schematic configuration sectional diagram shown in fig2 . as shown in fig2 , a semiconductor device 21 is formed on a substrate 11 . the semiconductor device 21 is composed , for example , of a semiconductor device such as transistor , capacitor , thyristor , etc . in the example shown in the figure , the semiconductor device 21 is a transistor formed in a device forming region isolated by device isolation regions 12 formed on the substrate 11 . a microelectromechanical system 31 is formed on an insulating film 41 . first plugs 51 connected to the semiconductor device 21 , the substrate 11 , and the like are formed in the insulating film 41 . the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 are connected by wirings , plugs , and the like which are formed in a wiring layer 50 . incidentally , though a wiring for direct connection between the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 is not shown in the figure , they are connected to each other by a wiring , plugs , and the like which do not appear in the figure . the wiring layer 50 has a three - layer wiring structure , for example . the wiring layer 50 includes , for example , the first plugs 51 ; a first wiring 52 formed on the insulating film 41 and connected to the first plugs 51 ; a first layer insulating film 53 covering the first wiring 52 ; second plugs 54 formed in the first layer insulating film 53 and connected to the first wiring 52 , the microelectromechanical system 31 , and the like ; a second wiring 55 formed on the first layer insulating film 53 and connected to the second plugs 54 ; a second layer insulating film 56 covering the second wiring 55 ; third plugs 57 formed in the second layer insulating film 56 and connected to the second wiring 55 ; and a third wiring 58 formed on the second layer insulating film 56 and connected to the third plugs 57 . the microelectromechanical system 31 is enveloped by a protective film 33 , with a space 32 at a part therebetween . the first layer insulating film 53 is formed on the protective film 33 . in this semiconductor composite device 2 , the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 are formed on the same substrate 11 , and the wiring layer 50 connected to the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 is formed . therefor , the microelectromechanical system 31 which has hitherto been a single functional device can be provided with a composite function , for example , the function of a semiconductor electronic circuit 20 composed of the semiconductor device 21 and the wiring layer 50 . for example , in the case of an rf ( radio frequency ) front end module which has hitherto been produced by combining discrete component parts or the like module , the functions equivalent to those of the module can be realized on a one - chip basis by forming an rf component part such as filter , switch , mixer , oscillator , etc . as mems on chip . this gives various merits such as a large reduction of module size , suppression of power consumption , a reduction in the manufacturing cost , an increase in the degree of freedom in product design , etc . further , since the microelectromechanical system 31 is enveloped by the protective film 33 with the air layer 32 therebetween and the microelectromechanical system 31 is therefore not exposed to the exterior , reliability is enhanced , and the need for a gas - tight package is eliminated . now , a third example of the embodiment of the semiconductor composite device in the present invention will be described below , referring to the schematic configuration sectional diagram shown in fig3 . as shown in fig3 , a semiconductor device 21 is formed on a substrate 11 . the semiconductor device 21 is composed , for example , of a semiconductor device such as transistor , capacitor , thyristor , etc . in the example shown in the figure , the semiconductor device 21 is a transistor having a device forming region isolated by device isolation regions 12 formed on the substrate 11 . in addition , a microelectromechanical system 31 is formed on the substrate 11 . the microelectromechanical system 31 is enveloped by a protective film 33 with a space 32 at a part therebetween . besides , the semiconductor device 21 and the protective film 33 are covered with an insulating film 41 . further , first plugs 51 connected to the semiconductor device 21 , the substrate 11 , the microelectromechanical system 31 , and the like are formed in the insulating film 41 . the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 are connected to each other by a wiring , plugs , and the like in a wiring layer 50 . incidentally , though a wiring for direct connection between the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 is not shown in the figure , they are connected to each other by a wiring , plugs , and the like in the portion not appearing in the figure . the wiring layer 50 has a three - layer wiring structure , for example . the wiring layer 50 includes , for example , the first plugs 51 ; a first wiring 52 formed on the insulating film 41 and connected to the first plugs 51 ; a first layer insulating film 53 covering the first wiring 52 ; second plugs 54 formed in the first layer insulating film 53 and connected to the first wiring 52 , the microelectromechanical system 31 , and the like ; a second wiring 55 formed on the first layer insulating film 53 and connected to the second plugs 54 ; a second layer insulating film 56 covering the second wiring 55 ; third plugs 57 formed in the second layer insulating film 56 and connected to the second wiring 55 ; and a third wiring 58 formed on the second layer insulating film 56 and connected to the third plugs 57 . in this semiconductor composite device 3 , the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 are formed on the same substrate 11 , and the wiring layer 50 in connection with the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 is formed . therefore , the microelectromechanical system 31 which has hitherto been a single functional device can be provided with a composite function , for example , the function of a semiconductor electronic circuit 20 composed of the semiconductor device 21 and the wiring layer 50 . for example , in the case of an rf ( radio frequency ) front end module hitherto produced by combining discrete component parts or the like module , the functions equivalent to those of the module can be realized on a one - chip basis by forming an rf component part such as filter , switch , mixer , oscillator , etc . as mems on chip . this gives a variety of merits such as a large reduction in module size , suppression of power consumption , a reduction in the manufacturing cost , an increase in the degree of freedom in product design , etc . in addition , since the microelectromechanical system 31 is enveloped by the protective film 33 with the air layer 32 therebetween and the microelectromechanical system 31 is therefore not exposed to the exterior , reliability is enhanced , and the need for a gas - tight package is eliminated . further , since the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 are mounted together on substantially the same layer , this configuration is effective in the case where the microelectromechanical system 31 has a large stepped portion and the like cases . now , a first example of an embodiment of the method of manufacturing a semiconductor composite device in the present invention will be described below , referring to manufacturing step sectional diagrams shown in fig4 a to 4 c . here , as an example , the manufacturing steps of the semiconductor composite device 1 described referring to fig1 above are shown . as shown in fig4 a , device isolation regions 12 are formed on a substrate 11 , to demarcate a device forming region . next , a semiconductor device 21 is formed in the device forming region . the semiconductor device 21 is composed , for example , of a transistor , a capacitor , a resistor , a thyristor or the like . in the example shown in the figure , the semiconductor device 21 is composed of a transistor . the method of manufacturing the semiconductor device 21 may be an existing manufacturing method . next , the semiconductor device 21 is covered with an insulating film 41 . subsequently , as shown in fig4 b , a microelectromechanical system 31 is formed on the insulating film 41 . the microelectromechanical system 31 can be manufactured by an existing manufacturing method . in this case , a sacrificing film 61 is preliminarily formed at least in the area for forming a space for the microelectromechanical system 31 . the sacrificing film 61 is removed in a later step , whereby the space for the microelectromechanical system 31 is formed . in addition , those component parts of the microelectromechanical system 31 which are located in other regions than the region where the microelectromechanical system 31 is to be formed are removed . in this example of the embodiment , signal lines for the microelectromechanical system 31 and the semiconductor device 21 can be composed of polycrystalline silicon with phosphorus ( p ) doped thereto as an impurity . in this case , a heat treatment at a high temperature may be necessary to activate polycrystalline silicon , the heat treatment produces no problem on the manufacturing basis , since it is conducted before the formation of the wiring layer which will be described below . next , as shown in fig4 c , a wiring layer 50 connected to the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 is formed . the wiring layer 50 can be formed by an ordinary multi - layer wiring technology . here , the wiring layer 50 has a three - layer wiring structure , for example . first , first plugs 51 in connection with the semiconductor device 21 , the substrate 11 , and the like are formed in the insulating film 41 . next , a first wiring 52 for connection with the first plugs 51 is formed on the insulating film 41 . subsequently , a first layer insulating film 53 covering the first wiring 52 is formed . next , second plugs 54 connected to the first wiring 52 , the microelectromechanical system 31 , and the like is formed in the first layer insulating film 53 . subsequently , a second wiring 55 connected to the second plugs 54 is formed on the first layer insulating film 53 . further , by utilizing a part of the second wiring 55 , an mim capacitor 71 is formed . next , a second layer insulating film 56 covering the second wiring 55 , the mim capacitor 71 , and the like is formed . subsequently , third plugs 57 connected to the second wiring 55 are formed in the second layer insulating film 56 . next , a third wiring 58 in connection with the third plugs 57 is formed on the second layer insulating film 56 . the first , second , and third plugs 51 , 54 , and 57 can be formed by an existing plug forming technique . for example , the plugs can be composed of tungsten plugs , polysilicon plugs , or the like . the first , second , and third wirings 52 , 55 , and 58 can be formed by an existing wiring forming technique . for example , the wirings can be composed of metallic wirings of aluminum , an aluminum alloy , or the like , polysilicon wirings , or the like . the first and second layer insulating films 53 and 56 can be formed by an existing layer insulating film forming technique . for example , the layer insulating films can be composed of a silicon oxide film formed by a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) method . besides , in order to reduce the parasitic capacitance between the wirings , a so - called low dielectric constant film formed of a material lower than silicon oxide in dielectric constant may be adopted . in addition , the layer insulating films may be composed of a layered film of a low dielectric constant film with an inorganic film such as a silicon oxide film . incidentally , a wiring for direct connection between the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 is not shown in the figure , they are connected to each other by a wiring , plugs , and the like in the portion not appearing in the figure . thereafter , the sacrificing film 61 [ see fig4 b ], the first and second layer insulating films 53 and 56 and the like on the microelectromechanical system 31 and in the surroundings thereof are removed , to form a space 34 for the microelectromechanical system 31 . this removal can be conducted , for example , by use of a hydrofluoric acid based wet etching in the case where the sacrificing film 61 , the first and second layer insulating films 53 and 56 and the like are composed of silicon oxide based films . in this method of manufacturing the semiconductor composite device 1 , the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 are formed on the same substrate 11 , so that the microelectromechanical system 31 which has hitherto been a single functional device can be provided with a composite function . for example , in the case of an rf ( radio frequency ) front end module which has hitherto been produced by combining discrete component parts or the like module , the functions equivalent to those of the module can be realized on a one - chip basis by forming the rf component parts such as filter , switch , mixer , oscillator , etc . as microelectromechanical system 31 on chip . this gives various merits such as a large reduction of module size , suppression of power consumption , a reduction in the manufacturing cost , an increase in the degree of freedom in product design , etc . now , a second example of the embodiment of the method of manufacturing a semiconductor composite device in the present invention will be described below , referring to fig4 a and fig2 . here , as an example , the manufacturing steps of the semiconductor composite device 2 shown in fig2 will be described . as shown in fig4 a , device isolation regions 12 are formed on a substrate 11 , to demarcate a device forming region . next , a semiconductor device 21 is formed in the device forming region . the semiconductor device 21 is composed , for example , of a transistor , a capacitor , a resistor , a thyristor , or the like . in the example shown in the figure , the semiconductor device 21 is composed of a transistor . the semiconductor device 21 can be produced by an existing manufacturing method . subsequently , the semiconductor device 21 is covered with an insulating film 41 . next , as shown in fig2 , a microelectromechanical system 31 is formed on the insulating film 41 . the microelectromechanical system 31 can be formed by an existing manufacturing method . in this case , a sacrificing film ( not shown ) is preliminarily formed at least in the area for forming a space for the microelectromechanical system 31 . in addition , a protective film 33 is formed on the upper side of the microelectromechanical system 31 , with a sacrificing film ( not shown ) therebetween . thereafter , a part of the protective film 33 is opened , the sacrificing films are removed so as to form a space 34 for the microelectromechanical system 31 and to form a space 32 between the microelectromechanical system 31 and the protective film 33 . where the sacrificing films are composed of silicon oxide based films , they can be removed by a hydrofluoric acid based wet etching , for example . in this example of the embodiment , signal lines for the microelectromechanical system 31 and the semiconductor device 21 can be composed of polycrystalline silicon with phosphor ( p ) added thereto as an impurity . in this case , a heat treatment at a high temperature may be necessary to activate the polycrystalline silicon , but the heat treatment produces no problem on a manufacturing basis , since it is conducted before the formation of a wiring layer which will be described below . subsequently , a wiring layer 50 connected to the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 is formed . the wiring layer 50 can be formed by an ordinary multi - layer wiring technique . here , the wiring layer 50 has a three - layer wiring structure , for example . first , first plugs 51 connected to the semiconductor device 21 , the substrate 11 , and the like are formed in the insulating film 41 . next , a first wiring 52 connected to the first plugs 51 is formed on the insulating film 41 . subsequently , a first layer insulating film 53 covering the first wiring 52 , the protective film 33 , and the like is formed . next , second plugs 54 connected to the first wiring 52 , the microelectromechanical system 31 , and the like are formed in the first layer insulating film 53 . subsequently , a second wiring 55 connected to the second plugs 54 is formed on the first layer insulating film 53 . further , by utilizing a part of the second wiring 55 , an mim capacitor 71 is formed . next , a second layer insulating film 56 covering the second wiring 55 , the mim capacitor 71 , and the like is formed . subsequently , third plugs 57 connected to the second wiring 55 are formed in the second layer insulating film 56 . next , a third wiring 58 connected to the third plugs 57 is formed on the second layer insulating film 56 . the first , second , and third plugs 51 , 54 , and 57 can be formed by an existing plug forming technique . for example , the plugs may be composed of tungsten plugs , polysilicon plugs , or the like . the first , second , and third wirings 52 , 55 , and 58 can be formed by an existing wiring forming technique . for example , the wirings may be composed of metallic wirings of aluminum , an aluminum alloy , or the like , polysilicon wirings , or the like . the first and second layer insulating films 53 and 56 can be formed by an existing layer insulating film forming technique . for example , the layer insulating films may be composed of silicon oxide films formed by a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) method . besides , in order to reduce the parasitic capacitance between the wirings , a so - called low dielectric constant film may be adopted which is formed of a material lower than silicon oxide in dielectric constant . in addition , a layered film of a low dielectric constant film with an inorganic film of silicon oxide or the like may also be adopted . incidentally , though a wiring for direct connection between the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 is not shown in the figure , they are connected to each other through a wiring , plugs , or the like in an area not appearing in the figure . in this method of manufacturing the semiconductor composite device 2 , the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 are formed on the same substrate 11 , so that the microelectromechanical system 31 which has hitherto been a single functional device can be provided with a composite function . for example , in the case of an rf ( radio frequency ) front end module which has hitherto been produced by combining discrete component parts or the like module , the functions equivalent to those of the module can be realized on a one - chip basis by forming the rf component parts such as filter , switch , mixer , oscillator , etc . as microelectromechanical system 31 on chip . this gives various merits such as a large reduction in module size , suppression of power consumption , a reduction in the manufacturing cost , an increase in the degree of freedom in product design , etc . further , since the microelectromechanical system 31 is enveloped by the protective film 33 with the air layer 32 therebetween and the microelectromechanical system 31 is therefore not exposed to the exterior , reliability is enhanced , and the need for a gas - tight package is eliminated . now , a third example of the embodiment of the method of manufacturing a semiconductor composite device in the present invention will be described below , referring to fig4 a and fig3 . here , as an example , manufacturing steps of the semiconductor composite device 3 shown in fig3 will be described . as shown in fig4 a , device isolation regions 12 are formed on a substrate 11 , to demarcate a device forming region . next , a semiconductor device 21 is formed in the device forming region . the semiconductor device 21 is composed , for example , of a transistor , a capacitor , a resistor , a thyristor , or the like . in the example shown in the figure , the semiconductor device 21 is composed of a transistor . the semiconductor device 21 can be produced by an existing manufacturing method . next , as shown in fig3 , a microelectromechanical system 31 is formed on the substrate 11 . the microelectromechanical system 31 can be formed by an existing manufacturing method . in this case , a sacrificing film ( not shown ) is preliminarily formed at least in the area for forming a space for the microelectromechanical system 31 . in addition , a protective film 33 is formed on the upper side of the microelectromechanical system 31 , with a sacrificing film ( not shown ) therebetween . thereafter , a part of the protective film 33 is opened , the sacrificing films are removed so as to form a space 34 for the microelectromechanical system 31 and to form a space 32 between the microelectromechanical system 31 and the protective film 33 . where the sacrificing films are composed of silicon oxide based films , they can be removed by a hydrofluoric acid based wet etching , for example . in this example of the embodiment , signal lines for the microelectromechanical system 31 and the semiconductor device 21 can be composed of polycrystalline silicon with phosphor ( p ) added thereto as an impurity . in this case , a heat treatment at a high temperature may be necessary to activate the polycrystalline silicon , but the heat treatment produces no problem on a manufacturing basis , since it is conducted before the formation of a wiring layer which will be described below . subsequently , an insulating film 41 covering the semiconductor device 21 and the protective film 33 is formed . next , a wiring layer 50 connected to the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 is formed . the wiring layer 50 can be formed by an ordinary multi - layer wiring technique . here , the wiring layer 50 has a three - layer wiring structure , for example . first , first plugs 51 connected to the semiconductor device 21 , the substrate 11 , the microelectromechanical system 31 , and the like are formed in the insulating film 41 . next , a first wiring 52 connected to the first plugs 51 is formed on the insulating film 41 . subsequently , a first layer insulating film 53 covering the first wiring 52 is formed . next , second plugs 54 connected to the first wiring 52 are formed in the first layer insulating film 53 . subsequently , a second wiring 55 connected to the second plugs 54 is formed on the first layer insulating film 53 . further , by utilizing a part of the second wiring 55 , an mim capacitor 71 is formed . next , a second layer insulating film 56 covering the second wiring 55 , the mim capacitor 71 , and the like is formed . subsequently , third plugs 57 connected to the second wiring 55 and the mim capacitor 71 are formed in the second layer insulating film 56 . next , a third wiring 58 connected to the third plugs 57 is formed on the second layer insulating film 56 . the first , second , and third plugs 51 , 54 , and 57 can be formed by an existing plug forming technique . for example , the plugs may be composed of tungsten plugs , polysilicon plugs , or the like . the first , second , and third wirings 52 , 55 , and 58 can be formed by an existing wiring forming technique . for example , the wirings may be composed of metallic wirings of aluminum , an aluminum alloy , or the like , polysilicon wirings , or the like . the first and second layer insulating films 53 and 56 can be formed by an existing layer insulating film forming technique . for example , the layer insulating films may be composed of silicon oxide films formed by a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) method . besides , in order to reduce the parasitic capacitance between the wirings , a so - called low dielectric constant film may be adopted which is formed of a material lower than silicon oxide in dielectric constant . in addition , a layered film of a low dielectric constant film with an inorganic film of silicon oxide or the like may also be adopted . incidentally , though a wiring for direct connection between the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 is not shown in the figure , they are connected to each other through a wiring , plugs , or the like in an area not appearing in the figure . in this method of manufacturing the semiconductor composite device 3 , the semiconductor device 21 and the microelectromechanical system 31 are formed on the same substrate 11 , so that the microelectromechanical system 31 which has hitherto been a single functional device can be provided with a composite function . for example , in the case of an rf ( radio frequency ) front end module which has hitherto been produced by combining discrete component parts or the like module , the functions equivalent to those of the module can be realized on a one - chip basis by forming the rf component parts such as filter , switch , mixer , oscillator , etc . as microelectromechanical system 31 on chip . this gives various merits such as a large reduction in module size , suppression of power consumption , a reduction in the manufacturing cost , an increase in the degree of freedom in product design , etc . in addition , since the microelectromechanical system 31 is enveloped by the protective film 33 with the air layer 32 therebetween and is therefore not exposed to the exterior , reliability is enhanced , and the need for a gas - tight package is eliminated . further , since the microelectromechanical system 31 is formed in substantially the same layer as the semiconductor device 21 , this configuration is effective in the case where the microelectromechanical system 31 has a large stepped portion and the like cases . now , as an application example based on the configurations described in the embodiments above , a high - frequency band pass filter using a beam type mems resonator will be described below , referring to a schematic configuration perspective diagram of a beam type mems resonator , shown in fig5 a , and a plan layout diagram of the high - frequency band pass filter using the beam type mems resonator , shown in fig5 b . the beam type mems resonator 131 shown in fig5 a includes an input line 132 , an output line 133 disposed in parallel to the input line 132 , and an oscillator electrode 135 supported at both ends thereof , with predetermined spaces 134 between itself and the input line 132 and the output line 133 . when a high - frequency input signal is impressed on the input line 132 , a beam ( oscillating portion ) 135 a of the oscillator electrode 135 provided on the upper side of the output line 133 with the space 134 therebetween is mechanically resonated by a high - frequency signal conforming to its natural frequency , whereby the parasitic capacitance of a capacitor composed of the space 134 between the output line 133 and the beam ( oscillating portion ) 135 a is varied , and the variation is outputted through the output line 133 as a filtered signal . the high - frequency band pass filter using the beam type mems resonator , shown in fig5 b , is so configured that a signal inputted from pads 111 on the left in the drawing is filtered when passing through a microelectromechanical system ( high - frequency band pass filter 141 ) composed of mems resonators 131 connected in a lattice form , the filtered signal is amplified by a semiconductor electronic circuit ( amplifier 151 ) at the following stage , and the amplified signal is outputted to pads 171 on the right in the drawing . according to the related art , the components of the high - frequency band pass filter 141 composed of the amplifier 151 and the mems resonator 131 are individually produced , and they are connected by wire bonding or the like at the time of mounting . according to an embodiment of the present invention , on the other hand , the high - frequency band pass filter 141 can be produced as a device in which the component parts are mounted on the same substrate on a one - chip basis . the resonance characteristic of a beam type resonator which has been mounted together with other device ( s ) through the manufacturing steps described referring to fig4 a to 4 c above is shown in fig6 . on the other hand , the resonance characteristic of a resonator produced as a single device is shown in fig7 . a comparison between the resonance characteristics shown respectively in fig6 and in fig7 shows that comparable characteristics are obtained , from the viewpoints of resonance frequency , transmission characteristic , and the like . incidentally , s 21 on the axis of ordinates in fig6 and 7 represents the power transmission level of signal , and the axis of abscissas represents frequency . in addition , the output characteristic of an emitter follower ( e / f ) circuit mounted together with the microelectromechanical system ( mems ) 31 is shown in fig8 . it is seen that a gain as designed is obtained , and the step of forming the microelectromechanical system 31 at a high temperature has little influenced the semiconductor electronic circuit 20 mounted together with the microelectromechanical system 31 . incidentally , s 21 on the axis of ordinates in fig8 represents the power transmission level of signal , and the axis of abscissas represents frequency . as has been described above , the semiconductor composite devices 1 to 3 in the present invention include the semiconductor electronic circuit 20 and the microelectromechanical system ( mems ) 31 mounted together on the same substrate 11 , and the layout can be appropriately modified according to the desired characteristics , sizes , and the like of the semiconductor electronic circuit 20 , the semiconductor device 21 , and the microelectromechanical system 31 which are mounted together on the same substrate 11 . besides , the microelectromechanical system 31 described above can be used to constitute not only the high - frequency band pass filter in which the system is used as a resonator as above - mentioned but also analog devices for high - frequency use , for example , switch , oscillator , mixer , inductor , variable capacitor , or the like . the present invention is not limited to the details of the above - described preferred embodiments . the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and all changes and modifications as fall within the equivalence of the scope of the claims are therefore to be embraced by the invention .	1
in the alloy type thermal fuse of the invention , a circular wire having an outer diameter of 200 to 600 μmφ , preferably , 250 to 350 μmφ , or a flat wire having the same sectional area as that of the circular wire may be used as a fuse element . the fuse element of the thermal fuse of the invention can be produced by drawing a base material of an alloy or by the in - rotating liquid spinning method , and used with remaining to have a circular shape or with being further subjected to a compression process to be flattened . when the fuse element is to be produced by the in - rotating liquid spinning method , an in - rotating liquid spinning apparatus shown in fig1 can be used . referring to fig1 , 61 denotes a rotary drum in which one end of a circular drum wall is closed by a vertical wall , and a flange wall is disposed on the inner periphery of the other end of the circular drum wall . the reference numeral 62 denotes cooling liquid which is , for example , an organic solvent such as isopropyl alcohol . the reference numeral 63 denotes a nozzle which is made of a heat - resistant material such as quartz , and which has a heater . the fuse element is produced by the in - rotating liquid spinning method in the following manner . a molten material jet 20 ejected from the quartz nozzle 63 is introduced into a cooling liquid layer 621 which is formed and held to the inner peripheral face of the rotary drum 61 by a centrifugal force , in the same degree and direction as the peripheral speed of the cooling liquid layer . the introduced jet is rapidly cooled and solidified in the cooling liquid layer 621 to spin a fuse element . in this case , the jet in the space between the nozzle and the cooling liquid layer retains the circular shape of the nozzle by means of the surface tension of the molten metal to have a circular section , and , in the cooling liquid layer , is slightly flattened by the dynamic pressure . when the peripheral speed of the cooling liquid layer , and the angle at which the jet enters the cooling liquid layer are adjusted so that the circle retaining force due to a centrifugal force of the jet is made larger than the flattening pressure due to the dynamic pressure of the cooling liquid layer , however , the jet entering the cooling liquid layer is cooled and solidified while retaining the circular section shape , whereby a fuse element having a substantially true circular section can be obtained . when the alloy type thermal fuse is formed so as to have a tape - type shape , the alloy type thermal fuse can be thinned , and preferably used as a thermoprotector for a secondary battery such as a lithium - ion battery . fig2 shows an alloy type thermal fuse of the tape type . in the fuse , strip lead conductors 1 are fixed by an adhesive agent or fusion bonding to a plastic base film 41 , a fuse element 2 is connected between the strip lead conductors , a flux 3 is applied to the fuse element 2 , and the flux - applied fuse element is sealed by means of fixation of a plastic cover film 42 by an adhesive agent or fusion bonding . the alloy type thermal fuse of the invention may be realized in the form of a fuse of the case type , the substrate type , or the resin dipping type . fig3 shows a fuse of the cylindrical case type . a low - melting fusible alloy piece 2 is connected between a pair of lead wires 1 , and a flux 3 is applied onto the low - melting fusible alloy piece 2 . the flux - applied low - melting fusible alloy piece is passed through an insulating tube 4 which is excellent in heat resistance and thermal conductivity , for example , a ceramic tube . gaps between the ends of the insulating tube 4 and the lead wires 1 are sealingly closed by a cold - setting adhesive agent 5 such as an epoxy resin . fig4 shows a fuse of the radial case type . a fuse element 2 is bonded between tip ends of parallel lead conductors 1 by welding , and a flux 3 is applied to the fuse element 2 . the flux - applied fuse element is enclosed by an insulating case 4 in which one end is opened , for example , a ceramic case . the opening of the insulating case 4 is sealingly closed by a sealing agent 5 such as an epoxy resin . fig5 shows a fuse of the substrate type . a pair of film electrodes 1 are formed on an insulating substrate 4 such as a ceramic substrate by printing of conductive paste ( for example , silver paste ). lead conductors 11 are connected respectively to the electrodes 1 by welding or the like . a fuse element 2 is bonded between the electrodes 1 by welding , and a flux 3 is applied to the fuse element 2 . the flux - applied fuse element is coveted by a sealing agent 5 such as an epoxy resin . fig6 shows a fuse of the radial resin dipping type . a fuse element 2 is bonded between tip ends of parallel lead conductors 1 by welding , and a flux 3 is applied to the fuse element 2 . the flux - applied fuse element is dipped into a resin solution to seal the element by an insulative sealing agent 5 such as an epoxy resin . the invention may be realized in the form of a fuse having an electric heating element , such as a substrate type fuse having a resistor in which , for example , a resistor ( film resistor ) is additionally disposed on an insulating substrate of an alloy type thermal fuse of the substrate type , and , when an apparatus is in an abnormal state , the resistor is energized to generate heat so that a low - melting fusible alloy piece is blown out by the generated heat . as the flux , a flux having a melting point which is lower than that of the fuse element is generally used . for example , useful is a flux containing 90 to 60 weight parts of rosin , 10 to 40 weight parts of stearic acid , and 0 to 3 weight parts of an activating agent . in this case , as the rosin , a natural rosin , a modified rosin ( for example , a hydrogenated rosin , an inhomogeneous rosin , or a polymerized rosin ), or a purified rosin thereof can be used . as the activating agent , hydrochloride of diethylamine , hydrobromide of diethylamine , or the like can be used . as seen from dsc curves of examples which will be described later , the operating temperature of the alloy type thermal fuse of the invention is about 100 ° c . or slightly lower than 100 ° c . the thermal fuse is attached to a case of a secondary battery so as to thermally contact with the case , whereby the fuse is used as a thermoprotector ( when the temperature of the battery reaches a value of about 100 ° c . or slightly lower than 100 ° c ., the thermal fuse operates to disconnect the battery from a load ). in examples and comparative examples which will be described later , 30 specimens were used , each of the specimens was immersed into an oil bath in which the temperature was raised at a rate of 0 . 5 ° c ./ min ., and , while supplying a current of 0 . 1 a to the specimen , the temperature of the oil when the current supply was interrupted by blowing - out was measured . furthermore , the standard deviation of operating temperatures was obtained . dispersion of the operating temperature was evaluated in the following manner . when the standard deviation is 1 or smaller , the dispersion is judged acceptable , and , when the standard deviation is larger than 1 , the dispersion is judged unacceptable . in a dsc [ in which a reference sample ( unchanged ) and a measuring sample are housed in a nitrogen - filled vessel , an electric power is supplied to a heater of the vessel to heat the samples at a constant rate , and a variation of the heat energy input amount due to a thermal change of the measuring sample is detected by a differential thermocouple ], the heating rate was 5 ° c ./ min . and the sampling time interval was 0 . 5 s . the elimination of a slow transformation in the melt completion in a dsc curve was evaluated in the following manner . when the change width is 50 % or more of the width of the solid - liquid coexisting region ( see fig1 ), the elimination is judged x ( failure ); when the change width is 50 to 10 % ( see fig1 ), the elimination is judged δ ( poor ); when a slow transformation is not observed , the elimination is judged ⊚ ( excellent ); and , when a slow transformation is observed but the change width is small ( 10 % or less ), the elimination is judged ◯ ( fair ). a fuse element was produced by the in - rotating liquid spinning method . the nozzle diameter was set to 300 μmφ , the rotation speed of the drum was set to 200 rpm , and the injection pressure was set to 1 . 0 kg / cm 2 . in an obtained fuse element , a section has an aspect ratio of about 0 . 8 and an average diameter is about 300 μm . an alloy type thermal fuse was formed as that of the tape type . polyethylene telephtalate films having a thickness of 200 μm , a width of 5 mm , and a length of 10 mm were used as the resin films 41 and 42 shown in fig2 . copper conductors having a thickness of 150 μm , a width of 3 mm , and a length of 20 mm were used as the strip lead conductors 1 . the fuse element 2 has a length of 4 mm . the end portions of the strip lead conductors 1 , and the fuse element which is connected between the strip lead conductors were placed on a base while the fuse element is sandwiched between the resin films 41 and 42 . edge portions of the cover resin films which are in contact with the strip lead conductors were pressurized by a ceramic chip , and portions of the strip lead conductors which are immediately below the ceramic chip were then heated by an electromagnetic induction heating apparatus disposed in an insulative base to fusingly seal gaps between the strip lead conductors and the films . thereafter , the films are fusingly sealed by ultrasonic fusion . a flux has a composition of 70 weight parts of rosin , 30 weight parts of armide ht , and 5 weight parts of adipic acid . in each of the examples and the comparative examples , 30 alloy type thermal fuses were produced . alloy type thermal fuses having a composition of 52 % in , 40 % sn , and 8 % bi were produced . a dsc curve was measured . fig7 shows the obtained dsc curve . the dsc evaluation was ⊚. the operating temperatures of the alloy type thermal fuses were measured . as a result , the average temperature was 102 . 63 ° c ., the highest temperature was 104 . 1 ° c ., the lowest temperature was 101 . 6 ° c ., and the standard deviation was 0 . 53 . dispersion of the operating temperatures was evaluated as acceptable . the resistances of the alloy type thermal fuses were measured before the measurement of the operating temperature . as a result , the average resistance was 13 . 35 mω , thereby causing no problem . in the period from the production of fuse elements to the measurement of the operating temperature , none of the fuse elements was broken , and hence there was no problem in strength . it was confirmed that , when 0 . 01 to 7 weight parts of one or both of ag and cu were added to 100 weight parts of the composition of example 1 in order to realize a low melting point , reduction of the resistance , and the like , the dsc evaluation is changed to ◯ from ⊚ in the case of no addition , but there is no problem in strength . alloy type thermal fuses having a composition of 52 % in , 38 % sn , and 10 % bi were produced . a dsc curve was measured . fig8 shows the obtained dsc curve . the dsc evaluation was ⊚. the operating temperatures of the alloy type thermal fuses were measured . as a result , the average temperature was 98 . 00 ° c ., the highest temperature was 99 . 7 ° c ., the lowest temperature was 96 . 6 ° c ., and the standard deviation was 0 . 76 . dispersion of the operating temperatures was evaluated as acceptable . the resistances of the alloy type thermal fuses were measured before the measurement of the operating temperature . as a result , the average resistance was 14 . 27 mω , thereby causing no problem . in the period from the production of fuse elements to the measurement of the operating temperature , none of the fuse elements was broken , and hence there was no problem in strength . it was confirmed that , when 0 . 01 to 7 weight parts of one or both of ag and cu were added to 100 weight parts of the composition of example 2 in order to realize a low melting point , reduction of the resistance , and the like , the dsc evaluation is changed to ◯ from ⊚ in the case of no addition , but there is no problem in strength . alloy type thermal fuses having a composition of 52 % in , 36 % sn , and 12 % bi were produced . a dsc curve was measured . fig9 shows the obtained dsc curve . the dsc evaluation was ⊚. the operating temperatures of alloy type thermal fuses of the tape type were measured . as a result , the average temperature was 94 . 15 ° c ., the highest temperature was 95 . 9 ° c ., the lowest temperature was 93 . 0 ° c ., and the standard deviation was 0 . 74 . dispersion of the operating temperatures was evaluated as acceptable . the resistances of the alloy type thermal fuses were measured before the measurement of the operating temperature . as a result , the average resistance was 15 . 28 mω , thereby causing no problem . in the period from the production of fuse elements to the measurement of the operating temperature , none of the fuse elements was broken , and hence there was no problem in strength . it was confirmed that , when 0 . 01 to 7 weight parts of one or both of ag and cu were added to 100 weight parts of the composition of example 3 in order to realize a low melting point , reduction of the resistance , and the like , the dsc evaluation is changed to ◯ from ⊚ in the case of no addition , but there is no problem in strength . fig1 shows relationships between the operating temperature and the amount of bi which are obtained from examples 1 to 3 . it will be seen that , when the amount of bi is increased by 1 % and that of sn is reduced by 1 %, the operating temperature of an alloy type thermal fuse can be lowered by 2 ° c . alloy type thermal fuses having a composition of 52 % in , 34 % sn , and 14 % bi were produced . a dsc curve was measured . fig1 shows the obtained dsc curve . the dsc evaluation was ⊚. the standard deviation of operating temperatures of alloy type thermal fuses was measured , with the result that the standard deviation was equal to or smaller than 1 . dispersion of the operating temperatures was evaluated as acceptable . the alloy type thermal fuses had no problem in the resistances and mechanical strength . it was confirmed that , when 0 . 01 to 7 weight parts of one or both of ag and cu were added to 100 weight parts of the composition of example 4 in order to realize a low melting point , reduction of the resistance , and the like , the dsc evaluation is ◯, but there is no problem in strength . from the dsc measurements of the examples , it is apparent that , when x = 8 to 14 in 52in -( 48 - x ) sn - xbi , occurrence of a slow change in a dsc curve can be completely eliminated ( the dsc evaluation is ⊚). it was confirmed that , also when x = 14 to 16 , the same is attained . moreover , it was confirmed that , when x = 15 to 25 , the dsc evaluation can be made ◯. it was seen that , when x is smaller than 8 , the dsc evaluation can be made ⊚ or ◯ but the conditions of the operating temperature cannot be satisfied ( in the case of x = 0 or 52in - 48sn , about 118 ° c . ), and , when x is larger than 25 , the dsc evaluation is δ or x and the specific resistance is excessively raised . alloy type thermal fuses having a composition of 50 % in , 43 % sn , and 7 % bi were produced . a dsc curve was measured . fig1 shows the obtained dsc curve . the dsc evaluation was δ . alloy type thermal fuses having a composition of 48 % in , 45 % sn , and 7 % bi were produced . a dsc curve was measured . fig1 shows the obtained dsc curve . the dsc evaluation was x . alloy type thermal fuses having a composition of 52 % in , 33 % sn , 3 % ag , and 12 % bi were produced . a dsc curve was measured . fig1 shows the obtained dsc curve . the dsc evaluation was ⊚. when compared with the dsc curve ( 52 % in , 36 % sn , and 12 % bi ) of example 3 shown in fig9 , it is expected that the operating temperature is lowered by 4 to 5 ° c . the standard deviation of operating temperatures of alloy type thermal fuses of the tape type was measured , with the result that the standard deviation was equal to or smaller than 1 . dispersion of the operating temperatures was evaluated as acceptable . the alloy type thermal fuses had no problem in the resistances and mechanical strength . alloy type thermal fuses having a composition of 52 % in , 34 % sn , 2 % ag , and 12 % bi were produced . a dsc curve was measured . the dsc evaluation was ⊚. when compared with the case of 52 % in , 36 % sn , and 12 % bi , it is expected that the operating temperature is lowered by 3 to 4 ° c . the standard deviation of operating temperatures of the alloy type thermal fuses was measured , with the result that the standard deviation was equal to or smaller than 1 . dispersion of the operating temperatures was evaluated as acceptable . the alloy type thermal fuses had no problem in the resistances and mechanical strength . alloy type thermal fuses having a composition of 52 % in , 35 % sn , 1 % ag , and 12 % bi were produced . a dsc curve was measured . the dsc evaluation was ⊚. when compared with the case of 52 % in , 36 % sn , and 12 % bi , it is expected that the operating temperature is lowered by 2 to 3 ° c . the standard deviation of operating temperatures of the alloy type thermal fuses was measured , with the result that the standard deviation was equal to or smaller than 1 . dispersion of the operating temperatures was evaluated as acceptable . the alloy type thermal fuses had no problem in the resistances and mechanical strength . alloy type thermal fuses having a composition of 52 % in , 37 % sn , 3 % ag , and 8 % bi were produced . a dsc curve was measured . fig1 shows the obtained dsc curve . the dsc evaluation was ⊚. when compared with the dsc curve ( 52 % in , 40 % sn , and 8 % bi ) of example 1 shown in fig7 , it is expected that the operating temperature is lowered by 4 to 5 ° c . the standard deviation of operating temperatures of alloy type thermal fuses was measured , with the result that the standard deviation was equal to or smaller than 1 . dispersion of the operating temperatures was evaluated as acceptable . the alloy type thermal fuses had no problem in the resistances and mechanical strength . alloy type thermal fuses having a composition of 52 % in , 38 % sn , 2 % ag , and 8 % bi were produced . a dsc curve was measured . the dsc evaluation was ⊚. when compared with the case of 52 % in , 40 % sn , and 8 % bi , it is expected that the operating temperature is lowered by 3 to 4 ° c . the standard deviation of operating temperatures of the alloy type thermal fuses was measured , with the result that the standard deviation was equal to or smaller than 1 . dispersion of the operating temperatures was evaluated as acceptable . the alloy type thermal fuses had no problem in the resistances and mechanical strength . alloy type thermal fuses having a composition of 52 % in , 39 % sn , 1 % ag , and 8 % bi were produced . a dsc curve was measured . the dsc evaluation was ⊚. when compared with the case of 52 % in , 40 % sn , and 8 % bi , it is expected that the operating temperature is lowered by . 2 to 3 ° c . the standard deviation of operating temperatures of the alloy type thermal fuses was measured , with the result that the standard deviation was equal to or smaller than 1 . dispersion of the operating temperatures was evaluated as acceptable . the alloy type thermal fuses had no problem in the resistances and mechanical strength . furthermore , dsc evaluation was performed while changing the amount of ag . by contrast to the conditions of 52in -( 48 - x ) sn - xbi where x = 8 to 16 , when y of 52in -( 48 - xy ) sn - xbi - yag where x = 8 to 16 is 0 . 01 to 7 . 0 %, the slow change in the melt completion of a dsc curve could be surely eliminated although ag was added . the entire disclosure of japanese patent application no . 2002 - 130364 filed on may 2 , 2002 including specification , claims , drawings and summary are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety .	7
as shown in the schematic representation of fig1 , the parallel hybrid electric vehicle transmission of the instant invention comprises a compound planetary gear set ( shown generally at 10 ), an engine 20 , an engine input shaft 21 , a combined electric motor and generator 30 , an output shaft 50 , and four torque transfer devices 61 , 62 , 63 , and 64 . torque transfer devices 61 and 62 preferably comprise multi - disk clutches , and torque transfer devices 63 and 64 preferably comprise band clutches . however , other similarly configured torque transfer devices , such as one - way clutches , may likewise be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the instant invention . compound planetary gear set 10 more particularly comprises an input planetary gear train ( shown generally at 100 ) and an output planetary gear train ( shown generally at 200 ). each of planetary gear trains 100 and 200 share a compound sun gear 101 . input planetary gear train 100 further comprises a ring gear 102 and a plurality of planetary gears 103 . likewise , output planetary gear train 200 further comprises a ring gear 202 and a plurality of planetary gears 203 . the output shaft 50 interconnects ring gear 102 of input planetary gear train 100 with the carrier 204 of planetary gears 203 of output planetary gear train 200 . electric motor 30 is integrated coaxially with compound sun gear 101 . engine input shaft 21 is affixed to hub 151 , which may in turn be operatively connected to the compound planetary gear train 10 by engaging either or both of multi - disk clutches 61 and 62 . when clutch 61 is engaged , engine input shaft 21 is coupled to the compounded sun gear 101 of input planetary gear train 100 and output planetary gear train 200 through hub 152 . likewise , when clutch 62 is engaged , engine input shaft 21 is coupled to carrier 104 of input planetary gear train 100 . band clutches 63 and 64 are used to ground ring gear 202 and sun gear 101 to the transmission case ( not shown ), and can be used to reduce the mobility of the transmission from the two degree - of - freedom to one degree - of - freedom operation . more particulary , sixteen useful operational modes are available from the parallel hybrid transmission of the instant invention using different combinations of the four clutches and operating the electric motor as either a motor or generator or allowing it to freewheel in the off condition . the sixteen useful modes of operation may be summarized by the following table 1 , and are discussed in greater detail below : the first mode of operation of the parallel hybrid transmission of the instant invention is motor - only mode in which the electric motor provides all of the power to drive the vehicle , in the forward or reverse direction , at a low - speed gear reduction . the motor - only mode is used to initially move the vehicle from a standstill and for low speed driving in city traffic . band clutch member 63 is the only clutch member engaged , grounding ring gear 202 to the transmission case . as a result , the transmission becomes a single degree - of - freedom transmission operable solely through the torque produced by electric motor 30 . as shown , power is directed from electric motor 30 , sun gear 101 , and planetary gears 203 ( and their carrier 204 ) to output shaft 50 . ring gear 202 serves as a reaction member . in this operational mode , the input planetary gear train spins freely . another feature of the motor - only mode of operation of the transmission of the instant invention is that a vehicle operator may start engine 20 without an electric starter , as is traditionally required . when operating in motor - only mode , the vehicle operator need only engage clutch 61 , and thus shift from the motor - only mode to the first combined engine and motor mode , which process will in turn pull the engine up to operating speed as would a traditional , separate electric starter . the next group of modes of operation of the parallel hybrid transmission of the instant invention are power - summing combination modes which combine torque from the engine and motor to drive the vehicle , at different gear reductions . the power - summing combination modes are used for maximum acceleration or hill climbing . in the first power - summing combination mode , band clutch 63 and multi - disk clutch 61 are engaged , and all other clutches are disengaged . ring gear 202 is grounded to the transmission case and serves as a reaction member . with multi - disk clutch 61 engaged , torque from the engine enters through sun gear 101 to output planetary gears 203 and carrier 204 to output shaft 50 . likewise , torque from the motor enters through sun gear 101 to output planetary gears 203 and carrier 204 to output shaft 50 . thus , the torque from the engine and motor are summed at the sun gear and directed to output shaft 50 . in the second power - summing combination mode , multi - disk clutch 62 is engaged , along with band clutch 63 , and all others are disengaged . with clutch 62 engaged , torque from the engine enters from shaft 21 through input carrier 104 , to planetary gears 103 , where it is split between the sun gear 101 and the ring gear 102 . the portion of engine power entering sun gear 101 is combined with the motor power at sun gear 101 . the combined torque on the sun gear enters planetary gears 203 and carrier 204 to the output shaft 50 . the remainder of the engine power entering ring gear 102 is added to the other combined engine and motor power on the output shaft 50 to power the vehicle , at less gear reduction than the first combined power - summing mode . in the third power - summing combination mode , multi - disk clutches 61 and 62 are engaged and all other clutches are disengaged . under this condition , the input and output planetary gear trains lock together and rotate as a single unit , providing a direct drive power - summing mode . torque from the engine is transferred from hub 151 to both input planetary gear carrier 104 and hub 152 . from planetary gear carrier 104 , torque is transferred to planetary gears 103 , and in turn to ring gear 102 and sun gear 101 , and ultimately to output shaft 50 . torque from hub 152 is likewise transferred through sun gear 101 , ultimately to output shaft 50 . finally , motor torque is also transferred through sun gear to output shaft 50 . the engine torque and motor torque are summed in the locked planetary gear set 10 to power the output shaft 50 . under this configuration , the engine and motor rotate at the same speed . the next group of modes of operation of the parallel hybrid transmission of the instant invention are engine - only modes which are utilized during highway cruising conditions in which it is highly desirable to power the vehicle directly from the heat engine with no power assist from the motor . the varying clutch arrangements made available by the configuration of the instant invention offer four distinct engine - only modes , namely , two reduction modes , one direct drive mode , and one overdrive gear ratio mode . in the first reduction gear ratio engine - only mode , multi - disk clutch 61 and band clutch 63 are engaged , and the motor is free - wheeling in the off condition . with band clutch 63 engaged , ring gear 202 serves as a reaction member , and the input shaft 21 is coupled to the output planetary gear train 200 . the electric motor is switched to a neutral condition . in this configuration , engine torque is transferred through hub 151 , then hub 152 , through sun gear 101 , to output planetary gear train carrier 204 , to output shaft 50 . in the second reduction gear ratio engine - only mode , clutches 62 and 63 are engaged and all others are disengaged . with clutch 62 engaged , torque from the engine enters from shaft 21 through input carrier 104 , to planetary gears 103 , where it is split between the sun gear 101 and the ring gear 102 . the motor 30 is free - wheeling in the off condition . the portion of engine power entering sun gear 101 is transferred through planetary gears 203 to output shaft 50 . the remainder of the engine power entering ring gear 102 is added to the other engine power on output shaft 50 to power the vehicle , at less gear reduction than the first engine - only mode . in the direct drive engine - only mode , multi - disk clutches 61 and 62 are engaged , and all remaining clutches are disengaged . the motor is allowed to free - wheel in the off condition . under this condition , the input and output planetary gear trains lock together and rotate as a single unit , providing a direct drive engine - only mode . torque from the engine is transferred from hub 151 to both input planetary gear carrier 104 and hub 152 . from planetary gear carrier 104 , torque is transferred to planetary gears 103 , and in turn to ring gear 102 and sun gear 101 , and ultimately to output shaft 50 . torque from hub 152 is likewise transferred through sun gear 101 , ultimately to output shaft 50 . in the overdrive engine - only mode , multi - disk clutch 62 and band clutch 64 are engaged , and all other clutches are disengaged . prevented from rotating due to band clutch 64 , sun gear 101 becomes the reaction member , and the output planetary gear train carries no load . engine torque is transferred through hub 151 , input planetary gear train carrier 104 , planetary gears 103 , ring gear 102 , to output shaft 50 . the next mode of operation of the parallel hybrid transmission of the instant invention is engine charging modes which enable the engine to power the vehicle and power the electric motor generator assembly simultaneously . the generator in turn charges the vehicle batteries when the battery state - of - charge is low and the power requirement for cruising is low . the varying clutch arrangements made available by the configuration of the instant invention offer four distinct engine charge modes , namely two reduction modes , one direct drive mode , and one continuously variable transmission ( cvt ) mode . in the first reduction engine charging mode , band clutch 63 and multi - disk clutch 61 are engaged , and all other clutches are disengaged . ring gear 202 is grounded to the transmission case and serves as a reaction member . the power flow in this mode is similar to that of the first reduction power - summing mode , except motor 30 is operated as a generator to charge vehicle batteries or power vehicle accessories . in the second reduction engine charging mode , multi - disk clutch 62 is engaged , along with band clutch 63 , and all others are disengaged . ring gear 202 is grounded to the transmission case and serves as a reaction member . the power flow in this mode is similar to that of the second power - summing mode , except motor 30 is operated as a generator to charge vehicle batteries or power vehicle accessories . in the direct - drive engine charging mode , multi - disk clutches 61 and 62 are engaged , and all remaining clutches are disengaged . the power flow in this mode is similar to that of the direct - drive power - summing mode , except motor 30 is operated as a generator to charge vehicle batteries or power vehicle accessories . in the continuously variable transmission engine charging mode , multi - disk clutch 62 is engaged , and torque from the engine is transferred through hub 151 and input planetary gear train carrier 104 to input planetary gears 103 , where the torque is split . most of the torque is used to drive the vehicle as it is transferred from planetary gears 103 through ring gear 102 , and to output shaft 50 , while the remainder is used to power the motor / generator for charging the batteries and powering vehicle electric accessories through sun gear 101 . for this operating mode , the motor is operated as a generator . for a given output shaft speed , the engine can be operated at a speed yielding peak efficiency while the vehicle speed is regulated by varying the speed of the generator . in this regard , the transmission functions as a continuous variable transmission . as indicated in table 1 above , four regenerative braking modes are also made available through the parallel hybrid transmission of the instant invention . during braking events , the electric motor is operated as a generator to charge the batteries . the output shaft becomes an input shaft , and kinetic energy of the vehicle that would otherwise have been lost through the brakes is stored for later use . the first regenerative braking mode is identical to the clutch condition in motor - only mode , except that the motor is operated as a generator . in this regenerative braking mode the engine is off . the power flow is the reverse of motor - only mode . in this condition , only the generator provides braking torque . the second regenerative braking mode is identical to the clutch condition in power - summing combination mode 1 , except that the motor is operated as a generator . both the engine and the generator provide braking torque . the power flow is the reverse of power - summing mode 1 . the third regenerative braking mode is identical to the clutch condition in power - summing combination mode 2 , except that the motor is once again operated as a generator . again , both the engine and generator provide braking torque . the power flow is the reverse of power - summing mode 2 . finally , the fourth regenerative braking mode is identical to the direct - drive power - summing mode , except that the motor is operated as a generator . again , both the engine and generator provide braking torque . the power flow is the reverse of power - summing mode 3 . alternative similar hybrid transmission mechanisms may also be provided . in general , a hybrid transmission is preferably comprised of two basic planetary gear trains with four torque transfer devices and a coaxially integrated motor / generator unit . using different combinations of the four clutches and operating the electric motor as either a motor or generator or allowing it to freewheel in the off condition , motor - only , power - summing , engine - only , engine charge , and regenerative braking operating modes are capable . having now fully set forth the preferred embodiments and certain modifications of the concept underlying the present invention , various other embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications of the embodiments herein shown and described will obviously occur to those skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept . it should be understood , therefore , that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically set forth herein .	8
a turbine fuel pump for a vehicle includes : an upper casing 100 including an upper channel groove 120 formed in a lower surface thereof so as to allow fuel to flow therethrough and a fuel discharge port 110 connected to the upper channel groove 120 , formed to penetrate through upper and lower surfaces thereof , and discharging the fuel therethrough ; a lower casing 300 joined to a lower part of the upper casing 100 and including a lower channel groove 320 formed in an upper surface thereof so as to allow the fuel to flow therethrough and a fuel suction port 310 connected to the lower channel groove 320 , formed to penetrate through upper and lower surfaces thereof , and introducing the fuel thereinto ; and an impeller 200 provided between the upper casing 100 and the lower casing 300 , having a disk shape , and including a plurality of blades 230 formed along an outer circumferential surface in an outer direction of the outer circumferential surface and blade chambers 240 each formed between the blades 230 so as to penetrate through upper and lower surfaces thereof to allow the fuel to be discharged and introduced in upper and lower parts of the blades 230 , respectively , wherein the upper casing 100 includes an upper inner channel 140 formed to be spaced apart from a shaft penetration hole 130 formed at the center thereof by a predetermined distance and penetrate through the upper and lower surfaces thereof , the impeller 200 includes an impeller channel 260 formed to be spaced apart from a shaft fixation hole 220 formed at the center thereof by a predetermined distance and penetrate through the upper and lower surfaces thereof , and the lower casing 300 includes a lower inner channel 340 formed at the center of the upper surface thereof and a lower connection groove 350 connecting the lower inner channel 340 and the lower channel groove 320 to each other , such that a separate channel is formed so that the fuel suctioned into the fuel suction port 310 flows along the lower channel groove 320 by rotation of the impeller 200 , is introduced into the lower inner channel 340 through the lower connection groove 350 , and passes through the impeller channel 260 to be discharged through the upper inner channel 140 . hereinafter , the respective components will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig5 is a partial exploded perspective view illustrating a turbine fuel pump for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment . as shown in fig5 , in the turbine fuel pump 1000 for a vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment , an upper casing 100 and a lower casing 300 are joined to a lower end part of a motor housing 60 constituting the fuel pump and an impeller 200 is interposed therebetween . in this case , the impeller 200 is configured to rotate in contact with the lower surface of the upper casing 100 and the upper surface of the lower casing 300 , and a rotational shaft 21 of a motor 2 is joined to the impeller while penetrating through a shaft penetration hole 130 formed at the center of the upper casing 100 and penetrating through a shaft fixation hole 220 formed at the center of an impeller body 210 of the impeller 200 , such that the impeller 200 rotates in accordance with rotation of the rotational shaft 21 of the motor 20 . in addition , a lower part of the rotational shaft 21 penetrating through the shaft fixation hole 220 of the impeller body 210 is inserted into a shaft support groove 330 formed at the center of the lower casing 300 and a lower end surface of the rotational shaft 21 contacts a ball 360 joined to the shaft support groove 330 and is supported by the ball 360 . in addition , referring to fig5 and 6 , the impeller 200 has a disk shape and includes a plurality of blades 230 formed along an outer circumferential surface in an outer direction of the outer circumferential surface , a side ring 250 formed on an outer surface of the plurality of blades 230 , and blade chambers 240 each formed between the blades 230 so as to penetrate through upper and lower surfaces thereof to allow the fuel to be discharged and introduced in upper and lower parts of the blades 230 , respectively . further , the lower casing 300 includes a lower channel groove 320 formed in an upper surface thereof so as to allow the fuel to flow therethrough and a fuel suction port 310 connected to the lower channel groove 320 , formed to penetrate through upper and lower surfaces thereof and introducing the fuel thereinto , and the upper casing 100 includes an upper channel groove 120 formed in a lower surface thereof and having fuel flowing therethrough and a fuel discharge port 110 connected to the upper channel groove 120 , formed to penetrate through upper and lower surfaces thereof , and discharging the fuel therethrough . in this case , a start portion of the upper channel groove 120 is formed to be opposite to a start portion of the lower channel groove 320 , and an end portion of the upper channel groove 120 is formed to be opposite to an end portion of the lower channel groove 320 . therefore , as the impeller 200 rotates , a pressure difference is generated , such that fuel is suctioned into the fuel suction port 310 of the lower casing 300 and some of the fuel passes through the blade chamber 240 of the impeller 200 and flows along the upper channel groove 120 positioned in the upper part of the blade chamber 240 to be discharged through the fuel discharge port 110 and the rest of the fuel flows along the lower channel groove 320 positioned in the lower part of the blade chamber 240 and passes through the blade chamber 240 at the end portion of the lower channel groove 320 to be discharged through the fuel discharge port 110 . that is , the rotation flow is formed in each of the upper part and the lower part of the blade chamber 240 with the rotation of the impeller 200 , such that the fuel suctioned into the fuel suction port 310 flows along each of the upper channel groove 120 and the lower channel groove 320 and passes through the blade chamber 240 of the impeller 200 at the end portion of the lower channel groove 320 to be joined and discharged in the fuel discharge port 110 . the turbine fuel pump for a vehicle that has the above structure and where fuel flows is called a side channel type and the fuel that flows along the lower channel groove 320 in the suctioned fuel is configured to be discharged through the fuel discharge port 110 only when it passes through the blade chamber 240 at the end portion of the lower channel groove 320 . here , the upper casing 100 includes an upper inner channel 140 formed to be spaced apart from a shaft penetration hole 130 formed at the center thereof by a predetermined distance and penetrate through the upper and lower surfaces thereof , the impeller 200 includes an impeller channel 260 formed to be spaced apart from a shaft fixation hole 220 formed at the center thereof by a predetermined distance and penetrate through the upper and lower surfaces thereof , and the lower casing 300 includes a lower inner channel 340 formed at the center of the upper surface thereof and a lower connection groove 350 connecting the lower inner channel 340 and the lower channel groove 320 to each other here , the respective channels 140 , 260 , and 340 are passages formed so that fuel may flow , and the lower connection groove 350 is a passage formed so that fuel flows by connecting the lower channel groove 320 and the lower inner channel 340 to each other . further , one side of the lower connection groove 350 is connected to the lower inner channel 340 and the other side of the lower connection groove 350 is connected to the lower channel groove 320 , and one side of the lower connection groove 350 is connected to an opposite end of the lower channel groove 320 connected to the fuel suction port 310 . that is , the lower connection groove 350 is preferably formed so that the end portion of the lower channel groove 320 and the lower inner channel 340 are connected to each other . in this case , the upper inner channel 140 is formed to be positioned between the shaft penetration hole 130 formed at the center of the upper casing 100 and the upper channel groove 120 formed outside the upper casing 100 and is formed so as not to be connected to the upper channel groove 120 . in addition , the impeller channel 260 is formed to be positioned between the shaft fixation hole 220 formed at the center of the impeller body 210 of the impeller 200 and the blade chamber 240 formed outside the impeller body 210 and formed so as not to be connected to the blade chamber 240 . therefore , a separate channel is formed so that the fuel suctioned into the fuel suction port 310 flows along the lower channel groove 320 by rotation of the impeller 200 , is introduced into the lower inner channel 340 through the lower connection groove 350 , and passes through the impeller channel 260 to be discharged through the upper inner channel 140 . that is , as shown in fig6 , when the fuel is introduced into the fuel suction port 310 formed in the lower casing 300 , some of the introduced fuel passes through the blade chamber 240 and flows along the upper channel groove 120 to be discharged through the fuel discharge port 110 of the upper casing 100 and the rest of the fuel flows along the lower channel groove 320 without passing through the blade chamber 240 , is introduced into the lower inner channel 340 through the lower connection groove 350 , and passes through the impeller channel 260 of the impeller 200 positioned in the upper part to be discharged through the upper inner channel 140 . therefore , the fuel that flows along the lower channel groove 320 flows along the separate channel to be discharged without passing through the blade chamber 240 of the impeller 200 to reduce rotation resistance of the impeller 200 and damage of the rotation flow formed in the fuel that flows along the lower channel groove 320 , thereby making it possible to reduce pressure instability of the fuel pump and increase efficiency . as set forth above , according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention , pressure instability can be solved by reducing flow resistance caused due to collision of fuel by allowing fuel to pass through the separate channel without passing through the impeller blade by forming the separate independent channel in the lower casing , the impeller , and the upper casing where channels of fuel are formed . further , damage of a fuel rotation flow caused by the impeller decreases to improve efficiency of a fuel pump . the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned exemplary embodiment and an application range is various and it is apparent that various modifications can be made to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention described in the appended claims .	5
wherever the term &# 34 ; shaft &# 34 ; is used herein it means any other elongated threaded body such as a bolt or shaft , as well as a spindle . a wheel axle spindle is shown as the presently best - known use of this invention , and is encompassed by the term &# 34 ; shaft &# 34 ; herein . the shaft has an external thread 15 on which the lock nut is to be threaded and locked . lock nut 10 has a central axis coaxial with axis 12 and includes a thrust washer 20 . the thrust washer has a central disc portion 21 which is flat , with a face 22 adapted to bear against ring 14 and an inner face 23 which will react with another portion of the lock nut as will later be appreciated . the disc portion has a central aperture 24 , through which the shaft is to pass . a tang 25 is integral with the disc portion and projects into the opening in order to enter the shaft keyway so as to hold the thrust washer against rotation relative to the shaft . a peripheral skirt 26 is integral with the disc and extends upwardly and axially away from it . three axially extending skirt keyways 27 are formed in the skirt and this formation is enabled by a group of slits 28 which facilitate the formation of the thrust washer by stamping from a single piece of metal . the slits form tabs 29 in which the keyways are formed . these tabs are a convenience in assembling the lock nut , because they can spring over tangs on a lock ring to be described , and this forms the lock nut as an integral assembly . inside the skirt there is a nut ring 30 which has a central neck 31 that extends axially and has an internal thread 32 to thread onto the thread on the shaft . the nut ring extends to a bearing face 33 which bears against inner face 23 of the thrust washers so as to transmit thrust against it . the nut ring also has an overhanging shoulder 34 which has on its surface facing toward disc portion , a plurality of teeth 35 . also , there is a plurality of recesses 36 which pass through the shoulder and expose a portion of the mechanism yet to be described . these are torque tool engaging recesses which have edges 37 and 38 that are adapted to receive torque from the tool to turn the nut ring . between the nut ring and the disc portion , or more specifically between the overhanging ( shoulder ) and the disc portion , there is disposed a lock ring 40 . the lock ring has an internal opening 41 which is shorter than that of the outer portion of the neck . the lock ring includes a plurality of teeth 42 which face toward teeth 35 and are complementary therewith . the lock ring also includes three tangs 43 which extend into respective ones of the skirt keyways to restrain the lock ring against substantial rotation , but which permit substantial axial movement of the lock ring . bias spring 45 , preferably in the form of a circular wave spring , extends around the neck and bears between the disc portion and the lock ring so as to bias the lock ring toward and against the overhanging shoulder of the nut ring . the shape of teeth 35 and 42 is of importance to this invention . in all embodiments , the teeth have camming surfaces 46 and 47 which extend in each direction , and meet at an apex . the apex can be flat , sharp , or gently crested , chosen with respect to the material of construction so that they will not be locking surfaces , and provide a desired resistance to camming . this is to say that they do not fall within the locking angle of the material , but are such as to allow camming action , still with sufficient locking action . this means that with sufficient torque applied to the nut ring the surfaces 46 and 47 will ride over one another , and because the nut ring is engaged to a thread , the result will be to displace the lock ring against the bias force and permit the lock ring either to cam itself on or off the nut ring , even without the application of an axial force from the torque tool . this enables the lock nut to be applied and removed with or without a special tool . however , it is best practice to utilize a tool , especially in shop or manufacturing operations . such a tool 50 is shown in fig1 and 2 . it is preferably tubular , and includes four prongs 51 , which are adapted to be inserted into recesses 36 . the width of recesses 36 and the width of the prongs is such that the prongs can bridge at least a plurality of the teeth so that at any angular position , at least one tooth will always be borne against by a respective prong . accordingly , when the tool is used , its shoulder 52 will be pressed against the lock nut and its prongs against the tips of teeth of the locking ring so as to displace it , and the nut ring can be installed or removed without requiring a camming action to occur . the teeth will simply clear each other by virtue of the applied force from the tool . while the teeth may be symmetrical , with both faces making the same angle with an axial reference , important advantages can be obtained if they are different . in fig8 the preferred embodiment is shown . torquing faces 62 , 63 on parts 30 and 40 , respectively form an angle 61 with a tangent 64 to an axial line 65 . unlocking faces 70 , 71 are formed on parts 30 and 40 , respectively . these form an angle 60 between such a tangent and axial line . these are shown for a right hand thread nut whose direction of tightening is shown by arrow 75 . angle 60 is larger than angle 61 . an example is 45 ° and 30 °, respectively . if nut ring 30 is to back off , its camming angle at faces 70 and 71 is steeper , and this makes unlocking more difficult than tightening , because the camming angle is lesser for torquing . it is believed that the operation of the device will be evident from the foregoing . as best shown in fig1 the nut is applied to the shaft and turned down with or without the use of the tool . when the final tightening occurs , the tool will be pressed in as shown in fig2 so as to displace the lock ring and enable the tightening to occur without having to have a camming action . the nut ring will bear against the disc portion to transmit the axial force from the thread interaction . then as shown in fig3 the tool is withdrawn , and the nut ring will , if necessary , cam itself back to the intimate complementary engagement shown in fig3 . reversal may be the reverse of the foregoing or may be accomplished simply by applying any torque tool which need not displace the lock ring and simply turning the nut off while camming the rings apart by virtue of the shape of the teeth . the face of the teeth usually will be flat , but need not be . they could instead be wave - like . if the nut uses a left - hand thread , the orientation of the torquing and unlocking faces will be reversed . this invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings and described in the description , which are given by way of example and not of limitation , but only in accordance with the scope of the appended claims .	5
it is to be understood and appreciated that the process steps and structures described below do not cover a complete process flow . the present invention can be practiced in conjunction with various integrated circuit fabrication techniques that are used in the art , and only so much of the commonly practiced process steps are included herein as are necessary to provide an understanding of the present invention . the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . it should be noted that the drawings are in greatly simplified form and they are not drawn to scale . moreover , dimensions have been exaggerated in order to provide a clear illustration and understanding of the present invention . referring to fig1 a substrate 100 having a photoresist layer 102 thereon is shown . the substrate 100 can be a semiconductor substrate , such as a silicon wafer , but it is not necessary a semiconductor substrate . the substrate 100 can also comprises either a dielectric layer or a conductive layer thereon . in fact , the substrate 100 depends on the need of analysis . the photoresist layer 102 can be any photoresist material used in modern semiconductor industry . moreover , the photoresist layer 102 can be formed over the substrate 100 via conventional methods in the art , for example , a spin coating method . referring to fig2 a , in order to find the profile of a developed photoresist layer in the formation of a contact hole or a via hole , a hole pattern is transferred into the photoresist layer 102 to expose the substrate 100 by a conventional photolithography process . after developing the photoresist layer 102 , the hole is formed . more particularly , owing to the standing wave effect , the sidewall of the hole has a profile shown in fig2 b . the profile can only be found via a tem analysis having a resolution about 1 . 4 angstrom to about 1 . 8 angstrom because the dimensions of the caves of the profile is tiny if the width of the hole shown in fig2 b is less than about 0 . 2 micron . it is apparent that the profile is crucial if one need measuring the width of the hole precisely . referring to fig3 a conductive layer 104 is formed over the photoresist layer 102 and the bottom of the hole shown in fig2 a and a dielectric layer 106 is sequentially formed thereon . the conductive layer 104 can be a platinum layer , a gold layer , a copper layer , an aluminum layer and a titanium layer , and it is preferably a platinum layer . platinum is chose because it is a kind of stable or noble metal and it can be formed with a very thin thickness . the conductive layer 104 is preferably formed via a physical vapor deposition ( pvd ) process , for example , a dc sputtering process performing at about 20 ° c . to about 30 ° c . the temperature of the pvd process is necessarily low because a high temperature environment would render the photoresist material shrinking or shape change . in fact , not only the formation temperature of the conductive layer cannot be over a certain temperature at which the photoresist layer starts to shrink or change its shape , but also the temperature of the entire tem photoresist sample preparation process cannot exceed the certain temperature . the thickness of the conductive layer 104 is between about 50 to about 200 angstroms , and is preferably about 100 angstroms . as shown in fig3 the conductive layer 104 fails to fill the hole due to the tiny dimension of the hole and the limited step coverage ability of the pvd process . however , this profile is not crucial for this invention . the conductive layer 104 is used to isolate the photoresist layer 102 from moisture environment and prevent the photoresist layer 102 from oxidation . furthermore , the conductive layer 104 can also avoid the charging effect resulting from the use of electron or ion beams . moreover , the conductive layer 104 is very helpful to clarify the interface between the photoresist layer 102 and the dielectric layer 106 . the dielectric layer 106 can be either a silicon dioxide layer or a silicon nitride layer , and is preferably a silicon dioxide layer . the dielectric layer 106 is formed via a physical vapor deposition process , and preferably a dc sputtering process . the sputtering process is performed via an ion miller used in the conventional tem sample preparation . by accelerating argon ion ( ar + ) plasma , silicon dioxide or silicon nitride molecules are sputtered from a quartz glass target or a silicon nitride target . the sputtering process is performed at a pressure of about 10 − 6 torr . this sputtering process is also performed at about 20 ° c . to about 30 ° c . the thickness of the dielectric layer 106 is between about 500 angstroms to about 1 micron , and is preferably 1000 angstroms . the dielectric layer 106 is used to protect the photoresist layer 102 from being damage amid the sample slicing process by a focused ion beam ( fib ) technique used gallium ions ( ga + ). it is found that the damage thickness of a common focused ion beam slicing is about 500 angstroms . the thickness of the protective dielectric layer must exceed 500 angstroms . after forming the dielectric layer 102 , the substrate 100 such as a silicon wafer is sliced by using a fib to form tem samples 200 having dimensions of about 10 micron × about 5 micron × about 0 . 2 micron as shown in fig4 wherein the length is about 10 micron , the width is about 5 micron and the thickness is about 0 . 2 micron . in order to observe the tem sample prepared by the method of the invention , the tem sample 200 is then placed on a copper net having a carbon film coated thereon via an electrostatic pick up method used a glass needle having a tiny tip of about 1 micron . the method of the tem sample preparation set forth is used to prepare a photoresist sample having via or contact holes therein . however , this method can also be used to prepare a photoresist sample having other structure . for example , as shown in fig5 the photoresist layer 102 is used to define a gate electrode and the substrate 100 can be a conductive layer such as a polysilicon layer . in every embodiment of this invention , the conductive layer 104 and the dielectric layer 106 can protect the photoresist layer 102 and isolate the photoresist layer 102 from a moisture and oxygen - contained environment . moreover , the contraction of the photoresist layer 102 amid the bombardments by electron beams of a tem or a fib will be avoided effectively . the conductive layer 104 is mainly used to release the charges resulting from the electron beams of a tem or a fib . because the sample 200 observed is placed on a carbon film on a copper net , the conductive layer 104 may be omitted . other embodiments of the invention will appear to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein . it is intended that the specification and examples to be considered as exemplary only , with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims .	6
before specific embodiments of the present application will be described below , first of all an attempt is made to describe the basic idea underlying the embodiments described below . the embodiments described below are , for example , suitable for enabling mapping of several light patterns onto different geometries or set distances . a specific case thereof is maintaining a unique light pattern according to mapping scale across an enlarged distance range . this can be referred to as extending the depth of focus . for illustrating the principles underlying the embodiments described below , this specific case will be discussed first . mapping characteristics of an array projector or a multi - aperture projection display are the basis . due to the two - dimensional arrangement of micro projectors or projection optics typically having an aperture d single & lt ; 1 mm , a comparatively large depth of focus results for the individual projector , i . e . an individual projection channel , compared to a single channel projector having an overall aperture equivalent to the array . for typical projection distances of more than 300 mm , hyperfocal mapping of each projection channel exists , i . e ., no real far distance l f of the depth of focus range exists . starting point of the subsequent embodiments is the generation of specific object structures or single images within the object plane of the projection optics whose image - side superposition resulting from the optical mappings of all projection optics constructively contribute to the overall image in the desired depth of focus range . a multichannel projection display according to fig4 b is considered as specific example . the projection display is exemplarily set to a screen distance of 400 mm . set in that way , each projection channel has a depth of focus range extending from , for example , 200 mm to infinity . as described above , the whole array has , analogous to a single aperture projector having entrance pupils size d ( cf . fig1 ), an expansion of the whole optics array , merely a depth of focus extending from 350 . . . 450 mm . it is the object to make better use of the depth of focus of the individual channels and still maintain the brightness of a multichannel projection display . the following embodiments use the following approach : when an image to be projected is viewed within the intended depth of focus range and tracing back for each projection distance within the depth of focus range to which object structure the same corresponds in the object plane of the projection channel , it can be seen that there are areas in the object planes of the projection channels that contribute to the image to be projected at any distance within the intended depth of focus range . the following embodiments utilize this fact by manipulating each channel - specific contribution to the overall image such that the image information for the image to be projected is maintained for all desired distances within the depth of focus range . for this , as will be explained below , locations in the object planes of the projection channels where the object structures of the back projection of the image to be projected exist only partly at the varying distances within the depth of focus range , i . e ., not all of them overlap , are darkened or even removed , i . e . for example the shadow mask is shaded there , such that , as the following statements will show , the depth of focus range can actually be significantly increased . however , this tough procedure corresponding to an and - operation could also be modified . as the following embodiments will show , the images to be projected at the different distances are not limited to images to be projected that are self - similar or that can be converted into one another according to the optical projection . rather , any image content can be obtained at the different projection distances . first , based on fig1 to 2 , the train of thought or the construction instruction for the single image content of the individual object structures , that are channel dependent , will be described based on the specific case of the extended depth of focus . first , the description is made based on the projection of a bright object , here a letter “ f ” onto two perpendicular screen planes . an extension to any number of ( intermediate ) distances is obvious and will also be described mathematically below . thus , the image content of the individual object structures or single images is channel - dependent . the construction instruction of the same will be described in more detail , first , based on the specific case of the extended depth of focus , but then , the description and the indication that different image contents can be generated at different projection distances will follow . first of all , fig1 shows the structure of a multi - aperture projection display according to an embodiment . the multi - aperture projection display includes a plurality of laterally adjacent projection channels 12 , i . e ., a projection channel array . each projection channel has a single image generator 14 for generating a respective single image and optics 16 for mapping the respective single image residing in an object plane 42 of the optics 16 into a projection direction 18 of the multi - aperture projection display 10 . the single image generators 14 are , for example , shadow masks that can be backlit . the same can be formed , for example , of parts of a common shadow mask . the single image generators 14 , however , can also be self - luminous elements , such as oleds having illuminating areas corresponding to the respective single image of the respective channel 12 . the single image generators could also be displays , for example , that are able to display varying image content , wherein in this case a control 20 would exist for adjusting the image content of the single image generators to the respective single images , as will be described in more detail below . for backlighting , if present , a planar light source 22 as shown exemplarily in fig . could be used , or one light source per channel 12 . the planar light source 22 is , for example , an oled , an led array or the same . the planar light source 22 could be implemented to emit an already pre - collimated backlighting light . in the projection direction 18 , planar light source 22 , image generator 14 and optics 16 are connected in series , such that the backlighting passes through transmissive portions of the single images of the single image generator 14 and the bright portions of the single images are mapped by the optics 16 into the projection direction 18 , where the same are superposed in a suitable manner so as to result in an image to be projected , as will also be described in more detail below . for obtaining köhler backlighting , optionally , one collimator 24 can be provided per projection channel 12 ; in this way , the light flux through the channels 12 and , hence , the light yield can be increased . fig2 shows a top view of the array of channels 12 with array of optics 16 , whose apertures 26 are shown here exemplarily as squares and whose entrance pupil positions 28 are exemplarily indicated by stars . as can be seen in fig2 , the optics can be arranged regularly in an array of rows and columns , but any other arrangement is also possible . additionally , the entrance pupils 28 can be arranged centrally to the respective apertures 26 but variation options exist here as well . fig2 also shows the array of single images 30 of the single image generators . the same also form a lateral arrangement . in particular , the single images 30 are positioned in a lateral arrangement which is geometrically similar to the lateral arrangement of the entrance pupils 28 . in the case of fig1 , the same results from a centric extension around a center 32 of the array of entrance pupils 28 from the arrangement of entrance pupils 28 . optionally , a translatory offset relative to the array of entrance pupils 28 can be added . here , the center of the single image arrays and the center of the entrance pupil array coincide . the optical axis 34 of the multi - aperture projection displays 10 , as indicated in fig1 , passes through the just stated centers . deviations from the geometric similarity would also be possible , for example , for performing adaptations to curved screen geometries . this is not the case in fig2 . before continuing with the further description , some general statements will be made . in fig1 it has been exemplarily assumed that the single image generators are shadow masks 14 , such as chrome masks having dark portions or blocking portions and bright portions or transmissive portions . however , it is also possible to use a reflectivity of masks instead of backlighting . in other words , the single image generators 14 could also be reflective masks having bright or reflective portions and dark or non - reflective portions . the front lighting could be realized by a light conductor plate which is arranged between optics array and single image generator array , is illuminated from the side and transmits reflective light to the optics 16 at the reflective portions of the masks 14 on its side facing the single image generators 14 . in the case of self - luminous single image generators , in a similar manner , also bright or self - luminous portions exist and dark or non - luminous portions and , in the following , the bright portions are sometimes called non - zero - valued portions and the dark portions zero - valued portions . oleds would be an option for forming fixed single images and displays or imagers , such as lcds or the same , examples for adjustable single image generators that can change their respective image content . as mentioned , the single image generators 14 can also represent different parts of an individual single image array generator , such as an array of portions of a mask , an array of portions of an imager . the distance of the projection optics 16 to the single images or single image generators 14 or the distance between the array of optics 16 and the array of single images 13 or the array of single image generators 14 indicated exemplarily by d in fig1 , corresponds approximately to the focal length f of the individual projection optics 16 . thus , with relation to each individual channel 12 , the single images 26 are mapped along the optical axis 36 specific for the respective channel 12 with a very large depth of focus reaching to infinity . in the case that all single images 30 are equal to one another , a focused image would result at a projection distance l 1 which depends , and described above , on the center distance difference δp between single images 30 and entrance pupils 28 . as will be defined in more detail below , according to embodiments of fig1 , the single images 26 are not equal to one another but , rather , the same are designed in a suitable manner such that the mappings of the single images 30 of the projection channels 12 are superposed at at least two different projection distances l 1 and l 2 to respectively one projected image 38 or 40 , wherein the single images are darkened more with respect to a positive superposition at locations where non - zero - valued portions of the projected images at least partly reside when back - projected via the optics 16 of the projection channels 12 into the object plane 42 , where the single images 30 lie , but no superposition of all of them , than at locations where the non - zero - valued portions of the projected images 38 and 40 are all superposed with one another when back - projected via the optics 16 into the object plane 42 . in the following , this will be explained in more detail but , for the time being : if a screen is held in front of the projection display 10 , such that the screen is arranged behind the projection display 10 in mapping direction 18 , it can be seen that the image projected onto this screen has a maximum focus at the distances l 1 and l 2 from the projection display 10 . the single images 30 are specifically designed for these distances , as will be described in more detail below . these are set distances . these images have bright portions 44 and dark portions 46 . in the case of fig1 , this is exemplarily the depth of focus extension case and , hence , the case where the projected images 38 and 40 are those that can be converted into one another by centric extension or projection onto the point 32 , i . e ., the intersection between optical axis 34 and entrance pupil plane but , in the following , it will be described that this is merely an example . if the back projection of these projected images 38 and 40 is considered separately , each of these projected images 38 or 40 will generate bright portions and dark portions , i . e ., non - zero - valued and zero - valued portions in the object plane 42 , where the single images lie . the non - zero - valued portions of the back projection of the different images 38 and 40 overlap only to a certain extent . at locations where at least one non - zero - valued portion of one of the images 38 and 40 lies due to back projection , but these non - zero - valued portions do not completely overlap , i . e ., not from all images 38 and 40 , i . e ., at locations onto which a bright portion 44 of only one of the images 38 or 40 is back - projected , the single images 30 of the single image generators 14 are now darkened , namely darkened compared to the comparative case where the back projections were combined additively or by an or - operation for obtaining positive superposition . the above described matter will be illustrated in more detail based on the specific example as illustrated in fig1 , namely based on the projection of a bright object , here a letter “ f ” onto two perpendicular planes at the distances l 1 and l 2 , in the following sometimes called “ screen planes ” for simplicity reasons . and extension to any number of ( intermediate ) distances by other images is obvious . first , the set distances l 1 : l 2 = 1 : 2 , are considered , where the desired superposition figures are to occur . according to equation ( 3 ), a unique slide array or an array of provisional single images results for both set distances . due to the logic and - operation ( intersection ) of the transmissive areas of both slide arrays , merely those area elements are maintained which provide a constructive contribution to the overall image at both projection distances . fig3 shows exemplarily a top view of the result of a back projection of the two projected images 38 and 40 shown in fig1 at the distances l 1 and l 2 onto the object plane 42 , wherein circles in fig3 exemplarily indicate the position of the optics apertures 26 . here , the same are exemplarily illustrated as lying adjacent to one another in a hexagonal arrangement which is tightly packed . above this , fig3 exemplarily assumes a lower single image center distance compared to the aperture center distance , wherein such embodiments will be described below . the basic idea of fig3 , however , also applies to the embodiment of fig1 , namely that the back projection of the bright portions 44 of the closer image 38 having the distance l 1 results in the non - zero - valued or bright portion 48 in the object plane 42 in the individual channels , wherein those portions 48 are illustrated in fig3 in a shaded manner from the right top to the left bottom , while the bright portions 44 of the projected image 40 at the greater distance l 2 results in non - zero - valued or bright portions 50 in the object plane 42 in the channels 12 , which are illustrated in a shaded manner in fig3 from the left top to the right bottom . due to the greater distance l 2 , the images 50 resulting from the back projection of the image 40 have a lower center distance to one another than the images 48 resulting from the back projection of the image 38 at the lower distance l 1 . for this reason , the intersection or overlap where the bright areas 48 and 50 overlap differs from channel to channel . as can be seen in fig3 , the overlap has a smaller area the further the respective channel is apart from the optical axis 34 of the multi - aperture projection display . the intersection areas where both non - zero - valued portions 48 and 50 in the respective channels overlap are illustrated in fig3 by the dark areas 52 . according to an embodiment , each single image 30 is selected such that the areas 48 and 50 beyond the intersection areas 52 are darkened . thus , in the mask embodiment , the masks are not transmissive there . the same are merely transmissive in the overlapping area 52 . this is again described in fig4 a which shows , like fig3 , a top view of the object plane 42 , i . e ., a top view of the resulting single images 30 , whose non - zero - valued portions , e . g ., transmissive portions correspond to the intersection areas 52 of fig3 . fig4 b shows exemplarily the contribution or the bright area 53 resulting by an exemplarily taken channel 12 ′ at the distance l 1 , in relation to the bright portion 44 as it results by superposition of the single images or the bright portions 52 of all channels in the image 38 at this distance l 1 . in the attempt of explaining why the area 44 at the distance l 1 in the image 38 still forms a “ fine ” “ f ”, fig4 c shows the contribution resulting from the transmissive area of the single image 30 of any other arbitrary channel 12 ″, wherein this area is again indicated by 53 in its relative position in the overall area 44 . obviously , the same covers other parts of the area 44 than the channel 12 ′ at the distance l 1 . fig4 d and 4 e show the contribution 53 for the exemplarily selected channels 12 ′ and 12 ″ according to their contributions 53 to the bright area 44 of the projected image 40 in the distance l 2 , fig4 d for the channel 12 ′ and fig4 e for the channel 12 ″. again they cover different parts of the image or the bright area 54 of the image 40 . again , other channels cover other zones of the areas 44 in the images 38 and 40 which results exactly in the desired areas 44 . in other words , according to the just described embodiments , for obtaining the mask array of fig4 a , first , it is checked for all elements of the overall object structure , i . e ., for the transmissive areas of the mask array of masks 14 whether the same provide a transmissive portion for all patterns belonging to the projection distances l 1 and l 2 , i . e ., whether the same lie within the overlap area 53 . if this check is positive , the same will be maintained , otherwise the same will be removed from the resulting object structure or the masks , i . e ., such locations are darkened or made non - transmissive . mathematically , this corresponds to an element or location selective and - operation , i . e ., the intersection 52 of all object structures 48 , 50 , each allocated to a projection distance . thus , fig4 a shows the resulting mask structure according to the just described intersection check . in other words , according to the above embodiment , a unique stamp or transmissive structure is generated in each channel , which provides at both or several set distances or even in a continuous projection depth area such a contribution to the overall overlap that the contours of the respective set images or the set image are maintained at the respective set distances . a consistent description of both the image projection variable according to distance and the extended depth of focus will follow . the object structure plane is considered and the coordinate origin is placed at its center . pattern l k ( i , j ) ∪ r 2 describes , for the lenslet or channel 12 ( i , j ), wherein , as illustrated in fig5 ( i , j ) indicates exemplarily the lateral position measured from the positon relative to the optical axis 38 measured in units p , the pattern to be mapped for the distance or the geometry l k ε . for the array projector of [ 2 ] \| \|= 1 , i . e ., there is only one geometry onto which mapping is to be performed in a focused manner . the present invention allows the generation of a focused image for two or more geometries ={ l 1 , . . . , l n }. this can be the same pattern ( depth of focus extension ) or also different patterns for different distances . a desired image image lk is given for a specific projection distance l k ( here , simplified : perpendicular screen ). generalization to freeform screen geometries is possible according to [ 3 ]. according to the mapping rules ( equation ( 3 )), the following slide or object structure pattern lk ( i , j ) results for an array ( image 13 ) arranged in a square on the object side for the individual channel ( i , j ): pattern l k ⁡ ( i , j ) = { ( x , y ) ∈ ℝ 2 : ∃ ( x 0 , ⁢ y 0 ) ∈ image l k ⁢ : ⁢ ⁢ x = x 0 m k + j · ( δ ⁢ ⁢ p x ⁡ ( l k ) + p x ) ⁢ ⁢ ⁢ and ⁢ ⁢ y = y 0 m k + i · ( δ ⁢ ⁢ p y ⁡ ( l k ) + p y ) } is the mapping scale for the k - th projection distance p x = p y = p of the distance of the lenses of this array and δ ⁢ ⁢ p ⁡ ( l k ) = δ ⁢ ⁢ p x ⁡ ( l k ) = δ ⁢ ⁢ p y ⁡ ( l k ) = s l k · p = 1 m k · p is the projection distance dependent center distance difference . now , by pattern intersection ( i , j ) those area ( s ) are described that result in the channel ( i , j ) by the following and operation : pattern intersection ( i , j ):=∩ l k ε pattern l k ( i , j ) and ={ l 1 , . . . , l n }. the overall transmission of such a projection system is proportional to the sum of the transmissive areas of the individual slides . here , for the illuminated area content of a channel a pattern ( i , j ) the following applies : a pattern ( i , j ):=∫∫ i pattern intersection ( i , j ) ( x , y ) dxdy here , i is the indicator function ( or also characteristic function ) and is defined as follows : is significant for the overall transmission of a projector arrangement generated according to this method . as example 1 , a centered rectangle is described which is , in the screen plane , ( l 1 = 400 mm the measure width × height = b 1 × h 1 = 5 mm × 20 mm and in l 2 = 800 mm according to the screen distance ratios l 2 : l 1 = 2 : 1 ) b 2 × h 2 = 2 ·( b 1 × h 1 )= 10 mm × 40 mm ( fig6 ). for ( i , j )=( 2 , 4 ), ={ 400 mm , 800 mm } and p = 0 . 8 mm ( with array structure of fig5 ) for the following rectangle , object structures analogous to fig7 result : pattern intersection ( 2 , 4 )={( x , y ) ε 2 : 3 . 2035 mm ≦ x ≦ 3 . 2205 mm and 1 . 558 mm ≦ y ≦ 1 . 654 mm } this describes the transmissive area ( cf . fig7 ) for the lenslet ( 2 , 4 ). for the transmissive area of this exemplarily selected projector lenslet , the following results : a pattern ( 2 , 4 ):=∫∫ i pattern intersecion ( 2 , 4 ) ( x , y ) dxdy = 1 . 632 · 10 − 3 mm 2 . if the transmissive area of the entire array projector is compared to the extended depth of focus with the one of a conventional one according to [ 2 ], a relative light loss of 26 % results . the depth dependent mapping characteristics of an array projector with manipulated object structures according to the invention depends heavily on the light patterns to be projected and differs fundamentally from the ones of a conventional single channel projection system . exemplarily , a greatly simplified example will show below in as much the mapping of a simple bright - dark edge behaves for the different optical systems to subsequently be able to compare two equivalent systems . in the following , it is examined based on a bright - dark edge how the optical mapping of an array projector differs from the one of a conventional single channel projector or array projector with single set distance . here , a differentiation is to be made in : a ) the projection distance of the individual channels l foc , given by the back focal lengths of the projection optics ( in the example 533 mm ) and b ) the set distances at which a focused image is to be generated by the above described arrangement or method ( in the example : 400 mm and 800 mm ). fig8 shows the result of an analytical simulation of the mapping of a bright - dark edge for a conventional projector ( curve 60 ) and an array projector with extended depth of focus ( edof ). in particular , fig8 shows a comparison of the mapping characteristics of a bright - dark edge by a conventional projector ( curve 60 ) and an array projector with edof ( curve 62 ) at 400 mm , 533 mm and 800 mm . the abscissa in the diagram corresponds to the lateral coordinate in the image space . an area having an expansion of 10 mm is illustrated . the single channel projector has a lateral expansion of 8 . 8 × 8 . 8 mm ( square aperture ), while the array of 11 × 11 individual projector lenslets consists of a single expansion of 0 . 8 × 0 . 8 mm . the back focal length of each projector lenslet is set to 533 mm according to mapping equation . the set distances of the array projector with edof are at 400 mm and 800 mm . from the analysis , it can be seen that the suggested arrangement can improve the visibility of image edges across a wide projection distance range . in the images , it becomes clear that in contrary to the classic single channel projector both an asymmetric blur behavior when mapping at non - set distances as well as a shift of the edge center k center occurs . this results in the ( relative ) intensity of the superposition of all channels by considering the washout occurring due to defocusing . due to the asymmetric edge expansion behavior in the image space it is necessitated to differentiate the following cases : the margin of the edge expanding into illuminated areas , is referred to by k bright . analogously , k dark characterizes the margin of the edge into dark image areas : these equations apply for the exemplarily selected bright - dark distribution ( left - dark , right - bright ). the inverse case results analogously . for the selected projection distances , here exemplarily 400 mm , 533 , 800 mm , fig9 shows at the top the area of the dark edge area 66 and the bright edge area 68 . at the bottom , the blur behavior of a conventional projector is illustrated with dotted lines and an array projector with edof ( areas ). both systems have an identical overall aperture of 8 . 8 × 8 . 8 mm 2 . both the asymmetric edge washout ( curves 70 , 72 ) and the edge shift ( curve 74 ) are clearly visible . the illustrated shift of the edge positions can be counteracted by adapting the light patterns at the set distances . the effect is as follows : a conventional single channel projector is defined by the following parameters : aperture : d = 8 . 8 mm ( square ), focal length : l foc = 533 mm , and in the following it will be examined how much its pupil would have to be reduced in order to have the same blur behavior with respect to the suggested arrangement at a distance of 400 mm and 800 mm . the evaluation of equation ( 3 ) shows that the pupil of the single channel projector would have to be limited to 1 . 46 mm , which corresponds to a reduction of the light flux to approximately 3 %. by using the arrangement suggested herein for extension of depth of focus ( edof ), this value is opposed by a light flux of approximately 74 % ( example : bright rectangle , see above ). here , it should be noted that this transmission loss of the suggested system heavily depends on the image to be projected or the selected set distances . for typical image contents and projection distances , values of & gt ; 60 % are to be expected . with reference to the above statements , fig1 shows an embodiment for a single image generator for a multi - aperture projection display having a plurality of projection channels . generally , the single image generator is indicated by reference number 80 . the single image generator 80 of fig1 includes an image data input 82 for receiving image data 84 representing at least two images to be projected at different projection distances , such as the images 38 and 40 at the distances l 1 and l 2 . further , the single image generator 80 includes a single image calculator 86 that is implemented to calculate , for each of the at least two images to be projected , a provisional single image per projection channel 12 of the multi - aperture projection display such as , for example , exactly those images 48 and 50 . a combiner 88 of the single image generator 80 combines , for each projection channel , the provisional single images of the respective projection channel calculated for the at least two images to be projected to a final single image for the respective projection channel , such as exactly those final single images as illustrated in fig4 a . as mentioned , extensions to more images to be projected etc ., is also possible . basically , fig1 also represents the steps of a respective single image generation method , namely receiving image data at 82 , calculating provisional single images at 86 and combining the same at 88 . the following detailed function description is thus also understood as a description of the respective method . before the image generation according to fig1 will also be described in more detail , it should be noted that the image generation according to fig1 can be performed offline or online . this means the following . single image generation , for example in the embodiment of fig1 , could be performed within the control 20 . then , it would be possible to feed in image data 84 indicating the desired images 38 and 40 , and the single image generation then controls the single image generators 14 of fig1 accordingly , such that the same indicate the finally calculated single images . however , the single image generator or the single image generation method of fig1 , can also be a pure design tool or part of a production method for producing the single image generators 14 , such as the masks , in the case that the single image generators 14 are formed of masks . the latter alternatives are summed up in a dotted box 90 in fig1 , which is indicated by “ single image generation ”. thus , the same can be a mask generator or mask generation . as an alternative , the result of combining 88 could also be outputting data , for example in stored form , on a suitable data carrier , which represents the arrangement of single images 30 as it results from the combination . a simple case as described above is that the image data 84 represent the at least two images 38 and 40 to be projected in a binary manner , i . e ., exclusively comprising merely bright areas 44 and dark areas 46 . in this case , the single image calculation in the calculator 86 calculates , for example , for each of the images 38 or 40 to be projected , the array of provisional single images 30 such that , for each image 38 or 40 to be projected , the respective array of provisional single images or the provisional single images themselves represent a back projection via the array of optics 14 into the object plane 42 . the result would be binary provisional single images , as indicated exemplarily in fig3 at 48 or 50 . this means the calculation would be performed by using optical parameters of the multi - aperture projection display 10 , such as optical mapping parameters , such as the projection distances l 1 , l 2 , the aperture center distances p , the object distance d and possibly optionally further parameters . however , the calculation can also be more complex . in particular , the same does not have to be unique . for example , it would be possible to perform the calculation for projection planes that are not perpendicular to the optical axis 34 or even curved , for which reference is made exemplarily to [ 3 ]. image portions can be distributed differently to the channels , such as for increasing the focus . then , the combiner 88 performs the combination of the binary provisional single images or the arrangement of binary valued provisional single images , such as by the above mentioned logic operation , namely an and - operation in the case that the logic 1 corresponds to the bright portions and a logic or - operation in the case that the logic 1 corresponds to the dark portions . the result would thus be a final binary single image per channel or an arrangement of such final single images with dark or bright portions which can represent , for example , transmissive , reflective or self - luminous portions , as described above . in the case of transmissive masks , respective chrome masks would be produced as has also been described above . otherwise , a pixelated imager is controlled in a suitable manner for indicating the bright or dark areas . another option is that the images to be projected 38 or 40 are not represented in a binary manner by the image data 84 . thus , the same can have a higher value , they can , for example , be trivalent . in this case , the single image calculator 86 distributes , for example , the differently valued portions of the images 38 and 40 to a different amount of channels 12 in its calculation , such that per image to be projected 38 , the calculated provisional single images are binary , but , when the same are superposed , result in the multi - valued image to be projected 38 at the respective projection distance . the combination in the combiner 88 then functions again exactly as in the case of purely binary images to be projected 38 or 40 . it should be noted that it is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that a maximum of a difference amount between the at least two different projection distances l k , i . e ., max ({∀ i , j ≦ number of projection distances  l i - l j  } ) ⁢ ⁢ o ⁢ r ⁢ ⁢ max l i , l j ∈ ⁢ ℒ ⁢ (  l i - l j  ) , can be greater than the commonly obtainable depth of focus of the projection display for , for example , the average projection distance l of all projection distances l k , i . e ., greater than wherein d is , overall , a pupil expansion of the optics of the projection channels , l an average value of the different projection distances and β = 0 . 005 . thus , this is particularly interesting for the case that the images to be projected are indicated by the image data 84 such that the same actually result from one another due to centric extension at the intersection of optical axis 34 and entrance pupil plane , which has been described above as depth of focus extension . here , for example , the image data 84 can be already designed such that they exist in a format according to which , in the image data 84 of the different projection distances , only one image is contained , from which the at least two images to be projected result by the central extension in dependence on the respective projection distance . merely for the sake of completeness , fig1 and 12 also show that , according to other embodiments , a multi - aperture projection display having the advantages as described above might also be implemented as head - up - display for fading - in the images 38 and 40 as virtual images in the sight of a person via a suitable fading - in area , such as a window 92 of a vehicle or as near - eye display for fading in the images 38 or 40 as virtual images into the sight of the eye 94 of the viewer , such as in the form of electronic glasses . in the case of fig1 , the single image generators 14 are , for example , portions of a common mask or portions of a common display . contrary to fig1 , merely the entrance pupil center distance is greater than the single image center distance in the case of fig1 , wherein the expansion of the display , i . e ., the area covered all - in - all by the projection optics aperture is determined by the expansion d ( cf . fig1 ) of the solid angle area where the display can indicate the images 38 or 40 to the user . in the case of fig1 , the individual channels 12 serve to cover the eye motion box of the person in the sight of whom fading - in is performed . in the case of fig1 , exemplarily , reflectively operating single image generators 14 are provided , such as reflective masks . illumination is performed via a beam splitter 94 between the optics 16 and the single image generators 14 . a light source 22 is formed by a divergent light source 96 and a collimator 98 , which introduce collimated light laterally into the beam splitter 94 , such that the reflective single image generators 14 are illuminated and reflect , at the positions defined by the single images , light by the beam splitter and the optics 16 into the eye 94 , where the mappings of the single images are superposed in the retina for forming the virtual images 38 or 40 . the following remarks are made with regard to the above embodiments for eliminating the impression that the embodiments as described above cannot be extended or amended . 1 ) the above embodiments are particularly suited for projecting binary light patterns , but can also be extended to gray - level images by : superposing different binary images having a defined number superposing suitable gray value slides having a defined number 2 ) generating colored image contents can be performed analogously to point 1 ). possibly , the light pattern is to be separated into its primary color portions before performing the mathematical operations . 3 ) according to the de morgan law ( a ∪ b )= a ∩ b ), the described operation can also be applied to the absorbing parts of the object structures resulting respectively for all set distances . instead of an and - operation , a logic or - operation results . in the above embodiments , compared to a projection system of conventional technology as described in the introductory part of the description , there is the inherent option of projecting an alternating light pattern across the projection distance without further mechanical means . as a specific case maintaining a light pattern across a defined distance range will result . if the optical analogon to this is considered ( depth of focus extension ), compared to classical systems , a drastic gain of system transmission and , hence , efficiency increase will result . the above embodiments provide these advantages or the mapping characteristic of generating different patterns on different geometries or projection distances without the necessity of a separate control or control circuit . thus , above embodiments allow optical imaging of a plurality of high - contrast light patterns at different projection distances or screen geometries . a specific case , which is also covered by the described examples , is the maintenance of a fixed light pattern across varying project distances or geometries . while no technical solution is known when generating alternating image content , the significant technical advantage of increasing the depth of focus is a drastic increase of the effective system transmission . for generating the described mapping characteristics , no mechanical changes of lenses or pupils are necessitated . merely the object structures are manipulated , in which the exact technical design has been described above . the restriction to the manipulation of image content allows the realization of simple , compact and robust protection systems . possible fields of application of the above embodiments for distance - dependent representation of different image contents and for extending the depth of focus are , for example , 3d measurement technology as well as structured illumination and information display . while some aspects have been described in the context of an apparatus , it is obvious that these aspects also represent a description of the respective method , such that a block or device from an apparatus can also be seen as a respective method step or as a feature of a method step . analogously , aspects described in the context of a method step or as a method step also represent a description of a corresponding block or detail or feature of a corresponding apparatus . some or all of the method steps may be executed by ( or using ) a hardware apparatus , like for example , a microprocessor , a programmable computer or an electronic circuit . in some embodiments , some or several of the most important method steps may be executed by such an apparatus . depending on certain implementation requirements , embodiments of the invention can be implemented in hardware or in software . the implementation can be performed using a digital storage medium , for example a floppy disk , a dvd , a blu - ray , a cd , a rom , a prom , an eprom , an eeprom or a flash memory , a hard drive or other magnetic or optical memory having electronically readable control signals stored thereon , which can cooperate or cooperate with a programmable computer system such that the respective method is performed . therefore , the digital storage medium may be computer readable . some embodiments according to the invention comprise a data carrier having electronically readable control signals , which are capable of cooperating with a programmable computer system , such that one of the methods described herein is performed . generally , embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as a computer program product with a program code , the program code being operative for performing one of the methods when the computer program product runs on a computer . the program code may for example be stored on a machine readable carrier . other embodiments comprise the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein , wherein the computer program is stored on a machine readable carrier . in other words , an embodiment of the inventive method is , therefore , a computer program having a program code for performing one of the methods described herein , when the computer program runs on a computer . a further embodiment of the inventive methods is , therefore , a data carrier ( or a digital storage medium , or a computer - readable medium ) comprising , recorded thereon , the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein . a further embodiment of the inventive method is , therefore , a data stream or a sequence of signals representing the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein . the data stream or the sequence of signals may for example be configured to be transferred via a data communication connection , for example via the internet . a further embodiment comprises a processing means , for example a computer , or a programmable logic device , configured to or adapted to perform one of the methods described herein . a further embodiment comprises a computer having installed thereon the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein . a further embodiment according to the invention comprises an apparatus or a system configured to transfer a computer program for performing one of the methods described herein to a receiver . the transmission can be electronical or optical . the receiver may , for example , be a computer , a mobile device , a memory device or the like . the apparatus or system may , for example , comprise a file server for transferring the computer program to the receiver . in some embodiments , a programmable logic device ( for example a field programmable gate array ) may be used to perform some or all of the functionalities of the methods described herein . in some embodiments , a field programmable gate array may cooperate with a microprocessor in order to perform one of the methods described herein . generally , in some embodiments , the methods are performed by any hardware apparatus . the same can be a universally usable hardware , such as a computer processor ( cpu ) or hardware specific for the method , such as an asic . while this invention has been described in terms of several advantageous embodiments , there are alterations , permutations , and equivalents which fall within the scope of this invention . it should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and compositions of the present invention . it is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations , permutations , and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . marcel sieler , peter schreiber , peter dannberg , andreas bräuer , and andreas tünnermann , “ ultraslim fixed pattern projectors with inherent homogenization of illumination ,” appl . opt . 51 , 64 - 74 ( 2012 ).	6
fig1 a illustrates an embodiment of a network enabled alarm clock of the present invention , herein referred to as an alarm clock , displaying a time of day . an alarm clock 100 can comprise : a touch screen 102 ; a button 104 ; one or more speakers 106 ; one or more connective capabilities ( e . g . nonvolatile memory card reader , usb connector , or other connective capability ) 108 ; a power supply ( not shown ); and one or more receivers ( not shown ) to receive fm signals , am signals , television signals , cellular signals , 802 . 11 signals , bluetooth signals , or any other communications signals . the touch screen 102 can be used to display a time , a user interface , an image , a video , a webpage , multimedia content , or other images . the touch screen can also be used by a user to input commands to the user interface , and to manage the other functionalities of the network enabled alarm clock . the displayed time can be set using the touch screen . the time can also be automatically synchronized with another clock via a network or over the air broadcast . the button 104 can be used as what is traditionally referred to as a “ snooze ” button . similarly to a traditional snooze button , this button can turn off an alarm for a predefined amount of time . furthermore , the snooze button can be used for additional functionality based upon the number of times the snooze button is pressed in succession within a specified period of time ( e . g . within five seconds of the first time the button is pressed ), the length of each button pressed , or a combination of the number of times the button is pressed within a specified period of time and the relative length each time the button is held down . for instance , when an alarm turns on , the snooze button can be pressed once to turn off the alarm for a predefined amount of time ( e . g . 5 minutes ). if the snooze button is pressed twice within a predefined amount of time ( e . g . 5 seconds ), then the alarm may be turned off for a predefined amount of time ( e . g . 10 minutes ). if the snooze button is pressed three times within a predefined amount of time ( e . g . 5 seconds ), then the alarm may be turned off until the user turns it back on or a next alarm turns on . another example can take into account the amount of time the snooze button is pressed down . for instance , if the snooze button is pressed down for a predefined amount of time ( e . g . 5 seconds ), then the volume of the alarm can decrease by half . the longer the snooze button is held down , the more the volume of the alarm will be decreased . the volume can be decreased proportionally , exponentially , or in other factors in relation to the amount of time the snooze button is held down . it will be appreciated that the snooze button can be a multifunctional button that can be implemented in software or physically implemented in hardware . furthermore , the snooze button can also be used to scroll through various navigation menus of the network enabled alarm clock . the snooze button &# 39 ; s functionality is not exclusive to the alarm function of the alarm clock . for instance , the snooze button can be used to navigate a menu . with respect to a navigation menu of the user interface , the snooze button can be pressed to cycle through the various submenus and items . when a desired menu or item is reached , the snooze button can be pressed for a specified amount of time to select that menu or item . alternatively , a predefined number of taps of the snooze button can be used to select a specific desired menu or item . the alarm clock 100 can also have various connective capabilities 108 . an alarm clock &# 39 ; s connective capabilities may refer to the capability of the alarm clock to download content through a variety of technologies , such as through the internet via a wired broadband connection , a wireless broadband connection , a telephone connection , or a satellite connection , a multimedia card reader , a universal serial bus (“ usb ”) connection , and other types of connections . these connective capabilities may be physically integrated , in whole or in part , with the alarm clock or may be , in whole or in part , implemented in a physically separate unit that is connected to the alarm clock . in the preferred embodiments , a wi - fi connection or other wireless connection may be used . the alarm clock 100 can have various power sources to supply power to the alarm clock . the alarm clock may have a storage area to insert primary batteries and / or secondary batteries into the alarm clock . the alarm clock can also be powered via an external alternating current (“ a / c ”) power supply or an external direct current (“ dc ”) power supply . the alarm clock 100 may have one or more speakers physically integrated in the alarm clock to play sounds for alarms , radio broadcasts , television broadcasts , multimedia content , or other content . additionally , the alarm clock can connect to remote speakers through its various connective capabilities , or through a dedicated audio output connection . the alarm clock 100 can comprise of one or more receivers and one more transmitters , including a radio receiver for fm and am signals , a television receiver for analog and digital signals , an 802 . 11x receiver and transmitter ( e . g . 802 . 11a , b , g , and other standards which are based on 802 . 11 ), a bluetooth receiver and transmitter , and other signal receivers and transmitters . fig1 b illustrates a network enabled alarm clock of the present invention displaying a navigation menu used for managing the network enabled alarm clock . the alarm clock 100 can display a user interface (“ ui ”) for a user to manage the user device . this user interface can be a text based ui , a pictorial / icon based ui , or a combination of both ( i . e . text based and pictorial / icon based ui ). for instance , the ui can comprise of icons 106 and 107 , where those icons can display illustrations to symbolize the various items and menus that icon is linked with , including menus to manage a content manager , a personal information manager (“ pim ”) software , fm / am settings , video settings , network settings , alarm settings , sounds settings , image and audio settings , and other settings , menus , or managers . once the navigation menu is displayed , the user can use the touch screen on the alarm clock to select an icon by pressing the icon on the touch screen . from there , the submenus for that icon can be displayed . in particular , the content manager can manage the various content stored locally ( e . g . via a usb connection , a nonvolatile memory device , an internal storage device of the alarm clock , or other storage devices ). the content manager can be programmed to access various ip addresses to download content to be displayed on the alarm clock . the programming of the content manager can be performed locally using the alarm clock or can be performed remotely using a computer connected to the alarm clock . with respect to selecting content to download , the alarm clock can access any resource located on a network , preferably on the internet . for instance , a web feed ( e . g . rss feed , podcasts , and other web feed formats ) can be inputted into the alarm clock such that an alarm clock can subscribe to a web feed by storing the feed &# 39 ; s resource locater ( e . g . uri , url , ip address , or other location means ) in the alarm clock &# 39 ; s manager . the alarm clock can then regularly check the user &# 39 ; s subscribed feeds for new work / content and new publications . when new work or publications are found , it is downloaded to the alarm clock . the downloaded content can be displayed and / or played on the alarm clock at scheduled times . the alarm clock can be programmed to automatically display and play the feeds when new works are found , or it can periodically display the feeds on a user specified schedule . the alarm clock can also download images from one or more photo sharing sites via a network ( e . g . the internet ). the resource location and the login information can be inputted to the alarm clock , such that the software on the alarm clock can access the resource via the network . this information can include the following : the names and / or locations of the one or more photo sharing sites , such as the domain names or the internet protocol addresses of the one or more photo sharing sites , the associated user name and user password for each of the one or more photo sharing sites , and a selection of one or more photos from each of the one or more photo sharing sites to add to the selected content . examples of photo sharing sites are flickr , mac web gallery , atpic , kodak easy share gallery , photobucket , picasa , snapfish , and others photo sharing websites . one or more video sharing sites can be inputted in a similar manner for downloading content from those sites to the alarm clock . the names and / or locations of the one or more video sharing sites , such as the domain names or the ip addresses of the one or more video sharing sites , the associated user login and user password , if any , for the video sharing site , and one or more videos to add to the selected content , can be inputted to the alarm clock to access these sites . examples of video sharing sites are youtube , veoh , crunchyroll , and other video sharing sites . with respect to downloading news items , resource locations of the news items , such as the domain names or ip addresses , can be inputted by a user to download content . the locations may be for a specific news article or contain multiple articles which the alarm clock user can scroll through . weather information can be displayed on the alarm clock . an alarm clock user can select one or more geographic locations for which weather information is to be displayed . one or more geographic locations can be identified by zip code , mailing address , city and state , longitude and latitude , by a pointer to a map location , or any other means to identify geographic location to retrieve the associated weather for that location via a network . similarly one or more stock quotes can be selected for display on the alarm clock by inputting the associated company name , company stock symbol , or other identifier of the company for each of the selected stock quotes in the download manager . it will be appreciated that the alarm clock can download content ( such as music , video games , flash games , and other content ) via a network from a network storage device . once specified content has been downloaded , a user can specify when to display the downloaded content on the alarm clock by inputting a date and time for displaying of such content . alternatively , the alarm clock can have predefined settings to display the content . for instance , a broadcasted video can be downloaded , and then be displayed at a user specified time ( e . g . 10 p . m .) every night for a specified amount of time ( e . g . 1 hour ). therefore , this allows the user to set up a schedule to view a broadcasted video without having to remember to manually download it every night , and then play it on the alarm clock . the content manager can also be used to manage content stored locally on the alarm clock . for instance , the content manager can rename files , delete files , move files from one folder to another , and manage other aspects of the stored data on the local storage . in addition to the various components of an alarm clock , the alarm clock can comprise a web server , such that the web server can be programmed to automatically undertake certain actions . for instance , the web server can be programmed to download certain content every morning . the user can input personal information into the pim software to store on the alarm clock &# 39 ; s local storage . personal information can include personal notes / journals , address book , a tasks list , significant calendar dates ( e . g . birthdays , anniversaries , and appointments and meetings ), reminders , email archives , and other information . the personal information can be used to set up various alarms based on that personal information . for instance , for every inputted birthday , the alarm clock will display alerts at a predefined amount of time before the actual birthday . the alarm can also display information associated with that birthday such as whose birthday it is and what day the birthday is on . similarly , the user can setup up other alerts based on inputted information . the fm and am settings can also be set via the user interface . the touch screen can be used to set various fm and am stations in memory for future retrieval . the video settings can similarly be set up where the user can preset channels for later retrieval . video content can be provided to an alarm clock via over the air analog signals , over the air digital signals , cable signals , satellite signals , a slingbox , or other means for receiving video content . the network settings menu can be used to manage the various network connections to the alarm clock via wi - fi , bluetooth , or other connective means . the alarm settings can be used to set alarms at specified events with specified content . the specified events can be a user specified date and time or can be an event . events can be triggered by the content manager or the pim software . for instance , an alarm can be triggered when new content from a subscribed rss feed is retrieved , or if new images have been downloaded from a network . as already stated , the pim software can automatically generate alarms based upon personal information stored on the alarm clock . for instance , birthday information inputted into the pim software can be used to generate alerts for those birthdays . once an alarm is specified , the content to be displayed and / or played during the alarm can also be specified . the content can be retrieved from a local storage device , can be downloaded from a network , preferably the internet , or can be provided by the content manager . for instance , if an alarm is set to wake up a user , then instead of playing the radio or a beeping sound , the alarm clock can be specified to download and play a podcast that reports on the current traffic conditions . also , an alarm can also retrieve locally stored content . for instance , a user can set the alarm to play specific music ( e . g . hannah montana , jonas brothers , or other artists ) stored on the local storage . it will be appreciated that any user specified content can be used as the means of conveying an alarm to the user during a specified event . the alarm can also be used to communicate to other devices . for instance , the alarm can send information from the alarm to any devices that are connected to the alarm clock . the alarm clock can send a sms text message to a user &# 39 ; s cellular phone to alert the user of the alarm . the sound settings can be used to manage various speakers for the alarm clock . those speakers can be physically integrated into the alarm clock , or can be remote from the alarm clock and be driven by the alarm clock remotely , either by way of a wireless connection or a wired connection . for instance , an alarm clock can be in a parent &# 39 ; s room , and the speakers for an alarm can be set to speakers in the child &# 39 ; s room , 100 feet away . or alternatively , the speakers can be connected via a network and be located 1000 miles away . fig2 illustrates a system of the present invention of an alarm clock connected to various content providers via a network . the system can comprise an alarm clock 200 , a computer 202 , a user 204 , and one or more content providers via one or more servers 206 and 208 . the user 204 can remotely manage the alarm clock from the computer 202 . additionally , the alarm clock 200 can download content from the content providers 206 and 208 . the content providers 206 and 208 can include email servers , video providers , mp3 providers , and so forth . the alarm clock can also control other devices based on the alarm . fig3 illustrates a system of the present invention where a network enabled alarm clock is connected to various devices via a home network . the system comprises a multimedia enabled alarm clock 300 , a user 302 , a computer 304 , a home heating system 305 , a coffee machine 306 , a home surveillance system 308 , a sprinkler system 310 , and a lightning system 311 . the alarm clock &# 39 ; s alarm function can be used to turn on devices at specified dates and time . for instance , an alarm can be set to turn on the coffee machine 306 at 6 a . m ., such that a user can wake up to freshly brewed coffee . the home surveillance system 308 can have different surveillance modes based on the time of day . the homes lightening system 311 can also be set such that the specified lights are turned on during the evening hours and early morning hours , and automatically turned off during the day hours . a home sprinkler system 310 can be set to turn on at a specified time via the alarm clock . furthermore , the home heating system 305 can be controlled by the alarm clock 300 . the alarm clock 300 can set the temperature to a first predefined temperature during the day time , and a second predefined temperature during the night time to conserve energy ( or for any other purpose ). for instance , in the cold winter months , the heating system 305 may be set at 50 degrees during the day when the home is not occupied , and can be set at 68 degrees during the night when the occupants arrive home . in an embodiment of the present invention , an alarm clock having a snooze button and wireless wi - fi connection is disclosed . here , the programming of the alarm clock can be performed via a web server . the alarm clock may be programmed with specific rss feeds , podcasts , internet radio programs , traditional radio stations ( e . g ., digital , satellite , or am / fm ), video sites ( e . g . features of the day ), news programming , etc . up to a certain number of programs , where one set of programs may be programmed for the morning hours and a second set of programs may be programmed for the evening hours ( e . g . when going to bed ). thus , the user may enjoy time - depending information according to the time of the day . furthermore , in one implementation , the snooze button can be programmed such that a double tap ( i . e . tapping twice ) can scroll through the available modes ( e . g . alarm mode to the program - play mode to the select - play mode to the free - program mode to the normal mode , etc .). while in each mode , a single tap can be programmed to scroll through a pre - defined list . for example , in the alarm mode , when the alarm goes off , one tap will provide additional time for sleeping and a double tap will change it to the next mode ( e . g . the program - play mode ). the alarm mode will play programs depending on the time of the day . in this example , there can be a morning program ( user - scrollable through a pre - defined number of programs or auto - scroll and auto - play each program for a pre - defined amount of time ( e . g . 2 minutes ). in the program - play mode , the pre - programs can be scrolled through ( by a single tap ) and the programs can be listened . in the select - program mode , a long list of programs previously entered can be scrolled through , selected , and played . additionally , a select program can be moved to the alarm mode . in the free - program mode , a small keyboard can be provided on the touch screen where a browser can be directed to fetch web pages and content . in the normal mode , the clock is displayed . in this embodiment , there is only the touch screen , the snooze button , the case encasing the speaker , the circuit board , and the power supply — a minimal number of physical parts . this alarm clock , with portable power and durable ( and water - resistant ) casing , may be taken from the bedroom to the bathroom . other than being programmable by using a browser , this alarm clock may be programmed via the touch screen . while the present invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments or methods , it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments or methods . rather , it is the inventor &# 39 ; s contention that the invention be understood and construed in its broadest meaning as reflected by the following claims . thus , these claims are to be understood as incorporating not only the preferred methods described herein but all those other and further alterations and modifications as would be apparent to those of ordinary skilled in the art .	6
a coated pigment that has polymers that are dispersants and film forming reagents attached to the pigment , a coating system that includes the coated pigment , and a method for producing the coating system are described . the concepts of the coating system described herein will be described with respect to a paint or ink system . however , in appropriate circumstances , it is to be realized that the concepts can be applied to other types of systems as well . resins and pigments are usually key components in coating systems such as paint / ink systems . the term “ resins ” herein means polymers that are commonly added in the art as dispersing , film forming and / or adhesive agents to coating formulations such as inks and paints . resins can be , for example , alkyd , polyester , polyamide , polyimide , silicone , phenolic , urea , melamine , epoxy , polyurethane , polyolefines , polyvinyl , and polyacrylic resins . the term “ pigments ” herein means transparent , metallic , white or colored , mineral or organic particles of any form , which are insoluble in a liquid medium and are suitable for use in ink and paint compositions . resins , as film forming reagents , are responsible for the mechanical properties of a coating system and adhesion of the film formed by the coating system to the substrates . the pigments provide hiding power and impart aesthetics to the coating . the inventors have found that by attaching polymers that are dispersants and film forming agents to pigments , a coating system that includes such a coated pigment does not require any additional components other than a solvent to disperse the pigments and form a film that has good adhesion to the substrate . in one embodiment , the disclosed coating system is a resin - less system . the term “ resin - less ” means that besides the polymers or polymer networks that are grafted on the surface of the pigments , no additional dispersants and / or resins are required in the final paint / ink formulation for formation of the coating film . the term “ additional dispersants and / or resins ” herein means polymers that are separate from the polymer chains that are attached to the surface of the pigment , and are commonly added in the art as dispersing , film forming and / or adhesive agents to coating formulations such as inks and paints . the additional resins , for example , can be alkyd , polyester , polyamide , polyimide , silicone , phenolic , urea , melamine , epoxy , polyurethane , polyolefines , polyvinyl , and polyacrylic resins . examples of the additional dispersants can be found in organic coatings : science and technology , third edition ( new york : john wiley & amp ; sons , 2007 ), pages 440 and 446 , which is incorporated herein by reference . in one example , the disclosed coating system includes the disclosed coated pigments and a solvent or a solvent mixture . the term “ solvent or a solvent mixture ” herein means a liquid that carries the components of the final coating so they can be applied to a substrate and then is removed by evaporation , treating , etc . in one example , the disclosed coating system includes the coated pigments and the solvent or the solvent mixture only . in one implementation , the polymers are added in an amount sufficient to form a film and adhere the film to a substrate when the coating system is applied onto the substrate . the substrate to which the coating system is applied can be any substrate to which paints or inks are applied , including , but not limited to , plastic , metal , etc . in another embodiment , the disclosed coating system includes coated pigments that are encapsulated with smooth and robust polymer coating of controlled thickness . to obtain stable coated pigment dispersions , the polymer chains or networks are adhered to the surface of the pigment under process conditions . the polymer encapsulation can be stabilized through chemical bonds between polymer chains / networks and the pigments . in one implementation , the polymer encapsulation is composed of polymer chains , where the polymer chains have one end covalently bonded or strongly adsorbed to the surface of a pigment . one example of the disclosed coated pigment will now be described . with reference to fig1 , a coated pigment 10 includes a pigment 12 having a surface 12 a . the surface 12 a is coated with a coating 14 that has multiple layers 14 a , 14 b . in the illustrated embodiment shown in fig1 , the coating 14 includes two layers 14 a , 14 b , but in appropriate circumstances , the coating 14 can have one layer or more than two layers . each of the layers 14 a , 14 b includes polymer chains 16 . the composition of the polymer chains 16 in each of the layers may be the same or different . the polymer chains 16 are strongly attached to the surface 12 a of the pigment 12 . the term “ attached ” means that the polymer chains 16 are chemically or physically adhered to the surface 12 a of the pigment 12 . the coating 14 can also include inter - chain cross - links 18 that link the polymer chains 16 . the pigment can be , but is not limited to , metal oxides , metal oxide encapsulated materials , silica , borosilica , silica coated materials , mica , glass , iron or aluminum . in one example , the coated pigment 10 utilized includes a pigment having a thickness in a range from 0 . 5 nm to 500 μm . in another example , the thickness of the pigment is in a range from 20 nm to 100 μm . in yet another example , the thickness of the pigment is in a range from 50 nm to 1 μm . in yet another example , the size of the pigment is in a range from 100 nm to 5000 μm . in yet another example , the size of the pigment is in a range from 500 nm to 100 μm . in yet another example , the size of the pigment is in a range from 1 μm to 50 μm . the strong interactions between the polymer chains 16 and the surface 12 a of the pigment 12 provide robustness and stability of the coating . the term “ robustness and stability of the coating ” herein means the survivability of coated pigments under circulation test , chemical resistance and other process conditions . moreover , uneven coating on the pigments surface will disrupt orientation of the pigments and result in poor aesthetic performance . on the other hand , the surfaces of the disclosed coated pigment 10 are smooth so as to allow maximal contact among a plurality of coated pigments 10 and good film formation . in general , the disclosed coating system includes a plurality of the coated pigments 10 and there are several steps involved in the manufacture of the disclosed coating system . first , pigments are encapsulated with polymers . in one example , the polymer encapsulated pigments can be easily dispersed in solvents . the polymer encapsulated pigments are kept in wet form and stored , for example , as concentrated pastes or slurry . additional solvent can be added at any time to achieve desired coated pigment concentration prior to the application of the coating system . when the coating system is applied onto a substrate , the solvent evaporates so as to form a film . in one example , the thickness of the film that is formed on the substrate is between 1 and 10 μm . in another example , the thickness of the film that is formed on the substrate is between 2 . 5 and 3 μm . in yet another example , the thickness of the film that is formed on the substrate is 2 . 5 μm . good adhesion between the film and the substrate is achieved by physical or chemical interactions between the polymers included in the coated pigments and the substrate . while the entanglement among polymer chains grafted from different coated pigments can result in good film mechanical properties , the polymer chains can be further modified with functional groups and allow the formation of cross - linked networks on the pigments . in one embodiment , surface - initiated polymerization is used to fabricate a thick polymer coating on the pigment . in this process , initiator moieties , which are defined as functional groups that can initiate polymerization of polymerizable monomers , are first immobilized on the surfaces of the pigments . then , with subsequent polymerization , thick polymer chains can be grown from the surfaces of the pigment . the coating thickness can be readily controlled simply by varying the reaction time . in addition , other factors including , but not limited to , monomer concentration , polymerization time , solvent , and catalyst can be used to control the thickness of the coating as well . the average polymer coating thickness , which can be measured by direct observation via transmission electron microscopy , ranges from a few nanometers to more than 100 nm . two factors , grafting density and average molecular weight of polymer chains , also determine coating thickness . the molecular weight of the polymer chains can be adjusted by tuning the polymerization conditions such as polymerization time , monomer concentration , solvent , reaction temperature , and catalysts . varying the grafting density can be achieved by controlling the initiator area density on the surfaces of the platelets . using controlled / living radical polymerization , such as atom transfer radical polymerization ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 763 , 548 ), nitroxide mediated polymerization ( u . s . pat . no . 6 , 353 , 107 ), and reversible addition — fragmentation chain transfer polymerization ( u . s . pat . no . 7 , 205 , 362 ), polymer chains can be grown at similar rates from surfaces , thereby leading to a coating with a uniform structure on the surface of the substrates . moreover , by eliminating unbounded initiators in solution , most polymer chains formed are anchored to platelet surfaces . as a result , there are minimal amounts of unbounded polymer chains in solution . the polymerization mixture retains low viscosity throughout the reaction process with or without the addition of solvent . simple purification procedures can readily separate polymer encapsulated platelets from the other components in the reaction solution . in one example , a coupling reagent that includes an initiator is used to functionalize pigment surfaces with initiator moieties . the initiator has a chemical structure x — r — y , where x denotes a surface active group , y denotes an initiator moiety , and r denotes a spacer . the initiator moieties are anchored to the pigment upon the reaction between surface active groups and functional groups that are present on surfaces of the pigments . in another example , an initiator can be immobilized on pigment surfaces through a multiple step process . in one instance , the multiple step process is a two - step process . in this instance , a surface active molecule , x - r1 - a , is first applied to the surface of a pigment . while functional group x immobilizes the molecules to the surfaces , functional group a allows further chemical reactions on pigment surfaces and leads to the initiator moiety , y , to be on the surfaces of the pigment . the surface active group x can be , but is not limited to , mono -, di -, and tri - alkoxylsilanes , mono -, di - and tri - halosilanes , carboxylic acid , phosphonic acid and other chemical groups that have strong affinity to metal , metal oxide or silica surfaces . in case of trialkoxysilane and trihalosilane , the intermolecular condensation among organosilane molecules leads to the formation of high density robust coating of such molecules . in some instances , the selection of x is dependent upon the type of pigment utilized . for example , silanes are used to modify the surface of silica , alumina , and glass , while molecules with carboxylic acid are used to functionalize surfaces of iron oxide . the initiator moiety y can be any functional group that initiates controlled radical polymerization . the initiator moiety y can be , but is not limited to , an activated halogen atom , alkoxyamine , dithioester , dithiocarbamates , trithiocarbonates and xanthates , organic peroxides , and azo compounds . a variety of polymerization methods , such as radical polymerization , controlled radical polymerization , anionic polymerization , and cationic polymerization , have been used to grow polymer encapsulation from surfaces . in one implementation , controlled radical polymerizations are used to grow polymer chains with controlled structures from surfaces . in one example of the coated pigment , the polymeric chains can include homopolymers , random copolymers , gradient copolymers , block polymers , grafted copolymers , star copolymers or any combination thereof . in one implementation , the polymer chains include cross - links to form a polymer network coating on the pigment . in one example , after the initiator is immobilized on the surface of the platelet , the platelet is purified via filtration to remove any unbounded coupling reagents before proceeding to the polymerization reaction . in another example where the existence of free coupling reagent in solution does not significantly increase the solution viscosity or adversely alter other process conditions in the following polymerization , the reaction solution is used directly without further purification . the initiator - immobilized platelets then are dispersed in a monomer solution . the monomer solution can include one type of monomer or mixtures of different types of monomers . examples of monomers that can be used include , but is not limited to , styrenes , ( meth ) acrylates , ( meth ) acrylamides , ( meth ) acrylic acids , acrylonitrile , vinylpyridines , maleimides , vinyl acetate , vinyl chloride , vinylidene chloride and isoprene . following dispersion of the initiator immobilized platelets into the monomer solution , polymerization from surfaces lead to the formation of polymer chains that are attached to the platelet . because of its small size , initiator molecules can be immobilized on the surface of the platelet with high area density . therefore , this approach allows the synthesis of polymer coatings with high grafting density . as polymerization from the surface of the platelet follows the same mechanism as solution polymerization , monomers that can be polymerized in solution polymerization can be directly adopted into the disclosed method . living or controlled radical polymerization , such as atom transfer radical polymerization , nitroxide mediated polymerization , and reversible addition — fragmentation chain transfer polymerization , allows synthesis of polymers with controlled molecular weight , polydispersity , and architectures from many different types of monomers . by using living polymerization , the disclosed method allows the thickness of the coating to be controlled from a few nanometers up to hundreds of nanometers and further allows the structure of polymer coating on platelets to be controlled . transmission electron microscopy is used to directly observe the coating thickness and uniformity on particle or platelet surfaces . in this instance , the average and standard deviation of coating thickness can be calculated from transmission electron microscope pictures from more than 10 different coated platelets at a magnification between × 20 , 000 and × 100 , 000 . as shown in fig4 , the standard deviation of the coating thickness on the platelets varies less than 15 % of the average coating thickness , where the scale bar is 100 nm . the living nature of the controlled radial polymerization used in the disclosed method also enables the synthesis of a multilayered coating on the platelet . in one example , a second monomer or a second set of monomers can be added to the reaction flask after a predetermined reaction time . in another example , after the end of the first polymerization , the platelets can be separated from the reaction mixtures , purified , and then subjected to a second polymerization with a second monomer or second set of monomers . in both cases , a second layer of coating can be formed with a composition that is different from that of the first layer . in the latter approach , the method allows the synthesis of a second layer with a completely different composition . the above steps can be repeated any number of times and in any different combinations to provide a multilayered coating . the encapsulation can be composed of chains or networks of polymer or copolymers of a variety of monomers . examples of monomers that can be used in the disclosed method include , but are not limited to , acrylonitrile , styrene , divinylbenzene , 4 - methylstyrene , 3 - methylstyrene , 2 - methylstyrene , 4 - vinylanisole , 4 - fluorostyrene , 2 - fluorostyrene , 3 - fluorostyrene , 4 - chloromethylstyrene , 4 -( tert - butyl ) styrene , 3 - chlorostyrene , methyl methacrylate , methyl acrylate , ethyl methacrylate , ethyl acrylate , n - propyl acrylate , n - propyl methacrylate , iso - propyl methacrylate , iso - propyl acrylate , n - butyl acrylate , n - butyl methacrylate , sec - butyl acrylate , sec - butyl methacrylate , tert - butyl acrylate , tert - butyl methacrylate , tert - amyl methacrylate , n - hexyl acrylate , n - octyl methacrylate , 2 - ethylhexyl acrylate , n - decyl methacrylate , iso - decyl acrylate , iso - decyl methacrylate , undecyl methacrylate , n - dodecyl acrylate , n - dodecyl methacrylate , 1 - hexadecyl methacrylate , stearyl acrylate , stearyl methacrylate , cyclohexyl acrylate , cyclohexyl methacrylate , 3 , 3 , 5 - trimethylcyclohexyl methacrylate , benzyl acrylate , benzyl methacrylate , pentabromophenyl acrylate , pentabromophenyl methacrylate , pentafluorophenyl acrylate , pentafluorophenyl methacrylate , phenyl acrylate , phenyl methacrylate , 1 , 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoroisopropyl acrylate , 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate , 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - heptadecafluorodecyl methacrylate , 1h , 1h , 3h - hexafluorobutyl acrylate , 1h , 1h , 3h - hexafluorobutyl methacrylate , 1h , 1h , 3h - tetrafluoropropyl methacrylate , 1h , 1h , 5h - octafluoropentyl acrylate , 1h , 1h , 5h - octafluoropentyl methacrylate , 1h , 1h , 7h - dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate , 1h , 1h - heptafluorobutyl acrylate , 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethyl acrylate , 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethyl methacrylate , hexafluoro - iso - propyl methacrylate , pentafluorophenyl acrylate , pentafluorophenyl methacrylate , methacrylamide , acrylamides , 4 - vinyl pyridine , n , n - dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate , n , n - diethylaminoethyl methacrylate , glycidyl methacrylate , 2 - hydroxyethyl acrylate , and 2 - hydroxyethyl methacrylate , glycidyl acrylate , 4 - vinylaniline , 3 - vinylaniline , n - iso - propylacrylamide , n , n - diethylacrylamide , n , n - dimethylacrylamide , poly ( ethylene glycol ) methacrylate , poly ( ethylene glycol ) acrylate , poly ( ethylene glycol ) methyl ether methacrylate , poly ( ethylene glycol ) ethyl ether methacrylate , poly ( ethylene glycol ) methyl ether acrylate , 1 , 10 - decanediol dimethacrylate , 1 , 3 - butanediol dimethacrylate , 1 , 4 - butanediol diacrylate , 1 , 4 - butanediol dimethacrylate , 1 , 4 - diacryloylpiperazine , 1 , 4 - phenylene diacrylate , 1 , 5 - pentanediol dimethacrylate , 1 , 6 - hexanediol diacrylate , 1 , 6 - hexanediol dimethacrylate , 1 , 9 - nonanediol dimethacrylate , 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - methacryloxyphenyl ) propane , 2 , 2 - bis [ 4 -( 2 - acryloxyethoxy ) phenyl ] propane , 2 , 2 - bis [ 4 -( 2 - hydroxy - 3 - methacryloxypropoxy ) phenyl ] propane , 2 , 2 - dimethylpropanediol dimethacrylate , diethylene glycol diacrylate , diethylene glycol dimethacrylate , dipropylene glycol dimethacrylate , ethylene glycol diacrylate , ethylene glycol dimethacrylate , ethylene glycol dimethacrylate , ethylene glycol dimethacrylate , n , n ′ ethylene bisacrylamide , n , n ′- methylenebisacrylamide , n , n ′- hexamethylenebisacrylamide , n , n - diallylacrylamide , tetraethylene glycol dimethacrylate , trans - 1 , 4 - cyclohexanediol dimethacrylate , triethylene glycol diacrylate , triethylene glycol dimethacrylate , triethylene glycol dimethacrylate , 1 , 1 , 1 - trimethylolpropane triacrylate , 1 , 1 , 1 - trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate , dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate , pentaerythritol tetraacrylate , pentaerythritol triacrylate , poly ( ethylene glycol ) diacrylate , and poly ( ethylene glycol ) dimethacrylate . in one instance , the thickness of the polymer encapsulation defines the amount of the polymer loading on the pigment and affects the pigment - to - binder ( p / b ) ratio of the final coating . in one example , the disclosed coating system has a high p / b ratio . since the pigments are evenly encapsulated in the polymers , the disclosed coating system can be prepared with a much higher p / b ratio than that of conventional paint / ink systems . in this instance , the coating system can be prepared with a p / b ratio of up to 10 , as compared to conventional paints / inks , which have p / b ratios that are typically less than 1 . for example , for paints made from silberline sparkle silver premium ® 695 , which is an aluminum pigment of average particle size of 12 μm , conventional paints / inks have typical p / b ratios of less than 1 , whereas the disclosed coating system can be prepared with a p / b ratio of 5 or higher . furthermore , to ensure proper film formation and good adhesion of the coating , the polymer chains in the encapsulation should be of reasonable length and have certain flexibility so that the rearrangement of polymer chains will provide enough physical entanglement and / or expose enough chemical reaction sites to the pigments or the polymer chains from other coated pigment encapsulations . the term “ flexibility ” herein means that the polymer chains of the polymer coating can readily rearrange their configuration such that the polymer chains can follow the surfaces of other coated pigments and thereby increase the contact areas between the coating surfaces . in another instance , the polymer chains are attached to the surface of the substrates so as to provide robustness and stability of the coating . the term “ robustness and stability ” herein means the survivability of the coated substrates under circulation test , repeated solvent wash and typical reaction conditions . in these instances , the polymer chains have the flexibility to maximize their contact with color pigments and greatly enhance the adhesion between the color pigments and the surfaces of the coated substrates . in one embodiment of the disclosed coating system , the coating system includes a plurality of the coated pigments 10 and a solvent or solvent mixture only . a coating system of this embodiment can be prepared simply by dispersing the plurality of coated pigments 10 in a solvent or a solvent mixture . the amount of the coated pigments in the coating system can be from 10 % to 70 %, and the amount of the solvent in the coating system can range from 25 % to 85 %. in one example , the solvent or solvent mixture utilized is a good solvent of the polymer segments on surfaces of the encapsulation and as such , prevents the collapse of polymer chains and pigment particles from agglomeration . the solvent or solvent mixture used in the disclosed colored system can be water , lower alcohols , hydrocarbons , ethers , esters , ketones , glycol ethers , pyrrolidones , sulfoxides , and mixtures thereof . examples of a solvent that can be used include butanol , ethyl acetate , butyl acetate , xylene , toluene , propylene glycol monomethyl ether , propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate , n - methylpyrrolidone and methyl ethyl ketone . in yet another embodiment , the plurality of coated pigments 10 can be dispersed in systems conventionally used in the art of paints and inks to achieve optimal adhesion and / or reduce the amount of external resin required in the formulation . in this embodiment , the composition of the polymer encapsulation can be adjusted to enhance the dispersion of the pigments , promote adhesion between the pigments and the rest of the coating , and / or provide barrier function to protect pigments . without being bound to theory , the mechanical properties of the coating film can originate from the physical entanglement of the polymer chains of different coated pigments 10 . in one occurrence , the film integrity is further strengthened by introducing reactive sites on the encapsulation 14 and the formation of cross - linked networks after the application of coated system to a substrate . similarly , the adhesion between the coating film and the coated pigment can be of chemical or physical origin . the reduction of binder in the final coating also affects the aesthetics of the final coating products . in another occurrence , increased coated pigment loading in the coating system can lead to chroma or opacity enhancement of the final coating . for effect pigments , it is known that excessive resin in paint / ink will disrupt orientation of pigment . in one example , since the coating system can be formed with a high p / b ratio and the coated pigments are evenly embedded in the polymer encapsulation , the final orientation of the coated pigments , and therefore the aesthetics of the coating , can be greatly improved as compared to conventional methods . the polymer encapsulation also can be designed to provide the coated pigments with superior stability in the coating systems and in the film that has been formed on a substrate . for example , al pigments are susceptible to the attack of water , which can degrade al and generate hydrogen gas that can impose hazards during shipping and storage . in one example , incorporation of a hydrophobic coating on an aluminum pigment can effectively retard the penetration of water to the surface of al flakes and thereby enhance the stability of the disclosed coating system . for the same reason , the final coating system can have better water resistance as compared to a conventional coating system made from pigments without polymer encapsulation . further , conventional paints / inks typically require certain viscosity criteria that need to be met prior to application . for example , in ink applications , the amount of pigment loading is limited by the viscosity of the ink mixtures . excessive pigment loadings often result in increased viscosity and reduced printability . in resin - less inks , due to the high pigment to binder ratio , significant amount of pigments can be dispersed in the solvent without significantly increasing the ink viscosity . in one example , the disclosed coating system does not require a viscosity criteria . in one instance , the coating system can be applied in low viscosity . in this instance , since the coating system includes a lower percentage of resin as compared to conventional paints / inks , the disclosed coating system can solidify in a much shorter period of time when applied onto a substrate as compared to that of conventional paints / inks . another advantage is that since the resin - less paints / inks contain relatively small amounts of resin as compared to conventional coating systems , the resin - less coating can be dried in a much shorter period of time than conventional coating systems . yet another advantage is that because no external resin or no dispersant is required in the disclosed coating system , the disclosed system allows great ease during the formulation process . for instance , the coated pigments 10 can be stored in a slurry form . bulk solvents can be added immediately prior to the application of the coating system . the resin less system can be applied using standard coating / printing methods . application methods for the resin - less paint include , but are not limited to , spray and dip coating . application methods for the resin - less ink include , but are not limited to , gravure , flexo and offset printing . in one embodiment of an article , the article includes a coating the contains the disclosed coating system . 480 g aluminum paste ( silberline sparkle silver ® premium 695 , 75 . 28 % nonvolatile ), 1200 ml toluene , and 3 ml 3 -( trimethoxysilylpropyl )- 2 - bromo - 2 - methylpropionate were added to a 2 l reaction flask equipped with a mechanic stirrer and a condenser . the reaction mixture was heated up and was kept under reflux for 24 hours . once the reaction time was complete , the mixture was cooled down to room temperature . the flakes were vacuum filtered . two washes of toluene were applied . 32 . 3 g initiator modified al paste ( containing 20 g of nonvolatile ), 0 . 423 g cubr , 200 ml styrene , and 190 ml pm acetate were added to a 500 ml reaction flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer and a heating mantle : the solution was degassed with nitrogen and heated to 80 ° c . under constant stirring . in a separated flask , pentamethyldiethylenetriamine ( pmdeta ) was degassed with nitrogen for 30 min . then 0 . 83 ml of degassed pmdeta was transferred to the reaction flask with a nitrogen purged syringe . after 4 hours of polymerization , the reaction was stopped . the pigments were purified with centrifugation . thermal gravimetric analysis confirmed polymer composed 15 . 86 % of the dried pigments . the pigments were stored as wet paste in pm acetate . resin - less paint of pigment made in example 1 was prepared by diluting wet paste with pm acetate . the final paint has pigment weight concentration of 10 . 1 %. paint was siphon sprayed onto the plastic panel of polystyrene , poly ( methyl methacrylate ) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene ( abs ). the sprayed panel was further dried in oven . 4 . 8 kg aluminum paste ( silberline sparkle silver ® premium 695 , 75 . 68 % nonvolatile ), 12 l pm acetate , and 16 ml 3 -( trimethoxysilylpropyl )- 2 - bromo - 2 - methylpropionate were added to a 20 l reaction flask equipped with a mechanic stirrer and a condenser . the reaction mixture was heated up and was kept under reflux for 6 hours . once the reaction time was complete , the mixture was cooled down to room temperature . the flakes were vacuum filtered . two washes of pm acetate were applied . 61 . 6 g initiator modified al paste ( containing 40 g of nonvolatile ), 0 . 106 g cubr , 200 ml methyl methacrylate , and 180 ml pm acetate were added to a 500 ml reaction flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer and a heating mantle : the solution was degassed with argon and heated to 80 ° c . under constant stirring . in a separated flask , pentamethyldiethylenetriamine ( pmdeta ) was degassed with argon for 30 min . then 0 . 16 ml of degassed pmdeta was transferred to the reaction flask with a argon purged syringe . after 4 hours of polymerization , the reaction was stopped . the pigments were purified with centrifugation . thermal gravimetric analysis confirmed polymer composed 20 . 19 % of the dried pigments . the pigments were stored as wet paste in pm acetate . resin - less paint of pigment made in example 3 was prepared by diluting the wet paste with pm acetate . the final paint has pigment weight concentration of 5 . 8 %. paint was siphon sprayed onto the plastic panel of poly ( methyl methacrylate ) and abs . the sprayed panel was further dried in oven . the resin - less paint prepared in accordance with example 4 was applied onto ( a ) poly ( methyl methacrylate ), ( b ) acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and ( c ) polystyrene panels . the coatings were formed via siphon spray of the resin - less paints . the results are shown in fig2 . cross - hatch adhesion test of the coating in example 4 was conducted in accordance with astm d3359 standards . the results are shown in fig3 . as shown in fig3 , the coating prepared with the disclosed method can provide good performance in a standard cross - hatch adhesion test . the resin - less paint coated poly ( methyl methacrylate ) panel in example 5 was analyzed with scanning electron microscopy . the results are shown in fig4 . fig4 shows superior orientation of the pigments , which allows superior aesthetics of the coating . while the disclosed coated pigments and methods have been described in conjunction with a preferred embodiment , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that other objects and refinements of the disclosed coated pigments and methods may be made within the purview and scope of the disclosure . the disclosure , in its various aspects and disclosed forms , is well adapted to the attainment of the stated objects and advantages of others . the disclosed details are not to be taken as limitations on the claims .	2
it should be noted from the outset that while the present invention finds particular utility in part sizing systems , the bar graph display control circuitry feature of this invention is applicable to many types of uses . for example , it can be employed in any system in which visual representations of two or more sensing devices are desired to be displayed . hence , one advantage of this invention , being the ability to provide a plurality of visual representations on one display , can be advantageously utilized in a wide variety of applications . the part sizing system of the preferred embodiment is shown in fig1 . a base 10 secures a plurality of plunger type probes 12 and 14 for measuring the part under test . in this example , only two probes are shown . however , it should be realized that any combination of probes can be utilized depending upon the loading constraints of the excitation circuitry or , alternatively , only one probe can be used . probes 12 and 14 are variable reluctance transducers which provide a variable output signal representative of the displacement caused by the part interposed therebetween . the outputs from probes 12 and 14 are coupled to electronic circuitry contained in display unit 16 . display unit 16 includes a housing 18 which holds two adjacent bar graph displays 20 and 22 , along with a plurality of range selector indicators 311 - 314 , measuring unit indicators 315 , 316 , and a limit indicator 26 on the front panel thereof . bar graph displays 20 and 22 , in this embodiment , are commercially available displays such as the 100 element dual linear bar graph display sold by the burroughs corporation under the trademark self - scan . bar graph display 20 is utilized to illustrate the size of the part measured by probes 12 and 14 , whereas bar graph 22 is utilized to display both the upper and lower tolerance limits . as can be seen in fig1 both the upper and lower limits are visually superimposed upon the same bar graph display , with the lower limit 28 having a greater illumination intensity than the upper limit 30 . this is accomplished electronically by the circuitry that will now be discussed . referring now to fig2 there is shown a block diagram of the major components of the electronic circuitry of the present invention . probe excitation circuitry 107 provides an ac signal over lines 154 , 156 to the respective windings 102 , 104 surrounding probes 12 and 14 . as mentioned above probes 12 and 14 are known variable reluctance transducers . briefly , they operate on the principle that movement of the probe , which is made of a ferromagnetic material such as ferrite , induces a corresponding voltage change relative to the outer terminals of a center tapped winding which surrounds the probe . the probe output signals are coupled to a signal conditioning and demodulator circuit 109 . in this example , the excitation signal over lines 154 and 156 are applied directly to the windings 104 of probe 14 . excitation signal supply lines 154 , 156 are also coupled to windings 102 of probe 12 by lines 151 and 153 through a double pole , double throw switch 105 . if wipers 34 of switch 105 contact poles 106a , the excitation signal applied to probe 12 is of the same polarity that is supplied to probe 14 . consequently , the output signals from probes 12 and 14 will be summed together by circuit 109 . on the other hand , if wipers 34 of switch 105 contact poles 106b , the excitation signal to probe 12 will be of an opposite polarity . consequently , signals between probe 12 and 14 will be subtracted by conditioning and demodulator circuitry 109 . for purposes of this invention , the probe output signal will be deemed to be of a positive sense when caused by mechanical retraction of the probe element . as noted above , the probe can be conditioned to provide an output signal of a negative sense by reversing the polarity of the excitation signal via switch 105 . a shielded cable having lines 151 , 152 and 153 therein couple the signal from probe 12 to circuitry 109 . similarly , another shielded cable having lines 154 , 155 and 156 couple probe 14 signals to circuitry 109 . the cable shields 105 , 107 are grounded via line 157 . line 158 supplies a synchronization signal from the demodulator portion of circuitry 109 , which is utilized by the excitation circuitry 107 as will later be discussed . circuitry 109 provides an output signal which is representative of the signals from probes 12 and 14 measuring the part under test . line 160 provides an externally available output signal which is proportional to the probe position . line 161 is coupled to a limit selection circuitry 120 . circuitry 120 compares the input signal with electronic representations of the upper and lower tolerance limits . if the input signal does not fall between the upper and lower limits , a signal is supplied to an indicator such as lamp 26 shown in fig1 . in addition , the output line 180 can be coupled to a relay located in the machinery which is making the parts being tested . in such manner the machinery such as a stamping device , can be automatically stopped in the event that the parts being made are not within the tolerance limits . circuitry 120 also supplies signals over lines 173 and 174 which represent the selected lower and upper tolerance limits , respectively . lines 173 and 174 are coupled , along with line 162 from circuitry 109 , to analog - digital ( a / d ) convertor and display control circuitry 130 . circuitry 130 converts the analog signals of probe signal 162 , lower limit signal 173 , and upper limit signal 174 into digital signals which are compatible with the bar graph display . the output lines 167 - 172 from circuitry 130 are coupled to display driver circuitry 140 which drives the bar graph displays 20 and 22 . line 167 provides a signal which is utilized to control the anode of bar graph display 20 . lines 168 - 170 provide a three phase scanning input for the cathodes of both bar graph displays 20 and 22 . line 171 provides a reset signal to reinitialize the scan of the cathodes . line 172 provides a signal which controls the anode of bar graph display 22 . the details of the probe excitation circuitry 107 are shown most clearly in fig3 . the primary winding of a grounded center tapped transformer t1 and capacitor c23 combine to form an lc resonant circuit oscillator in which transistor q6 provides an active element operated in class c for efficient operation . capacitors c25 and c26 , along with resistors r60 and r61 provide a small amount of negative feedback to transistor q6 to provide a stable operation as is known in the art . resistor r59 coupled to source + v1 provides a small amount of dc bias to insure initial oscillation of the circuit . thus , an ac signal is induced in the secondary winding of transformer t1 and provides the probe excitation signal over lines 154 , 156 . according to a feature of this invention this signal is also monitored to insure that the excitation signal remains constant to thereby insure accurate readings . the excitation signal is coupled to and is amplified by operational amplifier 205 . the synchronization signal 158 and transistor q9 combine to form a shunt chopper to half - wave rectify the output signal of amplifier 205 . this signal is then filtered by capacitor c29 to provide a dc signal of a level corresponding to the amplitude of the amplified excitation signal . this dc signal is coupled to one input of error amplifier 206 . a fixed reference voltage derived from source v2 is coupled to the other input of amplifier 206 . the output of amplifier 206 is thus an error signal representative of the difference between the two signals , if any . potentiometer p4 is utilized to initially adjust the biasing voltage vcc to transistor q5 thereby determining the amplitude of the oscillations of the lc resonant circuit . during subsequent operation of the circuitry , if there is an error signal generated by amplifier 206 , it is fed back to a controllable dc power supply comprised of transistor q5 . accordingly , any subsequent deviation of the excitation signal to the probes is immediately detected and automatically compensated by feeding back a signal to the power supply which , in turn , controls the amplitude of the oscillator . such deviations can be caused by a change in temperature , load , component parameters , etc . it is a feature of this invention that the secondary winding of transformer t1 is bifilar wound . as is known in the art , a bifilar wound transformer is made by folding a conductor exactly in half and winding it around the core . hence , the outputs on outer terminals 154 , 156 have exactly the same amplitude with respect to grounded center tap line 157 but are 180 ° out of phase . referring to fig4 the probe output signals ( over lines 151 , 153 for probe 12 , and over lines 154 , 156 for probe 14 ) are coupled to the signal conditioning and demodulator circuit 109 . zero adjust potentiometers p2 , p3 are utilized to initially zero the system . when a part is being measured the probe signals are either summed together or subtracted at junction 36 depending on the position of switch 105 as discussed above . comparator 301 compares this signal with reference ground over line 157 . the position of switch sw2 determines the range selection for the part sizing system . hence , wiper 38 connects the appropriate feedback resistor r11 - r15 to amplifier 301 . similarly , wiper 40 of switch sw2 couples an appropriate indicator 310 - 314 to a source of potential v1 so that it will illuminate on the front panel of display unit 16 . thus , at node 42 there appears an ac signal proportional to the probe displacement due to the measured part which has been amplified by the gain factor depending upon the range selection . this signal is further conditioned according to a feature of this invention by selecting , via switch sw3 , either of two summing resistors r16 or r17 which provides for either an english or metric scaling factor , selectively , to be applied to the probe signal . wiper 44 of switch sw3 therefor thus connects either resistor r16 or r17 to the input of amplifier 302 . as is known in the art , the gain factor of such operational amplifiers is determined by the ratio between the input resistor and the feedback resistor . potentiometer p5 provides the ability to initially adjust the gain of amplifier 302 to correspond to either an english or metric representation depending upon the value chosen for r16 or r17 . wiper 46 of switch sw3 activates either led 315 or 316 providing a visual indication of the selection of english or metric measuring systems on display 16 . the thus conditioned ac signal is then coupled to a demodulator circuit 50 which is a balanced , synchronous demodulator with amplifier 303 operating in a differential dc amplifier mode . demodulator 50 forms no part of this invention and thus can be performed by a variety of demodulators known in the art . n - channel jfet transistors q7 and q8 act as two phase shunt choppers needed for demodulation . transistors q7 and q8 are driven by square waves which are 180 ° out of phase . these signals are synchronous with the probe excitation voltage due to the action of amplifier 203 and amplifier 204 . amplifier 203 is a differential comparator across the excitation voltage ( from lines 154 and 156 ) and amplifier 204 is a comparator which inverts the signal from amplifier 203 . the synchronous half wave signals produced by transistors q7 and q8 are filtered and differentially amplified by differential amplifier 303 . thus , the output of amplifier 303 is a dc signal proportional to the probe output signal as conditioned by the range selection and measuring unit selection circuits described above . amplifier 304 is a dc amplifier used to provide an externally available output on line 160 which is proportional to probe position . this output may be level shifted or amplified as desired , by the use of appropriate associated components , as is known in the art . amplifier 305 is another dc amplifier whose purpose is to condition the probe signal prior to the analog to digital conversion by circuitry 130 . it should be noted that for ease of description , the term probe signal as used herein will mean any signal derived by the probes due to the part being measured and may include the range selection and measuring unit selection conditioning of the signal as described above . for the circuitry 130 utilized in this example , it is necessary to restrict the range of the probe signal from 0 volts to 2 . 5 volts . diodes d - 3 and d - 4 shown in fig6 accomplish this function . line 162 is thus coupled to circuitry 130 , whereas line 161 is coupled to the input of limit selection circuitry shown in fig5 . referring then to fig5 the dc probe signal on line 161 is applied to limit selection circuitry 120 to determine if the tolerance limits have been exceeded . circuitry 120 consists of a window comparator utilizing comparators 401 and 402 . the input from line 161 is applied to the respective inputs of amplifiers 401 and 402 . an electronic representation of the lower tolerance limit is provided by the setting of potentiometer p8 and is accessible on the back of display unit 16 . the lower tolerance signal is applied to the other input of amplifier 402 and is applied to circuitry 130 over line 173 . similarly , the upper tolerance limit is set by utilizing potentiometer p7 which signal is coupled to other input of amplifier 401 , as well as to circuitry 130 over line 174 . if the probe signal on line 161 is either above or below the upper and lower tolerance limit , respectively , amplifier 401 or 402 will supply a signal of such magnitude and polarity as to turn on transistor q4 . the output line 180 from transistor q4 can be coupled to a solid state relay which may be used to operate as a 110 - 220 vac switch to external circuitry . hence , if the probe signal exceeds the tolerance limits , the machinery producing such parts being measured can be automatically turned off . line 180 &# 39 ; provides a signal which can be coupled to external circuitry requiring an opposite logic convention than supplied over line 180 . additionally , if the probe signal exceeds the tolerance limits , indicator 26 of fig1 is illuminated by a signal over line 180 to advise the operator that the part being measured exceeds tolerance . turning now to fig6 and 7 , the analog - digital convertor and logic circuitry 130 and display driver control circuitry 140 will be described . block 501 represents known circuitry for converting the analog input signals to digital signals necessary to operate the bar graph display 607 . block 501 can be , for example , the bar graph display logic circuit distributed by signetics corporation under model ne580 . line 162 which carries the probe signal is coupled to the ch1 input . this signal is converted by circuit 50 to a digital pulse whose width is a function of the level of the input signal . in this example the dc level of the probe signal 162 is converted to a pulse of a width depending upon the level of the probe signal and is supplied as an output ( o / p1 ) over line 166 which is coupled to flip - flop 510 . flip - flop 510 is utilized to provide an output over line 167 having the same pulse width as the signal on line 166 , but in a properly timed fashion necessary for the particular bar graph utilized . the signal on line 167 is coupled to a darlington pair 70 which is utilized to drive the channel one ( ch1 ) anode of display 607 . the signal driving the channel one anode controls the height of the bar graph display 20 of this invention . gates 502 - 506 , and flip - flops 510 , 511 are utilized as known in the art to make the signals emanating from circuitry 501 compatible with the particular bar graph display utilized and therefore forms no part of this invention . lines 168 , 169 and 170 are coupled through interface 603 to the φ1 , φ2 and φ3 inputs of display 607 , respectively . as is known in the art , this supplies the necessary three phase signal to operate the cathode of both bar graph display 20 and 22 required for proper operation . a reset ( rst ) signal is provided over line 171 to display 607 to re - initialize the scanning of the cathodes of both bar graph displays 20 and 22 . hence , it can be seen that the probe signal is converted to a digital signal , which in turn , is applied to the channel 1 anode thereby controlling the height of bar graph display 20 as a function of the probe input signal . on the other hand , it is a feature of this invention that bar graph display 22 provides visual indications of both the upper and lower tolerance limits . this is accomplished by applying the upper and lower tolerance limit signals 173 and 174 to inputs z 0 and z 1 of multiplexer 82 . multiplexer 82 can be any of known devices whose output switches between one or more inputs . in this embodiment , it is an mc14053 , analog multiplexer distributed by motorola semiconductors . in this invention , the output 163 of multiplexer 82 is coupled to the channel 2 ( ch2 ) input of circuitry 501 . accordingly , whatever input is applied to ch2 is correspondingly utilized to drive the anode of bar graph display 22 in the same manner as utilized for bar graph 20 . however , in this invention not only are two different inputs applied to ch2 but they are applied for different lengths of time . this is accomplished by coupling a counter network 80 between the reset ( rst ) pulse of circuit 501 and the enabling input c of multiplexer 82 . the c input of multiplexer 82 initiates the switching between the two inputs 173 and 174 . the counter circuit 80 consists of two interconnected j - k flip - flops which provide a divide by three circuit . accordingly , counter circuit 80 provides an output pulse of one state ( e . g . logical one ) to the c input of multiplexer 80 only after receiving three reset pulses , whereas it provides a signal of an opposite state ( e . g . logical zero ) at other times . when the c input of multiplexer 82 receives a signal of logical one , multiplexer 82 couples the upper tolerance limit signal 174 to its output z . on the other hand lower tolerance limit signal 173 is coupled to the z output when the signal is a logical zero . thus it can be seen that this arrangement alternately presents voltages to the ch2 anode input of display 607 corresponding to the lower and upper tolerance limits in a 3 / 1 timed ratio in this example . the particular ratio can be changed if desired as long as the upper limit signal 174 is supplied often enough to prevent flicker . in this example lines 630a , 630b represent the necessary connections for a 3 / 1 ratio , whereas dotted lines 620a , 620b show an alternative connection for providing a 2 / 1 ratio . by alternately coupling the two limits to display 22 for different lengths of time , this gives the appearance of a bright section 28 on bar graph display 22 corresponding to the lower tolerance limit , followed by a dimmer section 30 on the same display 22 , the height of which corresponds to the upper limit . ( see fig1 ). as noted at the outset , while this invention has been described in connection with a part sizing system , it can find utility in a wide variety of applications . therefore , while this invention has been described in connection with particular examples thereof , no limitation is intended thereby except as defined in the appended claims .	6
to achieve the outstanding results of the instant invention , at least one organo - titanate compound and at least one organo - zirconate compound must be used . these compounds may be represented by the following formulas : ## equ1 ## where m = ti or zr ; a 1 =( ro ) a , wherein r is an unsubstituted or ether - substituted alkyl , alkenyl , or aralkyl group having less than 20 carbon atoms ; a 2 =-- o ( cr 1 r 2 ) b ( co ) c o --, wherein r 1 and r 2 are independently selected from hydrogen and unsubstituted or ether - substituted alkyl , alkenyl , aralkyl , aryl or alkaryl having less than 20 carbon atoms , b is 1 or 2 and c is 0 or 1 ; ## equ2 ## wherein r 4 and r 5 are independently selected from unsubstituted or ether - substituted alkyl , alkenyl , aralkyl , aryl or alkaryl having less than 20 carbon atoms per molecule ; r 6 , r 7 and r 8 are the same as r 4 and r 5 except that one and only one of r 6 , r 7 and r 8 is hydrogen ; and l is a diester phosphite having less than 40 carbon atoms or an unsaturated tertiary amine or derivative thereof having less than 20 carbon atoms ; and b 2 is -- op ( o )( or 3 ) op ( o )( or 3 ) o -- wherein r 3 is as defined for r 4 and r 5 above . table a______________________________________code compound structural formula______________________________________aa ) titanium iv ethane - ( ch . sub . 2 o ). sub . 2 ti [ op ( o )( oh ) op ( o )-- diolato , bis ( dioctyl ) ( oc . sub . 8 h . sub . 17 ). sub . 2 ]. sub . 2 . 2 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nc . sub . 2 h . sub . 4 oc -- diphosphato - o ( o ) c ( ch . sub . 3 )═ ch . sub . 2adduct with 2 molesn , n &# 39 ;- dimethyl - aminoethyl ( 2 - methyl ) propenoateab ) titanium iv bis bis [( ch . sub . 2 ═ chch . sub . 2 o ). sub . 2 ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ) cc h . sub . 2 o ]. sub . 2 ( 2 , 2 - propenolato - ti [ op ( o )( oc . sub . 8 h . sub . 17 ) op ( o )-- methyl ) butanolato ( oc . sub . 8 h . sub . 17 ) o ] cyclo ( dioctyl ) diphosphato - o , oac ) zirconium iv bis [( ch . sub . 2 ═ chch . sub . 2 och . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ) cch . sub . 2 -- bis ( 2 , 2 - propenolato - o ] zr [ op ( o )( oc . sub . 8 h . sub . 17 ) op ( o )-- methyl ) butanolato ( oc . sub . 8 h . sub . 17 ) o ] cyclo ( dioctyl ) diphosphato - o , o . ad ) titanium iv oxo [ och . sub . 2 c ( o ) o ] ti [ op ( o )( or . sup . 6 ) op -- ethylenediolato , bis ( o )( or . sup . 7 )( or . sup . 8 )]. 2p ( h )( o )--( butyl , methyl ) di ( oc . sub . 8 h . sub . 17 ). sub . 2 wherein r . sup . 6 , r . sup . 7 , phosphato - o adduct and r . sup . 8 are one each ofwith 2 moles of hydrogen , methyl and butyldioctyl hydrogen ligands [( h ), ( ch . sub . 3 ) andphosphite ( c . sub . 4 h . sub . 9 )] af ) zirconium iv ( 2 , 2 - ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 c ( ch . sub . 2 o ). sub . 2 zr [ op ( o )-- dimethyl ) propane - ( or . sup . 6 ) op ( o )( or . sup . 7 )( or . sup . 8 )]. sub . 2 . diolato , bis ( dioctyl ) 2 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 n ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 3 nhc ( o ) c ( ch . sub . 3 ) diphosphato - o ═ ch . sub . 2 wherein two of r . sup . 6 , r . sup . 7adduct with 2 moles and r . sup . 8 are octyl and one isof n , n dimethyl - hydrogen [ 2 ( c . sub . 8 h . sub . 17 ) and oneamino - propyl ( 2 - ( h )] methyl ) propenoamideag ) titanium iv bis [( ch . sub . 2 ═ chch . sub . 2 och . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 )--( 2 , 2 - propenolato - cch . sub . 2 o ] ti [ op ( o )( oc . sub . 8 h . sub . 17 )]. sub . 3methyl ) butanolato , tris ( dioctyl ) phosphato - oah ) titanium iv bis ( 2 , 2 - [( ch . sub . 2 ═ chch . sub . 2 och . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 )-- propenolatomethyl ) cch . sub . 2 o ] ti [ op ( o )( or . sup . 6 ) op ( o )-- butanolato , tris ( or . sup . 7 )( or . sup . 8 )]. sub . 3 . 3hp ( o )( oc . sub . 2 h . sub . 4 o --( dioctyl ) diphos - c . sub . 6 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 2 wherein two of r . sup . 6 , r . sup . 7phato - o adduct with and r . sup . 8 are octyl and one is3 moles of di 2 - hydrogenphenoxyethyl , hydrogen phosphiteaj ) zirconium iv bis 5 - [ c . sub . 6 h . sub . 5 o ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 4 o ). sub . 2 ]. sub . 2 zr [ op ( o )-- phenoxy - 3 -( oxy ) ( oc . sub . 6 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 2 ]. sub . 2pentanolato , bis ( diphenyl ) phosphato - o______________________________________ the preparation of the above organo - metallic compoudns can be readily accomplished by those skille din the art . reference is made to u . s . pat . no . 4 , 277 , 415 for the preparation of the above adducts of pyrophosphato - titanates and amines and to u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 087 , 402 , 4 , 122 , 062 and 4 , 634 , 785 for the preparation of organo - titanate diester pyrophosphates and diester phosphates . the disclosure of these patents is incorporated by reference herein . it will be understood that the preparation of the organo - zirconates is analogous to the preparation of the organo - titanates . in the additive concentrate the ratio of the organo - titanates to the organo - zirconates will broadly be in the range from 10 : 1 to 1 : 10 , preferably from 5 : 1to 1 : 5 . to incorporate the concentrate into the ink , the organo - metallic mixture is dissolved or dispersed in resin or resin precursor . in such instances , the organo - metallic compounds would in total comprise from about 1 to 30 %, preferably 5 to 10 %, in the vehicle . if desired , driers and other additives may be added to the concentrate . based on metal , from 0 . 5 to 20 %, preferably from 2 to 15 %, of drier is present . rather than using the additive package , the ink may be formulated directly . in either case , the finished ink may contain the conventional constituents , namely , pigments , resin / vehicles , solvents / diluents , and additives . generally , the pigments which may be used include ci pigment yellows 12 and 13 , ci pigment red 57 : 1 , ci pigment blue 15 : 3 , and ci pigment black 7 ( usually toned with ci pigment blue 18 ). other yellows which may be used include ci pigment yellow 17 and , for limited application , the hansa yellows . oranges useful in the practice of the invention are ci pigment orange 13 and 34 . other reds include the ci pigment reds 2 , 4 , 48 . 2 , 53 . 1 , and 81 . other blues include ci pigment blues 1 , 15 , and 15 . 1 and , to a limited extent , ci pigment blue 27 ( iron blue ). violets useful in lithography are ci pigment violet 1 ( pmta rhodamine ) and ci pigment violets 3 and 23 . greens include ci pigment greens 1 , 2 , and 7 and for white ci pigment white 6 ( rutile grades ) and as an extender ci pigment white 18 . the resin / vehicles conventionally used as litho - ink vehicles have application in the instant invention . the class of oleoresinous ( hard resin and drying oil alkyds ) systems used to produce quick set , heat set , and oxidation drying inks are the most common . other oxidative systems based on epoxy , vinyl esters and unsaturated polyesters and polyurethane resins may be used . these require the use of drier to accelerate the oxidation . alkyd vehicles are preferred . in addition , acrylate systems using radiation or thermal cures can be employed . non - oxidative drying systems including thermoplastic inks , e . g ., acrylates and saturated polyurethanes and polyesters , though less common , may also be enhanced by applying the teaching of the invention . the resins dry by solvent evaporation and do not use driers . examples of solvents / diluents which may be used in the instant invention for litho printing are those having a very weak solvent power such as high boiling petroleum fractions . small proportions of stronger solvents which may have alcohol or ester functionalities such as tridecanol may be used as cosolvents . as noted previously , it is an object of the instant invention to reduce or eliminate these solvents . with respect to additives , these may include driers , waxes , antioxidants , anti - setoff compounds , litho additives and rheology modifiers . driers are generally regarded as the most important of the additives in litho ink . the oxygen - induced polymerization of drying oils and drying oil - modified alkyds is accelerated by the incorporation of these compounds . at the present time , cobalt and manganese are the principal metals in use and are used in the form of soaps of long chain carboxylic acids . because these materials are solid and used in small quantities , they are normally added in the form of relatively dilute solutions in hydrocarbon solvents for ease of handling . in addition , cross - linking accelerators such as trimethylol - propane triacrylate and / or dilute triallyl trimelitate may be employed in amounts up to 7 wt % based on ink solids . conventional waxes may be added to the ink to produce good surface slip for inline handling and scratch resistance and rub resistance to meet end use requirements . the major types of waxes used are polyethylene and polytetrafluoroethylene . these may be used alone or in combination . antioxidants are generally employed to lengthen the skinning time to give overnight stability on the inking rolls . the main types of antioxidants are oximes , as for example methylethyl ketoxime , phenolic - types such as butylated hydroxy - toluene and quinones such as hydroquinone . naturally , the amount of antioxidant and the type selected must be carefully balanced so as to avoid slowing the drying of the ink upon application to the substrate . in addition to the foregoing , any of the other conventional litho additives and rheology modifiers may be added to the ink or the additive concentrate of the instant invention . examples of the former are soluble salts of tartaric acid and ethylene diamine tetra - acetic acid and examples of the latter are aluminum gellants . these assist the formulator in achieving the exact balance of viscosity , yield value , thixotropy and tack that is desired . in addition , various clays such as mountmorillonite clays , fumed silica , polyamides and aluminum chelates and micronized hydrocarbon resins are useful . a particularly useful additive concentrate of the invention includes from 5 to 10 % of each of the organo - metallic compounds , and 2 to 15 %, based on metal , of the drier or driers in a resin or resin precursor . manganese is not essential and to a certain extent is undesirable , since it discolors pvc - type film and degrades cellulose . generally speaking , in the ink formulation the resin vehicle comprises from 10 to 50 %, preferably from 20 to 50 %. the organo - metallic compounds each comprise from 0 . 1 to 3 % and most preferably from 0 . 5 to 1 %. unless a clear ink is desired , in which instance no pigment is used , up to 80 % of pigment may be used . generally from 15 to 40 % pigment is used in lithography . diluents or solvents may be present in the ink or the additive concentrate , but these are not necessary . in conventional lithography , up to 40 % may be present ; conventionally from 10 to 20 % is used . the elimination and reduction of solvents is a marked advantage of the inks of the instant invention . without solvents , solid levels can be enhanced , better coating can be achieved , and adhesion can be improved . naturally , better drying times and higher press speeds are also achievable . as noted above , solvents are an environmental hazard , because of both their volatility and their appearance in discharge streams . still another advantage of the instant invention is that the inks can be used over a broad range of atmospheric conditions . for example , it has been noted that , even at humidity as high as 95 %, these inks have the ability to wet the substrate and properly dry . it is a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention to develop an ink which is completely free of fatty acids . fatty acids are often introduced into the system , since these serve as solvent for the metal soap driers . driers which may also be used include metal carboxylic acids of cobalt , lead , manganese , tin and the rare earth metals . the elimination of the fatty acids accelerates drying , improves adhesion , and permits the use of lower molecular weight resin vehicles . for example , whereas the conventional alkyd solvent diluents have a viscosity of from 100 to 40 , 000 centipoise , typically 5 , 000 , in the practice of the invention alkyds having a viscosity of from 2500 to 10 , 000 centipoise , preferably about 4000 centipoise , may be advantageously used . the inks prepared in accordance with the instant invention can be used on substantially all types of substrates and therefore markedly broaden the application of lithography . in addition to the porous substrates such as paper and board , packaging films such as regenerated cellulose , nitrocellulose , coated films , polyolefin films such as polyethylene and polypropylene , polyvinylchloride films , nylon , polyester , aluminum foil , and metallized substrates may be satisfactorily printed . in order to more clearly describe the instant invention , attention is directed to the following examples : a series of additive concentrates were prepared for addition to a conventional commercial blue ink to demonstrate adhesion , drying time and rub resistance . the composition of the ink is as follow : ______________________________________parts by wt______________________________________14 modified alkyd resin ( ecovar p . d . q . q . s . gell ) 14 chinawood gloss varnish54 phthalo blue pigment concentrate2 polyethylene ( 11 ) glycol ( diethylene pe - 11 ) 1 surfactant ( diafluron pf - 1 ) 1 6 % cobalt naphthanate drier ( linall p . i . ) 1 manganese versalate . 40 barytes ( bartyl f - 2 ) 1 tridecyl alcohol11 . 60 medium boiling solvent f . p . 50 ° c . ( magiesol # 52 oil ) ______________________________________ other additives were also prepared to serve as controls . the compositions are shown in the following table . the organo - metallic compounds , designated aa to aj , are described in table a above . table i______________________________________ components , parts by weight 1 2 3 4 5 6______________________________________additiveconcentratea aa / 1 ab / 1 ac / 1 mc / 6 md / 2b aa / 2 ac / 1 ah / 2 mc / 5 md / 1c ad / 1 af / 2 ag / 1 mc / 7 md / 1 mb / 2d ac / 2 ad / 1 ag / 1 mc / 8 md / 1e ac / 1 ad / 2 af / 3 mc / 4f ac / 1 ad / 2 ag / 1 me / 2 md / 1g ab / 1 ac / 1 ah / 1 me / 4 md / 1 mb / 4h ab / 1 ah / 1 aj / 1 me / 4 md / 1 mb / 2j ab / 1 af / 3 mc / 5 md / 1k ab / 1 af / 3 me / 5n ac / 3 ag / 2 mc / 2 md / 1 mb / 1p aa / 4 ac / 1 md / 4q aa / 2 ad / 1 aj / 1 mk / 4 mg / 2r aa / 3 aj / 1 mf / 5controlsa mf / 2 mg / 1b mg / 1 -- c mf / 1d mc / 12 md / 1f mc / 5 md / 1 mb / 3 ma / 1g mc / 3 md / 1 mb / 2______________________________________ ma ) no . 3 alkyd resin mb ) hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene ( arco poly bd45ht ) mc ) 12 wt % cobalt naphthenate md ) 6 wt % manganese naphthenate me ) divinyl benzene mf ) cumylphenyl acetate ( kenrich ) mg ) biphenylphenyl ether ( dow ) mk ) diallyl phthalate three percent by weight of each of the above concentrates were added to the alkyd ink and , using conventional lithographic processing , were applied to a series of substrates the printing pres used was a standard single color a . b . dick model 360 copier , using a standard offset spray powder attachment . no extra or special adjustments were used . this press includes an integrated dampening system using 10 % isopropyl alcohol in the dampening solution . in all test cases the alcohol was omitted . the press operates on the offset principle ; i . e ., the ink is carried from the ink fountain by means of a series of inking rollers to a presensitized printing plate which is mounted on an impression cylinder . the ink is deposited as a thin film onto the ink - receptive portion of the printing plate . the impression cylinder revolves and deposits the inked image onto a second cylinder covered with a rubber blanket . the rubber blanket cylinder revolves and deposits the inked image onto the substrate . to produce a clear printed image , the printing plate must reject ink receptivity in the non - image area . this is accomplished by applying a thin film of water to the non - image area of the printing plate by means of a series of rollers which carry the water to the plate in unison with the ink . table ii______________________________________additive dry to wetting tape rubconcentrate touch - mr angle test resistance______________________________________clear rigid pvc sheet ( extruded & amp ; tin stabilized ) none & gt ; 24 & gt ; 45 f & lt ; 10control d 22 & gt ; 45 f & lt ; 10a 3 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50b 4 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 100c 6 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50d 8 & lt ; 30 p & gt ; 50clear acrylic sheet ( polymethylmethacrylate homopolymer ) none & gt ; 24 & gt ; 30 f & lt ; 10control d 21 & gt ; 30 f & lt ; 20a 3 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50b 4 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 70e 5 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50f 7 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 60white polyester sheet ( 2 wt % rutile tio . sub . 2 modifiedpolyethylene terephthalate ) none & gt ; 24 & gt ; 45 f & lt ; 10control c 22 & gt ; 45 f & lt ; 20b 4 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50e 6 & lt ; 30 p & gt ; 50g 7 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50aluminum foil ( no . 1 mill finish ) none & gt ; 24 & gt ; 45 f & lt ; 10control d & gt ; 24 & gt ; 45 f & lt ; 10a 3 & lt ; 30 p & gt ; 30c 7 & lt ; 30 p & gt ; 50e 6 & lt ; 30 p & gt ; 30chrome coated paper stocknone 21 & gt ; 45 f & lt ; 30control d 17 & gt ; 30 m & lt ; 30c 4 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50d 6 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50g 4 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50______________________________________ a ) 50 % relative humidity , 75 ° f . tape test ( astm d3359 ). p = pass ; f = fail ; m = marginal b ) two printed surfaces rubbed to illegibility after drying for 48 hours . the utility of selected additive concentrates of the instant invention for the improvement of adhesion , drying rate , wetting ability and abrasion resistance of alkyd lithographic ink on a variety of non - porous substrates is clearly demonstrated by the above data . this example describes the enhanced utility of the additiv concentrates of the instant invention when added to alkyd - based lithographic inks prior to pigment grind . a 100 % solids 30 wt % diarylide yellow ink was prepared by three times milling of the pigment in a solution of 7 wt % of the indicated additive concentrate in a no . 5 , 100 % solids china oil - based alkyd to produce an ink having a viscosity of 40 , 000 to 55 , 000 cps . to formulate the ink without the additive concentrate or with a control , it was necessary to use 25 wt % of a no . 3 china alkyd in order to produce an acceptable viscosity ink . these inks were used in standard lithographic processing and the results are given in table iii : table iii______________________________________additivecon - hegman dry to tape rub re - uv / corrcentrate grind touch , hrs . test sistance resist . ______________________________________clear polystyreneb 7 8 p & gt ; 20 & gt ; 200d 7 7 p & gt ; 30 & gt ; 200e 7 7 m & gt ; 50 & gt ; 200g 7 6 p & gt ; 50 & gt ; 300h 6 4 p & gt ; 50 & gt ; 500k 7 4 p & gt ; 50 & gt ; 500n 7 5 p & gt ; 60 & gt ; 500none 4 & gt ; 24 f & lt ; 10 & lt ; 100control a 5 & gt ; 24 f & lt ; 20 & lt ; 200control f 5 & gt ; 24 f & lt ; 20 & lt ; 200aluminized mylara 6 7 p & gt ; 20 & gt ; 500e 7 7 p & gt ; 50 & gt ; 500h 6 4 p & gt ; 50 & gt ; 500k 7 4 p & gt ; 50 & gt ; 500n 7 4 p & gt ; 70 & gt ; 500p 7 2 p & gt ; 70 & gt ; 500none 4 & gt ; 24 f & gt ; 20 & lt ; 200control d 5 & gt ; 24 f & gt ; 20 & lt ; 200control f 5 & gt ; 24 f & lt ; 30 & lt ; 200control g 6 22 m & lt ; 30 & lt ; 300______________________________________ a ) see footnote table ii b ) see footnote table ii c ) quv cabinet at 100 ° f . the above data clearly show the benefits of the additive concentrates of the instant invention with respect to dry time , adhesion and corrosion resistance when added prior to pigment grind to the lithographic alkyd ink . this example teaches the utility of the selected additive concentrates of the instant invention in conjunction with polyester ink lithography . a commercial black polyester lithographic ink was modified by addition of ( unless otherwise indicated ) 1 part of selected additive concentrates to 9 parts ink and applied to lo mil 80 durometer flexible polyvinyl chloride and / or to 12 mil corona treated high density polyethylene sheet stocks . the results are given in table iv : table iv______________________________________additive dry to tape rubconcentrate touch , hrs . test resistance______________________________________flexible pvcnone 10 f & lt ; 20control a / 2 10 f & lt ; 30control b / 2 11 m & lt ; 30a / z 7 p & gt ; 50b / z 6 p & gt ; 50c / z 7 p & gt ; 40q / z 5 p & gt ; 50r / z 4 p & gt ; 100r / 0 . 5 5 p & gt ; 70r / 0 . 2 6 p & gt ; 50high density polyethylenenone 10 f & gt ; 10control a / z 11 m & gt ; 20control b / z 11 f & gt ; 20a / z 8 p & gt ; 30a / 0 . 5 7 p & gt ; 20q / z 5 p & gt ; 50q / 0 . 5 6 p & gt ; 30______________________________________ a ) where indicated , parts by weight per 100 parts of ink . the data given in table iv clearly show that the additive concentrates of the instant invention may be employed even at low levels to significantly improve the lithography of non - porous surfaces . this example teaches the utility of the additive concentrates of the instant invention in the production of high solids ( low volatiles ) lithographic acrylic ink . red acrylic inks were prepared by three times roll milling 25 wt % on acrylic solids of rubine red in a solution of 30 wt % acrylic resin ( rohm & amp ; haas b66 ) in xylene ( containing the indicated wt % of the selected additive concentrate on acrylic solids ), followed by dilution to 50 , 000 ± 500 cps brookfield viscosity with incremental xylene . by lithographic application , the inks were applied to prismatic foil and galvanized steel sheetstocks . the results of these runs are in table v : table v______________________________________additive % xylene dry topkg / hegman in fin - touch , tape rubpha grind ished ink hrs . test resistance______________________________________prismatic foilnone 5 77 7 f & lt ; 30control a / z 6 73 8 f & lt ; 50control b / z 6 74 8 m & lt ; 50a / 2 6 67 5 p & lt ; 90a / 0 . 5 6 68 5 p & lt ; 90b / 2 6 65 5 p & lt ; 70b / 0 . 5 6 65 5 p & gt ; 70b / 0 . 1 6 65 5 p & gt ; 70r / 2 7 + 64 4 p & gt ; 100r / 0 . 5 7 + 65 4 p & gt ; 100galvanized steelnone 7 f & lt ; 30control b 8 f & lt ; 50r / 2 4 p & gt ; 100r / 0 . 5 4 p & gt ; 100r / 0 . 1 4 p & gt ; 80______________________________________ the data in table v clearly demonstrate that the introduction of selected additive concentrates of the instant invention may be employed to significantly reduce solvent emissions , enhance pigment grind , improve adhesion and reduce abrasion resistance in acrylic lithographic ink applications .	2
the various embodiments of the invention described below relate to diesel engines having cylinders equipped with a fuel injector controlled by a central unit ( microprocessor ). this unit comprises means , pursuant to the invention , for performing a series of activations of various duration for each injector and for modifying the activation periods controlled at this injector with an offset ( δt ) determined between the minimum measured activation period and the minimum predetermined activation period . furthermore , in these embodiments the measurement of the minimum activation period of an injector is performed by detecting the variations of a parameter of the combustion chamber that is modified by an injection of fuel , this chamber comprising means for transmitting these detections to the unit . in a first embodiment , the physical parameter detected is the pressure in the combustion chambers . for this purpose , each chamber has a detector measuring its internal pressure and transmitting such measurements to the central unit , the latter having means for receiving these measurements and determining the measured minimum activation period . in this first embodiment , as in all the embodiments described below , the series of activations commanded at injectors to detect their offset are distinct from activations commanding the injection of fuel , called main injection , which supplies the torque of the engine . more precisely , these activations correspond to fuel injections known as pilot injections , which make it possible to create optimum conditions of temperature and pressure in the combustion chambers for the main injection that follows . these two injections — the pilot and the main — are represented in the diagram of fig5 where the axis 52 of the ordinates corresponds to the pressure measured in bars in a combustion chamber of a cylinder and the axis 50 of the abscissas corresponds to the angle of the crankshaft of this cylinder , that is , the course of the cycle of four events ( injection , compression , combustion , and expansion and exhaust ) of combustion occurring in this cylinder . the angle 0 corresponds to the position of the piston at the top dead center ( tdc ), the negative angles correspond to the stages of injection and compression , and the positive angles correspond to the stages of combustion , expansion and exhaust . the measurement of pressure in the chamber fed by the injector tested is performed for various increasing activation periods of d 1 , d 2 , d 3 and d 4 at a constant fuel injection pressure such as 200 , 400 , 600 , 800 , 1200 or 1600 bars . a curve d i indicating the pressure measured in the cylinder as the combustion cycle advances is then obtained , at a given fuel pressure at injection , for each injector activation period d i . it is then observed that the length of period d i is such that no pilot injection is performed , whereas the periods d 2 ( curve d 2 ), d 3 ( curve d 3 ) and d 4 ( curve d 4 ) give rise to a pilot injection characterized by a pressure rise 56 due to the pilot injection , while a second pressure increase 58 is brought about by the main injection . by commanding a series of pilot injections of different activation period in each cycle , a control unit can set the minimum activation period for an injector by verifying the presence of a pressure increase 56 for this period , which then corresponds to the minimum activation period measured for this injector . the unit determines the offset δt of this injector , that is to say , the separation between the predetermined minimum activation period and the measured minimum activation period , and then correctly controls the injector while further affecting ( after these actions ) the activation period commanded at this injector with an offset δt . each curve of fig5 is obtained by a plurality of tests performed while the engine is running at a set speed and load , the amount of fuel injected at the period of the main injection being also constant . it can be difficult to measure the pressure increase 56 due to the pilot injection , particularly since the latter is close to the tdc which generates a pressure increase greater than the pressure increase 56 proper to the pilot injection . in this case the measurements may be insufficiently precise . this is why , in a second embodiment of the invention , measurements of heat released in a combustion chamber are used as the physical parameter permitting the determination of an offset of an injector . such heat releases can be determined , for example , from the pressure measurements performed above . the detection of fuel injections , and hence the determination of the measured minimum activation period is then performed with greater precision , as described below . the heat release δq produced in a combustion chamber at the period of a fuel injection gives rise to a variation of the pressure in the chamber . in fact , by considering the first principle of thermodynamics applied to the system made up of the gaseous mixture of air and fuel injected into the cylinder , it is possible to write : where du is the internal variation of energy of the fuel , and δq and δw are the heat and the work received by this mixture . since the mixture is considered as a perfect gas , it is also possible to write : where n is the number of moles of the mixture and cv is its heat capacity , dt is its temperature variation and p , v and t are , respectively , its pressure , its volume and its temperature , r being a constant equal to 8 . 314 . the elemental work δw of the mixture in extension being equal to − pdv , the relationship ( 1 ) becomes : for a perfect gas we have the relation cv / r = 1 /( γ − 1 ), with γ polytropic coefficient , γ ≈ 1 . 34 , which permits obtaining , beginning from ( 1 ter ): δq breaks down to δq = δq combustion + δq wall , wherein δq combustion represents the heat received by the mixture at the period of the combustion , and δq wall the heat lost to the wall . initially , the term δq wall is ignored . the relationship between the release of heat and the advancement of the working cycle of the cylinder is represented in fig6 which determines the heat release δq ( ordinate axis 62 ) evaluated in joules per degree of crankshaft in a combustion chamber as a function of the advancement of the combustion cycle in the cylinder ( axis 60 of the abscissas ), measured in crankshaft degrees . this fig6 was obtained by applying the above formula ( 4 ) to pressure measurements obtained as shown in fig5 , the volume v and the variation dv of the gaseous mixture being obtained from the volume of the chamber and its variation . in this fig6 , various curves ( d ′ 1 , d ′ 2 , d ′ 3 , and d ′ 4 representing the heat releases evaluated as a function of different activation periods ( d ′ 1 , d ′ 2 , d ′ 3 and d ′ 4 , respectively ) of the injector tested at constant pressure of the fuel injection into the chamber , such as 200 , 400 , 800 , 1200 or 1600 bars . it is then observed that a heat release indicating a pilot injection is detected more easily than an increase of pressure such as described above ( zone 56 of fig5 ), particularly because at the top dead center after the pilot injection , no heat release occurs . it is also found that , for the duration d ′ 1 of the activation corresponding to the curve d ′ 1 , no pilot injection was made . hence , the detection of the minimum activation period by means of the calculated heat releases is more precise , as is shown in fig7 which represents heat release measurements ( ordinate axis 72 ) in joules per crankshaft degree , in relation to various activation periods measured in microseconds ( axis 74 of abscissas ) for four injectors tested i 1 ( curve d i1 ), i 2 ( curve d i2 ), i 3 ( curve d i3 ) and i 4 ( curve d i4 ). a measure of heat release is obtained , for an injector i j and for a given activation period d j , by integrating the surface 56 ′ of fig6 obtained with the injector i j and the activation period d j . it is thus found that the heat release passes from zero value to a positive value when the pilot injection has actually taken place in the cylinder , around 265 microseconds , such a variation being easier to detect than a variation in the growth of a parameter , as done in the first embodiment . moreover , the tests performed to measure heat show very little scatter in the results obtained , as well as great strength for the various pressures at which these tests are performed . in fig8 there is shown a diagram of the operations performed by a unit 80 correcting the injection commands issued on connection with four injectors according to the invention . for this purpose , this unit 80 is programmed for the engine speed r and the torque c of the engine so as to detect ( block 82 ) whether the engine is running at an operating point at which a determination of the injection offset is to be performed , this point being defined by conditions of torque c and speed r as well as by the pressure p of the fuel upon injection , this pressure p being set by the terms of torque c and the engine speed r . if this is the case , the unit 80 performs a determination ( block 84 ) which sets the start of the fuel injection at predetermined values . in this example , these starting moments are set , for the main injection , at plus fifteen degrees , and for the pilot injection at minus fifteen crankshaft degrees . the main injection moment is set beforehand at the moment of the pilot injection so as to assure maintenance of the torque put out by the engine and so as not to interfere with the running of the vehicle when the measurement is taken . after an engine stabilization period of about 100 cycles , the engine speed r , the torque c and the amount k of fuel injected at the main injection are recorded in the memory of the unit 80 . then , for each injector i that is considered in the engine , the unit 80 performs a series of operations 86 evaluating the offset of the injector i in the conditions previously stored of the engine speed r , torque c and amount of fuel injected k . thus the series of operations 86 can be performed four periods , once for each injector i , so as to determine an offset δt i ( p ) for each injector i at the fuel injection pressure p . each series of operations 86 includes five sequences 90 of evaluation of the offset δt i ( p ) of the injector in question . when a sequence 90 of evaluations is started for an injector ( block 88 ) the following operations are performed : a first operation ( block 92 ) determines a heat release threshold s dq ( used as described further on ) by evaluating the mean heat release measured a little before the pilot fuel injection is performed , then by adding to this mean value dq m a constant amount such that a heat release greater than the threshold s dq is detectable in relation to the average release dq m . in this example , four cycles of measurements are used in computing the average heat release dq m and the constant amount added is 0 . 15 j / deg . in a second operation ( block 94 ), the unit 80 sets a short initial activation period , corresponding for example to the injection of 0 . 01 milligram of fuel , to initiate the series of different activation periods and the determination ( block 96 ) of the offset δt i ( p ) affecting the injector i , as described further on with the aid of fig9 . then , since the offset δt i ( p ) has been measured , its value is stored in memory ( block 98 ) in association with the injection pressure p used , in order to linearize the measurements on a pressure domain , as described further on with the aid of fig1 and 11 . the determination of the offset δt i ( p ) shown in fig9 uses an automatic computation to determine the shortest activation period resulting in a pilot injection of fuel into the cylinder , i . e ., a release of heat . to this effect , the various activation periods commanded by unit 80 are considered as composed of a fixed portion δt f and a variable portion x o . the determination of the minimum activation period , or of the minimum activation period of an injector , therefore consists in searching for a minimum value of x o , called x om , such that , after an activation period equal to δt f + x om the heat release measured in the combustion chamber will be greater than s dq . such a search can be carried out by various processes . in this example , a dichotomy is used to reduce an interval defined by initial variables x max and x min defined in an operation initiating the dichotomy ( block 108 ) such that , for an activation period δt f + x max , equal to a release of heat due to a pilot injection will be detected , and that , for an activation period equal to δt f + x min , this pilot injection will not be detected , while the variable x o is then set at x max + x min / 2 . then the computer 80 performs heat release measurements ( block 96 ) for an activation period equal to δt f + x o , as described by means of fig6 , i . e ., by integrating the release 56 ′ measured for an activation period of δt f + x o . in other words , in an operation 96 the average heat release dq m ( δt f + x o ) is measured for the period [ α min ; α max ] or α min and α max corresponding to crankshaft angles before and after the crankshaft angle where the pilot injection , if any , occurs . comparing ( block 112 ) this average release dq m ( δt f + x o ) with the release threshold s dq previously calculated on this same interval [ α min ; α max ], one determines whether the release dq m ( δt f + x o ) measured is above the threshold s dq , in which case it can be deduced that x min is closer to x om than x max . in this case the variable x min is held at its initial value and the variable x max takes on the value of the variable x o , the value of this last variable x o being the average ( x min + x max )/ 2 of these new terminals ( x min ; x max ( block 114 ). inversely , if the release dq m ( δt f + x o ) is less than the threshold s dq , it can be concluded that x max is closer to x om than x min . in this case , the variable x max is held at its initial value , the variable x min takes the value of the variable x o , the value of this latter value x o being calculated from the new terminals ( x min ; x max ) ( block 116 ). a convergence test ( operation 118 ) makes it possible to determine whether the period [ x min ; x max ] satisfies a given convergence criterion indicating the desired accuracy in the calculation of the minimum activation period ( δt f + x o ). if this convergence criterion is satisfied , that is to say , if the interval [ x min ; x max ] is less than a given period of time , the unit 80 determines the final value of x o as being equal to x om , that is to say , such that the measured minimum activation period is δt f + x om under the given conditions ( pressure and engine speed ) ( block 120 ). if not , since the period [ x min ; x max ] is too great , the average heat release in the next period is calculated ( block 96 ) as well as the test 112 on this new value and the operations ( blocks 114 and 116 ) already described . saving this result ( block 98 of fig8 ) permits obtaining the five values calculated for each given set of conditions of pressure and engine speed . these operating conditions are chosen so as to cover the entire working range of the engine . to this effect , considering that this range covers from 200 to 1600 bars ( fig1 ) a linearization of the measured offsets is performed on the pressure ranges covering 200 bars of variation , such as a range from 400 to 600 bars . then , when the engine is running at a pressure p within such a range of linearization , the value of the offset considered for this pressure p corresponds to the value determined by this linearization ( fig1 ). in another embodiment of the invention , the injection lag of an injector is detected by measuring the ionic current created by a combustion of fuel . for this purpose an ionic current detector is integrated into the chamber , for example by means of a preheating plug located in the cylinder , this preheating plug acting as an electrode transmitting a current when ions issuing from a combustion are situated in its vicinity . in another embodiment , the injector is used as an electrode . fig1 represents such an electric current ( axis of ordinates 122 ) expressed in volts for the various activation periods of the injectors tested . in this fig1 the maximum ionic current relating to four injectors i ′ 1 , i ′ 2 , i ′ 3 and i ′ 4 are represented . these activation periods are expressed in microseconds ( axis of the abscissas 120 ). it is then observed that a lengthening of the activation periods gives rise to an increase in the ionic current measured . however , due to its local nature , the ionic current measurement results in more disperse measurements than those relating to pressure or a release of heat . this is why , as shown in fig1 for an injector i i , it is possible to make several ionic current measurements for one and the same activation period and to consider the average & lt ; i i & gt ; of these activation currents as the measurement associated with this period so as to determine the minimum activation period 125 generating a pilot injection . another embodiment of the invention uses the detection of the ionic current generated by the main injection to detect the occurrence of a pilot injection . because , when a pilot injection takes place prior to the main injection , the main amount of the fuel will burn considerably sooner than it will when it arrives in a cooler combustion chamber . in this fig1 , the instant in which the main injection is detected is shown , this instant being defined by crankshaft degrees ( axis of ordinates 128 ) in the combustion chamber for different activation periods ( axis of abscissas 130 ) signaled to injectors i 5 , i 6 , i 7 and i 8 for pilot injections . note first of all that the distribution of the measurements taken in this embodiment is different from the distribution of the current measurements performed in the embodiment previously described . in fact , the measurements shown in fig1 relate to the measured instant of the main fuel injection detected by measuring an ionic current . so , in the absence of a pilot injection ( activation period between 50 and 175 microseconds ), the main injection is detected for crankshaft angles comprised mostly between eight and six degrees . inversely , in the presence of pilot injection ( activation period between 200 and 400 microseconds ), the main injection begins more quickly to stabilize at five crankshaft degrees . secondly , it is noted also that the variation of the measured value ( crankshaft degrees ) is greater , and therefore more easily detectable in this embodiment than the ionic current variation in the embodiment previously described . in fact , the ionic current created by the main injection is greater than the ionic current created by a pilot injection and is easier to measure . in a manner similar to the embodiment previously described , multiple measurements relating to an injector i i ( fig1 ) can be used so as to obtain a mean measurement & lt ; i i & gt ; used to determine the threshold 133 indicating the minimum activation period generating a pilot injection . however , the crankshaft degree measurements also have an extended distribution and the minimum injection period wherein the lessening of the ionic current begins may not be determined with sufficient precision . this is why in one embodiment a combination of the detection of the two phenomena described above is used , that is , the detection of an ionic current due to a pilot injection , and the influence of this injection on the main injection , to obtain a fine and linear detection of the instant of injection as represented in fig1 . in this fig1 there is shown the ionic current measurement ( axis of ordinates 136 ) performed in a cylinder for different activation periods d 4 ( curve d 4 ), d 5 ( curve d 5 and d 6 ( curve d 6 ) of its injector . the current measurements being represented as the cycle advances in crankshaft degrees ( axis of abscissas 138 ), it is noted that , in the presence of a pilot injection ( curves d 5 and d 6 ), the main injection is faster and starts around 3 crankshaft degrees , whereas in the absence of pilot injection ( curve d 4 ) the main injection is not detected until around eight crankshaft degrees . otherwise the pilot injection ( curves d 5 and d 6 ) is detected around minus eight crankshaft degrees . in one embodiment of the invention , the measurement of the offsets and the memory entries resulting therefrom are performed periodically , for example every 1000 kilometers traveled by the vehicle . in a variant of the invention , the measurements and memory entries are performed when the vehicle is serviced .	5
a way to reduce switching losses at low temperatures is to parallel two switches , one switch maintained at a low temperature to absorb the conduction losses , while maintaining the other switch at a higher temperature for absorbing the switching losses . this parallel combination leads to high efficiency and is the basis of this invention . the higher temperature switch can be a mosfet or other solid state switch ( ie , igbt , igct , etc .). the conduction losses are absorbed by the more efficient cooled mosfet switch , which has a lower on - state resistance . it should be understood that the higher temperature may equal , exceed , or be less than room temperature , although advantage of operating one of the two parallel switches at room temperature is apparent in that equipment and operational requirements are simplified . embodiments are described and illustrated herein with the “ higher temperature ” at room temperature ( 300 k ) although , as stated above , the higher temperature can equal , be less than , or exceed room temperature . the embodiments are described and illustrated generally as operating with the “ low temperature ” at a cryogenic level ( 77 k ). however , the only limitation on the “ low temperature ” is that it is lower than the “ higher temperature ”. the hybrid switch 10 of fig2 includes two mosfets , 12 , 14 , in parallel , one 12 for switching and one 14 for conduction . a control unit 40 sets the mosfets respectively in a conducting or non - conducting state . this parallel combination 10 of a switching module and a separate conduction module is referred to herein as a hymos topology , short for “ hybrid mosfet .” there are several different variations on and embodiments of the hymos topology , and these embodiments need not always involve mosfets as the active modules . in this particular case of fig2 , the switching mosfet 12 is operated at high temperatures ( 300 k or above ) whereas the conduction mosfet 14 is operated at a low temperature ( 77 k nominal ) provided by a refrigeration unit 42 . the mosfets in all of these diagrams are shown with diodes 16 that are integral to their structure . in fig3 , a cooled mosfet 14 ( 77 k ) is generically connected in parallel with other types of room temperature switching modules 18 , that is , other than mosfets . these can be , for example , igbts , igcts , transistors , etc . diodes may also be used as switches 18 . fig4 illustrates an equivalent hybrid mos circuit . in this case the hybrid mosfet equivalent circuit is a diode 18 ′ in parallel with a cold mosfet 14 . here the switching losses are absorbed by the diode 18 ′ at 300 k and the cooled mosfet 14 is turned on later to reduce or eliminate the diode conduction losses . the circuit described in fig2 can also operate as a diode . in this case the switch is actively opened when reverse biased . for thyristor type ( or other bipolar ) modules 18 ″, two cooled mosfets 14 with intrinsic diodes 16 connected anti - parallel are shown in fig5 . the mosfet pair can stand off bipolar voltages without conducting . for high voltage operation ( beyond the voltage breakdown of a single module ), many cooled mosfets 14 may be connected in series to increase the voltage breakdown level . for added current , the cooled mosfets 14 may be paralleled . in fig6 , a series parallel arrangement is shown which gives added voltage and current capability beyond the specifications of a single module . divider networks ( not shown ) may be necessary to insure the even distribution of voltage across the mosfets 14 . a high voltage switching module 18 such as , for example , another string of mosfets , an igbt , igct , or diode is put in parallel at room temperature to absorb the switching losses . the main advantage of this configuration is the low conduction loss . a secondary advantage is the fact that the cooled series mosfet switch is protected during switching . sometimes transients can cause series mosfet circuits to become unbalanced , leading to an over - voltage situation across a single module . a high voltage , high current bipolar switch is illustrated in fig7 . the bipolar switch in fig7 uses a group of low temperature ( 77 k ) series - parallel mosfets 14 with opposing diodes 16 . this topology is based on fig5 , but has added voltage and current capability . fig8 provides a practical example of the hybrid mosfet switching module 20 in accordance with the invention in a circuit 22 including an inductor 24 , diode 26 and load 28 . a timing diagram is shown in fig9 . the switch 20 operates as follows : 1 ) assume the inductor 24 is carrying a current i o which is flowing through a perfect diode , so that , i o = i d . the switches q 1 and q 2 are initially opened . the initial voltage across the switch is v o . 2 ) the switch is activated in the on or closed state by applying voltage to g 1 which causes the current to transfer from the diode into the 300 k switch q 1 . when the current is completely transferred to q 1 we have i 1 = i 0 . once the voltage across the switch is stabilized to the on - state of v ( 1 , on ), g 2 is turned on . because q 2 has a lower on - state voltage than q 1 , the current transfers from q 1 to q 2 , at which time i 2 = i 0 . since the v ( 2 , on ) is much less than v ( 1 , on ), the conduction losses are dramatically lowered . 3 ) the switch is opened in the following way . g 1 is turned on again to prepare q 1 to conduct . g 2 is turned off after q 1 is on . the current smoothly transfers from q 2 to q 1 . after the current is completely transferred to q 1 , q 1 is opened by turning off g 1 . the room temperature switch q 1 takes all the turn - off losses and q 2 remains off in this process . in this manner , the switching losses are isolated from the conduction switch q 2 . the concept of having a hybrid switch , containing separate switch modules dedicated to switching while other switch modules are dedicated to conduction during the on time , is a circuit topology herein named switch - conduction switch ( scons ). there are two subgroups of the scons topology : hyper - con and hyper - switch . the term “ hyper - con ” is an abbreviation for “ hyper - conducting module ”, and the hymos topology falls under this category . this is merely a matter of terminology , and both the hyper - con and hymos topologies have been described earlier in this application . a hymos circuit is simply a hyper - con circuit utilizing mosfets as the conduction components 14 . the following portion of the application describes a second type of module 30 , 50 called a hyper - switch , which is basically a reverse hyper - con . these modules are illustrated respectively in fig1 and 11 . both modules use two groups of switch modules in tandem . one switch module provides the turn - on and turn - off losses while the other module provides the conduction losses during the “ on ” time of the switch . the “ on ” time losses are mainly conduction losses . in the hyper - con ( fig1 ), conduction losses are absorbed by modules 14 ′ operating at low temperatures , whereas the switching losses are absorbed at higher temperatures , typically , but not limited to , room temperature by modules 18 . the hyper - con concept takes advantage of the reduction of on - state voltage drop in many cryo - cooled semiconductor components , especially mosfets . in the hyper - switch 30 ( fig1 ), the opposite is true . the conduction losses are absorbed typically at room temperature by module 32 and the switching losses are taken at lower temperatures by module 34 . the hyper - switch concept takes advantage of the reduction in switching times exhibited by many semiconductor power components at low temperatures . as in the case of hyper - cons , hyper - switches can use mosfets or non - mosfets , such as igbts , igcts , diodes , or thyristors . for high voltage or high current applications , one or both of the switching and conduction modules can be realized using chains of series - or parallel - connected components . mosfets and igbts have very high speeds at low temperatures . mosfets are so fast that the speeds may not be practical in large - scale series / parallel arrays . in high - voltage , high current applications , if the series - parallel connections of mosfets prove cumbersome , or where the number of mosfet chips or modules becomes exorbitant due to the need for such connections , it may be more beneficial to take advantage of only the improved switching speeds in igbts , igcts , diodes , or thyristors at low temperatures . the hyper - switch conduction components may be chosen from the group of non - mosfet semiconductors listed above , or they may be mosfets depending on the application . while few components can challenge the cryo - mosfet in either switching speed or reduced conduction losses , a hyper - switch containing all or some non - mosfets may prove a more cost - effective and less complex alternative because fewer components are required . in particular , the need for complex series - parallel connections could be eliminated . the scons topology , having a hybrid switch containing separate switch modules dedicated to switching and others dedicated to conduction , is a general concept applicable to any circuitry at any operating temperature . the switching modules are dedicated to absorbing the turn on and turn off losses . this performance can be enhanced by temperature ( hyper - switch ) and / or by careful selection of layouts and parts . for high speed switching this means the package layout is rf - like in nature , with minimum inductance on leads and attention paid to reduce ringing in the circuitry . on the other hand , the conduction portion of the switch is optimized to absorb and reduce conduction losses . these losses can be minimized by lowering the temperature ( hyper - con ) and / or by paralleling many components and reducing the on - state voltage . this may require a layout which is not optimized for switching , containing a large number of arrays and long leads . the merging of these two modules leads to very efficient switching . another benefit of the scons topology is that lower voltage components such as mosfets can be used for conduction , while higher voltage non - mosfets can be used for switching . this allows large arrays of mosfets or similar components to be put in parallel , driven at a reasonable speed while high voltage and higher power switches take the turn - on and turn - off switching loads . there are many instances where it may not be necessary to use temperature enhancement for only one of the modules as embodied by the hyper - con or hyper - switch . a scons switch can be built at any temperature or combination of temperatures using the best parts and layouts available for those temperatures . in summary , a first solid state module or group of series - and / or parallel - connected modules is placed in parallel with a second solid state module or group of series - and / or parallel - connected modules . one or both of these modules or groups of modules can be housed inside a cryogenic container ( not shown ) for cooling . this temperature inside this cryogenic container can be controlled via a flow of a liquid cryogen , such as liquid nitrogen , liquid helium , or any other cold liquid . it can also be controlled by one or more external refrigerators , or by a flow of one or more cold , gaseous refrigerants . when only one of these modules or groups of modules is cooled , the other module or group of modules can be placed outside of the cryogenic container , and the parallel connection between the first and second modules or groups of modules can be achieved via electrical feed - throughs , that is , wires that pass through the walls of the cryogenic container . both parallel branches need not be solid state construction although at least one branch should be to achieve the high benefits of this invention . one branch may even be of mechanical construction . a control circuit is connected to the gates of both the first and the second module or group of modules to selectively place the modules in a conducting or non - conducting state . this control circuit may or may not be cooled , and therefore may or may not be housed inside the cryogenic container . superconducting wires , connectors , cables , thin films , etc ., can and should be used wherever possible . for example , the parallel connections within the first and / or second module or group of modules can be made using superconducting thin films , provided either the first and / or second module or group of modules is cooled . heat sinks ( not shown ) can be added to either the first or second module or group of modules , and wherever else they are necessary to absorb and distribute the heat loads generated in the modules .	7
as summarized above , this invention discloses that dry ice blasting provides a highly effective method for cleaning and eliminating noxious colonies of mold and other microbes , from homes and other buildings . this method involves pumping small hardened particles of dry ice ( solidified carbon dioxide , or co 2 ), roughly the size of rice grains , through a hose with a nozzle that can be directed at any surface that needs to be cleaned . all of the necessary equipment and methods have previously been developed , for uses that are entirely different from the new use disclosed herein . in particular , an entirely suitable dry ice blasting system is already commercially available , from the cryokinetics division of the l . a . w . group , inc ., in wichita , kans . ( www . cryokinetics . com ). suitable models that are sold by cryokinetics include the delta v - 1 . this type of system was initially developed for cleaning soot and smoke off of wooden and similar surfaces in a building that has suffered a fire . in addition to removing layers of soot and smoke from such surfaces , dry ice blasting can also remove the weakened surface layers of charred wood , without significantly damaging or weakening any underlying layers of wood that remain solid and strong . therefore , dry ice blasting has become a preferred method of cleaning out the interiors of buildings that have suffered fires . accordingly , the procedures and equipment that were developed for those types of cleaning operations , after a fire , can be readily adapted to microbial remediation operations . before a dry ice blasting operation can commence , sheets of plastic are emplaced across any windows , doors , or other room openings , using strong and wide adhesive tape , to seal off the room except for a single point of egress ( entry and exit ). a large fan is placed at the egress location , in a manner that will allow it to suction carbon dioxide and airborne microbes out of the room . this fan preferably should draw air through a “ hepa ” exhaust system ( this acronym stands for high efficiency particulate air filter ). that filter will trap any microbes and other particulates that have become airborne during the blasting operation , and it will be positioned in the room and / or provided with an outlet duct so that the carbon dioxide , air , and other gases that pass through the filter will be emitted to the outside atmosphere . the fan should be powerful enough to create a vacuum in the room which will generally be in the range of about 20 inches of water (“ inches of water ” refers to the vertical gap that will occur in a u - shaped tube filled with water , if one end of the u - shaped tube is open to the outside atmosphere , while the other end of the tube is subjected to the vacuum ). this will cause the atmosphere in the room to be continuously suctioned , and passed through the hepa filter . after the plastic sheeting enclosure ( often referred to as a “ tent ”) and the fan - and - filter system are in place and ready , the hidden areas where the microbes are actively growing should be exposed , to the greatest extent practicable . in most building remediations , this typically will require paneling , dry - wall , sheet - rock , ceiling panels , and other similar materials to be removed from any walls , floors , or ceiling areas that are infested , or that enclose undesirably high moisture levels . this removal operation will expose any studs , beams , joists , casings , and other internal structures and supports , as well as any electrical wiring , plumbing , heating or air conditioning ducts , and other building components that normally are hidden by the paneling , dry wall , etc . after this operation has been completed , the room is usually suctioned out for a period of time ( such as overnight ), to remove any dust that was generated during that preparatory work . when the blasting operation is ready to begin , an air compressor that can generate at least about 100 pounds per square inch of pressure is positioned outside the room that will be cleaned . these types of air compressors are commercially available ; typically , they use diesel or gasoline engines , and are mounted on a wheeled dolly or hand - truck that is small enough to be lifted to any floor in an office building , by a standard elevator . when a home is being remediated , this compressor is usually positioned outside the building , so that the engine exhaust will remain outside the building . a pneumatic hose ( which can be as long as desired ) is coupled at one end to the air compressor , and at the other end to the dry ice blasting unit . the dry ice blasting unit usually should be placed in the room being cleaned , or relatively close to the room , so that the dry ice particles will not have to travel long distances in a hose before they are emitted from the blasting nozzle . when the dry ice blasting machine is turned on , the only control on the machine that the operator will need to adjust , in most situations , will be the flow rate ( also called speed rate ) of the dry ice . this can be expressed in pounds per minute , and a typical flow rate that works well for most types of cleaning uses is in the range of about 3 lb / min . after a proper flow rate has been established , the operator uses heavy insulated gloves to hold and point the nozzle , by means of a moderately long tube , pole , or other handle - type device , which usually will also be insulated . the two main parameters that the operator will control , while actually cleaning the surfaces that need to be cleaned , will be ( 1 ) the distance of the nozzle tip from the surface being cleaned , and ( 2 ) the speed at which the operator moves the nozzle , over or across the surface being cleaned . the type of motion that is required and preferred is directly comparable to using a high - pressure water sprayer , to power - wash a deck or other outdoor surface . proper use of a high - pressure nozzle of this type is not difficult to learn , and anyone who does it for several minutes will soon realize that two offsetting factors need to be balanced against each other . better and more thorough cleaning can be achieved by holding the nozzle stationary , and close to the surface being cleaned ; however , if the nozzle is held too close to a single spot for too long , then the water jet ( during outdoor power - washing ) or dry ice blasting ( during smoke or mold remediation , inside a room ) will begin to erode and damage the wood or other material that is being cleaned . by using continuing visual inspection of the area that is being cleaned , a trained operator can quickly learn to develop and sustain a reasonable combination of motion and distance that can achieve the desired results without damaging the underlying wood or other surfaces . during a dry ice blasting process , gaseous carbon dioxide will be generated in fairly large quantities , when the dry ice particles sublimate and vaporize ( this happens immediately , when the particles impact against a solid surface ). this gaseous co 2 will carry airborne microbes that were dislodged by the blasting operation . when it is drawn through the hepa filter by the exhaust fan in the room , the microbes will be collected on the filter , and the gaseous co 2 will pass through the filter and be vented to the outside atmosphere . this type of operation usually requires workers to wear breathing equipment while in a room that is being cleaned by a blasting operation , to prevent the inhalation of microbes . typically , a full - face respirator is used , and it should be equipped with an organic and hepa cartridge ; these are available commercially , from companies such as msa ( www . msanet . com ). workers should also have an oxygen analyzer available , to ensure that the oxygen supply in a room does not fall below safe levels when displaced by carbon dioxide ; however , since the seals that are typically made by plastic sheeting and adhesive tape in a normal building are not truly air - tight , oxygen depletion is usually not a substantial danger . those skilled in the art are either already familiar with , or can quickly learn , the preferred procedures for carrying out this type of microbial remediation . all of the procedures , equipment , and supplies that are necessary or preferred for carrying out this type of microbial remediation are already known , and can be readily adapted from similar procedures that use dry ice blasting for other purposes , such as cleaning up fire and smoke damage , after a fire in a building . however , it should be noted and understood that , to the best of the inventor &# 39 ; s knowledge and belief : ( i ) dry ice blasting has not previously been used , to remove colonies of mold and other noxious microbes from inside buildings ; and , ( ii ) dry ice blasting appears to provide a nearly ideal means for microbial remediation inside homes or other buildings , and can clean a non - polished surface ( such as wood ) more thoroughly and effectively than any other known method of treatment . it leaves behind no residue , and when the blasting operation has been completed , the cleaned surfaces can be sprayed or otherwise treated , if desired , with any suitable type of disinfectant or other antimicrobial compound , to prevent or retard the subsequent growth of any new colonies . thus , there has been shown and described a new and useful means for using dry ice blasting to remove colonies of mold or other noxious microbes from inside buildings or other structures . although this invention has been exemplified for purposes of illustration and description by reference to certain specific embodiments , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications , alterations , and equivalents of the illustrated examples are possible . any such changes which derive directly from the teachings herein , and which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention , are deemed to be covered by this invention .	1
for the purposes of promoting and understanding the invention and 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 disclosure is thereby intended . such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated devices and such further applications of the principles disclosed as illustrated herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure relates . fig5 is an illustration of a room 100 decorated with the decorating system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention . the room 100 as shown includes a back wall 60 and a floor 62 as a possible embodiment of a room . furniture 61 is placed in the room , such as a desk and a chair . other decorative elements , such as frames 57 and a white board 2 , can be attached to the walls . fig5 shows a room 100 where horizontal strips of paint or wallpaper 53 , 55 of two different colors are placed on the wall 60 . small frames 57 are shown above the decorative wall covering . while a room is shown at fig5 , what is contemplated is the use of the decorating system 1 on any surface area , any area , any object having an external surface that may be enhanced using the decorative system , such as for example business areas , cafeterias , schools , hospitals , social services , day cares , etc . in addition , the decorating system 1 can also be used on any surface of any element , such as furniture , vehicles , clothing , and the like . for example , children may purchase known design elements to held decorate a school locker , a lunch box , a bedroom , etc . the room decorating system 1 includes a plurality of foam elements shown as 50 , 51 , 52 , 54 , 58 , and 59 in fig5 . as shown in fig7 and 11 , each element 52 is generally nonplanar , having a first flat side 400 shown in fig7 resting against the wall 60 , and in opposition to the first flat side 400 a second nonplanar side 401 having an outward shape such as the rounded shape of a flower for displaying a design element such as a flower . returning to fig5 , a first foam element 50 can represent a sun , and smaller colored dots 51 can be used to simulate rays of sunshine directed at other foam elements 52 , 54 representing sunflowers and their leaves . in fig5 , a template was used and smaller - scale , flower - shaped foam elements 59 can be placed on the furniture 61 . a foam element 58 representing a small butterfly is also placed on the frame 57 to further enhance the overall decor of the room . finally , other foam elements in the shape of letters can be placed on the wall 60 or as shown , the letters can be painted directly onto the wall 60 . in the example shown in fig5 , the study room in enhanced to improve the atmosphere that can result from a computer screen and the absence of natural light . the use of an exterior scene can enhance the decor of a surface area . while opaque foam elements 58 are shown , what is contemplated is the use of any element 58 of foam or many of any other material , with a semi - opaque , transparent , semi - transparent , luminescent , or any other surface property for the aesthetic enhancement created by the element 58 . the term foam element is to be construed as any element made with any material , having any surface finish , designed to create a 3d effect on the design element to which the element 58 is placed . fig6 is a side view taken along cut line 6 - 6 as shown in fig5 to better illustrate the three - dimension features of the different design elements within the decorating system 1 . in fig6 , the side view illustrates the depth of the letters 56 , the small butterfly 58 attached to the frame 57 , and the top sunflower 52 placed over a portion of the wall covering 53 . in the close - up of fig7 , a layer of adhesive 70 is placed on the wall 60 or as shown on the wall covering 53 . in fig1 , a layer of peel - off paper 207 is placed over the double - sided adhesive layer 70 to protect the foam element 52 . what is contemplated is the use of an adhesive 70 of sufficient grip for the foam element 52 to be glued on a surface , such as the wall 60 , the wall covering layer 53 , or a piece of furniture 61 . the double - sided adhesive layer 70 has a first side 500 in contact with the first flat side 400 of the foam element 50 , 51 , 52 , 54 , 58 , and 59 , and a second side 501 in contact with a manual peel - off layer 207 for manual removal from the double - sided adhesive layer as shown in fig1 by the arrow . the second side of the adhesive layer 501 is adapted to be mounted on a first surface to be decorated in a room once the peel - off layer 207 is removed . one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that different adhesive technologies can be used to adhere different foam elements to different surfaces to prevent them from peeling off or from damaging the wall surface if and when they are ultimately removed . the use of permanent and impermanent adhesives is also contemplated . fig8 and 9 show a room before and after it is decorated using the decorating system 1 . in fig8 , the surface area includes walls 100 , furniture such as a bed 103 , and wall protectors 102 , a desk and a dresser . in fig9 , the decorated wall 101 is decorated using a design template to place strips of wall surfacing layers 53 such as paint or motif wallpaper above the bed area between other portions 55 of the wall 101 . in this example , a series of nonplanar butterflies of different sizes 58 , 59 are placed on the furniture and wall , and other foam elements such as a heart and letters 50 are placed on the board 102 . to transform a room or any other surface area as shown in fig8 into a room or surface area decorated using the decorating system 1 , a first of the plurality of foam elements is adapted to be mounted on a first surface to be decorated in the area , and a second foam element of the plurality of foam elements is adapted to be mounted on a second surface to be decorated in the area , and wherein said foam elements are arranged in a spatial arrangement within the room based on a decorative template . for example , in fig9 , the large butterfly 58 may be mounted on the wall next to the window and the heart 50 can then be mounted on the wall 101 as a second surface . other foam elements , such as the small butterflies 59 and the letters illustrating the name kendall , are also decorative elements made of foam elements . the foam elements include an outward shape in the form of a three - dimensional rendering of the design element . for example , fig7 shows how a flower can have a rounded internal portion and rounded petals . fig6 shows how letters 56 may be made using a square design element of uniform thickness . a wall surfacing layer having a first color placed in the room can be color coordinated with the design element of one of the foam elements . many different shapes and design elements can be used with the decorating system 1 , for example small vehicles , fairy tale elements , sporting elements , floral elements , sports elements , glitzy elements , neonatal elements , sea related elements , safari related elements , fantasy characters , pirate scene elements , seasonal elements , holiday specific elements . what is also contemplated is the use of licensed elements from known characters , movies , or entertainment sources . fig1 shows a display 200 utilizing a plurality of sealed pouches 205 , each for holding at least one of the plurality of foam elements 52 , 54 , and 50 . other holder devices 204 , such as racks , can be made to hold other pouches or boxes 206 ( as shown ) with the foam elements . other holder devices shown on the lower level of the display 200 hold foam elements in the shape of letters for writing names or other words on the walls of surface elements . what is also contemplated is a method of enhancing a surface area using a decorating system 1 where a user first selects and acquires a plurality of sealed pouches 205 as shown in fig1 for a surface to be enhanced . once returned in the vicinity of the surface area to be decorated , the sealed pouches are opened , the foam elements are removed from the pouches , and the protective peel - off sheet is removed from the opposite side of the foam elements before the elements are ultimately placed upon a first surface in the surface area to be enhanced . what is also contemplated is the use of either a physical store , such as a craft store or a craft section within a larger sales space , or an online store operating through a website or a web reseller . as part of this method , a user can further select and acquire a wall surfacing layer and place the wall surfacing layer on at least a surface in the area to be enhanced and where the different foam elements can be placed on walls , ceilings , floors , furniture or any other surface where decorative elements can be attached . in yet another embodiment , the method of marketing a room decorating system 1 includes a plurality of foam elements on display at a location and then to provide guidance and decorative ideas , such as through the use of an attached catalog 202 with a plurality of templates 203 as shown in fig1 , for using different foam elements within a surface area to be enhanced . in yet another embodiment , if an online store is used to market and sell the pouches containing decorative foam elements , the decoration templates can be provided to the user in the form of an electronic file shown to the user using an internet website before the user is conducted through an online purchasing process . in another contemplated embodiment , the display 200 is a physical store , the templates are provided via a television broadcast , such as a description of the product in a design television show , and the purchase by the user is conducted at the physical location of the store . finally , a small tv monitor equipped with a device to play in loop a television show or other advertising clip for the display of sample design templates can be placed at the physical store in proximity to the display 200 . while a handful of methods of providing templates along with the room enhancement system are disclosed , what is contemplated is any known advertising and marketing method used in tandem with the sale of a packaged system made of a plurality of different elements to be coordinated along with a room or surface area enhancement using templates . persons of ordinary skill in the art appreciate that although the teachings of the disclosure have been illustrated in connection with certain embodiments , there is no intent to limit the invention to such embodiments . on the contrary , the intention of this application is to cover all modifications and embodiments falling fairly within the scope of the teachings of the disclosure .	6
as shown in the process depicted in fig1 of the drawings , raw naphtha in line 10 is passed along with recycle wash oil from line 12 by means of line 14 to heat exchanger 16 wherein the naphtha - wash oil admixture is heated to a temperature in the range of from about 250 ° to about 350 ° f . ( 121 ° to about 177 ° c . ), preferably from about 300 ° to about 350 ° f . ( 149 ° to about 177 ° c .). the temperature is selected so as to minimize fouling in heat exchanger 16 , since at higher temperatures polymer is formed and fouls the heat exchanger surface excessively . any raw naphtha fraction can be treated by the process of the present invention . however , the present process is particularly suitable for treating naphtha fractions produced in a coal liquefaction process , since such fractions contain polymer precursor impurities not normally susceptible to removal by conventional saturation techniques , such as catalytic hydrogenation using a palladium catalyst . as used in the present application , the term &# 34 ; naphtha &# 34 ; comprises a hydrocarbon fraction boiling in the range c 5 - 400 ° f . ( c 5 - 204 ° c . ), but not necessarily throughout the entire range . for example , a preferred boiling range is c 5 - 380 ° f . ( 193 ° c .) with c 5 - 350 ° f . ( 177 ° c .) being even more preferred . likewise , the naphtha may have a higher initial boiling point , for example , 150 ° f . ( 66 ° c .) or 200 ° f . ( 93 ° c .). a &# 34 ; raw naphtha fraction &# 34 ; is a naphtha fraction containing polymer forming impurities . as used in the present application the expression &# 34 ; wash oil &# 34 ; includes a hydrocarbon fraction boiling in the range of between about 400 ° to about 800 ° f . ( 204 ° to about 427 ° c . ), preferably from about 500 ° to about 800 ° f . ( 260 ° to about 427 ° c . ), especially from about 550 ° to about 750 ° f . ( 288 ° to about 399 ° c .). an especially preferred wash oil is a distillate fraction boiling within the aforesaid ranges obtained in a coal liquefaction process , e . g ., a middle distillate fraction . the heated naphtha - wash oil mixture is passed by means of line 18 to soak tank 20 wherein the mixture is held for a residence time sufficient to permit polymer formation , since reactive polymer - forming material will react in soak tank 20 , which is preferably an insulated vessel which will maintain the temperature of the naphtha - wash oil mixture without significant heat loss . a suitable residence time for the mixture in the soak tank is , for example , from about 5 to about 30 minutes , preferably from about 10 to about 20 minutes . the mixture is then passed by means of line 22 to vaporizer 24 , which is provided with conventional vapor - liquid contact means 26 to permit some amount of fractionation in a stagewise manner . the vapor - liquid contact means may consist of any form of conventional packing or fractionation tray design which does not provide significant flow restrictions in the vaporizer 24 so that it does not become plugged by a small amount of polymer deposits . meanwhile , recycle hydrogen in line 28 is passed through fired heater 30 to heat the recycle hydrogen to a temperature in the range of from about 500 ° to about 1200 ° f . ( 260 ° to about 649 ° c . ), preferably from about 800 ° to about 1000 ° f . ( 427 ° to about 538 ° c . ), and the heated hydrogen is passed through line 32 into a lower portion of vaporizer 24 wherein it is passed upwardly and thus in a direction countercurrent to the generally downward flow of the naphtha - wash oil mixture which is introduced into the upper part of column 24 . in this manner , the heated hydrogen strips and vaporizes the naphtha from the naphtha - wash oil mixture , while a portion of the polymer precursors and polymerized material soluble in the wash oil are absorbed in the wash oil . any remaining polymer precursor material passes out of vaporizer 24 with the naphtha , but will not form a polymer deposit in downstream equipment . any suitable conditions can be utilized in vaporizer 24 which can be operated , for example , at a temperature in the range of from about 400 ° to about 700 ° f . ( 204 ° to about 371 ° c . ), preferably from about 450 ° to about 650 ° f . ( 232 ° to about 343 ° c . ), while under a total pressure of from about 300 to about 2500 psig ( 21 to about 175 kg / cm 2 ), preferably from about 1200 to about 1800 psig ( 84 to about 126 kg / cm 2 ). the amount of naphtha vaporized in column 24 is controlled by varying the temperature and rate of hydrogen fed to obtain maximum separation of the naphtha from the wash oil so that the maximum naphtha is carried over without excessive wash oil . for example , the naphtha in the overhead may contain from about 0 to about 20 volume percent wash oil , preferably no more than from about 5 to about 10 volume percent wash oil . the non - vaporized liquid , which is predominantly wash oil with lesser amounts of polymerized material is discharged from vaporizer 24 through line 36 . a portion of this material is withdrawn for disposal by line 38 , while the remainder is passed for recycle by means of line 40 and pump 42 through line 44 . makeup wash oil is introduced into line 44 as necessary from line 46 , which contains wash oil separated from the hydrotreated product in line 47 and fresh wash oil from line 49 , and is passed by means of lines 48 and 45 to heat exchanger 50 wherein the recycle wash oil can be brought up to desired temperature and then introduced by means of line 52 into vaporizer column 24 . preferably , at least a portion of the recycle wash oil in line 48 is passed by means of line 12 for admixture with raw naphtha in line 10 and passed to line 14 and heat exchanger 16 so that the naphtha - recycle wash oil mixture can be preheated together as previously described . all of the recycle wash oil in line 48 can be passed directly to line 12 for admixture with the raw naphtha . alternatively , all or a portion of the recycle wash oil in line 48 can be passed via line 45 , heater 50 and line 52 to the vaporizer . regardless of whether recycle wash oil is passed through one or both of lines 12 and 52 , the total wash oil rate in line 48 is from about 2 to about 50 volume percent of the raw naphtha rate in line 10 , and is preferably from about 5 to about 20 volume percent thereof . the hydrogen stream 28 can comprise from about 60 to about 100 percent hydrogen on a molar basis , preferably from about 75 to about 100 mol percent hydrogen . the hydrogen in line 32 is introduced into vaporizer 24 at a rate of from about 2 , 000 to about 10 , 000 standard cubic feet of hydrogen per barrel of naphtha , preferably from about 3 , 000 to about 5 , 000 s . c . f ./ bbl . a purified , vaporized hydrogen - naphtha mixture is withdrawn from vaporizer 24 by means of line 34 and passed to heat exchanger 54 to heat the mixture to a temperature of from about 500 ° to about 700 ° f . ( 260 ° to about 371 ° c . ), preferably from about 600 ° to about 650 ° f . ( 316 ° to about 343 ° c .). the heated mixture is then passed by means of line 56 to furnace 58 to further raise the temperature of the mixture and can be therein heated from about 600 ° to about 800 ° f . ( 316 ° to about 427 ° c . ), preferably from about 650 ° to about 750 ° f . ( 343 ° to about 399 ° c .) furnace 58 is optional and need not be employed if the mixture is already within the desired temperature range . the heated vaporous mixture of hydrogen and naphtha is then passed by means of line 60 to hydrotreater - reactor 62 for removal of sulfur , nitrogen , olefinic and oxygen impurities . in reactor 62 the naphtha - hydrogen mixture is subjected to a temperature in the range of from about 500 ° to about 800 ° f . ( 260 ° to about 538 ° c . ), preferably from about 650 ° to about 750 ° f . ( 343 ° to about 399 ° c .) under the same pressure conditions utilized in connection with vaporizer 24 . the charge stock is passed through the reactor at a liquid hourly space velocity of from about 0 . 2 to 3 . 0 , preferably from about 0 . 8 to about 1 . 5 based upon the vaporized naphtha rate fed to reactor 62 . reactor 62 is preferably provided with multiple catalyst beds 64 and 66 with hydrogen quench being injected by means of line 80 to control exothermic heat of reaction . any suitable naphtha hydrotreating catalyst can be utilized in reactor 62 including group vi and group viii metals on a support such as nickel - cobalt - molybdenum , nickel - molybdenum , cobalt - molybdenum , or the like , supported on alumina . such catalysts are well known to this art and are described for example in u . s . pat . no . re . 29 , 315 to carlson et al as well as in u . s . pat . nos . 2 , 880 , 171 and 3 , 383 , 301 , the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference . a nickel - molybdenum on alumina catalyst is preferred . hydrotreated naphtha is withdrawn from reactor 62 by means of line 72 and passed through heat exchanger 54 and line 74 to vapor - liquid separation system 76 which is composed of multiple fractionation means . recycle hydrogen is withdrawn from vapor - liquid separation system 76 by means of line 78 , and a portion of the recycle hydrogen is passed by means of line 80 to be used as quench in reactor 62 . the remaining recycle hydrogen is passed by means of line 82 as recycle hydrogen for addition to line 28 and joins any makeup hydrogen added by means of line 84 for passage to vaporizer 24 as a stripping medium . the hydrotreated naphtha is withdrawn from vapor - liquid separation system 76 by means of line 86 and is passed as reformer feedstock to a catalytic reformer system ( not shown ) for conversion of the naphtha to high octane gasoline and aromatics . the naphtha in line 86 preferably has a maximum astm end point of 400 ° f . which is consistent with reformer feedstock requirements , for example , less than : ( 1 ) 0 . 5 volume percent olefins ; ( 2 ) 0 . 5 ppm sulfur ; ( 3 ) 0 . 2 ppm nitrogen and ( 4 ) 5 ppm oxygen . a separated wash oil fraction is withdrawn from separation system 76 by means of line 88 , and at least a portion of the recovered wash oil is recycled by means of line 47 for use in the vaporizer 24 , while another portion thereof can be withdrawn from the system by means of line 90 . vaporizer 24 and hydrotreater 62 are preferably utilized under the same total pressure except for any slight pressure drop in the connecting lines . referring now to fig2 a preferred coal liquefaction process is shown , which process is a suitable source of the raw naphtha utilized in the process of fig1 . as seen in fig2 dried and pulverized raw coal is passed through line 110 to slurry mixing tank 112 wherein it is mixed with recycle slurry containing recycle normally solid dissolved coal , recycle mineral residue and recycle distillate solvent boiling , for example , in the range of between about 350 ° f . ( 177 ° c .) to about 900 ° f . ( 482 ° c .) flowing in line 114 . the expression &# 34 ; normally solid dissolved coal &# 34 ; refers to 900 ° f .+ ( 482 ° c .+) dissolved coal which is normally solid at room temperature and free of mineral matter . the feed slurry contains , for example , from about 20 to 35 weight percent coal , and is withdrawn by means of line 116 and is pumped by means of reciprocating pump 118 and admixed with recycle hydrogen entering through line 120 and with make - up hydrogen entering through line 121 prior to passage through preheater tube 123 , which is disposed in furnace 122 . the slurry is heated in furnace 122 to a temperature sufficiently high to initiate the exothermic reactions of the process . the temperature of the reactants at the outlet of the preheater is , for example , from about 700 ° f . ( 371 ° c .) to 760 ° f . ( 404 ° c .). at this temperature the coal is essentially all dissolved in the solvent , and the exothermic hydrogenation and hydrocracking reactions are beginning . whereas the temperature gradually increases along the length of the preheater tube , the back mixed reaction is at a generally uniform temperature throughout and the heat generated by the hydrocracking reactions in the reactor raises the temperature of the reactants , for example , to the range of from about 820 ° f . ( 438 ° c .) to about 870 ° f . ( 466 ° c .). hydrogen quench passing through line 128 is injected into the reactor at various points to control the reaction temperature . the temperature conditions in the reactor can include , for example , a temperature in the range of from about 430 ° to about 470 ° c . ( 806 ° to 878 ° f . ), preferably from about 445 ° to about 465 ° c . ( 833 ° to 871 ° f .). the slurry undergoing reaction is subjected to a total slurry residence time of from about 1 . 2 to about 2 hours , preferably from about 1 . 4 to about 1 . 7 hours , which includes the nominal residence time at reaction conditions within the preheater and reaction zones . the hydrogen partial pressure is at least about 1000 psig ( 70 kg / cm 2 ) and up to 4000 psi ( 280 kg / cm 2 ), preferably between about 1500 to about 2500 psig ( 105 and 175 kg / cm 2 ), with between about 2000 to about 2500 psi ( 140 and 175 kg / cm 2 ) being especially preferred . hydrogen partial pressure is defined as the product of the total pressure and the mol fraction of hydrogen in the feed gas . the hydrogen feed rate is between about 1 . 0 and about 10 . 0 , preferably between about 2 . 0 and about 6 . 0 weight percent based upon the weight of the slurry fed . the slurry undergoing reaction is subjected to three - phase , highly backmixed , continuous flow conditions in reactor 126 . in other words , the reaction zone is operated with thorough backmixing conditions as opposed to plug flow conditions , which do not include significant backmixing . the preheater tube 123 is also a prereactor and it is operated as a heated , plug - flow reactor using a nominal slurry residence time of about 2 to 15 minutes , preferably about 2 minutes . the reaction effluent passes through line 129 to vapor - liquid separator system 130 . vapor - liquid separation system 130 , consisting of a series of heat exchangers and vapor - liquid separators , separates the reactor effluent into a noncondensed gas stream 132 , a condensed light liquid distillate in line 134 and a product slurry in line 156 . the condensed light liquid distillate from the separators passes through line 134 to atmospheric fractionator 136 . the non - condensed gas in line 132 comprises unreacted hydrogen , methane and other light hydrocarbons , along with h 2 s and co 2 , and is passed to acid gas removal unit 138 for removal of h 2 s and co 2 . the hydrogen sulfide recovered is converted to elemental sulfur which is removed from the process through line 140 . a portion of the purified gas is passed through line 142 for further processing in cryogenic unit 144 for removal of much of the methane and ethane as pipeline gas which passes through line 146 and for the removal of propane and butane as lpg which passes through line 148 . the purified hydrogen in line 150 is blended with the remaining gas from the acid gas treating step in line 152 and comprises the recycle hydrogen for the process . the liquid slurry from vapor - liquid separators 130 passes through line 156 and comprises liquid solvent , normally solid dissolved coal and catalytic mineral residue . stream 156 is split into two major streams , 158 and 160 , which have the same composition as line 156 . in fractionator 136 the slurry product from line 160 is distilled at atmospheric pressure to remove an overhead naphtha stream through line 162 , a middle distillate stream through line 164 and a bottoms stream through line 166 . the bottoms stream in line 166 passes to vacuum distillation tower 168 . the temperature of the feed to the fractionation system is normally maintained at a sufficiently high level that no additional preheating is needed other than for startup operations . a blend of the fuel oil from the atmospheric tower in line 164 and the heavy distillate recovered from the vacuum tower through line 170 makes up fuel oil product of the process and is recovered through line 172 . the stream in line 172 comprises 380 °- 900 ° f . ( 193 °- 482 ° c .) distillate liquid and a portion thereof can be recycled to the feed slurry mixing tank 112 through line 173 to regulate the solids concentration in the feed slurry . recycle stream 173 imparts flexibility to the process by allowing variability in the ratio of solvent to total recycle slurry which is recycled , so that this ratio is not fixed for the process by the ratio prevailing in line 158 . it also can improve the pumpability of the slurry . the portion of stream 172 that is not recycled through line 173 represents the net yield of distillate liquid from the process . the bottoms from vacuum tower 168 , consisting of all the normally solid dissolved coal , undissolved organic matter and mineral matter of the process , but essentially without any distillate liquid or hydrocarbon gases is discharged by means of line 176 , and may be processed as desired . for example , such stream may be passed to a partial oxidation gasifier ( not shown ) to produce hydrogen for the process . raw naphtha stream 162 is a preferred naphtha feed stream for treatment by the process of the present invention and represents the net yield naphtha from the coal liquefaction process depicted in fig2 . the naphtha stream 162 is thus utilized as raw naphtha feed to process line 10 of fig1 and is treated as described in the process of fig1 . a test was conducted to demonstrate the use of the present invention for removing polymer precursors from a naphtha fraction . the naphtha and wash oil used in the test had the following inspection . t , 0130 a mixture of naphtha and wash oil wherein the wash oil constituted 20 % by volume of the mixture was pumped to a feed preheater wherein it was heated to a temperature of 350 ° f . and then passed to a feed heat soaker for a period of 20 minutes residence time to induce polymer formation . the heated feed was then passed to the top of a vaporizor while a hydrogen stream was heated in a preheater to a temperature of 800 °- 970 ° f . and passed into the bottom of the vaporizor . the vaporizor was packed with stainless steel mesh to provide a good contact surface , and the hot hydrogen countercurrently contacted the liquid feed admixture of naphtha and wash oil therein . the hydrogen and naphtha - wash oil mixture are subjected to a temperature of approximately 560 ° f . in the vaporizer . vapor is withdrawn overhead from the vaporizor and comprises a mixture of hot hydrogen and naphtha vapors , while the vaporizor bottoms are collected . the vaporizor overhead vapor was passed directly to a preheater where the naphtha - hydrogen admixture were preheated to a temperature of 650 ° f . the mixture was then passed to a reactor containing a hydrotreating catalyst and subjected to an average reactor temperature of 700 ° f . under a reactor pressure of 1440 psig , which substantially corresponds to the pressure in the vaporizor . the reactor effluent was passed through a cooler and separator to take off hydrogen - rich gas , and the hydrotreated naphtha product passed to a separator to remove water and then to a stabilizer column pressured to 40 psig to remove light gases and any remaining hydrogen sulfide or ammonia . the stabilized product was then collected and measured . the vaporizor was disassembled and inspected for any blockage due to deposits and none were observed . during this experiment no plugging was observed in the preheater nor in the reactor . at the end of the experiment the preheater and reactor were examined and no deposits were found . this example is presented for comparative purposes . a test was conducted to hydrotreat a naphtha which had a composition similar to the naphtha of the previous example , but without utilizing the vaporizer of the present invention . in this case a preheater was used to heat the naphtha - hydrogen charge to reaction temperature prior to entering the catalyst bed . the naphtha - hydrogen mixture was passed directly to the preheater in which the temperature of the mixture was raised to 620 ° f . and passed directly to the catalyst bed . it was observed that after several days of operation the preheater became plugged with polymeric coke so as to completely stop the flow of the naphtha - hydrogen mixture into the preheater . the reactor and preheater were disassembled and inspected . the preheater was plugged with coke deposits .	2
as used herein , the term “ notch protein ,” and related terms and phrases , relate generally to any member of the notch family of cell surface receptors present in metazoa . mammals possess four different notch receptors , referred to as notch1 , notch2 , notch3 , and notch4 . an example of an amino acid sequence of human notch1 is disclosed in genbank acc . no . aag33848 . 1 ( gi : 11275980 ), and is reproduced below in table 1 . as used herein the terms “ peptide ” and “ polypeptide ” and related terms designate any and all compositions in which a given amino acid residue is linked to a neighboring amino acid residue via a peptide bond . as used herein the term “ peptide ” is synonymous with “ polypeptide ”. in this usage the length of the polypeptide is not limited to a specified minimum number of amino acid residues . a polypeptide may be composed of only naturally occurring amino acid residues , or it may include modified , synthetic , or derivatized amino acid residues as well . as used herein , the term “ gamma - secretase ” or “ γ - secretase ” refers to any in vivo , ex vivo or in vitro substance containing gamma - secretase activity . thus , by way of non - limiting example , γ - secretase may be obtained from , or be found in , a live organism ( including a human , or a laboratory or veterinary animal such as a mouse , rat , or primate ) or a sample therefrom ( such as a tissue or body fluid , or extract thereof ), a cell ( such as a primary cell or cell line , or extract thereof ), extracellular medium or matrix or milieu , or isolated protein . sources of γ - secretase are not limited to naturally occurring gamma - secretase , but may also include engineered and / or synthesized gamma - secretase . a gamma - secretase refers to an enzyme ( s ) with the ability to cleave at the gamma - secretase site of a gamma - secretase substrate known to have a gamma - secretase cleavage site , e . g ., a notch protein and other gamma - secretase substrates described herein , such as a notch substrate . as used herein , gamma - secretase includes all recombinant forms , mutations , and other variants of gamma - secretase so long as these maintain a functional capability to catalyze the cleavage of molecules or substrates bearing gamma - secretase cleavage sites . in one embodiment , such a gamma - secretase cleavage site is an s3 site . the identity of notch s3 cleavage sites are known in the art . as used herein , the term “ gamma - secretase substrate ” refers to any naturally occurring or synthetic sequence of amino acids ( e . g ., polypeptides and proteins ) including a gamma - secretase cleavage site . gamma - secretase substrates are know in the art , and non - limiting examples of gamma - secretase substrates include notch proteins , app , neuregulin - 1 , alpha - protocadherin , scnb2 , tie - 1 , beta - app like protein 1 , beta - app like protein 2 , nectin - 3 , nectin - 4 , alcadein alpha , alcadein gamma , aplp1 , aplp2 , apoer2 , cd43 , cd44 , csf1r , cxcl16 , cx3cl1 , dcc , deltal , e - cadherin , ephrinb1 , ephrinb2 , ephb2 , erbb4 , ghr , hla - a2 , igf1r , ifn - alpha - r2 , il - 1r2 , ir , ire1 - alpha , jagged2 , l1 , lrp , lpr1b , lrp2 , lrp6 , n - cadherin , nectin1 - alpha , notch , notch1 , notch2 , notch3 , notch4 , nradd , p75 - ntr , pkhd1 , pcdh - alpha - 4 , pcdh - gamma - c3 , ptp - kappa , ptp - g , ptp - lar , s or cs1b , sorla , sortilin , syndecan3 , tyrosinase , tyrp1 , tyrp2 , vegf - r1 , vgsc - beta - 2 , and vldlr . another gamma - secretase substrate is a notch substrate . as used herein , the term “ notch substrate ” refers to any notch polypeptide that has fewer amino acids than a full length natural notch cell surface receptor , includes a gamma - secretase cleavage site , and is cleaved by a gamma - secretase under suitable conditions . in some embodiments , the notch substrate is cleaved at an s3 site . in some embodiments , a notch substrate further includes at least one amino acid modification . such a modification may include at least one amino acid substitution , deletion , insertion , or addition . examples of notch substrates are shown in table 2 . other notch substrates include fragments of notch substrates disclosed in table 2 . a fragment includes a gamma - secreates cleavage site and can be cleaved by a gamma - secretase under suitable conditions . a fragment may include a deletion of amino acids at the n - terminal end , the c - terminal end , or both . the total number of amino acids deleted may be at least 1 , at least 2 , at least 3 , at least 4 , at least 5 , at least 6 , at least 10 , at least 12 , at least 20 , at least 30 , at least 40 , at least 42 , and so on . the total number of amino acids may be deleted from the n - terminal end , the c - terminal end , or the combination of both . other examples of notch substrates include amino acid sequence having structural similarity to a reference notch substrate or fragment thereof . for example , polypeptides having structural similarity to a reference notch substrate include naturally - occurring allelic variants of a notch sequence that may exist in the population . a notch substrate that is structurally similar to the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide described herein has a gamma - secretase cleavage site , and is cleaved by a gamma - secretase under suitable conditions . in one embodiment , a gamma - secretase cleavage site is an s2 cleavage site , and in another embodiment a gamma - secretase cleavage site is an s3 cleavage site . methods for testing whether a polypeptide is cleaved by a gamma - secretase under suitable conditions are described below . structural similarity of two polypeptides can be determined by aligning the residues of the two polypeptides ( for example , a candidate polypeptide and any appropriate reference polypeptide described herein , such as amino acids 1732 - 1812 of seq id no : 1 or a fragment thereof ) to optimize the number of identical amino acids along the lengths of their sequences ; gaps in either or both sequences are permitted in making the alignment in order to optimize the number of identical amino acids , although the amino acids in each sequence must nonetheless remain in their proper order . a reference polypeptide may be a polypeptide described herein . a candidate polypeptide is the polypeptide being compared to the reference polypeptide . a candidate polypeptide may be isolated , for example , from a cell , or can be produced using recombinant techniques , or chemically or enzymatically synthesized . unless modified as otherwise described herein , a pair - wise comparison analysis of amino acid sequences can be carried out using parameters for polypeptide sequence comparison include the algorithm of needleman and wunsch ( 1970 , j . mol . biol . 48 : 443 - 453 ), the comparison matrix blossum62 from hentikoff and hentikoff ( 1992 , proc . natl . acad . sci . usa , 89 : 10915 - 10919 ), with gap penalty 12 and gap length penalty 4 . a program useful with these parameters is publicly available as the “ gap ” program from genetics computer group , madison wis . the aforementioned parameters are the default parameters for peptide comparisons ( along with no penalty for end gaps ). in the comparison of two amino acid sequences , structural similarity may be referred to by percent “ identity ” or may be referred to by percent “ similarity .” “ identity ” refers to the presence of identical amino acids . “ similarity ” refers to the presence of not only identical amino acids but also the presence of conservative substitutions . a conservative substitution for an amino acid in a polypeptide described herein may be selected from other members of the class to which the amino acid belongs . for example , it is known in the art of protein biochemistry that an amino acid belonging to a grouping of amino acids having a particular size or characteristic ( such as charge , hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity ) can be substituted for another amino acid without altering the activity of a protein , particularly in regions of the protein that are not directly associated with biological activity . for example , nonpolar ( hydrophobic ) amino acids include alanine , leucine , isoleucine , valine , proline , phenylalanine , tryptophan , and tyrosine . polar neutral amino acids include glycine , serine , threonine , cysteine , tyrosine , asparagine and glutamine . the positively charged ( basic ) amino acids include arginine , lysine and histidine . the negatively charged ( acidic ) amino acids include aspartic acid and glutamic acid . conservative substitutions include , for example , lys for arg and vice versa to maintain a positive charge ; glu for asp and vice versa to maintain a negative charge ; ser for thr so that a free — oh is maintained ; and gln for asn to maintain a free — nh 2 . thus , as used herein , a candidate polypeptide useful in the methods described herein includes those with at least 50 %, at least 55 %, at least 60 %, at least 65 %, at least 70 %, at least 75 %, at least 80 %, at least 85 %, at least 86 %, at least 87 %, at least 88 %, at least 89 %, at least 90 %, at least 91 %, at least 92 %, at least 93 %, at least 94 %, at least 95 %, at least 96 %, at least 97 %, at least 98 %, or at least 99 % amino acid sequence similarity to a reference amino acid sequence or fragment thereof . alternatively , as used herein , a candidate polypeptide useful in the methods described herein includes those with at least 50 %, at least 55 %, at least 60 %, at least 65 %, at least 70 %, at least 75 %, at least 80 %, at least 85 %, at least 86 %, at least 87 %, at least 88 %, at least 89 %, at least 90 %, at least 91 %, at least 92 %, at least 93 %, at least 94 %, at least 95 %, at least 96 %, at least 97 %, at least 98 %, or at least 99 % amino acid sequence identity to the reference amino acid sequence or fragment thereof . also included in the present invention are polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides disclosed herein . as used herein , the term “ polynucleotide ” refers to a polymeric form of nucleotides of any length , either ribonucleotides , deoxynucleotides , peptide nucleic acids , or a combination thereof , and includes both single - stranded molecules and double - stranded duplexes . a polynucleotide can be obtained directly from a natural source , or can be prepared with the aid of recombinant , enzymatic , or chemical techniques . an example of a polynucleotides encoding seq id no : 1 ( a notch1 polypeptide ) is genbank accession number af308602 . 1 , and the skilled person can readily identify portions of the polynucleotide that encode the notch substrates disclosed in table 2 . it should be understood that a polynucleotide encoding one of the notch substrates disclosed in table 2 is not limited to the appropriate portion of the nucleotide sequence disclosed genbank accession number af308602 . 1 , but also includes the class of polynucleotides encoding a notch substrate as a result of the degeneracy of the genetic code . for example , the naturally occurring nucleotide sequence disclosed genbank accession number af308602 . 1 is but one member of the class of nucleotide sequences encoding a notch1 polypeptide having the amino acid sequence seq id no : 1 . the class of nucleotide sequences encoding a selected polypeptide sequence is large but finite , and the nucleotide sequence of each member of the class may be readily determined by one skilled in the art by reference to the standard genetic code , wherein different nucleotide triplets ( codons ) are known to encode the same amino acid . as used herein , the term “ isolated ,” as it refers to a polypeptide refers to any polypeptide that has been removed or separated from any source , e . g ., from a cell that naturally expresses the protein , polypeptide or fragment thereof or that has been engineered to express the protein , polypeptide or fragment thereof . polypeptides that are produced by recombinant , enzymatic , or chemical techniques are considered to be isolated and purified by definition , since they were never present in a natural environment . the term “ contacting ” refers to bringing into association , either directly or indirectly , two or more substances or compositions . contacting may occur in vivo , ex vivo or in vitro . commonly contacting a first composition with a second composition brings about a transformation in the first composition , the second composition , or both compositions . conditions that “ allow ” an event to occur or conditions that are “ suitable ” for an event to occur , or “ suitable ” conditions are conditions that do not prevent such events from occurring . thus , these conditions permit , enhance , facilitate , and / or are conducive to the event . such conditions , known in the art and described herein , may depend upon , for example , the nature of a polypeptide sequence , temperature , and buffer conditions . these conditions may also depend on what event is desired . as used herein , the term “ consists essentially ,” with respect to a notch substrate of the invention , indicates that the sequence may be modified by n - terminal and / or c - terminal additions or deletions that do not cause a substantial decrease in the ability of the gamma - secretase substrate to be cleaved compared to the reference sequence . as used herein , the term “ transfection ” refers to any of the methods known in the art for introducing dna into a cell including , but not limited to , the methods of calcium phosphate or calcium chloride mediated transfection , electroporation , and infection with a retroviral vector . as used herein , the terms “ fusion protein ,” “ chimeric protein ,” and related terms and phrases , refer to a protein or polypeptide engineered to contain at least two polypeptide regions or domains , each having recognizable structure , function , or similar attribute , and , optionally , a linking peptide to operatively link the two polypeptides into one continuous polypeptide . the at least two polypeptide regions in a fusion protein are derived from different sources , and therefore a fusion protein includes two polypeptide regions not normally joined together in nature . as used herein , the terms “ linking sequence ” and “ linker peptide ” refer to one or more amino acid residues joined in peptide bonds that serve to join two polypeptide regions of differing origins in a fusion protein via a peptide bond between the linking sequence and each of the polypeptide regions . as used herein , the terms “ tag ,” “ probe ” and “ label ” refer interchangeably to a moiety bound to a target substance that permits easy detection or assay of the target . a tag , probe or label may include a particular amino acid sequence defining a polypeptide tag , probe or label , or it may include a non - proteinaceous moiety that may be readily detected by a laboratory assay . a given composition or substance , e . g ., a polypeptide , may bear one , or more than one , tag , probe or label at the same time . examples of tags include maltose binding protein , avitag , the flag epitope , biotin , digoxigenin , glutathione dehydrogenase , horse radish peroxidase , and so forth . additionally a tag , probe or label may include an antibody that specifically binds to a target substance , or to a second antibody . an antibody tag , probe or label may itself further bear a detectable moiety as a tag , probe or label , such as a fluorescent moiety , including a fluorescent moiety that may serve as a fluorescence donor or a fluorescence energy acceptor , or a moiety that responds in a chemiluminescence assay . as used herein , the term “ gamma - secretase assay ” refers to any assay which may be used to measure the activity of gamma - secretase toward a gamma - secretase substrate . as used herein , the terms “ increase ,” “ increases ,” “ increased ” and “ decrease ,” “ decreases ,” and “ decreased ” in the context of the activity of gamma - secretase refer , in some embodiments , to an increase , or a decrease , respectively : ( i ) of 0 . 5 %, 1 %. 1 . 5 %, 2 %, 5 %, 10 %, 20 %, 30 %, 40 %, 50 % or more ; or ( ii ) an increase of 1 . 5 , 2 , 3 , 4 , or 5 fold or more . as used herein , the terms “ change ,” “ changed ,” “ modulate ,” or “ modulated ,” in the context of the activity of gamma - secretase refer , in some embodiments , to : ( i ) a positive or a negative change of 0 . 5 %, 1 %. 1 . 5 %, 2 %, 5 %, 10 %, 20 %, 30 %, 40 %, 50 % or more ; or ( ii ) a positive or a negative change of 1 . 5 , 2 , 3 , 4 , or 5 fold or more . as used herein , the term “ compound ” and similar terms ( such as “ substance ” and “ agent ”) refers to any compound being tested for its ability to modulate gamma - secretase activity . as used herein , a compound and similar terms include , but are not limited to , peptides , peptidomimetics , amino acids , amino acid analogs , polynucleotides , polynucleotide analogs , nucleotides , nucleotide analogs , other organic and inorganic compounds ( e . g ., including heteroorganic and organometallic compounds ). a compound may have a molecular weight of less than 10 , 000 da , or less than 5 , 000 da , or less than 1 , 000 da , or less than 500 da , or less than 100 da . as used herein , the term “ gamma - secretase inhibitor ” refers to any molecule , compound , and / or substance capable of reducing and / or eliminating the activity of gamma - secretase . as used herein , the term “ small molecule ” and analogous terms include , but are not limited to , peptides , peptidomimetics , amino acids , amino acid analogs , polynucleotides , polynucleotide analogs , nucleotides , nucleotide analogs , other organic and inorganic compounds ( e . g ., including heteroorganic and organometallic compounds ) and forms thereof having a molecular weight of less than 10 , 000 da , or less than 5 , 000 da , or less than 1 , 000 da , or less than 500 da , or less than 100 da . as used herein , the term “ candidate ,” when referring to a compound relates to a test compound whose potential activity with respect to a certain property is undergoing assay . thus the ability of the candidate compound to manifest the property has been unknown or uncharacterized prior to the assay , and becomes apparent upon carrying the assay out . a property of interest in the present disclosure is the ability to modulate gamma - secretase activity . as used herein , the term “ therapeutic agent ” refers to any compound that is used for the purpose of treating and / or managing a disease or disorder . in one embodiment , an therapeutic agent is a gamma - secretase modulator . examples of therapeutic agents include , but are not limited to , proteins , compounds , immunoglobulins ( e . g ., multi - specific igs , single chain igs , ig fragments , polyclonal antibodies and their fragments , monoclonal antibodies and their fragments ), peptides ( e . g ., peptide receptors , selectins ), binding proteins , biologics , chemospecific agents , chemotoxic agents ( e . g ., anti - cancer agents ), proliferation - based therapy , radiation , chemotherapy , anti - angiogenic agents , and drugs . as used herein , the term “ separating ” and similar terms and phrases , when applied to a cell , connote resolving various fractions that may occur in the cell from one another . frequently a cell is disrupted to disperse its contents into a suspending solvent prior to resolving its fractions . disruption may be accomplished , for example , by homogenization , extrusion through a high shear device such as a french press , sonication , and so on . the resulting cell - free suspension may then be resolved into fractions as above . in general , as used herein , “ separating ” includes any disruption of the cell . as used herein , the term “ host cell ” includes a particular subject cell transformed or transfected with a polynucleotide and the progeny or potential progeny of such a cell . progeny of such a cell may not be identical to the parent cell transfected with the polynucleotide due to mutations or environmental influences that may occur in succeeding generations or integration of the polynucleotide into the host cell genome . as used herein , the term “ isolated ,” as it refers to a gamma - secretase inhibitor , means the physical state of a gamma - secretase inhibitor after being separated and / or purified from precursors and other substances found in a synthetic process ( e . g ., from a reaction mixture ) or natural source or combination thereof according to a process or processes described herein or which are well known to the skilled artisan ( e . g ., chromatography , recrystallization and the like ) in sufficient purity to be capable of characterization by standard analytical techniques described herein or well known to the skilled artisan . in a specific embodiment , the gamma - secretase inhibitor is at least 60 % pure , at least 65 % pure , at least 70 % pure , at least 75 % pure , at least 80 % pure , at least 85 % pure , at least 90 % pure or at least 99 % pure as assessed by techniques known to one of skill in the art . concentrations , amounts , cell counts , percentages and other numerical values may be presented herein in a range format . it is to be understood that such range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly disclosed as the limits of the range but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub - ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub - range were explicitly disclosed . the term “ and / or ” means one or all of the listed elements or a combination of any two or more of the listed elements . the terms “ comprises ” and variations thereof do not have a limiting meaning where these terms appear in the description and claims . unless otherwise specified , “ a ,” “ an ,” “ the ,” and “ at least one ” are used interchangeably and mean one or more than one . the term “ antibody ” as used herein refers to immunoglobulin molecules and immunologically active portions of immunoglobulin ( ig ) molecules , i . e ., molecules that contain an antigen binding site that specifically binds ( immunoreacts with ) an antigen . such antibodies include , but are not limited to , polyclonal , monoclonal , chimeric , single chain , f ab , f ab ′ and f ( ab ′) 2 fragments , and an f ab expression library . in general , antibody molecules obtained from humans relates to any of the classes igg , igm , iga , ige and igd , which differ from one another by the nature of the heavy chain present in the molecule . certain classes have subclasses as well , such as igg 1 , igg 2 , and others . furthermore , in humans , the light chain may be a kappa chain or a lambda chain . reference herein to antibodies includes a reference to all such classes , subclasses and types of human antibody species . any antibody disclosed herein binds “ immunospecifically ” to its cognate antigen . by immunospecific binding is meant that an antibody raised by challenging a host with a particular immunogen binds to a molecule such as an antigen that includes the immunogenic moiety with a high affinity , and binds with only a weak affinity or not at all to non - immunogen - containing molecules . as used in this definition , high affinity means having a dissociation constant less than 1 × 10 − 6 m , and weak affinity means having a dissociation constant higher than 1 × 10 − 6 m . a notch substrate described herein or a fragment thereof may be used as an immunogen to generate antibodies that immunospecifically bind the antigen , using standard techniques for polyclonal and monoclonal antibody preparation . the full - length protein maybe used or , alternatively , the invention provides antigenic peptide fragments of the antigen for use as immunogens . an antigenic peptide fragment includes at least 6 amino acid residues of the amino acid sequence of the full length protein , and encompasses an epitope thereof such that an antibody raised against the peptide forms a specific immune complex with the full length protein or with any fragment that contains the epitope . in one embodiment the antigenic peptide includes at least 9 amino acid residues , at least 10 amino acid residues , or at least 15 amino acid residues , or at least 20 amino acid residues , or at least 30 amino acid residues . in one embodiment , epitopes encompassed by the antigenic peptide are regions of the protein that are located on its surface ; commonly these are hydrophilic regions . in certain embodiments of the invention , at least one epitope encompassed by the antigenic peptide is a region of a notch protein or fragment thereof that is located on the surface of the protein , e . g ., a hydrophilic region . a hydrophobicity analysis of the protein sequence will indicate which regions of the polypeptide are particularly hydrophilic and , therefore , are likely to encode surface residues useful for targeting antibody production . as a means for targeting antibody production , hydropathy plots showing regions of hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity may be generated by any method well known in the art , including , for example , the kyte doolittle or the hopp woods methods , either with or without fourier transformation . see , e . g ., hopp and woods , 1981 , proc . nat . acad . sci . usa 78 : 3824 - 3828 ; kyte and doolittle 1982 , j . mol . biol . 157 : 105 - 142 . antibodies that are specific for one or more domains within an antigenic protein , or derivatives , fragments , analogs or homologs thereof , are also provided herein . a protein of the present invention or a thereof may be used as an immunogen in the generation of antibodies that immunospecifically bind immunogen . in one embodiment , the polypeptide used as an immunogen is at least 6 consecutive amino acids chosen from vllsrkrrr ( seq id no : 2 ). in one embodiment the immunogen is vllsrkrrr ( seq id no : 2 ), and in another embodiment the immunogen is a polypeptide that includes vllsrkrrr ( seq id no : 2 ). for instance , the immunogen may include vllsrkrrr ( seq id no : 2 ) and other amino acids that are naturally flank this sequence in wild type notch polypeptides . in one embodiment , the immunogen may include vllsrkrrr ( seq id no : 2 ) and other non - native amino acids , and / or other molecules . for instance , the immunogen may include vllsrkrrr . ( seq id no : 2 ) and a carrier such as , but not limited to , keyhole limpet hemocyanin . in one embodiment antibody binds to an epitope that is exposed , and able to interact with an antiboy , after cleavage by a gamma - secretase at an s2 or s3 site . various procedures known within the art may be used for the production of polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies directed against a protein of the invention , or against derivatives , fragments , analogs homologs or orthologs thereof ( see , for example , antibodies : a laboratory manual , harlow e , and lane d , 1988 , cold spring harbor laboratory press , cold spring harbor , n . y .). some of these antibodies are discussed below . for the production of polyclonal antibodies , various suitable host animals ( e . g ., rabbit , goat , mouse or other mammal ) may be immunized by one or more injections with the native protein , a synthetic variant thereof , or a derivative of the foregoing . an appropriate immunogenic preparation may contain , for example , the naturally occurring immunogenic protein , a chemically synthesized polypeptide representing the immunogenic protein , or a recombinantly expressed immunogenic protein . furthermore , the protein may be conjugated to a second protein known to be immunogenic in the mammal being immunized . examples of such immunogenic proteins include but are not limited to keyhole limpet hemocyanin , serum albumin , bovine thyroglobulin , and soybean trypsin inhibitor . the preparation may further include an adjuvant . various adjuvants used to increase the immunological response include , but are not limited to , freund &# 39 ; s ( complete and incomplete ), mineral gels ( e . g ., aluminum hydroxide ), surface active substances ( e . g ., lysolecithin , pluronic polyols , polyanions , peptides , oil emulsions , dinitrophenol , etc . ), adjuvants usable in humans such as bacille calmette - guerin and corynebacterium parvum , or similar immunostimulatory agents . additional examples of adjuvants which may be employed include mpl - tdm adjuvant ( monophosphoryl lipid a , synthetic trehalose dicorynomycolate ). the polyclonal antibody molecules directed against the immunogenic protein may be isolated from the mammal ( e . g ., from the blood ) and further purified by known techniques , such as affinity chromatography using protein a or protein g , which provide primarily the igg fraction of immune serum . subsequently , or alternatively , the specific antigen which is the target of the immunoglobulin sought , or an epitope thereof , may be immobilized on a column to purify the immune specific antibody by immunoaffinity chromatography . purification of immunoglobulins is discussed , for example , by d . wilkinson ( the scientist , published by the scientist , inc ., philadelphia pa ., vol . 14 , no . 8 ( apr . 17 , 2000 ), pp . 25 - 28 ). the term “ monoclonal antibody ” ( mab ) or “ monoclonal antibody composition ,” as used herein , refers to a population of antibody molecules that contain only one molecular species of antibody molecule consisting of a unique light chain gene product and a unique heavy chain gene product . in particular , the complementarity determining regions ( cdrs ) of the monoclonal antibody are identical in all the molecules of the population . mabs thus contain an antigen binding site capable of immunoreacting with a particular epitope of the antigen characterized by a unique binding affinity for it . monoclonal antibodies can be prepared using hybridoma methods , such as those described by kohler and milstein , nature , 256 : 495 ( 1975 ). in a hybridoma method , a mouse , hamster , or other appropriate host animal , is typically immunized with an immunizing agent to elicit lymphocytes that produce or are capable of producing antibodies that will specifically bind to the immunizing agent . alternatively , the lymphocytes may be immunized in vitro . the immunizing agent will typically include the protein antigen , a fragment thereof or a fusion protein thereof . generally , either peripheral blood lymphocytes are used if cells of human origin are desired , or spleen cells or lymph node cells are used if non - human mammalian sources are desired . the lymphocytes are then fused with an immortalized cell line using a suitable fusing agent , such as polyethylene glycol , to form a hybridoma cell ( goding , monoclonal antibodies : principles and practice , academic press , ( 1986 ) pp . 59 - 103 ). immortalized cell lines are usually transformed mammalian cells , particularly myeloma cells of rodent , bovine and human origin . usually , rat or mouse myeloma cell lines are employed . the hybridoma cells may be cultured in a suitable culture medium that preferably contains one or more substances that inhibit the growth or survival of the unfused , immortalized cells . for example , if the parental cells lack the enzyme hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase ( hgprt or hprt ), the culture medium for the hybridomas typically will include hypoxanthine , aminopterin , and thymidine (“ hat medium ”), which substances prevent the growth of hgprt - deficient cells . preferred immortalized cell lines are those that fuse efficiently , support stable high level expression of antibody by the selected antibody - producing cells , and are sensitive to a medium such as hat medium . more preferred immortalized cell lines are murine myeloma lines , which may be obtained , for instance , from the salk institute cell distribution center , san diego , calif . and the american type culture collection , manassas , va . human myeloma and mouse - human heteromyeloma cell lines also have been described for the production of human monoclonal antibodies ( kozbor : j . jmmunol ., 133 : 3001 ( 1984 ); brodeur et al . : monoclonal antibody production techniques and applications , marcel dekker , inc ., new york , ( 1987 ) pp . 51 - 63 ). the culture medium in which the hybridoma cells are cultured may then be assayed for the presence of monoclonal antibodies directed against the antigen . preferably , the binding specificity of monoclonal antibodies produced by the hybridoma cells is determined by immunoprecipitation or by an in vitro binding assay , such as radioimmunoassay ( ria ) or enzyme - linked immunoabsorbent assay ( elisa ). such techniques and assays are known in the art . the binding affinity of the monoclonal antibody can , for example , be determined by the scatchard analysis of munson and pollard , anal . biochem ., 107 : 220 ( 1980 ). it is an objective , especially important in therapeutic applications of monoclonal antibodies , to identify antibodies having a high degree of specificity and a high binding affinity for the target antigen . after the desired hybridoma cells are identified , the clones may be subcloned by limiting dilution procedures and grown by standard methods . suitable culture media for this purpose include , for example , dulbecco &# 39 ; s modified eagle &# 39 ; s medium and rpmi - 1640 medium . alternatively , the hybridoma cells may be grown in vivo as ascites in a mammal . the monoclonal antibodies secreted by the subclones may be isolated or purified from the culture medium or ascites fluid by conventional immunoglobulin purification procedures such as , for example , protein a - sepharose , hydroxylapatite chromatography , gel electrophoresis , dialysis , or affinity chromatography . the monoclonal antibodies may also be made by recombinant dna methods , such as those described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 816 , 567 . dna encoding the monoclonal antibodies of the invention may be readily isolated and sequenced using conventional procedures ( e . g ., by using oligonucleotide probes that are capable of binding specifically to genes encoding the heavy and light chains of murine antibodies ). the hybridoma cells of the invention serve as a preferred source of such dna . once isolated , the dna may be placed into expression vectors , which are then transfected into host cells such as simian cos cells , chinese hamster ovary ( cho ) cells , or myeloma cells that do not otherwise produce immunoglobulin protein , to obtain the synthesis of monoclonal antibodies in the recombinant host cells . the dna also may be modified , for example , by substituting the coding sequence for human heavy and light chain constant domains in place of the homologous murine sequences ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 816 , 567 ; morrison ( 1994 ) nature 368 , 812 - 13 ) or by covalently joining to the immunoglobulin coding sequence all or part of the coding sequence for a non - immunoglobulin polypeptide . such a non - immunoglobulin polypeptide may be substituted for the constant domains of an antibody of the invention , or may be substituted for the variable domains of one antigen - combining site of an antibody of the invention to create a chimeric bivalent antibody . according to the invention , techniques may be adapted for the production of single - chain antibodies specific to an antigenic protein of the invention ( see e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 4 , 946 , 778 ). in addition , methods may be adapted for the construction of fab expression libraries ( see e . g ., huse , et al ., 1989 science 246 : 1275 - 1281 ) to allow rapid and effective identification of monoclonal f ab fragments with the desired specificity for a protein or derivatives , fragments , analogs or homologs thereof . antibody fragments that contain the idiotypes to a protein antigen may be produced by techniques known in the art including , but not limited to : ( i ) an f ( ab ′) 2 fragment produced by pepsin digestion of an antibody molecule ; ( ii ) an f ab fragment generated by reducing the disulfide bridges of an f ( ab ′) 2 fragment ; ( iii ) an f ab fragment generated by the treatment of the antibody molecule with papain and a reducing agent and ( iv ) f , fragments . the notch substrates provided herein may be prepared by standard recombinant dna techniques or by protein synthetic techniques , e . g ., by use of a peptide synthesizer . for example , a polynucleotide encoding a notch substrate of the invention may be synthesized by conventional techniques including automated dna synthesizers . alternatively , pcr amplification of gene fragments may be carried out using anchor primers which give rise to complementary overhangs between two consecutive gene fragments which may subsequently be annealed and reamplified to generate a chimeric gene sequence ( see , e . g ., current protocols in molecular biology , ausubel et al ., eds ., john wiley & amp ; sons , 1992 ). the nucleotide sequences encoding notch substrates may be obtained from any information available to those of skill in the art ( e . g ., from genbank , the literature , or by routine cloning ). the nucleotide sequence coding for a notch substrate may be modified , if desired , using approaches known to those of skill in the art , e . g ., site - directed mutagenesis , and inserted into an appropriate expression vector , e . g ., a vector which contains the necessary elements for the transcription and translation of the inserted protein - coding sequence . in some instances , a sequence encoding a notch polypeptide may be truncated in order to remove a specific domain , such as the targeting domain . the techniques for modifying or truncating dna are well known to those of skill in the art of molecular biology . a variety of host - vector systems may be utilized in the present invention to express the protein - coding sequence . these include , but are not limited to , mammalian cell systems infected with virus ( e . g ., vaccinia virus , adenovirus , etc . ); insect cell systems infected with virus ( e . g ., baculovirus ); microorganisms such as yeast ( e . g . pichia ) containing yeast vectors ; or bacteria ( such as e . coli ) transformed with bacteriophage , dna , plasmid dna , or cosmid dna . the expression elements of vectors vary in their strengths and specificities . depending on the host - vector system utilized , any one of a number of suitable transcription and translation elements may be used . another aspect of the disclosure pertains to vectors , preferably expression vectors , containing a polynucleotide encoding a notch substrate . as used herein , the term “ vector ” refers to a polynucleotide capable of transporting another polynucleotide to which it has been linked . one type of vector is a “ plasmid ,” which refers to a circular double stranded dna loop into which additional dna segments can be ligated . another type of vector is a viral vector , wherein additional dna segments can be ligated into the viral genome . certain vectors are capable of autonomous replication in a host cell into which they are introduced ( e . g ., bacterial vectors having a bacterial origin of replication and episomal mammalian vectors ). other vectors ( e . g ., non - episomal mammalian vectors ) are integrated into the genome of a host cell upon introduction into the host cell , and thereby are replicated along with the host genome . moreover , certain vectors are capable of directing the expression of genes to which they are operatively linked . such vectors are referred to herein as “ expression vectors ”. in general , expression vectors of utility in recombinant dna techniques are often in the form of plasmids . in the present specification , “ plasmid ” and “ vector ” can be used interchangeably as the plasmid is the most commonly used form of vector . however , the invention is intended to include such other forms of expression vectors , such as viral vectors ( e . g ., replication defective retroviruses , adenoviruses and adeno - associated viruses ), which serve equivalent functions . the recombinant expression vectors of the invention include a polynucleotide of the invention in a form suitable for expression of the polynucleotide in a host cell , which means that the recombinant expression vectors include one or more regulatory sequences , selected on the basis of the host cells to be used for expression , that is operatively linked to the polynucleotide sequence to be expressed . within a recombinant expression vector , “ operably linked ” is intended to mean that the nucleotide sequence of interest is linked to the regulatory sequence ( s ) in a manner that allows for expression of the nucleotide sequence ( e . g ., in an in vitro transcription / translation system or in a host cell when the vector is introduced into the host cell ). the term “ regulatory sequence ” is intended to include promoters , enhancers and other expression control elements ( e . g ., polyadenylation signals ). such regulatory sequences are described , for example , in goeddel ( 1990 ) g ene e xpression t echnology : m ethods in e nzymology 185 , academic press , san diego , calif . regulatory sequences include those that direct constitutive expression of a nucleotide sequence in many types of host cell and those that direct expression of the nucleotide sequence only in certain host cells ( e . g ., tissue - specific regulatory sequences ). it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the design of the expression vector can depend on such factors as the choice of the host cell to be transformed , the level of expression of protein desired , etc . the expression vectors of the invention may be introduced into host cells to thereby produce polypeptides such as a notch substrate . examples of plasmid vectors that encode a notch substrate and that is suitably labeled for use in various assay methods disclosed herein include , but are not limited to , those illustrated in fig1 a ( piad16 - mbp - n - 1 - avi ) and 2 ( piad16 with n1 - sb1 insert ). the expression of a notch substrate of the invention may be controlled by a promoter or enhancer element . promoters which may be used to control expression of a notch substrate include , but are not limited to , the sv40 early promoter region ( bemoist and chambon , 1981 , nature 290 : 304 - 310 ), the promoter contained in the 3 ′ long terminal repeat of rous sarcoma virus ( yamamoto , et al ., 1980 , cell 22 : 787 - 797 ), the herpes thymidine kinase promoter ( wagner et al ., 1981 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 78 : 1441 - 1445 ), the regulatory sequences of the rnetallothionein gene ( brinster et al ., 1982 , nature 296 : 39 - 42 ), the tetracycline ( tet ) promoter ( gossen et al ., 1995 , proc . nat . acad . sci . u . s . a . 89 : 5547 - 5551 ); prokaryotic expression vectors such as the β - lactamase promoter ( viiia - kamaroff , et al ., 1978 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 75 : 3727 - 3731 ), or the tac promoter ( deboer , et al ., 1983 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 80 : 21 - 25 ; see also “ useful proteins from recombinant bacteria ,” in scientific american , 1980 , 242 : 74 - 94 ); plant expression vectors including the nopaline synthetase promoter region ( herrera - estrella et al ., nature 303 : 209 - 213 ) or the cauliflower mosaic virus 35s rna promoter ( gardner , et al ., 1981 , nucl . acids res . 9 : 2871 ), and the promoter of the photosynthetic enzyme ribulose biphosphate carboxylase ( herrera - estrella et al ., 1984 , nature 310 : 115 - 120 ); promoter elements from yeast or other fungi such as the gal 4 promoter , the adc ( alcohol dehydrogenase ) promoter , pgk ( phosphoglycerol kinase ) promoter , alkaline phosphatase promoter , and the following animal transcriptional control regions , which exhibit tissue specificity and have been utilized in transgenic animals : elastase i gene control region which is active in pancreatic acinar cells ( swift et al ., 1984 , cell 38 : 639 - 646 ; omitz et al ., 1986 , cold spring harbor symp . quant . biol . 50 : 399 - 409 ; macdonald , 1987 , hepatology 7 : 425 - 515 ); insulin gene control region which is active in pancreatic beta cells ( hanahan , 1985 , nature 315 : 115 - 122 ), immunoglobulin gene control region which is active in lymphoid cells ( grosschedl et al ., 1984 , cell 38 : 647 - 658 ; adames et al ., 1985 , nature 318 : 533 - 538 ; alexander et al ., 1987 , mol . cell . biol . 7 : 1436 - 1444 ), mouse mammary tumor virus control region which is active in testicular , breast , lymphoid and mast cells ( leder et al ., 1986 , cell 45 : 485 - 495 ), albumin gene control region which is active in liver ( pinkert et al ., 1987 , genes and devel . 1 : 268 - 276 ), alpha - fetoprotein gene control region which is active in liver ( krumlauf et al ., 1985 , mol . cell . biol . 5 : 1639 - 1648 ; hammer et al ., 1987 , science 235 : 53 - 58 ); alpha 1 - antitrypsin gene control region which is active in the liver ( kelsey et al ., 1987 , genes and devel . 1 : 161 - 171 ), beta - globin gene control region which is active in myeloid cells ( mogram et al ., 1985 , nature 315 : 338 - 340 ; kollias et al ., 1986 , cell 46 : 89 - 94 ; myelin basic protein gene control region which is active in oligodendrocyte cells in the brain ( readhead et al ., 1987 , cell 48 : 703 - 712 ); myosin light chain - 2 gene control region which is active in skeletal muscle ( sani , 1985 , nature 314 : 283 - 286 ); neuronal - specific enolase ( nse ) which is active in neuronal cells ( morelli et al ., 1999 , gen . virol . 80 : 571 - 83 ); brain - derived neurotrophic factor ( bdnf ) gene control region which is active in neuronal cells ( tabuchi et al ., 1998 , biochem . biophysic . res . com . 253 : 818 - 823 ); glial fibrillary acidic protein ( gfap ) promoter which is active in astrocytes ( gomes et al ., 1999 , braz . j . med . biol . res . 32 ( 5 ): 619 - 631 ; morelli et al ., 1999 , gen . virol . 80 : 571 - 83 ) and gonadotropic releasing hormone gene control region which is active in the hypothalamus ( mason et al ., 1986 , science 234 : 1372 - 1378 ). in one embodiment , the expression of a notch substrate of the invention is regulated by a constitutive promoter . in another embodiment , the expression is regulated by an inducible promoter . in another embodiment , the expression is regulated by a tissue - specific promoter . the recombinant expression vectors of the invention may be designed for expression of the notch substrate in prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells . for example , the notch substrate may be expressed in bacterial cells such as e . coli , insect cells ( using baculovirus expression vectors ) yeast cells or mammalian cells . suitable host cells are discussed further in goeddel ( goeddel ( 1990 ) g ene e xpression t echnology : m ethods in e nzymology 185 , academic press , san diego , calif .). alternatively , the recombinant expression vector may be transcribed and translated in vitro , for example using t7 promoter regulatory sequences and t7 polymerase . in a specific embodiment , a vector is used that includes a promoter operably linked to a notch substrate encoding polynucleotide , one or more origins of replication and , optionally , one or more selectable markers ( e . g ., an antibiotic resistance gene ). expression of proteins in prokaryotes is most often carried out in k coli with vectors containing constitutive or inducible promoters directing the expression of either fusion or non - fusion proteins . fusion vectors add a number of amino acids to a protein encoded therein , usually to the amino terminus of the recombinant protein . such fusion vectors typically serve three purposes : ( 1 ) to increase expression of recombinant protein , ( 2 ) to increase the solubility of the recombinant protein , and / or ( 3 ) to aid in the purification of the recombinant protein by acting as a ligand in affinity purification . often , in fusion expression vectors , a proteolytic cleavage site is introduced at the junction of the fusion moiety and the recombinant protein to enable separation of the recombinant protein from the fusion moiety subsequent to purification of the fusion protein . such enzymes , and their cognate recognition sequences , include but are not limited to factor xa , thrombin and enterokinase . common fusion expression vectors include pgex ( pharmacia biotech inc ; smith and johnson ( 1988 ) gene 67 : 31 - 40 ), pmal ( new england biolabs , beverly , mass .) and prit5 ( pharmacia , piscataway , n . j .) that fuse glutathione s - transferase ( gst ), maltose e binding protein , or protein a , respectively , to the target recombinant protein . examples of suitable inducible non - fusion e . coli expression vectors include ptrc ( amrann et al ., ( 1988 ) gene 69 : 301 - 315 ) and pet 11d ( studier et al . ( 1990 ) g ene e xpression t echnology : m ethods in e nzymology 185 , academic press , san diego , calif . 60 - 89 ). one strategy to maximize recombinant protein expression in e . coli is to express the protein in a host bacteria with an impaired capacity to proteolytically cleave the recombinant protein . see , gottesman ( 1990 ) g ene e xpression t echnology : m ethods in e nzymology 185 , academic press , san diego , calif . 119 - 128 . another strategy is to alter the nucleic acid sequence of the polynucleotide to be inserted into an expression vector so that the individual codons for each amino acid are those preferentially utilized in e . coli ( wada et al ., ( 1992 ) nucleic acids res . 20 : 2111 - 2118 ). such alteration of nucleic acid sequences of the invention may be carried out by standard dna synthesis techniques . in another embodiment , the notch expression vector is a yeast expression vector . examples of vectors for expression in yeast s . cerivisae include pyepsec1 ( baldari , et al ., ( 1987 ) embo j 6 : 229 - 234 ), pmfa ( kurjan and herskowitz , ( 1982 ) cell 30 : 933 - 943 ), pjry88 ( schultz et al ., ( 1987 ) gene 54 : 113 - 123 ), pyes2 ( invitrogen corporation , san diego , calif . ), and picz ( invitrogen corp , san diego , calif .). alternatively , the notch substrate may be expressed in insect cells using baculovirus expression vectors . baculovirus vectors available for expression of proteins in cultured insect cells ( e . g ., sf9 cells ) include the pac series ( smith et al . ( 1983 ) mol cell biol 3 : 2156 - 2165 ) and the pvl series ( lucklow and summers ( 1989 ) virology 170 : 31 - 39 ). in yet another embodiment , a polynucleotide of the invention is expressed in mammalian cells using a mammalian expression vector . examples of mammalian expression vectors include pcdm8 ( seed ( 1987 ) nature 329 : 840 ) and pmt2pc ( kaufman et al . ( 1987 ) embo j . 6 : 187 - 195 ). when used in mammalian cells , the expression vector &# 39 ; s control functions are often provided by viral regulatory elements . for example , commonly used promoters are derived from polyoma , adenovirus 2 , cytomegalovirus and simian virus 40 . for other suitable expression systems for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells . see , e . g ., chapters 16 and 17 of sambrook et al ., m olecular c loning : a l aboratory m anual . 2nd ed ., cold spring harbor laboratory , cold spring harbor laboratory press , cold spring harbor , n . y ., 1989 . in another embodiment , the recombinant mammalian expression vector is capable of directing expression of the polynucleotide preferentially in a particular cell type ( e . g ., tissue - specific regulatory elements are used to express the polynucleotide ). tissue - specific regulatory elements are known in the art . non - limiting examples of suitable tissue - specific promoters include the albumin promoter ( liver - specific ; pinkert et al . ( 1987 ) genes dev 1 : 268 - 277 ), lymphoid - specific promoters ( calame and eaton ( 1988 ) adv immunol 43 : 235 - 275 ), in particular promoters of t cell receptors ( winoto and baltimore ( 1989 ) embo j 8 : 729 - 733 ) and immunoglobulins ( banerji et al . ( 1983 ) cell 33 : 729 - 740 ; queen and baltimore ( 1983 ) cell 33 : 741 - 748 ), neuron - specific promoters ( e . g ., the neurofilament promoter ; byrne and ruddle ( 1989 ) proc . natl . acad . sci . usa 86 : 5473 - 5477 ), pancreas - specific promoters ( edlund et al . ( 1985 ) science 230 : 912 - 916 ), and mammary gland - specific promoters ( e . g ., milk whey promoter ; u . s . pat . no . 4 , 873 , 316 and european application publication no . 264 , 166 ). developmentally - regulated promoters are also encompassed , e . g ., the murine hox promoters ( kessel and gruss ( 1990 ) science 249 : 374 - 379 ) and the α - fetoprotein promoter ( campes and tilghman ( 1989 ) genes dev 3 : 537 - 546 ). another aspect of the invention pertains to host cells into which a recombinant expression vector of the invention has been introduced . the terms “ host cell ” and “ recombinant host cell ” are used interchangeably herein . it is understood that such terms refer not only to the particular subject cell but also to the progeny or potential progeny of such a cell . because certain modifications may occur in succeeding generations due to either mutation or environmental influences , such progeny may not , in fact , be identical to the parent cell , but are still included within the scope of the term as used herein . a host cell may be any prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell . for example , a notch substrate may be expressed in bacterial cells such as e . coli , insect cells , yeast or mammalian cells ( such as chinese hamster ovary cells ( cho ) or cos cells ). other suitable host cells are known to those skilled in the art . vector dna may be introduced into prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells via conventional transformation or transfection techniques . as used herein , the terms “ transformation ” and “ transfection ” are intended to refer to a variety of art - recognized techniques for introducing foreign polynucleotides ( e . g ., dna ) into a host cell , including calcium phosphate or calcium chloride co - precipitation , deae - dextran - mediated transfection , lipofection , or electroporation . suitable methods for transforming or transfecting host cells may be found in sambrook , et al . ( 2001 ), ausubel et al . ( 2002 ), and other laboratory manuals . for stable transfection of mammalian cells , it is known that , depending upon the expression vector and transfection technique used , only a small fraction of cells may integrate the foreign dna into their genome . in order to identify and select these integrants , a gene that encodes a selectable marker ( e . g ., resistance to antibiotics ) is generally introduced into the host cells along with the gene of interest . various selectable markers include those that confer resistance to drugs , such as g418 , hygromycin and methotrexate . a polynucleotide encoding a selectable marker may be introduced into a host cell on the same vector as that encoding the notch substrate or may be introduced on a separate vector . cells stably transfected with the introduced polynucleotide may be identified by drug selection ( e . g ., cells that have incorporated the selectable marker gene will survive , while the other cells die ). a host cell of the invention , such as a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host cell in culture , may be used to produce ( e . g ., express ) the notch substrate . accordingly , the invention further provides methods for producing the notch substrate using the host cells of the invention . in one embodiment , the method includes culturing the host cell of invention ( into which a recombinant expression vector encoding the notch substrate has been introduced ) in a suitable medium such that the notch substrate is produced in addition , a host cell strain may be chosen which modulates the expression of the inserted sequences , or modifies and processes the gene product in the specific fashion desired . expression from certain promoters may be elevated in the presence of certain inducers ; thus , expression of the genetically engineered gamma - secretase substrates may be controlled . furthermore , different host cells have characteristic and specific mechanisms for the translational and post - translational processing and modification ( e . g ., glycosylation , phosphorylation ) of proteins . appropriate cell lines or host systems may be chosen to ensure the desired modification and processing of the foreign protein expressed . for example , expression in a bacterial system will produce an unglycosylated product and expression in yeast will produce a glycosylated product . eukaryotic host cells which possess the cellular machinery for proper processing of the primary transcript , glycosylation , and phosphorylation of the gene product may be used . such mammalian host cells include , but are not limited to , cho , vero , bhk , hela , cos , mdck , 293 , 3t3 , wi38 , nso , and in particular , neuronal cell lines such as , for example , sk - n - as , sk - n - fi , sk - n - dz human neuroblastomas ( sugimoto et al ., 1984 , j . natl . cancer inst . 73 : 51 - 57 ), sk - n - sh human neuroblastoma ( biochim . biophys . acta , 1982 , 704 : 450 - 460 ), daoy human cerebellar medulloblastoma ( he et al ., 1992 , cancer res . 52 : 1144 - 1148 ) dbtrg - 05mg glioblastoma cells ( kruse et al ., 1992 , in vitro cell . dev . biol . 28a : 609 - 614 ), lmr - 32 human neuroblastoma ( cancer res ., 1970 , 30 : 2110 - 2118 ), 1321n1 human astrocytoma ( proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 1977 , 74 : 4816 ), mog - g - ccm human astrocytoma ( br . j . cancer 1984 , 49 : 269 ), u87mg human glioblastoma - astrocytoma ( acta pathol . microbiol . scand . 1968 , 74 : 465 - 486 ), a172 human glioblastoma ( olopade et al ., 1992 , cancer res . 52 : 2523 - 2529 ), c6 rat glioma cells ( benda et al ., 1968 , science 161 : 370 - 371 ), neuro - 2a mouse neuroblastoma ( proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 1970 , 65 : 129 - 136 ), nb41a3 mouse neuroblastoma ( proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 1962 , 48 : 1184 - 1190 ), scp sheep choroid plexus ( bolin et al ., 1994 , j . virol . methods 48 : 211 - 221 ), g355 - 5 , pg - 4 cat normal astrocyte ( haapala et al ., 1985 , j . virol . 53 : 827 - 833 ), mpf ferret brain ( trowbridge et al ., 1982 , in vitro 18 : 952 - 960 ), and normal cell lines such as , for example , ctx tna2 rat normal cortex brain ( radany et al ., 1992 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 89 : 6467 - 6471 ) such as , for example , crl7030 and hs578bst . furthermore , different vector / host expression systems may effect processing reactions to different extents . for long - term , high - yield production of gamma - secretase substrates , such as a notch substrate , stable expression is preferred . for example , cell lines which stably express the gamma - secretase substrate of the invention may be engineered . rather than using expression vectors which contain viral origins of replication , host cells may be transformed with dna controlled by appropriate expression control elements ( e . g ., promoter , enhancer , sequences , transcription terminators , polyadenylation sites , etc . ), and a selectable marker . following the introduction of the foreign dna , engineered cells may be allowed to grow for 1 - 2 days in an enriched medium , and then are switched to a selective medium . the selectable marker in the recombinant plasmid confers resistance to the selection and allows cells to stably integrate the plasmid into their chromosomes and grow to form foci which in turn may be cloned and expanded into cell lines . this method may advantageously be used to engineer cell lines which express a gamma - secretase substrate of the invention . a number of selection systems may be used , including but not limited to the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase ( wigler , et al ., 1977 , cell 11 : 223 ), hypoxanthine - guanine phosphoribosyltransferase ( szybalska & amp ; szybalski , 1962 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 48 : 2026 ), and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase ( lowy , et al ., 1980 , cell 22 : 817 ) genes may be employed in tk −, hgprt − or aprt − cells , respectively . also , antimetabolite resistance may be used as the basis of selection for dhfr , which confers resistance to methotrexate ( wigler , et al ., 1980 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 77 : 3567 ; o &# 39 ; hare , et al ., 1981 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 78 : 1527 ); gpt , which confers resist - once to mycophenolic acid ( mulligan & amp ; berg , 1981 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 78 : 2072 ); neo , which confers resistance to the aminoglycoside g - 418 ( colberre - garapin , et al ., 1981 , j . mol . biol . 150 : 1 ); and hygro , which confers resistance to hygromycin ( santerre , et al ., 1984 , gene 30 : 147 ). once a gamma - secretase substrate of the invention has been produced by recombinant expression or by chemical synthesis , it may be purified by any method known in the art for purification of a protein , for example , by chromatography ( e . g ., ion exchange , affinity , particularly by affinity for the specific antigen after protein a , and sizing column chromatography ), centrifugation , differential solubility , or by any other standard technique for the purification of proteins . generally an analyte , such as a product of cleavage of a notch substrate by gamma - secretase , may be detected in many ways . detecting may include any one or more processes that result in the ability to observe the presence and / or the amount of a proteolytic cleavage reaction . physical , chemical or biological methods may be used to detect and quantify a product . physical methods include , by way of nonlimiting example , surface plasmon resonance ( spr ) detection , using spr to detect a labeled product to an immobilized probe , or having a probe in a chromatographic medium and detecting binding of a bound product molecule in the chromatographic medium . physical methods further include a gel electrophoresis or capillary electrophoresis format in which product molecules are resolved from other molecules , and the resolved products are detected . chemical methods include hybridization methods and formation of specific binding pairs generally in which a product molecule binds to a probe . biological methods include causing a bound target molecule to exert a biological effect on a cell , and detecting the effect . the present invention discloses examples of biological effects which may be used as a biological assay . in many embodiments , a product or member of a specific binding pair may be labeled as described herein to assist in detection and quantitation . an advantageous way of accomplishing detection is to use a labeled form of a cleavage product molecule , such as a notch substrate , and to detect the bound label . a label may be a radioisotopic label , such as 125 i , 35 s , 32 p , 14 c , or 3 h , for example , that is detectable by its radioactivity . alternatively , a label may be selected such that it may be detected using a spectroscopic method , for example . in one instance , a label may be a chromophore , absorbing incident ultraviolet , visible , infrared , microwave or similar electromagnetic radiation . a preferred label is one detectable by luminescence . generally , luminescence refers to the emission of electromagnetic radiation from a substance or a chemical . the radiation may occur in any region of the electromagnetic spectrum ; i . e ., the frequency of the emitted radiation may be anywhere in the spectrum . commonly luminescence occurs in the ultraviolet , visible , or infrared spectral regions . luminescence includes fluorescence , phosphorescence , and chemiluminescence . thus a label that fluoresces , or that phosphoresces , or that induces a chemiluminscent reaction , may be employed . nonlimiting examples of suitable fluorescent labels , or fluorochromes , include a eu label , a fluorescein label , a rhodamine label , a phycoerythrin label , a phycocyanin label , cy - 3 , cy - 5 , an allophycocyanin label , an o - phthalaldehyde label , and a fluorescamine label . luminescent labels afford detection with high sensitivity . a label may furthermore be a magnetic resonance label , such as a stable free radical label detectable by electron paramagnetic resonance , or a nuclear label , detectable by nuclear magnetic resonance . a label may still further be a ligand in a specific ligand - receptor pair ; the presence of the ligand is then detected by the secondary binding of an additional ligand - specific receptor , which commonly is itself labeled for detection . nonlimiting examples of such ligand - receptor pairs include biotin and streptavidin or avidin , a hapten such as digoxigenin or antigen and its specific antibody , and so forth . detecting , quantitating , including labeling , methods are known generally to workers of skill in fields related to the present invention , including , by way of nonlimiting example , workers of skill in spectroscopy , nucleic acid chemistry , biochemistry , molecular biology and cell biology . quantitating assesses the quantity , mass , or concentration of a notch substrate cleavage product , or fragment thereof , that results from the action of a gamma - secreatase . quantitation includes determining the amount of change in a physical , chemical , or biological property as described herein . for example , the intensity of a signal originating from a label may be used to assess the quantity of the cleaved polypeptide bound to the probe . any equivalent process yielding a way of detecting the presence and / or the quantity , mass , or concentration of a peptide cleavage product is envisioned to be within the scope of the present invention . in one embodiment , a method for identifying a product of the gamma - secretase catalyzed cleavage of a notch substrate is an electrochemiluminescence (“ ecl ”) assay ( see li , et al ., 2000 , proc . natl . acad . sci . usa 97 : 6138 - 6143 ; and yin , et al ., 2007 , j . biol . chem . 282 : 23639 - 23644 ). in an ecl assay an analyte to be detected is labeled with a chemiluminescent moiety whose chemiluminescence is redox dependent . a commonly used chemiluminescent moiety is a ru + 2 complex which becomes chemiluminescent , and hence detectable with high sensitivity , upon oxidation to ru + 3 . alternative electrochemiluminescent ( ecl ) probes equivalent to ru + 2 complexes are contemplated for use herein . as implemented in various examples provided herein , an antibody specific for an intended epitope such as one revealed in a gamma - secretase proteolysis product , such as a cleaved notch substrate , is conjugated to a ru + 2 complex . the moiety so conjugated may be termed “ ruthenylated ” herein . as applied herein an ecl assay includes : ( a ) contacting a notch substrate or a fragment thereof with a composition containing gamma - secretase ; ( b ) incubating the notch substrate with the gamma - secretase containing composition under suitable conditions for a time period sufficient for gamma - secretase activity to take place ; ( c ) adding a ruthenylated antibody that specifically binds a cleavage product but not the notch substrate or fragment thereof ; and ( d ) detecting a product bound to the product - specific ruthenylated antibody using ecl . ecl techniques are known in the art and described in , e . g ., yang , et al ., 1994 , bio / technology 12 : 193 - 194 ; and khorkova , et al ., 1998 , j . neurosci . methods 82 : 159 - 166 in a specific embodiment , the source of gamma - secretase is a cell or cell membrane , e . g ., a hela cell or other mammalian cell or a constituent membrane thereof , and the incubation of step ( b ) takes place in the presence of a detergent , e . g ., chapso , at a concentration optimized for the assay . in another specific embodiment , the anti - product antibody is one that binds a newly revealed peptide terminus that is created after gamma - secretase mediated cleavage of the notch substrate , such as an antibody raised using the polypetpide vllsrkrrr ( seq id no : 2 ). an example of such an antibody is the sm320 antibody described herein . other antibodies raised against analogous neoepitopes newly revealed upon proteolytic cleavage of a notch substrate or a variant thereof are also useful for detecting the activity of γ - secretase on the substrate . in another specific embodiment , a notch substrate of the invention or fragment thereof includes a modification to at least one amino acid , including a conservative amino acid substitution , that preserves the modified substrate as a susceptible to the action of γ - secretase . in another embodiment , an assay method for detecting and quantifying the gamma - secretase catalyzed proteolysis of a notch substrate is a homogeneous time resolved fluorescence ( htrf ) assay . htrf combines a ) homogeneous fluorescence detection phase ( e . g . carried out in liquid solution ) with b ) time resolution of signal detection and c ) assessment of the distance separating an excitation donor and a fluorescence emitter to eliminate background fluorescence and provide both high sensitivity and high specificity of detection . a long - lived fluorophore , commonly a complex of a rare earth metal ion , such as a cryptate complex of the ion , permits detection to be delayed by time resolution until interfering background fluorescence will already have decayed . fluorescence resonance energy transfer between specific fluorescence donor and fluorescence acceptor further enhance specificity by restricting ultimate detection of fluorescence to instances of , for example , complex formation between them . as implemented in this disclosure , an htrf assay includes : ( a ) contacting a notch substrate of the invention or a fragment thereof with a source of gamma - secretase , wherein the notch substrate includes a detectable tag or label ; ( b ) incubating the notch substrate of the invention with a composition containing , or suspected of containing , gamma - secretase for a time period sufficient for gamma - secretase activity to take place thereby providing a product bearing the detectable tag or label ; ( c ) adding an htrf detection mixture that includes ( i ) a first reagent , such as an antibody , that recognizes a gamma - secretase - cleaved peptide resulting from notch cleavage but does not recognize uncleaved gamma - secretase substrates and ( ii ) a rare earth metal - labeled second antibody that binds the first antibody , and ( iii ) a fluorophore - conjugated reagent that binds to the detectable tag or label ; ( d ) incubating the htrf detection mixture with the product mixture ; and ( e ) measuring the presence and / or amount of the notch cleavage product or fragment thereof using , generally , fluorescence resonance energy transfer (“ fret ”), or more particularly , homogeneous time resolved fluorescence ( htrf ), by exciting the rare earth metal and detecting fluorescence from the fluorophore of the conjugated reagent . a cognate assay may be performed on a negative control in which either the enzyme or the notch substrate is omitted . in a specific embodiment , a source of gamma - secretase is a cell or cell membrane , e . g ., a hela cell or other mammalian cell , or a constituent membrane thereof , and the incubation of step ( b ) takes place in the presence of a detergent , e . g ., chapso , at a concentration optimized for the assay . in a specific embodiment , the antibody that recognizes gamma - secretase - cleaved peptides resulting from cleavage of the notch substrate or fragment thereof but does recognize uncleaved gamma - secretase substrates is the sm320 antibody . in another embodiment , a method for assaying for the proteolytic cleavage of a notch substrate of the invention by gamma - secretase is a cell - based assay . such an assay may include : ( a ) transfecting cells containing , or suspected of containing , gamma - secretase activity with a plasmid containing the nucleotide sequence encoding a notch substrate of the invention ; ( b ) incubating the cells for a time period sufficient for the expression of the notch substrate , and sufficient for gamma - secretase activity on the notch substrate to occur ; and ( c ) detecting a cleaved notch substrate secreted by the cells , or included in a homogenate prepared from the cells , or in a mounted preparation of the cells on a surface . detection of secreted product , or of product contained in a homogenate , may be carried out in various embodiments , for example , by western analysis ( sds - page and immunoblotting using a product - specific antibody ), or by ecl , htrf , chemiluminescence - coupled fret ( see examples ). detection of product peptides in situ may be carried out by immunohistochemical analysis using an antibody specific for a product of the cleavage reaction . in various embodiments the antibody specific for a product of the cleavage reaction is the novel sm320 antibody disclosed herein . in certain embodiments , more generally , an antibody useful for detection in a cell - based assay specifically binds either the c - terminus or the n - terminus of the product peptide that is exposed after gamma - secretase mediated cleavage of the notch substrate , such as disclosed herein . in a specific embodiment , the cells contain endogenous gamma - secretase . in another specific embodiment , the cells are hek293 cells or other mammalian cell . in another embodiment , the level of product peptide resulting from the action of γ - secretase on a notch substrate of the invention or a fragment thereof is measured by mass spectrometry / surface enhanced laser desorption / ionization time - of - flight analysis ( seldi - tof ). in one embodiment , a method for the identification and / or validation of a gamma - secretase modulator may be an ecl assay , wherein said method includes : ( a ) contacting a candidate compound which is a potential modulator of gamma - secretase activity with a notch substrate of the invention and a composition containing gamma - secretase to provide a candidate assay mixture , ( b ) incubating the candidate assay mixture for a time period sufficient for gamma - secretase activity to take place ; ( c ) adding ruthenylated antibody that specifically binds a cleavage product resulting from the action of the gamma - secretase ; and ( d ) detecting the γ - secretase product by the product - specific ruthenylated antibody using ecl . using this assay , a candidate compound is identified or validated as a gamma - secretase modulator if the activity of gamma - secretase toward a notch substrate is altered either positively or negatively relative to the activity of gamma - secretase toward the notch substrate in the absence of the candidate modulator . in a specific embodiment , the source of gamma - secretase activity is a cell membrane , e . g ., a cell membrane from a hela cell or other mammalian cell , and the incubation of step ( b ) takes place in the presence of a detergent , e . g ., chapso ( 0 . 25 %). in another specific embodiment , the antibody binds either the c - terminus or the n - terminus of the notch substrate of the invention or fragment thereof that is exposed after gamma - secretase mediated cleavage of the substrate , such as the novel sm320 antibody disclosed herein . in another embodiment , an assay method for the identification and / or validation of a gamma - secretase modulator for proteolytic cleavage of a notch substrate or fragment thereof by gamma - secretase uses htrf . this method includes steps of : ( a ) contacting a candidate compound that is a potential gamma - secretase modulator with a notch substrate and a composition containing gamma - secretase activity to provide a candidate assay mixture ; wherein the notch substrate includes a detectable tag or label ; ( b ) incubating the candidate assay mixture under suitable conditions for a time period sufficient for gamma - secretase activity to take place ; ( c ) adding an htrf detection mixture that includes ( i ) a first antibody that recognizes a gamma - secretase - cleaved peptide resulting from cleavage of the notch substrate but does not recognize uncleaved notch substrate , ( ii ) a rare earth metal - labeled second antibody that binds the first antibody , and ( iii ) a fluorophore - conjugated reagent that binds to the detectable tag or label ; ( d ) incubating said htrf detection mixture with the candidate assay mixture ; and ( e ) measuring the cleavage of the notch substrate of the invention or variant thereof by gamma - secretase using , generally , fluorescence resonance energy transfer (“ fret ”), or more particularly , homogeneous time resolved fluorescence ( htrf ), by exciting the rare earth metal and detecting fluorescence from the fluorophore of the conjugated reagent . a candidate compound is identified or validated as a gamma - secretase modulator if the activity of gamma - secretase toward notch substrate is modulated either positively or negatively relative to the activity of gamma - secretase toward the notch substrate in the absence of the candidate gamma - secretase modulator . in a specific embodiment , a source of gamma - secretase is a cell or cell membrane , e . g ., a hela cell or other mammalian cell or a constituent membrane thereof , and the incubation of step ( b ) takes place in the presence of a detergent , e . g ., chapso , at a concentration optimized for the assay . in a specific embodiment , the antibody that recognizes gamma - secretase - cleaved notch substrate resulting from cleavage of the notch substrate but does not recognize uncleaved notch substrates is the novel sm320 antibody disclosed herein . in another aspect , an assay method for the identification or validation of a gamma - secretase modulator includes a cell - based assay . this method includes : ( a ) transfecting cells that harbor gamma - secretase activity with a plasmid containing the nucleotide sequence encoding a notch substrate ; ( b ) adding a candidate modulator of gamma - secretase activity to provide a candidate assay mixture ; ( c ) incubating said candidate assay mixture for a time period sufficient for gamma - secretase activity to occur ; and ( d ) detecting a cleaved notch substrate product secreted by the cells , or included in a homogenate prepared from the cells , or in a mounted preparation of the cells on a surface . detection of secreted product , or of product contained in a homogenate , may be carried out in various embodiments , for example , by western analysis ( sds - page and immunoblotting using a product - specific antibody ), or by ecl , htrf , chemiluminescence - coupled fret ( see examples ). detection of product peptides in situ may be carried out by immunohistochemical analysis using an antibody specific for a product of the cleavage reaction . in various embodiments the antibody specific for a product of the cleavage reaction is the novel sm320 antibody disclosed herein . in certain embodiments , more generally , an antibody useful for detection in a cell - based assay specifically binds a gamma - secretase - cleaved peptide resulting from cleavage of the notch substrate but does not recognize uncleaved notch substrate . as a result of this assay a modulator of gamma - secretase activity is identified or validated if the activity of gamma - secretase toward the notch substrate is modulated either positively or negatively relative to the activity of gamma - secretase toward the notch substrate in the absence of the candidate modulator . in a specific embodiment , a source of gamma - secretase is a cell or cell membrane , e . g ., a hela cell , hek293 cell , or other mammalian cell or a constituent membrane thereof , and the incubation of step ( b ) takes place in the presence of a detergent , e . g ., chapso , at a concentration optimized for the assay . in another specific embodiment , an antibody that binds either the c - terminus or the n - terminus of the notch substrate that is exposed after gamma - secretase mediated cleavage of the substrate , such as the novel sm320 antibody disclosed herein , is added to the cell conditioned media ( containing secreted notch - derived product ) and the level of the notch product peptide secreted by the cells is measured by ecl . in another embodiment , the amount of a notch product peptide secreted by the cells or contained in a cell homogenate obtained from the candidate assay mixture is measured by western blot , using an antibody that specifically binds the notch product peptide . in a specific embodiment , the antibody binds either the c - terminus or the n - terminus of the notch substrate of the invention or variant thereof that is exposed after gamma - secretase mediated cleavage of the substrate , such as the novel sm320 antibody disclosed herein in another embodiment , the amount of a notch product peptide secreted by the cells or contained in a cell homogenate obtained from the candidate assay mixture is measured by mass spectrometry / surface enhanced laser desorption / ionization time - of - flight analysis ( seldi - tof ). assays for gamma - secretase activity , using labeled or detectable notch substrates , are identified herein . as described herein , and disclosed in several examples herein , these assays are adaptable for application in high throughput screens of candidate chemical compounds in a quest for modulators of gamma - secretase activity . in many embodiments such assays are implemented in multiwell plates , including 96 - well , 384 - well , and 1536 - well plates . candidate compounds are provided for these screens from extended chemical libraries . preparation of chemical libraries are widely known in the field . combinatorial approaches to introducing framework components as well as peripheral substituents have been developed , including techniques for tagging each synthesis so that intermediates and products are identified throughout the course of the synthesis . other libraries are prepared from a broad range naturally occurring substances , and still others from assemblages of pharmaceutical agents already known to possess therapeutic effects or therapeutic potential for a broad range of medical indications . nonlimiting examples of preparation and uses of chemical libraries , including combinatorial chemical libraries , include u . s . pat . no . 7 , 083 , 812 , entitled “ chemical library preparation method from natural product ”; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 936 , 477 , entitled “ complex combinatorial chemical libraries encoded with tags ”; u . s . patent application publication 20090005256 , entitled “ analysis of encoded chemical libraries ”; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 800 , 444 , entitled “ complex chemical libraries ”; international publication wo / 2006 / 102542 , entitled “ diverse chemical libraries bound to small particles with paramagnetic properties ”; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 625 , 546 , directed to the direct identification of a chemical compound structure following solid phase synthesis of a chemical compound library ; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 625 , 546 , directed to methods for using structural identification technology to increase the productivity of solid phase synthesis strategies ; and “ designed chemical libraries for hit / lead optimization ,” cooper t and andrews - cramer , k , innovations in pharmaceutical technology , june 2000 , pp . 46 - 53 . the neoepitope peptide vllsrkrrrc corresponding to the new n - terminal sequence generated when γ - secretase cleaves human notch1 at the s3 site ( 24 ; residues 1755 - 1763 ) was synthesized with an automated solid phase peptide synthesizer ( proteintech ) using fmoc chemistry . the peptides were cleaved from the resin with reagent r ( 90 % tfa , 5 % thioanisole , 3 % edt , 2 % anisole ) for two hours and then precipitated with cold ethyl ether . precipitated peptides were lyophilized and confirmed with hplc and lc / ms ( agilent ). production of antibody sm320 specific for detecting γ - secretase activity on notch the neoepitope vllsrkrrrc , which serves as a peptide antigen to detect the notch cleavage product , was conjugated to maleimide functionalized keyhole limpet hemocyanin ( klh ) according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions ( pierce chemical co ., rockford , ill .). the klh - conjugated antigen was sent to covance inc . for rabbit vaccination . once serum was collected , two volumes of 60 mm sodium acetate buffer ( ph 4 . 0 ) was added to the serum . caprylic acid was added to the serum and the resulting mixture was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . the mixture was then centrifuged at 5000 g for 10 minutes and the supernatant was dialyzed into phosphate buffered saline ( pbs ). dialzyed supernatant that contains predominantly igg immunoglobulin was passed through a column of resin ( pierce ) derivatized with immobilized vllsrkrrrc antigen to capture the anti - notch peptide antibody . after initial characterization of two sera , sm320 and sm321 , neoepitope antibodies were purified by affinity chromatography with peptide immobilized resin . sm320 was used for this study . the purified antibody , named sm320 , was stored at − 80 ° c . a recombinant synthetic substrate based on human notch 1 called n1 - sb1 was constructed as diagrammed in fig1 a . first , a fragment of human notch1 ( residues 1733 - 1812 ) was subcloned into the pacs vector that contains an avitag . avitag , a specific 15 residue peptide sequence ( glndifeaq k iewhe ( seq id no : 3 ); avidity , llc ; u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 723 , 584 , 5 , 874 , 239 & amp ; 5 , 932 , 433 ) may be biotinylated with biotin ligase on the underlined k . this notch1 - avitag construct was further subcloned into the piad16 vector that contains a chimeric maltose binding protein ( mbp )- thrombin target sequence to provide a mbp - thrombin site - notch fragment - avitag construct . the mbp facilitates protein purification . the resulting mbp - n1 - sb1 plasmid ( fig2 - 4 ) was co - transformed into the bl21 ( de3 ) e . coli strain with the pacyc184 plasmid ( bira ) that encodes biotin ligase . iptg ( 0 . 1 mm ) and 50 μm of biotin were added to the cell culture to induce protein synthesis and biotinylation of the avitag sequence . cells were centrifuged at 8000 g for 30 minutes and the pelleted cells were lysed by passage through a french press ( spectronics instruments ). the cell homogenate was centrifuged at 17 , 000 g for 30 minutes . the supernatant was affinity purified on an amylose resin column using the aktaprimer chromatographic system ( amersham bioscience ). the expression of mbp - tagged n1 - sb1 was identified with sds - page and the mass was confirmed with lc / ms . mbp was removed from n1 - sb1 with thrombin , as demonstrated by sds - page and lc / ms ( fig1 , panels b and c ). the p2 substituted n1 - sb1 substrates were generated with strategene site - directed mutagenesis kit , expressed and purified as described for wild - type n1 - sb1 . app recombinant substrate , sb4 , was produced as described previously ( tian et al ., 2010 , nat struct mol . biol ., 17 : 151 - 158 ). cell - based notch cleavage assay with western using elisa detection with sm320 antibody . hek293 cells were seeded in a 24 - well plate and transfected with either truncated notch1 - δe construct ( n1 - δe ) ( gift from dr . raphael kopan , washington university school of medicine , st . louis , mo . ; ( see supplemental fig1 a of van tetering et al ., 2009 , j . biol . chem ., 284 : 31018 - 31027 , for a diagram of n1 - δe )) including cmyc ( 24 ), or empty pcdna3 . 1 (−) ( invitrogen ), using fugene 6 transfection reagents ( roche ). n1 - ae includes the replete intracellular sequence , the transmembrane domain , and a truncated extracellular portion lacking lnr and the egf repeat sequences ( see supplemental fig1 a of van tetering et al ., 2009 , j . biol . chem ., 284 : 31018 - 31027 ). dmso carrier or 1 μm compound e were added to the transfected cells , at a final dmso concentration of 1 % ( v / v ). after 48 hours of treatment , the cells were washed with pbs and lysed with 1 × ripa buffer ( 50 mm tris , ph 8 . 0 , 150 mm nacl , 0 . 1 % ( wt / vol ) sds , 1 % ( vol / vol ) nonidet p - 40 , and 0 . 5 % ( wt / vol ) deoxycholic acid ). cell lysates were centrifuged at 13 , 000 × g at 4 ° c . the cleared supernatant was collected and resolved by sds - page . the proteins were transferred to pvdf membrane ( millipore ) using a semi - dry transfer emit ( bio - rad ) and analyzed by western blot with anti - myc antibody ( prepared at memorial sloan - kettering cancer center ) and sm320 antibody . hek293 cells were seeded in a 4 - well chamber slide ( lab - tek ) and transfected with n1 - δe as in the preceding paragraph , using fugene 6 transfection reagents ( roche applied science , mannheim , germany ). transfected cells were then treated with either dmso at a 1 % final concentration or 1 μm compound e . after 48 hours of treatment , the cells were washed with pbs , fixed with cold methanol and permeabilized with 0 . 25 % tween - 20 . sm320 and anti - myc antibodies were added to detect nicd and full length n1 - δe , respectively . alexa fluor - 488 ( invitrogen , san diego , calif .) conjugated anti - rabbit and alexa fluor - 594 ( invitrogen ) conjugated anti - mouse antibodies were used as corresponding secondary antibodies . 4 ′, 6 - diamidino - 2 - phenylindole ( dapi ) was used to stain cell nuclei . finally , fluorescent images were captured with a leica tcs sp2 aobs laser scanning confocal microscope ( memorial sloan - kettering cancer center molecular cytology core facility ). alternatively , rek 293 cells overexpressing n1 - δe were treated with dmso or compound e , and were then collected through centrifugation and embedded in paraffin . the cell pellets were sliced and mounted on glass slides . the immunodetection of nicd was performed at the molecular cytology core facility of memorial sloan kettering cancer center using discovery xt processor ( ventana medical systems ). the cell sections were blocked for 30 minutes in 10 % normal goat serum in 0 . 2 % bsa / pbs , followed by incubation for 5 h with 0 . 5 μg / ml of sm320 and incubation for 60 min with biotinylated goat anti - rabbit igg ( vector labs , cat #: pk6101 ; 1 : 200 dilution ). the detection was performed with dab - map kit ( ventana medical systems ). the slides were scanned and digitized using the mirax scanner ( carl zeiss microsystems ). hela membrane fraction was isolated from hela - s3 cells ( national cell culture center ). the cell pellet was resuspended in buffer a ( 50 mm mes , 150 mm kcl , 5 mm cacl 2 , 5 mm mgcl 2 ) and lysed by passage through a french press . n2a cells ( murine neuroblastoma cells ) over - expressing wild - type ps1 , or mutants m146l or e280a , were obtained from dr . sangram sisodia ( university of chicago , chicago , ill .). these cells were maintained in 50 % dulbecco &# 39 ; s modified eagle &# 39 ; s medium high glucose , 50 % opti - mem reduced serum media , and 10 % fetal calf serum . cultured cells were pelleted by centrifugation and resuspended in hypotonic buffer ( 40 mm tris , ph 7 . 4 , 10 mm nacl , 1 mm edta , and 0 . 5 mm dtt ) for 20 minutes before being lysed with a dounce homogenizer . nuclear debris from the hela and n2a cells were pelleted at 3000 rpm for 30 minutes . the resulting supernatants were ultracentrifuged at 100 , 000 × g for 1 hour . the pellet that contained total cell membrane was resuspended in buffer a . mouse brains overexpressing knock - in wild type or m146v ps1 ( gift from dr . hui zheng , amylin pharmaceuticals , san diego , calif .) were homogenized with dounce homogenizer . the cell lysate was centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 30 minutes . the supernatants were ultracentrifuged at 100 , 000 × g for 1 hour . protein concentration was determined with the dc protein assay kit according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions ( bio - rad , hercules , calif .). an in vitro γ - secretase assay using a novel recombinant app - derived substrate ( termed “ sb4 ”) is disclosed in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 12 / 776 , 141 . in the present assay based on a notch - derived substrate , n1 - sb1 was incubated with the cell membrane fraction , prepared as described above , in the presence of 0 . 25 % chapso and 1 × pipes buffer ( 50 mm pipes , ph 7 . 0 , 150 mm kcl , 5 mm cacl 2 , 5 mm mgcl 2 . the reaction was incubated at 37 ° c . for 2 hours . the perkin elmer alphascreen ™ detection system was employed to assay for notch cleavage . alphascreen ( perkinelmer life and analytical sciences , shelton , conn .) is a bead based non - radioactive amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous assay ( alpha ). when a biological interaction brings the beads together , a cascade of chemical reactions acts to produce a greatly amplified signal . specifically , upon laser excitation , a photosensitizer in the “ donor ” bead converts ambient ( triplet ) oxygen to the more reactive singlet state . the singlet state oxygen molecules diffuse into the solvent , and may react with a thioxene derivative in the acceptor bead if nearby , generating chemiluminescence at 370 nm that further activates fluorophores contained in the same bead . the fluorophores subsequently emit light at 520 - 620 nm . in the absence of a specific biological interaction , the singlet state oxygen molecules produced by the donor bead go undetected without the close proximity of the acceptor bead . as a result no fluorescence signal at 520 - 620 nm is produced . in the present system , antibody sm320 , protein a - conjugated acceptor beads , and streptavidin - conjugated donor beads ( perkinelmer ) were added to the reaction at a final concentration of 0 . 2 μg / ml , 2 . 5 μg / ml and 5 μg / ml , respectively ( diagrammed in fig5 a ). the reaction was incubated in the dark at room - temperature for 4 hours . the alpha signal was detected using the envision plate reader ( perkin elmer ). the reactions were excited at 680 nm and signal was detected at 615 nm . total cell membrane was pre - incubated in the presence of dmso or 1 μm l458 in pipes buffer containing 0 . 25 % chapso at 37 ° c . for 30 minutes . then , photolabeling probes ( jc8 , l646 or gy4 ) ( li et al ., 2000 , nature , 405 : 689 - 694 , chun et al ., 2004 , j org . chem ., 69 : 7344 - 7347 , yang et al ., 2009 , bioorg med chem . lett ., 19 : 922 - 925 ) at 10 nm were added and incubated for an additional 1 hour at 37 ° c . the reaction mixtures were irradiated at 350 nm for 45 minutes and solubilize with ripa buffer . biotinylated proteins in the soluble fraction were captured by streptavidin resin ( pierce ) overnight at 4 ° c . bound proteins were eluted by boiling with sds sample buffer and analyzed by western blotting with anti - ps1 ntf antibodies . the sm320 polyclonal antibody directed against the notch cleavage product epitope ( vllsrkrrrc ) was generated as described in experimental methods and its specificity determined . the sm320 antibody was purified by conjugating the epitope peptide to an affinity column and capturing the specific antibody , as described . hek 293 cells were transiently transfected with truncated notch1 - ae construct including cmyc ( n1 - δe ), a substrate of γ - secretase that is independent of ligand activation , as described in experimental methods . transfected cells were treated with either dmso vehicle or compound e , a potent γ - secretase inhibitor . cell lysates were analyzed by performing sds - page and immunoblotting the result with anti - myc and sm320 antibody ( fig6 a ). the expression of the myc - tagged n1 - δe protein was confirmed with anti - myc antibody . n1 - δe was detected only in cells transfected with this construct ( fig6 a , upper panel , lanes 1 and 2 ) but not in the mock transfected cells ( fig6 a , upper panel , lane 3 ). more importantly , sm320 detected a specific band that co - migrates with cleaved notch intracellular domain ( nicd ) in n1 - ae transfected cells ( fig6 a , lower panel , lane 1 ), but not in the compound e - treated cells in which γ - secretase activity is expected to be blocked ( fig6 a , lower panel , lane 2 ). this western blot analysis confirms that sm320 specifically detects γ - secretase cleaved product , but not the uncleaved substrate . sm320 was further characterized using immunostaining analysis . the transfected cells were fixed and permeabilized . following this , n1 - δe and nicd were immunostained with sm320 and anti - myc antibodies , respectively . using confocal microscopy , it was shown that n1 - δe protein , as detected by anti - myc antibody , is expressed in cells transfected with the construct ( fig6 b , panel 2 ). sm320 was able to detect nicd only in cells treated with dmso vehicle ( fig6 b , panel 3 ) but not in cells treated with compound e ( fig6 b , panel 5 ). moreover , the nicd staining co - localized with dapi staining and thus confirming the translocation of nicd into the nucleus upon γ - secretase cleavage ( fig6 b , panel 4 ). taken together , the western blot and immunostaining analyses established the specificity of antibody sm320 in detecting γ - secretase cleaved notch product . development of a biotinylated recombinant notch1 substrate and an in vitro γ - secretase assay it has been previously demonstrated that biotinylated recombinant app substrates are suitable for the development of robust γ - secretase assays ( 21 - 23 ; co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 12 / 776 , 141 ). in order to develop a similar elisa - like assay based on notch , an avitag and a maltose binding protein ( mbp )- thrombin cleavage site tag were appended to a notch1 protein fragment ( residues 1733 - 1812 ) coding sequence ( see experimental procedures ). the product is designated mbp - n1 - sb1 ( fig1 a ). e . coli cells were co - transformed with this plasmid as well as the pacyc184 plasmid , which encodes biotin ligase , in the presence of biotin . expression of biotin ligase during induction catalyzes the attachment of biotin to the avitag . the mbp tag was removed from n1 - sb1 by thrombin cleavage and the product was analyzed by sds - page and lc - ms . the apparent molecular weight of n1 - sb1 in sds - page was larger than the expected 12 kda ( fig1 b ). however , lc - ms showed two species of n1 - sb1 : a minor peak at 12017 . 5 da and a major peak at 12246 . 5 da ( fig1 c ), which match the calculated molecular mass of n1 - sb1 in a non - biotinylated form ( 12017 . 7 ) and biotinylated form ( 12245 . 7 ). since there is very little non - biotinylated n1 - sb1 (& lt ; 5 %), this suggests a high efficiency of biotin ligation during induction . hela membrane was incubated with n1 - sb1 substrate in the presence of 0 . 25 % chapso . the γ - secretase cleavage product ( cn1 - sb1 ) was detected by the perkinelmer proximity assay ( alpha ) using the sm320 antibody , protein a - conjugated acceptor - beads ( which bind sm320 ) and streptavidin - conjugated donor - beads ( which bind biotin ) ( fig5 a ). cn1 - sb1 levels in dmso - treated assay was 10 - fold higher than in the presence of the inhibitor l - 685 , 458 ( l458 ; structure shown below )- treated assay . the ic 50 values of l458 and compound e in inhibiting n1 - sb1 cleavage were also determined the values are 0 . 7 nm and 1 nm , respectively ( fig5 b ). finally , we have used this assay to demonstrate that the apparent km of n1 - sb1 cleavage by γ - secretase is 0 . 15 ± 0 . 03 μm and the vmax is 38 unit / μg / min ( in arbitrary units ; fig5 c ). the above data shows that this in vitro γ - secretase assay is both specific and sensitive , and can be used to assay for γ - secretase cleavage of notch1 . the effects of ps1 fad mutations on notch cleavage were determined using the new γ - secretase assay described in example 2 . the activities of two ps1 fad mutations — ps1 m146l and e280a were compared against wild - type ps1 ( wt ), which has been previously studied ( 25 ). total membrane was isolated from n2a cells that stably express wt , m146l , or e280a mutants . n1 - sb1 was incubated with these membranes and the resulting cn1 - sb1 was detected with sm320 . a significant reduction was observed in n1 - sb1 cleavage by both ps1 fad mutants compared to the wild - type ps1 . the m146l and e280a mutants had 40 % and 14 % activity remaining , respectively , compared to the activity of the wild type ( fig7 a ). to compare the effects of these two ps1 fad mutants on app cleavage , similar experiments were carried out using the app substrate sb4 ( 25 ) ( see co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 12 / 776 , 141 ). it was found that m146l and wild - type ps1 have similar activity against sb4 cleavage as determined by the production of a1340 from sb4 ( fig7 b ). however , ps1 bearing the e280a mutation has 12 % activity in the cleavage of sb4 remaining ( fig7 b ). these data suggest that these two ps1 mutations affect the activity of γ - secretase differentially for notch or aβ40 cleavage . the e280a ps1 mutant has a significant loss of function with respect to both notch1 and aβ40 cleavages while the m146l ps1 mutant has reduced activity against notch but not aβ40 cleavage . mouse brain specimens were obtained that either expressed knock - in wild type ps1 or the m146v ps1 mutation ( 25 , 26 ). total membrane from these mouse brains was isolated , and the membrane was incubated with n1 - sb1 . the cn1 - sb1 cleavage product was detected with the new in - vitro γ - secretase assay of example 2 . it was shown that the m146v ps1 mutant in mouse brain has less activity against notch cleavage compare to wild - type ps1 , whereas this mutation has no effect on sb4 cleavage . ( fig7 c and 7d ). next , the effect of these ps1 mutations on the kinetics of γ - secretase activity for notch1 cleavage was assessed . the data show that the km values for n1 - sb1 cleavage by ps1 wild - type , m146l , and e280a fad mutants are 70 , 49 , and 50 nm , respectively ( fig8 a ). the vmax values found for ps1 wild - type , m146l , and e280a fad mutations are 293 , 163 and 49 u / μg / min , respectively . further , n1 - sb1 was titrated in the presence of membrane fractions isolated from ps1 wt and m146v mouse brain . the km values of the brain membrane data is consistent with the cell - line data . the km values of wt and m146v ps1 are 60 and 48 nm , respectively ; while the vmax is 52 and 40 u / μg / min , respectively ( fig8 b ). these data suggest that m146l , m146v and e280a ps1 mutations reduce the vmax of ps1 against notch1 cleavage compared to wt ps1 . further , effects of the fad mutations on the potencies of γ - secretase inhibitors l458 and compound e were investigated . it was found that compound e inhibited wild - type ps1 , m146l ps1 and e280a ps1 with similar ic50 &# 39 ; s of 0 . 78 nm , 0 . 76 nm and 0 . 71 nm , respectively ( fig8 c ); while the ic50 &# 39 ; s of l458 inhibition are 0 . 50 nm , 0 . 45 nm , and 0 . 46 nm for wild - type ps1 , m146l ps1 and e280a ps1 , respectively ( fig8 d ). these data suggest that fad mutations do not alter the potency of γ - secretase inhibitors . development of a 384 - and 1536 well format alpha - based γ - secretase assay the 384 - well plate assay was optimized by titrating the amount of the sm320 antibody . it was shown that 0 . 1 ug / ml of sm320 yielded the highest signal ( fig9 a ). next , the concentrations of protein a conjugated acceptor beads and streptavidin conjugated donor beads were titrated . although it was found that streptavidin donor beads at 10 ug / ml has higher signal than 5 ug / ml , there is no significant improvement in the signal to noise ratio ( fig9 b ). it was also shown that 1 . 25 ug / ml of protein a acceptor beads yielded optimum signal to noise ratio although higher signal can be obtained when higher bead concentrations are used ( fig9 c ). by using 0 . 1 ug / ml of sm320 , 5 ug / ml of streptavidin donor beads and 1 . 25 ug / ml of protein a acceptor beads in the final 384 - well assay conditions , a 25 - fold signal to noise ratio was obtained ( fig9 d ). based on the 384 - well assay format described above , to the assay was miniaturized to a 1536 - well format for automated high - throughput drug screening . concentrations of sm320 , protein a conjugated acceptor beads and streptavidin conjugated donor beads were titrated to minimize reagent usage . it was found that 0 . 05 ug / ml sm320 , 0 . 5 ug / ml protein a conjugated acceptor beads and 2 . 5 ug / ml streptavidin conjugated donor beads yielded optimal 7 - fold signal to noise ratio ( fig9 d ). the assay was validated by comparing the high and low control signals from full 1536 - well plates . the high controls contained 1 % final dmso concentration ( v / v ), while the low controls contains 250 nm of compound e also at 1 % final dmso concentration ( v / v ). the results are in table 3 . activity - based probes have been widely used to identify and profile various classes of enzymes . l - 685 , 458 ( l458 ), an aspartyl protease transition state mimic that interacts with the active site of γ - secretase ( fig1 a ), has been a valuable tool to study γ - secretase . therefore , we have generated various potent photoactivatable probes through “ photophore walking ”, in which the photoactivatable benzophenone is separately incorporated into different postions along the peptidomimetic core structure of l458 . these positions are also known as the p or p ′ positions according to schecter and berger nomenclature . we intented to apply these l458 - based probes to sense the subsite ( s and s ′) conformational change within the active site of γ - secretase caused by ps1 fad mutations . the rationale of this strategy is that the efficiency of photolabeling by these photoactivatable probes depends on the orientation of the probes and their proximity to residues within the active site . conformational changes resulting from ps1 mutations within the active site alter the orientation or distance of contact regions with the probes and could lead to different crosslinking efficiencies . l646 , gy4 and jc8 , which photolabel the s2 , s1 , and s1 ′ subsites within the active site of ps1 , respectively , were used for this study ( fig1 b ). membranes isolated from n2a cells stably expressing wild - type ( wt ), m146l , or e280a ps1 were photolabeled with jc8 , gy4 or l646 in the presence of 0 . 25 % chapso . the labeling was determined to be specific because incubating the probes in the presence of excess l458 completely prevented labeling . after itv irradiation , biotinylated proteins were isolated with streptavidin beads and analyzed by western blotting with anti - ps 1 ntf antibodies . first , we showed that jc8 , gy4 and l646 all photolabeled wt , m146l , and e280a ps1 ntf ( fig1 c ). to eliminate the effect of various amounts of γ - secretase existing in different cell lines , we normalized each probe with jc8 labeling in the same cell lines . l646 labeled m146l and e280a ps1 ntf with ˜ 80 % less intensity than jc8 ; while l646 was photoinserted into wt ps1 with the same efficiency as jc8 ( fig1 d ). this result strongly indicates that the reduced labeling of ps1 mutants by l646 is not due to decreased expression of γ - secretase in the different stable cell lines , but due to conformational changes within the s2 subsites of m146l and e280a ps1 . finally , we showed that gy4 labeled wt , m146l and e280a ps1 ntf with similar efficiencies ( fig1 c and 10 d ). to further investigate the effect of ps1 mutations on the active site in an in vivo setting , we performed the same study using m146v and wt ps1 knock - in mouse brains . the m146v ps1 knock - in mice have been well characterized for memory formation and aβ production . membrane isolated from the m146v and wt ps1 knock - in mouse brain was labeled with photoprobes jc8 and l646 . similarly , we found that jc8 and l646 labeled wt ps1 with similar intensities ( fig1 e and 10 f ). however , l646 labeled m146v ps1 with 84 % less efficiency than jc8 ( fig1 e and 10 f ). this data also showed that m146v ps1 leads to a similar conformation change at the s2 subsite . taken together , these studies indicate that ps1 fad mutations directly influence the shape of the active site within the ps1 γ - secretase complex . however , it is still unclear how this change in the s2 subsite of the gamma - secretase active site affects the interaction and catalysis of substrates such as app and notch1 . finally , we probed the s2 subsite of the γ - secretase active site with mutated p2 notch1 substrates . the rationale of this study was to investigate whether larger p2 notch substrate residues can enhance the activity of ps1 fad mutants . we generated a series of p2 site mutations corresponding to human notch1 residue 1752 ( cys ) that interacts with the s2 subsite within the gamma - secretase active site ( fig1 a ). we substituted cys with either ala , val , or met using site - directed mutagenesis ( fig1 b ). after these substrates were purified , we determined the rate of γ - secretase cleavage from each cell membrane against four substrates ( fig1 c ). first , the c1752a substrate had significantly reduced reactivity for all three forms of γ - secretase ( 20 - 30 % remaining ) compared with wt substrate . secondly , c1752v substrate had considerably increased reactivity for m146l ps1 γ - secretase ( 141 . 3 ± 17 . 9 % 0 ( middle panel ) and had no effect on wt ( left panel ) and e280a ps1 ( right panel ). thirdly , c1752m substrate had no effect on wt ( left panel ), but had significantly enhanced activity for m146l ( 166 . 4 ± 6 . 1 %) ( middle panel ) and e280a ( 185 . 5 ± 7 . 4 %) ps1 ( right panel ). similarly , we showed that c1752m substrate also had no effect on wt ps1 ( left panel ), but had enhanced activity for m146v knock - in ps1 ( 127 . 4 ± 3 . 7 %) ( right panel ) ( fig1 d ). taken together , these data demonstrate that n1 - sb1 with a met residue at the p2 position is a better substrate for both ps1 mutants , suggesting that met fits the altered s2 subsites of ps1 mutants better than cys . on the other hand , n1 - sb1 with a val at the p2 position is a better substrate for m146l ps1 but not for wt ps1 and e280a ps1 , suggesting that the s2 subsite of m146l ps1 is distinguishable from the s2 subsite of e280a ps1 . these results indicate that the different ps1 mutations , such as m146l and e280a ps1 , can lead to s2 subsite variation , and cause different effects on γ - secretase processing of app and notch1 . the data presented here demonstrate that the psi mutants , m146l and e280a , directly affect γ - secretase activity , which leads to a reduction in the rate of notch1 cleavage . however , m146l ps1 has no effect on aβ40 production and e280a ps1 has reduced aβ40 production . these studies indicate that ps1 mutations could lead to different effects on app and notch1 cleavage . our in vitro assay offers a unique way to characterize the effects of ps1 mutations on notch1 and app cleavage , as well as providing a way to address whether ps1 could contribute to ad through altering the processing of app and notch1 . furthermore , our notch1 substrate p2 residue mutagenesis studies demonstrated that both ps1 mutations , m146l and e280a , lead to similar and yet distinguishable s2 subsite alteration . although both ps1 mutations prefer met p2 residue over cys , m146l and e280a exhibited different activities for val at the p2 position . moreover , a smaller residue at the p2 position of notch1 substrate dramatically reduced its reactivity with γ - secretase . taken together , these multiple photoaffinity labeling and substrate complement studies indicate that both m146l and e280a mutations lead to a deeper and distinct s2 subsite . this conformational change in the active site could be a plausible mechanism on how ps1 mutations affect •- secretase activity for aβ40 and aβ42 production . it has been shown through a sequential cleavage mechanism that aβ40 and aβ42 peptides are generated from aβ49 and aβ48 peptides , respectively ( fig1 a ). the p2 residues for aβ40 and aβ49 cleavages are val and thr , respectively ( fig1 b ), which are relatively smaller residues , while the p2 residues for both aβ42 and aβ48 are ile , a larger residue ( fig1 b ). a deeper s2 subsite would favor aβ48 cleavage , leading to an increase in aβ42 . concurrently , these changes can affect aβ49 and aβ40 cleavages ( fig1 a ). it has been reported that ps1 fad mutations reduce a1349 production while concomitantly increasing aβ48 levels , which supports our s2 subsite alteration model ( fig1 a ). 1 . chan , y . m ., and jan , y . n . 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( 2010 ) nat struct mol biol xx - xx . 24 . van tetering , g ., van diest , p ., verlaan , i ., van der wall , e ., kopan , r , and vooijs , m . ( 2009 ) j . biol . chemistry , 284 , 31018 - 31027 . 25 . placanica l , zhu l , li y - m ( 2009 ) plos one 4 ( 4 ): e5088 ; doi : 10 . 1371 / journal . pone . 0005088 . 26 . wang , r , wang , b , he , w and zheng , h ( 2006 ) j . biol . chem . 281 , 15330 - 15336 . 27 . placania , l ., et al ., ( 2009 ) j biol chem 284 , 2967 - 77 . 28 . cravatt , b . f ., wright , a . t . & amp ; kozarich , j . w . activity - based protein profiling : from enzyme chemistry to proteomic chemistry . annu rev biochem 77 , 383 - 414 ( 2008 ). 30 . shelton , c . c . et al , proc natl acad sci usa 106 , 20228 - 33 ( 2009 ). 31 . schechter , i . & amp ; berger , a . biochem biophys res commun 27 , 157 - 62 ( 1967 ). 32 . wang , r ., dineley , k . t ., sweatt , j . d . & amp ; zheng , h . neuroscience 126 , 305 - 12 ( 2004 ). 33 . wang , r ., wang , b ., he , w . & amp ; zheng , h . j biol chem 281 , 15330 - 6 ( 2006 ). 37 . sato , t . et al . j biol chem 278 , 24294 - 301 ( 2003 ). the complete disclosure of all patents , patent applications , and publications , and electronically available material ( including , for instance , nucleotide sequence submissions in , e . g ., genbank and refseq , and amino acid sequence submissions in , e . g ., swissprot , pir , prf , pdb , and translations from annotated coding regions in genbank and refseq ) cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety . supplementary materials referenced in publications ( such as supplementary tables , supplementary figures , supplementary materials and methods , and / or supplementary experimental data ) are likewise incorporated by reference in their entirety . in the event that any inconsistency exists between the disclosure of the present application and the disclosure ( s ) of any document incorporated herein by reference , the disclosure of the present application shall govern . the foregoing detailed description and examples have been given for clarity of understanding only . no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom . the invention is not limited to the exact details shown and described , for variations obvious to one skilled in the art will be included within the invention defined by the claims . unless otherwise indicated , all numbers expressing quantities of components , molecular weights , and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “ about .” accordingly , unless otherwise indicated to the contrary , the numerical parameters set forth in the specification and claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention . at the very least , and not as an attempt to limit the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims , each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques . notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations , the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible . all numerical values , however , inherently contain a range necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements . all headings are for the convenience of the reader and should not be used to limit the meaning of the text that follows the heading , unless so specified .	2
as outlined above , the present invention provides convenient processes for the preparation of crystalline vorinostat form i which avoid the problems associated with prior art processes . these processes use mild conditions and temperatures , thus minimizing the occurrence of polymorphic interconversion and producing form i with very high polymorphic purity and stability , which avoids the problems associated with the prior art form i . preferred embodiments of the processes according to the present invention are described below . preferred processes for the preparation of crystalline vorinostat form i can use , as starting material , any prior art form of vorinostat , including crystalline forms i to v of vorinostat disclosed in us 2004 / 0122101 and wo 2006 / 127319 , or the novel crystalline form vi of vorinostat as reported in a co - pending application by the present inventors ( indian patent application in 2057 / kol / 2008 and the international patent application claiming priority therefrom ). a particularly preferred embodiment of the process according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises dissolving vorinostat in an organic solvent at about 60 ° c ., pouring the clear solution formed into water , cooling the mixture and filtering the crystalline vorinostat form i formed . preferably , the organic solvent , in the process according to the first aspect of the present invention , is selected from methanol , ethanol , n , n - dimethylformamide , isopropanol , 1 - butanol , 2 - butanol , tert - butanol and mixtures thereof . a particularly preferred embodiment of the process according to the second aspect of the present invention comprises dissolving vorinostat in water by heating at about 60 ° c . for about 1 hour . the clear solution is allowed to cool to about 25 ° c . before isolating the crystalline vorinostat form i from the mixture by filtration . a particularly preferred embodiment of the process according to the third aspect of the present invention comprises dissolving vorinostat in a first organic solvent at about 60 ° c ., and then pouring the clear solution formed into a second organic solvent , followed by cooling the mixture to about 25 ° c . and filtering the crystalline vorinostat form i formed . preferably , the first organic solvent , in the process according to the third aspect of the present invention , is selected from methanol , ethanol , n , n - dimethylformamide and mixtures thereof . preferably , the second organic solvent , in the process according to the third aspect of the present invention , is selected from acetone , methyl ethyl ketone , methyl isobutyl ketone , diethyl ketone , acetonitrile , propionitrile , ethyl acetate , methyl acetate and mixtures thereof . preferably , the crystalline vorinostat form i , obtained by the processes according to the first , second and third aspects of the present invention , is dried until the moisture content falls below about 1 %, preferably to below about 0 . 5 %. the major advantages of this invention are milder and reproducible experimental conditions of the processes of the present invention to obtain the polymorph and the polymorphic purity and stability of the crystalline form i obtained . the pharmaceutical composition according to the sixth aspect of the present invention can be a solution or a suspension , but is preferably a solid oral dosage form . preferred oral dosage forms in accordance with the invention include tablets , capsules and the like which , optionally , may be coated if desired . tablets can be prepared by conventional techniques , including direct compression , wet granulation and dry granulation . capsules are generally formed from a gelatine material and can include a conventionally prepared granulate of excipients in accordance with the invention . the pharmaceutical composition according to the present invention typically comprises one or more conventional pharmaceutically acceptable excipient ( s ) selected from the group comprising a filler , a binder , a disintegrant , a lubricant and optionally further comprises at least one excipient selected from colouring agents , adsorbents , surfactants , film - formers and plasticizers . if the solid pharmaceutical formulation is in the form of coated tablets , the coating may be prepared from at least one film - former such as hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose , hydroxypropyl cellulose or methacrylate polymers which optionally may contain at least one plasticizer such as polyethylene glycols , dibutyl sebacate , triethyl citrate , and other pharmaceutical auxiliary substances conventional for film coatings , such as pigments and fillers . preferably , the pharmaceutical compositions according to the sixth aspect of the invention are for use in the treatment of cancer , preferably in the treatment of skin cancer , and more preferably in the treatment of cutaneous t - cell lymphoma ( ctcl ). preferably , the pharmaceutical compositions according to the present invention are in unit dosage form comprising vorinostat in an amount of from 1 mg to 500 mg , such that the amount of vorinostat administered is from 0 . 1 mg to 100 mg per kg per day . the details of the invention , its objects and advantages are illustrated below in greater detail by non - limiting examples . vorinostat ( 10 g ) was charged to a reaction flask containing amide ( 50 ml ) ( organic solvent ). the resulting suspension was heated at 60 ° c . for one hour under stirring . the resulting clear solution was poured into water ( 250 ml ) at 20 - 25 ° c . white solid precipitated out . the solid product was filtered and dried at 60 ° c . under vacuum until a constant weight was obtained . vorinostat ( 10 g ) was charged to a reaction flask containing alcohol ( 50 ml ) ( organic solvent ). the resulting suspension was heated at 60 ° c . for one hour under stirring . the resulting clear solution was poured into water ( 50 ml ) at 20 - 25 ° c . white solid precipitated out . the solid product was filtered and dried at 60 ° c . under vacuum until a constant weight was obtained . vorinostat ( 10 g ) was charged to a reaction flask containing methanol ( 50 ml ) ( organic solvent ). the suspension was heated at 60 ° c . for one hour under stirring . the resulting clear solution was poured into water ( 50 - 300 ml , typically 50 ml when the organic solvent is an alcohol , typically 250 ml when the organic solvent is an amide ). the reaction mixture was cooled to 25 ° c . and filtered . the solid product obtained was dried at 60 ° c . under vacuum until a constant weight was obtained . the above procedure in example 3 was repeated using different organic solvents to obtain vorinostat form i , namely : vorinostat ( 10 g ) was charged to a reaction flask containing water ( 50 ml ). the resulting mixture was heated for one hour at 60 ° c . to obtain a clear solution . the reaction mixture was cooled to 25 ° c . and it was filtered . the solid product was dried at 60 ° c . under vacuum until a constant weight was obtained . vorinostat ( 10 g ) was charged to a reaction flask containing n , n - dimethylformamide ( 50 ml ) ( organic solvent i ). the resulting suspension was heated at 60 ° c . for one hour under stirring . the resulting clear solution was poured into acetone ( 50 ml ) ( organic solvent ii ). the reaction mixture was cooled to 25 ° c . and it was filtered . the solid product was dried at 60 ° c . under vacuum until a constant weight was obtained . the above procedure in example 5 was repeated using different solvents to obtain vorinostat form i , namely : organic solvent ii : acetone , methyl ethyl ketone , methyl isobutyl ketone , diethyl ketone , acetonitrile , propionitrile , ethyl acetate , methyl acetate . each organic solvent i listed above was used with each organic solvent ii listed above to prepare vorinostat form i . in all of examples 1 to 5 , 1 h - nmr indicated formation of vorinostat . xrpd and dsc analysis data confirmed that the products obtained were crystalline form i of vorinostat , in accordance with the data disclosed in us 2004 / 0122101 and wo 2006 / 127319 . the samples of crystalline vorinostat form i prepared in the above examples were found to be substantially pure polymorphically with no levels of other forms detected (& gt ; 99 . 7 % polymorphically pure ), as measured by xrpd and dsc . the samples of crystalline vorinostat form i prepared were also found to be very stable polymorphically with no conversion over time to other polymorphs , when kept at a temperature of 40 ° c .± 2 ° c . and a relative humidity of 75 %± 5 % for 6 months . it will be understood that the present invention has been described above by way of example only . the examples are not intended to limit the scope of the invention . various modifications and embodiments can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention , which is defined by the following claims only .	2
fig1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a control circuit 100 . the control circuit 100 is used in a server . the server includes a power supply unit ( psu ) 1 , a first device 2 , a second device 3 , and a third device 5 . the psu 1 provides power to the devices 2 - 5 . the control circuit 100 can be used to boot the devices 2 - 5 in an orderly manner . the control circuit 100 includes a first switch circuit 10 , a second switch circuit 12 , a third switch circuit 15 , a first delay circuit 16 , and a second delay circuit 18 . in the embodiment , the first device 2 is a fan , the second device 3 is a hard disk drive , and the third device 5 is a video card with a peripheral component interconnect express ( pcie ) interface , but the disclosure is not limited thereto . the first switch circuit 10 is connected between the psu 1 and the first device 2 , and receives a power good signal pwrgd_ps and a first voltage p 12 v from the psu 1 , and the first voltage p 12 v is transmitted to the first device 2 after receiving the power good signal pwrgd_ps . the first delay circuit 16 is connected between the psu 1 and the second switch circuit 12 and receives the power good signal pwrgd_ps , and a first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly is output to the second switch circuit 12 . the second switch circuit 12 is connected between the psu 1 and the second device 3 and receives the first voltage p 12 v from the psu 1 , and outputting the first voltage p 12 v to the second device 3 after receiving the first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly . the second delay circuit 18 is connected between the first delay circuit 16 and the third switch circuit 15 , and receives the first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly , and outputs a second delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly 1 to the third switch circuit 15 . the third switch circuit 15 is connected between the psu 1 and the third device 5 and receives the first voltage p 12 v from the psu 1 , and the first voltage p 12 v is output to the third device 5 after receiving the second delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly 1 . in fig2 , the first switch circuit 10 includes two electronic switches q 1 and q 2 , three resistors r 1 - r 3 , and four capacitors c 1 - c 4 . a first end of the electronic switch q 1 is connected to the psu 1 through the resistor r 1 , and receives the power good signal pwrgd_ps . the first end of the electronic switch q 1 is further grounded through the capacitor c 1 . a second end of the electronic switch q 1 is connected to a first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 through the resistor r 2 , and receives the first voltage p 12 v . a third end of the electronic switch q 1 is grounded . a first end of the electronic switch q 2 is connected to the second end of the electronic switch q 1 through the resistor r 3 , and is connected to the first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 through the capacitor c 3 . a second end of the electronic switch q 2 is connected to the first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 , and receives the first voltage p 12 v , and is grounded through the capacitor c 2 . a third end of the electronic switch q 2 is connected to the first device 2 and is grounded through the capacitor c 4 . the capacitors c 1 - c 4 filter noise from the first switch circuit 10 . in fig3 , the first delay circuit 16 includes a first delay chip u 1 , six resistors r 10 - r 15 , and three capacitors c 13 - c 15 . a reset pin reset of the first delay chip u 1 is connected to the second switch circuit 12 through the resistor r 10 , and outputs the first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly to the second switch circuit 12 . the reset pin reset of the first delay chip u 1 is also connected to a second power terminal p 3 v 3 of the psu 1 through the resistor r 13 , and is grounded through the resistor r 13 and the capacitor c 13 in series . a ground pin gnd of the first delay chip u 1 is grounded . a manual reset pin mr of the first delay chip u 1 is connected to the psu 1 through the resistor r 11 , and receives the power good signal pwrgd_ps . the manual reset pin mr of the first delay chip u 1 is also connected to the second power terminal p 3 v 3 of the psu 1 through the resistor r 12 , and receives a second voltage p 3 v 3 . a set pin ct of the first delay chip u 1 is grounded through the capacitor c 14 . a sense pin sense of the first delay chip u 1 is grounded through the capacitor c 15 . the second power terminal p 3 v 3 of the psu 1 is grounded through the resistors r 14 and r 15 in series . a node between the resistors r 14 and r 15 is connected to the sense pin sense of the first delay chip u 1 . the second switch circuit 12 includes two electronic switches q 3 and q 4 , three resistors r 4 - r 6 , and four capacitors c 5 - c 8 . a first end of the electronic switch q 3 is connected to the first delay circuit 16 through the resistor r 4 and receives the first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly . the first end of the electronic switch q 3 is also grounded through the capacitor c 5 . a second end of the electronic switch q 3 is connected to the first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 through the resistor r 5 , and receives the first voltage p 12 v . a third end of the electronic switch q 3 is grounded . a first end of the electronic switch q 4 is connected to the second end of the electronic switch q 3 through the resistor r 6 , and is connected to the first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 through the capacitor c 7 . a second end of the electronic switch q 4 is connected to the first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 , and receives the first voltage p 12 v , and is grounded through the capacitor c 6 . a third end of the electronic switch q 4 is connected to the second device 3 and is grounded through the capacitor c 8 . the capacitors c 5 - c 8 filter noise from the second switch circuit 12 . in fig4 , the second delay circuit 18 includes a second delay chip u 2 , six resistors r 16 - r 21 , and three capacitors c 16 - c 18 . a reset pin reset of the second delay chip u 2 is connected to the third switch circuit 15 through the resistor r 16 , and outputs the second delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly 1 to the third switch circuit 15 . the reset pin reset of the second delay chip u 2 is also connected to the second power terminal p 3 v 3 of the psu 1 through the resistor r 19 , and is grounded through the resistor r 19 and the capacitor c 16 in series . a ground pin gnd of the second delay chip u 2 is grounded . a manual reset pin mr of the second delay chip u 2 is connected to the first delay circuit 16 through the resistor r 17 , and receives the first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly . the manual reset pin mr of the second delay chip u 2 is also connected to the second power terminal p 3 v 3 of the psu 1 through the resistor r 18 , and receives the second voltage p 3 v 3 . a set pin ct of the second delay chip u 2 is grounded through the capacitor c 17 . a sense pin sense of the second delay chip u 2 is grounded through the capacitor c 18 . the second power terminal p 3 v 3 of the psu 1 is grounded through the resistors r 20 and r 21 in series . a node between the resistors r 20 and r 21 is connected to the sense pin sense of the second delay chip u 2 . the third switch circuit 15 includes two electronic switches q 5 and q 6 , three resistors r 7 - r 9 , and four capacitors c 9 - c 12 . a first end of the electronic switch q 5 is connected to the second delay circuit 18 through the resistor r 7 , and receives the second delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly 1 . the first end of the electronic switch q 5 is also grounded through the capacitor c 9 . a second end of the electronic switch q 5 is connected to the first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 through the resistor r 8 , and receives the first voltage p 12 v . a third end of the electronic switch q 5 is grounded . a first end of the electronic switch q 6 is connected to the second end of the electronic switch q 5 through the resistor r 9 , and is connected to the first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 through the capacitor c 11 . a second end of the electronic switch q 6 is connected to the first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 , and receives the first voltage p 12 v , and is grounded through the capacitor c 10 . a third end of the electronic switch q 6 is connected to the third device 5 , and is grounded through the capacitor c 12 . the capacitors c 9 - c 12 filter noise from the third switch circuit 15 . in use , the psu 1 outputs the power good signal pwrgd_ps to the first switch circuit 10 and the first delay circuit 16 . when the first switch circuit 10 receives the power good signal pwrgd_ps , the electronic switches q 1 and q 2 are turned on . therefore , the first voltage p 12 v of the psu 1 is outputted to the first device 2 for booting the first device 2 . when the first delay circuit 16 receives the power good signal pwrgd p_s , the reset pin reset of the first delay chip u 1 outputs the first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly to the second switch circuit 12 and the second delay circuit 18 after a first delay time set beforehand in the first delay chip u 1 . when the second switch circuit 12 receives the first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly , the electronic switches q 3 and q 4 are turned on . therefore , the first voltage p 12 v of the psu 1 is outputted to the second device 3 for booting the second device 3 . when the second delay circuit 18 receives the first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly , the reset pin reset of the second delay chip u 2 outputs the second delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly 1 to the third switch circuit 15 after a second delay time set beforehand in the second delay chip u 2 . the electronic switches q 5 and q 6 are turned on . the first voltage p 12 v of the psu 1 is outputted to the third device 5 for booting the third device 5 . in the embodiment , the electronic switches q 1 - q 6 are metal oxide semiconductor field - effect transistors ( mosfets ). the electronic switches q 1 , q 3 , and q 5 are n - channel mosfets . the electronic switches q 2 , q 4 , and q 6 are p - channel mosfets . the first , second , and third ends of each electronic switch respectively correspond to a gate , a drain , and a source of each mosfet . while the disclosure has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited thereto . on the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art . therefore , the range of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements .	8
the present invention is directed to methods of treating symptoms , pathologies or diseases characterized by reduced levels of dopamine in a patients brain , including neurological or movement disorders such as restless leg syndrome , parkinson &# 39 ; s disease and secondary parkinsonism , huntingdon &# 39 ; s disease , shy - drager syndrome and conditions resulting from brain injury including carbon monoxide or manganese intoxication . the present invention is directed to a pharmaceutical dosage form having an immediate release component and a controlled release component . the immediate release component comprises carbidopa alone or a ratio of carbidopa to levodopa from about 1 : 1 to about 1 : 50 such that the in vitro dissolution rate of the immediate release component , according to measurements under the usp paddle method of 50 rpm in 900 ml aqueous buffer at ph 4 at 37 ° c ., is from about 10 % to about 99 % active agent released after 15 minutes and from about 75 % to about 99 % active agent released after 1 hour . benzeraside as an alternate peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor , and may be substituted in appropriate doses in all subsequent details of the carbidopa discussions . the controlled release component comprises a ratio of levodopa to carbidopa of from about 1 : 2 to about 1 : 50 such that the in vitro dissolution rate of the controlled release component , according to measurements under the usp paddle method of 50 rpm in 900 ml aqueous buffer at ph 4 at 37 ° c ., is about 10 % to about 60 % levodopa released after 1 hour ; from about 25 % to about 80 % levodopa released after 2 hours ; and , from about 40 % to about 95 % levodopa released after 6 ours . additionally , the formulations of the present invention are chosen such that the initial peak plasma level of levodopa obtained in vivo occurs between 0 . 1 and 6 hours after administration of the dosage form . the ratio of immediate release to controlled release levodopa in dosage forms according to the present invention is from about 3 to about 0 . 1 . the skilled artisan will appreciate that this ratio can range anywhere within these endpoints depending on the goal of therapy and such well known factors such as patient weight , stage of disease , etc . the skilled artisan will appreciate that the ratios of 1 , 0 . 875 , 0 . 538 , 0 . 5 and 0 . 33 , which are used in dosage forms according to the present invention , are representative of specific ratios , but not limiting of the possible ratios which may be employed in carbidopa / levodopa dosage forms . for purposes of the present invention the term “ controlled release ” refers to a pharmaceutical dosage form which releases one or more active pharmaceutical agents over a prolonged period of time , in this case over a period of more than 1 hour . controlled release ( cr ) components can also be referred to as sustained release ( sr ), prolonged release ( pr ), or extended release ( er ). when used in association with the dissolution profiles discussed herein , the term “ controlled release ” refers to that portion of a dosage form made according to the present invention which delivers active agent over a period of time greater than 1 hour . “ immediate release ” refers to a dosage form which releases active agent substantially immediately upon contact with gastric juices and will result in substantially complete dissolution within about 1 hour . immediate release ( ir ) components can also be referred to as instant release . when used in association with the dissolution profiles discussed herein , the term “ immediate release ” refers to that portion of a dosage form made according to the present invention which delivers active agent over a period of time less than 1 hour . initial peak plasma level refers to the first rise in blood plasma level of active agent and may be followed by one or more additional peaks , one of which may be c max . the usp paddle method refers to the paddle and basket method as described in united states pharmacopoeia , edition xxii ( 1990 ). as used herein , the term patient means any mammal including humans . the active agents for use in dosage forms according to the present invention include levodopa and carbidopa their salts , derivatives and pro - drugs . the terms “ levodopa ” and “ carbidopa ” are meant to embrace these chemical compounds themselves , pro - drugs thereof , n - oxides thereof , the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof , derivatives thereof , and the solvates thereof , e . g . hydrates , where the context so permits . similarly , reference to intermediates , whether or not they themselves are claimed , is meant to embrace their salts , and solvates , where the context so permits . the term “ derivative ” means a chemically modified compound wherein the modification is considered routine by the ordinary skilled chemist , such as an ester or an amide of an acid , protecting groups , such as a benzyl group for an alcohol or thiol , and tert - butoxycarbonyl group for an amine . the term “ effective amount ” means an amount of a compound / composition according to the present invention effective in producing the desired therapeutic effect . the term “ analogue ” means a compound which comprises a chemically modified form of a specific compound or class thereof , and which maintains the pharmaceutical and / or pharmacological activities characteristic of said compound or class . as used herein , “ pharmaceutically acceptable salts ” refer to derivatives of the disclosed compounds wherein the parent compound is modified by making acid or base salts thereof . examples of pharmaceutically acceptable salts include , but are not limited to , mineral or organic acid salts of basic residues such as amines ; alkali or organic salts of acidic residues such as carboxylic acids ; and the like . the pharmaceutically acceptable salts include the conventional non - toxic salts or the quarternary ammonium salts of the parent compound formed , for example , from non - toxic inorganic or organic acids . for example , such conventional non - toxic salts include those derived from inorganic acids such as hydrochloric , hydrobromic , sulfuric , sulfamic , phosphoric , nitric and the like ; and the salts prepared from organic acids such as acetic , propionic , succinic , glycolic , stearic , lactic , malic , tartaric , citric , ascorbic , pamoic , maleic , hydroxymaleic , phenylacetic , glutamic , benzoic , salicylic , sulfanilic , 2 - acetoxybenzoic , fumaric , toluensulfonic , methanesulfonic , ethane dislfonic , oxalic , isethionic , and the like . the phrase “ pharmaceutically acceptable ” is employed herein to refer to those compounds , materials , compositions ; and / or dosage forms which are , within the scope of sound medical judgment , suitable for use in contact with the tissues of human beings and animals without excessive toxicity , irritation , allergic response , or other problem or complication commensurate with a reasonable benefit / risk ratio . the term “ about ” when used in connection with percentages means ± 1 %. the term “ pro - drugs ”, as the term is used herein , is intended to include any covalently bonded carriers which release an active parent drug of the present invention in vivo when such pro - drug is administered to a mammalian subject . since pro - drugs are known to enhance numerous desirable qualities of pharmaceuticals ( i . e ., solubility , bioavailability , manufacturing , etc .) the compounds of the present invention may be delivered in pro - drug form . thus , the present invention is intended to cover pro - drugs of the presently claimed compounds , methods of delivering the same , and compositions containing the same . one example of a pro - drug for levodopa is 3 - hydroxy - l - tyrosine ethyl ester . in the formulations of the present invention , 3 - hydroxy - l - tyrosine ethyl ester can be used in combination with levodopa or as a replacement for levodopa in any of the formulations . generally , an appropriate pro - drug for levodopa can be used in combination with levodopa or as a replacement for levodopa in any of the levodopa / carbidopa formulations of the present invention . similarly , an appropriate pro - drug for carbidopa can be used in combination with levodopa or as a replacement for carbidopa in any of the levodopa / carbidopa formulations of the present invention . pro - drugs of the present invention are prepared by modifying functional groups present in the compound in such a way that the modifications are cleaved , either in routine manipulation or in vivo , to the parent compound . the transformation in vivo may be , for example , as the result of some metabolic process , such as chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis of a carboxylic , phosphoric or sulphate ester , or reduction or oxidation of a susceptible functionality . pro - drugs within the scope of the present include compounds wherein a hydroxy , amino , or sulfhydryl group is bonded to any group that , when the pro - drug of the present invention is administered to a mammalian subject , it cleaves to form a free hydroxyl , free amino , or free sulfydryl group respectively . functional groups which may be rapidly transformed , by metabolic cleavage , in vivo form a class of groups reactive with the carboxyl group of the compounds of this invention . they include , but are not limited to such groups as alkanoyl ( such as acetyl , propionyl , butyryl , and the like ), unsubstituted and substituted aroyl ( such as benzoyl and substituted benzoyl ), alkoxycarbonyl ( such as ethoxycarbonyl ), trialkysilyl ( such as trimethyl - and triethysilyl ), monoesters formed with dicarboxylic acids ( such as succinyl ), and the like . because of the ease with which metabolically cleavable groups of the compounds useful according to this invention are cleaved in vivo , the compounds bearing such groups act as pro - drugs . the compounds bearing the metabolically cleavable groups have the advantage that they may exhibit improved bioavailability as a result of enhanced solubility and / or rate of absorption conferred upon the parent compound by virtue of the presence of the metabolically cleavable group . a thorough discussion of pro - drugs is provided in the following : design of pro - drugs , h . bundgaard , ed ., elsevier , 1985 ; methods in enzymology , k . widder et al ., ed ., academic press , 42 , p . 309 - 396 , 1985 ; a textbook of drug design and development , krogsgaard - larsen and h . bundgaard , ed ., chapter5 ; “ design and applications of pro - drugs ” p . 113 - 191 , 1991 ; advanced drug delivery reviews , h . bundgard , 8 , p . 1 - 38 , 1992 ; journal of pharmaceutical sciences , 77 , p . 285 , 1988 ; chem . pharm . bull ., n . nakeya et al ., 32 , p . 692 , 1984 ; pro - drugs as novel delivery systems , t . higuchi and v . stella , vol . 14 of the a . c . s . symposium series , and bioreversible carriers in drug design , edward b . roche , ed ., american pharmaceutical association and pergamon press , 1987 , each of which is incorporated herein by reference . total daily dosages of the compounds useful according to this invention administered to a host in single or divided doses are generally in amounts of from about 0 . 01 mg / kg to about 100 mg / kg body weight daily , and preferably from about 0 . 05 mg / kg to about 50 mg / kg body weight daily . both the levodopa and carbidopa doses fall within this mg / kg / day dosage range . the relative amounts of carbidopa and levodopa can vary from about 1 : 1 to about 1 : 50 in dosage forms according to the present invention . other dosage ratios useful according to the present invention include 1 : 10 , 5 : 26 , 1 : 5 , 1 : 4 , 5 : 16 , 1 : 3 , 5 : 14 , 1 : 2 , 2 : 3 , 3 : 4 , 5 : 6 ) of carbidopa to levodopa . the skilled artisan will appreciate that daily dosages having an amount of active agent sufficient to treat parkinson &# 39 ; s disease will generally contain from about 25 mg to about 4 , 000 mg of levodopa in combination with from about 5 mg to about 600 mg of carbidopa . dosage forms according to the present invention may also contain from about 25 or preferably 100 mg to about preferably 300 or 600 mg of levodopa in combination with from about 12 . 5 or preferably 50 mg to about preferably 75 or 200 mg of carbidopa . preferred dosage forms contain 25 , 37 . 5 , 50 , 70 , 75 , 80 , 100 , 125 , 130 , 150 , 200 , 250 , 300 , 400 , or 600 mg of levodopa and 12 . 5 , 25 , 37 . 5 , 50 , 75 , 100 , 112 . 5 , 125 or 150 mg of carbidopa . preferred dosage forms include all possible combinations of these amounts of levodopa and carbidopa . dosage unit compositions may also contain amounts of levodopa and carbidopa in percentages of these dosages as may be used to make up the daily dose . it will be understood , however , that the specific dose level for any particular patient will depend upon a variety of factors including body weight , general health , gender , diet , time and route of administration , rates of absorption and excretion , combination with other drugs , and the severity of the particular disease being treated . actual dosage levels of active ingredient in the compositions of the present invention may be varied so as to obtain an amount of active ingredient that is effective to obtain a desired therapeutic response for a particular composition and method of administration . the selected dosage level , therefore , depends upon the desired therapeutic effect , on the route of administration , on the desired duration of treatment , and other factors . the dosage forms of the present invention are designed to administer active agent according to the combination of two release profiles . the first profile is an immediate release burst of carbidopa , another decarboxylase inhibitor such as benserazide , or a combination of active ingredients such as a decarboxylase inhibitors and levodopa to provide early relief from symptoms via quick onset of effective blood plasma levels of active agent . such early release is such that the in vitro dissolution rate of the immediate release component , according to measurements under the usp paddle method of 50 rpm in 900 ml aqueous buffer at ph 4 at 37 ° c . are from about 10 % to about 99 % levodopa released after 15 minutes and from about 75 % to about 99 % levodopa released after 1 hour . the second profile is a controlled release profile in which the combination of active ingredients is released slowly over time to provide a plasma level effective to alleviate the symptoms of parkinson &# 39 ; s disease over a prolonged period . this controlled release profile may be over a period of 3 , 4 , 6 , 8 , 12 , or 24 hours . furthermore , the controlled release profile of the present invention is such that the in vitro dissolution rate of the controlled release component , according to measurements under the usp paddle method of 50 rpm in 900 ml aqueous buffer at ph 4 at 37 ° c ., are from about 10 % to about 60 % levodopa released after 1 hour ; from about 25 % to about 80 % released after 2 hours ; from about 30 % to about 85 % levodopa released after 4 hours and from about 40 % to about 99 % levodopa released after about 6 hours , and chosen such that the peak plasma level of levodopa obtained in vivo occurs between 0 . 1 and 6 hours after administration of the dosage form . the active ingredients of the present invention may be mixed with pharmaceutically acceptable carriers , diluents , adjuvants , excipients , or vehicles , such as preserving agents , fillers , polymers , disintegrating agents , glidants , wetting agents , emulsifying agents , suspending agents , sweetening agents , flavoring agents , perfuming agents , lubricating agents , acidifying agents , and dispensing agents , depending on the nature of the mode of administration and dosage forms . such ingredients , including pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and excipients that may be used to formulate oral dosage forms , are described in the handbook of pharmaceutical excipients , american pharmaceutical association ( 1986 ), incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . examples of , pharmaceutically acceptable carriers include water , ethanol , polyols , vegetable oils , fats , waxes polymers , including gel forming and non - gel forming polymers , and suitable mixtures thereof . examples of excipients include starch , pregelatinized starch , avicel , lactose , milk sugar , sodium citrate , calcium carbonate , dicalcium phosphate , and lake blend . examples of disintegrating agents include starch , alginic acids , and certain complex silicates . examples of lubricants include magnesium stearate , sodium lauryl sulphate , talc , as well as high molecular weight polyethylene glycols . the artisan of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many different excipients can be used in formulations according to the present invention and the list provided herein is not exhaustive . dosage forms can be made according to well known methods in the art . some preferred methods are described below . the term matrix , as used herein , is given its well known meaning in the pharmaceutical arts , that is a solid material having an active agent incorporated therein . upon exposure to a dissolution media , channels are formed in the solid material so that the active agent can escape . dosage forms according to one embodiment of the present invention may be in the form of coated or uncoated matrices . a coating , for example may contain immediate release carbidopa alone , or in the alternative , a combination of levodopa and carbidopa , and the matrix itself can contain the controlled release combination of levodopa and carbidopa . the skilled artisan will appreciate that the matrix material can be chosen from a wide variety of materials which can provide the desired dissolution profiles . materials can include , for example , one or more gel forming polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol , cellulose ethers including , for example , hydroxy propyl alkyl , celluloses such as hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose , hydroxy alkyl celluloses such as hydroxy propyl cellulose , natural or synthetic gums such as guar gum , xanthum gum , and alginates , as well as , ethyl cellulose , polyvinyl pyrrolidone , fats , waxes , polycarboxylic acids or esters such as the carbopol ® series of polymers , methacrylic acid copolymers , and methacrylate polymers . methods of making matrix dosages are well known in the art and any known method of making such dosages which yields the desired immediate release and controlled release dissolution profiles can be used . one such method involves the mixture of the levodopa and carbidopa combination with a solid polymeric material and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients which are then blended and compressed in controlled release tablet cores . such tablet cores can be used for further processing as bi - layer tablets , press coated tablets , or film coated tablets . a coating containing the immediate release carbidopa or carbidopa and levodopa in combination can be added to the outside of the controlled release tablet cores to produce a final dosage form . such a coating can be prepared by mixing carbidopa alone , or a combination of levodopa and carbidopa , with polyvinylpyrrolidone ( pvp ) 29 / 32 or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose ( hpmc ) and water / isopropyl alcohol and triethyl acetate . such an immediate release coating can be spray coated onto the tablet cores . the immediate release coating may also be applied using a press - coating process with a blend consisting of 80 % by weight levodopa and carbidopa and 20 % by weight of lactose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose type 2910 . press coating techniques are known in the art and are described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 372 , 254 to ting et al ., incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . in addition , the formulation of respective release components can occur by appropriate granulation methods as is well known in the art . in wet granulation , solutions of the binding agent ( polymer ) are added with stirring to the mixed powders . the powder mass is wetted with the binding solution until the mass has the consistency of damp snow or brown sugar . the wet granulated material is forced through a sieving device . moist material from the milling step is dried by placing it in a temperature controlled container . after drying , the granulated material is reduced in particle size by passing it through a sieving device . lubricant is added , and the final blend is then compressed into a matrix dosage form . in fluid - bed granulation , particles of inert material and / or active agent are suspended in a vertical column with a rising air stream . while the particles are suspended , a common granulating material in solution is sprayed into the column . there is a gradual particle buildup under a controlled set of conditions resulting in tablet granulation . following drying and the addition of lubricant , the granulated material is ready for compression . in dry - granulation , the active agent , binder , diluent , and lubricant are blended and compressed into tablets . the compressed large tablets are comminuted through the desirable mesh screen by sieving equipment . additional lubricant is added to the granulated material and blended gently . the material is then compressed into tablets . the immediate release / controlled release dosage forms of the present invention can also take the form of pharmaceutical particles . the dosage forms can include immediate release particles in combination with controlled release particles in a ratio sufficient to deliver the desired dosages of active agents . the controlled release particles can be produced by coating the immediate release particles . the particles can be produced according to any of a number of well known methods for making particles . the immediate release particles comprise the active agent combination and a disintegrant . suitable disintegrants include , for example , starch , low - substitution hydroxypropyl cellulose , croscarmellose sodium , calcium carboxymethyl cellulose , hydroxypropyl starch , and microcrystalline cellulose . in addition to the above - mentioned ingredients , a controlled release matrix may also contain suitable quantities of other materials , for example , diluents , lubricants , binders , granulating aids , colorants , flavorants , and glidants that are conventional in the pharmaceutical arts . the quantities of these additional materials are sufficient to provide the desired effect to the desired formulation . a controlled release matrix incorporating particles may also contain suitable quantities of these other materials such as diluents , lubricants , binders , granulating aids , colorants , flavorants , and glidants that are conventional in the pharmaceutical arts in amounts up to about 75 % by weight of the particulate , if desired . particles can assume any standard structure known in the pharmaceutical arts . such structures include , for example , matrix particles , non - pareil cores having a drug layer and active or inactive cores having multiple layers thereon . a controlled release coating can be added to any of these structures to create a controlled release particle . the term particle as used herein means a granule having a diameter of between about 0 . 01 mm and about 5 . 0 mm , preferably between about 0 . 1 mm and about 2 . 5 mm , and more preferably between about 0 . 5 mm and about 2 mm . the skilled artisan will appreciate that particles according to the present invention can be any geometrical shape within this size range and so long as the mean for a statistical distribution of particles falls within the particle sizes enumerated above , they will be considered to fall within the contemplated scope of the present invention . the release of the therapeutically active agent from the controlled release formulation of the present invention can be further influenced , i . e ., adjusted to a desired rate , by the addition of one or more release - modifying agents . the release - modifying agent may be organic or inorganic and include materials that can be dissolved , extracted , or leached from the coating in the environment of use . the pore - formers may comprise one or more hydrophilic materials such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose . the release - modifying agent may also comprise a semi - permeable polymer . in certain preferred embodiments , the release - modifying agent is selected from hydroxypropyl methyclcellulose , lactose , metal stearates , and mixtures thereof . in one preferred embodiment , oral dosage forms are prepared to include an effective amount of particles as described above within a capsule . for example , melt - extruded particles may be placed in a gelatin capsule in an amount sufficient to provide an effective controlled release dose when ingested and contacted by gastric fluid . in another preferred embodiment , a suitable amount of the particles are compressed into an oral tablet using conventional tableting equipment using standard techniques . techniques and compositions for making tablets ( compressed and molded ), capsules ( hard and soft gelatin ), and pills are also described in remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences , arthur osol , editor , pp . 1553 - 1593 ( 1980 ), incorporated herein by reference . the particles can be made by mixing the relevant ingredients and granulating the mixture . the resulting particles are dried and screened , and the particles having the desired size are used for drug formulation . the controlled release particles of the present invention slowly release the combination of levodopa and carbidopa when ingested and exposed to gastric fluids , and then to intestinal fluids . the controlled release profile of the formulations of the invention can be altered , for example , by increasing or decreasing the thickness of the retardant coating , i . e ., by varying the amount of overcoating . the resultant solid controlled release particles may thereafter be placed in a gelatin capsule in an amount sufficient to provide an effective controlled release dose when ingested and contacted by an environmental fluid , e . g ., gastric fluid , intestinal fluid or dissolution media . the particles may be overcoated with an aqueous dispersion of a hydrophobic or hydrophilic material to modify the release profile . the aqueous dispersion of hydrophobic material preferably further includes an effective amount of plasticizer , e . g . triethyl citrate . preformulated aqueous dispersions of ethylcellulose , such as aquacoat ® or surelease ®, may be used . if surelease ® is used , it is not necessary to separately add a plasticizer . the hydrophobic material may be selected from the group consisting of alkylcellulose , acrylic and methacrylic acid polymers and copolymers , shellac , zein , hydrogenated castor oil , hydrogenated vegetable oil , or mixtures thereof . in certain preferred embodiments , the hydrophobic material is a pharmaceutically acceptable acrylic polymer , including but not limited to acrylic acid and methacrylic acid copolymers , methyl methacrylate , methyl methacrylate copolymers , ethoxyethyl methacrylates , cyanoethyl methacrylate , aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymer , poly ( acrylic acid ), poly ( methacrylic acid ), methacrylicacid alkylamine copolymer , poly ( methyl methacrylate ), poly ( methacrylic acid anhydride ), polymethacrylate , polyacrylamide , poly ( methacrylic acid anhydride ), and glycidyl methacrylate copolymers . in alternate embodiments , the hydrophobic material is selected from materials such as one or more hydroxyalkyl celluloses such as hydroxypropyl methycellulose . the hydroxyalkyl cellulose is preferably a hydroxy ( c 1 to c 6 ) alkyl cellulose , such as hydroxypropylcellulose , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose , or preferably hydroxyethylcellulose . the amount of the hydroxyalkyl cellulose in the present oral dosage form is determined , inter alia , by the precise rate of active agents desired and may vary from about 1 % to about 80 %. in embodiments of the present invention where the coating comprises an aqueous dispersion of a hydrophobic polymer , the inclusion of an effective amount of a plasticizer in the aqueous dispersion of hydrophobic polymer can further improve the physical properties of the film . for example , because ethylcellulose has a relatively high glass transition temperature and does not form flexible films under normal coating conditions , it is necessary to plasticize the ethylcellulose before using it as a coating material . generally , the amount of plasticizer included in a coating solution is based on the concentration of the film - former , e . g ., most often from about 1 percent to about 50 percent by weight of the film - former . concentration of the plasticizer , however , is preferably determined after careful experimentation with the particular coating solution and method of application . examples of suitable plasticizers for ethylcellulose include water - insoluble plasticizers such as dibutyl sebacate , diethyl phthalate , triethyl citrate , tributyl citrate , and triacetin , although other water - insoluble plasticizers ( such as acetylated monoglycerides , phthalate esters , castor oil , etc .) may be used . triethyl citrate is an especially preferred plasticizer for the aqueous dispersions of ethyl cellulose of the present invention . examples of suitable plasticizers for the acrylic polymers of the present invention include , but are not limited to , citric acid esters such as triethyl citrate nf xvi , tributyl citrate , dibutyl phthalate , and possibly 1 , 2 - propylene glycol . other plasticizers which have proved to be suitable for enhancing the elasticity of the films formed from acrylic films such as eudragit ® rl / rs lacquer solutions include polyethylene glycols , propylene glycol , diethyl phthalate , castor oil , and triacetin . triethyl citrate is an especially preferred plasticizer for aqueous dispersions of ethyl cellulose . it has further been found that addition of a small amount of talc reduces the tendency of the aqueous dispersion to stick during processing and acts a polishing agent . one commercially available aqueous dispersion of ethylcellulose is aquacoat ® which is prepared by dissolving the ethylcellulose in a water - immiscible organic solvent and then emulsifying the ethylcellulose in water in the presence of a surfactant and a stabilizer . after homogenization to generate submicron droplets , the organic solvent is evaporated under vacuum to form a pseudolatex . the plasticizer is not incorporated into the pseudolatex during the manufacturing phase . thus , prior to using the pseudolatex as a coating , the aquacoat ® is mixed with a suitable plasticizer . another aqueous dispersion of ethylcellulose is commercially available as surelease ® ( colorcon , inc ., west point , pa ., u . s . a .). this product is prepared by incorporating plasticizer into the dispersion during the manufacturing process . a hot melt of a polymer , plasticizer ( dibutyl sebacate ), and stabilizer ( oleic acid ) is prepared as a homogeneous mixture which is then diluted with an alkaline solution to obtain an aqueous dispersion which can be applied directly onto substrates . in one preferred embodiment , the acrylic coating is an acrylic resin lacquer used in the form of an aqueous dispersion , such as that which is commercially available from rohm pharma under the trade name eudragit ®. in additional preferred embodiments , the acrylic coating comprises a mixture of two acrylic resin lacquers commercially available from rohm pharma under the trade names eudragit ® rl 30 d and eudragit ® rs 30 d . eudragit ® rl 30 d and eudragit ® rs 30 are copolymers of acrylic and methacrylic esters with a low content of quaternary ammonium groups , the molar ratio of ammonium groups to the remaining neutral ( meth ) acrylic esters being 1 : 20 in eudragit ® rl 30 and 1 : 40 in eudragit ® rs 30 d . the mean molecular weight is about 150 , 000 daltons . the code designations rl ( high permeability ) and rs ( low permeability ) refer to the permeability properties of these agents . eudragit ® rl / rs mixtures are insoluble in water and in digestive fluids , however , coatings formed from them are swellable and permeable in aqueous solutions and digestive fluids . the eudragit ® rl / rs dispersions may be mixed together in any desired ratio in order to ultimately obtain a controlled - release formulation having a desirable dissolution profile . desirable controlled - release formulations may be obtained , for instance , from a retardant coating derived from one of a variety of coating combinations , such as 100 % eudragit ® rl ; 50 % eudragit ® rl and 50 % eudragit ® rs ; or 10 % eudragit ® rl and eudragit ® 90 % rs . of course , one skilled in the art will recognize that other acrylic polymers may also be used , for example , eudragit ® l . in addition to modifying the dissolution profile by altering the relative amounts of different acrylic resin lacquers , the dissolution profile of the ultimate product may also be modified , for example , by increasing or decreasing the thickness of the retardant coating . in preferred embodiments of the present invention , the stabilized product is obtained by subjecting the coated substrate to oven curing at a temperature above the tg of the plasticized acrylic polymer for the required time period , the optimum values for temperature and time for the particular formulation being determined experimentally . in certain embodiments of the present invention , the stabilized product is obtained via an oven curing conducted at a temperature of about 45 ° c . for a time period from about 1 to about 48 hours . it is also contemplated that certain products coated with the controlled - release coating of the present invention may require a curing time longer than 24 to 48 hours , e . g ., from about 48 to about 60 hours or more . the coating solutions preferably contain , in addition to the film - former , plasticizer , and solvent system ( i . e ., water ), a colorant to provide elegance and product distinction . color may be added to the solution of the therapeutically active agent instead of , or in addition to the aqueous dispersion of hydrophobic material . for example , color may be added to aquacoat ® via the use of alcohol or propylene glycol based color dispersions , milled aluminum lakes and opacifiers such as titanium dioxide by adding color with shear to the water soluble polymer solution and then using low shear to the plasticized aquacoat ®. alternatively , any suitable method of providing color to the formulations of the present invention may be used . suitable ingredients for providing color to the formulation when an aqueous dispersion of an acrylic polymer is used include titanium dioxide and color pigments , such as iron oxide pigments . the incorporation of pigments , may , however , increase the retardant effect of the coating . spheroids or beads coated with the therapeutically active agents can be prepared , for example , by dissolving the therapeutically active agents in water and then spraying the solution onto a substrate , for example , non pareil 18 / 20 beads , using a wuster insert . optionally , additional ingredients are also added prior to coating the beads in order to assist the binding of the active agents to the beads , and / or to color the solution , etc . for example , a product which includes hydroxypropyl methycellulose with or without colorant ( e . g ., opadry ®, commercially available from coloron , inc .) may be added to the solution and the solution mixed ( e . g ., for about 1 hour ) prior to application onto the beads . the resultant coated substrate , beads in this example , may then be optionally overcoated with a barrier agent to separate the therapeutically active agent from the hydrophobic controlled release coating . an example of a suitable barrier agent is one which comprises hydroxypropylmethylcellulose . however , any film - former known in the art may be used . it is preferred that the barrier agent does not affect the dissolution rate of the final product . immediate release particles according to the present invention may be coated with a controlled release coating in order to change the release rate to obtain the dissolution rates according to the present invention . in another embodiment of the present invention , the carbidopa and levodopa combination is administered via a press coated pulsatile drug delivery system suitable for oral administration with a controlled release component , which contains a compressed blend of an active agent and one or more polymers , substantially enveloped by an immediate release component , which contains a compressed blend of the active agent and hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers . the immediate - release component preferably comprises a compressed blend of active agent and one or more polymers with disintegration characteristics such that the polymers disintegrate rapidly upon exposure to the aqueous medium . the controlled - release component preferably comprises a combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers . in this embodiment , once administered , the hydrophilic polymer dissolves away to weaken the structure of the controlled - release component , and the hydrophobic polymer retards the water penetration and helps to maintain the shape of the drug delivery system . in accordance with the present invention , the term “ polymer ” includes single or multiple polymeric substances , which can swell , gel , degrade or erode on contact with an aqueous environment ( e . g ., water ). examples include alginic acid , carboxymethylcellulose calcium , carboxymethylcellulose sodium , colloidal silicon dioxide , croscarmellose sodium , crospovidone , guar gum , magnesium aluminum silicate , methylcellulose , microcrystalline cellulose , polacrilin potassium , powdered cellulose , pregelatinized starch , sodium alginate , sodium starch glycolate , starch , ethylcellulose , gelatin , hydroxyethyl cellulose , hydroxypropyl cellulose , hydroxypropyl methylcellulose , polymethacrylates , povidone , pregelatinized starch , shellac , and zein , and combinations thereof . the term “ hydrophilic polymers ” as used herein includes one or more of carboxymethylcellulose , natural gums such as guar gum or gum acacia , gum tragacanth , or gum xanthan , hydroxyethyl cellulose , hydroxypropyl cellulose , hydroxypropyl methylcellulose , methylcellulose , and povidone , of which hydroxypropyl methylcellulose is further preferred . the term “ hydrophilic polymers ” can also include sodium carboxymethycellulose , hydroxymethyl cellulose , polyethelene oxide , hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose , carboxypolymethylene , polyethelene glycol , alginic acid , gelatin , polyvinyl alcohol , polyvinylpyrrolidones , polyacrylamides , polymethacrylamides , polyphosphazines , polyoxazolidines , poly ( hydroxyalkylcarboxylic acids ), an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal , carageenate alginates , ammonium alginate , sodium alganate , or mixtures thereof . the hydrophobic polymer of the drug delivery system can be any hydrophobic polymer which will achieve the goals of the present invention including , but not limited to , one or more polymers selected from carbomer , carnauba wax , ethylcellulose , glyceryl palmitostearate , hydrogenated castor oil , hydrogenated vegetable oil type 1 , microcrystalline wax , polacrilin potassium , polymethacrylates , or stearic acid , of which hydrogenated vegetable oil type 1 is preferred . hydrophobic polymers can include , for example , a pharmaceutically acceptable acrylic polymer , including , but not limited to , acrylic acid and methacrylic acid copolymers , methyl methacrylate copolymers , ethoxyethyl methacrylates , cyanoethyl methacrylate , aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymer , poly ( acrylic acid ), poly ( methacrylic acid ), methacrylic acid alkylamide copolymer , poly ( methyl methacrylate ), poly ( methyl methacrylate ) copolymer , polyacrylamide , aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymer , poly ( methacrylic acid anhydride ), and glycidyl methacrylate copolymers . additionally , the acrylic polymers may be cationic , anionic , or non - ionic polymers and may be acrylates , methacrylates , formed of methacrylic acid or methacrylic acid esters . the polymers may also be ph dependent . the present invention also provides a method for preparing a press coated , pulsatile drug delivery system suitable for oral administration . this method includes the steps of combining an effective amount of an active agent , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , and a polymer to form an immediate - release component ; combining an effective amount of an active agent , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , and a combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers to form an controlled - release component ; and press coating the controlled - release component to substantially envelop the immediate - release component . a preferred embodiment further includes the steps of combining an effective amount of an active agent , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , and a polymer to form an immediate - release component , and press coating the immediate - release component to substantially envelop the controlled - release component . in another preferred embodiment , the combining steps can be done by blending , wet granulation , fluid - bed granulation , or dry granulation according to methods recognized in the art . the term “ substantially envelop ” is intended to define the total or near - total enclosure of a component . such an enclosure includes , preferably , at least 80 % enclosure , more preferably at least 90 % enclosure , and most preferably at least 99 % enclosure . the following examples describe and illustrate the processes and products of the present invention . these examples are intended to be merely illustrative of the present invention , and not limiting thereof in either scope or spirit . those skilled in the art will readily understand that variations of the materials , conditions , and processes described in these examples can be used . all references cited herein are incorporated by reference . the method described below was employed to obtain a press coated , pulsatile drug delivery system , the composition of which is set forth in tables 1 and 2 . appropriate weights of levodopa and carbidopa ( weights shown in tables 1 and 2 ) are intimately mixed for use in preparing immediate release and controlled release components of the formulations of the present invention . the active agents are first mixed with silicon dioxide in a patterson - kelley v - blender for 10 minutes . then microcrystalline cellulose and crosscarmellulose sodium are added and blended for 10 more minutes . finally , magnesium stearate is added to the blender and mixed for another 10 minutes . the powder blend is then compressed using a manesty dry - cota with a 0 . 2031 inch diameter , round , flat - face punch and die set . the hardness of the tablets is maintained at 4 ± 2 kp . the active agents are first mixed with silicon dioxide in a patterson - kelley v - blender for 10 minutes . then hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 2208 and microcrystalline cellulose are added and blended for 10 more minutes . finally , hydrogenated vegetable oil and magnesium stearate are added to the blender and mixed for another 10 minutes . the core tablets are press - coated using the manesty dry - cota with 0 . 3600 ″ in diameter , round , shallow concave punch and die set . the hardness of the tablets is maintained at 12 ± 4 kp . the method of manufacture for the controlled - release tablets is the same as described in example 1 . the application of the immediate - release component was done by charging the controlled - release tablets into a perforated pan coater or a fluidized particle coater and coating the tablet cores with a solution consisting of levodopa and carbidopa 80 % w / lactose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose type 2910 . [ 0087 ] table 2 excipient range quantity / tablet example # 1 rt - 010 ( press coated w / o ir coating ) percent range immediate - release component levodopa / carbidopa 4 : 1 ratio 50 . 0 mg 62 . 5 % 80 % w / lactose croscarmellose sodium 1 . 6 mg 2 . 0 % 0 . 5 - 10 . 0 % microcrystalline cellulose 26 . 8 mg 33 . 5 % 18 . 0 - 36 . 0 % colloidal silicon dioxide 0 . 8 mg 1 . 0 % 0 . 5 - 2 . 0 % magnesium stearate 0 . 8 mg 1 . 0 % 0 . 5 - 2 . 0 % total : 80 . 0 mg controlled - release component levodopa / carbidopa 4 : 1 ratio 37 . 5 mg 17 . 0 % 80 % w / lactose hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 61 . 6 mg 28 . 0 % 15 . 0 - 40 . 0 % type 2208 microcrystalline cellulose 70 . 3 mg 32 . 0 % 8 . 0 - 57 . 0 % hydrogenated vegetable oil 46 . 2 mg 21 . 0 % 10 . 0 - 30 . 0 % type 1 colloidal silicon dioxide 2 . 2 mg 1 . 0 % 0 . 5 - 2 . 0 % magnesium stearate 2 . 2 mg 1 . 0 % 0 . 5 - 2 . 0 % total : 220 . 0 mg example 3 employs the ingredients and amounts listed in tables 3a , 3b , and 3c below for the formulations px00502 , px03002 , and px03102 , respectively . for each batch , whether 502 , 3002 or 3102 , the follows procedure is used : all ingredients , except magnesium stearate are weighed and mixed thoroughly . the mixed ingredients are added to a high shear granulator and mixed for 5 minutes , with an impeller speed of 5 and a chopper speed of 4 . deionized water is employed as the granulating agent . granules so made are dried in an oven overnight and then screened through a # 20 mesh ( us standard ). oversize granules are milled , screened with the process repeated until all particles can be screened through a # 20 mesh . the magnesium stearate is added to the screened particles and mixed thoroughly . the resulting mixture can then be used for different types of dosage forms as set out in examples 4 and 5 . table 3a per tablet amount px00502 ( w / w ) % in mg carbidopa 18 53 . 8 levodopa 67 200 . 1 klucel 12 . 9 38 . 5 lake blend 0 . 3 0 . 9 mg stearate 1 . 8 5 . 4 total 100 298 . 7 [ 0091 ] table 3b per tablet amount px03002 ( w / w ) % in mg carbidopa 11 . 3 27 levodopa 41 . 9 100 avicel 33 . 2 79 . 2 starch 11 . 1 26 . 5 acdisol 0 . 8 1 . 9 mg stearate 1 . 7 3 . 8 total 100 238 . 4 [ 0092 ] table 3c per tablet amount px03102 ( w / w ) % in mg carbidopa 9 . 3 26 . 9 levodopa 34 . 6 100 . 1 avicel 27 . 4 79 . 3 starch 27 . 4 79 . 3 mg stearate 1 . 3 3 . 8 total 100 289 . 4 [ 0093 ] fig1 shows the dissolution profiles of profiles of carbidopa / levodopa immediate release ( ir ) 25 / 100 mg formulations px03002 and px03102 . as discussed above , all dissolution profiles were carried out by the standard usp paddle method of 50 rpm in 900 ml aqueous buffer at ph 4 at 37 ° c . [ 0094 ] fig2 shows the dissolution profile of a carbidopa / levodopa controlled release ( cr ) 50 / 200 mg formulation px00502 . [ 0095 ] fig3 shows the dissolution profiles of carbidopa / levodopa 75 / 300 mg formulations px03602 and px04002 . note that controlled release ( or prolonged release ( pr )) tablets px03602 comprise the combination of px0502 ( cr ) and px03102 , and pr tablets px04002 comprise the combination of px0502 ( cr ) and px03002 . the lot 3102 particles produced in example 3 are segregated into two equal portions of 125 grams each . one portion is coated in a fluidized pan with a mixture of 24 . 25 g of pvp 29 / 32 , 1000 g of deionized water and isopropyl alcohol ( 15 %), and 0 . 75 g of triethyl acetate . the particles are dried and thoroughly mixed with the uncoated particles . the particle mixture is then loaded into immediate release gelatin capsules . particles produced according to lots 3002 and 502 of example 3 are loaded into the two separate hoppers of a dual layer tablet punch . the punch is actuated and two - layer tablets are produced . the dissolution summaries for carbidopa / levodopa immediate release ( ir ) 25 / 100 mg formulations px00102 , px02001 , and brand k5370 are shown in tables 4 , 5 , and 6 , respectively . all data was obtained according to measurements under the usp paddle method of 50 rpm in 900 ml at ph 1 . 2 ( 0 . 1 n hcl ) at 37 ° c . fig4 is a graph of the dissolution profiles of carbidopa / levodopa immediate release ( ir ) 25 / 100 mg formulations px00102 , px02001 , and brand k5370 . the dissolution summaries for carbidopa / levodopa controlled release ( cr ) 50 / 200 mg formulations px00302 , px00502 , and brand 01023 are shown in tables 7 , 8 , and 9 , respectively . all data was obtained according to measurements under the usp paddle method of 50 rpm in 900 ml at ph 1 . 2 ( 0 . 1 n hcl ) at 37 c . fig5 is a graph of the dissolution of carbidopa / levodopa controlled release ( cr ) 50 / 200 mg formulations px00302 , px00502 , and brand 01023 . the dissolution summaries for carbidopa / levodopa formulations px03602 ( controlled release , 75 / 300 mg ), px04002 ( controlled release , 75 / 300 mg ), brand k5370 ( immediate release , 25 / 100 mg ), and brand 01023 ( controlled release , 50 / 200 mg ) are shown in tables 10 , 11 , 12 , and 13 , respectively . all data was obtained according to measurements under the usp paddle method of 50 rpm in 900 ml at ph 1 . 2 ( 0 . 1 n hcl ) at 37 c . fig6 is a graph of the dissolution profiles of carbidopa / levodopa formulations px03602 ( controlled release , 75 / 300 mg ), px04002 ( controlled release , 75 / 300 mg ), brand k5370 ( immediate release , 25 / 100 mg ), and brand 01023 ( controlled release , 50 / 200 mg ). as note in example 3 , controlled release ( or prolonged release ( pr )) tablets px03602 comprise the combination of px0502 ( cr ) and px03102 , and pr tablets px04002 comprise the combination of px0502 ( cr ) and px03002 . levodopa / carbidopa ir tablets , 100 / 25 mg levodopa dissolution summary ( n = 6 ) sgf / 37 ° c ./ 50 rpm / paddle [ 0102 ] table 4 lot px00102 - 100 t = 0 ( ref : f1386 , p . 62 - 67 ) % dissolved range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 5 88 82 90 83 89 89 85 87 85 85 68 79 68 90 84 6 . 03 10 96 90 95 91 95 99 94 96 95 99 89 96 89 99 95 3 . 18 15 98 92 96 93 97 100 96 97 99 101 91 100 91 101 97 3 . 2 [ 0103 ] table 5 lot px02001 - 100 t = 0 ( ref : f1386 , p . 62 - 67 ) % dissolved range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 5 87 96 83 95 80 97 87 89 84 82 90 88 80 97 88 5 . 57 10 98 98 97 101 92 100 98 98 98 93 98 100 92 101 98 2 . 64 15 100 99 100 103 97 101 100 100 101 97 100 101 97 103 100 1 . 68 [ 0104 ] table 6 brand ( sinemet , exp . 02 / 05 ) lot k5370 , t = 0 ( ref : f1351 , p . 78 - 82 ) % dissolved range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 5 92 89 97 97 93 97 94 95 92 99 93 102 89 102 95 3 . 62 10 99 95 100 100 99 102 101 99 99 101 101 104 95 104 100 2 . 05 15 100 97 101 101 100 103 102 100 101 101 101 104 97 104 101 1 . 69 levodopa / carbidopa cr tablets , 200 / 50 mg levodopa dissolution summary ( n = 6 ) sgf / 37 ° c ./ 50 rpm / paddle [ 0105 ] table 7 px00302 - 100a , t = 0 ( ref : f1351 , p . 87 - 94 ) % dissolved range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 30 26 26 28 26 25 25 24 26 26 26 26 26 24 28 26 1 . 07 60 40 39 41 39 37 39 36 38 39 39 39 39 36 41 39 1 . 21 120 58 62 74 63 56 66 56 57 70 65 58 65 56 74 62 5 . 87 180 83 90 101 92 75 97 82 87 98 78 93 100 75 101 90 8 . 82 [ 0106 ] table 8 px00502 - 100a , t = 0 ( ref : f1351 , p . 87 - 94 ) % dissolved range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 30 23 24 24 26 25 24 24 25 25 25 24 24 23 26 24 0 . 82 60 40 43 43 44 45 42 43 44 43 44 42 42 40 45 43 1 . 40 120 67 71 70 72 75 68 70 73 71 72 69 69 67 75 71 2 . 17 180 84 88 88 88 91 84 90 93 89 88 86 88 84 93 88 2 . 46 [ 0107 ] table 9 brand 01023 , t = 0 ( ref : f1351 , p . 83 - 86 ) % dissolved range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 30 37 47 42 42 42 34 42 41 30 41 37 34 30 47 39 4 . 81 60 64 79 71 71 74 59 75 69 53 71 66 60 53 79 68 7 . 69 120 92 101 99 99 99 93 102 98 84 97 97 93 84 102 96 4 . 86 180 101 103 103 102 102 105 103 101 103 100 102 104 100 105 102 1 . 55 [ 0108 ] table 10 ( pr , 75 / 300 mg ) px03602 - 100 , ( ref : pp444 , p . 81 - 87 ) range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 5 34 . 6 39 . 9 35 . 3 33 . 2 38 . 0 37 . 6 42 . 2 32 . 1 28 . 6 33 . 6 38 . 3 33 . 6 29 42 36 3 . 8 10 39 . 1 45 . 0 38 . 9 36 . 9 41 . 3 41 . 4 47 . 7 36 . 7 33 . 3 37 . 5 42 . 4 39 . 0 33 48 40 3 . 9 15 42 . 0 49 . 0 41 . 2 39 . 2 43 . 5 44 . 7 51 . 5 40 . 1 36 . 7 40 . 1 45 . 3 42 . 8 37 52 43 4 . 2 30 48 . 8 59 . 0 45 . 9 44 . 4 48 . 4 51 . 3 60 . 2 47 . 8 42 . 6 46 . 7 52 . 5 51 . 5 43 60 50 5 . 4 60 55 . 5 75 . 9 52 . 6 51 . 9 55 . 6 61 . 8 72 . 0 59 . 4 51 . 2 56 . 7 63 . 2 64 . 7 51 76 60 7 . 9 120 65 . 8 98 . 9 61 . 9 62 . 4 65 . 5 72 . 3 82 . 5 74 . 7 63 . 3 70 . 6 76 . 9 81 . 5 62 99 73 10 . 9 180 73 . 7 102 . 2 68 . 2 69 . 1 72 . 1 80 . 1 88 . 2 83 . 6 70 . 7 79 . 5 86 . 9 91 . 0 68 102 80 10 . 4 [ 0109 ] table 11 ( pr , 75 / 300 mg ) px04002 - 100 , ( ref : tv490 , p . 54 - 64 ) range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 5 35 . 1 34 . 0 27 . 3 29 . 2 30 . 4 24 . 0 33 . 7 33 . 5 36 . 3 33 . 8 36 . 3 35 . 6 24 36 35 1 . 3 10 40 . 6 38 . 5 32 . 0 33 . 8 37 . 4 29 . 5 39 . 8 38 . 5 42 . 4 41 . 8 40 . 8 41 . 7 30 42 41 1 . 5 15 44 . 2 41 . 4 35 . 1 36 . 8 42 . 2 32 . 8 43 . 9 41 . 9 46 . 6 46 . 9 44 . 4 46 . 1 33 47 45 1 . 9 30 52 . 3 47 . 3 41 . 4 43 . 2 52 . 5 39 . 2 52 . 6 49 . 5 56 . 0 57 . 7 53 . 0 55 . 3 39 58 54 2 . 9 60 64 . 7 56 . 1 51 . 0 52 . 7 66 . 8 48 . 7 64 . 9 61 . 2 70 . 6 75 . 0 66 . 9 69 . 8 49 75 68 4 . 8 120 79 . 3 68 . 8 64 . 4 71 . 4 84 . 6 63 . 1 80 . 4 78 . 2 89 . 9 92 . 0 84 . 9 88 . 0 63 92 86 5 . 4 180 87 . 1 77 . 5 73 . 2 75 . 4 93 . 5 72 . 0 89 . 0 88 . 8 96 . 3 96 . 2 93 . 9 94 . 1 72 96 93 3 . 4 [ 0110 ] table 12 ( ir 25 / 100 mg ) brand lot k5370 ( ref : bt476 , p . 83 - 91 & amp ; bt497 , p . 29 - 35 ) % dissolved range time v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 5 min 100 . 8 95 . 9 94 . 6 99 . 1 96 . 5 97 . 1 97 . 6 93 . 0 99 . 2 100 . 8 93 . 7 98 . 8 93 101 97 2 . 6 10 min 101 . 7 99 . 3 100 . 3 102 . 6 100 . 9 100 . 9 99 . 7 98 . 3 101 . 9 103 . 4 98 . 3 100 . 5 98 103 101 1 . 6 15 min 101 . 6 100 . 7 100 . 7 103 . 1 101 . 8 101 . 3 100 . 7 100 . 7 102 . 0 103 . 6 99 . 6 100 . 7 100 104 101 1 . 1 [ 0111 ] table 13 ( sr 50 / 200 mg ) brand lot 01023 ( ref : pp496 , p . 22 - 29 ) range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 30 45 . 9 41 . 2 36 . 5 39 . 0 36 . 3 35 . 7 40 . 5 36 . 7 36 . 5 42 . 5 30 . 3 30 . 5 30 46 38 4 . 6 60 77 . 2 72 . 0 62 . 3 65 . 9 61 . 5 60 . 6 69 . 7 61 . 9 62 . 0 74 . 7 53 . 4 54 . 3 53 77 65 7 . 5 120 98 . 9 98 . 9 91 . 7 94 . 1 89 . 1 88 . 8 95 . 7 90 . 2 89 . 8 103 . 9 85 . 7 85 . 4 85 104 93 5 . 7 180 101 . 3 103 . 1 101 . 4 100 . 8 99 . 2 98 . 1 99 . 2 99 . 7 99 . 4 104 . 6 101 . 3 99 . 1 98 105 101 1 . 9	0
in a first embodiment of the present invention , shown in fig1 , the pantyhose combination garment 10 comprises a panty section 11 and at least one stocking leg member or hose portion 12 . the panty section 11 and the hose member 12 in this embodiment each may have reciprocally aligned and interlocking components that form the fastening means 13 to removably attach the hose portion 12 to the panty section 11 . the hose portion 12 of the present invention can be of any style , material or method of manufacture . for example , hose made of stretch nylon , spandex , silk , material sold under the brand name lycra ®, cotton and blends thereof are well known . hose styles include sheer , opaque , colored and / or fishnet , lace , etc ., with or without seems . manufacture of the hose portion 12 of the present invention may be accomplished by means well known in the art , including knitting the hose portion as a tube of fabric , optionally with an elastic band , with knitted - in welts , footies or the like . the panty section 11 may be of any material , independent of the hose material , such as stretchable or conventional cottons , silks , and / or blended material . the panty section 11 of the present embodiment may have a stretchable elastic material 14 optionally located at the waste band 15 , that is of a comfortable width and of sufficient strength to maintain the panty section 11 firmly in place while providing support for the hose 12 , thereby preventing the hose 12 from bunching or sliding down the wearer &# 39 ; s leg . elastic or other support materials optionally may be present at other locations throughout the panty portion , including , but not limited to , at the leg openings 16 . the methods for manufacturing the panty portion 11 may be the same methods for manufacturing any panty or pantyhose panty section , all of which are methods well known in the art . the fastening means 13 provided on the hose 12 and the panty section 11 comprise means for removably attaching the hose 12 to the panty section 11 , which supports the hose 12 and prevents the hose 12 from slipping or bunching on the wearer &# 39 ; s leg . in one embodiment , the fastening means may comprise snap means or button means located at appropriate intervals around the circumference near leg opening 16 of the panty section 11 and at approximately the same intervals around the circumference near the thigh or top portion 17 of the hose , the upper boundary of which is approximately shown for one hose member by the dotted line a in fig1 . it is not critical to exactly match the intervals between the attachment components on each garment member ; it is only critical that enough attachment components align to conveniently and comfortably attach the hose 12 to panty section 11 . as few as two sets of reciprocal snaps or buttons and buttonholes may be provided in alignment to adequately secure the hose 12 to the panty section 11 . attachment means 13 may be provided in any configuration on the panty section and on the hose portion as long as the attachment components on each are in aligned , reciprocal relation to one another . for example , as shown in fig1 , one of the two reciprocal interlocking components of the snaps is attached to the panty section on the inside circumference near the panty portion &# 39 ; s leg opening 16 . the reciprocal snap component is affixed at corresponding intervals around the outside circumference on the top portion 17 of the hose . in this manner , the leg opening 16 extends over the top portion of the hose 17 , such that the material of panty section 11 smoothes over any contours created by attachment means 13 . in all embodiments , either reciprocal fastening component may be affixed to any combination garment member in a way that renders both components available to conveniently and easily connect to the facing reciprocal fastening component on the other garment member . other embodiments of the present invention may employ buttons or hooks as fastening means . for example , in embodiments that use hooks , the hooks may comprise any small , metal or plastic , wire - like hook , of the type already known for use in fastening garment members and which are capable of supporting the hose . the hook may latch onto or into a stitched or embroidered or otherwise reinforced or un - reinforced receiving portion , for example , an eyelet . fastening means comprising buttons and buttonholes also are well known for use on garments . as few as two sets of buttons or hooks can be sufficient to support the hose sections . as in previous embodiments , the buttons or hooks may be located on either the interior or exterior surface of either the panty section or hose portion . another embodiment of the present invention employs clips as fastening means . in this embodiment , either the hose portion or the panty section is provided with a clip means for removably fastening the two garment members together and thereby supporting the hose via the panty section , obviating the need for belts and / or garters . the clip may be any type of clip , for example , an alligator clips , owl clips , bulldog clips , suspender clips and the like . as shown in fig2 , the clip 20 may be permanently affixed at one end 21 to one garment member and removably affixed to the other garment member at its other end 22 via a friction or clamping mechanism . in another embodiment , exemplified in fig3 , a double - sided clip 30 may be used whereby the clip can be removably affixed to either and / or both garment portions , interchangeably via friction or clamping mechanisms 31 , 32 , located at both ends . in a further embodiment , not shown , the clip means may comprise any two reciprocal , interlocking components , such as those used as skirt hooks , eye clips , bra clips , swimsuit clips , slide clips , spring clips , or the like . in yet another embodiment , as shown in fig4 , the fastening means uses a hook and loop fastener or touch fastener , for example , the type sold under the brand name velcro ®. in this embodiment , the fastening means may comprise small reciprocal sections or pads 40 , 41 of the touch fastener disposed near the top region 17 of the hose portion 12 and near the leg - opening 16 of the panty section 11 . fig4 further exemplifies an embodiment where a cover or slat 52 is used to conceal contours of the pads 40 , 41 . fig4 shows the upper part 17 of the hose 11 pulled up over the leg opening 16 , shown underneath hose 11 by dotted line a . touch fastener pads 40 are shown on upper portion 17 of hose 12 . slat cover 52 supporting touch fastener pads 41 is shown in an open configuration on the left side . fig4 also shows slat cover 52 closed , on the right side , covering the upper part 17 of the hose 12 , the upper boundary of which is shown underneath slat 52 by the dotted line b . it can be appreciated that in other embodiments without slats , the fastening means may be affixed at locations slightly recessed from the edges of the garment members as another way to provide a smooth fabric covering over the fastening means , thereby concealing any contours created by the fastening means under tightly or snugly fitting exterior garments . the fastening means also may comprise a band ( not shown ) of the reciprocal hook and loop fastener provided around the circumference near the top of the hose and a reciprocal band around the circumference near the leg opening of the panty section . as in all previous embodiments , the two interlocking fastening components of the fastening means may be arranged in any facing , reciprocal configuration with either component affixed to either garment member . in other embodiment , either of the touch fastener components may be transferable between individual panty sections and / or between hose portions , such that one touch fastener component may be affixed to virtually any underwear , panty , undergarment that can serve as the supporting panty section of the present invention and such that the other touch fastener component may be affixed to virtually any hose portion to be supported . in such embodiments , the touch fasteners may comprise a small pin and backing , for example , so that the touch fastener may be pinned to various garment members . as can be appreciated by the foregoing description of preferred embodiments , the intended scope of the claims includes virtually any fastening means to removably affix the leg portion to the panty section to provide simple and convenient supporting means for the leg . it can also be appreciated that in various embodiments it will be beneficial to optionally provide the garment combination members with reinforcing stitching and / or welts at or around the fastening points to provide added durability to the garment with fastening means . it may also be beneficial to optionally incorporate reinforcing elastic or other tensioning means at optional locations , such as the leg - opening region of the panty section or the top area of the leg portion in order to help sustain the lift required for supporting the leg portion . within all the embodiments of the present invention , it is contemplated that the panty section and the leg portion may be manufactured separately or together . the method of manufacture of the leg portion and panty follows any of the conventional garment and textile manufacturing processes for panties and hose and which are well known to one of ordinary skill in the art . also within the intended scope of the claims are combination pantyhose or long john garments manufactured in the conventional manner of prior art pantyhose and long johns , and then subsequently modified by cutting the leg portions from the panty section and providing fastening means on each garment member so that the panty portion and the leg may be removably attached . it can be understood from the foregoing that the combination garment components of the present invention may be made available to purchasers in any combination of leg members and panty sections , for instance , panties and legs together or separately , single leg portions , pairs of leg portions , multiple pairs of leg portions , single panties , multiple panties and any combinations thereof . many variations of the present invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art in light of the above - detailed description . all such obvious modifications are within the full intended scope of the appended claims . all of the above - referenced patents , patent applications and publications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety .	0
the ensuing description provides preferred exemplary embodiment ( s ) only , and is not intended to limit the scope , applicability or configuration of the invention . rather , the ensuing description of the preferred exemplary embodiment ( s ) will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention . it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims . referring initially to fig1 a , a block diagram of an embodiment of a terrestrial broadcast system 100 - 1 is shown that distributes protected dtv . this embodiment shows only two content broadcasters 104 and four digital receivers , but it is to be understood that other embodiments could have tens of content broadcasters 104 and hundreds of thousands of digital receivers 126 or more . for example , a city having a population of a million could expect twenty content broadcasters 104 and a million digital receivers . content broadcasters 104 transmit programming by way of terrestrial antennas 124 in digital format . digital receivers 126 at the user locations each receive this signal with an antenna 136 and decode it for presenting on a television or other display . in this embodiment , each content broadcaster 104 can provision digital receivers 126 to be able to decode the content broadcast . in this embodiment , all digital receivers 126 that can receive the signal from the broadcaster 104 is allowed to decode that signal unless permission has been revoked . the content broadcaster in this embodiment maintains a local receiver database 116 of digital receivers 126 allowed to decode the content . cryptographic techniques are used in this embodiment to prevent revoked receivers 126 from viewing the content . this embodiment uses both local and central receiver databases 116 , 108 to track provisioned receivers 126 . the local database 116 lists the receivers 126 allowed to receive the next revocation management message ( rmm ). an rmm is very similar to an entitlement management message ( emm ), which delivers authorization data and associated keys . though an rmm delivers this same information , its purpose also includes the delivery of revocation information if required . thus one important purpose is deauthorization , rather than authorization , and its name reflects this . each provisioned receiver 126 communicates a unique serial number , a unit key and a certificate for storage in the local receiver database 116 . the unique serial number is used to track the digital receiver 126 . the certificate is recursively generated to authenticate the receiver 126 back to a root authority . for example , the unique serial number for the unit could be encrypted by a chain of trust such that checking of the certificate assures the receiver 126 is authentic . the unit key is used to individually encrypt the rmm sent to each of the provisioned receivers 126 . the rmm has an expiration date and a category key used to decrypt revocation control messages ( rcm ). each program or channel includes a rcm that has a content key to decrypt the program or channel . some embodiments have a rcm for each program and others have a rcm for each channel . only the digital receivers 126 that have a current rmm to decrypt the rcm can get the content key . de - provisioning or revocation occurs when the rmm changes and certain receivers 126 do not receive the new category key . it should be noted that there could be a number of category keys , where one or more content broadcasters share a particular category key . in this embodiment , the unit key is unique and distinct to a single receiver and is a public key using an asymmetric algorithm , such as rsa . the category and content keys are private keys using a symmetric algorithm , such as 128 - bit aes , but other embodiments could use different algorithms and key lengths . the central receiver database 108 has information gathered from a number of local receiver databases 116 . entries in the local and central receiver databases 116 , 108 are reconciled by the content broadcaster 104 through a wide area network ( wan ) 120 . once a receiver 126 is provisioned , the central receiver database 108 is informed and the data on the receiver 126 is forwarded . this information can be forwarded to other content broadcasters 104 - 2 in the designated marketing area ( dma ) of the first content broadcaster 104 - 1 who originally received the provisioning . content providers 104 in neighboring dmas that overlap the first dma would also be informed . all of their local databases 116 would be updated and rmms would be sent . whenever a digital receiver 126 moved from a dma , the local receiver databases 116 would be updated to remove the relevant entry . some embodiments have two - way communication with the digital receivers 126 such that polling could be performed to determine when a digital receiver 126 had moved or gone out of service . in systems where the communication is one - way and the receiver 126 cannot automatically send information to the content broadcasters 104 , the moved receivers 126 could be determined by querying the central receiver database 108 to find units that have provisioned at another dma . for digital receivers 126 that are mobile , such as those in autos , they could be provisioned nationwide by making a note in the central receiver database 108 and propagating the entry to all local receiver databases 116 . alternatively , the user could provision once in each dma . the provisioning transport 112 provides a mechanism for new digital receivers 126 to be provisioned . this could be performed at the store that sold the digital receiver or at the user location . some embodiments could provide temporary keys to allow viewing some terrestrial content before provisioning is required when the rmm key expires . two - way communication between the digital receiver 126 and content broadcaster enables provisioning in an automated and / or manual fashion . there are many possibilities for doing receiver 126 provisioning . in one embodiment , the store clerk performs the provisioning before the customer leaves the store . address information from the user could be used to determine the relevant dma for that address . the unique identifier , unit key and certificate could be communicated by an electronic connection , for example , a network connection . in some embodiments , only a unique identifier is communicated and the content broadcaster 104 queries a database for the receiver &# 39 ; s unit key . the unit key could also serve as the unique identifier to reduce the information needed , though its secure handling might necessitate significant protections . another possibility is to use an electronic connection to the content broadcaster 104 as the provisioning transport 112 to communicate information on the digital receiver 126 . this connection could be through a cable modem , dsl modem , ethernet , wireless networking , cellular phone network , phone modem , satellite link , or other datalink . a port on the digital receiver 126 could be connected through a network to allow providing provisioning information to the content broadcaster . this connection could be only during provisioning or a persistent connection to allow polling , rmm and rcm delivery , etc . the retailer could perform the connection at the retail location before the user took home the receiver 126 . in another embodiment , the content broadcaster 104 has a list of the unit keys for all or most digital receivers 126 . the list may be in the central receiver database 108 , for example . the user could telephone in , e - mail or mail his or her unique serial number for the digital receiver 126 . the unique serial number would be used to retrieve the unit key for the digital receiver 126 for storage in the local receiver database 116 . alternatively , the user could in some embodiments read - off the characters that make up the unit key which could serve as the unique serial number also or that could also be read - off to a customer representative on the telephone if that proves practical . this embodiment has digital receivers 126 that fall into two general categories , namely , transcoders 128 and digital tuners 132 . the transcoder 128 takes the protected dtv signal , unscrambles it and recodes it for a format compatible to the display device . in many cases , the recoded format is a baseband signal , a ntsc signal , or an unprotected dtv signal . for example , the transcoder 128 could receive the protected dtv signal , unscramble it , and output it remodulated as an unprotected dtv signal . the tuner in the display decodes and presents the unprotected dtv signal for the user . transcoders 128 are particularly useful when an original population of receivers was deployed without decryption capability , thus requiring a nearby device ( i . e ., a transcoder 128 ) to adapt an encrypted broadcast dtv signal to the unencrypted format they can process . some embodiments of this invention could be used in a hybrid digital broadcast system where some content is protected and some is not . the digital receiver 126 would be used for the content that is protected , while a conventional receiver would be used for content that is not encrypted . the user could view the unprotected content with the conventional receiver , but would require a digital receiver 126 to view the protected content . revocation of the right to use the digital receiver 126 would not affect the user &# 39 ; s ability to view the unprotected content . the digital tuner 132 could be integral or separate from the display . in this embodiment , the digital tuner 132 is integral with the display such that the program is protected until it reaches the television . the digital tuner receives the protected dtv signal and unscrambles it . unscrambling includes decryption with a key available to provisioned digital receivers 126 . with reference to fig1 b , a block diagram of another embodiment of the terrestrial broadcast system 100 - 2 is shown that provisions digital receivers 126 centrally . in this embodiment , the digital receivers 126 are provisioned centrally by adding the unit key , certificate and unique serial number to the central receiver database 108 . based upon location information , the entry is propagated to the local receiver databases within likely transmission range of the digital receiver 126 . referring to fig1 c , a block diagram of yet another embodiment of the terrestrial broadcast system 100 - 3 that allows for sibling content broadcasters 104 to share provisioning information without the need for a central receiver database 108 . the digital receivers 126 provision with a first content broadcaster 104 - 1 . the entry added to the first local receiver database 116 - 1 is propagated to another local receiver database 116 - 2 . contact to geographically remote local receiver databases 116 could be performed periodically to determine those digital receivers 126 that have moved . in this embodiment , there are a number of content broadcasters 104 that share the first local receiver database 116 - 1 . these content broadcasters 104 could share the same rmm or use a number of rmms . with reference to fig1 d , a block diagram of still another embodiment of the terrestrial broadcast system 100 - 4 is shown that provisions centrally without maintaining any local receiver databases 116 . in this embodiment , the provisioning is done to update the central receiver database 108 . each entry in the central receiver database 108 can be geographically filtered by the content broadcasters 104 . when determining the rmms to send , the content broadcaster 104 queries the central receiver database 108 for the list of provisioned digital receivers 126 within probable broadcast range . referring next to fig1 e , a block diagram of yet another embodiment of the terrestrial broadcast system 100 - 5 is shown that shares a local receiver database 116 with many content broadcasters 104 . in this embodiment , all the content broadcasters 104 use a local receiver database 116 . all users who provision a digital receiver would contact a single entity for provisioning and that provisioning information is accessible to all content broadcasters 104 . some content broadcasters 104 directly connect with the receiver database 116 and others connect over a wan 120 . the content broadcasters 104 can use any number of category keys . with reference to fig2 a , a protocol flow diagram of an embodiment of provisioning and key distribution process 200 - 1 is shown that uses central provisioning . the depicted portion of the flow begins in step 202 where the first transcoder 128 - 1 sends provisioning information to the central receiver database 108 by way of the provisioning transport 112 . the certificate in the provisioning information could be validated to confirm authentication of the first transcoder 128 - 1 . in steps 206 - 1 and 206 - 2 , the provisioning information is sent to the first and second content broadcasters 104 - 1 , 104 - 2 who are determined to be in likely broadcast range of the first transcoder 128 - 1 . additionally , the category key ( s ) could be delivered by the central receiver database 108 or the content broadcasters 104 could derive their own category key ( s ). in this embodiment , the first and second content broadcasters 104 use different category keys . in steps 210 - 1 and 210 - 2 , the unit key is taken from the provisioning information by each of the first and second content broadcasters 104 - 1 , 104 - 2 . an rmm is created by each content broadcaster 104 . the rmm includes the category key for the content broadcaster 104 and is encrypted using the unit key for the transcoder 128 - 1 . in this embodiment , the unit key is a public key and the category key is a private aes 128 - bit key . the first rmm is sent from the second content broadcaster 104 - 2 in step 212 and the second rmm is sent from the first content broadcaster 104 - 1 in step 216 . in step 220 , the rmm is decrypted by the transcoder 128 - 1 using the private version of the unit key to reveal the category key for the second content provider 104 - 2 . in step 224 , a first rcm is received along with a first program from the second content provider 104 - 2 . using the category key , the first rcm is decoded to reveal a first content key for the first program . decrypting the program with the first content key allows producing an unprotected dtv signal for the display to process . the rmm for the first content provider 104 - 1 is received in step 216 and decoded to reveal another category key in step 228 . in step 232 , a second rcm and a second program are received from the first content provider 104 - 1 for transcoding with a second content key decoded from the second rcm . in this embodiment there is a rcm for each program , but other embodiments are not so limited . for example , the rcm could designate a content broadcaster ( s ) 104 and a time frame . all programs from that content broadcaster 104 during that time frame would use the content key in the rcm . for example , the rcm could be valid for two hours , a day , a week , a month , a year , etc . a program may be protected by a first content key and then roll - over to the next content key during the program . referring to fig2 b , a protocol flow diagram of another embodiment of provisioning and key distribution process 200 - 2 is shown that allows sibling content broadcasters to share provisioning information . also , the first and second content broadcasters 104 - 1 , 104 - 2 in this embodiment use the same category key and share a local receiver database 116 . the transcoder 128 - 1 provisions with the first content broadcaster 104 - 1 in step 204 to add the provisioning information to the local receiver database 116 . in step 216 , the rmm is encrypted using the public unit key of the transcoder 128 - 1 . the category key is retrieved from the rmm in step 220 . rcms and programs from both content broadcasters 104 are decoded in steps 224 and 232 . the rcms are unique to their respective program in this embodiment , but some embodiments could have the same rcm for more than one program . this embodiment uses a single rmm for two content broadcasters 104 , but a single rmm could provide a category key for any number of content broadcasters 104 and their rcms . for example , one embodiment could include twenty content broadcasters 104 that use a single rmm . another embodiment could use three rmms to cover the same twenty content broadcasters . in yet another embodiment , twenty content broadcasters 104 could have fifty content services and use fifty rmms such that there was one for each content service . any permutation of rmms and content services is possible in various embodiments . with reference to fig2 c , a protocol flow diagram 200 - 3 of yet another embodiment of provisioning and key distribution process is shown that sends content keys for a number of content broadcasters 104 . this embodiment does not use a category key or rmm to deliver it . the rcm is uniquely encrypted for each receiver 126 with the unit key for that unit and sent from each content broadcaster in steps 240 and 248 . using the unit key , either symmetric or asymmetric decryption could be performed to derive the content key from the rcm in steps 244 or 252 . in step 246 , a first program is received from the second content broadcaster 104 - 1 for decryption with the first content key . the content key could be valid for a single program or a time period , for example , a number of hours , a day , a week , a year , etc . in some embodiments , multiple content services are provided to the user by a content broadcaster 104 . in other words , a given content broadcaster 104 may have one or more content services . from the user &# 39 ; s perspective , a content service is a channel of video or audio programming or an on - demand video service . in the various embodiments , there may be any number of category or any number of content keys associated with a content broadcaster 104 . for example , a content broadcaster 104 may offer thee services , but have only two different key schemes . two of the services could have only a rcm for each service and not use an rmm , while another service could use both a rmm and rcm to enable the user to play the content service . referring next to fig2 d , a protocol flow diagram 200 - 4 of still another embodiment of provisioning and key distribution process is shown that sends content keys for use with a number of content broadcasters 104 . this embodiment does not use a rmm message , but uniquely encrypts the rcm message using the unit key for each receiver 126 . the content key revealed from the rcm in step 264 is used to decrypt a first program from a second content broadcaster 104 - 2 in step 272 and decrypt a second program from a first content broadcaster 104 - 1 in step 276 . there are many variations on the number of content keys for a given implementation . the embodiment of fig2 c uses a content key for each content broadcaster 104 . some embodiments could have a number of content keys for the various services of a content broadcaster 104 . with the embodiment of fig2 d , a content key is used for all content broadcasters 104 , but other embodiments could use a content key for less than all content broadcasters 104 . for example , there might be four content keys used among twenty content broadcasters . for embodiments that don &# 39 ; t use a rmm , revocation of the right to use received program is performed by not sending a new rcm that is uniquely encrypted for the receiver 126 . once the old content key expires , a new rcm is not provided such that the right to use the content expires with the old content key . the embodiments of fig2 c and 2d do not use a rmm , but other embodiments could instead not have a rcm . the rmm is uniquely encrypted for the user and protects a category key . in this embodiment , that category key is used to decrypt programs from one or more content broadcasters 104 or services . changing the category key without sending a rmm to a unit would revoke the right for that unit to use the content service ( s ) using the new category key . with reference to fig3 a flow diagram of an embodiment of a process 300 for management of digital receivers 126 in the terrestrial broadcast system 100 is shown . by changing the category key without providing some digital receivers 126 the new rmm , those digital receivers 126 can have their provisioning effectively revoked . this is a much more effective method than traditional distribution of certificate revocation lists ( crls ), which can be blocked . the depicted portion of the process begins in step 304 where provisioning information is received from digital receivers 126 . the local receiver database 116 is updated and the provisioning information is forwarded to other sibling local receiver databases 116 and any central receiver database 108 in step 308 . a determination is made in step 312 regarding those digital receivers 126 to deprovision because of revocation or a move away from the content broadcaster 104 . revocation could be performed when the user of a digital receiver 126 is adjudicated as a pirate or if unauthorized modifications to the digital receiver are detected , for example . the central receiver database 108 and sibling local receiver databases 116 can be used to determine which receivers 126 have moved or been revoked . the revoked and moved receivers are removed from the local receiver database in step 316 . only those entries remaining in the local receiver database 116 receive rmms . in step 320 , it is determined if the rmm will soon expire . where the rmm is still valid and not expiring soon , processing loops back to step 304 . this embodiment sends the new rmm out three times before switching over to a new rcm that utilizes a different category key . it can take considerable time to send the rmm uniquely encrypted with a unit key for each digital receiver 126 . the digital receiver may be given two category keys in a rmm such that the following rmm is also available when the preceding rmm expires . in step 324 , the rmm with a switch - over time is broadcast to each digital receiver 126 in the local database 116 . step 324 could be performed in a loop on a given data channel such that the content broadcaster 104 continually cycles through the entries in the local database 116 to provide rmms ; some embodiments could have multiple channels for distributing rmms . where two - way communication is available between the content broadcaster 104 and the digital receiver 126 , the rmm could be sent a single time if receipt were acknowledged . the switch - over time supercedes any expiration date for the old rmm . it may be necessary to switch - over to a new category key before it expires if the category key has been compromised . for example , a first rmm may expire in one year . six months into that year , a second rmm could be distributed with a switch - over date of the following month . this will , in - effect , expire the first rmm in the seventh rather than the twelfth month . in some cases , a digital receiver 126 could have missed some rmms and not be able to decode protected dtv without the current category key . a query could be made either automatically or manually to the content broadcaster 104 to quickly broadcast the rmm for that receiver 126 . with two - way communication the rmm could be singlecasted back to the receiver 126 . in step 328 , rcms are encrypted with the old category key until the switch - over time or expiration date . once the old rmm and associated category key expires , the programs sent after that time use the new rmm &# 39 ; s category key to encode their rcms in step 332 . since the moved and revoked receivers 126 are not in the local database 116 , they will not receive the new rmm and category key . any programs sent after step 328 only utilize the new category key , and will be undecipherable to the moved and revoked receivers 126 . referring to fig4 a flow diagram of an embodiment of a process 400 for managing cryptographic functions with the digital receiver 126 is shown . the depicted portion of the process 400 begins in step 404 where the digital receiver 126 provisions in the dma by sending provisioning information . in this embodiment , the provisioning information includes a unit key , unique serial number and certificate . some embodiments could use a unit key or unique serial number and forgo authentication with a certificate . a rmm is received in step 408 from a digital data stream . the data stream could be on a special content channel , a control / data channel , or some other data channel . the rmm is decrypted in step 412 using the private unit key resident in the digital receiver 126 . a header on the rmm indicates the unique serial number of the digital receiver 126 . decryption of the rmm reveals the currently valid category key . information in the rmm indicates what channels and / or pids correspond to the category key . there could be any number of category keys for the various channels and / or pids . to tune in a protected channel , the carrier signal is decoded for that channel . the program is identified with a pid in the decoded data stream . an rcm is received from the data stream for that program in step 416 . the rcm is decrypted with the current category key to reveal the content key . in step 424 , the content key is used to decrypt the program , which is displayed in step 428 . where it is determined the program was not unscrambled properly because of a bad rmm and category key , processing loops back to step 404 for reprovisioning . if the rmm is not invalid after watching the program , processing loops back to step 416 to watch additional programs . if the rmm expires or switches over during viewing of the program , processing loops back to step 408 to receive a new rmm and valid category key . in many cases , the rmm for the next time period is already available such that acquisition is unnecessary . other embodiments could be constantly watching a rmm channel to receive any rmm addressed to a specific receiver 126 . a number of variations and modifications of the invention can also be used . for example , instead of assigning a unit key to each digital receiver 126 during manufacture , this key could be assigned during the provisioning process . various embodiments could distribute rmm and rcm in any number of ways such as broadcast , multicast , singlecast , etc . while the principles of the invention have been described above in connection with specific apparatuses and methods , it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as limitation on the scope of the invention .	7
it should be noted that throughout the following detailed description , signal names are given such as eos . 0 . or tary1 . the number at the end of the signal name is used to designate the logic level of the signal when it is active . for example , the end of search signal eos . 0 . is active when the level of the signal is low while tary1 is active when the level of the signal is high . this scheme of using the number at the end of the signal name to designate its active state is used throughout the following discussion . referring first to fig1 which is a block diagram of a system including the present invention , a system of the type illustrated in fig1 is described in greater detail in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 314 , 335 which is incorporated herein by reference . the system in fig1 has a dynamic semiconductor memory 10 which consists of , in the preferred embodiment , a plurality of 64 kbyte dynamic rams wired in a conventional manner such as in a perkin - elmer model 3250 computer . the memory of that computer typically may have a capacity of between 1 and 16 million bytes where each byte is 8 data bits long plus parity bits . the memory is configured so that a full word consisting of 4 bytes is read each time a location is read or written . data read from the memory 10 passes through a conventional data checker and correction unit 12 . in the event that the unit 12 detects that the data read from the memory 10 is in error , the unit 12 corrects the data and restores the corrected data over the line 14 to the location read from memory 10 . the correct data , when no error is detected , or the corrected data , when an error is detected and corrected , is placed onto the data bus 16 which couples to all the other elements of the computer system coupled thereto . the unit making the request , however , is the only unit which will capture the data on the bus 16 . the exact technique used by the data check and correct circuit 12 for detecting and correcting errors in the data from the memory 10 is not critical to the present invention . indeed , the prior art includes numerous methods and apparatus for detecting and correcting errors detected in digital computer systems and the like . the system according to the present invention , however , utilizes an error checker and corrector 12 which , during every memory read operation , detects and corrects all correctable errors detected thereby and restores the corrected data to the memory 10 . the corrected data is also placed on the data bus 16 . in addition , the system causes an error indication to be stored in an error log in a conventional manner to identify the location at which the error was detected . the error indication in the error log can thereafter be reviewed and corrective maintenance performed , if deemed necessary . the circuitry and method for the error logging is not a part of the present invention and may be performed by numerous circuits such as those used in the perkin - elmer model 3250 computer . the system according to the present invention includes circuitry to first determine the locations present in the attached dynamic semiconductor memory and then to periodically access , at a slow rate , each present memory location . as each memory location is read , the memory data checker and corrector 12 then checks and corrects any accessed location where a correctable error is detected . the failing location is listed in the error log . by periodically accessing each location in memory , soft errors can be detected and corrected before they become double or uncorrectable . the circuitry for determining the memory locations present in the system and thereafter periodically reading data from all present system memory locations is illustrated in the block diagram of fig2 . during the power up sequence , the power supply produces a system clear signal designated sclr . 0 .. this signal is produced after the power supply has reached its nominal level and the system is operational . the rising edge or trailing edge of the signal sclr . 0 . is received at the set input to flip flop 50 which latches the system clear ( sclr . 0 .) signal and produces a start signal at its output designated strt . 0 .. the strt . 0 . signal is utilized to start the circuit of fig2 in its search to identify all present addresses for the memory system coupled thereto . the start signal ( strt . 0 .) couples to and triggers the normal request mode timer 52 which comprises a single shot or similar circuit for producing a request pulse at its output . the request pulse produced thereby is coupled to an or gate 54 , the output of which couples to the clock input of both the request latch 56 and the enable increment latch 58 . at this time , the data input to latch 56 is high so it is set thereby driving rqst1 high and rqst . 0 . low . meanwhile , the data input to latch 58 is low so its state remains unchanged . the output of the latch 56 labelled rqst . 0 . couples to the reset input of the flip flop 50 . accordingly , the request signal on line rqst . 0 . operates to reset flip flop 50 . the rqst1 and rqst . 0 . signals couple to the memory address bus handshaking and control logic 60 and are responsible for that circuit initiating a request for service on the memory bus on line marl . 0 .. the arbiter as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 314 , 335 eventually responds thereto with a memory access granted signal on line magl . 0 . causing the memory checker to drive line ae1 low . at the same time that sclr . 0 . is setting the flip flop 50 , it is also input to the memory address bus counter 62 which is reset thereby to zero . the output of the counter 62 couples to the memory address bus drivers 64 which couple to the address bus 67 . the all zero address from the counter 62 is gated onto the bus 67 when the deactivate address enable ( dae . 0 .) signal becomes active . a command code and transmit identifier is generated by the generator 66 . the command code set up by the generator 66 is for a quad ( 4 ) word read and the identifier which identifies the requesting unit . this information is placed onto the input of drivers 64 to the memory address bus lines 67 . the deactivate address enable signal ( dae1 ) goes high on receipt of the memory access granted signal ( magl . 0 .) and couples to a delay line 68 . the dae1 signal is delayed by the delay line 68 and becomes tary1 which is inverted by a driver 71 to become ary . 0 .. ary . 0 . is a strobe signal to the memory to indicate the address on the address bus 66 is valid . at the same time , dae1 goes active , the inverse thereof dae . 0 . also goes active and gates the mab drivers 64 to place the command code , the transmit identifier and the address onto the memory address bus 67 . on receiving ary . 0 . and the address on the memory address bus 67 , the memory produces a signal ar . 0 . which acknowledges that the address has been received by the memory . thereafter , the data on the memory data bus 70 , positions 32 to 38 , and the data on the nonpresent memory line 72 are strobed by the read data ready line ( rdry . 0 .) when it is received from the memory . the data on lines 32 to 38 are decoded by a decoder 74 to set flip - flop 76 when the decoded combination of data on the lines 32 to 38 indicates that the read data and the non - present memory line data is for use by the circuitry of fig2 . tary . 0 . presets non present memory latch 78 active ( npml1 = 1 ) for the case where no memory responds . the setting of flip - flop 76 ( enwt . 0 .) then causes the state of npm1 to be latched . flip - flop 78 will be set ( npml1 = 1 , npml . 0 .= 0 ) for the case where no memory exists . the setting of the flip flop 76 also produces an enable write signal enwt . 0 . which is applied to the or gate 80 to produce a write enable signal wpls1 to the and gate 82 . the write signal wpls1 plus the end of search signal eos . 0 . not being enabled cause the and gate 82 to produce a signal at its output which is coupled to the write enable we input of the memory status map memory 84 . the write enable signal causes the memory 84 to store the data on the din lines at an address defined by the 6 highest order address bit positions from the memory address bus counter 62 . as such , the data stored in the memory status map 84 indicates whether or not each block of 256 kbytes is present or not . the size of 256 kbytes is chosen by the fact that the present system memory is made up of 256 kbyte pluggable modules . if a smaller ( larger sizes would still work ) sized pluggable module were used , the number of address bits to the memory status map 84 must be adjusted accordingly so that a present or missing indication can be stored for each pluggable memory module that can be installed on the system . the write enable signal wpls1 couples to a response timer 86 which comprises a delay line having a plurality of output taps therefrom whose signal is the same as the write enable signal wpls1 only delayed in time . the longest delayed output of the response timer 86 is designated trig . 0 . which is used to trigger the top of memory search mode request timer 88 . the request timer 88 comprises a single - shot for producing a pulse at its output which is coupled via the or gate 54 to the clock input of the request latch 56 and the enable latch 58 . this request latch 56 is set and the enable latch 58 is not set each time the search mode request timer 88 is activated by the signal trig . 0 .. accordingly , a further request is generated to the memory address bus handshaking and control logic 60 thereby causing another memory address location to be fetched from an address specified by the memory address bus counter 62 . since the response timer 86 produced an increment address signal incradr1 prior to the time it produced the trigger signal trig . 0 ., the increment address signal incradr1 was applied to the memory address counter 62 causing it to be incremented by 1 . accordingly , the output of the counter 62 is one quad word greater than it was the previous time that the request latch 56 was set . the top of memory search continues with the status of the nonpresent memory line ( npm . 0 .) being stored in the memory status map 84 a plurality of times for each block of 262 , 144 memory locations ( referred to as 256k ). when the high order memory address byte changes from a one to a zero , the state of the line mabt . 0 .. 0 .. 0 . changes from a zero to a one causing the end of search latch 90 to be set . this causes the end of search signal eos . 0 . to go low , thereby blocking and gate 82 and disabling the top of memory search mode request timer 88 . accordingly , the memory status map 84 can no longer be written because the write enable line we is no longer enabled and the top of memory search mode is terminated because the top of memory search request timer 88 is disabled . it also conditions and gate 91 so that the enable latch 58 is set according to the level of line read . 0 .. during normal run mode , latch 90 is set and the line eos1 is high . the ending of the search for present memory locations sets the end of search latch 90 thereby initiating the normal run mode where each present location of memory is fetched periodically . the eosl line from the end of search latch 90 couples to the timer 52 to enable it . the timer 52 has timing capacitors 53 coupled thereto where value is selected so it will gate the request latch 56 and the enable latch 58 at a rate which will not adversely affect the ability of other system elements to read or write to memory but at a sufficiently high rate so that it is unlikely that double bit errors in infrequently used memory locations will occur . in the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig3 a , 4 , 4a , 5 and 5a , the request timer 52 is set so that it will access memory at a rate so that each of the 16 million possible locations can be fetched once every 11 / 2 hours . the interference caused by the circuitry of fig3 - 5a to memory operation is very small and in the order of about 0 . 003 % of the memory address bus bandwidth and about 0 . 009 % of the memory data bus bandwidth . this allows the effect of the periodically fetching and correcting , if necessary , the data stored at all memory locations to be unnoticed by the remaining elements of the system . once the largest possible address in memory has been addressed during search mode , the signal incradr1 increments the address counter 62 coupled to the memory address bus ( mab ) 67 causing the high order bit position ( mab . 0 .. 0 .. 0 .) to change state . when this occurs , the line mabt . 0 .. 0 .. 0 . goes from a low to a high level thereby setting the end of search latch 90 . this causes the normal run mode timer 52 to be enabled and the top of memory search mode timer 88 to be disabled . the end of search latch 90 being set also causes the memory status map 84 to be gated so that the location addressed by the adr lines is read . the memory status and error decode circuit 85 decodes the memory output to determine if the addressed location in main memory is present in the system . it will be recalled that each location of the map 82 is filled with data during the top of memory search mode indicating whether the addressed location is present in the system . when the addressed location is present , the level of read1 is high and read . 0 . is low . however , when the location is not present read1 is low and read . 0 . is high . sometime after the status map 84 is addressed , the delay line 86 puts out a trigger pulse trig . 0 . which goes low . this causes the normal run mode timer 52 output to produce a positive pulse on line nrm1 which is inverted by the nor gate 54 . the trailing edge of this pulse at the nor gate 54 output ( the rising portion ) clocks the request latch 56 and the enable latch 58 . this initiates a request to fetch the data at the location specified by the mab counter 62 if it is present as indicated by the line read1 . a memory access request is issued in the manner described earlier . if the location is not present , the read1 line is low and the request latch 56 is not set . however , since the read . 0 . signal is high when a location is not present and the eos1 line is high , the and gate 90 output , which couples to the d input of latch 58 , causes the latch 58 to be set . read1 being low prevents latch 56 from being set . the setting of latch 58 causes the enable increment signal eninc . 0 . to go low . the enable increment signal eninc . 0 . is coupled by the or gate 80 to the response timer delay line 86 . the outputs of the delay line 86 causes the memory address counter 62 to be incremented to the next address , as well as later causing the trigger signal trig . 0 . to be issued again thereby initiating a request to read the next memory location . the circuit continues to periodically attempt to read all possible memory locations and to actually initiate a read to each location indicated by the data in the memory status map 84 to be present . as each location is read , the error checker and corrector checks the read data and , if an error is detected , it is thereafter corrected and the corrected data restored to memory . while the above description has been made with reference to the preferred embodiment as illustrated in the drawings , those of skill in the art will realize that the illustrated embodiment is merely illustrative of one approach for implementing the present invention . those of skill in the art will readily recognize that the illustrated circuits may be replaced by other similar circuits so as to implement the described functions . these and other changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	6
the torsional vibration damper , certain parts of which are shown in fig1 and 2 , constitutes a split flywheel 1 including a first or primary component or mass 2 and a second or secondary component or mass 3 . the component 2 is affixed to and can receive torque from the rotary output element ( such as a crankshaft or a camshaft ) of a prime mover ( e . g ., an internal combustion engine ) in the power train of a motor vehicle , and the component 3 can transmit torque to the clutch plate or clutch disc of a friction clutch serving for the transmission of torque to the input shaft of a gearbox in the power train of the motor vehicle . reference may be had , for example , to commonly owned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 042 , 632 ( granted aug . 27 , 1991 , to johann jäckel for “ vibration damping apparatus ”) the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference . the components 2 and 3 are rotatable relative to each other about a common axis x by way of an antifriction ball bearing 4 . the latter is installed radially outwardly of an annular array of bores or holes 5 for screws , bolts , or other suitable fasteners ( not shown ) that serve to secure the primary component 2 to the rotary output element of the prime mover . a means 6 for yieldably opposing angular movements of the components 2 , 3 relative to each other about the common axis x includes two deformable energy storing elements 7 , 8 , each of which constitutes an arcuate coil spring having identical or substantially identical convolutions and extending along an arc of a little less than ( i . e ., close to ) 90 °. for the sake of brevity , the energy storing elements 7 , 8 will also be referred to herein as springs or coil springs ; however , it will be appreciated that other suitable resiliently deformable energy storing elements can be utilized with equal or similar advantage . the springs 7 , 8 are disposed diametrically opposite each other , and their centers of curvature are located on or close to the axis x . the components 2 and 3 are respectively provided with abutments 14 , 15 , and 16 for the coil springs 7 and 8 . the abutment 16 is disposed between the abutments 14 , 15 ( as seen in the direction of the axis x ) and is provided on a flange - like torque transmitting support 20 that is affixed to the component 3 by means of bolts , rivets , screws , weldments , and / or other suitable fasteners ( not shown ). the support 20 serves to transmit torque between the springs 7 , 8 and the secondary component 3 . in accordance with a feature of the present invention , the structure of fig1 and 2 further includes means for coupling the coil springs 7 , 8 to each other for controlled entrainment of one of the springs in response to deformation of the other spring . in the structure of fig1 and 2 , the coupling means includes two coupling elements 22 and 26 that , respectively , include at least substantially circular disc - shaped carrier elements 23 , 27 . each of those carrier elements is provided with two at least substantially - radially - extending entraining members 24 , 25 ( on 23 ) and 28 , 29 ( on 27 ). [ 0037 ] fig1 shows that the entraining members 24 , 25 of the coupling element 22 are disposed at diametrically opposite points or ends of the coil springs 7 and 8 , between pairs of neighboring convolutions of the springs 8 , 7 , respectively . entraining member 24 is adjacent the abutment 16 and entraining member 25 is adjacent that end portion of the spring 7 that is located diametrically opposite the member 24 . the entraining member 28 of the carrier element 27 is located adjacent the abutment 16 on the opposite side from entraining member 24 , and entraining member 29 is located diametrically opposite entraining member 28 and is adjacent entraining member 25 . as can be seen in fig2 the coupling elements 22 , 26 are adjacent and on opposite sides of the flange - like torque - transmitting support 20 , which is disposed between the components 2 , 3 and is secured to the component 3 . those coupling elements are centered by rivets 30 , or by analogous fasteners , that are located radially inwardly of the coil springs 7 , 8 and radially outwardly of the antifriction bearing 4 . experiments that were carried out with the improved torsional vibration damper 6 indicated that the generation of undesirable noise is reduced to a fraction of the noise that is generated by conventional dampers . in the conventional dampers the deformable energy storing elements ( such as the arcuate coil springs 7 and 8 ) are not coupled to each other in a manner already described with reference to the embodiment of fig1 and 2 , and / or in a manner to be described hereinafter with reference to the embodiments shown in fig3 to 12 , and / or in a manner analogous to those actually described in this specification and actually shown in fig1 through 12 . the generation of noise is attributable to unbalance that , in turn , is believed to be attributable to non - uniform dissipation of energy by the various energy storing elements of conventional torsional vibration dampers while a conventional split flywheel is in actual use . by resorting to the coupling means of the present invention , one ensures a controlled entrainment of one of the energy storing elements 7 , 8 in response to deformation of the other energy storing element or elements , i . e ., a predicable ( such as more uniform ) dissipation of energy by the other energy storing element ( s ). the coupling means in the arrangement of fig1 and 2 exhibits the additional advantage that it is simple , inexpensive , and compact , all features that are highly desirable in the power train of a motor vehicle . thus , the novel coupling means employs at least one first entraining member ( such as 25 ) that is associated with the first spring 7 , and at least one second entraining member ( such as 24 ) that is associated with the second spring 8 . as already described hereinbefore , and as shown in fig1 the entraining members ( such as 24 and 25 ) preferably are or can be located at least substantially diametrically opposite each other . more specifically , the entraining members preferably engage the diametrically opposite end portions of the various energy storing elements . gradual or constant or uniform dissipation of energy by the energy storing elements — which is achieved as a result of the provision of the novel coupling means — ensures the elimination or pronounced reduction of unbalance . an important advantage of the preferably circular , disc - shaped carrier elements 23 and 27 is that they allow for convenient installation of the improved coupling arrangement in existing types of torsional vibration dampers . in addition , such carrier elements are simple and inexpensive , they occupy a minimum of space , and they can be made of one piece with the respective entraining members 24 , 25 and 28 , 29 . that simplifies the conversion of a standard split - flywheel - damper combination into the improved combination , i . e ., the incorporation of the novel coupling means into the torsional vibration damper , whereby the energy storing elements are coupled to each other in accordance with the present invention . the above - mentioned flange - like torque - transmitting support 20 constitutes an additional important and highly advantageous feature of the improved torsional vibration damper 6 . the carrier elements 23 and 27 are rotatable relative to the support 20 and the latter is turnable relative to and is in frictional engagement with the carrier elements 23 , 27 and is coupled to the energy storing coil springs 7 and 8 . those parts of the additional embodiments shown in fig3 through 12 that are identical with or plainly analogous to the parts of the torsional vibration damper 6 and split flywheel 1 shown in fig1 and 2 are denoted by similar reference characters and will be described again only to the extent necessary for a complete understanding of the additional embodiments . the torsional vibration damper that embodies the structure of fig3 includes a split flywheel 1 with primary and secondary components or masses 2 , 3 , and a damper 6 with arcuate deformable energy storing elements 7 , 8 in the form of coil springs each extending along an arc of nearly 180 °. the coupling elements 32 , 36 replace the coupling elements 22 , 26 and are centered at the radially outermost portion of the flange - like torque - transmitting support 20 . to that end , the coupling elements 32 , 36 include at least substantially - radially - extending centering portions or lugs 39 that are adjacent the peripheral surface of the support 20 . the coupling elements 32 , 36 further respectively include substantially circular ( ring - shaped ) carrier elements 33 , 37 , each provided with two entraining members that are functional equivalents of the above - discussed entraining members 24 , 25 and 28 , 29 . the structure of fig3 can be modified by replacing the centering lugs 39 with centering elements that are located radially inwardly of the respective coupling elements 32 , 36 , or that are provided on the support 20 and engage and center the radially inner or outer portions of the coupling elements 32 , 36 or their carrier elements 33 , 37 . as already mentioned hereinabove , the support 20 is affixed to one of the components 2 and 3 , in this embodiment component 3 . if the radially inner portions of the coupling elements 32 , 36 are centered on the support 20 , the centering means can include rivets , or the like , that are affixed to the support 20 . the illustrated centering lugs 39 can be replaced by or utilized jointly with suitable clips . centering is desirable and advantageous because it ensures proper guidance of the coupling elements and their carrier elements during turning of the masses 2 , 3 and springs 7 , 8 relative to each other . such centering is desirable in all embodiments of the present invention . an advantage of utilizing coil springs 7 , 8 of the type shown in fig1 to 3 ( i . e ., wherein the diameters of all convolutions are at least substantially identical ) is that they can be standard , mass - produced coil springs . [ 0047 ] fig4 and 5 illustrate a split flywheel 1 wherein the damper 6 includes two arcuate coil springs 7 , 8 each having a plurality of identical or practically identical convolutions as well as two larger - diameter convolutions . the larger - diameter convolutions 40 b , 41 a of the spring 7 are adjacent its two ends and each such convolution is flanked by two smaller - diameter convolutions . analogously , the larger - diameter convolutions 40 a , 41 b of the coil spring 8 are adjacent the ends of this spring and each such convolution is flanked by two smaller - diameter convolutions . the larger - diameter convolution 40 a of the coil spring 8 has a radially innermost portion that extends between two radially outwardly projecting entraining portions 44 a , 44 b of a coupling element 42 . more specifically , the entraining portions 44 a , 44 b form part of a substantially circular , ring - shaped carrier element 43 of the coupling element 42 . the carrier element 43 is further provided with additional entraining portions 45 a , 45 b that are located at least substantially diametrically opposite the entraining portions 44 a , 44 b and flank the larger - diameter convolution 40 b of the coil spring 7 . the larger - diameter convolution 41 a of the coil spring 7 is flanked by the entraining portions 48 a , 48 b of a carrier element 47 , which further includes entraining portions 49 a , 49 b flanking the larger - diameter convolution 41 b of the coil spring 8 . the split flywheel 1 of fig6 and 7 differs from the split flywheel of fig4 and 5 in that the larger - diameter convolutions 40 b , 41 a shown in fig4 are replaced with smaller - diameter convolutions ( one is shown in fig6 as convolution 51 ) and in that the larger - diameter convolutions 40 a , 41 b of fig4 are replaced with smaller - diameter convolutions ( one is shown in fig6 as convolution 50 ). the pairs of entraining portions 48 a , 48 b and 45 a , 45 b of fig4 are replaced with single projections 58 ( one of which is shown in fig6 ), and the pairs of entraining projections 44 a , 44 b and 49 a , 49 b are replaced by single projections 54 ( one of which is shown in fig6 ). [ 0051 ] fig7 shows a coupling element 52 that connects one end portion of the coil spring 8 to the diametrically opposite end of the coil spring 7 . the other end portion of the coil spring 8 is connected with the diametrically opposite end of the coil spring 7 by a coupling element 56 . the coupling elements 52 , 56 , respectively , include substantially circular , disc - shaped carrier elements 53 , 57 that are installed at opposite sides of the flange - like carrier 20 . the widths of the entraining portions 54 , 58 and of the other entraining portions ( not shown ) in the embodiment of fig6 and 7 need not exceed the diameter of the wire of which the coil springs 7 , 8 are made . that arrangement is desirable and advantageous because the adjacent pairs of larger - diameter convolutions that flank the smaller - diameter convolutions 50 , 51 can then come into actual abutment with the smaller - diameter convolutions when the respective coil springs 8 , 7 are fully compressed , and without clamping the entraining portions 54 , 58 between them . referring to fig8 and 9 , there is shown a split flywheel 1 that includes a circular array defined by two pairs of compression coil springs 61 , 62 and 63 , 64 , each of which individual springs extends along an arc of somewhat less than 90 °. an abutment 16 is provided between the ends of each pair of neighboring coil springs 61 , 62 ; 62 , 63 ; 63 , 64 ; and 64 , 61 . coupling elements 66 are installed between the neighboring end portions of the coil springs 61 , 62 and 63 , 64 . fig1 to 12 illustrate the details of one of the coupling elements 66 that are utilized in the structure of fig8 and 9 . that coupling element includes an essentially circular , disc - shaped carrier element 70 , the radially inner portion of which is provided with four receptacles or sockets 71 , 72 , 73 , and 74 that form part of a means for centering and for securing the coupling element 66 to the flange - like carrier 20 . each of the receptacles or sockets 71 to 74 includes an inwardly - extending protuberance or lug that is slightly offset relative to the remaining annular body part of the carrier element 70 ( as seen in the axial direction ). the thus - obtained clearance or space serves to receive the outer marginal portion of the carrier 20 . [ 0055 ] fig1 shows that the structure of fig8 and 9 further includes two entraining elements 76 , 86 that are secured to the carrier element 70 at least substantially diametrically opposite each other . those entraining elements respectively include arcuate fastener sections 77 , 87 having radially - outwardly - extending , preferably centrally - located projections or stubs 78 , 88 . the arcuate sections 77 , 87 are affixed to the adjacent portions of the carrier element 70 . fig1 shows that the sections 77 , 87 are spot welded ( as at 80 , 90 ) to the adjacent portions of the carrier element 70 , namely between the receptacles 71 , 74 and 72 , 73 , respectively . the carrier element 70 and / or the entraining elements 76 , 86 can be made of a suitable metallic sheet material , e . g ., of sheet steel . it has been ascertained that , if the carrier element 70 and the entraining elements 76 , 86 are made as separate component parts that are thereupon welded , riveted , and / or otherwise reliably secured to each other , the torsional vibration damper including such parts can be produced at a lower cost than a damper that employs one - piece structures embodying the parts 70 , 76 , 86 shown in fig1 to 12 . it goes without saying that the corresponding portions of the previously described structures ( including those shown in fig1 to 7 ) can also employ parts that are made of a suitable metallic sheet material . furthermore , certain features of the embodiment of fig1 - 2 can be incorporated into the embodiment of fig3 fig4 - 5 , fig6 - 7 , and / or fig8 - 12 . the same applies for the embodiment of fig3 of fig4 - 5 , of fig6 - 7 and of fig8 - 12 . 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 and specific aspects of the above - described contribution to the art of torsional vibration dampers for use in the power trains of motor vehicles and the like . therefore , such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the appended claims .	5
fig1 is a cross - sectional , conceptual representation of a dvd - menu screen 10 that is presented on a monitor surface 12 according to one embodiment of the present invention . the menu screen is made up of three composite layers 14 - 18 that each have a different function . the first layer of the menu screen is the display layer 14 , which can include either a still picture ( not shown ) or a moving - picture , video stream ( not shown ), and accompanying audio . the menu screen 10 also includes a picture - mask layer 16 , which includes a black - and - white , or up to four color , background image ( not shown ). the background image is defined by eight bits of data made up of four bits of data for color , and four bits of data for contrast . conceptually , the picture - mask layer overlays the display layer 14 , and thus , can block out images ( not shown ) in the display layer that lie below the picture - mask layer . also , it is possible to cycle the picture - mask layer with different background images ( not shown ) so as present the illusion of animation in the picture - mask layer . the picture - mask layer includes sub - regions ( not shown ), or sub - pictures ( not shown ), that can be used to cover or hide portion of the display layer , e . g ., simulated thumbnail representations ( not shown ) that are included in the display layer . the menu screen 10 also includes a highlight layer 18 that is used to define areas of the menu screen , in the display layer 14 and / or the picture - mask layer 16 , that have been selected or activated by the user , or by default . for example , portions of the highlight layer can be used to display an illuminated border ( not shown ) that surrounds selected images in the display layer and / or the picture - mask layer . referring to fig2 , one embodiment of the present invention presents a display image 20 , e . g ., a title menu , that appears to be comprised of a still - image background 22 , a list of titles 24 , and one or more selectable , thumbnail representations of video - streams 26 , associated with each title . however , the thumbnail representations are an illusion achieved by using a single video stream that is included in the display layer 14 of the title menu . while the thumbnail representations are depicted as squares in fig2 , the thumbnail representations can be any shape . the single video stream presents a largely unchanging , background image that , because it does not , or largely does not , change , appears to be a still image despite being part of a stream of dvd - video images . the single video stream 20 also includes what appear to be smaller sub - streams 26 of different video images , but these smaller sub - streams are actually part of the single video stream included in the display layer 14 . referring additionally to fig3 , the sub - streams are covered , or masked , by mask images 28 included in the picture - mask layer 16 that overlap one or more of the sub - stream images in the display layer . while the mask images are depicted as squares in fig3 , the mask images can be any shape . thus , video images included in the sub - streams are playing below the masked images , but are not visible to the user , i . e ., the viewer , as shown in fig4 . using an interface device ( not shown ), e . g ., a mouse or arrow keys included on the dvd player &# 39 ; s remote control , the user can move between , highlight , and / or select one of the sub - stream images 26 by selecting a mask image 28 . referring additionally to fig5 and 6 , when a specific mask image is selected , the video sub - stream image underlying that mask image is unmasked , thus , revealing the sub - stream image playing in the display layer 14 . this gives the illusion that there is more than one sub - stream video image playing simultaneously in the picture - mask layer 16 , which is impossible under the current dvd specifications . in reality , there is only one video image 20 in the display layer , and one or more eight - bit data streams that define mask images in the picture - mask layer . as shown in fig5 and 6 , the illusion that the user is selecting among thumbnail representations of video - image sub - streams 26 that animate in response to user selection can be enhanced by allowing only one of the simulated thumbnail sub - streams to be visible to the user at a time . this is achieved by using mask image sub - pictures 28 in the picture - mask layer 16 to cover all but one of the image sub - streams at any given time . the image sub - streams are covered and uncovered as the user selects among the mask images . referring additionally to fig7 , in another embodiment , a moving , dvd - video stream 30 displays what appear to be a selectable thumbnail representation 32 of another video stream at various points during the display of the video stream , not just in the menu screen 20 , to provide the user with the option of “ jumping ” or “ branching ” to different video streams . again , this is an illusion achieved by displaying what appears to be smaller , sub - stream , video images in the overall video stream itself . in fact , the sub - stream images are included in the single video stream that is included in the display layer 14 . referring additionally to fig8 , sub - pictures 34 in the picture - mask layer 16 can be used to highlight the sub - stream images , or cover the sub - stream images when they are not to be displayed to the user . in another embodiment , the user can choose between watching the video stream 30 with thumbnail representations 32 of sub - stream video images ( see fig7 ), or the video stream 36 without the thumbnail representations ( see fig9 ). when the user chooses the video stream without thumbnail images , the user sees the normal , unaltered video stream . when the user chooses the video stream with thumbnail representations , the user either sees an entirely different video stream that incorporates the simulated thumbnail representations , or the user sees the normal video stream with specific subsections of the video stream substituted with alternate video streams that are used to simulate the thumbnail representations . as previously mentioned , one limitation associated with the simulated multi - stream branching video described above is the difficulty of concurrently using subtitles , or captions , while presenting the above simulated thumbnail video images . this difficulty comes from the fact that , according to the dvd specification , only one sub - picture stream , included in the picture - mask layer 16 , can be displayed simultaneously with the video stream 30 , included in the display layer 14 . accordingly , this limitation prevents the simultaneous and separate display of both the video stream and two eight - bit mask layers , one eight - bit mask layer for the mask image ( s ) 32 and the other eight - bit mask layer for the subtitle 38 ( see fig1 ). this means that the sub - picture stream in the picture - mask layer must either show both subtitles and the video sub - stream ( s ), i . e ., the sub - picture stream includes both subtitles and the video sub - stream ( s ), the sub - picture stream includes only the subtitles and does not include the video sub - stream ( s ), or the sub - picture stream includes only the video sub - stream ( s ) and does not include subtitles at all . thus , there is no mode of operation that allows the subtitles to be turned on or off independent from the appearance of the video sub - stream ( s ). for example , referring to fig7 , during the playing of a dvd ( not shown ), a sub - stream image 32 could appear on the screen that , when selected , using a mouse or the dvd player &# 39 ; s remote control , by the user , would stop the dvd image . the user would then view a supplemental feature ( not shown ) relating to what the user was watching when the sub - stream image was selected . when the supplemental feature is completed , the user then is returned to where the user left off in the dvd image 30 . this uses a feature in the dvd specification called “ non - seamless branching ,” and the sub - stream image appears on the screen courtesy of an eight - bit layer in the picture - mask layer 16 . referring additionally to fig1 , the problem is that this feature cannot be used with two or more sub - stream images , e . g ., a sub - stream image 32 and a subtitle 38 , or caption . embodiments of the present invention work around the above limitation by using what is referred to as “ seamless branching .” in these embodiments , the dvd ( not shown ) includes two versions of the portion of the video image 30 in which the sub - stream image 32 , or similar feature , e . g ., subtitle 38 , is to appear . one version of the video image just includes the video image without the sub - stream image , as shown in fig9 . referring additionally to fig7 , the second version includes the video image and the sub - stream image as part of the video image , i . e ., the sub - stream image is part of the video stream . so , although the sub - stream image appears on the screen as if it is an eight - bit mask image included in the picture - mask layer 16 , the apparent sub - stream image is actually part of the video stream included in the display layer 14 . so , when the user selects the version of the video image that includes the apparent sub - stream image , the user is selecting another version of the dvd image , and not the same video image with an added eight - bit mask layer for the sub - stream image , e . g ., a subtitle . referring additionally to fig1 , this embodiment allows for the addition of subtitles that are included in the picture - mask layer , separate from the addition of another sub - stream image in the display layer . in one embodiment , the above limitation regarding the addition of subtitles 38 to a dvd image 36 is overcome by the user being allowed to switch between two different eight - bit sub - picture streams 26 and 38 for a single video stream . in this embodiment , one eight - bit sub - picture stream includes only simulated video sub - stream selection highlights 32 ( see fig7 ), the other sub - picture stream has simulated video sub - stream selection highlights and subtitles 38 ( see fig1 ). when the user toggles between turning the subtitles on or off , the dvd ( not shown ) switches between the two different sub - picture streams . referring additionally to fig1 , in another embodiment , the above limitation regarding the addition of subtitles 38 to a dvd image 30 , 36 is overcome by selecting among multiple overlapping buttons 40 ( one shown ) in a single sub - picture stream . the dvd specifications provide for the display of buttons in the picture - mask layer 16 . in this embodiment , the subtitles are themselves buttons that when unselected are specified to be completely transparent . the button subtitles are only made visible when the subtitles are turned on . when so selected , the pixels comprising the subtitles are changed from a color bit corresponding to “ transparent ” to a color bit corresponding to a visible color , such as white . this embodiment allows for the concurrent display of a simulated video sub - stream ( s ) 32 in the display layer 14 and button subtitles while retaining the ability to turn the subtitles on and off by the user . advantageously , the present invention differs from the prior art in that the user views a video image 20 , 30 that includes a selectable , non - static , sub - stream video image 26 , 32 . these sub - stream video images can be incorporated into menu screens 20 or into other moving - video images 30 . thus , the present invention advantageously enables the simulation of multiple , concurrent video streams in support of dvd - video user interfaces , for example , the title menu and user - initiated video - branching , while remaining compliant with the dvd - video specifications . the foregoing detailed description of the present invention is provided for purposes of illustration , and it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the particular embodiments disclosed . the embodiments can provide different capabilities and benefits , depending on the configuration used to implement the key features of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention is defined only by the following claims .	7
reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts . [ 0026 ] fig2 is a block diagram showing the circuit of a charge pump according to one preferred embodiment of this invention . as shown in fig2 the charge pump includes two control signal generation units 202 and 204 , two output voltage generation units 206 and 208 and two capacitors 230 and 232 . the control signal generation unit 202 receives an input voltage v in from a voltage source ( not shown ), a ground voltage and an inverted clocking signal ck ′ from a signal source ( not shown ), and generates a first control signal . the control signal generation unit 204 receives the input voltage v in , a ground voltage and a clocking signal ck from a signal source ( not shown ), and generates a second control signal . the clocking signal ck and the inverted clocking signal ck ′ have a phase inversion relationship . in this embodiment , voltage level of the first control signal from the control signal generation unit 202 is determined by the inverted clocking signal ck ′. in other words , the inverted clocking signal ck ′ at a low potential may prompt the control signal generation unit 202 to produce a high or a low first control signal according to the circuit design . conversely , the inverted clocking signal ck ′ at a high potential may also prompt the control signal generation unit 202 to produce a high or a low first control signal . in a similar way , the relationship between the control signal generation unit 204 and the second control signal closely matches the relationship between the control signal generation unit 202 and the first control signal . the output voltage generation unit 206 receives the voltage v in and the first control signal and outputs via an output terminal 220 . the output voltage generation unit 208 receives the voltage v in and the second control signal and outputs via an output terminal 222 . for the output voltage generation unit 206 , whether the input voltage v in is connected to the first output terminal 220 by an internal circuit depends on the voltage level of the first control signal . for example , if the first control signal is at a high potential , the circuit between the input voltage v in and the first output terminal 220 is connected . on the other hand , if the first control signal is at a low potential , circuit connection between the input voltage v in and the first output terminal 220 is cut . similarly , for the output voltage generation unit 208 , if the second control signal is at a high potential , the circuit between the input voltage v in and the second output terminal 222 is connected . on the contrary , if the second control signal is at a low potential , circuit connection between the input voltage v in and the second output terminal 222 is cut . obviously , contrary or different response to the control signal for the output voltage generation units 206 and 208 is also possible . the charge pump circuit in fig2 further includes two capacitors 230 and 232 . one end of the capacitor 230 receives the clocking signal ck while the other end of the capacitor 230 couples electrically to the first output terminal 220 . meanwhile , the first output voltage is output from the output terminal v out1 . similarly , one end of the capacitor 232 receives the inverted clocking signal ck ′ while the other end of the capacitor 232 couples electrically with the second output terminal 222 . the second output voltage is output from the output terminal v out2 . [ 0030 ] fig3 is a block diagram showing the circuit of a voltage doubler according to one preferred embodiment of this invention . in fig3 the charge pump structure and operating method is similar the one shown in fig2 and hence detailed description is omitted . in general , the largest voltage from the output terminals v out1 and v out2 is roughly twice that of the input voltage v in . hence , voltage doubling is obtained if the output voltage switching unit 340 picks up the one having the highest voltage to be the output voltage at the output terminal v 0 among the output terminals v out1 and v out2 . in the following , circuit elements inside a charge pump and an output voltage switching unit are further disclosed . note that the circuit elements and structure in the subsequent embodiment is just one among many possible arrangements and hence should by no means restrict the scope of this invention . [ 0032 ] fig4 is an actual circuit diagram of a charge pump according to another preferred embodiment of this invention . as shown in fig4 the charge pump includes p - type metal oxide semiconductor ( pmos ) transistors 402 , 404 , 406 and 408 , n - type metal oxide semiconductor ( nmos ) transistors 412 , 414 , 416 and 418 and capacitors 430 and 440 . in addition , the charge pump receives an input voltage v in from a voltage source ( not shown ) and a clocking signal ck and an inverted signal ck ′ from a signal source ( not shown ). one capacitor terminal ( or the first terminal of the first capacitor ) of the capacitor 430 ( or the first capacitor ) receives the clocking signal ck . the other capacitor terminal ( or the second terminal of the first capacitor ) of the capacitor 430 connects with an output terminal v out1 for outputting the first output voltage . one capacitor terminal ( or the first capacitor terminal of the second capacitor ) receives the inverted clocking signal ck ′. the other capacitor terminal ( or the second capacitor terminal of the second capacitor ) of the capacitor 440 ( or the second capacitor ) connects with another output terminal v out2 for outputting the second output voltage . one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the first pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 402 ( or the first pmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the capacitor 430 and the substrate ( or the substrate of the first pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 402 . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the first pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 402 is electrically connected to a voltage source for receiving an input voltage v in . similarly , one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the second pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 404 ( or the second pmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the capacitor 430 and the substrate ( or the substrate of the second pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 404 . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the second pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 404 is electrically connected to the gate ( or the gate of the first pmos transistor ) or the pmos transistor 402 . furthermore , the gate ( or the gate of the second pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 404 is electrically connected to the voltage source for receiving the input voltage v in . one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the third pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 406 ( or the third pmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the capacitor 440 and the substrate ( or the substrate of the third pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 406 . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the third pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 406 is electrically connected to the voltage source for receiving an input voltage v in . similarly , one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the fourth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 408 ( or the fourth pmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the capacitor 430 and the substrate ( or the substrate of the fourth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 408 . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the fourth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 408 is electrically connected to gate ( or the gate of the third pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 406 . furthermore , the gate ( or the gate of the fourth transistor ) of the pmos transistor 408 is electrically connected to the voltage source for receiving the input voltage v in . the gate ( or the gate of the first nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 412 ( or the first nmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the voltage source for receiving the input voltage v in . one source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the first nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 412 is electrically connected to the gate of the pmos transistor 402 . the substrate ( or the substrate of the first nmos transistor ) is connected to a ground . one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the second nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 414 ( or the second nmos transistor ) and the substrate ( or the substrate of the second nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 414 are connected to a ground . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the second nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 414 is electrically connected to a source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terninal of the first nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 412 . the gate ( or the gate of the second nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 414 receives the inverted clocking signal ck ′. the gate ( or the gate of the third nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 416 ( or the third nmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the voltage source for receiving the input voltage v in . a source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the third nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 416 is electrically connected to the gate of the pmos transistor 406 . the substrate ( or the substrate of the third nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 416 is electrically connected to a ground . a source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the fourth nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 418 ( or the fourth nmos transistor ) and the substrate ( the substrate of the fourth nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 418 are electrically connected to a ground . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the fourth nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 418 is electrically connected to the source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the third nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 416 . furthermore , the gate ( or the gate of the fourth nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 418 receives the clocking signal ck . to explain the operation of the charge pump according to this invention , assume the first and the second output voltage is at 0v initially . in addition , assume the fluctuation range of the clocking signal ck and the inverted clocking signal ck ′ is between 0 to v in volts and that the initial voltage value of the clocking signal ck is 0 and the initial voltage value of the inverted clocking signal ck ′ is at v in . at the very beginning , because the voltage value of the inverted clocking signal ck ′ is at v in , the nmos transistor 414 conducts and hence the source / drain terminal of the nmos transistor 414 and the source / drain terminal of the nmos transistor 412 are at 0v . since the gate terminal of the nmos transistor 412 receives the input voltage v in , the nmos transistor 412 conducts and hence the source / drain terminal of the nmos transistor 412 , the source / drain terminal of the pmos transistor 404 and the gate terminal of the pmos transistor 402 are at 0v . because the gate terminal of the pmos transistor 404 is at v in while the source / drain is at 0v , the pmos transistor 404 is non - conductive . on the contrary , because the source / drain terminal of the pmos transistor 402 receives the input voltage v in while the gate is at 0v , the pmos transistor 402 conducts and hence the input voltage starts to charge up the capacitor 430 . since the clocking signal ck is at a 0v , voltage difference between the terminals of the capacitor 430 approaches v in if sufficient time is given . in other words , the first output voltage from the output terminal v out1 approaches the input voltage v in . conversely , because the clocking signal ck is at 0v , the nmos transistor 418 is non - conductive . since the gate terminal of the nmos transistor 416 receives the input voltage v in , the nmos transistor 416 conducts and hence the voltage value at the source / drain terminal of the nmos transistor 416 , the source / drain terminal of the pmos transistor 406 and the gate of the pmos transistor 406 approach v in . since the voltage value at the gate terminal of the pmos transistor 408 is v in , the pmos transistor 408 is non - conductive . similarly , because the input voltage v in received by the source / drain terminal of the pmos transistor 406 is close to the voltage received by the gate terminal , the pmos transistor 402 is non - conductive . therefore , the second output voltage from the output terminal v out2 is roughly identical to the inverted clocking signal ck ′. in other words , the second output voltage from the output terminal v out2 approaches v in . when the clocking signal ck reverses , that is , the voltage value of the clocking signal ck becomes v in while the voltage value of the inverted clocking signal ck ′ becomes 0 , both the pmos transistor 402 and the pmos transistor 404 are non - conductive according to the aforementioned derivation at the output terminal v out2 . hence , due to the transient maintenance of existing voltage differential between the terminals of the capacitor 430 , the first output voltage at the output terminal v out1 is pushed up to v in + v in , that is , 2 * v in , transiently . furthermore , because both the pmos transistors 402 and 404 are non - conductive , the 2 * v in voltage at the output terminal v out1 can be maintained . on the other hand , when the voltage value of the inverted clocking signal ck ′ is 0 , voltage differential between the two terminals of the capacitor 440 is maintained transiently . hence , voltage at the capacitor terminal will drop to 0v simultaneously . however , because the pmos transistors 406 and 408 will conduct , the input voltage v in will continue to charge up the output terminal v out2 until the voltage at the output terminal v out2 almost reaches v in if sufficient time is allowed . thereafter , as the clocking signal ck reverses , the pmos transistor 402 and 404 will be conductive again . thus , voltage at the output terminal v out1 is maintained at v in . on the other hand , because the pmos transistors 406 and 408 are non - conductive , voltage at the output terminal v out2 is maintained at v in . under the condition that the capacitor terminal 440 b receives a voltage v in from the inverted clocking signal ck ′, the second output voltage from the output terminal v out2 is 2 * v in . henceforth , the first output voltage and the second output voltage from the output terminals v out1 and v out2 will fluctuate cyclically between v in and 2 * v in . yet , the gate - substrate interface inside the pmos transistors 402 , 404 , 406 and 408 only has to withstand a voltage differential of v in instead of a voltage differential of 2 * v in in a conventional circuit . [ 0043 ] fig5 is an actual circuit diagram of a voltage doubler according to another preferred embodiment of this invention . as shown in fig5 the charge pump 52 is structurally similar to the one in fig4 and hence detailed description of its operation is not repeated here . the charge pump 52 has output terminals similar to the first output terminal v out1 and the second output terminal v out2 as shown in fig4 and numbered in fig5 as 550 and 552 , respectively . in the same way , when the voltage of the clocking signal and the inverted clocking signal oscillates between 0 ˜ v in , voltage at the first output terminal v out1 and the second output terminal v out2 oscillates at a voltage between v in ˜ 2 * v in . in the following , operation of the circuit outside the charge pump 52 is explained in detail . aside from the charge pump 52 , the circuit in fig5 further includes four pmos transistors 562 , 564 , 566 and 568 , a substrate capacitor 570 and an output capacitor 580 . one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the fifth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 562 ( or the fifth pmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the aforementioned second output terminal v out2 of the charge pump 52 . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the fifth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 562 is electrically connected to the substrate ( or the substrate of the fifth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 562 . the gate ( or the gate of the fifth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 562 is electrically connected to the aforementioned first output voltage terminal v out1 of the charge pump 52 . one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the sixth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 564 ( or the sixth pmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the first output terminal v out1 . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the sixth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 564 is electrically connected to the substrate ( or the substrate of the sixth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 564 . the gate ( or the gate of the sixth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 564 is electrically connected to the second output terminal v out2 . in addition , one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the seventh pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 566 ( or the seventh pmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the second output terminal v out2 . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the seventh pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 566 is electrically connected to a final output terminal 590 for outputting a final output voltage v 0 . the substrate ( or the substrate of the seventh pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 566 is electrically connected to the substrate and source / drain terminal of the pmos transistor 562 . the gate ( or the gate of the seventh pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 566 is electrically connected to the second output voltage terminal v out2 . one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the eighth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 568 ( or the eighth pmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the first output voltage terminal v out1 . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the eighth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 586 is electrically connected to the final output terminal 590 . the substrate ( or the substrate of the eighth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 568 is electrically connected to the substrate of the pmos transistor 564 . the gate ( or the gate of the eighth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 568 is electrically connected to the first output voltage terminal v out1 . finally , one end of the substrate capacitor 570 is electrically connected to a ground while the other end of the substrate capacitor 570 is electrically connected to the substrates of the pmos transistors 562 , 564 , 566 and 568 . one end of the output capacitor 580 is electrically connected to a ground while the other end is electrically connected to the output terminal 590 . assume the first output voltage v out1 is at v in and the second output voltage v out2 is at 2 * v in after oscillation in the first output voltage v out1 , and the second output voltage v out2 is stabilized . under these conditions , the pmos transistors 562 and 566 are conductive while the pmos transistors 564 and 568 are non - conductive so that the second output voltage v out2 ( at a voltage 2 * v in ) charges up the output capacitor 580 . when the second output voltage v out2 becomes v in , the pmos transistors 562 and 566 are non - conductive while the pmos transistor 564 and 568 are conductive so that the first output voltage v out1 ( at a voltage 2 * v in ) charges up the output capacitor 580 . accordingly , if sufficient waiting time is allowed , the final output voltage v 0 at the output terminal 590 will stabilize at a value double that of the input voltage , that is , 2 * v in . although mos transistors are used in the circuit of this invention , similar devices such as metal - oxide - semiconductor field effect transistor ( mosfet ), enhanced metal - oxide - semiconductor field effect transistor ( enhanced mosfet ) or complementary metal - oxide - semiconductor ( cmos ) are also applicable . in summary , the voltage difference at the gate - substrate , gate - drain and gate - source interface inside the charge pump of this invention is smaller than the conventional circuit . in particular , peak voltage difference between the gate - substrate is only half the value in the conventional circuit . consequently , a low pressure cmos fabrication process can be used to fabricate mos devices having a voltage push - up capacity identical to the conventional technique but with a longer working life . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . in view of the foregoing , it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents .	7
in its most effective presentation , the entire apparatus according to this invention will be in full view . as shown in fig1 a system 10 includes a mixer 11 , a source 12 of a first ingredient , an indicator 13 , and a valve 14 from the mixer . the mixer contains all of the ingredients of the drink in a slushy state . opening valve 14 will draw the drink into a container for presentation to the customer . source 12 will ordinarily be a bottle of the first ingredient , for example a tequila or a vodka , open with its neck downward in condition for withdrawal and admission of air to permit its exit . such ingredients , which may or may not be alcoholic , are for convenience called “ liquors ” herein . a source 20 of second ingredients is separately plumbed to the mixer . such second ingredients can include concentrates and water , for example . when the first and second ingredients are combined and properly constituted , the outflow from valve 14 will be the desired drink , usually in a slushy or icy condition . source 20 can be located anywhere . it is of no interest to the customer , and in large systems may be many yards away from the mixer . as best shown in fig1 a shelf 21 supports the mixer , and another shelf 22 supports bottle 12 of the first ingredient . instead of on a shelf , it can be a wall - mounted unit . the consideration is that the bottle will be in full view , and that there will be a visible response when the liquor is withdrawn from it . this bottle , in full view , will bear a visible label stating the specific ingredient it contains . this will be recognized as the source of the intended product , and what one can expect when the drink is purchased . indicator 13 remains dormant except while the specific drink is being dispensed . it is intended to be energized during the time the drink is dispensed . the presently preferred embodiment is a bright lamp , dark when not activated , and shining brightly on the container or label when it is . however , this or a supplementary source of light may be provided to light up the bottle at all times to attract the customer &# 39 ; s attention , while providing additional attraction when actuated . conduit 36 draws first ingredient from bottle 12 . it is withdrawn by a pump 38 , preferably a roller pump which dispenses closely controlled volumes per revolution . conduit 37 draws second ingredient from container 20 . it is withdrawn by a similar pump 39 . these conduits join at a t joint 40 and combine in a conduit 41 that discharges into mixer 11 . instead , they could separately enter the mixer . it will be noted that the customer does not drink the specific “ slug ” of first ingredient that was admitted , because the mixer already contained a larger amount of properly - constituted drink . the indicator does , however , reflect the admission of the proper amount of ingredients to maintain in the mixer a properly constituted reservoir of the drink . the customer will remain satisfied , because the system starts with a legitimate ingredient , and consistently replaces it as it is withdrawn . more particularly as to the mixer , the disclosure in the gorski et al patent is incorporated herein in its entirety for its showing of a system to provide a properly - proportioned reservoir of a drink , preferable in an icy situation . as to this invention it includes a reservoir with a chilling and recirculating mechanism ( not shown ). the mixing chamber receives the first and second ingredients and keeps them in condition for dispensing from valve 14 . the details of the chilling and circulating apparatus are of no importance to this invention . a circuit 45 is shown with a switch 46 as part of the valve 14 . when the valve is open , this switch will complete the circuit and turn on the lamp . in addition , switch 46 also actuates pumps 38 and 39 which will admit to the mixer an amount of the liquor and concentrate which will precisely constitute the amount of the ingredients withdrawn . switch 46 is linked to valve 14 selectively interconnects leads 47 , 48 . one of the leads includes a current source 49 such as a battery . lead 47 connects to one side of pumps 38 and 39 , and also to one side of indicator 13 , such as lamp . the other electrical sides of these items are connected to lead 48 . closing switch 46 will operate the pumps and actuate the indicator . at the same time , product is flowing from the mixer . here it may be commented that instead of mixing concentrate and water in container 20 , they could be separately supplied to the t 40 . however , in most systems the concentrates and water will be pre - mixed in a larger container . the choice is optional . the circuitry of fig2 does involve providing electrical current ( even of very low voltage ) to the valve structure . should this be objectionable , instead of a directly - coupled switch , as shown in fig3 a probe 50 disposed at a liquid rest level 50 a in the mixer is connected to lead 47 . an electrode 51 is mounted in the mixer , and connected to lead 48 . when valve 14 is opened , the liquid level 50 a in the mixer drops below the probe , and the circuit is opened ( or closed when relays are used ). this will actuate the pumps and indicator until the level in the mixer is restored . when it is restored , the circuit will be completed and the pumps and indicator stopped . it will be recognized that the probe is merely one example of a level - sensor . floats and other types could be substituted , and circuit modifications can also be made , all within the scope of the invention . fig4 illustrates that the concentrate , water and liquor can be pre - mixed in an intermediate container 55 , to which all ingredients can be fed with the outputs of pumps 38 and 39 , and withdrawing the completed ( but not slushy ) drink through a pump 60 ( actuated along with the other pumps ). this provides a local “ reservoir ” of drink if for some reason a closer mixed source for the mixer is desired . while the circuitry of fig3 is decoupled from valve 14 , experience with such circuitry has proved that the response is suitably close for all intended purposes . the indication will occur substantially contemporaneously . the operation of this system is straight forward . the mixer is first primed with a quantity of all ingredients of the intended mixed drink . in operation it serves continually to mix and recycle it . while it is being recycled it is passed through chilling coils ( not shown ) and thereby kept in a desired slushy or icy condition . when a drink is withdrawn , it is simultaneously replaced in the mixer . this invention adds to the above ways to advertise the availability of a kind of first ingredient such as a particular brand of vodka or tequila . the evident presence of the bottle provides a guarantee that it is the source . if desired , an outside obvious length of transparent tubing 36 or other plumbing maybe placed between the neck of the inverted bottle and the inlet of the mixer where the flow can be seen . also , bubbles will rise in the bottle . lamp 13 may be a still or moving lamp , or a strobe lamp as preferred . this assures the customer that he is obtaining a drink which comprises this particular ingredient . this invention thereby makes available to a busy house such as a casino or club , a source of ready - to - serve complicated drinks , and to the customer it advertises the availability of intended ingredients and reassurance that he is receiving them . this invention is not to be limited by the embodiments shown in the drawings and described in the description , which are given by way of example and not of limitation , but only in accordance with the scope of the appended claims .	1
in a preferred embodiment , the new invention can be used to inject a sealant into a cow teat . in this embodiment , the syringe tip is generally short and blunt . in other embodiments , the syringe tip could be long and sharp ( i . e ., needle ). the invention principle works in either case . for convenience , a cow teat embodiment will be described , but for those knowledgeable in the art other applications using the retractor principle are also feasible . in another preferred embodiment , this invention helps to ensure the teat skin is in good condition , maintain skin moisture and natural elasticity and helps the teat to restrict the development of hyperkeratosis . using a high quality teat disinfectant ( or even antibiotic in some cases ), carefully applied , helps to reduce hyperkeratosis . a standard syringe barrel is employed with an open tip on distal end and finger grips near proximal end . a typical syringe plunger is employed that fits within the barrel with a piston on one end and a thumb surface on the other . compared to prior art syringes containing only barrel and plunger , in new invention a syringe retractor is used . the retractor is connected to the syringes plunger at its proximal end . the retractor is generally coaxial with the syringe barrel and larger in diameter . when the user advances the plunger , the retractor advances as well . it is adjacent but slideable with regard to the syringe barrel . the plunger and retractor could be manufactured as one assembly and , as is apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art , the plunger and retractor can be made of biodegradable plastic for ease of use or alternatively one use before being disposed . as illustrated in fig5 , the three elements ( barrel , plunger , and retractor ) and the target surface are shown schematically . 2 . the plunger and retractor are advanced relative to the barrel until the retractor makes contact with surface . during this movement , the plunger and retractor generally advance towards the surface while the barrel remains generally stationary relative to the surface . 3 . when retractor advancement is stopped by the surface , the plunger can be further advanced relative to barrel by retracting the barrel away from the surface . while the invention has been described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof , those skilled in the art may make various modifications to the described embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention . the terms and descriptions used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and not meant as limitations . in particular , although the present invention has been described by way of examples , a variety of compositions and processes would practice the inventive concepts described herein . although the invention has been described and disclosed in various terms and certain embodiments , the scope of the invention is not intended to be , nor should it be deemed to be , limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved , especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended . those skilled in the art will recognize that these and other variations are possible within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims and their equivalents .	0
a conventional regular hexagonal cell layout , of a cellular radiotelephone system , is shown in schematic form in fig1 . depicting the geographical service area in terms of a hexagonal grid sets a geometric pattern that allows frequencies to be assigned in a patterned disposition that allows the reuse of these frequencies in a controlled repeatable regular assignment model . the cell areas each have specific channel sets assigned to them . each channel set comprises a plurality of individual transmit and receive radio channels for use within the cell area . in this model , shown in fig1 cells marked &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; are co - user cells and all use the same channel set . the same is true for co - user cells marked &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;, etc ., each of which have their own assigned channel set . each cell is radiated by an antenna system associated with a base station ( bs ), that includes the radio transceivers and which are in turn connected to the public switched telephone network ( pstn ) via trunk lines or suitable equivalent . antennas 101 are either omni - directional or directional . directional antennas 102 are used to sectorize cells into smaller angular wedge type serving areas . a typical cellular system is shown in the block diagram of fig2 . a plurality of mobile switching centers ( msc ), 202 and 203 , are shown connecting the mobile radiotelephone system to the public switched telephone network 201 ( pstn ). the switching of the mscs interconnects a plurality of base stations ( bs ) 210 each providing service to a cell coverage area . each coverage area is shown as having irregular boundaries typical of an actual system . each bs has radio transmit / receive equipment and radiating antennas to serve mobile radiotelephones 250 within its cell coverage area . an operations and management center ( omc ) 220 is coupled to the mscs 202 and 203 to control their system operation and their associated bss 210 . omc 220 is a central control station which includes data processing equipment and input for accepting data input from data storage and real time control . this data processing arrangement may be utilized in implementing channel assignments in combination with remotely tunable radio transceivers located at the bss . an illustrative embodiment of data processing equipment included in the omc for controlling the assignment and tuning of radio transceivers at the bss is shown in block schematic form in the fig3 . a general purpose computer 310 has a stored program included in its memory 311 . this program includes instructions for performing the non - regular assignment of radio channels to a cellular system as disclosed in further detail below . initial input data is supplied through the input circuit 312 to the computer 310 . inputs include the available cells . the available radio frequencies , the channel bandwidth , and filter characteristics are also input into the computer 310 . further inputs include parameters describing the statistical behavior of interference between users and base stations in different cells , and the statistical distribution of the serving signal in each cell . these parameters may be estimated from signal strength measurements . the inputs may also include system constraints necessary for the desired channel assignment . traffic usage patterns are supplied as an input . traffic may be measured in real time . in this illustrative embodiment of the invention , the assignment process is performed in the computer 310 according to the instructions contained in memory 311 . the resulting non - regular assignment is output via the output 313 to the msc 315 and is in turn forwarded to the bss 321 . the individual tunable radios 322 included in the bss are tuned to the proper frequencies in accord with the assignment of radio channels determined by the assignment process . added output leads permit graphical and data printouts at the omc . during borrowing , each cell will exhaust its allotted channels first before requesting an additional borrowed channel . if , however , it needs additional channels , it may borrow unused additional channels not assigned to itself , provided that system and interference constraints are not violated . because of borrowing , an idle channel may not be usable in its assigned cell if it has been borrowed by a nearby cell . therefore , the interference and other system constraints must be checked even when a cell uses its allotted channels . if imposed , an additional constraint that would need to be checked during borrowing is the requirement that a portion of the channels allotted to a cell must be reserved for use by that cell . this portion of reserved channels , which may change in real time , may depend on the number of busy channels plus the number of channel requests denied in the cell , or various other system performance measures . when a cell reserves a channel , the cell must be treated as a current user of the channel when checking compliance with interference and other system constraints before using this channel elsewhere . a borrowed channel is released by the using cell as soon as one of the cell &# 39 ; s allotted channels becomes available ( due to a call termination or a hand - off ). if channel rearrangement is not desirable at this point , the borrowed channel is released upon termination or hand - off of the call it serves . to state a simple example of the above general assignment problem algebraically , the following notation is utilized . let ## equ1 ## the unknown quantities of the problem are : ## equ2 ## the channel assignment can be expressed as a mathematical programming problem of the form : maximize g ## equ3 ## where m is a large positive number . the constraints in ( 1 ) allocate channels to logical cells in proportion to the cells &# 39 ; requirements . in constraint ( 2 ) the total number of assigned channels is limited to the number of channels available . constraint ( 3 ) ensures that the ratio of signal strength to interference is above the desired threshold value with confidence level 1 - α . constraint ( 3 ) may be written to include neighbor - channel interference . this constraint may be repeated for different confidence levels 1 - α and the corresponding threshold values t . the above formulation of the channel assignment problem can accommodate additional constraints that would reflect a user &# 39 ; s special needs . examples of such constraints are discussed herein below in a discussion of the solution procedure for the basic formulation . the above problem is a large scale nonlinear mixed - integer stochastic mathematical program . if , for example , a cellular grid has 210 logical cells ( 70 cell sites , with 3 logical faces per cell site ), and 200 channel sets are considered , there would be 42 , 211 constraints and 42 , 200 integer variables ( excluding slack variables ), of which 42 , 000 would be binary . this problem is decomposed into two computationally tractable parts using generalized linear programming . the original problem is decomposed into two smaller problems which are solved one after the other in an iterative sequence , exchanging their respective solutions , until the optimal solution is reached . following established convention , the two problems are called the master program and the subprogram . the master program consists of all but the stochastic constraints in ( 3 ), which make up the subprogram constraints . the algebraic formulation of the master program and subprogram are expressed as follows . the following expressions define the master program of block 420 subsequently discussed with respect to fig4 : ## equ4 ## where x kj are constants satisfying the interference conditions . these values are supplied by the subprogram described below . the subprogram contains the constraints assuring that the ratio of signal strength to interference is above a desired threshold value . its objective coefficients are the simplex multipliers corresponding to constraints ( 4 ) of the master program . the subprogram has the following form : ## equ5 ## where λ j is the simplex multiplier corresponding to the j th constraint in ( 4 ). the collection of channel sets included in the master program is comprised of all the solutions of the subprogram . the k th solution of the subprogram provides values for the binary variables x kj . a channel set is defined in terms of the co - user cells it serves . the collection of channel sets grows with every new solution of the subprogram , and this growth helps improve the master program solution . growth in the collection of channel sets stops when the optimal solution is reached . the overall structure of the assignment process comprising the master program and subprogram is shown in the fig4 . the solution procedure , as shown in the flow process in fig4 involves four major functions . these are : channel assignment initialization ( block 410 ), a master program solution ( block 420 ), channel set augmentation , and subprogram solution ( closely related blocks 430 and 440 ). in the first function , block 410 , which is the initialization of the channel assignment , a feasible channel assignment is obtained before we proceed with the optimization . if the model is applied to an existing grid , the present channel assignment can serve as the initial channel assignment , provided it satisfies all system constraints . if it violates any of the constraints , it is modified by the initial channel assignment algorithm , as described below , to meet all constraints . once an initial feasible channel assignment has been obtained , the remaining three functions are executed in an iterative sequence . first comes the solution of the master program in block 420 , whose solution furnishes the system values of g , n k , τ , and λ j . τ is a simplex multiplier corresponding to constraint ( 5 ) and λ j is a simplex multiplier corresponding to the jth constraint in ( 4 ). this information is used by the channel set augmentation algorithm in block 430 which invokes the subprogram solution algorithm in block 440 several times in order to generate new channel sets . the channel group augmentation algorithm is an optional heuristic process that enhances solution of the problem . it revises the values of n k and λ j , which are used in the next solution of the subprogram . the subprogram solution furnishes the values of ν and x kj . once a specified number of channel sets has been generated , optimality is checked as prescribed in decision block 450 . if the solution is optimal as determined in decision block 450 , the algorithm terminates and the assignments are provided in block 460 . otherwise , the cycle repeats again with the solution of the restricted master program in block 420 . the following condition indicates optimality : let k - 1 be the current cycle , and let x kj be the optimal solution of the new subprogram . let τ be the simplex multiplier corresponding to constraint ( 5 ) of the relaxed master program . if ## equ6 ## then the current solution is optimal for the relaxed master program . the solution procedure described herein is finite as the number of different channel sets is finite , and each solution of the subprogram contributes a new channel set to the master program . that the channel set entering the master program at each cycle is new is based on the following observation . the simplex multipliers of the relaxed master program at cycle k - 1 satisfy the conditions : ( 5 ) ## equ7 ## if the new subprogram solution x kj is added to the master program , it cannot meet the condition in ( 7 ), for that would lead to the termination of the process . since it violates the requirement in ( 7 ) it cannot be identical to any of the k - 1 solutions encountered previously , by condition ( 8 ). hence , x kj represents a new channel set . given that the number of cells in a grid is finite , the number of distinct cell groupings that represent different channel sets is also finite . hence , the solution procedure is finite . the solution procedure must start with a feasible channel assignment , that is a channel assignment that covers all cells and meets the channel availability constraint and co - channel interference constraints . for an existing cellular grid , the channel assignment in place may serve as the initial channel assignment , provided it is feasible . if the existing channel assignment is not feasible ( infeasibility would arise typically from the violation of the interference constraints ), or if there is no existing channel assignment , it is necessary to generate an initial feasible channel assignment . the method for deriving an initial channel assignment is based on a variation of the channel group augmentation algorithm . in the most general case , as shown in fig5 the existing channel assignment violates the interference constraints . in this case , channel assignment initialization consists of two phases . in phase i we modify ( block 507 ) the channel sets in the existing channel assignment , one at a time by changing values for n k and λ j . if a channel set violates the interference constraint ( decision block 502 ), cells are removed ( block 504 ) until it satisfies the interference constraint . if the interference constraint is met by an existing channel set , the algorithm will assign as many additional cells as possible ( block 505 ), provided that the interference constraint is satisfied . if the resulting channel sets cannot cover all cells , the second phase is implemented . in phase ii additional channel sets are generated until all cells are covered ( block 506 ). both phases employ the channel set augmentation algorithm . they differ in terms of the initial values used for λ j . in phase i , λ j equals 1 for all cells j covered by the existing channel set , and zero for the remaining cells . in phase ii , λ j is computed by the equation ( 10 ) disclosed herein below . the master program is a linear program involving the integer variables n k , which assume values ranging from 0 to n -- the number of available frequencies , a number which is normally between 300 and 400 . various techniques may be used to obtain an integer solution . given the magnitude of the integer variables , one can obtain near - optimal solutions to this mixed - integer linear program by solving the relaxed linear program without the integer requirements as per block 601 in fig6 . for the purposes of channel assignment , integer solutions must be provided . the algorithm yielding an integer solution to the master program shown in fig6 uses the fact that the optimal channel assignment will use all of the n available channels . given an optimal solution to the relaxed problem ( the linear program without the integer requirements ), the algorithm starts by making the channel set sizes equal to the integers closest to the relaxed solution ( block 601 ). it terminates if the integer set sizes add up to n ( blocks 605 , 607 , 609 ). if not , it increases ( or decreases ) by 1 the sizes of the channel sets with the greatest positive ( or negative ) deviation from the optimal non - integer value ( blocks 611 , 615 ). the steps of the algorithm are shown in the fig6 and are described below in detail . the term n k denotes the channel set sizes in the optimal solution , and by n k their closest integers . the procedure for obtaining an integer solution to the master program is outlined in fig5 as follows : ______________________________________step 1 set n . sub . k equal to the integer to n . sub . k . ( block 603 ) step 2 1 # str1 ## if d = 0 , terminate ( block 607 ). otherwise go to step 3 . step 3 if d & lt ; 0 , go to step 5 . otherwise go to step 4 . ( block 607 ) step 4 find d channel sets with the largest difference δ . sub . k = n . sub . k - n . sub . k decrease the size of each of the d channel sets by 1 . terminate . ( blocks 611 , 613 ) step 5 find \| d \| channel sets with the largest difference δ . sub . k = n . sub . k - n . sub . k . increase the size of each of the \| d \| channel sets by 1 . terminate . ( blocks 615 , 617 ) ______________________________________ it is easy to verify that , given a non - negative solution to the relaxed linear program , the resulting integer solution will also be non - negative . once the complexity caused by the integer constraints has been removed , the solution of the master program becomes straightforward . standard linear programming software can be used . by linear programming standards , the relaxed master program is a relatively small linear program , having a number of constraints equal to one plus the number of logical cells in the grid , and number of variables equal to one plus the number of channel groups . it is expected that a large grid would have no more than 500 logical cells . seven hundred and fifty channel sets would more than exceed the number needed to yield an optimal solution . the number of cycles of the master program may be reduced by generating lists of channel sets with the channel group augmentation heuristic . one of the factors contributing to the computational effort in mathematical programming decomposition is the repeated solution of the master program . since the optimal channel assignment is derived from the last master program solution , and all previous master programs serve only to generate a list of desirable candidate channel sets , generating a larger number of candidates at each cycle would tend to reduce the number of master program solutions while still yielding an optimal solution . therefore , between any two consecutive solutions of the master program , the method used generates several new channel sets . the number to be generated is specified by the user . the criterion used in generating new channel sets is that they must have the potential to improve the master program objective value . the first channel set generated after the solution of the k th master program has this potential since it has a negative reduced cost by condition ( 7 ). in order to obtain heuristically additional channel sets with a negative reduced cost , the simplex multiplier λ j is needed . typically , λ j is supplied by the solution of the master program . since our aim is to generate more than one channel set between consecutive solutions of the master program , it is necessary to revise the λ j values before each subprogram solution without re - solving the master program . the revision of λ j is based on properties that would hold if the master program were solved . they are derived from the following complementary slackness conditions defined by equation ( 9 ): ## equ8 ## a consequence of the above conditions is that the simplex multiplier λ j , which is required to be non - negative , will be positive only if the corresponding primal constraint in equation ( 1 ) is binding or , equivalently , whenever the capacity ratio of cell j equals the grid capacity factor . we refer to such a cell as a binding cell . the condition of equation ( 9 ) is employed to update the λ j values of binding cells as follows . a new channel set k , derived from the last subprogram solution , will receive in the next iteration a portion of the available channels . this implies that if set k covers cell j , cell j will typically not be binding in the next iteration . by equation ( 9 ), the corresponding simplex multiplier λ j would become zero . hence , the following revision rule is used : ## equ9 ## this revision causes channel sets generated by subsequent solutions of the subprogram to favor binding cells that were not covered by the last channel set , as they will have positive λ j values . the above revision rules deal with the binding cells as they become non - binding . rules are needed also for the cells that are not binding in the master program solution but , as new channel sets are added , may become binding . such cells should be covered by subsequent channel sets . with λ j assigned zero value by equation ( 9 ), however , they do not have a chance , unless λ j is updated . an alternative way is to communicate to the subprogram the binding status of a cell by handing over the new channel set sizes n k . the subprogram considers the binding status of a cell together with simplex multiplier λ j values in deriving a new channel set . there are several ways to revise n k . in this implementation of the algorithm we assume that the new channel set k will receive one k th of the available channels , while the size of the existing k - 1 channel sets will be adjusted accordingly . that is , ## equ10 ## if the existing channel sets had size n &# 39 ; k , their new sizes will be ## equ11 ## the algorithm for generating f new channel sets is shown in flow form in fig7 . ______________________________________step 1 set λ . sub . j and n . sub . k equal to the values obtained by solving the master program . ( block 701 ) step 2 repeat steps 3 through 6 , f times . ( blocks 702 , 713 ) step 3 solve the subprogram to obtain x . sub . kj . ( block 704 ) step 4 revise λ . sub . j by equation ( 10 ). ( block 705 ) step 5 compute n . sub . k by equation ( 11 ) ( block 709 ), and revise n . sub . k for k = 1 , . . ., k - 1 by equation ( 12 ). ( block 711 ) step 6 increment k . ( block 711 ) ______________________________________ given the difficulty of pursuing a globally optimal solution method , we have devised an efficient heuristic algorithm for the solution of the subprogram . it constructs a solution by selecting among the cells in the grid those that will maximize the subprogram objective value without violating the interference constraints of equation ( 6 ). such a set is constructed by adding one cell at a time , giving priority to the cells with the greatest λ j value . a cell can be added to the set if it does not interfere with the cells already in the set . for cells with equal λ j values the order in which cells are considered is important because the inclusion of one cell might preempt , through the interference it generates , more cells than another . preference is given to cells with low pre - emptive potential . the pre - emptive potential would change at each step , as new cells are added to the set . therefore , the criterion function used for including a cell in the solution is updated after the addition of each cell . the algorithm logic can be described as follows . at each step , the cells are partitioned into three subsets . the set c , which consists of the cells included in the solution ( i . e ., x j = 1 ); the set c , which consists of the cells excluded from the solution ( i . e ., x j = 0 ); and the set u , which consists of the cells whose fate has yet not been determined . at the start of the algorithm , u contains all the cells , and c and c are empty . at each step a member of u is placed in c . its inclusion in the solution may pre - empt other members of u from inclusion . the preempted members of u are moved to c . the algorithm terminates when u becomes empty . among cells with equal λ j values , the cell to be moved from u to c is chosen based on its potential to block other members of u from entering c . there are several ways to measure this potential . in the implementation described in this paper we define the pre - emptive potential function p j as the inverse of the &# 34 ; slack &# 34 ; a j in the interference constraint in equation ( 6 ), which measures the margin for additional contributions to the interference experienced in cell j . ## equ12 ## the solution of the subprogram may be expanded to include cells with zero λ j . this is necessary in order to deal with the non - binding cells that become binding as more channel sets are generated . in some instances , the inclusion of the largest possible number of cells in the solution of the subprogram may be desirable for the increased system planning flexibility it affords . hence , cells may be chosen in order of descending value of the following criterion function f j : ## equ13 ## where k is the last channel set generated , and ε is a very small positive number . given a sufficiently small value for ε , the cells with positive λ j values will be given priority . the remaining cells will be considered only when all cells with positive λ j have been considered . among cells with positive and equal λ j values , the choice of a cell to be included in set c is based on the pre - emptive potential p j since , according to condition ( 9 ), the capacity ratio in the second term of ( 14 ) is the same for all such cells -- it equals the grid capacity factor . for cells with zero λ j values , the capacity ratio dominates the choice of a cell to be included into c . the algorithm for the solution of the subprogram is shown in flow process form in fig8 . ______________________________________step 1 place all cells in set u , and make sets c and c empty . ( block 801 ) step 2 for each member j of u , compute f . sub . j by equation ( 14 ). ( block 803 ) step 3 select j * to be the member of u with the greatest f . sub . j value . ( block 805 ) remove j * from u . ( block 806 ) step 4 compute a . sub . j for each member j of c assuming that j * ( block 807 ) is also in c . step 5 if a . sub . j & lt ; 0 for any j in c , place j * in c and go to step 8 . ( block 809 ) otherwise , place j * in c ( block 811 ) and go to step 6 . step 6 for each member j of u compute a . sub . j . ( block 813 ) step 7 remove from u any of its members j with a . sub . j & lt ; 0 and place them in c . ( block 815 ) step 8 if u is empty , terminate . ( block 817 ) otherwise , go to step______________________________________ 2 . the calculation of the pre - emptive potential p j in the solution of the subprogram , discussed above , involves the interference constraint slack a j , which measures the margin for additional contributions to the interference experienced in cell j . the slack will vary with the composition of c , the collection of cells covered by the channel set . to compute the slack a j we convert the probability statement of equation ( 6 ) into an equivalent deterministic constraint for each cell j in u , the collection of undetermined cells . the constraint in equation ( 6 ) can be written as follows : ## equ14 ## to write the above as an equivalent deterministic inequality , we need to know the probability distribution of the signal - to - interference ratio . let y be the value of this ratio , expressed in decibels . that is , ## equ15 ## following other treatments , we assume that y is normally distributed . let μ y and σ y 2 be the mean and variance of y , respectively , and let r be the signal - to - interference ratio threshold value t expressed in decibels . equation ( 15 ) can be written as follows : ## equ16 ## where z is a normal random variable . the equivalent deterministic constraint is the following : where z . sub . α is the α - quantile of a normal random variable . a j is the slack variable of the above inequality . therefore , the values of μ y and σ y depend on the composition of set c . they are computed using the assumption that the signals of all antenna faces , when expressed in decibels , are independent normally distributed random variables and that the cumulative interference experienced in cell j is also normally distributed , when expressed in decibels 9 !. let where ## equ17 ## if μ l the mean of the cumulative interfence l in cell j , expressed in decibels σ l 2 the variance of lμ p the mean of the power signal p in cell j , is expressed in decibels as σ p 2 the variance of p then , the mean and variance of y are given by : μ p , σ p 2 , and cov ( p , l ) may be calculated from analytical models , or estimated based on empirical data , which may accumulate during the operation of the system . μ l and σ l 2 , which vary with the composition of the set c , are computed in each step of the subprogram solution algorithm by a power - summing procedure . the statistical parameters employed in the power - summing computation may be calculated from analytical models , or estimated based on empirical data that may accumulate during the operation of the system . the process in which unused channels of one cell are borrowed by a cell needing added capacity is illustrated by the flowchart of fig9 . the process begins at terminal 901 and in block 903 the instructions call for a periodic measurement of traffic distribution . the instructions of the block 905 replicate the above described computation for computing channel assignment or any other method for computing channel assignments . the occurrence of a channel request on one of the cells as shown in block 907 may find that cell fully subscribed . the decision block 909 determines if there is an available channel from those already assigned to the cell . if there is one , it is assigned to the channel request provided the interference and other system constraints are satisfied . then , the flow proceeds to block 911 whose instructions assign the call to the free channel and the assignment process ends in terminal 919 . if all channels assigned to the cell are busy within the cell , or borrowed by other cells , the flow proceeds to block 913 , which determines if there is a free channel , not assigned to the cell , that would meet a all interference , system , and reservation requirements if assigned to the channel request . if there is one , the flow proceeds to block 915 , whose instructions assign the call to the free channel and the assignment process ends in terminal 919 . when a channel becomes available a process , illustrated in fig1 , controls the disposal of the borrowed channel . the process begins in start terminal 951 and in block 953 which recognizes the termination or handoff of a call . the instructions of decision block 955 inquire if the released channel is a borrowed channel . if it is , the flow terminates in the end terminal 961 . if it is not , the decision block 957 inquires if there is another call in the cell using a borrowed channel . the flow ends in the absence of such a call . if a borrowed channel is being used , the call on that channel is transferred to the released channel as shown in block 959 . the flow process terminates in the end terminal 961 . the interference constraint checked in channel use and reservation decisions is similar to the interference constraint in equation ( 6 ), and its equivalent constraints ( 15 ) and ( 18 ), but with the following differences . the set c is the replaced by the set c &# 39 ; consisting of the cells actually using the channel when compliance is checked . the confidence level 1 - α is replaced by 1 - α &# 39 ;, which would be typically higher . for example , α could be 0 . 50 while α &# 39 ; would be 0 . 10 . finally the probability distribution may be conditional on the observed signal strengths of the interfering and serving signals if their values are available . that is , if the observed serving signal strength of a call requesting a channel in cell j is s j &# 39 ;, and the interfering signal strengths are i ij &# 39 ; for i ε c &# 39 ;, then the following interference constraint is checked before using the channel in cell j : ## equ18 ## otherwise , the same ( marginal ) probability distribution would be used as in constraints ( 6 ), ( 15 ), and ( 18 ), but with α &# 39 ; and c &# 39 ;. c &# 39 ; will include any cells that may have reserved the channel in question for their own use . a channel assignment is recomputed when the observed offered loads are significantly higher in some cells so as to cause blocking rates in excess of the target values , based on which the channel assignment was computed . a record of the number of blocked and successful calls ( or channel requests ) is retained for a time interval , thus obtaining an estimate of the load offered to the cell . if the observed offered load is outside a statistically significant range of the offered load used to compute the channel assignments , the channel assignment optimization is invoked to compute a new channel assignment . otherwise , the present assignment is maintained . channel reservation helps the system approach the optimal channel assignment . a simple example of determining the number of reserved channels in real time would be to make this number reflect the deviation between anticipated and realized offered loads . if there is no change in anticipated offered loads since the last channel assignment calculation , the number of reserved channels plus the number of busy channels owned by a cell would be less than the number of channels assigned to the cell .	7
in the embodiment of fig1 the cross - section of an optical cable is shown , which comprises a buffer tube 1 , containing a number of optical fibers 2 , surrounded by a sheath 3 . typically the optical fibers 2 are loosely housed within the buffer tube 1 , so that substantially no mechanical coupling is between fibers and buffer tube , thereby preventing a load applied to the buffer tube from being transmitted to the fibers . preferably , the buffer tube 1 is made of a thermoplastic polymer such as polybutylene terephthalate ( pbt ). the sheath 3 can be advantageously made of polyethylene , preferably high density polyethylene ( hdpe ). two diametrically opposed strength members 4 are embedded in the sheath 3 . in the embodiment of fig1 , each of strength members 4 can be made in the form of a strand of metallic wires ( e . g . brass plated steel wires ). alternatively , if a dielectric cable is desired , the strength members 4 can be dielectric , such as rods of glass or aramid fibers reinforced resin , as shown in fig3 with reference 4 a . the cable shown in fig1 is a “ central loose tube cable ”, intended for use as a drop cable , for example as final link connecting a main optical line of an optical network to a customer &# 39 ; s premise . this kind of cable can be installed either as an aerial or underground cable . typically , with a cable having outer sheath diameter of about 6 mm and a buffer tube of outer diameter of about 2 . 2 mm , a minimum sheath thickness of about 1 . 0 mm over the strength members is preferred , particularly in case metallic strength members are used , both for the mechanical resistance of the sheath and to ensure electric insulation when the cable is used as an aerial cable , in order to prevent electric voltage from arcing across to the metallic strength members when the cable comes into contact with live aerial electricity conductors . in such case , it is important to ensure a sheath thickness between the metallic strength members and the closest contact point that the electricity conductor can get thick enough to prevent electrical arching . in the example , the nominal cable sheath thickness , across the plane “ f ” of the metallic strength members 4 is about 1 . 9 mm . different sizes and thickness can be used in other embodiments , for example when higher or smaller number of fibers is required in the buffer tube , or in case higher or lower tensile loads are to be faced , etc . additional protecting elements can also be used , in case further protection is required . in any event , in order to maximize the tensile performance of the cable it is important that all the cable components ( except the fibers , when the cable is made with the so - called “ loose design ”) work as one and that there is no relative slippage between the central buffer tube , the strength members and the cable sheath . when the cable reaches the user &# 39 ; s premise , the sheath and the strength members are no more required and the buffer tube is sufficient for providing the required protection to the optical fibers for the last length of connection . accordingly , the cable sheath and the strength members embedded therein must be removed . in order to remove the cable sheath from around the buffer tube , two longitudinal cuts are typically made along the cable sheath , in an area between the strength members in order to ensure that the cuts go through to the outside of the central loose tube . the cutting process is schematically shown in fig4 , 5 . at the required distance from the cable end , after a convenient mark has been made on the cable sheath , the cable is circumferentially cut down to the strength members 4 , with a blade 5 , or a suitable circumferential cutter . subsequently , a cutting tool , preferably a suitably designed stripper 6 ( not shown in detail and schematically exemplified in the drawing by a couple of diametrically opposite cutter blades ) is slipped onto the cable sheath 3 ensuring that the blades or stripper cutters 6 are at 90 ° to the wire strength members , up to the circumferential cut , then the blades or the stripper 6 are pulled along the cable sheath 3 towards the cable end , obtaining two longitudinal cuts along the sheath 3 for its whole thickness . finally , as shown in fig5 , the two halves of the cable sheath 3 are separated until the circumferential cut , exposing the buffer tube 1 containing the optical fibres 2 . thereafter the two halves of the cable sheath 3 , together with the steel wires of the strength members 4 are carefully cut away , leaving the buffer tube 1 ready for assembly into a joint or termination point . as the longitudinal cut operation may either cause a damage to the buffer tube 1 or be difficult because of the depth of the sheath 3 to be cut , in order to facilitate the operation a non - bonding separation element 7 ( or , preferably , a couple of diametrically opposed non - bonding separation elements 7 ) is provided between the buffer tube 1 and the sheath 3 , laying in an axial plane “ e ” ( see fig1 ) these separation elements 7 reduce the radial thickness of the cable sheath 3 in correspondence with the longitudinal cut line b and thereby reduce the resistance to the stripper blades 6 . in addition , a possible error in the cut depth does not cause the blades 6 to contact and damage the buffer tube 1 , but only a portion of the thickness of the separation elements 7 . preferably , the height h 2 of the separation elements 7 ( in the radial direction ) from the outer surface of the buffer tube 1 is of from 20 to 80 % of the sheath thickness , such as to leave a solid portion h 1 of sheath 3 ( see fig1 ) of about 80 to 20 % of the sheath thickness h , depending on the cable size and intended use , in order to both maintain a sufficient strength of the sheath and facilitate the longitudinal cutting operation . the width of the separation elements 7 is preferably such that allows a sufficient tolerance in the angular alignment of the plane “ e ” of the longitudinal cutting blades . such plane should theoretically be at 90 ° with the plane containing the axes of the strength members 4 , but in case of manual operation a certain amount of angular displacement can be accepted . in practice , the width of the separation elements 7 is preferably such to correspond to an angle w of from 30 to 120 °, ( symmetrically arranged with respect to the plane “ e ”) in order not to excessively reduce the contact surface between the buffer tube 1 and the sheath 3 and not to interfere with the strength members 4 . the separation elements 7 are “ non - bonding ”, being made of a material which does not stick or adhere to the cable sheath , so that the sheath can be easily detached from the separation elements 7 . if required , a non - sticking agent can be applied over the surface of the separation elements 7 . alternatively , non - bonding separation elements 7 can be made of a material having a low tear resistance such not to cause resistance when the cut sheath is removed from the buffer tube 1 , thereby causing no bonding between the sheath 3 and the buffer tube 1 . preferably , separation elements 7 are made of non - metallic material , such as aramid ( aromatic polyamide ) or glass yarns ( preferably not impregnated with a polymerized resin ). preferably , the material of separation elements 7 has a higher melting point than that of the cable sheath material , so that it is not damaged or altered during the extrusion process of the sheath 3 nor is subject to a bonding to the sheath because of its partial melting or softening during extrusion . in case the separation elements 7 are made of a material having a significant tensile strength , they may contribute to the increase in the tensile force that the cable can be subjected to ( or allow a corresponding reduction in the size of the strength members ). the reduction in radial thickness of the sheath at the cutting point ensures a decrease in the force required to pull the cable stripper along the cable ; if the reduction in radial thickness of the sheath was to be made on the outside of the cable resulting in an oval cable then : the cable would be subject to an increased chance of ‘ galloping ’ ( low frequency , high amplitude ) when subjected to a crosswind , it would be difficult to design a tension clamp with which to fix the cable to the pole , the electrical performance of the cable would be reduced ; the introduction of non - bonding material such as aramid / glass yarns into the cable can result in an increase in the tensile strength of the cable ; the use of a non - bonding material such as aramid / glass yarns ensures that the cable sheath does not stick thereto and ease the removal of the sheath ; because some of the cable sheath is still in contact with the buffer tube there is no ‘ slip layer ’ between the two thus maintaining the tensile / optical performance of the cable . as shown in the embodiment of fig2 , the identification of the proper plane for performing the longitudinal cut of the sheath 3 can be facilitated by a couple of longitudinal grooves 8 , aligned in a plane “ g ” at 90 ° with the plane “ f ” containing the strength members 4 , i . e . in the plane “ e ” ( of fig1 ) where the separation elements 7 are arranged . in case the separation elements 7 and the grooves 8 cannot lay in the same plane ( either for technical reasons or because of manufacturing tolerances ), the groove containing plane “ g ′” can be arranged at an angle α with the plane “ e ” smaller than ½ of the angle “ w ” covered by the separation elements 7 . the grooves 8 can be made during the manufacture of the cable sheath 3 . preferably , the depth of the grooves may be approximately 0 . 5 mm . however , deeper or shallower grooves may be used , depending on the specific cable design and size . the grooves 8 have the benefit of properly identifying the position where the longitudinal cuts have to be made in order to strip the cable sheath 3 . also , they contribute to reduce the radial thickness of the cable sheath 3 , thus making easier to pull the longitudinal stripper 6 along the cable . the manufacturing process involves laying the cable elements together and extruding the cable sheath around them . within the extruder cross - head , where the sheath material is formed around the cable elements , is an extrusion die . by designing the die to the shape of the cable longitudinal grooves will be formed into the cable sheath .	6
in magneto - optic recording of information on a moving medium having magneto - optic materials previously deposited on it , a basic system requires elements to emit intense light , to polarize this emitted light preferentially , to guide the polarized light to and from the magneto - optic surface while placing the emitted and returned beam or beams of light in the desired locations and a method of analyzing the returned light for information content . fig1 schematically shows the entire construction of a magneto - optical recording and reading apparatus using the basic system of this invention . an integrated optical head 100 is provided to emit light toward a moving medium 102 ( e . g ., on a disk ) via an optical system 104 and to receive light reflected from the medium 102 via the optical system 104 . an implementation of such an optical device is presented in the fig2 . this optical device relies on the majority of the functions being fabricated on one or more substrates of integrated optical circuits . the figure shows the implementation of all functions except laser and detector devices on one integrated circuit . however , it would be possible to separate the various or several circuits if advantages were present in doing so . for instance , it may be desirable to have all the lasers on one circuit and the other components on another circuit , permitting fabrication of devices of similar technologies on one chip . referring to fig2 four laser sources 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 are shown disposed on a surface adjacent to that of a substrate 10 . light from laser source 11 is used for reading information from the medium . light from laser sources 12 and 13 is used for tracking and focusing of tracks ( e . g ., grooves ) of the medium . light from laser source 14 is used to write information onto the disk . it is not necessary for all four lasers to be of the same emitted wavelength . in fact , it may be advantageous for laser sources 12 and 13 to be of one wavelength and laser sources 11 and 14 to be of a different wavelength . considering first the light from laser source 11 , it is directed to an area 20 through a waveguide 22 formed on the substrate 10 by a known method . the area 20 consists of a waveguide polarizer or a first polarizing controller having two electrodes 24 and 26 attached to a periodic structure . electrodes 24 and 26 are driven by voltages - v1 and + v1 . the periodicity of the periodic structure is proportional to the wavelength of the laser light from the laser source 11 . the two electrodes are connected to opposite voltage polarities , the magnitude of which is determined by the length of the electrodes in the direction of the propagation of the laser light and the degree of polarization desired . several previous references have used this method of polarization . an alternate method of polarization uses waveguides that are considered &# 34 ; leaky &# 34 ; to one direction of polarization in a sense that of the two orthogonal polarization components , one is made to diffuse into the area around the waveguides while the other polarization component is confined and propagates with a much lower relative loss to the end of the waveguide . either of these two or other polarizing methods can be used here . at point a , the light from the laser source 11 could be randomly polarized , and at point b , the light is polarized to a high degree along one direction of polarization . light at point b is sent along waveguide sections to the point c where it is emitted from the substrate 10 . waveguide section b - c - d has a branching waveguide 28 ( see fig3 ) and is designed to be polarization preserving in that light originating at b is propagated to point c with the same polarization vector and light arriving at point c from a source external to the substrate 10 is propagated to point d maintaining a polarization vector identical to that arriving at point c . light is returned to point c by reflection from the magneto - optic material . on arriving at c , the light is guided to point d . different magneto - optic materials rotate the polarization vector of the incident light by different amounts . irrespective of the amount of polarization rotation , the proposed method can be used to detect the presence of polarization rotation . an area 30 consists of a waveguide polarization rotator or a second polarizing controller having two electrodes 32 and 34 attached to a periodic structure . electrodes 32 and 34 are driven by voltages - v5 and + v5 . light arriving at the area 30 , passes through the waveguide polarization rotator . the operation of this polarization rotator is similar to that given for the polarizer of area 20 mentioned above . however , the purpose of this particular polarization rotator is to rotate the incoming light polarization by a fixed amount . unless symmetrical differential detection is applied , the rotation angle may be another value , but not 45 degrees . to simplify the explanation , all other detection methods except symmetrical differential detection will not be discussed here . the length of the electrodes 32 and 34 and the voltages - v5 and + v5 are set accordingly to obtain this polarization amount . for the two information states present on the magnetic media , designated &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; states , which are the result of the magnetic orientation of the magneto - optical material , light arriving at point e has a polarization vector of 44 degrees ( light negatively rotated by media , &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; state ) or 46 degrees ( light positively rotated by media , &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; state ). to simplify the explanation , the rotation angle of polarization vector by media is assumed to be 1 degree here . as an alternate method to using polarizing controllers , fig4 illustrates an embodiment where the laser source 111 is attached to the input waveguide 22 at an angle of 45 degrees . such a construction eliminates the need for the first polarizing controller 20 shown in fig2 . it is necessary when using such a scheme that the laser source 111 be constructed to yield essentially all output along a particular angle of polarization , a technique that can be achieved since most diode lasers emit polarized light . if the polarization angle of the laser light is other than strictly te or tm modes , then the laser is attached to the waveguide such that the resultant output is at 45 degrees . note that when using this method , the second polarizing controller 30 shown in fig2 could be entirely eliminated . whichever method is used from the above two , the light arriving at point e needs to have its polarization vector oriented at either 44 or 46 degrees , dependent on the state of the magnetic domain being read on the magneto - optic media . next , the actual methods of detecting the state of information present on the magneto - optical media are presented . for this method , the sections of waveguides e - f and e - g are polarization selecting waveguides 36 . this kind of waveguide can be obtained by making a mode splitter with metal cladding on one of the waveguides . these sections split the light at e into two paths , each of which preferentially guides one of the two orthogonal polarization components of light designated as the te and tm modes . light arriving at point f contains only the te component of light at point e and light arriving at point g contains only the tm component of light at point e . of course , the te and tm modes could be reversed in location . fig5 shows an example of the mode splitter 40 . a waveguide 42 corresponds to part of the section of waveguide d - e - g and has an effective index relative to the guided mode which is equal to that of a waveline guide 41 . one end section of the waveguide 41 is disposed in close proximity to the waveguide 42 , and the power of light propagated in the waveguide 42 is able to transmit to the waveguide 41 in a ratio of 100 %. then , when a metal cladding 44 is provided on the end section of the waveguide 41 , the effective index of the guided tm mode changes remarkably . consequently the coupling in the tm mode disappears and only the te component transmits to the waveguide 41 . the light at points f and g will have substantially the same magnitude if the input light beam is polarized at 45 degrees . this is because the overall polarization vector of light will be equally split among the two polarizing waveguides . for the &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; state of information , the light arriving at point e will be rotated 44 or 46 degrees , respectively . light will be split into unequal amplitudes along paths e - f and e - g , resulting in unequal amplitudes at points f and g . detectors 51 and 52 are of identical construction and sense the amplitude of light incident upon them . light is coupled to these detectors by substrate guiding or by radiation . information content is detected by comparing the relative amplitudes of signals from the detectors 51 and 52 . adjustments by external components connected to these detectors can be made to account for the differences in relative amplitude of the two detectors when sensing light of equal amplitude , a condition that could arise from construction differences . detectors 51 and 52 could be electrically biased if necessary to achieve the speed of detection necessary for information discrimination at high speeds . for tracking and focusing the grooves of a magneto - optic medium on a rotating disk , a method of illumination and detection of reflected light is required . this is accomplished by two identical laser - waveguide - detector combinations 12 , 62 , 64 , 53 , 54 and 13 , 66 , 68 , 55 , 56 . light is emitted by a laser source 12 and guided to a splitter at point h . light branches into two separate waveguides 62 and 64 . from here light is emitted at two points j1 and j2 located at the edge of the substrate 10 . it is sent to the moving medium 102 to be incident on it . similarly , light is emitted by a laser source 13 and guided to a splitter at point h &# 39 ;. light branches into two separate wave guides 66 and 68 . from here light is emitted at two points j3 and j4 located at the edge of the substrate 10 . it is sent to the moving medium 102 to be incident on it . light reflected from the medium and received at points j1 and j2 is guided to points k1 and l1 and then to k2 and l2 and detectors 53 and 54 , respectively . as shown , points j1 and j2 are spaced along a direction in which light is entered from outside of the substrate , as well as along a perpendicular direction . light reflected from the medium and received at points j3 and j4 is guided to points k1 &# 39 ; and l1 &# 39 ; and then to k2 &# 39 ; and l2 &# 39 ; and detectors 55 and 56 , respectively . as shown , points j3 and j4 are spaced along a direction in which light is entered from outside of the substrate , as well as along a perpendicular direction . detectors 53 and 56 are used for focus detection and detectors 54 and 55 are used for tracking detection . each detector measures the amplitude of the light detected . the spot size of the light emitted from points j1 , j2 , j3 , and j4 is identical . the offset in distance from j1 to j4 is used to derive a focus error signal and to drive an appropriate mechanism for correction . as is evident from the reading system using three light . spots described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 876 , 842 , all emitting ends of the waveguides are not necessarily aligned on the same plane . thus , for tracking , the two emitting ends j2 and j3 for emitting tracking detection light from laser sources 12 and 13 are preferably offset by predetermined amounts relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the thickness of the substrate . in this embodiment , at least one substrate ( not shown ) is provided at the right side of the substrate 10 for supporting the elements 11 - 14 and 51 - 56 . this substrate is provided with means for optically connecting each of the elements to the corresponding waveguide of the substrate 10 . the laser - waveguide - detector combinations 12 , 62 , 64 , 53 , 54 and 13 , 66 , 68 , 55 , 56 are used to track grooves and to focus on areas of the surface of the medium so as to allow reading and writing information in the correct areas of a disk . not shown in the drawings are the method of moving the device containing the integrated optical elements in response to the tracking error signal received at the tracking detectors and the method of moving the device to focus the light beams onto the magneto - optic media . another embodiment of the optical device is shown in fig6 . laser sources 211 - 214 and detectors 251 - 256 are disposed on a substrate 210 . the laser source 211 is powered via electrodes connected to a current source designated by the voltage v2 . the laser sources 212 and 213 are respectively powered by the voltage sources v3 and v4 , and the source 214 is powered by voltage source v6 . light from the laser source 211 is to be used for reading information from the medium light from 212 and 213 is used for tracking and focusing , respectively , and light from 214 is for writing information onto the medium . each of waveguides and electrodes is fabricated using semiconductor manufacturing technology , and each of the laser sources and detectors is fixed on the substrate at the end portion of the corresponding waveguide . other construction and operation of this embodiment are similar to the embodiment in fig2 .	6
fig1 shows a rule - based storage clearance system . the system comprises video sources 101 , a logic unit 110 , a rule database 120 , a storage device 130 , and a user interface 140 . user interface 140 may be a software application stored on computer readable medium such as device 150 . sources 101 may be video cameras for recording a video clip . in one embodiment , sources 101 comprise closed - circuit television ( cctv ) cameras . the cctv cameras may be digital devices that may or may not have their own storage units . a digital cctv camera may be coupled to a computer ( not shown ) so as to temporarily store the recorded footage before transmitting to the storage server . the computer would be network - capable to transfer video footage to a storage server . alternatively , the cctv camera may be an ip camera having its own network capability . cameras 101 monitor a secure area , the secure area being defined by the range of the video camera . the secure area may be any physical area to be monitored , such as a room , enclosure , building , or complex of buildings . consequently , cameras 101 may be distributed in multiple secure areas . cameras 101 continuously or periodically monitor a secure area , and generate video footage . the video footage may further be divided into video clips , the video clips being tagged with information such as time and date or recording , location , source camera , and so on . the video footage and / or video clips are transmitted to a logic unit 110 that resides within a storage system or server . the storage system or server may be within the vicinity of cameras 101 , for instance , in or around the secure area . alternatively , the storage system or server may be part of a central monitoring station , and therefore in a remote location . in either case , if cameras 101 and the storage server are network - capable devices , they may communicate over a local , wide , cellular , or any equivalent network . the video footage may be streamed directly to the storage system , which identifies video clips from the video footage based on the tag or metadata information such as time / date , etc . alternatively , the video clips themselves may be tagged and separated before being transferred to the storage server . logic unit 110 within the storage server serves the purpose of assigning a priority to the video clip based on a plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters . the surveillance parameters include source parameters , media parameters , user parameters , and other parameters , and are individually assigned a weight . the source parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on characteristics of the video camera that recorded the video clip , media parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on the content of the video clip , and user parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on user - defined rules . if the video clip satisfies a certain combination of parameters , then the priority of the video clip is defined based on the combined weight of the parameters that apply . the parameters are described in more detail in fig2 . the logic unit 110 further comprises a deletion / archival algorithm , stored on a computer readable medium . this algorithm periodically reviews the priority of each video clip , and erases a low priority video clip that has been stored for a certain time , or that has exceeded its allocation of storage space . the time and space are determined by the priority of the video clip , and may be static values , or dynamically adjusting values . for instance , a video clip having a relatively lower priority may simply have a lower storage time relative to a higher priority video clip . thus , higher priority video clips are stored for longer than lower priority video clips . in another embodiment , the deletion / archival algorithm allocates a percentage of storage space for each video clip based on the priority of the video clip , and uses factors such as the age , quality , and other user - adjustable parameters to determine when to delete the video clip . in one embodiment , the time and / or space are dynamically adjusted for a video clip based on the priority of the video clip relative to the priorities of a plurality of subsequent or pre - existing video clips on the storage unit . for instance , the time may be set to a fixed value depending on the plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters for the video clip . alternatively , the time is dynamically adjusted based on the priority of the video clip relative to the priorities of a plurality of video clips . the video clip is deleted or archived when the time expires . the surveillance system further comprises an archive unit for storing the archived video clip . the archive may reside on a remote server in communication with the logic unit and storage units . the system further includes rule database 120 that contains a record for each video clip , as well as parameters assigned to the video clip . the user - adjustable parameters are recorded in the rule database , as are the user - defined rules and conditions described below . further , storage unit 130 is used to store the video clips . in addition , there may be a remote archive storage unit for archiving old video clips . the surveillance system further comprises a user interface 140 stored on a computer readable medium , and accessible via a computer 150 in communication with the video cameras , logic unit , and storage unit . a user is provided with a plurality of adjustable parameters that determine how the storage is to be managed . via the user interface , the weight for each of these parameters can be adjusted and take effect in real - time . the user interface may be physically coupled to and proximate to the logic unit 110 and databases 120 , 130 , or may be accessed from a remote location , such as a control panel or a central monitoring station . fig2 shows an exemplary user interface for adjusting surveillance parameters , according to an embodiment of the present invention . a user interface 200 provides a plurality of configuration options 210 such as “ source , transfer , storage , and miscellaneous .” a user selects “ storage management ” and is presented with sub - options 220 . these allow the user to tweak the effect of various static and dynamic parameters on the recycling / archiving process and are grouped into categories . for instance , the user may be presented with the following options 220 for storage management : “ source parameters , clip parameters , user parameters , individual parameters ” and so on . in “ source parameters ” 230 , the user can set up dynamic storage management by adjusting the weights of the various parameters related to the source of the video clip , such as the location of the camera ( s ) and / or the control panel controlling the camera ( s ). for instance , the user may specify a priority weight for a particular source camera . this could further lead into allocating storage space or time period per source based on the priority of the source . in a museum , a camera monitoring a valuable piece in an exhibit room would have a higher weight than the camera monitoring the restrooms . similarly , in “ media parameters ,” the user can adjust storage management rules based on factors related to the actual content of the footage . a motion - sensing camera may be given higher weight or may be allowed to remain on the storage unit for a longer time than a normal camera . alternatively , two motion - sensing cameras are given the same weight until one of them actually senses a motion , in which case the other camera takes a lower priority weight and that footage may be deleted earlier . video clips of a higher quality or resolution may be allocated more or less space , depending on the user &# 39 ; s preference . erasing high - quality video clips and retaining low - quality video clips would maximize the storage space available for many clips . the age of the video clip is another factor that could be taken into account . if the priority of the video clip affects not the time period for storage , but a space allocation , then older clips could be allocated smaller amounts of space , until they are deleted to make room for new younger clips . other media - related parameters will be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art . in “ user parameters ,” the user can define storage management rules based on attributes or “ bookmarks ” that a user has placed on the footage . these may include priority bookmarks , instructions , etc . that may not be related to source or media attributes but are still effective when it comes to determining whether or not to delete / archive the footage . for instance , footage may be tagged at the source as being low - priority on a day off or when the museum is closed . footage may be tagged for late deletion or being exempt from archiving if a user has reason to believe the footage may be useful at a later date . similarly , the user can define events associated with one or more video clips . for instance , the user could set up a rule to monitor the “ status ” of the video clip , or how often the video clip has been accessed or edited . a video clip that is regularly accessed may be part of an investigation , and is thus afforded higher priority . correlation can be defined in a similar way : if two or more clips undergo similar operations such as being tagged or bookmarked for archival or extended storage , similarly correlated video clips can be allocated the same priority . this option allows the user to define how a clip is related to other clips , other sources , or external events , and thus adjust storage management based on these relations . for instance , the low - priority holiday “ bookmark ” above can be automated by correlating a source with a calendar of events at that source . the museum cameras all go into low - priority mode on pre - designated holidays at that museum . similarly , multiple cameras that would otherwise be unrelated can be correlated based on an event or feature that the cameras have in common . a plurality of cameras along a city street can be switched into high - priority mode ( thus remaining stored for a longer time , or being allocated more storage space ) during an event such as a parade . this would dynamically group together video clips having similar attributes , and assign them the same priority . individual parameters 260 provide a means to adjust all the parameters for an individual video clip or user - defined group of video clips . once a clip is selected , the user is presented with options to adjust the overall priority of the clip , and to define and adjust priority for events and correlation parameters linked to the video clip . further , the user can select whether or not to archive the clip instead of or prior to deletion . in another exemplary embodiment , the present invention is a method for managing memory in a surveillance system , the method comprising assigning a priority to a video clip recorded by a video camera , and storing the video clip for a time proportional to the priority of the video clip . fig3 shows the method , according to this exemplary embodiment . a source , such as the cctv camera in fig1 , records video footage of a secure area ( step 301 ). as described herein , the video footage may further comprise video clips based on time of day or the type of secure area covered . the method further comprises providing a plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters for the video clip ( step 303 ), wherein adjusting of one of said plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters further modifies the priority of the video clip ( step 305 ). the plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters comprises any combination of source parameters , media parameters , user parameters , and event / correlation parameters , all of which are stored in a rule database ( step 307 ). the source parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on characteristics of the video camera that recorded the video clip , media parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on the content of the video clip , and user parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on user - defined rules . a user interface on a computer in communication with the video camera and any logic units and storage units includes the ability to define the user parameters in step 303 and to adjust the plurality of adjustable parameters . based on the priority of the video clip , a lifetime or time period is assigned to the video clip ( step 309 ). the time may be a fixed value depending on the plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters for the video clip , or may be dynamically adjusted based on the priority of the video clip relative to the priorities of a plurality of video clips . the video clip is stored ( step 311 ), and the time period is taken into account by the logic unit during scheduled maintenance . for instance , the logic unit periodically undergoes a recycling mechanism ( step 313 ), whereby any video clip that has exceeded its lifetime , or the time period , is erased or archived ( step 315 ), depending on the rules in the rule database . if the time period has not expired , the video clip remains on the storage unit ( reverting back to step 311 ). the video clip is deleted or archived when the time expires . thus , the present invention provides a user with the ability to configure storage rules dynamically , on the fly , and to influence the recycling logic and archiving logic of the storage system at any time . this provides flexibility and control to the configuration process , helping users to manage the storage space dynamically , and preventing waste of space . while preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described using specific terms , such description is for illustrative purposes only , and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims .	6
in the following detailed description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present invention . however , those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details , that the present invention is not limited to the depicted embodiments , and that the present invention may be practiced in a variety of alternative embodiments . in other instances , well known methods , procedures , and components have not been described in detail . further , various operations may be described as multiple discrete steps performed in a manner that is helpful for understanding embodiments of the present invention . however , the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations need be performed in the order they are presented , or that they are even order dependent . moreover , repeated usage of the phrase “ in an embodiment ” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment , although it may . lastly , the terms “ comprising ,” “ including ,” “ having ,” and the like , as used in the present application , are intended to be synonymous unless otherwise indicated . electrical generators use a prime mover and a generator to produce electrical power . synchronous generators operate at a speed that is locked to the grid frequency ( e . g . 60 hz ). if a grid load increases , the synchronous generator increases the amount of fuel burned by the prime mover to increase the mechanical power output by the prime mover . the increase in mechanical power results in an increase in the electrical power output by the generator . however , the speed of the synchronous generator continues to correspond to the grid frequency . often when a critical event occurs on a grid , such as when a number of generators fail , the electrical load on the remaining generators increases . the increase in the load may result in the lowering of the grid frequency . since the synchronous generator speed corresponds to the grid frequency , the generator speed will be reduced to output the lower grid frequency . asynchronous generators are not limited in speed by the frequency of the gird . if a load increases , and the frequency of the grid decreases , the speed of the generator may be increased . to increase the speed of the generator , the prime mover of the generator must accelerate the generator . the energy used to accelerate the generator results in a drop in the total power output by the generator during the acceleration . since the drop in frequency may be a result of a critical event on the gird ( i . e . the grid needs additional power from online generators ), the drop in total power output by the generator during acceleration is undesirable , and may contribute negatively to the critical event . fig1 includes a number of operating characteristics of examples of generators during an example of a critical grid event . the left column of graphs labeled “( a ) conventional generator ” illustrates an example of a response of a synchronous generator to a reduction of a grid frequency . the center column of graphs labeled “( b ) basic vfg ” illustrates an example of a response of a variable frequency generator ( vfg ) also called an asynchronous generator powered by a gas turbine engine prime mover . the right column titled “( c ) vfg with stabilizing ” includes graphs of a response of an exemplary embodiment of a vfg with grid stabilizing . referring to column ( a ), at a time 0 sec , the frequency of the synchronous generator is 1 pu . the speed of the generator is also 1 pu . the turbine power and total power output by the generator are 100 mw . slip represents the difference between the generator speed and the frequency of the electrical output . at approximately time 1 sec , the grid frequency ( not shown ) drops . the drop in the grid frequency may result after a critical event such as the failure of other generators that power the grid . the drop in grid frequency , results in the reduction in the frequency of the generator . since the generator is a synchronous generator , the speed of the generator is also reduced to match the grid . as the speed of the generator is reduced , inertial energy in the generator is converted into electrical power , the conversion results in a momentary increase in the total electrical power sent to the grid to approximately 120 mw and a decrease in the mechanical power output by the turbine . the increase in total power sent to the grid occurs until approximately time 3 sec . the momentary increase in total power to the grid due to the slowing of the generator is desirable because the increase may result lowering the effect of the critical event on the grid . at approximately time 3 sec , the generator frequency and speed reaches a lower new grid frequency of 0 . 95 pu , the speed of the generator remains constant 0 . 95 pu . since the speed of the synchronous generator must correspond to the grid frequency , the power output by the prime mover is limited by operating ratings of the prime mover . the total power output of the turbine remains below 100 mw . using a variable speed gas turbine as the prime mover of a generator allows the power output of the turbine to increase as the speed of the turbine increases . fig1 includes a center column of graphs labeled “( b ) basic vfg ” illustrates an example of the response of a variable frequency generator ( vfg ) also called an asynchronous generator powered by a gas turbine engine prime mover . referring to column ( b ) of fig1 , at a time 0 sec , the frequency of the asynchronous generator is 1 pu . the speed of the generator is approximately 0 . 97 pu . the turbine power and total power are 100 mw . the slip is constant at 0 . 03 pu . at approximately time 1 sec , the grid frequency ( not shown ) drops . responsive to the drop in grid frequency , the turbine speed increases to deliver more power to the grid . as the speed of the turbine increases , more fuel may be burned by the turbine thereby increasing the turbine power . the increase in speed and turbine power requires more mechanical energy to be delivered to the generator to overcome the inertia of the generator and accelerate the generator speed . the increase in mechanical energy delivered to the generator results in a momentary loss of total power output by the generator . the loss of total power output during the acceleration of the generator is illustrated in the graph titled “ total power ( mw )” in column ( b ). once the speed of the generator reaches 1 pu at approximately time 10 sec , the acceleration of the generator stops , and the speed remains constant . the resultant power from the turbine and the total power of the electrical generator remain constant above 100 mw . though the resultant total power output by the generator after the drop in grid frequency is greater than 100 mw , the momentary loss of total power output at the beginning of the drop in frequency is undesirable because the grid may need more power immediately following a drop in grid frequency to maintain the stability of the grid . fig2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a variable speed electrical generation system 100 including a gas turbine engine ( engine ) 102 linked to an asynchronous generator 104 that outputs power to an electrical grid . a controller 106 is communicatively linked to gas turbine engine 102 and the asynchronous generator 104 . the asynchronous generator 104 may also include an exciter ( not shown ) that may also be controlled by the controller 106 . the operation of an exemplary embodiment of the variable speed electrical generation system ( system ) 100 uses the controller 106 to control the operation of the engine 102 and the asynchronous generator 104 . the operation of the system 100 during an example of a drop in the grid frequency ( grid event ) is illustrated in fig1 in the right column titled “( c ) vfg with stabilizing .” referring to column ( c ) of fig1 , at a time 0 sec . the frequency of the asynchronous generator 104 is 1 pu . the speed of the asynchronous generator 104 is approximately 0 . 97 pu . the turbine power of the engine and total power output by the engine are 100 mw . the slip is constant at 0 . 03 pu . at approximately time 1 sec , the grid frequency ( not shown ) drops . responsive to the drop in grid frequency , the controller 106 directs the engine 102 and the asynchronous generator 104 to reduce speed . the reduction in speed results in a momentary increase in the total power output by the asynchronous generator 104 due to the conversion of inertial energy in the asynchronous generator 104 into electrical energy . in the illustrated embodiment , the total power increases to approximately 120 mw at time 1 sec and is reduced to approximately 95 mw at time 2 sec . at time 2 sec , the controller 106 increases the speed of the engine 102 and the asynchronous generator 104 . at time 12 sec , the speed of the asynchronous generator 104 is 1 . 00 pu and remains constant , and resultant turbine power and total power remain above 100 mw . fig3 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a control function that may be used to control the system 100 when the grid frequency suddenly drops . the function includes a filter 301 having a time constant , a gain k1 in block 303 , and a gain k2 in block 305 . the speed and frequencies in the function are in per unit of nominal where they each equal unity when the system 100 is running in sync with the grid and the grid is at the nominal frequency . in operation , a frequency feedback signal from the grid is filtered by the filter 301 . a filter time constant determines the duration of the temporary generator speed decrease in response to a sudden drop in the grid frequency . the filter 301 outputs a frequency filtered signal . the frequency filtered signal is subtracted from the frequency feedback signal resulting in a difference in frequency signal ( dfreq ). the dfreq signal is multiplied by the gain k2 in block 305 . the gain k2 determines how much the generator speed decreases temporarily in response to the sudden drop in the grid frequency . a reference speed signal is the desired speed of the generator when the grid is at nominal frequency and is in a steady state . the frequency filtered signal is subtracted from the reference speed signal and multiplied by the gain k1 in block 303 . the gain k1 determines how much speed increases in proportion to a drop in the grid frequency . the output of the gain k1 and gain k2 blocks 303 and 305 are added to result in a speed command signal that may be sent to the controller 106 ( in fig1 ). the operation of the system 100 incorporates the beneficial features of momentarily increasing the total power output by the asynchronous generator 104 responsive to a drop in grid frequency , and increasing the total power output once the speed of the engine 102 and asynchronous generator 104 are increased . the momentary increase in total power may contribute to grid stability by increasing the power on the grid at a critical time - during a drop in frequency . the system 100 further contributes to grid stability by operating at a higher speed and delivering more power to the grid once the frequency of the grid becomes constant . this written description uses examples to disclose the invention , including the best mode , and also to practice the invention , including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods . the patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims , and may include other examples . 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 .	7
referring to fig1 , there is shown a typical prior art testing system . the testing system includes an integrated circuit 1 having a plurality of cores 3 therein , each core having a tap 5 . each tap 5 is coupled to tlm 9 via an associated bus 7 . the tlm is coupled external of the integrated circuit to a tester 11 . the tlm 9 acts in the manner of a switch to select one of the taps 5 via one of the associated busses 7 to be connected to the tester . the tester 11 is coupled to the tlm 9 in accordance with the standard 1149 . 1 test interface to provide required test inputs to and outputs from a selected tap 5 via an associated bus 7 . while not shown , the tester also provides power and ground to power up the integrated circuit during testing . the taps 5 of each core 3 serve as the core &# 39 ; s test interface to the tlm 9 . when the tlm 9 forms a connection between the tester 11 and one of the core 3 taps 5 , the connected tap 5 is controlled by the tester 11 to serially communicate instruction and test data and to execute test operations . referring to fig2 , there is shown schematically and in more detail how multiple taps 1 - 4 can be connected to a tlm . tap 0 resides within the tlm . the tlm comprises first and second interfaces . the first interface is connected to the 1149 . 1 tdi , tck , tms , trst , tdo signals on the integrated circuits test pins . the second interface is connected to the 1149 . 1 tdi 1 - 4 , tms 1 - 4 , tdo 1 - 4 , tck 1 - 4 signals to each tap 1 - 4 . during test , the tdi , tdo , tms , and tck test pins will be connected to one of the taps 1 - 4 , via the tlm , to enable the tester 11 of fig1 to communicate with the tap . in this example , tap 1 is the tap connected to the test pins following power up of the integrated circuit or following activation of the trst signal . tap 1 serves as the integrated circuit &# 39 ; s tap and regulates the jtag boundary scan test operations of the integrated circuit . tap switching occurs by a tester , connected to the integrated circuit &# 39 ; s test pins , performing an augmented 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation through tap 1 and the tlm . following the augmented 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation , the tlm only is selected for scanning by an 1149 . 1 data scan operation to load a new tap connection configuration . following the 1149 . 1 data scan operation to the tlm , the new tap connection occurs and the tester accesses the new tap , say tap 2 , via the test pins . referring now to fig3 a and 3 b , the basic tlm concept of the present invention is seen depending upon augmenting all instruction scan operations by one or more bits using an augmentation instruction register within the tlm . in fig3 a and 3 b , tap 0 represents the tap within the tlm , tap 1 represent the integrated circuit tap , and taps 2 - 4 represent taps in cores . this simplified view of how taps are associated with the tlm &# 39 ; s augmentation instruction register illustrates ; ( 1 ) how 1149 . 1 data scan operations shift data through the selected tap &# 39 ; s data register to be passed to the integrated circuits tdo pin via the tlm , and ( 2 ) how 1149 . 1 instruction scan operations shift data through the selected tap &# 39 ; s instruction register and tlm &# 39 ; s augmentation instruction register prior to passing on the integrated circuits tdo pin . the difference between the embodiments of fig3 a and 3 b is that each tap in fig3 a has its own tlm augmentation instruction register , whereas , in fig3 b , a single tlm augmentation instruction register is shared by all taps . from inspection of fig3 a and 3 b , the concept of augmenting only instructions scan operations with an additional bit or bits is clearly seen . it is important to note that the arrangement of the taps and tlm in fig3 a and 3 b could be reversed to where 1149 . 1 data and instruction scan operations transmit through the tlm before transmitting though the taps without departing from the instruction augmentation concept set forth in the present invention . referring to fig4 , there is shown the tlm structure which is composed of a tap state machine 402 , a tlm decode 404 , a link shift register 406 , a link update register 408 , an augmentation instruction shift register ( aisr ) 410 , tlm instruction or data scan multiplexer 412 , tlm instruction or data scan multiplexer 414 , tdo 1 - 5 multiplexer 416 , and an optional tap tdi link configuration circuit 418 . tck 422 , tms 424 , tdi 426 , tdo 428 , and trst 438 signals are connected to test pins of the integrated circuit . tap state machine 402 is connected to the output of gate 430 for a receiving reset input . gate 430 has inputs for receiving a power up reset signal 437 from a power up reset circuit within the integrated circuit and a trst signal 438 from a test pin of the integrated circuit . tap state machine 402 also receives the tck 422 and tms 424 signals . tap state machine 402 outputs tap state signals 436 to the tlm decode 404 , a reset signal 440 to tlm decode 404 , link shift register 406 , and link update register 408 , and a tms gating signal 442 to gates 420 . tlm decode 404 receives the tap state signals 436 , control signal 433 from the aisr 410 , enable signals 434 from link update register 408 , and the reset signal 440 . tlm decode 404 outputs an ir - sel signal 448 to multiplexers 412 and 414 , a capture control signal 444 to aisr 410 , tdo - sel signal 446 to multiplexer 416 , update signal 450 to link update register 408 , and shift enable signals 452 to link shift register 406 . aisr 410 receives serial data output 456 from multiplexer 416 , capture , shift , update , and reset bus signals 444 from tlm decode 404 , and a parallel , fixed 1 and 0 signal input 454 . the aisr 410 outputs a serial data signal 458 to multiplexer 414 and an enable signal 433 to the tlm decode 404 . the aisr 410 responds to bus 444 to perform capture , shift , and update operations during all 1149 . 1 scan operations . link shift register 406 inputs tdi 426 , reset signal 440 , and shift enable signals 452 . link shift register 406 outputs data signal 460 to multiplexer 412 . update register 408 is coupled to receive data from link shift register 406 and inputs reset signal 440 , and update signal 450 . update register 408 outputs enable signals 434 to tlm decode 404 and optional configuration signals 462 to optional link configuration circuit 418 . multiplexer 412 receives data signal 460 from link shift register 406 and tdi signal 426 . multiplexer 412 outputs data 432 to multiplexer 416 . multiplexer 414 receives data signal 456 from multiplexer 416 and data signal 458 from aisr 410 . multiplexer 414 outputs data to tdo 428 . multiplexer 416 receives the taps tdo 1 - 4 outputs 430 and data output 432 from multiplexer 412 . multiplexer 416 outputs data 456 to multiplexer 414 . optional link configuration circuit 418 inputs tdi 426 , configuration control signals 462 , and tap tdo signals 430 . link configuration circuit 418 outputs tap tdi 1 - 4 signals 464 . the circuit 418 serves to programmably connect , in response to control signals 462 , tdi 426 to one of the tdi 1 - 4 tap inputs . to simplify the following description , it will be assumed that tdi 426 will be connected to all tdi 1 - 4 tap inputs . the whetsel paper and application ser . no . 08 / 918 , 872 describe use of tdi linking circuits like that of circuit 418 . the operational description of the fig2 and fig4 tlm circuits is best understood by initializing the tlm using a reset input from gate 430 . in response to the reset input , the tap state machine 402 is reset . when reset , tap state machine 402 outputs a reset signal 440 to reset the tlm decode 404 , link shift register 406 , link update register 408 , and all taps 1 - 4 connected to the tlm as shown in fig2 . the reset signal 440 also resets the aisr 410 via bus 444 to a code that is input to tlm decode 404 via signal 433 . following reset , link update register 408 outputs enable signals 434 to tlm decode 404 and enable tap 1 of fig2 to be the only tap , external of the tlm , enabled and connected to the test pins of the integrated circuit , via the tlm . the tlm &# 39 ; s tap state machine 402 ( tap 0 of fig2 ) is also enabled and connected to the test pins so that it can track the state of the test pins to know what 1149 . 1 operation is being performed . during an 1149 . 1 data scan operation , tap 1 receives control from tms 1 and tck 1 from the tlm to input data from tdi 426 and shift the data through a data register ( tap 1 &# 39 ; s bypass register ) to tap 1 &# 39 ; s tdo 1 output 430 . the tdo 1 output 430 passes through tlm multiplexers 416 and 414 to be output on tdo 428 . during this 1149 . 1 data scan operation , no data is input to the link shift register 406 from tdi 426 since the tlm decode 404 is disabled by the aisr 410 reset code input 433 from responding to tap state machine 402 control bus 436 to output shift enable signals 452 to the link shift register 406 . during an 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation , tap 1 receives control from tms 1 and tck 1 from the tlm to input data from tdi 426 and shift the data through its instruction register to tap 1 &# 39 ; s tdo 1 output 430 . the tdo 1 output 430 passes through multiplexers 416 to be input to aisr 410 , is shifted through aisr 410 to be output on tdo 428 , via multiplexer 414 . during this 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation the need to add bits to the 1149 . 1 instruction scan frame is seen from the fact that the aisr 410 lies in series with the tap 1 instruction register . with a two bit shift register aisr 410 , as shown in this example , two bits will be added or augmented to the length of the instruction scan frame to allow shifting a two bit code into the aisr 410 during instruction scan operations . prior art 1149 . 1 instruction or data scan operations comprise the steps of capturing data into an instruction or data register , shifting data through an instruction or data register , and updating data from an instruction or data registers . during the above mentioned instruction scan operation , the aisr 410 captures a two bit 10 input 454 code , then performs the shift and update steps . this two bit 10 input code enables the aisr to output a leading 1 then 0 bit during the shift step to be compatible with what conventional 1149 . 1 instructions register must output to comply with the 1149 . 1 standard . thus the two bit 10 input code is provided for compatibility with 1149 . 1 . if 1149 . 1 did not have this initial 1 then 0 bit shift out requirement , the asir 410 could be implemented as a single bit shift register . the two bits shifted into the aisr 410 during the above mentioned 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation must provide at least two codes , a tap scan code and a tlm scan code . the tap scan code operates to enable scan operations through the currently selected tap from tdi 426 to tdo 428 , and disable scan operations through the tlm &# 39 ; s link update register from tdi 426 to tdo 428 . the tlm scan code operates to enable scan operations through the tlm &# 39 ; s link shift register from tdi 426 to tdo 428 and disable scan operations through the currently selected tap from tdi 426 to tdo 428 . during reset , the aisr 410 is reset to the tap scan code and the link update register 408 is reset to connect tap 1 to the test pins . the reset condition of aisr 410 and link update register 408 are input to tlm decode 404 via busses 433 and 434 , respectively , for decoding . if , following the above mentioned 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation , the aisr 410 was loaded with a tap scan code , no change would occur in the tlm or in the current selection of tap 1 being the tap connected to the integrated circuits test pins . if a tap scan code was loaded , the above described 1149 . 1 data and instruction scan access operations of tap 1 could be repeated . however , if the aisr 410 was loaded with a tlm scan code during the above mentioned 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation , the following tlm changes would occur . first , scan access to the currently selected tap 1 would be disabled by the tck 1 - 4 and tms 1 - 4 outputs of gates 470 and 420 , respectively , being gated low by tcken 468 and tmsen 1 - 4 signals 466 from the tlm decode 404 . second , scan access to the link shift register 406 and link update register 408 would be enabled by the shift enable signals 452 and update signal 450 from tlm decode 404 . these changes in the tlm would occur in response to the instruction register update step which occurs at the end of the above mentioned 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation . assuming a tlm scan code were loaded into the aisr 410 , a subsequent 1149 . 1 data register scan operation would cause the tap state machine 402 to output control 436 to cause control 452 to enable data on tdi 426 to be shifted through link shift register 406 to tdo 428 , via multiplexers 412 , 416 , and 414 . following this data shift operation , update control on bus 436 from tap state machine 402 will cause control 450 from tlm decode 404 to update data shifted into the link shift register 406 into the link update register 408 . following the update operation , the enable outputs 434 from the link update register are input to the tlm decode 404 to bring about a new desired tap connection arrangement to the integrated circuits test pins . also , in response to the update operation the aisr is reset via bus 444 to contain the tap scan code to enable the new tap connection arrangement to be immediately available for 1149 . 1 instruction and data scan operations , via the test pins . if , while the aisr 410 contained the above mentioned tlm scan code , an 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation were performed instead of an 1149 . 1 data register scan operation , data on tdi 426 would pass through multiplexers 412 and 416 to be shifted through the aisr 410 and output to tdo 428 , via multiplexer 414 . in this case the current tlm configuration would be maintained , since the link shift and update registers do not receive data register scan control on the shift enable 452 and update 450 control signals to shift and update data from tdi 426 and tdo 428 . since the aisr 410 is included in the tdi 426 and tdo 428 path through the tlm during instruction scans , it can be loaded with either a tlm or tap scan code . if a tap scan code is loaded into the aisr 410 , the current tap configuration is again available for 1149 . 1 scan access , via the integrated circuits test pins . during instruction scan operations with the aisr containing a tlm scan code , the taps 1 - 4 are disabled and do not respond to the instruction scan operation , as mentioned above for data register scan operations with the aisr 410 containing the tlm scan code . if desired an instruction register may be implemented in the tlm in place of directly wiring tdi 426 to input 1 of multiplexer 412 . if implemented , the instruction register &# 39 ; s input is connected to the node where tdi 426 inputs to the linking shift register 406 and the instruction register &# 39 ; s output is connected to input 1 of multiplexer 412 , i . e . the instruction register will be in parallel with the linking shift register 406 . providing an instruction register in the tlm enables it to have instruction capabilities that may provide useful expanded tlm capabilities . it is important to note that other aisr codes may be defined for use by the tlm of the present invention . for example , a tlm scan code - a may be defined to modify the behavior of the tlm to where 1149 . 1 instruction scan operations , occurring while the aisr contains the tlm scan code - a , shifts instruction data through the currently selected tap instead of through the tlm as described above . in response to a tlm scan code - a , the tlm decode 404 would be configured to respond to 1149 . 1 instruction scan control outputs on bus 436 of tap state machine 402 to enable the appropriate tck 1 - 4 and tms 1 - 4 signals to perform the instruction scan operation on the currently selected tap . during the instruction scan operation , the link shift and update registers 406 and 408 are disabled by the tlm decode 404 . this mode of accessing the currently selected tap during 1149 . 1 instruction scan operations occurring when the tlm is selected for 1149 . 1 data scan operations is consistent with the way the tlm of the whetsel paper and patent application ser . no . 08 / 918 , 872 behaves . thus behavioral consistency is achieved between the two tlm types using a tlm scan code - a . when the tlm is updated with a new tap connection configuration , following the above mentioned data register scan operation , the newly selected tap , say tap 2 , is available for 1149 . 1 scan access via the test pins . the previously selected tap 1 is disabled from 1149 . 1 scan access . control input 446 to multiplexer 416 from tlm decode 404 will be set by the enable bus 434 output from link update register 408 to connect the tdo output of the newly selected tap , for example tdo 2 will be selected for tap 2 , tdo 3 for tap 3 , and tdo 4 for tap 4 . the above process of augmenting instruction scans to a currently selected tap to include a tlm scan code to be loaded into the aisr 410 can be repeated whenever a new tap connection to the test pins is required to meet a test or emulation access need . it is important to note that only 1149 . 1 instruction scan frames need to be augmented to include the aisr code , and not 1149 . 1 data scan frames . therefore , the present invention does not require modification of test data scan frames ( tdl ), which facilitates reuse of the test data scan frames . the basic function of the tlm of the present invention to control and access embedded taps within integrated circuits is very similar to the tlm described in the whetsel paper and patent application ser . no . 08 / 918 , 872 . the novelty introduced by the tlm of the present invention lies in its use of an aisr 410 and the augmentation of instruction scan frames to include the aisr 410 codes . the tlm of the whetsel paper and patent application ser . no . 08 / 918 , 872 used additional tap communication signals , referred to as select and enable signals , to achieve control and access of embedded taps . the tlm of fig4 does not require use of these additional tap signals . thus the tlm of fig4 may be used with standard , non - modified 1149 . 1 taps . the tlm of the present invention provides a process for changing tap connections comprising the steps of ; ( 1 ) performing an 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation augmented with a code for accessing the tlm , ( 2 ) performing an 1149 . 1 data scan operation to load the tlm with a new tap connection configuration , and ( 3 ) performing 1149 . 1 instruction and data scan operations on the new tap connection . though the invention has been described with reference to a specific preferred embodiment thereof , many variations and modifications will immediately become apparent to those skilled in the art . it is therefore the intention that the appended claims be interpreted as broadly as possible in view of the prior art to include all such variations and modifications .	6
as used herein , the terms “ substantially flat ”, “ essentially flat ” and “ substantially pure ” are meant and intended to have the following meanings : “ substantially flat ” refers to sheet material in accordance with the present invention wherein a joint between two adjoining strips of material has a thickness that is not greater than 80 % of the combined thicknesses of the adjoining / overlapping / abutting strips ; “ essentially flat ” refers to sheet material in accordance with the present invention wherein a joint between two adjoining strips is essentially the same thickness as that of the strips being joined with little if any thickness difference therebetween ; and “ substantially pure ” refers to uhmwpe that contains no foreign materials or substances that negatively affect the properties of the uhmwpe except as artifacts of the uhmwpe production process such as catalysts , etc . as used in this application , the term “ high modulus ” refers to materials having a modulus greater than 1 , 000 grams per denier ( gpd ). the starting material uhmwpe wide sheets of the present invention are those fabricated as described in aforementioned u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 787 , 094 ( hereinafter the &# 39 ; 094 application ) which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety from strips of uhmwpe prepared in accordance with the methods described in the following u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 951 , 685 ; 4 , 879076 ; 5 , 091 , 133 ; 5 , 106 , 555 ; 5 , 106 , 558 ; and 5 , 578 , 373 the teachings of which are all incorporated herein by reference in their entireties . particularly preferred as the starting materials are the uhmwpe materials prepared as described in u . s . patent application ser . nos . 11 / 880 , 520 , 12 / 080 , 197 and 12 / 287 , 799 and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 200 , 129 . such materials comprise highly oriented uhmwpe of high purity . according to the process described in the aforementioned &# 39 ; 094 application , wide uhmwpe sheet is produced by a process that comprises calendering an array of overlapping or abutting strips of indeterminate length prepared as described in the recited prior art at a temperature below the melting point of the uhmwpe , generally in a range of between about 120 ° c . and about 155 ° c . ( depending upon the tension applied to the strips during bonding as described below ) at a pressure above about 300 pounds per lineal inch ( pli ) and under a tension of between about 0 . 3 grams / denier and about 5 grams / denier . the calendering apparatus and detailed description of the method for the production of these wide sheets are depicted and described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 787 , 260 ( the &# 39 ; 260 application hereinafter ) which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . referring now to accompanying fig5 - 7 , a first embodiment of the wide uhmwpe sheet of the present invention 300 comprises a series of parallel and overlapped tapes or strips 302 of indeterminate length . as used herein , in relation to this first preferred embodiment , the term “ joint ” is meant to define and refer to the overlapped areas / volumes 304 depicted n fig6 . as depicted in fig5 , 6 , 10 and 11 , the molecules in two abutting or overlapping strips or tapes 302 a and 302 b are schematically depicted as triangles and circles to permit differentiation in the discussion that follows . as depicted in fig5 , 6 and 7 , a first preferred embodiment of the wide sheet 300 of the wide sheet useful in the successful practice of the present invention is produced by overlaying an array of tapes or strips 302 a , 302 b etc . of whatever width in parallel longitudinal relationship and then subjecting them to the processing conditions in the apparatus described herein . as shown in fig5 , in one embodiment , each of overlaying strips or tapes 302 a and 302 b is 0 . 0025 inches in thickness and the molecules ( schematically represented as triangles and circles ) are in each of separate strips or tapes 302 a and 302 b . as shown in fig6 , once the overlapping structure has been subjected to the process conditions described herein , the total thickness of the joint 304 is about 0 . 0032 inches , a total reduction of more than about 35 % and the molecules have been intermingled , in this case most probably entangled to provide a joint 304 that exhibits a higher strength than the parent material as well as a higher modulus . the thicknesses of strips or tapes 302 a and 302 b just mentioned are used for demonstration purposes only , it being clearly contemplated that thicker or thinner strips 302 a and 320 b could be equally well used to for the uhmwpe wide sheet described herein . more particularly , strips having thicknesses between about 0 . 0010 inches and 0 . 01 inches , for example , could be equally well used to form the wide sheet of the present invention assuming the availability of suitable calendaring equipment . strips in the range of between about 0 . 0015 and about 0 . 007 inches in thickness are specifically preferred for use in the successful practice of the present invention . it should be noted that such thickness reduction in joint area 304 and the intermingling of the molecules of each of the parent strips or tapes 302 a and 302 b can only be accomplished with the application of the pressures described herein . subjection of the overlapping structure to lower pressures , as described in the prior art , does not achieve the thickness reduction and molecular commingling of the present invention or the strength and modulus increases resulting therefrom . the attainment of these enhancements and their presence clearly and unequivocally distinguish the wide sheet described herein from those of the prior art . fig1 and 11 depict cross - sectional views representing an alternative preferred embodiment of the uhmwpe wide sheet useful in the successful practice of the present invention as shown in fig1 , according to this embodiment , two strips 302 a and 302 b of uhmwpe are butted together . the processing of this butted configuration under the processing conditions described herein and in the apparatus described in the &# 39 ; 094 application results in the structure shown in fig1 wherein each of strips 302 a and 302 b has undergone a degree of “ side extrusion ”, i . e . the longitudinal edges of each of the strips has been blended with the longitudinal edge of the abutting strip to form a joint area / volume 304 defined by the merger of the molecules of each of the member strips depicted as circles and triangles for differentiation purposes in these two figures . this product wide sheet is fabricated by laying up an array of longitudinally abutting strips of uhmwpe and subjecting the array thus formed to the processing conditions described herein in an apparatus similar to that described in the &# 39 ; 094 application with the exception that instead of overlaying neighboring strips of uhmwpe the strips are butted against each other prior to processing . under these conditions , the abutting strips undergo side extrusion forcing the neighboring edges into each other to provide the structure depicted in fig1 . as can be envisioned and as depicted in fig1 , this wide sheet comprises an essentially flat sheet with little or no thickness difference in joint area / volume 304 . referring now to fig1 - 3 , the apparatus utilized in accordance with the present invention to obtain the wide ballistic sheet useful in the present invention comprises seven discrete zones 10 - 70 as depicted in fig1 . zone 10 is the feedstock payoff zone , zone 20 comprises a tension control zone that helps develop tension ( other means are of course possible such as the inclusion of additional rollers ), zone 30 is the initial and final alignment guide zone , zone 40 is a motor driven roll stand that imparts pulling energy to draw material through apparatus 1 , zone 50 comprises the calender rolls that apply heat and pressure to bond the strips 01 of overlapped material , zone 60 comprises a motor driven roll stand that pulls the overlapped material from the calender and feeds it to the take up stand or zone 70 . individual rolls of material 01 and 01 ′ ( shown as element 302 in fig5 , 6 and 7 ) are mounted on shafts 12 and 12 ′ to support them for unrolling and to place them in staggered relationship . the material on each of individual rolls 1 has an edge 3 and the edges 03 on staggered rolls 01 and 01 ′ are oriented so as to overlap slightly as shown in the accompanying figures . a resistance mechanism 14 is applied to rolls 1 to control their rate of unwinding . as material 302 exits feedstock payoff zone 10 it is passed through a series of bars 20 ( best seen in fig1 ) that serve to control tension as material 302 is pulled through the line by subsequent operations . as will be explained more fully below , tension control is very important to the successful practice of this method . upon exiting zone 20 material 302 enters zone 30 which comprises two sets of offset rolls 31 and 31 ′ that include flanges 32 and 32 ′ mounted upon adjustable shafts 33 and 33 ′ that serve to direct the flow of material 302 into subsequent zone 40 and control the amount of overlap of material 302 as it enters this subsequent zone . zone 40 comprises a series of vertically offset rolls 40 and 40 ′ that pull material 302 from feedstock rolls 01 and through zones 20 and 30 . a motor 42 is provided to drive rolls 41 and 41 ′. zone 50 comprises a final set of guide rolls 31 including flanges 32 mounted on a shaft 33 which serve to provide final guidance of overlapped material 302 into calender zone 50 . the overlapped materials at this point in the process and in accordance with this embodiment are shown generally in fig4 . as shown in this figure three input strips 1 of widths w 1 , w 2 and w 3 are overlapped a distance wt . wt may vary widely from a small fraction of an inch upwards to an inch or two . the amount of overlap is not particularly significant and does not materially affect the process or the product produced thereby . within calender zone 50 are located calender rolls 51 and 51 ′ that supply the requisite pressure to overlapped material 302 as specified elsewhere herein and exiting zone 50 is wide ballistic sheet 300 comprising overlapped and intimately bound sections of material 302 as shown in fig5 . as depicted in fig3 , a lift bar 55 driven by cylinder 54 is provided to lift top roll 51 to permit threading of overlapped material 302 between calender rolls 51 and 51 ′. after exiting zone 50 wide ballistic sheet 300 enters zone 60 which comprises an offset set of pull rolls 61 which serve to draw material through apparatus 100 under tension as described elsewhere herein . a motor 62 is provided to drive rolls 60 . in zone 70 wide ballistic sheet 300 is taken up and rerolled onto a shaft 71 driven by motor 72 . referring now to fig4 , it can be seen that as material 01 enters the various guide rolls described hereinabove and more specifically guide rolls 31 proximate calender rolls 51 and 51 ′, each has a specific width w 1 , w 2 or w 3 which are preferably all the same but could be different , and overlap as shown in fig4 and also shown in greater detail in fig7 . the processing conditions described herein , temperatures below the melting point of the uhmwpe strips , tensions in the range of from about 0 . 3 and about 5 grams / denier and pressures above about 300 pli , define an operating window whose parameters of temperature and tension are intimately interrelated . as is well known in the art of producing uhmwpe , as tension on a fiber or strip of uhmwpe the “ melting point ” i . e . the temperature at which the onset of melt can be detected , increases as tension increases on a fiber or strip . thus while at a tension of 0 . 3 grams / denier a temperature of about 120 ° c . may be below the melt point of the uhmwpe strips , at a tension of 5 grams / denier a temperature of 154 ° c . may still be just below the melt point of the uhmwpe strips . thus , this interrelationship of tension and temperature must be carefully considered and maintained in order to obtain the enhanced products of the present invention . the pressure element of the processing conditions , is largely independent of the tension and temperature relationship just described . according to various preferred embodiments of the processing conditions of the present invention , temperatures in the range of from about 125 ° c . and 150 ° c . and tensions in the range of from about 0 . 4 and about 4 . 5 grams / denier are specifically preferred . the speed at which the process can be operated successfully is dependent solely upon the rate at which heat can be imparted to the uhmwpe strips . as long as the strips can be brought to the proper temperature prior to introduction into the calender rolls , the process will be effective . such more rapid heating could be through the use of a preheating oven , the use of larger calender rolls , multiple sets of calender rolls , the use of multiple calenders , etc . uhmwpe wide sheet produced in accordance with the process described herein exhibit a remarkable degree of transparency , in excess of 30 %, while those of the prior art prepared as described below exhibited the opacity of the parent strip materials . this is undoubtedly due to either the fact that at low temperatures the process of the prior art does not produce well consolidated or intimately commingled structures , thus , exhibiting the transparency of the parent material , while at higher temperatures melting occurs , as discussed in greater detail below , leading to the presence of voids in the melted areas that serve to diffuse light and result in increased opacity . the adhesives tested included polyethylene - po4401 ( a1 ), polyethylene - po4605 ( b1 ), polyethylene - do184b ( c1 ), polyurethane - do187h ( d1 ), and polyethylene - do188q ( e1 ), which are all available from spunfab , ltd . of cayahoga falls , ohio ; kraton d1161p ( f1 ), which is available from kraton polymers u . s ., llc of houston , tex . ; macromelt 6900 ( g1 ), which is available from henkel adhesives of elgin , ill . ; and noveon - estane 5703 ( h1 ), which is available from lubrizol advanced materials , inc . of cleveland , ohio as well as material prepared in accordance with the practices described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 881 , 863 . adhesives a1 through e1 were applied to the tensylon tape by the laminator / fuser 20 depicted in fig1 of u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 881 , 863 . adhesives f1 through h1 , which were dispersed in solvents , were coated on a release film and then transferred to one side of the uhmwpe tape . the adhesive - coated unidirectional non - fibrous , high modulus , ultra high molecular weight polyethylene tape , commonly termed “ unitape ” and consisting of eight strips of uhmwpe tape fused at their edges , was then cut into 12 - inch by 12 - inch sheets . fig1 and 11 depict two sheets 460 and 462 of adhesive - coated unitape consisting of strips of uhmwpe tape 464 fused at joint areas 466 . the joint areas 466 are depicted for clarity in describing the direction of orientation of the uhmwpe tape in fig1 , it should be understood that the uhmwpe tape strips 464 are rendered substantially transparent when bonded as described herein therefore making the joint areas 466 appear homogenous with the sheet . the bonding of non - fibrous , high modulus , ultra high molecular weight polyethylene tape is described in detail in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 787 , 094 , filed on apr . 13 , 2007 , which has been incorporated herein by reference . the top sheet 460 of adhesive - coated unitape is oriented at 90 ° with respect to the bottom sheet 462 . an adhesive layer 468 , shown as a transparent layer of adhesive in fig1 and 11 , is bonded to each sheet 460 and 462 in the manner described above . as the adhesive is thermoplastic , the two sheets 460 and 462 of adhesive - coated unitape are pressed together with heat and pressure which causes the two sheets to bond together into a cross - plied sheet of non - fibrous , high modulus , ultra high molecular weight polyethylene uhmwpe with the bonded sheets cross - plied in the 0 ° and 90 ° direction . to form a ballistic - resistant panel , cross - plied sheets of adhesive - coated non - fibrous , high modulus , ultra high molecular weight polyethylene were stacked until a stack of cross - plied non - fibrous , high modulus , ultra high molecular weight polyethylene of approximately 2 . 0 psf ( pounds per square foot ) was obtained . several of the nominal 2 . 0 psf stacks were pressed at a pressure of 150 psi . the press cycle included 30 minutes at a temperature of 210 ° f . and cooling under full pressure to below 120 ° f . before release thereby forming ballistic - resistant panels of nominally 2 . 0 psf areal density . the ballistic - resistant panels were then tested for ballistic resistance . projectiles of 0 . 30 caliber fsp ( fragment simulated projectile ) per mil - p - 46593a were fired at the 2 . 0 psf test panels to obtain ballistics properties of the panels bonded with adhesive . the velocities in fps ( feet per second ) at which 50 % of the projectiles failed to penetrate the target ( v 50 ) were determined per mil - std - 662f . data for the resultant ballistic - resistant panels formed at 150 psi are shown in table 2 . as the invention has been described , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the same may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . any and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims .	1
various embodiments are now described with reference to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout . in the following description , for purposes of explanation , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of one or more embodiments . it may be evident , however , that such embodiment ( s ) may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing one or more embodiments . in the following paragraphs , the present invention will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the attached drawings . throughout this description , the preferred embodiment and examples shown should be considered as exemplars , rather than as limitations on the present invention . as used herein , the “ present invention ” refers to any one of the embodiments of the invention described herein , and any equivalents . furthermore , reference to various feature ( s ) of the “ present invention ” throughout this document does not mean that all claimed embodiments or methods must include the referenced feature ( s ). referring to fig1 , a tool holding grip assist device 100 , according to one embodiment is illustrated . fig1 shows the underside of the tool holding grip assist 100 . the tool holding grip assist 100 shown in fig1 includes a wristband 102 having closure means . for example , in fig1 , a strap 114 is attached to one end and a buckle 112 attached to the opposite end . the strap 114 and buckle 112 can be used to close the wristband 102 conventionally . straps 104 and 106 are attached to wristband 102 with hinges 116 a and 116 b . hinges 116 a and 116 b allow the up and down movement of the wearer &# 39 ; s wrist to occur naturally without constriction or hindrance . straps 104 and 106 may be of a length suitable for an individual user . strap 104 has ring 108 attached at the free end of strap 104 , opposite hinge 116 a . ring 108 is worn on the annular finger as illustrated in fig3 . ring 108 assists in allowing flap 104 to move with the finger , especially when not in a locked position . strap 106 has one segment of a two segment closure attached to the end opposite hinge 116 b . the two segment closure may be fabric hook and loop closure fabric , or any other suitable two segment closure system . the two segment closure element 110 mates with the other segment of the closure system 202 , which is attached to the other side of the tool holding grip assist . fig2 illustrates the top view of the tool holding grip assist 100 . the top view of strap 104 has a segment 202 of a two segment closure system at the end of strap 104 . similarly , strap 106 also has a segment 204 of a two segment closure system located at or near the end of strap 106 . these segments of the two segment closure system may be rectangular or round as illustrated in fig2 , however , other shapes may be used . an additional segment 206 of a two segment closure system is placed on wristband 102 in line with segment 204 . the placement of the segments of the two segment closure system may be adjusted to suit the size of the user &# 39 ; s hand . fig3 illustrates use of the tool holding grip assist . the user puts on the wristband 102 and fastens strap 114 and buckle 112 . ring 108 is fitted over the annular or ring finger . strap 106 rests on the underside of the user &# 39 ; s wrist . segment 204 is closed with segment 206 to keep the strap 106 away from the palm , while strap 104 crosses the back of the user &# 39 ; s hand . segment 202 attached to strap 104 is closed with segment 110 on strap 106 , as shown in fig4 . once the grip on the tool has been formed the wearer has a secure hold on the tool . the wearer may even relax the grip of his or her muscles and the tool holding grip assist will retain the hold within the tool holding grip assist 100 . the wearer may break the grip established by the tool holding grip assist by grasping the strap 106 and separating segment 202 from segment 110 on strap 104 . fig4 illustrates a further embodiment in use , with the tool holding grip assist holding a pistol . the illustration depicts the tool holding grip assist with the flaps in the closed position . the two segment closure system holds the two flaps together . the thumb and index fingers are free to operate the pistol . the hinges where the straps attach to the wristband allow the wrist to move up and down as needed . an additional segment of the two segment closure system may be provided on the wristband . this segment allows the strap on the underside of the hand to be secured out of the way when the user is not holding a tool . while various embodiments of the present invention have been described above , it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only , and not of limitation . likewise , the various diagrams may depict an example architectural or other configuration for the invention , which is done to aid in understanding the features and functionality that may be included in the invention . the invention is not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations , but the desired features may be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations . indeed , it will be apparent to one of skill in the art how alternative functional , logical or physical partitioning and configurations may be implemented to implement the desired features of the present invention . also , a multitude of different constituent module names other than those depicted herein may be applied to the various partitions . additionally , with regard to flow diagrams , operational descriptions and method claims , the order in which the steps are presented herein shall not mandate that various embodiments be implemented to perform the recited functionality in the same order unless the context dictates otherwise . although the invention is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations , it should be understood that the various features , aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with which they are described , but instead may be applied , alone or in various combinations , to one or more of the other embodiments of the invention , whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment . thus the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above - described exemplary embodiments . terms and phrases used in this document , and variations thereof , unless otherwise expressly stated , should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting . as examples of the foregoing : the term “ including ” should be read as meaning “ including , without limitation ” or the like ; the term “ example ” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion , not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof ; the terms “ a ” or “ an ” should be read as meaning “ at least one ,” “ one or more ” or the like ; and adjectives such as “ conventional ,” “ traditional ,” “ normal ,” “ standard ,” “ known ” and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time , but instead should be read to encompass conventional , traditional , normal , or standard technologies that may be available or known now or at any time in the future . likewise , where this document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known to one of ordinary skill in the art , such technologies encompass those apparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in the future . a group of items linked with the conjunction “ and ” should not be read as requiring that each and every one of those items be present in the grouping , but rather should be read as “ and / or ” unless expressly stated otherwise . similarly , a group of items linked with the conjunction “ or ” should not be read as requiring mutual exclusivity among that group , but rather should also be read as “ and / or ” unless expressly stated otherwise . furthermore , although items , elements or components of the invention may be described or claimed in the singular , the plural is contemplated to be within the scope thereof unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated . the presence of broadening words and phrases such as “ one or more ,” “ at least ,” “ but not limited to ” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent . the use of the term “ module ” does not imply that the components or functionality described or claimed as part of the module are all configured in a common package . indeed , any or all of the various components of a module , whether control logic or other components , may be combined in a single package or separately maintained and may further be distributed across multiple locations . additionally , the various embodiments set forth herein are described in terms of exemplary block diagrams , flow charts and other illustrations . as will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this document , the illustrated embodiments and their various alternatives may be implemented without confinement to the illustrated examples . for example , block diagrams and their accompanying description should not be construed as mandating a particular architecture or configuration . the previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention . various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein .	5
in fig1 there is illustrated a remote center compliance system in which a robot support arm , not shown except for an adapter or interface assembly 1 , is compliantly connected to an operator device interfce plate 11 . the operator device , shown largely in outline , is a gripper assembly comprised by motor 12 , drive shaft 13 , gearbox 14 , rack and pinion drive 15 and movable jaws 16 . internal details of the gripper assembly are illustrated in fig3 and 4 but are not relevant to an explanation of the compliance system as such . in fact , the interface plate 11 forms the lower portion of the housing of motor 12 and supports the motor shaft 13 in bearings , as illustrated . the plate 11 serves to mount the entire gripper assembly on the robot interface assembly 1 . this assembly consists of a central plate 2 surrounded by a fixed ring 3 . bolts 4 are provided to connect the plate 2 to the robot arm ( not shown ). the two interfaces 1 and 11 are connected by three spring metal bellows 20 of cylindrical form . the bellows , one of which is illustrated in more detail in fig5 and 6 , are bolted at each end to the ring 3 and plate 11 respectively . they are set at an angle to the vertical axis of the system and are directed towards a remote center of compliance c , as shown in fig1 . when bolted to ring 3 and plate 11 , the bellows 20 are gas - tight , except for two bores 50 in their lower end as shown in fig5 and 6 . these bores register with two further bores ( not visible ) in plate 11 to allow communication with an annular duct 22 formed by the lower surface of interface plate 11 and an upturned flange 23 surrounding the housing of gearbox 14 . duct 22 leads to a connector 24 which connects it to hose 25 . as shown schematically in fig1 the hose 25 may be connected by way of a two - way switch valve 26 to either a vacuum pump 27 or to a control valve 28 for controlling the pressure from a pressure line 29 . when the robot and gripper assembly 1 perform an operation which requires compliance , the switch valve 26 connects the line 25 to the pressure line 29 via control valve 28 . if the valve is set to a pressure above ambient , the bellows 20 become pressurised and expand . the geometrical arrangement of the bellows is such as to define a remote center of compliance c , fig1 . in the unpressurised ambient state of the bellows , both the rotational compliance ( arrow 30 ) and lateral compliance ( arrow 31 ) are maximised and are essentially determined by the spring properties of the metal of which the bellows are constructed . in the illustrated arrangement , in which the bellows are constructed of phosphor - bronze , the maximum compliance is ± 1 . 0 mm laterally and ± 2 . 0 degress rotationally . the base stiffnesses ( lateral and rotational ) at ambient pressure are determined by the material and design of the bellows . by increasing the pressure in the bellows these stiffnesses can be increased . in the system illustrated , stiffness can be varied by approximately 25 % in response to pressures of around 50 psi . clearly , intermediate pressures will produce intermediate values of stiffness . it has also been found that the ratio of lateral to rotational stiffness is altered under pressure , the rotational stiffness increasing faster than the lateral stiffness . this is particularly useful for different types of assembly task , for example , where the point of contact of parts to be fitted is not at the center of compliance . when moving the arm between locations , e . g . from a parts store to an assembly station , it is desirable to remove compliance , particularly in a clean - room environment . this may be achieved by connecting the bellows to vacuum pump 27 via switch valve 26 . the bellows contract and cause a motor cap plate 35 to lock against the underside of ring 3 of the robot arm interface . locking is assisted by providing the two parts with interfitting tapered surfaces 36 and 37 . in some applications it may be desirable to remove compliance altogether from the system both for movement and for operation of the gripper . for this purpose , three countersunk bolt holes are provided in the ring 3 , one of which is shown at 38 in fig4 . corresponding tapped bores 39 in plate 35 permit the gripper assembly and robot support arm interface assembly 1 to be bolted firmly together thus preventing any relative movement . the structure of the bellows 20 is shown in detail in fig5 and 6 . the outer material of the bellows is a phosphor bronze tub 52 formed into a corrugated shape . the tube is closed at its upper end by an annular brass plug 53 having a threaded bore for receiving a mounting bolt 55 . at its opposite end , the tube is formed in a cap around a similar arrangement of ring and insert around bolt 51 , but additionally including bores 50 as explained above . the detailed construction and operation of the gripper mechanism as illustrated in fig2 and 4 is not strictly relevant to the operation of the compliance system for attaching the gripper , but will now be briefly described , for completeness . the gripper assembly is driven by motor 12 which is a vane type of motor driven by a high pressure air source , not shown . high pressure air entering the motor at connector 60 is directed onto a series of eight vanes 61 which run in an eccentric housing . the vanes 61 have limited radial freedom of movement within slots 62 formed in an upper portion of motor shaft 13 . the output shaft 13 is connected to the input of the gearbox 14 which is a two - stage epicyclic gearbox having a speed reduction of 36 : 1 . the output shaft 63 of the gear box carries a pinion 64 engaged with the teeth of two parallel spaced racks 65 on either side of the pinion . only one rack 65 is visible in fig4 . each rack is mounted for linear movement as part of a movable carriage 66 , which is also connected to a respective gripper jaw 16 . thus the jaws 16 can be moved towards and away from each other by operation of the motor 12 . the grip force applied as jaws 16 approach and grip a part can be controlled by control of air pressure and speed of movement can be reduced by restricting the exhaust from outlet connector 67 . if air pressure is lost , grip can be maintained on lightweight parts because the combination of the high gear box ratio and the vane motor is sufficient to resist movement of the jaws . finally , closed loop positioning control may be effected by employing a potentiometer 68 connected to one of the racks .	1
throughout this description , the preferred embodiment and examples shown should be considered as exemplars , rather than limitations on the present invention . fig4 is a simplified block diagram of the preferred embodiment of the present invention . in fig4 a central processing unit ( cpu ) 1 is coupled to two array control units ( controllers ) 3 , 4 by a bus 2 . while only one cpu 1 is used in the preferred embodiment , it is possible to use more than one cpu connected to the bus 2 . each controller 3 , 4 is coupled to the other controller and to a plurality of storage units 40 - 51 by i / o channels 5 ( e . g ., scsi buses ). each i / o channel 5 is capable of supporting a plurality of storage units 40 - 51 . additional storage units ( not shown ) may be present and are represented by broken lines extending between the storage units 40 - 45 and 46 - 51 . each controller 3 , 4 preferably includes a separately programmable , multi - tasking processor ( for example , the mips r3000 risc processor , made by mips corporation of sunnyvale , calif .) which can act independently of the cpu 1 to control the storage units . typical physical storage units which can be used in the present invention , such as magnetic or optical disk drives , comprise a set of one or more rotating disks each having at least one read / write transducer head per surface . in such units , data storage areas known as tracks are concentrically arranged on the disk surfaces . a disk storage unit may have , for example , 500 to 2000 tracks per disk surface . each track is divided into numbered sectors that are commonly 512 bytes in size ( although other sizes may be used ). sectors are the smallest unit of storage area that can be accessed by the storage unit ( data bits within a sector may be individually altered , but only by reading an entire sector , modifying selected bits , and writing the entire sector back into place ). a disk storage unit may have 8 to 50 sectors per track , and groups of tracks may differ in the numbers of sectors per track on the same disk storage unit ( e . g ., smaller circumference inner tracks may have fewer sectors per track , while larger circumference outer tracks may have more sectors per track ). access to a sector ultimately requires identification of a sector by its axial displacement along a set of rotating disks , radial displacement on a disk , and circumferential displacement around a disk . two common schemes are used for such identification . one scheme identifies a sector by a surface or head number ( axial displacement ), a track number ( radial displacement ), and a sector number ( circumferential displacement ). the second scheme treats all of the tracks with the same radius on all disks as a &# 34 ; cylinder &# 34 ;, with tracks being subsets of a cylinder rather than of a surface . in this scheme , a sector is identified by a cylinder number ( radial displacement ), a track number ( axial displacement ), and a sector number ( circumferential displacement ). it is possible for a higher level storage controller ( or even the cpu ) to keep track of the location of data on a storage unit by tracking all involved sectors . this is commonly done with magnetic disk drives following the well - known st - 506 interface standard used in personal computers . storage units addressed in this manner are known as sector - addressable . however , it is inconvenient in modern computer systems for a high - level storage controller to keep track of sector addresses by either of the addressing schemes described above . therefore , as is known in the art , the preferred embodiment of the invention uses an alternative form of storage unit addressing that maps the sectors of a storage unit to a more tractable form . mapping in the preferred embodiment of the present invention is accomplished by treating one or more sectors as a block and addressing each storage unit by block numbers . a block on the storage units used in the preferred embodiment of the inventive system can vary from 512 bytes up to 4096 bytes , but may be of any size . the storage units being used must support the specified block size . such units are known as block - addressable . for example , with storage units having a small computer system interface (&# 34 ; scsi &# 34 ;), each storage unit is considered to be a contiguous set of blocks . an access request to such a unit simply specifies identification numbers of those blocks that are to be accessed . alternatively , the access request specifies the identification number of a starting block and the quantity of subsequent logically contiguous blocks to be accessed . thereafter , when using disk drives as storage units , the scsi controller for the unit translates each block number either to a cylinder , track , and sector number format , or to a head , track , and sector number format . this translation is transparent to the requesting device . it should be understood that the inventive concept can be applied to sector - addressable storage units . however , the preferred embodiment of the invention uses block - addressable storage units . the present invention creates a logical structure to map a plurality of block - addressable storage units , thereby defining a basic storage unit array architecture . the basic storage unit array architecture formed by the logical structuring the present invention establishes logical storage units , comprising a plurality of non - overlapping groups of data blocks on physical storage units ( although a logical storage unit cannot span multiple , physical storage units ). in the present invention , the logical storage units are then assigned to logical volumes . an example of such assignment is set forth in the copending application entitled &# 34 ; logical partitioning of a redundant array &# 34 ;, ser . no . 07 / 61 2 , 220 , assigned to the assignee of the present invention . the teachings of the stallmo application are hereby incorporated by reference . in the present invention , the logical volumes are then assigned to one of two logical arrays . by way of example , 12 physical storage units are shown in fig4 each divided into at least two logical storage units , a and b . the logical storage units a , b , may be assigned to one or more logical volumes , as desired . importantly , the separate groups of logical storage units a , b , are assigned to corresponding &# 34 ; logical arrays &# 34 ;, a0 and a1 . in the preferred embodiment , each controller 3 , 4 , is assigned primary responsibility for the transfer of data into and out of one , and only one , of the two logical arrays a0 and a1 and may not access the other logical array unless the controller assigned to that logical array has failed . when a controller fails , the data stored in the logical storage units assigned to the failed controller will be available to the cpu1 after control of the logical array assigned to the failed controller is assumed by the remaining controller . in an alternative embodiment , more than one cpu is present . each cpu is assigned to a discrete controller and logical array . each cpu may access only that controller and logical array which is assigned that cpu , in order to prevent multiple cpus from accessing the same redundant group . fig5 is a diagram of the data storage allocation with a typical logical storage unit of the preferred embodiment of the present invention . at the top ( lower order addresses ) of the addressable data storage area available within the storage unit are diagnostic sections 11a , 11b , each corresponding to a logical array a0 or a1 , and used for diagnostic testing . following are reserved areas 12a , 12b , each containing configuration structures , error logs , software load areas , host scratch pads and diagnostic test areas , and each corresponding to a logical array a0 or a1 . a user area 14 follows the two reserved areas 12a , 12b and is several orders of magnitude larger than the other sections of the addressable space . the user area 14 is flexibly divided by the user into distinct subsections 14a , 14b , each corresponding to a logical array a0 or a1 . the user area subsections 14a , 14b need not be of equal sizes . because only two logical arrays are present in the preferred embodiment , the user area 14 , as well as the diagnostic sections 11 and reserved area 12 are each shown as divided into two subsections . however , it should be noted that the user area 14 , the diagnostic area 11 , and the reserved area 12 may be divided into as many distinct subsections as there are logical arrays . corresponding subsections ( a or b ) of the user area 14 , diagnostic section 11 , and the reserved area 12 comprise a logical storage unit ( lsu ). a description of the logical configuration of the storage unit array is sent to the controllers 3 , 4 , by the cpu 1 . the logical configuration indicates which lsus are in each redundancy group , which redundancy groups make up each logical volume , and which logical volumes are in each logical array . the user is responsible for insuring that the logical configurations sent to each controller 3 , 4 , are identical and that the blocks of data assigned to each logical array a0 , a1 do not overlap . each controller 3 , 4 , is responsible for insuring that each logical array a0 , a1 assigned is valid . for a logical array to be valid , no lsu may be assigned to any other logical array . furthermore , each redundancy group must consist of lsus which are assigned to the same logical array . also , each redundancy group assigned to a logical volume must be assigned to the same logical array . the logical configuration is recorded in a configuration section of the reserved area 12a , 12b of each logical array . in alternative embodiments in which more than one cpu is being used , each cpu will define the logical configuration for the controller ( s ) that is associated with that cpu . upon assigning each lsu to a particular logical array a0 , a1 , only the controller that is responsible for the logical array associated with an lsu will be granted access to the lsu . for example , in fig4 each physical storage unit 40 - 51 is divided into two lsus a , b . each &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; lsu is assigned to logical array a0 . each &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; lsu is assigned to logical array a1 . therefore , only the controller assigned to logical array a0 is permitted to access the &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; lsus , and only the controller assigned to logical array a1 is permitted to access the &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; lsus . cpu commands to a logical array a0 , a1 must be sent to the controller 3 , 4 , assigned to that logical array . for example , a &# 34 ; logical array &# 34 ; field in each command may be set to indicate the logical array of interest . commands for a logical array that are sent to a controller not assigned to that logical array will cause an error message to be returned to the cpu . by creating two sets of lsus , each set comprising a logical array , and limiting the access of each of the controllers 3 , 4 , to the logical array exclusively assigned to that controller , it is possible for each controller 3 , 4 to access data independently of the other controller without concern that the other controller will access a block of data in the same redundancy group . spare physical storage units remain unassigned to a logical array until they are required for replacement of a failed physical storage unit . upon being brought into service , a spare physical storage unit is assigned to the logical array of the physical storage unit which is being replaced . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , there are several functions that each controller 3 , 4 must be capable of performing . these include : reading data from and storing data into the lsus of the logical array assigned to the controller ; rebuilding data that is stored in a failed storage unit to a spare physical storage unit ; installing a new physical storage unit ; performing physical storage unit operations ( such as synchronizing the spindles of each of the physical storage units , formatting storage units , and performing diagnostic operations ); assuming control of the other logical array upon the failure of the other controller ; and , starting from an initial application of power , determining which logical array the controller is to control . because some of these functions ( such as rebuild operations ) require that a single controller be primarily responsible , all global functions ( i . e ., those functions which are common to both logical arrays ) are performed by logical array a0 . the choice of logical array a0 is arbitrary . since the function is assigned to logical array a0 , the controller assigned to logical array a0 is responsible for such global functions . in the event that the controller responsible for logical array a0 fails , the responsibility for the global functions will be transferred to the controller that remains functional along with responsibility for other logical array a0 functions . in normal operations , a controller can only write to the user data area 14a , 14b within the logical array to which the controller is assigned . therefore , each controller 3 , 4 has responsibility for rebuilding those areas of the physical storage unit that are part of the logical array to which the controller is assigned . the controller assigned logical array a0 will be responsible for initiating rebuild operations and formatting a replacement physical storage unit when necessary . the logical structure of the entire array is stored in the reserved area of each logical storage unit . therefore the reserved area 12 of a replacement storage unit must be rebuilt before determination can be made regarding responsibility for each block within the user area 14 . the controllers 3 , 4 must communicate with each other to determine whether to continue to the next phase of the rebuild . for example , if a physical storage unit is to be rebuilt , the first controller 3 will rebuild the reserved area 12a associated with the logical array a0 assigned to the first controller 3 . in addition , the first controller 3 will request that second controller 4 begin rebuilding a reserved area 12b associated with the logical array a1 assigned to the second controller 4 . the first controller 3 must receive a communication from the second controller 4 that the second controller 4 has completed rebuilding its reserved area 12b before the first controller 3 can initiate rebuilding of the user area 14 . once the reserved areas are rebuilt , the first controller 3 will initiate the rebuilding of the user area 14a associated with the logical array a0 assigned to the first controller 3 . concurrently , the second controller 4 will receive a command from the first controller 3 to begin rebuilding the user area 14b associated with the logical array a1 assigned to the second controller 4 . the second controller 4 must communicate to the first controller 3 whether the rebuild of the user area 14b was successfully completed . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the controllers 3 , 4 communicate directly to one another over the channel 5 that couples the controllers 3 , 4 to the storage unit being rebuilt . activating a spare physical storage unit and installing a new physical storage unit into the array will be handled in similar fashion . physical storage unit operations ( such as formatting , mode selections , and background diagnostics ) are initiated by the controller assigned to logical array a0 . communications between the two controllers 3 , 4 allows the controller not assigned to logical array a0 to determine both the status of such operations and the status of the associated storage unit as necessary . in the above discussion , the logical storage units are always uniquely assigned to the logical array and each logical array is uniquely assigned to a controller during normal operations . functions such as diagnostic tests and spindle synchronization , are uniquely assigned to logical array a0 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , control of a logical array a0 , a1 may be passed from one controller to the other automatically or manually . in automatic mode , one controller may automatically assume control of the other controllers logical array upon a failure of the other controller . when control is assumed automatically , control also is returned automatically ( without intervention of the cpu 1 ) upon repair of the failed controller . in manual mode , control is transferred under command of the cpu 1 . selection of manual or automatic mode is made by the system user . fig6 is a simplified block diagram of the controllers 3 , 4 . the processor in each controller maintains a message management module 600 , a primary event management module 601 , a secondary event management module 602 , and a switch management module 603 . each message management module 600 is responsible for receiving synchronous messages from another controller . each primary event management module controls the flow of data into and out of the logical array corresponding to that array controller . each secondary event management module controls the flow of data into and out of the logical array corresponding to the other controller upon a failure of the other controller . each switch management module is responsible for determining when the secondary event management module will become active in controlling the other logical array . when both controllers 3 , 4 are operational , the primary event management module 601 will be fully active in each of the two controllers 3 , 4 . the secondary event management module 602 in each controller 3 , 4 remains dormant until the switch management module 603 activates it . the switch management module determines when a controller has failed by monitoring messages sent at regular intervals from the other controller . if a message is not received by a controller from the other controller within a specified amount of time , a timer in the switch management module 603 will &# 34 ; time out ,&# 34 ; thereby indicating the delinquent controller is not operating properly . each time a message is received , the timer is reset . in automatic mode , the switch management module 603 activates the secondary event management module 602 whenever the timer expires . in manual mode , a message indicating that the delinquent controller is late is sent from the switch management module 603 to the message management module 600 . the message management module transmits the message to the cpu 1 . the cpu 1 will subsequently return a command to fully activate the secondary event management module 602 . the secondary event management module 602 in each controller is identical to the primary event management module 601 operating in the other controller . upon being activated by the switch management module 603 , the secondary event management module 602 is directed to the reserved area 12 within an lsu assigned to the failed controller . the reserved area 12a , 12b corresponding to the failed controller contains logical structure information and status that allows the secondary event management module 602 to determine whether any operations were in progress when the failed controller ceased functioning properly . the system configuration is read from the appropriate reserved area 12 . the system configuration allows the secondary event management module 602 to determine which lsus and physical storage units were assigned to the failed controller . the system configuration also provides all the information necessary for the secondary event management module 602 to begin operating at the point that the failed controller ceased operating properly . each controller 3 , 4 makes entries to an event log in the corresponding reserved area 12a , 12b of each lsu within the logical array assigned to that controller . the event logs provide historical information for later diagnosic operations . once the secondary event management controller 602 of the functional controller has accessed the system configuration in the reserved area 12 associated with the logical array that was formerly controlled by the dilinquent controller , the secondary event management module 602 will &# 34 ; time share &# 34 ; the resources of the functional controller with the primary event management module 601 . thus , the primary event management module 601 will continue to control the operation of the logical array ( for example a0 ) assigned to the functional controller , while the secondary event management module 602 will control the operations of the logical array a1 in place of the primary event management module 601 of the failed controller . &# 34 ; collisions &# 34 ; will not occur because neither event management module 601 , 602 can access the lsus assigned to the other event management module 602 , 601 . upon initialization , each controller 3 , 4 must determine whether the other controller has control over both logical arrays . in the preferred embodiment , this is done by a direct inquiry sent to the controller from the controller being initialized . when power is applied to both controllers 3 , 4 concurrently , each will send a &# 34 ; status &# 34 ; message to the other indicating that the sender is operating . the status message is repeated at regular intervals . this prevents the timer in each switch management module 603 in each controller from timing out . once a controller receives an initial status message from the other controller , the receiving controller sends a query asking the other controller whether the other controller has control of both logical arrays a0 , a1 . when power is applied to both controllers 3 , 4 concurrently the answer will be &# 34 ; no &# 34 ;. after receiving a negative response , the receiving controller will read the logical structure stored in the reserved areas 12 associated with the logical array to which the controller is primarily assigned and begin to exercise control over the logical array to which the controller is assigned . in the preferred embodiment , the controller would determine to which logical array it is assigned by reading a hardware address containing that information . if a first controller is controlling both logical arrays the second controller must , after being initialized , regain control of the logical array to which the second controller is assigned . this is done by sending a message from the second controller to the first controller indicating the control of the logical array assigned to the second controller should be returned to the second controller . after receiving the message from the second controller , the first controller ceases controlling the logical array not assigned to the first controller , and replies with a message indicating that the second controller should read the system configuration from the reserved area 12 of the logical array assigned to the second controller . once the configuration is known by the second controller , the second controller assumes control of the logical array to which it was assigned by restarting any operations that may have been in progress ( the information that is required to restart any operations previously started was stored in the reserved area of the lsus by the other controller as the operation was being performed ). it should be clear from the above description that the novel aspects of the invention are the use of a plurality of logical arrays which include a plurality of logical storage units and the use of a plurality of controllers which , under normal conditions , are each dedicated to a single logical array and which are capable upon a failure of any other controller of assuming control of the logical array of which the failed controller had control . it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , multiple cpus may be used . in such embodiments of the present invention , each cpu may be assigned a controller and logical array . however , this is not necessary so long as provisions are made for multiple processors accessing memory . further , the preferred embodiment describes two logical arrays . multiple logical arrays will be understood to be within the spirit and scope of the invention . also , an embodiment is possible and within the scope of the invention in which a switch module disconnects a failed array controller from each of the channels to prevent disturbances to the channels . accordingly , it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the specific illustrated embodiment , but only by the scope of the appended claims .	6
the present invention overcomes all the disadvantages mentioned above by providing a method and apparatus for refilling a container with fluids having a short shelf life . the main components of the preferred embodiment are a container 1 and a vending machine 3 . fig1 shows the container 1 having a label 2 which is made of durable material , is easy to handle , capable of maintaining a certain temperature , should not exhibit carryover flavors and has readable means in order to acquire information or / and identify the container . the container 1 is configured to interact with the vending machine 3 in such way that a smoother cleaning and refilling process is provided . fig2 a - 2 c shows the preferred embodiment of the container 1 comprising readable means 1 ′- 1 ″, an opening 1 b , lateral grooves 1 d and bottom grooves 1 c . the readable means 1 ′, 1 ″, are embedded in the container 1 structure in such way that it is protected from the environment . the container 1 readable means , such as a chip 1 ′ or barcode 1 ″, allows the apparatus to obtain usable information from a database . the readable information can be implemented through wireless rfid , wired connection by contact with the container &# 39 ; s surface , infrared or optical communication with an electronic device inside the container , or barcode reading . the information obtained from readable means 1 ′, 1 ″ or electronic identification includes , but is not limited to , consumer information , bottle information , production information , last fluid inside the container , etc . the container can be of several sizes , shapes and materials including , but not limited to plastic or any other material or combination of material that fulfills the limitations presented above . as shown in fig2 a and fig2 c , the bottle has an rfid chip 1 ′ as a readable mean placed at the bottom , protected by enclosing it inside the plastic or material substrate of the container 1 . fig2 b shows an alternative for the readable means such as a barcode 1 ″ placed inside the container 1 protecting said barcode 2 b from scratches ; however , it can be placed in any other part as long as it remains protected . as mentioned before , the container 1 ′ is provided with lateral grooves 1 d and bottom grooves 1 c used as engaging means for the vending machine in order to rotate or manage the movement of the container during the process . the vending machine 3 , as show in fig3 a - 3 b , is used to clean and refill the container 1 and comprises at least an opening 3 d to the inner chamber 4 , display 3 a , information access mechanism 3 b and / or a pay mechanism 3 c . the vending machine 3 may contain inside of it the short life fluid or be connected to a fluids storage system f having a short shelf life . also the vending machine 3 is provided with a container detection mechanism , cleaning , labeling and a refilling systems controlled by a computer . the container 1 with one or more sealable openings 1 d is positioned inside the vending machine 3 through the opening 3 d inside the chamber 4 for cleaning labeling and refilling . after the container 1 is positioned and the chamber door is closed , the process starts with a signal . in the instant case the starting signal is generated by a button outside the chamber located at the information access mechanism 3 b . mainly the cleaning and refilling process is as follows : container is positioned and engaged inside the vending machine &# 39 ; s chamber . access and acquire user information through the readable means and / or data base . container label is removed verify damages in the container exchange of information with user clean container branding / labeling refill container seal container edit and store information regarding user , product and others the chamber 4 , as shown in fig3 b , is divided in three main sections a , b and c , wherein certain steps are performed as part of the cleaning and refilling process . as mentioned above , first the container is positioned inside the chamber at section a in such way that protrusions 3 e engage bottom grooves 1 c and lock the container in position while controlling the rotation of the container 1 . the vending machine opening 3 d is closed and the start button is pressed in order to begin the cleaning and refilling process . at this point the container cap has been removed manually . the information at the readable means 1 ′, 1 ″ is accessed by means of a reader such as a rfid reader 5 , as shown in fig4 , in order to identify the customer and acquire information from a database . the information obtained such as user personal information , fluid contained , credit card information and other is edited , used or stored for future reference . the information selected by customer is used , but not limited , to edit previous information , make a payment and refill the container with the new fluid . the customer exchanges information with the database using the information access mechanism 3 b in such way that the container is customized to identify the person / consumer and provide a quick menu for this customer based on the customer preferences . also since the container 1 needs to be customized the user may then have to confirm or submit a pin ( personal identification number ) or password which is related to the container for future refilling . in order to have customer information available for future refilling or any other uses or features , when the container is customized for the first time , information is requested from the user in order to provide the database with usable data such as payment method and preferences , including a submission of a pin or password . every time the container 1 is inserted in the machine &# 39 ; s chamber 4 the machine will ask for the identity by personal identification number (“ pin ”) or some other means . in other words , a user profile can be created , which resides in the database located outside the machine 3 and is pulled up by placing the container in the machine , and can be used or altered after placing the pin or password . it has to be understood that removing the label is necessary since the label needs to be updated in order to provide visible information for the customer such as the expiration date of the new fluid usually marked at the new label . the label can be removed and attached manually to the container 1 , for example , using labels made of pvc film or any other material which sticks to the container surfaces without any adhesive and removed without leaving behind any residue . the new label provided by the vending machine 3 after the payment and selection of the fluid is performed will display information such as but not limit to the brand , expiration date and nutrition facts . another option is a vending machine 3 with a label detaching process which after the fluid selection and payment is performed removes the old label from the container &# 39 ; s outer surface as shown in fig5 a - 5 c . cutting means 7 are used to remove the label , such as a razor or blade 7 a . during the label detaching process a label remover 8 extends toward the container in order to contact the label at the container &# 39 ; s surface . the cutting means 7 also extends towards the container but more specifically towards the lateral grooves 1 d . the label is cut at the lateral grooves 1 d area avoiding damages at the container 1 from the cutting process . the tension created by the label remover 8 makes the cutting process easier . after the cutting is performed the container is rotated clockwise until the area pierced by the razor 7 a reaches the label remover 8 . subsequently , the label remover 8 starts removing the label , for example , by suction while the container rotates in a counterclockwise direction . next the label remover pulls back and the label detaching process is completed . before the container is refilled and to avoid the new fluid being spilled a container &# 39 ; s damage inspection is performed . a light emitter 10 a is inserted through the container opening 1 b and a receiver 10 b is positioned outside in order to receive the signal from the emitter and discern if the container is damaged . the receiver 10 b may be static while the container rotates or the receiver may rotate while the container is static . as mentioned before the rotational motion of the container is controlled by protrusion 3 e . if the container 1 is damaged the vending machine will finalize the process and an alert the customer . it has to be understood that in case the customer let the container with the cap on , the light emitter will remain outside the container and therefore the receiver 10 b will recognize the container as damage . after the damage inspection is completed the container moves to the b stage wherein the cleaning process begins . in the instant case the cleaning process is performed by turning the container upside down . fig7 a - 7 b show the use of two locking arms 11 in order to turn the container 1 upside down . each arm extends parallel to the container , and comprises a vertical extension 11 b , a rotational portion 11 c and locking extension 11 a . the locking extension 11 a engages the lateral groove 1 d and controls the upside down movement of the container 1 . as shown in fig7 a - 7 b , the vertical extensions 11 b move vertically and horizontally in order to engage and control the container &# 39 ; s movement . after the container is flipped upside down a pipe is inserted through the containers opening 1 b . a cleaning agent , such as vapor , hot water , soap or any other cleaning agent is applied to the containers inner walls through the pipe 12 . a vacuum 9 connected at the container &# 39 ; s opening 1 b removes all the residues after applying the cleaning agent . subsequently , as shown in fig9 , the container is turned to its original position and checked for contamination using a light emitter 10 a device and a receiver 10 b . if the receiver detects contamination the vending machine repeats the cleaning process for several times until the container is clean or a pre - determined number of tries is reached . if the number of tries is reached the vending machine 3 will finalize the process and alert the customer . the container may also have a material which may be altered to show graphics on the bottle , specifically brand names . the said material will be able to be cleared and altered in circumstances where the liquid used to refill is different from the previous liquid , or a new graphic or information is wanted or needed on the container . the container moves to the next and final stage c wherein the container is labeled and refilled with the new fluid . fig1 a - 10 b show the labeling process comprising a label provider 14 and a roller 15 . the label provider 14 moves towards the container and applies the label of the product selected by the customer . the roller 15 also extends towards the container 1 and assists in the labeling of the container . after the labeling is completed the refilling process starts . fig1 shows a pipe 16 inserted through the container &# 39 ; s opening 1 b and the new fluid l is served . the pipe 16 may be provided with level sensors . next , as shown in fig1 , the container is closed , the information associated with the readable means 1 ′, 1 ″ is edited and stored and the customer is charged providing a reusable container with a new label and fluid . the vending machine will exhibit the product with a new label displaying information regarding the fluid and the new fluid ready for the customer . while the invention has been described as having a preferred design , it is understood that many changes , modifications , variations and other uses and applications of the subject invention will , however , become apparent to those skilled in the art without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention after considering this specification together with the accompanying drawings . accordingly , all such changes , modifications , variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by this invention as defined in the following claims and their legal equivalents . in the claims , means - plus - function clauses , if any , are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures . all of the patents , patent applications , and publications recited herein , and in the declaration attached hereto , if any , are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein . all , or substantially all , the components disclosed in such patents may be used in the embodiments of the present invention , as well as equivalents thereof . the details in the patents , patent applications , and publications incorporated by reference herein may be considered to be incorporable at applicant &# 39 ; s option , into the claims during prosecution as further limitations in the claims to patentable distinguish any amended claims from any applied prior art .	1
the invention provides for methods for making battery electrode and systems , apparatuses for making battery electrodes and devices arising there from . preferred embodiments of the invention provides for methods , systems , and apparatuses for making electrodes for use in lithium - ion batteries . the invention provides for , in one aspect , for a coating system that sprays a suspension of battery electrode materials onto a substrate , preferably a metal foil substrate . the preferred embodiments of the invention differ from the prior art in at least one fundamental way . these embodiments build up an electrode matrix in numerous layers rather than by one relatively thick slurry coating . the problem with the latter includes , but is not limited to differential sedimentation of electrode materials ( particle ) during the drying process that creates an electrode having an inhomogeneous composition with respect to the thickness dimension of the coated electrode . currently , there is a trend towards using smaller and smaller sized active material particles in battery electrodes for lithium - ion cells . not wishing to be bound by theory , the inventors believe that as the particle size lessens , the tendency for the particles to aggregate and sediment out of the wet curing electrode made by slurry coating will result in losing the benefits of the smaller sized particles , for example , but not limited to , higher surface area to mass ratio and better ion diffusion rates . moreover , it is believed that differential sedimentation causes inefficient distribution of conductive materials and active materials within the electrode matrix thus causing some parts of the electrode matrix to have lower conductivity than others while yet other parts of the electrode matrix have different amounts and characteristics of active material particles . to address these problems , and others , applicants have invented a system that provides for a higher level of intra - electrode homogeneity when compared to standard slurry coating methods using one - step doctor blade or slot die type application of the electrode coating to the substrate foil current collector . by applying thin layers by spray and rapidly drying each layer , a plurality of layers of electrode material are built up to form an electrode matrix having a high degree of homogeneity with respect to spatial particle distribution and minimized homo - particle aggregation . turning now to fig1 a , an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown . spray / dry system 1000 operates by traversing substrate 1010 from spraying region 1015 to drying region 1018 . spraying region 1015 and drying region 1018 are separated from each other and external of spray / dry system 1000 by several partitions 1040 . sprayer 1050 is supported inside spraying region 1015 and aimed towards surface 1020 of substrate 1010 . adjacent spraying region 1015 is drying region 1018 having therein dryer 1080 in fluid communication with dryer manifold 1090 and dryer jets 1100 . substrate 1010 is introduced into spray system 1000 by way of support stage 1030 that passes under partitions 1040 with substrate 1010 thereupon . once in spray region 1015 , a coating is applied to surface 1020 of substrate 1010 by sprayer 1050 . sprayer 1050 comprises spray tip 1060 from which spray mist 1070 emanates therefrom and travels towards surface 1020 to form a layer of electrode material . depicted in fig1 b , substrate 1020 traverses into dryer region 1018 , hot air or gas 1120 of dryer flow 1130 is passed through dryer 1080 and dryer manifold 1090 out towards surface 1020 of substrate 1010 . after impinging upon surface 1010 , the hot air or gas 1120 is deflected upward and is scavenged from dryer region 1018 through exhaust 1150 as exhaust flow 1055 . after substrate 1010 surface 1020 is sufficiently dried , substrate 1010 is traversed out of dryer region 1080 upon support stage 1030 onward to potentially further spray / dry steps or onto some other processing . in highly preferred embodiments , the invention provides for a continuous coating system that relies on roll - to - roll type material handling similar to that of newspaper printing presses . fig2 depicts a roll - to - roll spray / dry embodiment of the invention wherein spray system 1000 is equipped with unwinder 1160 and rewinder 1190 where supported thereon are unwind roll 1170 and rewind roll 1200 loaded with continuous substrate 1210 that is in the form of a long ribbon - like material that arrives at sprayer system 1000 wound upon unwind roll 1070 and wherein continuous substrate 1210 traverses spray system 1000 ultimately terminating on rewind roll 1200 wherein continuous substrate 1210 is wound thereupon during a coating run . when finished , rewind roll 1200 should have wound thereabouts continuous substrate 1210 with surface 1020 coated with electrode material . the continuous process generally has both spray 1050 and dryer 1080 active simultaneously or near simultaneously . in highly preferred embodiments , the invention provides for a continuous coating system similar to that depicted in fig2 , except that a plurality of spray systems 1000 are arranged serially between unwinder 1160 and rewinder 1190 to form spray line 1001 . fig3 depicts a roll - to - roll multiple spray / dry region embodiment of the invention . each spraying region 1015 and drying region 1018 is arranged in alternating fashion to permit multiple layers to be applied to surface 1020 of continuous substrate 1210 . the rate for which continuous substrate 1210 is fed through spray line 1001 is preferably set to a speed wherein a substantial amount of solvent is removed from the coating prior to each subsequent coating cycle . this is believed to help minimize segregation of particles within the electrode coating during the drying process . in certain embodiments , a preceding layer is allowed to dry to a point that sedimentation is substantially halted even though some amount of solvent may still be present within the preceding layer prior to applying a subsequent layer of electrode material . fig4 depicts a roll - to - roll multiple spray / dry / cool embodiment of the invention . in some embodiments , it may be desirable to reduce the temperature of surface 1020 prior to spraying on an additional layer of electrode material . this is to ensure that the freshly sprayed material has some period of time in liquid form to self level . if dried prematurely due to surface 1020 being too hot from a preceding drying step , cooling region 1019 may be further incorporated into the spray line 1001 depicted in fig3 . here , spraying region 1015 is followed by drying region 1018 , and then by chilling region 1019 wherein the temperature of surface 1020 is lowered to a desired level to facilitate spraying in a subsequent spraying region 1015 . fig5 depicts a roll - to - roll multiple heat / spray / dry embodiment of the invention . in some embodiments , it may be desirable to reduce the temperature of surface 1020 prior to spraying on an additional layer of electrode material . this is to ensure that the freshly sprayed material has some period of time in liquid form to self level . if dried prematurely due to surface 1020 being too hot from a preceding drying step , heating region 1021 may be further incorporated into the spray line 1001 depicted in fig3 . here , spraying region 1015 is preceded by heating region 1021 , and then by drying region 1018 wherein the temperature of surface 1020 is raised to a desired level . in certain embodiments , sprayer 1050 is controlled in a pulsatile manner to control flow rates without altering spray patterns . fig6 depicts a typical pulse wave signal used to control a pulse - width modulated spray head embodiment of the invention . pulse train 1220 comprises a series of voltage pulses organized in pulse trains 1240 , pulse train intervals 1290 , and pulse profiles 1250 . within a pulse train 1240 are pulses 1280 having a time dimension width between the leading edge of pulse 1280 and the trailing edge of pulse 1280 , a pulse interval 1260 having a time dimension width between the trailing edge of a preceding pulse 1280 and the leading edge of a immediately subsequent pulse 1280 , and frequency 1270 having a time dimension width between the leading edge of two consecutive pulses 1280 . each pulse 1280 has amplitude 1230 which can represent voltage amplitude or current flow . as depicted in fig7 a , in preferred embodiments , spray system 1000 comprises a pulse - width modulated (“ pwm ) sprayer 1300 to precisely regulate coating flow rates while maintaining a consistent spray pattern 1445 . pulse - width modulated sprayer 1300 comprises : spray head 1310 that includes , but is not limited to , valve body 1340 having associated therewith : solenoid actuator 1350 housing coil 1360 and a portion of plunger 1370 ; spray nozzle 1320 with spray guides 1330 . coil 1360 is in electrical communication through leads 1380 with pulse generator 1390 that produces electrical pulses that actuate solenoid actuator 1350 to move plunger 1370 into and out of valve body 1340 thus permitting and restricting the flow of coating suspension through spray head 1310 and forming spray pattern 1445 . tank 1400 is in fluid communication with spray head 1310 through delivery tube 1420 . coating suspension , not shown , can be pumped to spray head 1310 using any pumping system . fig7 a depicts a gas pressure pumping system wherein tank 1400 is placed under gas pressure from a pressurized gas source through pressurized gas tube 1410 to act as a gas spring to force the coating suspension in tank 1400 through delivery tube 1420 to spray head 1310 . in fig7 a , plunger 1370 is shown in the actuated position where a portion of plunger 1370 is urged into valve body 1340 to stop the flow of coating suspension through spray head 1310 . fig7 b depicts plunger 1370 in a refracted position that permits flow of coating suspension through spray head 1310 and spray nozzle 1320 to emit spray 1440 forming spray pattern 1445 to coat a substrate , not shown . in certain embodiments , tank 1400 may further include a device for mixing a suspension contained therein . in preferred embodiments , the mixer employs sonication and / or ultrasonication . in some embodiments , the mixer may include an impeller and / or mixing paddle . fig8 depicts an ultrasonic multi - orifice spray head employed in a preferred embodiment of the invention . ultrasonic spray head 1500 comprises , in preferred embodiments , spray body 1510 preferably has an internal flow control valve therein , not shown . attached to spray body 1510 is piezo element 1520 to which nozzle array 1530 is attached thereto . nozzle array 1530 is in fluid communication with spray body 1510 such that when coating suspension is pumped into spray body 1510 , and the valve , if any , is open , coating suspension can flow to nozzle array 1530 to be emitted through a plurality of ports 1540 . piezo element 1520 is energized by a power source to cause piezo element 1540 to experience the reverse piezo electricity effect achieving a volumetric displacement along an axis perpendicular to nozzle array 1530 . the result is that nozzle array 1530 is moved back and forth along the axis perpendicular to piezo element 1540 . in preferred embodiments , piezo element 1520 is energized and de - energized by the power source at frequencies between 10 , 000 hz and 100 , 000 hz . by varying the frequency applied to piezo element 1520 , different drop sizes may be achieved for a given viscosity and pressure of the coating suspension . in preferred embodiments , strain - thinning coating suspensions are used to provide low viscosity under pressure and high viscosity once deposited upon a substrate . in some embodiments , the valve body is instead simply a body to permit flow of fluid and to support other parts of the spray head . in some embodiments , the piezo element is located inside the valve body with a tube for transporting coating suspension to a nozzle and the element , in conjunction with the tube , act to pump and control the flow of coating suspension towards the nozzle or nozzles . fig9 depicts a flow - chart showing the logic flow of a proportional - integral - derivative controller ( pid controller ) feedback - loop operated spray deposition system of a preferred embodiment of the invention . the pid controller initially sets the first 75 percent of the spray regions to apply 75 percent of the final density specified for the coating . to establish a baseline for the substrate &# 39 ; s density , the substrate &# 39 ; s density is measured prior to spray coating . then , after the substrate has passed through 75 percent of the spray regions , a second ( interim ) density measurement is made . from the second density measurement , the first density measurement is subtracted to determine the density of the coating thus far applied . the substrate is then coated at the pre - set flow rate to achieve the specified density . if the density of the coating thus far is too low , the flow rate of the final 25 percent of the spray regions is increased to provide for a final density according to specification . also , the initial spray flow rate is increased to yield a coating density of 75 percent of specification at the second density measurement for subsequent substrate ( s ) coating . if the density of the coating at the second density measurement is too high , the flow rate for the final 25 percent of the spray regions is decreased to provide for a final density according to specification . also , the initial flow fate is decreased to yield a coating density of 75 percent of specification at the second density measurement for subsequent substrate ( s ) coating . variations of this system may , in some embodiments , further include including moisture detection to monitor drying rates in the drying regions to ensure that the coating is at the specified dryness prior to subsequent sprayings or final drying . drying rates may , in some embodiments , may be altered by increasing temperature , air flow , or both in the drying regions . images of coated electrodes are depicted in fig1 a through 10c , wherein fig1 a depicts an electrode material loading of 2 . 5 mg / cm 2 , 10 b is loaded at 5 . 0 mg / cm 2 , and 10 c is loaded at 10 mg / cm 2 . the coating is evenly distributed as evidenced by the consistent darkness across each electrode surface . fig1 a through 11d depict scanning electron micrograph ( sem ) images at 100 ×, 1 , 000 ×, 10 , 000 ×, and 100 , 000 × magnification of an anode made using a preferred method of the invention . of interest is fig1 d where carbon nanotubes 1800 can be seen among graphite particles having an average diameter of about 150 μm . turning to fig1 , an exemplary charge & amp ; discharge curves are depicted for an anode produced using a preferred embodiment of the invention . the dashed line represents the 1 st discharge of the half - cell . the solid line represents the 1 st charge of the half - cell . the anode comprised graphite as the active material and carbon nanotubes for conductive particles . the binder styrene - butadiene rubber ( sbr ) was also included in the coating suspension . according to the graph , the anode had a capacity of about 270mah / g . anode capacity profiles we conducted on two replicate anodes as depicted in fig1 a and 13b . here , the half - cell data shows the anodes to be resistant to significant fade over about 100 cycles a voltage time curve is presented in fig1 wherein the graph depicts approximately equal charge and discharge times suggesting that irreversible loss is relatively minimal . when compared to a commercially available graphite based anode , an anode produced by the preferred method of the invention yields an electrode with a higher power capacity by a margin of about 2 × to 5 × over the commercially available anode . fig1 depicts a current v . charge graph wherein the lines represented by the circles and triangles are data derived from an anode produced using the preferred method of the invention . the line represented with squares was derived from a commercially available graphite anode . a capacity v . current graph for two replicate anodes is depicted in fig1 . charge over a wide - range of current rates was well maintained . a capacity v . half - cycle data is presented in fig1 for two replicate anodes . images of coated electrodes made using a preferred method of the invention are depicted in fig1 a and 18b , wherein fig1 a depicts an electrode material loading of 2 . 5 mg / cm 2 , 18 b is loaded at 15 mg / cm 2 , and 10 b is loaded at 30 mg / cm 2 . the coating is evenly distributed as evidenced by the consistent darkness across each electrode surface . a 10 , 000 × sem of a cathode made using a preferred method of the invention in fig1 . the cathode comprised lifepo 4 , carbon nanotubes , and sbr binder . charge and discharge data for a cathode made using a preferred method of the invention is depicted in fig2 . of interest is that the time distances between the peak and valley of each cycle are approximately equal indicating good levels of reversible charge capacity . fig2 represents the same data in a different format to better illustrate the charge time / discharge time differential , again indicating good reversible charge capacity . fade was studied for a cathode made by a preferred method of the invention . replicate cathodes were tested and the results depicted in fig2 a and 22b , the latter showing minimal fade over 80 cycles . fig2 and 24 depict power curves for sample electrodes produced using a preferred method of the invention , the latter figure showing a commercially available electrode for comparison . while the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments , it should be understood by those skilled in the art that obvious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt the methods and devices of the present invention to particular situations , materials , compositions of matter , processes , process step or steps , to the objective , spirit and scope of the present invention . all such modifications are intended to be within the scope of the claims appended hereto . basic spray / dry method was tested using an airbrush filled with a suspension containing : spraying was performed manually with a back and forth motion of the spray head parallel to the surface of the substrate . approximately 40 passes were made to load the surface to a desired amount . circles were cut from each type of electrode ( cathode / anode ) in a size to fit into a pouch . a porous polymer sheet was placed between the electrodes as they were layered into the pouch . electrolyte ( lipf 6 ) was added prior to vacuum sealing the pouch to form a pouch cell . the following protocol was followed to test cells made with the electrodes of the invention : a ) measure open circuit voltage ( ocv ) ( 10 sec ) b ) apply 1 sec current pulse ( 0 . 5 ma for coin cells , 5 - 10 ma for pouch cells ) c ) measure voltage drop between ocv and the first 10 msec of applied pulse d ) impedance testing : a few special cells , especially large pouch cells : e ) measure impedance from 1000 khz to 0 . 01 hz a ) resistance test b ) initial capacity test in constant current mode ( 3 cycles , starting with discharge cycle , each cycle running at 25 ma / g and then lowering to 12 . 5 ma / g until voltage limit is reached — designated “ 25 + 12 . 5 ma / g ”) ( a ) for graphite ½ - cells , voltage limits are 0 . 01v and 1 . 5v ( b ) for silicon ½ - cells , voltage limits 0 . 07v to 1 . 0v i ) power test * up to 10 ma total current ii ) followed by power test up to 20 ma , if charge withdrawn at 10 ma step is ≧ 70 % total capacity iii ) followed by power test up to 30 ma , if charge withdrawn at 10 ma step is ≧ 80 % total capacity d ) fade testing : capacity test in constant current mode ( 100 cycles at “ 25 + 12 . 5 ma / g ”, with a resistance and a power test every 25 cycles ) a ) discharge down to lower voltage limit at “ 25 + 12 . 5 ” ma / g b ) charge at highest current until upper voltage limit c ) rest 5 minutes d ) charge at half the previous current e ) rest 5 minutes f ) etc ., until the current is at or below 25 ma / g a ) resistance test b ) initial capacity test in constant current mode ( 3 cycles , starting with charge cycle , each cycle running at 12 . 5 ma / g and then lowering to 6 . 25 ma / g until voltage limit is reached — designated “ 12 . 5 + 6 . 25 ma / g ”) i ) for lifepo4 ½ - cells , voltage limits are 4 . 1v and 2 . 0v ii ) for other cathode chemistries , voltage limits may be a few 0 . 1 &# 39 ; s of volts higher c ) resistance test d ) power test * up to 10 ma total current i ) followed by power test up to 20 ma , if charge withdrawn at 10 ma step is ≧ 70 % total capacity ii ) followed by power test up to 30 ma , if charge withdrawn at 10 ma step is ≧ 80 % total capacity e ) fade testing : capacity test in constant current mode ( 100 cycles at “ 12 . 5 + 6 . 25 ma / g ”, with a resistance and a power test every 25 cycles ) a ) charge up to upper voltage limit at “ 12 . 5 + 6 . 25 ma / g ” b ) discharge at highest current until lower voltage limit c ) rest 5 minutes d ) discharge at half the previous current e ) rest 5 minutes f ) etc ., until the current is at or below 12 . 5 ma / g a ) resistance test b ) initial capacity test in constant current mode ( 3 cycles , starting with discharge cycle , each cycle running at either “ 25 + 12 . 5 ma / g ” ( anode weight ) or “ 12 . 5 + 6 . 25 ma / g ” ( cathode weight ), whichever is smaller ) i ) for graphite anode and lifepo4 cathode full cells , voltage limits are 2 . 0 and 4 . 1 v ii ) for cells with other cathodes , voltage limits may be a few 0 . 1v higher c ) resistance test d ) power test * up to 10 ma total current i ) followed by power test up to 20 ma , if charge withdrawn at 10 ma step is ≧ 70 % total capacity ii ) followed by power test up to 30 ma , if charge withdrawn at 10 ma step is ≧ 80 % total capacity e ) fade testing : capacity test in constant current mode ( 100 cycles at “ 25 + 12 . 5 ma / g ” ( anode ) or “ 12 . 5 + 6 . 25 ma / g ” ( cathode ), whichever is smaller , with a resistance and a power test every 25 cycles ) a ) manufacturer : neware technology limited b ) models ( for different current ranges ): i ) bts - 5v10a ( 8ch ) 10 ma limit ii ) bts - 5v100a ( 8ch ) 100 ma limit iii ) bts - 5v200a ( 8ch ) 200 ma limit	7
referring to fig1 a , a semiconductor chip 1 has an electrode pad 2 of aluminium which has repellency against molten metal . titanium , chromium or alloys of aluminum , chromium or titanium are other suitable materials for electrode pad 2 . the first soldering metal bump 3 made of the first metal component is formed on the electrode pad 2 , while a circuit board 6 has an electrode pad 5 of copper which has adhesive tendency to molten metal . the second soldering metal bump 4 made of the second metal component is formed on the electrode pad 5 . these metal components are capable to compose an eutectic alloy having a specific compound ratio , and that a melting temperature of the first metal component is higher than a contact temperature of the second metal component . the contact temperature is a process temperature to form an alloy between two metal components . referring to fig1 b , a connection part made of an eutectic alloy consisting of the first metal component and the second metal component is formed between the first soldering metal bump and the second soldering metal bump by heating the both soldering metal bumps at a temperature lower than the melting temperature of the first metal component to maintain the first soldering metal bump in a solid phase at an interface with the aluminium electrode and then cooling down to solidify both of the bumps before the eutectic reaction reaches the aluminium electrode pad 2 , in order to prevent the aluminium electrode pad from repelling the first soldering metal bump . referring to fig2 a , a semiconductor chip 1 has an electrode pad 2 of aluminium has repellency against molten metal . the first soldering metal bump 3a is formed on the electrode pad 2 in a trapezoidal shape by deposition technique using a mask having an opening with the same pattern as the first electrode pad , while a circuit board 6 has an electrode pad 5 of copper has adhesive tendency to molten metal . the second soldering metal bump 4a is formed on the electrode pad 5 . a melting temperature of the first soldering metal bump is higher than that of the second soldering metal bump . referring to fig2 b , electric connection between the electrode pad 2 and the electrode pad 5 is made by heating the both soldering metal bumps in contact to each other at a temperature lower than the melting temperature of the first metal bump to melt the second soldering metal bump 4a without melting the first soldering metal bump 3a and then cooling down to solidify the second soldering metal bump . the soldering metal is not limited to an eutectic alloy in this embodiment . preferred mixing ratios for the first and second soldering metal bumps are pb - 5 % ( wt ) sn and pb - 65 % ( wt ) sn in weight , respectively . the melting temperatures of the first and second metal bumps are 315 ° c . for pb - 5 % ( wt ) sn and 185 ° c . for pb - 65 % ( wt ) sn , respectively . in this particular example , a preferred processing temperature to melt the second soldering metal bump is 200 - 230 ° c . since the first soldering metal bump is not melted in this process , the trapezoidal shape on the electrode pad 2 is maintained after the electric connection is accomplished . the electric connection implemented in the first and second embodiments described above does not have disconnection failure due to repellency of molten soldering metal by the electrode surface in the fabrication process . that reduces electric resistance and increases mechanical strength of the connection . referring to fig3 an electrode 2a on a semiconductor chip 1 and an electrode 5 on a circuit board 6 are connected to each other by solid - liquid soldering metal 8 . the surfaces of both electrodes have adhesive tendency to molten soldering metal . the solid - liquid soldering metal 8 consists of a solid phase component 10 and a liquid phase component 9 at an operating temperature . the operating temperature is a temperature of an integrated electronic device when the device is active in a normal condition . the eutectic reaction will take place in the solid - liquid soldering metal , where the solid and liquid phases are in thermal equilibrium to each other at a solid - liquid interface . for instance , at a sufficiently low temperature when the integrated circuit device is not operated , the solid - liquid soldering metal is solely composed of a solid phase matrix , and as temperature elevates by device operation , a liquid phase component grows in the solid phase matrix . at further higher temperature , a solid phase component 10 is dispersed in a liquid phase matrix 9 as illustrated in fig3 . this mechanism releases the soldering metal from a thermal stress , which prevents from disconnection between the electrodes . such a process is more particularly described with reference to fig4 a - 4e , where a semiconductor chip 11 has an array of electrodes 12a - 12f on the surface . fig4 a shows that a metal mask 31 having windows was aligned to the semiconductor chip 11 so as to expose each of aluminium electrodes 12a - 12f on the semiconductor chip within each of the windows . as shown in fig4 b , the first bumps of 100 μm thick indium ( in ) layer 13a - 13f were deposited on the aluminium electrodes through the windows pressing the mask 31 against the surface of the semiconductor chip 11 . as shown in fig4 c , the in - bumps 13a - 13f were exposed by removing the metal mask 31 on which in layer 13 was deposited . fig4 d shows that the second bumps of 100 μm thick tin ( sn ) layer 14a - 14f were formed on copper electrodes 15a - 15f of a circuit board 16 by depositing tin through a metal mask . the first and second bumps were aligned to each other as shown in fig4 d , then kept contact to each other and heated at a connection temperature which was lower than a melting temperature of indium 156 . 6 ° c . and higher than an eutectic temperature of in - sn alloy 117 ° c ., such as 130 ° c ., the connection temperature is a processing temperature at which the first and second metal components make an alloy at an interface which provides an electric and mechanical connection , so that a connection part made of an eutectic alloy 17 was formed between the first and second bumps as in fig4 e . since the connection temperature was sufficiently lower than the melting temperature of indium in this process , a molten metal was so localized to the connection part 17 that the aluminium electrode maintained a wide contact area with the first bump , which resulted in low contact resistance free from the repellency problem . some of the preferred combinations of metals for the first and second bumps , and the connection temperature are shown in table 1 . referring to fig5 a - 5e , both first electrode pads 19a - 19f on a semiconductor chip 11 and the second electrode pads 15a - 15f on a ceramic circuit board 16 have an adhesive tendency to molten metal . each of the first electrode pads 19a - 19f was coated by about 0 . 3 μm thick film of gold , silver , or nickel . subsequently , about 30 μm high soldering metal bumps 18a - 18f consisting of indium ( in ) and 20 % ( wt ) bismuth ( bi ), namely in - 20 % ( wt ) bi , were formed on the first electrode pads 19a - 19f by depositing the soldering metals through a mask 31 as shown in fig5 a - 5c , similarly to fig4 a - 4c . as shown in fig5 d - 5e , the semiconductor chip 11 was firmly mounted on the ceramic circuit board 16 by melting at a temperature of about 300 ° c . and then solidifying the soldering metal bumps into each connection part 18 which connected each of the first electrode pads 19a - 19f with each of the second electrode pads 15a - 15f . the connection part 18 shown in fig5 e made of in - 20 % ( wt ) bi soldering metal which was deviated in composition ratio by 14 % ( wt ) on indium side from the in -- bi eutectic alloy having a composition ratio of in : bi = 66 : 34 in weight . since the eutectic temperature was 72 ° c ., the in - 20 % ( wt ) bi soldering metal consisted of a solid phase component and a liquid phase component above the eutectic temperature . therefore , a liquid phase component coexsisted with a solid phase component in the connection part 18 between 75 ° c .- 85 ° c . in the overall operating temperature range from 5 ° c . to 85 ° c . of the semiconductor chip . the mechanism that a liquid phase component increases with temperature releases a thermal stress in the connection part 18 caused by a difference in thermal coefficient between the semiconductor chip and the circuit board , and furthermore prevents metal fatigue that would be accumulated in the connection part 18 due to thermal hysteresis . comparative study of experiments shows that no crack failure was observed in an integrated electronic device according to this embodiment after more than 100 cycles of thermal hysteresis in the operating temperature range from 5 ° c . to 85 ° c ., while a crack was observed in a solid soldering metal of a prior art after 50 cycles of the same thermal hysteresis in avarage . the foregoing connection part having solid - liquid phase coexistence in an operating temperature range can be implemented by a soldering metal alloy of various mixing ratios . a soldering metal alloy of the first type is essentially made of an eutectic alloy but has an additional minor component that is harmless for the soldering metal alloy to have the liquid phase component at an operating temperature of the integrated electronic device . the additional minor component gives the eutectic alloy phase separation in an upper part of the operating temperature range , such as an in - bi eutectic alloy with a minor component of 2 - 3 % ( wt ) pb or ge . a soldering metal of the second type is a soldering metal alloy which consists of the same metal components as those of an eutectic alloy and that the mixing ratio is slightly deviated from that of the eutectic alloy . some of the eutectic alloys are a tertiary or four - element alloy such as sn -- bi -- in soldering metal based on an eutectic alloy of sn : bi : in = 16 . 5 : 32 . 5 : 51 ( wt %) with an eutectic temperature of 60 ° c ., sn -- pb -- bi -- in soldering metal based on an eutectic alloy of sn : pb : bi : in = 19 : 17 : 53 . 5 : 10 . 5 ( wt %) with an eutectic temperature of 60 ° c ., and sn -- pb -- bi -- in soldering metal based on an eutectic alloy of sn : pb : bi : cd = 13 . 3 : 26 . 7 : 50 : 10 ( wt %) with an eutectic temperature of 50 ° c . referring to fig6 a - 6f , processing steps for fabrication of an integrated electronic device having electric connection made of in -- ga liquid metal between a semiconductor chip and a circuit board are described . ga - rosin mixture was prepared before fabrication of the liquid in -- ga electric connection , for which ga was mixed with a flux vehicle at mixing ratio of 9 to 1 in weight . after the ga mixed flux vehicle was heated at 40 ° c . to melt ga in it , it was stirred until fine ga droplets of about 20 - 30 μm diameter were dispersed homogeneously in the flux vehicle . the flux vehicle was monobutylcarbithol including 60 % rosin , 2 % thichener , 0 . 5 % activator ( hydrochloric diethylamine ). the semiconductor chip 21 shown up - side down in fig6 a , has an array of electrodes 22a - 22f on a surface of the semiconductor chip . the first metal mask 31 made of covar was pressed tightly to the surface of the semiconductor chip so that an exposed area of the surface was masked . a 10 μm thick indium ( in ) film 23 was deposited on the entire surface of the semiconductor chip by evaporation technique . as shown in fig6 b , an array of in - coated electrodes was obtained by removing the first metal mask 31 . as shown in fig6 c , a 200 - 300 μm thick ga - rosin mixture 24 was selectively squeezed into each of windows of the second metal mask 32 having a thickness of 200 - 300 μm by a squeezer just as used in a printing technique . after removing the second metal mask 32 left a bump of ga - rosin mixture 24 on the in - film 23 , the semiconductor chip was heated at 200 ° c . so that ga in the ga - rosin mixture 24 and the underlayered in - film 23 were united to each other by eutectic reaction and vaporizing organic components as shown in fig6 d . 100 μm high in - ga liquid connections 27a - 27f made of an eutectic alloy between ga and in were formed on each of the array of the electrodes 22a - 22f shown in fig6 e . the eutectic reaction proceeded at the interface indicated by a dotted line 23 between in and ga , which prevented the electrodes from repelling the liquid connection . as shown in fig6 f , the semiconductor chip 21 having an array of the liquid connections 27a - 27f was mounted on a circuit board 26 having an array of electrodes 25a - 25f by flipping the semiconductor chip 21 so that the liquid connection of the semiconductor chip and the electrode on the circuit board was aligned to each other with a certain height by maintaining a certain distance between the semiconductor chip and the circuit board by a spacer 28 . the appropriate height of the liquid connection was 100 μm . in the foregoing embodiment , the surface of the electrode has such a good adhesive tendency to a liquid connection that the entire surface of the electrode is covered with the liquid metal , which eventually reduces the electric resistance of the connection . indium of the eutectic alloy is replaceable by tin ( sn ), silver ( ag ), or zinc ( zn ).	7
as required , detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein ; however , it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the invention , which can be embodied in various forms . therefore , specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure . further , the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting ; but rather , to provide an understandable description of the invention . the terms “ a ” or “ an ”, as used herein , are defined as one or more than one . the term plurality , as used herein , is defined as two or more than two . the term another , as used herein , is defined as at least a second or more . the terms including and / or having , as used herein , are defined as comprising ( i . e ., open language ). the term coupled , as used herein , is defined as connected , although not necessarily directly , and not necessarily mechanically . the term “ wireless device ” is intended to broadly cover many different types of devices that can wirelessly receive signals , and optionally can wirelessly transmit signals , and may also operate in a wireless communication system . for example , and not for any limitation , a wireless communication device can include any one or a combination of the following : a two - way radio , a cellular telephone , a mobile phone , a smartphone , a two - way pager , a wireless messaging device , a laptop / computer , a personal digital assistant , and other similar devices . according to one embodiment of the present invention , as shown in fig1 , a general operating environment 100 for implementing one or more embodiments of the present invention is illustrated . in particular , fig1 shows a plurality of wireless devices 102 , 104 within a structure 106 such as an office building , shopping center , hospital , hotel , stadium , cruise ship , hurricane shelter , tornado shelter , or any other type of structure . it should be noted that although fig1 shows a structure 106 , the various embodiments of the present invention are also applicable to open environments as well . for example , the present invention is also applicable to environments such as ( but not limited to ) outdoor shopping centers , amusement parks , city parks , or any other open environment . each wireless device 102 , 104 includes an emergency alert manager 108 , 114 , a transceiver 110 , 116 , and a user interface 112 , 118 . each of these components is discussed in greater detail below . the environment 100 also includes one or more emergency alerting devices (“ ead ”) 120 that can be communicatively coupled to the wireless devices 102 , 104 during emergency situations . the example of fig1 shows the ead 120 being located within the structure 106 , however this is not required . the ead 120 can be a stand - alone unit or integrated within one or more emergency systems / components of the structure 106 . for example , the ead 120 can be mechanically coupled to an emergency exit , smoke detector , heat detector , air quality detector , emergency lighting system , or any other emergency system / component within the structure 108 . the ead 120 includes an emergency monitor 122 , a device monitor 124 , routing information 126 , a signal / message generator 128 , and a transceiver 130 . each of these components is discussed in greater detail below . although only one ead 120 is shown within fig1 , it should be noted that multiple eads 120 can be situated throughout the structure 106 . for example , each emergency exit within a building or each floor of a building can include one or more eads 120 . during times of an emergency such as a fire , hurricane , tornado , blackout , national emergency , or any other type of emergency or critical situation , the ead 120 provides an emergency beacon 121 to a wireless device 102 , 104 . this emergency beacon 121 can include critical information such as emergency exit / evacuation routing information to the wireless devices 102 , 104 . the emergency monitor 122 monitors for and detects when an emergency situation is occurring . for example , the ead 120 can be communicatively coupled to the national eas system and receives a notification when an emergency such as ( but not limited to ) a tornado , hurricane , or national emergency is occurring or is going to occur . alternatively , the ead 120 can be communicatively coupled to a local emergency system instead of or in addition to the national eas . for example , an office building can include a fire alarm system , biological warning system , tornado or hurricane warning system , or other similar warning systems . the ead 120 , in this embodiment , can receive a signal form one of these local systems . a signal 121 , for example , can be generated when a fire is detected ; when an emergency door is opened , when emergency lighting is activated ; when a fire alarm is activated ; or by other similar means . once the emergency monitor 122 receives a signal indicating an emergency situation , the device monitor 124 identifies the wireless devices 102 , 104 within the vicinity of the ead 122 via the transceiver 130 . for example , the device monitor 124 , via the transceiver 130 , detects wireless signals emitted from the wireless devices 012 , 104 from their transceivers 110 , 116 and stores the unique identifier of the wireless device in memory . the transceiver 130 , 110 of the ead 120 and a wireless device 102 can utilize various technologies such as bluetooth , wifi , zigbee , or any other short range radio technology . it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to short range technologies . the ead systems 120 can be situated among each other so that as a wireless device 102 , 104 becomes out of range of one ead another ead detects the device . for example , consider a first ead ( east ead ) that is situated at a first emergency exit or stairwell located at an east wing of a floor . as the wireless device 102 moves further west away from the east emergency exit or stairwell the wireless device 102 becomes out of range of the east ead . however , another ead ( west ead ) situated at a second emergency exit or stairwell located at the west wing of the floor detects and communicates with the wireless device 102 the ead 120 within range of a wireless device 102 determines a routing strategy for the wireless device 102 using its internal routing information 126 . the internal routing information 126 comprises a plurality of routing plans that can be used by the ead 120 for directing a wireless device 102 to an emergency exit . for example , the device monitor 124 can determine a current location of the wireless device 102 or whether the device 102 is moving closer to or away from the ead 120 using a variety of positioning methods . for example , the ead 120 can utilize gps technology or monitor signal strength ( where a decreasing signal indicates the device is moving away from the ead 120 and an increasing signal indicates the device is moving towards the ead 120 ). the present invention is not limited to a particular method for determining the current position or direction of a wireless device . once the routing plan is determined ( such as head east ; turn left in 20 feet ; continue your current direction ) the ead 120 can output this information to the wireless device 102 . the message can include routing information such as head east ; turn left in 20 feet ; continue your current direction ; information regarding the emergency ; current location information with respect to the nearest emergency exit ; emergency safety tips ; or other similar information . the message type can be ( but is not limited to ) a text message , a multimedia message , an email , an automated message , or any other similar messaging types . the messages include text , pictures , voice prompts , and other visual and audio indicators . the ead 120 can utilize its own communication system or any other network communicatively coupled to ead 120 for sending out the message . for example , the ead 120 can out the routing message to a wireless device 120 using the emergency signal / beacon 121 generated by the signal / message generator 128 . in other words , the ead 120 and the wireless device 102 can communicate directly with each other utilizing their internal technologies such as bluetooth , wifi , zigbee , or any other rf technology . alternatively , the ead 120 can be communicatively coupled to various access networks such as a circuit switched or packet data network ; a local area network ; or a public switched telephone network and utilize these networks to send the routing message or even the emergency signal / beacon . the wireless device 102 detects the emergency signal / beacon 121 and the based on the signal 121 the emergency alert manager 108 within the device 102 determines that an emergency condition exists . if the signal 121 includes routing information or is accompanied by routing information the emergency alert manager 108 displays the routing information to the user via the user interface 112 . the user is then able to follow the routing directions to the nearest or safest exit . for example , fig2 shows one example of the user interface 112 of the wireless device 102 displaying routing information received from the ead 120 . in particular , fig2 shows information 202 such as the current location with respect to the nearest or safest exit . fig2 also shows that the information can change as the user moves . for example , a first routing prompt 204 tells the user to keep moving straight or in the current direction . as the user moves , a second prompt 206 tells the user to turn right . it should be noted that the device monitor 124 , routing information 126 , and message generator 128 within the ead 120 are optional . for example , the ead 120 , in one embodiment , only generates the emergency signal 121 that is detected by the wireless device 102 , as discussed above . in this embodiment , the wireless device 102 periodically checks if an emergency signal 121 from an ead 120 is detected . the ead 120 generates the emergency signal 121 when it detects an emergency condition as discussed above . the emergency signal 121 , in one embodiment , includes a direction indicator that the wireless device 102 saves for a later comparison as the device 102 moves about its location . as the user moves , the emergency alert manager 108 acquires another direction indictor from the emergency signal 121 . the emergency alert manager 108 compares this new direction indictor the original direction indicator to determine if the user has moved away from or closer to the ead 120 . if the user has moved away from the ead 120 , the emergency alert manager 108 notifies the user that he / she is traveling in the wrong direction . if the user has moved closer to the ead 120 , the emergency alert manager 108 notifies the user that he / she is traveling in the correct direction . for example , fig3 shows the user interface 112 of the wireless device 102 displaying routing notifications to the user as the user moves about a location . in particular , fig3 shows a first prompt 302 that notifies the user that he / she is moving in the wrong direction with respect to the nearest or safest exit . fig3 also shows a second prompt 304 that notifies the user when he / she is moving in the correct direction with respect to the nearest or safest exit . the user can use these prompts to locate the direction with respect to the nearest or safest exit . as can be seen , the various embodiments of the present invention are advantageous because a user is able to locate an emergency exit or follow an evacuation plan using his / her wireless device during times of an emergency . the relevant routing information can be displayed to a use via his / her wireless device . process for directing a user of a wireless device to an exit during an emergency situation fig4 is an operational flow diagram illustrating a process of directing a user of a user to an exit during an emergency situation via the user &# 39 ; s wireless device . the operational flow diagram of fig4 begins at step 402 and flows directly to step 404 . the ead 120 , at step 404 , detects an emergency condition as discussed above . for example , the ead 120 can receive a signal from the national eas system , a local emergency monitoring system , or an emergency notification device such as ( but not limited to ) a siren , emergency lights . the ead 120 , at step 406 , identifies any wireless devices 102 , 104 in its vicinity . a routing plan , at step 408 , for each of the identified wireless devices 102 , 104 is generated . the ead 120 , at step 410 , then generates an emergency signal 121 that includes the routing information or can generate an additional message to accompany the emergency signal 121 . the routing information , at step 412 , is then transmitted to the wireless device ( s ) 102 , 104 . the control flow then exits at step 414 . it should be noted that steps 406 - 412 are optional . for example , the ead 120 can generate an emergency signal 121 once an emergency condition is detected . this emergency signal 121 is then used by the wireless device 102 , 104 to locate the nearest or safest exit as discussed above . process for prompting a user of a wireless device for locating an exit during an emergency situation fig5 is an operational flow diagram illustrating a process of prompting a user for locating an exit during an emergency situation . the operational flow diagram of fig5 begins at step 502 and flows directly to step 504 . the wireless device 102 , at step 504 , determines that a timer has expired for identifying any emergency signals 121 and the wireless device 102 “ wakes up ”. the wireless device 102 , at step 506 , determines if any emergency signals 121 are active . if the result of this determination is negative , the wireless device 102 , at step 508 , goes back to “ sleep ”. the control flow returns to step 504 . if the result of this determination is positive , the wireless device 102 , at step 510 , analyzes the signal 121 signal and saves a direction indicator within the signal 121 . the wireless device 102 can optionally extract information within the beacon and display it to the user via the user interface 112 . this information can be routing information as discussed above . the user begins to move about the location and the wireless device 102 , at step 512 , acquires another direction indicator form the emergency signal 121 . the wireless device 102 , at step 514 , compares the original direction indicator to the newly acquired direction indicator to determine if the newer indicator is closer or farther away from the original indicator . if the wireless device 102 , determines that it is moving further away from the ead 120 generating the signal 121 , the wireless device 102 , at step 516 , notifies the user via the user interface 112 that he / she is moving in the wrong direction . the original indicator is replaced with the newly acquired indicator . the control flows back to step 512 . if the wireless device 102 , determines that the wireless device is moving closer to the ead 120 generating the beacon , the wireless device 102 , at step 518 notifies the user via the user interface 112 that he / she is moving in the correct direction . the original indicator is replaced with the newly acquired indicator . the control flow then returns to step 512 . fig6 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed view of the wireless device 102 according to one embodiment of the present invention . it is assumed that the reader is familiar with wireless communication devices . to simplify the present description , only that portion of a wireless communication device that is relevant to the present invention is discussed . the wireless device 102 operates under the control of a device controller / processor 602 , that controls the sending and receiving of wireless communication signals . in receive mode , the device controller 602 electrically couples an antenna 604 through a transmit / receive switch 606 to a receiver 608 . the receiver 608 decodes the received signals and provides those decoded signals to the device controller 602 . in transmit mode , the device controller 602 electrically couples the antenna 604 , through the transmit / receive switch 606 , to a transmitter 610 . the wireless device 102 can also include an additional transceiver 110 as discussed above . however , the receiver 608 / transmitter 610 can also provide the functionality of the transceiver 110 discussed above . the wireless device 102 also includes volatile memory 112 and non - volatile storage memory 614 . either of these memories 112 , 114 can include the emergency alert manager 108 and the software components of user interface 112 . each of these components has been discussed above in greater detail . fig7 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed view of an information processing system 700 such as the ead 120 system 116 discussed above . the information processing system 700 includes a computer 732 . the computer 732 has a processor 734 that is connected to a main memory 736 , a transceiver 730 , a mass storage interface 738 , and network adapter hardware 740 . a system bus 742 interconnects these system components . the mass storage interface 738 is used to connect mass storage devices , such as a data storage device to the information processing system 700 . the main memory 736 , in one embodiment , includes an emergency monitor 722 , a device monitor 724 , routing information 726 , and a signal / message generator 728 , which have discussed above in greater detail . the network adapter hardware 740 is used to provide an interface to a network ( not shown ). various embodiments of the present invention can be adapted to work with any data communications connections including present day analog and / or digital techniques or via a future networking mechanism . although specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed , those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that changes can be made to the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . the scope of the invention is not to be restricted , therefore , to the specific embodiments , and it is intended that the appended claims cover any and all such applications , modifications , and embodiments within the scope of the present invention .	7
the present invention is illustrated in a general sense in fig2 where a stress free , multilayer structure is shown . a substrate 10 is provided , preferably of silicon having a ( 100 ) orientation , but recognizing that any crystalline material or orientation intended for use in a dielectrically isolated product can benefit from this invention . typically , this substrate 10 will be approximately 500 μm thick . a dielectrically passivating layer 30 is provided on the substrate . in the preferred practice of the invention , the substrate is silicon , thus , a silicon dioxide passivating layer 30 can be formed by thermal oxidation at a temperature range of 1000 °- 1200 ° c . in a preferred process , the dielectrically passivating layer will be between about 1 and 3 micrometers thick . a transition layer 23 , preferably of doped silica glass having a low softening temperature , is provided on said dielectrically passivating layer and a polycrystalline layer 60 preferably of silicon is deposited on the transition layer 23 at a temperature above the softening temperature of the transition layer 23 . it is desired that the transition layer have a softening temperature substantially lower than the deposition temperature of the subsequently applied poly - crystalline silicon layer 60 to permit densification during the deposition process without creating stress between the transition layer 23 and the densifying polycrystalline layer 60 . an example of a structure which is subject to the stresses caused by application of a polysilicon layer on a silicon substrate is illustrated in fig3 wherein an intermediate step in the formation of dielectrically isolated islands is shown . a silicon substrate 10 having grooves 40 is shown with a dielectrically passivating layer 20 covering the substrate , including the grooves 40 to provide a complete dielectric coating over the substrate . the region 45 in the substrate which is between the grooves 40 40 will eventually become the dielectrically isolated islands . next , a transition layer 23 of highly doped silica glass is provided , preferably by chemical vapor deposition . a suitable doped glass comprises phospho - silica glass containing approximately 10 % phosphorous . this glass can be deposited by chemical vapor deposition at a temperature range of 300 °- 500 ° c . a layer of between about 500 and 10 , 000 angstroms is formed in approximately 10 minutes and will provide a suitable transition layer . directly on this layer , a polysilicon layer 60 is deposited by chemical vapor deposition at a temperature above 1100 ° c . at this temperature the transition layer is softened thus allowing for crystal formation and growth in the polysilicon layer without creating any substantial interlayer stress at the interface with the transition layer . during the crystal formation in the polysilicon , there is densification of the polycrystalline material resulting in shrinkage of the polycrystalline layer . previously , when the polysilicon was applied directly to the dielectrically passivating layer , this densification created substantial interlayer stress and resulted in bending or warping of the final wafer . upon coating of the polysilicon layer , the transition layer hardens and a stress free interface remains . referring now to fig4 a - 4 g the preferred manner of forming dielectrically isolated islands in a di wafer is described . as shown in fig4 a , a silicon wafer 10 preferably having a ( 100 ) orientation is selected and an oxide 20 is grown by thermal oxidation , preferably to a thickness of about 2 micrometers . typically , the silicon wafer will have a thickness of about 500 micrometers . fig4 b illustrates the structure formed as described above and further shows apertures 30 where the oxide has been removed . the apertures 30 are formed by a photolithographic process followed by a conventional wet etch . as shown in fig4 c , grooves 40 are formed in the silicon wafer at the locations of apertures 30 . in this manner , it is possible to obtain uniform groove depth . following groove formation the remaining oxide 20 is stripped and as shown in fig4 d , the substrate 10 has a plurality of grooves 40 which define regions 45 in the substrate betwen the grooves and above the depth of the grooves as shown by dashed line 41 . fig4 e shows the n + layer 42 formed along the entire exposed surface of substrate and the oxide layer 21 which is grown by thermal oxidation along the entire substrate surface , including the surface of grooves 40 . preferably the n + layer is formed by diffusion and will form a buried layer . the oxide layer 21 is a dielectric passivating layer . acceptable alternative to the use of silicon oxide as the dielectric passivating layer include silicon nitride and aluminum oxide , but any other dielectric material could be used . a transition layer 23 of highly doped silica glass is deposited by chemical vapor deposition on the dielectric passivating layer 21 as shown in fig4 f . the transition layer may contain any dopant which substantially reduces the melting temperature of silica glass without causing excessive migration or diffusion of dopants into the substrate . acceptable alternatives to the previously described phospho - silica glass include boro - silica and arseno - silica glass . in each case , it is the reduced melting temperature imparted to the glass which renders these dopants desirable . then , at a temperature above the softening temperature of the transition layer 23 , a layer 60 of polycrystalline silicon is deposited by chemical vapor deposition . the polysilicon layer 60 is deposited at a temperature of between about 1100 ° c . and 1250 ° c . at this temperature , the transition layer 23 of phospho - silica glass , containing approximately 10 % phosphorous , is in a pseudo - liquid state . this permits unrestricted densification of the polysilicon without the creation of any substantial stress between the silicon wafer 10 and the polysilicon layer 60 . the polysilicon layer 60 may preferably be formed with a thickness of about 500 micrometers and the transition layer is optionally between about 0 . 05 micrometers and 1 micrometer thick . the structure so formed is then inverted for subsequent processing as shown in fig4 g . the surface is ground and polished along dashed line 41 to expose the &# 34 ; bottoms &# 34 ; of the grooves 40 . as shown , it is typically easier to slightly exceed the depth necessary to reach the line 41 and this insures that the dielectric material of each groove is exposed . it is at this step that the prior bending and warping of di wafers presented the most severe problem . if the wafer is sufficiently non - planar due to interlayer stresses , the grinding and polishing steps would not consistently result in the exposure of every groove . thus , rather than forming isolated islands 70 as shown in fig4 g , non - isolated regions 75 result as shown in fig5 . every attempt is made to reduce the variations from planarity prior to the grinding and polishing step , thus , it has been found that some slight variations can be overcome by securing the wafers to a vacuum chuck during the grinding and polishing steps . in some instance , the dopant contained in the transition layer may not be sufficiently masked from the silicon islands by the 2 micrometer thick dielectrically passivating layer . particularly , this may occur when the dopant is phosphorous and the dielectrically passivating layer is silicon dioxide . the masking properties of the oxide will be particularly suspect during high temperature processing . to avoid any detrimental effects of dopant diffusion during high temperature processing , an additional mask layers for instance of silicon nitride , may be deposited on the dielectric layer to mask against diffusion at the dopants contained in the transition layer .	7
hereinbelow will be described an embodiment of this invention with reference to drawings . fig7 is a general block diagram of the television receiver of the invention and is also used in the description of the prior art . fig1 is a block diagram of this invention showing a caption information processing unit shown in fig7 . a transmitted composite video signal including a caption information ( character information ) is received by an antenna 1 . the received composite video signal is converted to have an intermediate frequency by the tuner 2 . the composite video signal having the intermediate frequency is amplified by an intermediate frequency amplifier which further includes a video signal detection circuit for detecting the composite video signal . the detected composite video signal is supplied to a video signal processing circuit 4 and to the caption information processing circuit 8a . the video signal processing circuit 4 effects the y / c separation , color reproduction , and matrix processings . an output of the video signal processing circuit 4 is supplied to a well - known display size conversion circuit 5 . the display size conversion circuit 5 effects a display size conversion in accordance with a mode signal 31 . when the size mode signal 31 indicates non - conversion , that is , the received video signal is for an oblong crt 7 having an aspect ratio of 16 : 9 , the display size conversion circuit 5 outputs the video signal from the video signal processing circuit 4 without conversion . when the size mode signal 31 indicates the another mode , that is , the received video signal is for a standard crt ( not shown ) having an aspect ratio of 4 : 3 , the display size conversion circuit 5 converts the video signal into another video signal which is suitable for reproduction of the video signal on the oblong crt 7 having the aspect ratio of 16 : 9 as shown in fig5 b , 5c , and 5d . that is , the video image is displayed on the oblong crt 7 in a regular mode where there are non - displayed areas at both sides of the crt 7 , in a cinema mode where there are omitted areas at top and bottom portions , or in a full mode where all picture image displayed but the aspect ratio is unnatural . this processing is carried out using a digital compression technique of the video signal in the time base . an output of the display size conversion circuit 5 is sent to the rgb drive circuit 6 included a display portion 7a . the caption signal processing circuit 8a separates the caption information from the detected video signal and outputs character color data signals r , g , and b indicative of color of characters to be displayed and a switching signal ys indicative of switching between the video signal from the display size conversion circuit 5 and the character color data signals which are produced in accordance with the caption information . the character color data signals r , g , and b and the switching signal ys are sent to the rgb drive circuit 6 in accordance with a caption information on / off signal 32 and the size mode signal 31 . when the caption information on / off signal 32 indicates the non - conversion , the rgb drive circuit 6 outputs rgb drive signals produced from the video signal from the display size conversion circuit 5 to the crt 7 because the switching signal ys remains indicative of outputting only video signal . when the caption information on / off signal 32 indicates on of displaying , the rgb drive circuit 6 outputs rgb drive signals with the character color data signals r , g , and b superimposed in response to the switching signal ys to the crt 7 . a synchronizing circuit 9 separates horizontal and vertical signals from an output signal of the video signal processing circuit 4 and sends the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals to a horizontal and vertical scanning circuit 10 . the horizontal and vertical scanning circuit 10 has oscillators for producing a horizontal scanning signal of 15 . 75 khz and a vertical scanning signal of 60 hz in response to the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals from the synchronizing circuit 9 respectively . when the horizontal synchronizing and vertical synchronizing signals are absent , each oscillators performing self - oscillation at a frequency determined by constants of circuit elements thereof when no signal is inputted . a horizontal and vertical deflection circuit 10 supplies horizontal and vertical deflection drive signals to a deflection unit 7b of the crt 7 in response to the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals from the synchronizing circuit 9 . the horizontal and vertical deflection circuit 10 also performs the displaying size conversion in the cinema mode by over - scanning in response to the size mode signal 31 . the horizontal and vertical deflection circuit 10 also supplies flyback pulses of the vertical synchronizing signals to the caption information processing circuit 8a . the caption information processing circuit 8a determines timing for positioning the caption information , ( i . e ., characters and marks on the image plane of the crt 7 ) in response to the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals from the horizontal and vertical deflection circuit 10 . as shown in fig1 the caption information processing circuit 8a comprises a front end unit 11 , a decoding unit 12 , and a display control unit 13 . the front end unit 11 receives the composite video signal from the intermediate frequency amplifier 3 and extracts the caption signal multiplexed in the composite video signal at 21st and 284th lines to send the caption signal to the decoding unit 12 . the decoding unit 12 decodes the caption signal and supplies display data to the display control unit 13 when the displaying of the caption information is commanded by a caption information on / off signal 32 . the display control unit 13 supplies r , g , and b character color signals indicative of color of the characters superimposed in the reproduced video image to the rgb drive circuit 6 with color of characters and timing of these signal determined in accordance with the received caption information , the horizontal and vertical signals supplied from the horizontal and vertical deflection circuit 10 , and an oscillation signal produced by an oscillation circuit 13b to the rgb drive circuit 6 . the display control unit 13 also supplies a switching signal ys indicative of timing of switching between the r , g , and b drive signals and the r , g , and b character color signals to the rgb drive circuit 6 with timing of the switching signal ys determined in accordance with the received caption information ; the horizontal and vertical signals supplied from the horizontal and vertical deflection circuit 10 ; and the oscillation signal . more specifically , the decoding unit 12 comprises a character decoding circuit 12a for decoding the caption signal sent from the front end unit 11 to obtain information of characters to be superimposed on the picture plane of the crt 7 in response to the caption information on / off signal 32 and a position data decoding circuit 12b for decoding the caption signal to obtain positional information of characters to be superimposed ; a memory 21 for storing a set of positional data , for displaying the characters , relating to the size modes , namely , vertical start data , horizontal start data , vertical size data , and horizontal size data , and a position and size control circuit 22 for modifying the data read from the memory 21 in accordance with a size mode signal 31 . the character decoding circuit 12a decodes the caption information to obtain decoded information of characters to be superimposed on the reproduced video image . the decoded information of characters is sent to a v ram ( random access memory for storing video data ) 13c . the position data decoding circuit 12b decodes the caption signal to obtain positional information of a character within a display region of character information and sends the positional information to a display control circuit 13a of the display control unit 13 . the memory 21 stores vertical start position data , horizontal start position data , size data indicative of vertical and horizontal sizes of a section for displaying one character to produce the display region as shown in fig6 a and 63 . fig6 a is an illustration for showing a relation between the size of a crt 7 and a region for displaying the caption information , namely , a character display region 35 which is represented by the hatched portion . fig6 a is also used in the description of the prior art . in fig6 a , a denotes a height of the crt ; b denotes a width of the crt 7 ; c denotes a height of the character display region 35 ; d denotes a width of the character display region 35 ; e denotes a vertical end position ; and f denotes a horizontal end position . these sizes a to f are predetermined for the oblong crt 7 . fig1 is an illustration of this invention for showing the vertical and horizontal start position data and vertical and horizontal size data . the vertical start position data vposi indicates a vertical distance between top lift corner of the crt 7 and the character display region 35 . the horizontal start position data hposi indicates a horizontal distance between top left corner of the crt 7 and the character display region 35 . the vertical size data vsize indicates a vertical size of one section included in the character display region 35 , each section indicative of an area on which one character is to be displayed . the horizontal size data hsize indicates a horizontal size of one section . more specifically , the memory 21 stores values set to counters included in the display control circuit 13a . that is , the memory 21 stores a value &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; for vposi ; a value &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; for hposi ; a value &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; for vsize ; and a value &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; for hsize . fig6 b is an illustration for showing a map of displayed characters within the character display region 35 and is also used in the description of the prior art . the character display region 35 includes 34 rows and 15 columns wherein the first and 34th columns are not used for displaying and one character is displayed on one section defined by one row and one column . the memory 21 supplies the vertical and horizontal start position data and vertical and horizontal size data to the position and size control circuit 22 . the position and size control circuit 22 modifies the vertical and horizontal start position data and vertical and horizontal size data from the memory 21 in accordance with the mode of the reproduction of the video signal , namely , the size mode signal 31 to display characters of the caption information at suitable positions respectively . the display control unit 13 comprises the display control circuit 13a ; an oscillation circuit 13b ; a v ram 13c ; a character rom 13d ; an attribute control circuit 13f ; and an output control circuit 13e . the v ram 13c stores character data obtained by decoding the caption information and supplies an address signal to the character rom 13d as a character address data . the character rom 13d supplies character font data to the output control circuit 13e in response to a timing signal from the display control circuit 13a . the output control circuit 13e supplies r , g , and b character color signals and the switching signal ys to the rgb drive circuit 6 in response to an output of the oscillation circuit 13d . the display control circuit 13a supplies the timing signal for displaying the character font data from the character rom 13d at the commanded position with a suitable size . that is , the display control circuit 13a produces the timing signal using the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync to determine timing of the vertical displaying of the character and using the clock signal 37 outputted from the oscillation circuit 13b to determine timing of displaying of the characters in the horizontal direction . the oscillation circuit 13d is controlled to output the clock signal 37 in response to the vertical synchronizing signal vsync . fig1 also shows a timing relation between the vertical synchronizing signal vsync , horizontal synchronizing signal hsync , and the clock signal 37 produced by the oscillation circuit 13b . fig1 is partial a block diagram of this invention for showing the display control circuit 13a shown in fig1 . the display control circuit 13a comprises a horizontal start position counter circuit 51 ; a horizontal size counter circuit 52 ; a vertical start position counter circuit 53 ; a vertical counter circuit 54 ; and a timing signal generation circuit 55 . the vertical start position counter 53 counts pulses of horizontal synchronizing signal hsync after reception of the vertical synchronizing signal vsync supplied to a reset input ( r ) thereof . the position and size control circuit 22 sets the vertical start potion vposi , for example &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;, to the vertical start position counter circuit 53 and the count value is reset by the vertical synchronizing signal , so that when the vertical start position counter circuit 53 counts pulses of the horizontal synchronizing signal corresponding to vposi , the vertical start position counter circuit 53 provides a vertical start timing from the top left corner of the picture plane . the vertical start timing starts counting of the horizontal synchronizing signal by the vertical size counter circuit 54 and horizontal start position counter circuit through and gates 56 and 57 respectively . the horizontal start position counter circuit 51 counts the clock signal 37 in response to the vertical start timing and provides a horizontal start timing because the horizontal start position hposi , for example &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; is set to this counter circuit 51 through a data set input thereof . this counter circuit 51 is reset by the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync . therefore , the horizontal start position counter 51 provides a horizontal start timing signal . the horizontal start timing signal starts the horizontal size counter circuit 52 through an and gate 58 . the horizontal size counter circuit 52 counts the clock signal 37 in response to the horizontal start timing and provides a timing signal indicative of horizontal position of characters because the value of the horizontal size hsize , for example &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; is set to this counter circuit 52 through a data set input thereof . this counter circuit 51 is reset by the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync . therefore , the horizontal size counter circuit 52 provide timing of each of columns c1 to c34 at each of rows r1 to r15 . the vertical size counter circuit 54 counts the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync in response to the vertical start timing and provides a timing signal indicative of vertical position of characters because the value of the horizontal size hsize , for example &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; is set to this counter circuit 54 through a data set input thereof . this counter circuit 54 is reset by the vertical synchronizing signal vsync . therefore , the vertical size counter circuit 54 provides timing of each start at rows r1 to r15 . the vertical size counter circuit 54 outputs a row signal indicative of which row is displayed now and the horizontal size counter circuit 52 outputs a column signal indicative of which column is displayed now . the timing signal generation circuit 55 outputs the timing signal to the v ram 13c in response to the clock signal 37 when the column signal and the row signal agree with the position data sent from the position data decoding circuit 12b . that is , the timing signal generation circuit 55 includes a comparing circuit ( not shown ) for comparing the column signal and row signal with the position data and a gate circuit ( not shown ) for outputting the timing signal when the column signal and the row signal agree with the position data . fig5 b to 5d are illustrations for showing respective displaying modes wherein a circle represented by a video signal for the standard type crt having the aspect ratio of 4 : 3 is displayed on the oblong crt 7 and are used in the description of the invention . fig5 a is an illustration for showing a picture plane of a prior art television where a circle represented by the video signal for the standard type get having the aspect ratio of 4 : 3 is displayed . if this video signal is displayed on the television receiver having the oblong crt 7 with the aspect ratio of 16 : 9 without a compression processing , the circle is displayed in an oval ( hereinafter , this mode is referred to as a full mode ) as shown in fig5 d . then , a compression processing for compressing the video signal in the horizontal direction is carried out to make the oval close to the circle as shown in fig5 b ( hereinafter this mode is referred to as a regular mode ). in this mode , though there are non - displayed areas , i . e ., black areas at both side of the crt 7 , the circle is correctly reproduced . in other words , a frame 70 of picture plane of the video signal to be reproduced on the get having the aspect ratio of 4 : 3 is provided within a frame 71 of the crt 7 . fig5 c shows a condition that the video signal is displayed with the aspect ratio of the displayed image unchanged by over - scanning of the horizontal and vertical deflection circuit 10 in response to the size mode signal 31 . that is , the video image is enlarged in the vertical direction compared with the full mode as shown in fig5 d ( this mode is referred to as a cinema mode ). the user cannot watch the areas within the chain lines in fig5 c . however , this cinema mode provides the most strong appeal to the user . therefore , this cinema mode is suitable for reproducing a cinema . in this mode about 80 % of the original video image is reproduced . in other words , about 380 horizontal scanning lines are reproduced though the original video image includes about 480 horizontal scanning lines . in the full mode as shown in fig5 d , the position and size control circuit 22 outputs the vertical and horizontal start position data vposi = a and hposi = b as they are and the vertical and horizontal size data vsize = c and hsize = d to the display control circuit 13a . in the cinema mode as shown in fig5 c , the vertical start position and size data are modified . fig1 a is an illustration for showing an image plane of the crt 7 in the cinema mode as shown in fig5 c . a frame denoted by a solid line indicates the picture plane of the crt 7 with the aspect ration of 16 : 9 and an outer frame denoted by a chain line denotes an imaginary picture plane of a video signal for the standard crt having the aspect ratio of 4 : 3 wherein the video signal is time - expanded to enlarge the original picture plane to produce the imaginary image plane with an aspect ratio of 16 : 12 . an inner frame denoted with a chain line indicates the original image plane of the standard crt . in fig1 a , a ratio between a vertical size of the imaginary enlarged picture plane 36 and that of the picture plane of the crt 7 is given : therefore , in order to display the character information fully on the crt 7 , the vertical size of a section is compressed , i . e ., the vertical size of the character region 35 is 3 / 4 times that of the imaginary picture plane 36 . timing of the vertical start position vposi is delayed for an interval given : more specifically , the vertical size of 3 / 4 - compression is obtained by counting 3 / 4 times the value c , namely , 3 / 4c , of pulses of the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync . the delaying the start timing is obtained by increasing the value a which is given by : the counting is started from the position s as shown in fig1 a because in the cinema mode the horizontal and vertical deflection circuit 10 perform over scanning . therefore , the position and size control circuit 22 modifies the vertical start position data vposi and vertical size data vsize such that vposi =( 9 / 8 ) a and vsize =( 3 / 4 ) c in the cinema mode and outputs the result to the display control circuit 13a . the display control circuit 13a includes vertical counters . the value ( 9 / 8 ) a is set to a vertical start position counter 53 which counts the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync to provide a start timing of the vertical size counter 54 and the horizontal start position counter 51 . the value 3 / 4c is set to the vertical size counter 54 which counts pulses of the horizontal synchronizing signal to provide the row signal . the horizontal start position and horizontal size data are outputted and set to the horizontal start counter 51 and horizontal size counters 52 from the position and size control circuit 22 as they are . as mentioned above , all caption information multiplexed in the video signal for the standard television having a crt with the aspect ratio of 4 : 3 is suitably displayed on the oblong crt having the aspect ratio of 16 : 9 in the cinema mode . however , in this condition , the vertical positions of characters slightly deviates from those on the standard type television with the aspect ratio of 4 : 3 and the vertical size of each character is slightly small . therefore , it is better to compensate the shape of each character by reduction of horizontal size by increasing a frequency of the clock signal 37 . fig1 b is an illustration for showing the picture plane in the regular mode . fig1 c is an illustration for showing a relation between the picture plane of the crt 7 and the character display region 85 in the regular mode . in the regular mode , the video signal for the standard type television having a crt with the aspect ratio of 4 : 3 is fully displayed on the oblong crt 7 and the caption information can be also displayed on the oblong crt 7 . however , as shown in fig1 c , the caption information is displayed with a horizontal size of the frame of the character display region enlarged at a ratio of 16 / 12 = 4 / 3 with respect to the picture plane of the video signal in the regular mode . that is , the left and right sides of the character display region ranges over the non - displayed areas 39a and 39b . therefore , the aspect ratio of the frame of the character display region 35 should be restored to the original aspect ratio of 4 : 3 . that is , the horizontal size is 3 / 4 - compressed and the horizontal start position or the horizontal start timing is delayed by the width of the left non - display region 39a . namely , the horizontal start timing is delayed by : in order to 3 / 4 - compression , data to be set to the horizontal size counter 52 is obtained by multiplication of &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; by 3 / 4 . the delaying of the horizontal start timing is obtained by data to be set to the horizontal start position counter 51 is obtained by multiplication of &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; by ( 1 + 1 / 8 )= 9 / 8 . the position and size control circuit 22 modifies the data &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; ( read from the memory 21 ) to be set to the horizontal start position counter 51 such that hposi =( 9 / 8 ) b and the data &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; ( read from the memory 21 ) to be set to the horizontal size counter 52 such that hsize =( 3 / 4 ) d . the data for determining the vertical start position vposi and the vertical size vsize are outputted as they are . therefore , the characters displayed in accordance with the caption information ranges within the display region of the video signal in the regular mode and the aspect ratio of a character is corrected because the aspect ratio is restored to the original aspect ratio . fig2 shows a flow chart of this embodiment of this invention . the decoding unit 12 includes a microprocessor ( not shown ) and executes a stored program as shown in the flow chart shown in fig2 . processing starts at step 201 . in the following step 202 , a flag indicative of displaying / non - displaying of the caption information ( dsp . flg ) is reset . in the following step 203 , a decision is made as to whether or not the size mode signal is inputted and which mode is commanded . if the regular mode is commanded , processing proceeds to step 204 . in step 204 , data of vposi ( a ), hposi ( b ), vsize ( c ), and hsize ( d ) are read from the memory 21 and data of hposi is multiplied by ( 9 / 8 ), namely , hposi =( 9 / 8 ) b is obtained . similarly , data of hsize is multiplied by ( 3 / 4 ), namely , hposi =( 3 / 4 ) d is obtained . these data are sent to the display control circuit 13a . if the cinema mode is commanded in the step 203 , processing proceeds to step 205 . in step 205 , data of vposi ( a ), hposi ( b ), vsize ( c ), and hsize ( d ) are read from the memory 21 and data of vposi is multiplied by ( 9 / 8 ), namely , vposi =( 9 / 8 ) a is obtained . similarly , data of vsize is multiplied by ( 3 / 4 ), namely , hposi =( 3 / 4 ) c is obtained . these data are sent to the display control circuit 13a . if the full mode is commanded , processing proceeds to step 206 . in step 206 , data of vposi ( a ), hposi ( b ), vsize ( c ), and hsize ( d ) are read from the memory 21 and these data are sent to the display control circuit 13a without modification . then , processing proceeds to step 207 . in step 203 , if the size mode signal is absent , processing directly proceeds to step 207 . after processing in the step 204 and 205 , processing proceeds to step 207 also . in step 207 , a decision is made to as whether or not the caption information on / off signal is present . in the absence of the caption information on / off signal , processing returns to step 203 . in the presence of the caption information on / off signal , processing proceeds to step 208 . in step 208 , a decision is made as to whether or not the displaying / non - displaying flag of the caption information ( dsp . flg ) has been set . if the displaying / non - displaying flag has been set to 0 , the flag is set to 1 . in the following step 210 , the displaying of the caption information is started . that is , the character decoding circuit 12 starts outputting the decoded caption information . if the displaying / non - displaying flag has been set to 1 , the flag is set to 0 . in the following step 212 , the displaying of the caption information is stopped . that is , the character decoding circuit 12 stops the outputting of the decoded caption information . fig3 is a partial block diagram of the second embodiment of this invention . in the first embodiment , changing of the vertical or horizontal start position and vertical or horizontal size is performed by modification of the data set to the counters included in the display control circuit 13 . in contrast , in the second embodiment , a frequency of the input signal of the vertical start position and size counters 53 and 54 and horizontal start position and size counters 51 and 52 in the display control circuit 13 is changed . that is , the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync is 4 / 3 - frequency multiplier and a frequency of a clock 40 of a oscillation circuit 13f is varied in accordance with the size mode signal from the standard frequency f1 . a switching circuit 45 is provided to supply the horizontal synchronizing signal to the display control circuit 13a directly or through the 4 / 3 - frequency multiplier 41 in accordance with a switching control signal 42 . therefore , the position and size control circuit 22 does not modifies the data read from the memory 21 in accordance with the size mode signal 31 basically . in addition , the decoding unit 12f outputs the switching control signal 42 and frequency control signal 43 and its other functions are the same as the decoding unit 12e of the first embodiment . in the full mode , all caption information can be displayed without compression or enlargement . therefore , the horizontal synchronizing signal is supplied to the display control circuit 13 directly through the switching circuit 45 . the decoding unit 12f outputs the switching control signal 42 to cause the switching circuit 45 to transfer the horizontal signal directly , that is , the switching circuit 45 is moved to the off position . the decoding unit 12f supplies a frequency control signal 43 to the variable oscillator 13f . in this mode , the decoding unit 12f causes the variable oscillator 13f to oscillate at the standard frequency f1 , that is , the frequency for displaying the character information on the oblong crt 7 with the aspect ratio of 16 : 9 with video signal for the oblong crt 7 having the aspect ratio of 16 : 9 . the decoding unit 12f reads data of vposi = a , vsize = c , hposi = b , and hsize = d are set to respective counters in the display control circuit 13a . in the cinema mode , the vertical size of the character display region 35 should be 3 / 4 - compressed vertically . in the first embodiment , data set to the vertical start position counter circuit 53 and vertical size counter circuit 54 are modified . however , in the second embodiment , the data set to these counter circuits are unchanged basically but the frequency of the horizontal synchronizing signal is 4 / 3 - frequency multiplied . this compresses the vertical size of the display region 25 also . the decoding circuit 12f outputs the switching control signal 42 to cause the switching circuit 45 to supply the 4 / 3 - frequency - multiplexed horizontal synchronizing signal to the display control circuit 13a . the frequency of the variable oscillation circuit 13f is set to the standard frequency f1 . preferably , because in the condition mentioned above , the shape of a character is oblong , the frequency of the variable oscillation circuit 13f is slightly increased to compensate the shape of the character . in this cinema mode , the data set to the respective counters in the display control circuit 13a are vposi ( 7 / 6 ) a , vsize = c , hposi = b , and hsize = d . here , the reason why the vposi is not ( 9 / 8 ) a which is used in the first embodiment , is that the frequency of the horizontal synchronizing signal is obtained by 4 / 3 - frequency - multiplying the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync , so that the data set to the vertical start counter circuit 53 is compensated to match the 4 / 3 - frequency - multiplied frequency . that is , vposi is given by : in the regular mode , the horizontal size of the character display region 35 should be 3 / 4 - compressed . the horizontal size of the character display region is determined by the count of the pulses of clock signal 40 of the oscillation circuit 13f . therefore , the horizontal size of the character display region 35 can be compressed by 4 / 3 - frequency multiplying the frequency of the oscillation circuit 13f similarly when the data set to the horizontal size counter is unchanged . it is unnecessary to change the vertical size of the character display region , so that the switching circuit 45 is switched to the off position , that is , the horizontal synchronize signal is supplied to the display control circuit 13a directly . in the regular mode , the data set to the counters in the display control circuit 13 are vposi = a , vsize = c , hposi =( 7 / 6 ) b , and hsize = d . here , the reason why the hposi is not ( 9 / 8 ) b which is used in the first embodiment , is that the frequency of the clock signal 40 is obtained by 4 / 3 - frequency - multiplying the standard frequency f1 , so that the data set to the horizontal start position counter 51 is compensated to match the frequency of the oscillation circuit 13f . that is , hposi is given by : fig4 shows a flow chart of the second embodiment of this invention . processing start at step 301 . in the following step 302 , a flag indicative of displaying / non - displaying of the caption information ( dsp . flg ) is reset . in the following step 303 , the position and size control circuit 22 in the decoding unit 12f reads data of vposi = a , hposi = b , vsize = c , and hsize = d are read from the memory 21 and set them to the vertical start position and size counters 53 and 54 and horizontal start position and size counters 51 and 52 of the display control circuit 13 respectively . in the following step 304 , a decision is made as to whether or not the size mode signal is present and which mode is commanded . if the regular mode is commanded , processing proceeds to step 305 . in step 305 , the decoding unit outputs the frequency control signal 43 to cause the oscillation circuit 13f to change the frequency of its output to a frequency 4 / 3 times the standard frequency f1 ; modifies the data set to the horizontal start counter to hposi =( 7 / 6 ) b and sets the modified data to the horizontal start position counter 51 ; and outputs the switching control signal 42 to switch the switching circuit 45 to off position . in step 304 , if the cinema mode is commanded , processing proceeds to step 306 . in step 306 , the decoding unit 12f outputs the frequency control signal 43 to cause the oscillation circuit 13f to set the frequency of its output to the standard frequency f1 ; modifies the data set to the vertical start counter circuit 53 to vposi =( 7 6 ) a and sets the modified data to the horizontal start position counter circuit 51 ; and outputs the switching control signal 42 to switch the switching circuit 45 to on position . in step 304 , if the full mode is commanded , processing proceeds to step 807 . in step 307 , the decoding unit 12f outputs the frequency control signal 43 to cause the oscillation circuit 13f to change the frequency of its output to the standard frequency f1 and outputs the switching control signal 42 to switch the switching circuit 45 to the off position . then processing proceeds to step 308 . in step 304 , if the size mode signal is absent , processing directly proceeds to step 308 . after processing of steps 305 and 306 , processing proceeds to step 308 also . in step 308 , a decision is made to as whether the caption information on / off signal is present . in the absence of the caption information on / off signal , processing returns to step 304 . in the presence of the caption information on / off signal , processing proceeds to step 309 . in step 309 , a decision is made as to whether or not the displaying / non - displaying flag of the caption information ( dsp . flg ) has been set . if the displaying / non - displaying flag has been set to 0 , the flag is set to 1 in step 310 . in the following step 311 , the displaying of the caption information is started . that is , the character decoding circuit 12 starts outputting the decoded caption information . if the displaying / non - displaying flag has been set to 1 , the flag is set to 0 in step 312 . in the following step 313 , the displaying of the caption information is stopped . that is , the character decoding circuit 12a stops the outputting of the decoded caption information . in the second embodiment , the switching circuit 45 and the 4 / 3 - frequency multiplier 41 are used . however , a variable n / m - frequency multiplier ( not shown ) capable of changing the multiplying ratio in accordance with a control signal ( not shown ) supplied from the decoding unit 12f can be used and thus , the switching circuit 45 can be omitted . moreover , in the first and second embodiments , both horizontal and vertical start positions and character sizes are changed . however , it is effective that only horizontal start position and character size are controlled . for example , such controlling is effective to the regular mode . further , it is also effective that only vertical start position and vertical character size are controlled . for example , such controlling is effective to the cinema mode . for example , in a television receiver wherein only vertical start position and size are controlled in the cinema mode . in the regular mode , the caption information of characters can be displayed on the crt 7 at a regular aspect ratio by feeding the output of the caption information processing circuit 8a to the display size converting circuit 5 though a picture quality of characters will decrease . in the embodiments mentioned above , the video signal for the standard type of televisions having the aspect ratio of 4 : 3 is reproduced on the oblong crt 7 at some aspect ratios . however , this invention is applicable to the combining of video signals for various aspect picture planes and character information picture plane .	7
referring first to fig1 a perspective view is shown of a trade show and presentation modular display structure 10 , made up of various individual panel sections 12 , 14 , and 16 which are joined together to build a display structure having a desired size and configuration . the panels 12 , 14 , and 16 can be conveniently manufactured into a variety of sizes and shapes , such as rectangular sections , and can be used for displaying material in different ways . in fig1 for example , the panels 12 and 14 can be used for displaying material which need not be backlit . the panels 16 are for use where backlighting of graphics placed on a front face is desired . fig2 and 3 are perspective view of a single backlit panel section 16 . each panel section 16 has side rails 18 , a top rail 20 and a bottom rail 22 which are joined together to define a framework 24 with an opening 26 between the rails . the opening 26 is filed with a panel of material 28 . in the case of panels which are to be backlit , the material 28 is transparent or translucent , such as thermoplastic plastic materials , e . g . plexiglas ®, upon which text , graphics and / or artwork to be illuminated are placed . referring to fig4 a , a rear perspective view of the backlighting light fixture 30 is shown . it utilizes a sheet of resilient and flexible material to form a reflector and lamp support portion 32 . fig4 b is a cross - sectional view of the reflector and lamp support portion 32 in its unbowed state . the material is preferably opaque and reflects light well . the inventors have had good success in using 2 mm thick sheets of white expanded polyvinyl chloride , sold under the trade name sintra . sintra is lightweight yet strong , fire rated , easy to clean and maintain , readily cuttable to size , resilient and flexible , yet when heated will maintain any desired contours and bends . the reflector and lamp support portion 32 has side edges 34 and top and bottom edges , 36 and 38 , respectively , and an inside surface 40 and an outside surface 42 ( see fig7 .) at least one light source 44 is detachably yet securely positioned against the inside surface 40 of the reflector and lamp support portion 32 . the inventors find that fluorescent lamps , such as the general electric brand &# 34 ; bright stick &# 34 ; strip 33 watt fluorescent lamp , which has a single fluorescent lamp with an electronic ballast , all in a low profile strip package , can be detachably attached to the inside surface 40 of the reflector portion 32 , and provide good , even lighting . this detachable attachment feature can be readily provided by affixing first detachable attachment means 46 to the inside surface 40 of the reflector and lamp support portion 32 . a second complementary detachably detachment means 48 is affixed to portions the back of the light source 44 , as is best shown in fig5 . in the preferred embodiment , patches of complementary hook and loop material 46 and 48 , such as velcro ®, are used to provide this detachable attachment feature . however , alternate means can be used to provide the detachable attachability . preferably , at least one aperture 50 is formed through the reflector and lamp support portion 32 for passage of electrical power cords 52 of the light source 44 . referring to fig4 a , 4b , and 6 - 9 , a first embodiment of the reflector and lamp support portion 32 is shown . in this embodiment , the sides 34 of the reflector and lamp support portion 32 are bent rearwardly at an angle to form lip regions 54 . the angle of the bend is preferably set such that when the reflector and lamp support portion 32 , normally a flat sheet ( see fig4 b ), is bowed rearwardly away from its two sides 34 , the lip regions 54 will be oriented generally parallel to the plane of the panel of material 28 , and will be slidable received in channels 56 in the side rails 18 of the framework 24 . the resiliency of the sheet of material of the reflector and lamp support portion 32 naturally biases it back to its original , unbent and flat state . by bowing the reflector and lamp support portion 32 of the backlighting light fixture 32 rearwardly , and sliding the two lip regions 54 of the into channels 56 in the two side rails 18 of the framework 24 , and allowing the reflector and lamp support portion 32 to spring back slightly , the backlighting light fixture 32 will be securely retained in contact with the framework 24 , and will be positioned behind the image bearing panel 28 . removing the backlighting light fixture 32 is easily accomplished by pushing the sides 34 of the reflector and lamp support portion 32 inwardly . referring to fig6 , and 11 , the reflector and lamp support portion 32 preferably has notched corners 58 to clear internal corners 60 of the assembled frame sections 24 . the notched corners 58 permit the reflector and lamp support portion 32 to be sized such that its top and bottom edges 36 and 38 , respectively , are lined up with the top of the top rail section 20 and the bottom of the rail section 22 . this alignment gives the assembled panels 16 greater stability when standing , since the bottom edge 38 of the reflector and lamp support portion 32 will sit on the floor support surface . it also contributes to the stability of stacked panels , as is shown in fig1 . the notches 58 prevent the backlighting light fixture 32 from sliding up or down relative to the framework 24 . in lieu of sliding the lip regions 54 into a channel 56 of a side rail 18 , the lip region 54 can alternately be engaged behind the panel of material 28 with clips , or other means ( not shown .) referring now to fig8 with the backlighting light fixture 32 attached to the framework 24 , the light sources 44 will be spaced a distance &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; away from the image bearing panel 28 . in versions wherein the panels 16 are 30 inches wide , using a reflector and lamp support portion 32 which is about 34 inches wide in its unbowed state will bow sufficiently such that the light source &# 39 ; s 44 spacing away from the rear surface of the image bearing panel 28 &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; is about six inches . this spacing is far enough such that two spaced apart fluorescent bulbs 44 will disperse their light evenly through the image bearing panel 28 . by using a slightly wider reflector and lamp support portion 32 , the spacing &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; can be increased , if desired . referring now to fig1 - 12 , a second embodiment of the backlighting light fixture 70 is shown . in this embodiment , rather than utilizing a single sheet of material to form a reflector and lamp support portion , two reflector and lamp support sections 74 and 76 are joined together along a vertical line by a splice joiner member 78 . the splice joiner member 78 has a back wall 80 , front walls 82 , and a divider 84 , defining two channels 86 into which vertical inside edge regions 88 of the reflector and lamp support sections 74 and 76 are placed . the advantage of this second embodiment 70 of the backlighting light fixture is that since the two reflector and lamp support sections 74 and 76 are narrower than the width of the framework 24 of the panel 16 to which it attaches , the two reflector and lamp support sections 74 and 76 can be placed in a box exactly sized for the panel sections 16 in a lay flat position without any bending . other features of backlighting light fixture 70 are the same as the first embodiment . referring to fig1 , an alternate engagement means to detachably engage the backlighting light fixtures 30 and 70 to the panels 16 is shown . in this system , an adapter member 90 is provided . the adapter member 90 has a portion 92 which is adapted to engage with the channel 56 of the side rails 18 , and a slot channel 94 which is oriented at an angle adapted to receive unbent side edges 96 of a bowed reflector and lamp support portion 98 . with this alternate engagement means , the spring force of the bowed backlighting light fixture &# 39 ; s reflector and lamp support portion 98 prevents its unbent side edges 96 from slipping out of the channel 94 of the adapter member 90 , and also aids in preventing the adapter member 90 from inadvertently coming out of the channel 56 of the side rail 18 . the adapter member 90 can be rolled into the channel 56 , and preferably has a edge 100 which pushes the image bearing panel 28 forwardly , to help prevent the panel 28 from shaking or shifting in the framework 24 . since the backlighting light fixtures 30 and 70 are arcuate when installed , they can be utilized in display structures where complete edge - to - edge backlighting is desired . for example , the backlighting light fixtures 30 and 70 can be used in assembling column structures where adjacent panels , oriented 90 degrees apart , are to be backlit . using prior art rectangular box - shaped backlighting light fixtures , it is not possible to achieve edge - to - edge lighting of the outside corners of panels assembled into columns . referring to fig1 , an optional arcuate top cap 102 which can be detachably placed on top of backlighting light fixtures 30 or 70 , to block any incident light from escaping out of its open top . the top cap 104 can be detachably retained above the top edge 36 of the reflector and lamp support portions ( see fig4 a ), by straps 104 with patches of hook / or loop material 106 , with corresponding hook and loop material 108 placed on the back side 42 of the reflector and lamp support portion 30 ( see fig2 .) alternately , clips 110 which have channels 112 and 114 offset at 90 degrees and sized to slideably receive the edge 116 of the top cap 102 and the top edge 36 of the reflector and lamp support portions 32 or 70 . for flush mounting , the top cap 102 can also be sized to fit just inside the reflector and lamp support portion 32 , just under its top edge 36 , with appropriate clip means ( not shown ). the backlighting light fixtures 30 and 70 of the invention have been described for use in an environment of vertical panels . the backlighting light fixtures 30 and 70 of the invention are also adapted for use in backlighting of horizontal surfaces , such as horizontal display stands with light translucent tops , such as , photographic light tables , and the like . for these purposes , the light fixtures will be mounted horizontally under a light translucent top . however , in other respects , the backlighting light fixture can be utilized as above - described . the advantages of the invention over the prior art systems are many . the total weight of the backlighting light fixture of the invention , including two 25 inch long , 33 watt ge &# 34 ; bright stick &# 34 ; fluorescent lamps , and their cords , weight less than five pounds , which compares favorably with prior art systems which weigh 15 pounds and more . this far lighter weight makes shipping and handling of the backlighting light fixture easier and less expensive . the installation of the backlighting light fixture of the invention can be made quickly and easily , without tools . replacing burnt out light bulbs is also easier . the backlighting light fixture of the invention is far more compact to ship since its lights can be detached from the reflector and lamp support portion and the panels and lights will fit into a shipping container occupying much room . the cost of manufacturing the backlighting light fixture is also far less than prior art backlighting light fixtures since it is so simple in design , and can be made so quickly . the drawings and the foregoing description are not intended to represent the only form of the invention in regard to the details of this construction and manner of operation . the terms &# 34 ; horizontal &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; vertical &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; top &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; bottom &# 34 ;, and &# 34 ; sides &# 34 ; are not meant to be limitations herein , as the invention will function with the backlighting light fixture being bowed from top to bottom , and being oriented horizontally . in fact , it will be evident to one skilled in the art that modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . although specific terms have been employed , they are intended in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation , the scope of the invention being delineated in the following the claims which follow .	5
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . fig3 and fig4 illustrate diagrams of dual scan methods of passive matrix display panels according to the present invention , respectively . each of the display panels shown in fig3 and fig4 has a passive matrix structure of 120 ( column lines / data lines )* 160 ( row lines / scan lines ). each of the display panels of fig3 and fig4 carries out a dual scan on each eighty lines of upper and lower halves of scan lines . referring to fig3 , a display panel having one hundred sixty scan lines is divided into an upper half and a lower half . namely , the upper half includes 1 st to 80 th scan lines and the lower half includes 81 st to 160 th scan lines . a scan line driving sequence of the above - constituted display panel according to the present invention is described as follows . referring to fig3 , a sequential scan is carried out on the scan lines ( 1 st to 80 th scan lines ) of the upper half and the scan lines ( 81 st to 160 th scan lines ) of the lower half to be symmetrical on a central axis of the panel . namely , the scan is carried out so that the scan lines of the upper half and the other scan lines of the lower half are symmetrical to each other in a direction from outside to center of the panel . the scan is sequentially carried out on the scan lines of the upper half from the 1 st to 80 th scan lines while the other scan is sequentially carried out on the scan lines of the lower half from the 160 th to 81 st scan lines of the lower half . hence , the scans are simultaneously carried out on the scan lines of the upper and lower halves for 1 frame time . more specifically , in a 1 st scan time , the 1 st scan line of the upper half and the 160 th scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . subsequently , in a 2nd scan time , the 2nd scan line of the upper half and the 159 th scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . next , in a 3 rd scan time , the 3 rd scan line of the upper half and the 158 th scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . in the above - explained sequence manner , the respective scan lines are consecutively scanned . in a 78 th scan time , the 78 th scan line of the upper half and the 83 rd scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . and , in a 79 th scan time , the 80 th scan line of the upper half and the 81 st scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . finally , in an 80 th scan time , the 80 th scan line of the upper half and the 81 st scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned to finish the scan for one frame . and , in the subsequent frame , the scan is carried out in the above - explained same manner to make a corresponding pixel emit light . using such a scan sequence can eliminate the instant light generated from a center of the panel . on the other hand , fig4 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig4 , a display panel having one hundred sixty scan lines is divided into an upper half and a lower half . namely , the upper half includes 1 st to 80 th scan lines and the lower half includes 81 st to 160 th scan lines . the scan lines ( 1 st to 80 th scan lines ) of the upper half and the scan lines ( 81 st to 160 th scan lines ) of the lower half are sequentially scanned to be symmetrical to each other on a central axis of the panel . namely , the scan is carried out so that the scan lines of the upper half and the other scan lines of the lower half are symmetrical to each other in a direction from center to outside of the panel . the scan is sequentially carried out on the scan lines of the upper half from the 80 th to 1 st scan lines while the other scan is sequentially carried out on the scan lines of the lower half from the 81 st to 160 th scan lines of the lower half . hence , the scans are simultaneously carried out on the scan lines of the upper and lower halves for 1 frame time . more specifically , in a 1 st scan time , the 80 th scan line of the upper half and the 81 st scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . subsequently , in a 2 nd scan time , the 79 th scan line of the upper half and the 82 nd scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . next , in a 3 rd scan time , the 78 th scan line of the upper half and the 83 rd scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . in the above - explained sequence manner , the respective scan lines are consecutively scanned . in a 78 th scan time , the 3 rd scan line of the upper half and the 158 th scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . and , in a 79 th scan time , the 2 nd scan line of the upper half and the 159 th scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . finally , in an 80 th scan time , the 1 st scan line of the upper half and the 160 th scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned to finish the scan for one frame . and , in the subsequent frame , the scan is carried out in the above - explained same manner to make a corresponding pixel emit light . using such a scan sequence can eliminate the instant light generated from a center of the panel . accordingly , the dual scan method of the passive matrix display panel according to the present invention enables to eliminate the strong light generated instantly from the central part of the display panel by scanning the panel symmetrically on the central axis of the display panel . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention . thus , it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .	6
it has now been discovered that the association of phaseolus vulgaris extract with a standardised phaseolamin content and alpinia officinarum extract with a standardised 3 - methylethergalangin content is particularly effective for the prevention and treatment of obesity and type ii diabetes . this invention consequently relates to compositions containing phaseolus vulgaris extract with a standardised phaseolamin content and alpinia officinarum extract with a standardised 3 - methylethergalangin content for the prevention and treatment of obesity and type ii diabetes . more particularly , the compositions according to the invention contain phaseolamin and 3 - methylethergalangin in the ratio of 1 : 5 . the compositions to which this invention relates are in gastroprotected form , to prevent the breakdown of phaseolamin on contact with the gastric juices and to guarantee the stability of 3 - methylethergalangin even at a ph of 1 . according to a preferred aspect , the compositions according to the invention will contain alpinia officinarum extract in ethyl acetate , with a standardised 3 - methylethergalangin content . according to a preferred aspect , the compositions according to the invention will contain indena phaseolamin standardised from 5 to 18 % ( with a phytohaemagglutinin content of between 0 . 01 and 0 . 06 %). this phaseolamin will be gastroprotected according to the process described in italian patent application no . mi2004a000313 . the phaseolamin content of the compositions according to the invention will range between approx . 0 . 1 and approx . 1000 mg , preferably between 2 and 10 mg . the 3 - methylgalangin content of the compositions according to the invention will range between approx . 0 . 1 and approx . 500 mg , preferably between 1 and 100 mg . the compositions according to the invention cause a reduction in the blood glucose peak and the postprandial lipid peak greater than that generated by the sum of the effects obtained after separate administration of the individual constituents of the association , apparently due to synergy between the individual constituents . the compositions according to the invention will preferably be taken a few minutes before meals , to ensure that the product arrives when pancreatic secretion has begun and just before emptying of the stomach , with arrival of the food at the same level . this administration will reduce the absorption of free sugar , lipids and triglycerides , with a consequent calorie reduction and a reduced risk of obesity and diabetes . the compositions according to the invention could be formulated suitably for oral administration , and will be prepared according to conventional methods well known in pharmaceutical technology , such as those described in remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical handbook , mack publishing co ., n . y ., usa , using excipients , diluents , fillers and anti - caking agents acceptable for their final use . examples of formulations according to the invention are set out below .	0
the present invention will now be described with regard to several preferred embodiments with the initial embodiment utilizing three adsorption beds and the second embodiment utilizing four adsorption beds . a process cycle chart for the three bed option is outlined in table 1 . a process cycle chart for the four bed option is outlined in table 2 . table 1__________________________________________________________________________three bed o . sub . 2 vsabed # __________________________________________________________________________a \| a \| dp1 \| dp2 \| des \| pu \| prp / aarp \| frp \| b \| pu \| prp / aarp \| frp \| a \| dp1 \| dp2 \| des \| c \| dp2 \| des \| pu \| prp / aarp \| frp \| a \| dp1 \| __________________________________________________________________________ a -- adsorption ( feed ) dp1 -- first cocurrent depressurization to provide product dp2 -- second cocurrent depressurization to provide purge des -- countercurrent evacuation pu -- countercurrent vacuum purge prp -- product repressurization aarp -- ambient air repressurization frp -- feed repressurization a . flowing the feed gas stream , consisting of atmospheric air at a pressure of 15 - 30 psia and temperature of ˜ 0 °- 150 ° f . through a bed packed with one or more adsorbents capable of selectively adsorbing water , carbon dioxide , and nitrogen from air . b . withdrawing an effluent stream consisting of o 2 product at feed pressure . part of this stream is immediately used as repressurization gas for bed on step 6 and the remainder constitutes oxygen product . c . continuing steps 1 ( a ) and 1 ( b ) for a predetermined cycle time or until the concentration of nitrogen impurity in the effluent stream reaches a preset limit . the bed is now called &# 34 ; spent &# 34 ; because it has exhausted its capacity for removing nitrogen from feed gas . a . discontinuing the feed flow through the spent bed and transferring the feed to another vsa bed . b . reducing the pressure in the spent vsa bed from the adsorption pressure level to some &# 34 ; intermediate &# 34 ; level ( 12 - 25 psia ) by leaving the product end of this bed connected to the product header . c . discontinuing the above step after a predetermined cycle time or when the pressure in the spent vsa bed has reached the predetermined intermediate pressure level . a . further reducing the pressure in the spent vsa bed from &# 34 ; intermediate level &# 34 ; to some &# 34 ; lower level &# 34 ; ( 7 - 20 psia ) by connecting the product end of this bed with the product end of the vsa bed on step 5 of its cycle . b . discontinuing the above step after a predetermined cycle time or when the pressure in the spent vsa bed has reached the predetermined &# 34 ; lower level .&# 34 ; a . further reducing the pressure in the spent bed from lower level to the &# 34 ; lowest &# 34 ; level ( 1 . 0 - 10 . 0 psia ) by connecting the feed end of the spent vsa bed to a vacuum pump . b . continuing the above step for a predetermined cycle time or until the pressure in the vsa bed has reached the predetermined lowest pressure level . b . connecting the product end of this bed with another vsa bed on step 3 of its cycle . c . continuing the above steps for a predetermined cycle time or until pressure in this bed has reached a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level ( 2 - 12 psia ) and pressure in the vsa bed on step 3 has reached the lower pressure level . a . connecting the product end of the regenerated bed with the product end of the bed on step 1 of its cycle . b . continuing the above step until pressure in the regenerated bed is close to or equal to ambient pressure . or c . connecting the product end of the regenerated bed with the product end of the bed on step 1 of its cycle and opening the feed end of the regenerated bed to ambient air . d . continuing the above step until pressure in the regenerated bed is close to or equal to ambient pressure . b . connecting the feed end of the partially repressurized bed to the feed blower . c . continuing the above step until the pressure in the bed is equal to the predetermined adsorption pressure . the bed is now ready to undergo a new cycle starting from step 1 ( a ). flow schematic and hardware will be somewhat different for each of the process options of the present invention . fig1 depicts a schematic for the first preferred embodiment with three adsorbers . table 3 outlines the corresponding valve sequence for a typical cycle time . detailed process description of the cycle at typical operating conditions for the process option described in fig1 and tables 1 and 3 is given below : ambient air compressed to feed pressure ( 21 psia ) by a feed blower enters through manifold 100 and open valve 1 into first bed a , which has been already pressurized to adsorption pressure . the bed is packed with adsorbent ( s ) selective for the removal of water , carbon dioxide , and nitrogen from air . oxygen product is withdrawn via open valve 11 and manifold 104 . feed flow is switched to bed b via open valve 4 after a predetermined time or as soon as nitrogen concentration in the effluent from bed a reaches a preset limit . pressure in bed a is reduced by continuing to withdraw product gas via open valve 11 and manifold 104 until bed b reaches adsorption pressure . valve 11 is then closed and valve 13 opens to provide continuous product withdrawal . pressure in bed a is further reduced by opening valve 10 and providing purge gas to bed c via manifold 105 and open valve 14 . bed c is being evacuated via open valve 8 and manifold 102 . valves 10 , 14 , and 8 are kept open for a predetermined time or until pressure in bed a reaches ˜ 14 . 5 psia . valve 10 is now closed and bed a is evacuated via open valve 2 and manifold 102 . valves 12 and 10 are opened at the end of the provide product ( dp1 ) step in bed b and upon reaching of evacuation level pressure ˜ 4 psia in bed a . valves 2 , 10 , and 12 are kept open for a predetermined time or until pressure in bed b reaches 14 . 5 psia to vacuum purge bed a through manifold 105 . valves 2 and 12 are then closed and valves 3 and 14 are opened for simultaneous ambient feed air and product repressurization through manifolds 103 , which is a source of ambient air , and 105 , respectively . valves 3 , 10 , and 14 are kept open until pressure in bed a reaches ˜ 14 . 5 psia . at this time , valves 3 , 10 , and 14 are closed and valve 1 is opened . bed a is now pressurized up to adsorption pressure ˜ 21 psia with high pressure feed air in manifold 100 . valve 11 is then opened to remove product oxygen through manifold 104 . bed a is now ready to start a new cycle . each bed goes through a similar sequence of operation . table 3__________________________________________________________________________valve sequence : 3 bed o . sub . 2 vsa valve # time ( sec ) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15__________________________________________________________________________ 0 - 10 o o o o o10 - 20 o o o o o o20 - 30 o o o30 - 40 o o o o o40 - 50 o o o o o o50 - 60 o o o60 - 70 o o o o o70 - 80 o o o o o o80 - 90 o o o__________________________________________________________________________ o = open , otherwise closed table 4 outlines valve sequence for the second preferred embodiment with 4 adsorbers . valve numbers refer to fig2 and the cycle is outlined in table 2 . fig2 depicts a schematic for the second preferred embodiment with four adsorbers . table 4 outlines the corresponding valve sequence for a typical cycle time . detailed process description of the cycle at typical operating conditions for the process option described in fig2 and tables 2 and 4 is given below : ambient air compressed to feed pressure ( 21 psia ) by a feed blower enters through manifold 200 and open valve 21 into first bed a 1 , which has been already pressurized to adsorption pressure . the bed is packed with adsorbent ( s ) selective for the removal of water , carbon dioxide , and nitrogen from air . oxygen product is withdrawn via open valve 23 and manifold 204 . feed flow is switched to bed c 1 via open valve 29 after a predetermined time or as soon as nitrogen concentration in the effluent from bed a 1 reaches a preset limit . pressure in bed a 1 is reduced by continuing to withdraw product gas via open valve 23 and manifold 204 until bed c 1 reaches adsorption pressure . valve 23 is then closed and valve 31 opens to provide continuous product withdrawal . pressure in bed a 1 is further reduced by opening valve 28 and providing purge gas to bed b 1 via manifold 205 . bed b 1 is being evacuated via open valve 25 and manifold 202 . valves 28 and 25 are kept open for a predetermined time or until pressure in bed a . sub . 1 reaches ˜ 14 . 5 psia . valve 25 and 28 are now closed and bed a 1 is evacuated via open valve 22 and manifold 202 . valve 28 is opened at the end of the provide product ( dp1 ) step in bed b 1 and upon reaching of evacuation level pressure ˜ 4 psi a in bed a 1 . valves 28 and 22 are kept open for a predetermined time or until pressure in bed b 1 reaches 14 . 5 psia to vacuum purge bed a 1 through manifold 205 . valve 25 and 28 are then closed and valves 27 and 23 are opened for simultaneous ambient feed air and product repressurization through manifolds 203 , which is a source of ambient air , and 204 , respectively . valves 27 and 23 are kept open until pressure in bed a 1 reaches ˜ 14 . 5 psia . at this time , valves 27 and 23 are closed and valve 21 is opened . bed a 1 is now pressurized up to adsorption pressure ˜ 21 psia with high pressure feed air in manifold 200 . valve 23 is then opened to remove product oxygen through manifold 204 . bed a 1 is now ready to start a new cycle . each bed a 1 , b 1 , c 1 and d 1 goes through a similar sequence of operation using manifolds 200 , 202 , 203 , 204 , 205 , 302 , 303 and 305 , respectively . table 4__________________________________________________________________________valve sequence : 4 bed o . sub . 2 vsavalve # time ( sec ) 21 22 23 * 24 25 26 * 27 28 29 30 31 * 32 33 34 * 35 36 37 38__________________________________________________________________________0 - 8 o o o o o 8 - 17 o o o o * o o17 - 22 o o o o22 - 30 o o o o o30 - 39 o o * o o o o39 - 44 o o o o44 - 52 o o o o o52 - 61 o o o o o * o61 - 66 o o o o66 - 74 o o o o o74 - 83 o * o o o o o83 - 88 o o o o__________________________________________________________________________ * valves with positioners o valves open , otherwise closed the first preferred embodiment was tested in a 40 ton per day o 2 vsa plant containing three 12 &# 39 ; diameter by 8 &# 39 ; t / t adsorber vessels . these vessels were packed with two types of adsorbent . zeolite nax to remove water and carbon dioxide was packed towards the feed end of the adsorbers and a n 2 / o 2 selective cax type zeolitic material was packed toward the product end . oxygen product purity of 92 % was achieved . table 5 below compares the performance of the first preferred embodiment with a comparison process in which the cocurrent depressurization - provide product step is not employed and repressurization is carried out with product gas in order to maintain continuous product flow . it will be observed that the first preferred embodiment of the present invention requires approximately 10 % less air blower power to achieve the same adsorbent productivity : table 5______________________________________ application s . n . present 08 / 037 , 070 invention______________________________________oxygen production , tpd 42 42feed blower power , kw 260 210vacuum blower power , kw 250 250total power , kw 510 460______________________________________ use of the cocurrent depressurization - provide product step improves efficiency in several ways . high purity oxygen , which is still present in the void space of the adsorber at the end of the adsorption step , is recovered as product . the low mass flow rates present during the cocurrent depressurization - provide product step decrease the length of the mass transfer zone and allow additional high purity product to be extracted from the adsorber . in the cycle of application ser . no . 08 / 037 , 070 where cocurrent product and product repressurization streams are withdrawn from the outlet of the adsorber throughout the adsorption step , mass flow rates remain high for the entire step , and this enhanced recovery is not possible . a second advantage of the present invention is that the cocurrent depressurization - provide product step allows the air blower to be direct coupled to another adsorber during the latter half of the repressurization step without disrupting the continuous flow of product gas . direct coupling the feed blower to the bed undergoing repressurization lowers the average discharge pressure and power consumption of the feed blower during that step . a third advantage of the present invention is the absence of any steps which approach upward fluidization velocities . this allows the cycle to be run faster than prior art cycles thereby giving high adsorbent productivity without the need for expensive bed hold - down devices . the second preferred embodiment is ideally suited for large o 2 vsa plants greater than 85 tons per day capacity . to produce more than 85 tons per day , two or more vacuum systems are required because of limitations in the size of the positive displacement blowers which are used for o 2 vsa service . it is common practice to build two half - size plants for requirements greater than 85 tons per day . table 6 below simulates the performance of the second preferred embodiment with a comparison process employing two vacuum trains in which the provide product step is not employed and operation of the four adsorbers is not integrated . it will be observed that the second preferred embodiment requires less power to obtain the same adsorbent productivity . since product gas is produced continuously , there is no need for a large product surge tank either . table 6______________________________________ present application sn in - 08 / 191 , 401 vention______________________________________oxygen production , tpd 110 110number of adsorbers 4 4number of vacuum systems 2 2number of feed blowers 1 or 2 1product surge tank volume , ft . sup . 3 10 , 000 0oxygen recovery , % 47 52adsorbent productivity , tpd oxygen 1 . 37 1 . 42 tonadsorbentair blower power , kw 288 276vacuum blower , kw 794 750total power , kw 1082 1026______________________________________ the present invention has been set forth with regard to several preferred embodiments , but the full scope of the present invention should be ascertained from the following claims .	1
the cyclization stage ( c ) of the present process achieves the important objective of providing an improved cyclization reaction . the overall process yields cyclopropylamine having a purity of & gt ; 98 % in yields of about 70 %, based on butyrolactone . in stage ( c ), the cyclopropanecarboxylic acid esters are obtained in a yield of about 90 %, based on the chlorobutyric acid ester . stage ( a ) is conducted , for example , by reacting butyrolactone with dry hydrogen chloride in a manner known per se at a temperature which expediently does not exceed 135 - 140 ° c . under a pressure of up to 25 bar and as a rule without a catalyst , in an initially highly exothermic reaction . in stage ( b ), chlorobutyric acid is expediently esterified as the crude product , which contains γ -( γ - chlorobutyryl ) butyric acid as a by - product , with a primary or secondary alcohol having 4 - 8 carbon atoms . in contrast to the esters of lower alcohols , these esters are easy to prepare . preferred esterifying alcohols include primary alkanols , for example , 1 - butanol , 1 - pentanol and 1 - hexanol . secondary alkanols such as 2 - butanol , 2 - or 3 - pentanol and 2 - or 3 - hexanol are also particularly suitable . processes of esterification using primary or secondary alcohols are well - known . the reaction is conducted , e . g . at temperatures from 120 - 140 ° c . without a catalyst . stages ( a ) and ( b ) can also be combined by introducing hydrogen chloride and the alcohol simultaneously into the butyrolactone which has been initially introduced into the reaction vessel . stage ( c ) is an essential part of the overall process . in this stage , the chlorobutyric acid ester from stage ( b ) is cyclized . an alkali metal alcoholate , advantageously a sodium alcoholate , of an alcohol , expediently an alkanol having 1 - 3 carbon atoms , is used for the reaction . the preferred alkali metal alcoholate is sodium methylate , which is readily accessible in industrial quantities . the alkali metal alcoholate is expediently used as a solution in the corresponding alcohol , and expediently employed in amounts of 1 - 1 . 5 equivalents per equivalent of chlorobutyric acid ester . the cyclization can be effected without addition of an additional inert solvent by initially introducing the alcohol / alcoholate solution into the reaction vessel at a temperature which is advantageously 80 - 150 ° c . if desired or necessary , some or all of the alcohol used as solvent for the alcoholate is removed by distillation and the crude chlorobutyric acid ester is metered in while stirring . alcohol employed as the solvent and formed by transesterification from the carboxylic ester function can also be removed by distillation during the reaction . the reaction product is a mixture of cyclopropanecarboxylic acid esters which contain the original carboxylic ester function and a carboxylic ester function which has an alcohol component , is formed by transesterification and originates from the solvent , used as the alcohol , for the alcoholate . the mixture can be used in the subsequent stage without further work - up . in stage ( d ), the cyclopropanecarboxylic acid ester mixture of stage ( c ) is converted into cyclopropanecarboxylic acid amide . the reaction of this stage can be effected by one of the processes described in the prior art . for example , in one procedure , the ester mixture is reacted with ammonia at a temperature of 40 - 120 ° c ., preferably 60 - 80 ° c ., under a pressure of 1 . 0 - 5 . 0 bar . the reaction proceeds astonishingly smoothly , although the educt is an ester mixture . the overall process also does not differ in principle from the corresponding processs of the prior art with respect to stage ( e ). thus , a suspension or a solution of the crude cyclopropanecarboxylic acid amide in water , with or without prior removal of residual organic solvents , can be subjected to hofmann degradation . the hypohalite , preferably sodium hypochlorite , is advantageously employed in amounts of 1 . 0 - 1 . 5 equivalents , in particular 1 . 0 - 1 . 2 equivalents , and the base , preferably sodium hydroxide , is advantageously employed in amounts of 1 . 5 - 2 . 5 equivalents , in particular 1 . 8 - 2 . 2 equivalents , in each case based on the carboxamide function , and the reaction is in general conducted at temperatures from 40 - 150 ° c ., in particular from 60 - 80 ° c . having now generally described the invention , a further understanding can be obtained by reference to certain specific examples which are provided herein for purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be limiting unless otherwise specified . stages ( a ) and ( b ): 86 . 1 g ( 1 . 0 mol .) of butyrolactone are heated to a temperature of 135 ° c ., while stirring . 80 . 0 g ( 1 . 07 mol .) of n - butanol and an excess of gaseous hydrogen chloride are metered in over a period of 4 . 5 hours , a temperature of 130 - 135 ° c . being maintained . during the reaction , 124 . 0 g of distillate are removed . the reaction mixture is then freed of excess n - butanol at about 70 ° c . under a pressure of 60 mbar . a residue of 211 . 2 g remains . stage ( c ): methanol is removed from 225 . 0 g ( 1 . 25 mol .) of 30 % strength by weight methanolic sodium methylate solution by distillation up to a bottom temperature of 100 ° c . the crude chlorobutyric acid butyl ester from stages ( a ) and ( b ) is then metered in over a period of 1 . 5 hours . during this operation , a temperature of 97 - 100 ° c . is maintained in the reaction mixture , while a mixture of methanol and n - butanol is removed by distillation continuously . when the metering has ended , the mixture is kept at a bottom temperature of about 100 ° c . for a further 2 hours . stage ( d ): the reaction mixture of stage ( c ) is cooled to 60 ° c . and reacted with an excess of gaseous ammonia under normal pressure . the reaction time is about 10 hours . after cooling to room temperature , the reaction mixture is rendered neutral with 80 . 0 g of 20 % strength by weight hydrochloric acid . solvent residues are removed by distillation over a column having a bottom temperature of up to 120 ° c . the mixture is allowed to cool and water is added in an amount such that a homogeneous solution ( 659 . 4 g ) forms . according to hplc analysis , the cyclopropanecarboxylic acid amide is present in a yield of 70 %, based on the butyrolactone . stage ( e ): 160 . 0 g ( 2 . 0 mol .) of 50 % strength by weight sodium hydroxide solution are added at 0 ° c . to the solution from stage ( d ) and the mixture is heated to about 15 ° c . 1010 . 9 g ( 1 . 0 mol .) of 7 . 3 % strength by weight aqueous sodium hypochlorite solution are then added at this temperature and the mixture is stirred at this temperature for 20 minutes . thereafter , the mixture is heated at 60 ° c . for 5 minutes . the cyclopropylamine is obtained as an aqueous solution by distillation over a column ( 163 g ). a cyclopropylamine yield of 66 %, based on the butyrolactone , is determined by gc analysis and an acid / base titration . stages ( a ) and ( b ): 86 . 1 g ( 1 . 0 mol .) of butyrolactone are heated to a temperature of 135 ° c ., while stirring . 120 . 0 g ( 1 . 6 mol .) of n - butanol and an excess of gaseous hydrogen chloride are metered in over a period of 3 hours , a reaction temperature of 134 - 138 ° c . being maintained . during the reaction , 124 g of distillate are removed . the reaction mixture is then freed of excess n - butanol at about 70 ° c . under a pressure of 60 mbar . a residue of 218 . 3 g remains . stage ( c ): methanol is removed from 225 . 0 g ( 1 . 25 mol .) of 30 % strength by weight methanolic sodium methylate solution by distillation at a bottom temperature of up to 100 ° c . the crude chlorobutyric acid butyl ester from stages ( a ) and ( b ) is then metered in over a period of 1 . 5 hours . during this operation , a temperature of 97 - 100 ° c . is maintained in the reaction mixture , while a mixture of methanol and n - butanol is removed by distillation continuously . when the metering has ended , the mixture is kept at a bottom temperature of about 100 ° c . for a further 2 hours . stage ( d ): the reaction mixture of stage ( c ) is cooled to 60 ° c . and reacted with an excess of gaseous ammonia under normal pressure . the reaction time is about 5 hours . after cooling to room temperature , the reaction mixture is rendered neutral with 20 % strength by weight hydrochloric acid . solvent residues are removed by distillation over a column at a bottom temperature of up to 120 ° c . the mixture is allowed to cool and water is added in an amount such that a homogeneous solution ( 622 . 4 g ) forms . according to hplc analysis , the cyclopropanecarboxylic acid amide is present in a yield of 73 %, based on the butyrolactone . stage ( e ): 160 . 0 g ( 2 . 0 mol .) of 50 % strength by weight sodium hydroxide solution are added at 0 ° c . to the solution from stage ( d ) and the mixture is heated to about 15 ° c . 1010 . 9 g ( 1 . 0 mol .) of 7 . 3 % strength by weight aqueous sodium hypochlorite solution are then added to the stage ( d ) solution at this temperature and the mixture is stirred at this temperature for 20 minutes . thereafter , the solution is heated at 60 ° c . for 5 minutes . the cyclopropylamine is obtained as an aqueous solution by distillation over a column ( 177 . 0 g ). a cyclopropylamine yield of 69 %, based on the butyrolactone , is determined by gc analysis and an acid / base titration . the disclosure of priority german application no . 198 30 633 . 4 filed jul . 9 , 1998 is hereby incorporated by reference into the present application . obviously , numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is , therefore , to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein .	2
the realization , function and merits of the invention will be more apparent from the following descriptions to the embodiments with reference to the drawings . the technical solutions employed in the present disclosure will be set forth hereunder in greater details by referencing to particular embodiments accompanied by the drawings . these embodiments should be construed to serve the purpose of illustrating the invention only , rather than limiting the scope of the invention . reference is now made to fig1 and 2 , which respectively show a water jet device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure , and breakdown of a water jet device according to another embodiment . a water jet device is provided , which comprises : a base container 10 , a drive unit 11 , a fans 12 driven by the drive unit 11 . the drive unit 11 is mounted externally to the bottom of the base container 10 , while the fans 12 are mounted internally to the bottom of the base container 10 . a cover plate 13 is disposed on the base container 10 to engage therewith . the cover plate 13 comprises via holes 14 thereon and coordinates with the base container 10 to form a chamber 15 to contain liquids . on the side of the cover plate 13 away from the base container 10 are formed protrusions 16 vertical to the cover plate . a first via hole 17 is formed to penetrate each of the protrusions 16 . in this embodiment , the base container 10 is made of a transparent material . the chamber 15 formed by the base container 10 contains a cylindrical spacer plate , which divides the chamber 15 into an inner chamber and an outer chamber . the inner chamber is designed to accommodate the fans 12 and liquids , which are preferably water according to this embodiment of the invention . of course , it would be understood that other liquids , such as oil , may also be used . a number of water jet holes are formed on the spacer plate to guide water from the inner chamber to the outer chamber when the fans 12 are rotating . the exterior walls of the outer chamber extend upward from the bottom of the chamber 15 in an inclined pathway , which reduce the resistance exerted on the upflowing water and save spaces as well . the cover plate 13 fits perfectly with the opening of the chamber 15 on the bottom to form an airtight room , which facilitates retaining pressure in the chamber . the protrusions 16 formed on the cover plate 13 serve as nozzles disposed on the very front of the outer chamber . the drive unit 11 , which is externally mounted to the bottom of the base container 11 , is pivoted to the fans 12 situated within the base container . the drive unit is preferably a motor according to this embodiment . the fans 12 may be sized and shaped according to circumstances . when electrified , the motor rotates the fans 12 to drive water from the inner chamber to the outer chamber , where water climbs along the inclined exterior walls to be ejected from the first via holes 17 of the protrusions 16 . the exterior walls are designed such that they not only have an inclined profile to reduce resistance on the flowing water and make it easier for the water to be ejected , thereby reducing the motor power and saving resources , but also expand the area of protrusions 16 to the most degree , so that the smaller motor could provide water supply to the protrusions 16 with larger area . in addition , the water jet holes 14 facilitate the ejected water returning to the chamber 15 , thereby recycling water resources . a water jet device is provided in the present disclosure , which comprises : a base container 10 , a drive unit 11 , fans 12 driven by the drive unit 11 . the drive unit 11 is mounted externally to the bottom of the base container 10 , while the fans 12 are mounted internally to the bottom of the base container 10 . a cover plate 13 is disposed on the base container 10 to engage therewith . the cover plate 13 comprises via holes 14 thereon , and coordinates with the base container 10 to form a chamber 15 to contain liquids . on the side of the cover plate 13 away from the base container 10 are formed protrusions 16 vertical to the cover plate 13 . a first via hole 17 is formed to penetrate each of the protrusions 16 . the present disclosure provides a water jet device capable of recycling used water , and avoiding water leak , which is therefore safe in use and possesses practical applicability . the drive unit 11 referred to hereinabove comprises a body 11 a and a first fixing plate 11 b driven by the body 11 a , the first fixing plate 11 b having a first magnetic body 18 mounted thereon . a fixing pole 13 a is internally formed on the bottom of the base container 10 , to which fans 12 are mounted . a second magnetic body 19 is disposed on the fans 12 . the body 11 a referred to in this embodiment is preferably a motor , which may be secured to the bottom of the base container 10 via a motor shell 11 c . the first fixing plate 11 b is pivoted to a rotation shaft of the motor . mounted on the first fixing plate 11 b are a number of first magnetic bodies 18 , which may be a magnet , and preferably a permanent magnet . on one side of the fans 12 is provided with a second fixing board , with a second magnetic body 19 being disposed thereon . the second magnetic body 19 may be more easily assembled via the second fixing board . when electrified , the motor rotates the first fixing plate 11 busing the rotation shaft . as a result of the varied magnetic forces of the rotating first fixing plate 11 b , the second magnetic body 19 on the fans 12 starts to rotate , and in turn , causes the second fixing plate to rotate with the fans 12 . the thrust and pressure generated by the rotating fans 12 drive water from the inner chamber to the outer chamber where the water is ejected from the nozzle . the faster the motor rotates , the faster the fans rotate . consequently , the chamber 15 will retain a higher pressure , and thus water will be rejected higher upward . further , the first magnetic body 18 and the second magnetic body 19 are disposed to be aligned with each other . if the first magnetic body on the fans 12 is not aligned with the second magnetic body in the drive unit 11 , the magnetic forces are likely to confuse each other , which prevent the fans 12 from rotating . also externally disposed on the bottom of the base container 10 are light emitting components 20 , which are aligned with the first holes 17 on the protrusions 16 . in this embodiment , the light emitting component 20 is a colored led lamp . each led lamp is aligned with a via hole penetrating the protrusion 16 . when the led lamps are on , colored beams of light are projected from the first via holes 17 , which , together with the water jet , create a water dance in the background of colorful lights . this significantly increases the entertainment effect of the fountain . the aforesaid device further comprises a first housing 21 , which coordinates with the base container 10 to form an airtight room . preferably , the first housing 21 is buckled together with the base container 10 . in this embodiment , the first housing 21 is designed to be the body of a sealed transparent bottle , such that the ejected water will not scatter around and may be recycled for further use to avoid waste of resources . moreover , this design enables the device to be disposed indoors , making it more useful in practical use . furthermore , the end of the first housing 21 is detachable such that liquids may be easily introduced into the base container 10 . a baffle 22 is disposed between the first housing 21 and the base container 10 , with second via holes 23 being arranged thereon . the second via holes 23 fit with the protrusions , and penetrate the baffle 22 . the baffle 22 is disposed to prevent the light emitted by the light emitting component 20 from scattering to the first housing 21 and compromising the water - light show . a space is provided between the protrusions 16 and the second via holes 23 , such that the water in the first housing 21 may return to the base container 10 . a protective sheet 24 is retained between the baffle 22 and the cover plate 13 . on both sides of the protective sheet 24 are arranged support legs 25 . the upper support leg 25 is used for supporting the baffle 22 , while the lower support leg 25 keeps contact with the cover plate 13 . the relative position between the baffle 22 and the cover plate 13 is fixed by the protective sheet 24 . in this embodiment , the protective sheet 24 is preferably shaped like a triangle . of course , the other shapes may also be applied to the protective sheet . in the present embodiment , the baffle 22 and the cover plate 13 are provided with the protective sheet 24 disposed therebetween . owing to the protective sheet 24 , the pressurized gas generated within the chamber 15 while the fans 12 are rotating do not rush into the first housing 21 through the water jet holes 14 . consequently , it is possible to maintain a proper level of pressure within the chamber 15 , and the returning water can pass through the holes 14 , and meanwhile reduce resistance on the returning water flow . reference is now made to fig1 , 3 , 4 and 5 . fig1 is a perspective view of a water jet device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure ; fig2 is a perspective exploded view of a water jet device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure ; fig3 is a perspective exploded view of a water dance speaker according to one embodiment of the present disclosure ; fig4 is a partial perspective exploded view of fig3 ; and fig5 is an overall view of the water dance speaker according to the present disclosure . also provided in the present disclosure is a water dance speaker , which comprises a water jet device , and a second housing 26 for accommodating the water jet device . in a preferred embodiment , the second housing 26 is divided into two parts connected mutually via clamping structure or buckle configuration . and , a plurality of accommodating holes for accommodating the operation buttons ( not shown ) are arranged in the connection interface thereof . of course , the structure of the second housing 26 is not limited to the form of two - part , integral structure or other forms of multi - part may be applied . the second housing 26 comprises a power source interface and a sound hole of a speaker 27 . opposite the sound hole , the speaker 27 is disposed fixedly in the second housing 26 the water jet device is as set forth hereinbefore , so details are omitted . the power source interface may be a usb interface whereby it may be powered by a computer via a data line . of course , the interface may be a dc interface , and powered via a dc transformer . alternatively , a rechargeable battery component may be provided such that the water dance speaker is powered by battery . in particular , the second housing 26 comprises a control circuit module 28 for controlling operations of the water jet device and the speaker 27 . the control circuit module 28 has a power input end connected with the power source interface . according to this embodiment , the control circuit module 28 comprises an audio receiving unit , which controls , upon receiving an external audio signal , operations of the drive unit 11 in the water jet device and the operations of the light emitting component 20 . this audio receiving unit may be a voice - controlled component or a bluetooth component . the control circuit module 28 may further comprise an audio reading unit for reading and outputting audio data recorded in a memory card , such as an sm card , tf card , and u disk . consequently , the water - light dance show may be activated by simply reading a card or inserting a u disk . the voice - controlled component may receive external sounds and , based on the volume of the received sounds , output corresponding control signals to control the drive unit . as a result , the speaker can create water dance effect varied to the melody of an external music or the rhythm of an external sound without connecting to an external sound source , or inserting a card or a u disk . moreover , the control circuit module 28 may control the light emitting module 20 to flicker based on the melody of an external music or the rhythm of an external sound , and thus create , together with the ejected water , a harmonized and enjoyable water - light show . of course , the control circuit module 28 may determine , according to circumstances , to simply put on a water show or a light show , or both in an alternating manner . furthermore , it is possible to enjoy music and the water show over a bluetooth connection to an external device . a power on / off button or a volume adjusting button may be configured to control the volume of the water dance to enhance the practical use of the speaker . by using the water jet device proposed above , the water dance speaker in the present disclosure reduces waste in resources , and prevents water leak , improving the security in use . besides , the present invention varies the height of the water jet and the light beams emitted from the light emitting module 21 with the rhythm of a music , thereby producing a water dance show in varying and flickering lights . this makes the show more enjoyable and pleasant to the eyes , thus making the present invention more practical in use . illustrated above are the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure , which should not be considered limitative to the scope of the invention . therefore , any equivalent substitutions or variations to the structures or processes disclosed in the specification and the drawing of the present disclosure , or a direct or indirect application of the invention to the other technical fields should be considered as part of the present disclosure .	5
fig1 shows a dual line form of the invention as described in the parent application for binaural processing . the speech signal from the band pass filter 1 is applied to symmetrical variable delay lines vdl1 and vdl2 controlled by waveform generator 2 . the output of vdl1 is applied as an input to gates 3 and 5 . the output of vdl 2 is applied as an input to gates 4 and 6 . the delay lines vdl 1 and vdl 2 are controlled for linear variation of delay with delay function having its rapid return transition at the mid - point of the linear delay portion of the other waveform . as described in applicant &# 39 ; s co - pending application , the frequency conversion of the delay storage lines vdl 1 and vdl 2 can be accomplished with various devices . one such device is the analog shift register controlled either with a variable clock rate periodically varied between predetermined values or by using alternate and different write and read clock rates to periodically store the incoming signal and extract the frequency converted output signal , respectively . the gates 3 and 6 are controlled by gating waveforms b 1 and b 1 shown in fig2 ( a ). gate 3 passes signal during b 1 and is blocked during b 1 . gate 6 is blocked during b 1 and passes signal during b 1 . amplifier 7 combines the outputs of gates 3 and 6 and applies the combined signal to an audio reproducer 108 . the gates 4 and 5 are controlled by the gating waveforms b 2 and b 2 shown in fig2 ( b ). gate 4 passes signal during b 2 and is blocked during b 2 . gate 5 is blocked during b 2 and passes signal during b 2 . amplifier 9 combines the outputs of gates 4 and 5 and applies the combined signal to an audio reproducer 10 . the system of fig1 operates to reproduce the entire original signal ( for compression ratio equal to two ) since each delay line processes the portion which is the discard for the other line . for compression ratios greater than two some message discard occurs and for ratios less than two the overlap or message duplication increases in the output . by listening binaurally , however , the intelligibility is enhanced since the overall discard is eliminated ( or greatly reduced for the higher compression ratios ) and the overlap or repeat of message portions is not detrimental to word detection by the listener . a binaural system without supplemental gap filling ( as distinguished from the system just described ) would be achieved by removing gates 5 and 6 in fig1 . the lines vdl 1 and vdl 2 would supply the processed signal in alternation to the respective output transducers 108 and 110 for binaural output in a system otherwise generally similar to that shown in fig9 of the herein referenced co - pending application . referring now to fig3 a dual delay line system employing analog shift registers having separate read and write clock rates will be described . as shown in fig3 an input line 21 receives a sound input signal from any source such as a tape recorder driven at a speed different than the recording speed or some other signal source supplying a sound signal message which it is desired to convert as to frequency components and also change its time duration from zero to some longer or shorter time than the normal period during which the sound message was originated . the signal on line 21 is controlled for application to an analog shift register asr 1 by passing through a gate g23 and is also controlled for application to an analog shift register asr 2 by passing through a gate g - 24 . the outputs of the analog shift registers asr 1 and asr 2 are combined on an output line 22 by passing from the output of asr 1 through a gate g - 25 and from the output of asr 2 through a gate g - 26 . the analog shift registers asr 1 and asr 2 are multi - stage registers adapted for passing the signal input thereto stage - by - stage to the output with the transfers occurring at clock rate determined by the clock pulse rate applied at clock terminals 27 and 28 , respectively . the number of stages in the arrangement of the analog shift registers to transfer analog signal samples therethrough are all in accordance with the description given in applicant &# 39 ; s co - pending application . in particular , a write pulse rate generator s 1 supplies an adjustable write pulse repetition rate through g - gate 31 to clock input 27 and through g - gate 32 to clock input terminal 28 . a read pulse rate generator s 2 supplies a relatively fixed read clock pulse rate through g - gate 33 to terminal 27 and through g - gate 34 to terminal 28 . the gates g and g are supplied by a gating pulse generator s 3 which may have an adjustable period and produces substantially symmetrical squarewave output for both the g and g gating functions . the write pulse rate generated by the generator s 1 is variable as indicated and will generally be set in relation to a variable speed control device 35 which controls the rate at which the tape recording or other sound signal source reproduces the sound message signal at a time rate different than that of the original speech utterance . thus , if the speech control 35 is set to play a tape recorder at twice the normal speed , the write clock pulse of generator s 1 can be set at twice the clock rate of generator s 2 , thereby providing write - in at a clock rate which is twice the rate at which the information will be read - out as the generators s 1 and s 2 are alternately applied to control the shift registers . if desired , a feedback control can be applied at 36 to modify the clock rate of generator s 1 in accordance with an error signal to compensate for wow and flutter characteristics of a turntable or other periodic variation in the signal source which it is desired to eliminate . the frequency of squarewave generator s 3 can be adjusted by control 37 and generally its period t will be given by the relation t equal 1 / f 3 equal to or less than the delay of the delay line ## equ1 ## in the case of an analog shift register , where p represents the number of transfer phases [ normally and minimally two ], and n is the total number of stages . for this purpose the frequency control 37 of s 3 may be tied to the manual control for s 1 during the expansion mode of operation . in addition , trimming controls 38 and 39 may be provided and interconnected for the generators s 2 and s 3 if desired . operation of the system of fig3 will now be described with reference to the waveforms of fig4 ( a ) and ( b ). the general principles of operation set forth in applicant &# 39 ; s parent application are applicable here and the compression ratio c that is obtained will be equal to the ratio f 1 / f 2 where f 1 and f 2 are the frequencies of the squarewaves generated by generators s 1 and s 2 , respectively . obviously , for expansion , c is the fractional quantity and corresponds to the expansion factor e mentioned in the parent application . input signals arriving on line 21 are gated through gate 23 to load asr 1 during the g - gate portion shown in fig4 ( a ) and the stages of asr 1 are filled at a rate determined by the clock squarewave on line 27 which is derived from generator s 1 through g - gate 31 . during this period there is no output from asr 1 but to assure the absence of spurious or noise signals on the output , g - gate 25 blocks signals from the output of asr 1 to output line 22 . during the g - gate the generator s 2 supplies clock pulses on line 28 to shift register asr 2 and the g - gate 26 passes signals from the output of asr 2 to output line 22 . when the squarewave generator s 3 changes state the g - gates are conditioned to pass signal and the g - gates are conditioned to block signal passage . thus , during the g intervals indicated in fig4 ( b ), signals on input line 21 are loaded through gate 24 into asr 2 at the clock rate of generator s 1 applied through g - gate 32 on line 28 and the signals stored in register asr 1 are outputted through g - gate 25 to output line 22 at the rate of generator s 2 applied through g - gate 33 to line 27 . thus , on alternate half cycles of g and g depicted in fig4 the input signal is alternately stored in asr 1 and asr 2 and while storage is taking place in one of the registers , the storage signal in the other register is outputted to the output line 22 . the rates at which these take place are determined by the repetition rate of generators s 1 and s 2 , respectively , and as previously described , for different frequencies of these generators either compression or expansion of the signal wave on line 21 can be obtained at the output line 22 . thus , in accordance with the present invention a further form of signal storage delay for frequency transformation is provided using analog shift registers operated at different input and output clock rates . this arrangement permits processing of analog signals on line 21 including complex speech waves and the like without the necessity for digitizing the input signal or otherwise conditioning it for the delay and frequency transformation processing . a further advantage of operating the analog shaft registers at different input and output clock rates as opposed to operating them as variable delay lines , is the elimination of the need for an inverse frequency control function generator such as the unit 115 disclosed in fig1 of the referenced co - pending application of applicant . in the present application of the analog shift register shown in fig3 the clock rates are fixed but different for the input and output control to the analog shift registers and the ratio of the clock rates directly determines the compression ratio ( or expansion ratio ) which is applied to the signal which passes therethrough . modifications of the present invention will be apparent in light of the present disclosure , especially when taken into view of applicant &# 39 ; s parent application . in particular , the two frequency write and read control of an analog shift register can be applied to a single storage delay line system such as that shown in fig7 of applicant &# 39 ; s parent application . other modifications can also be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	6
the present invention provides for an optimum speed rotor whose rpm can be varied to multiple and even infinite settings depending on the helicopter flight conditions for optimum flight performance . the optimum speed rotor system of the present invention when incorporated on a helicopter allows for a substantial improvement in range , altitude and airspeed with less fuel consumption and noise levels . for descriptive purposes the optimum speed rotor system of the present invention is referred to herein as optimum speed rotor or osr . the osr can be driven by any powerplant such as a reciprocating engine or a turbine engine . the present invention allows for reduced rotor rpm at reduced forward speeds and / or at reduced rotor lift achieving an increase in rotor blade lift coefficient and higher blade lift to drag ratio and thus , higher aerodynamic efficiency , lower required power , fuel consumption and noise level . the present invention osr is able to accomplish this while being fully loaded , i . e ., while producing lift without the aid of a fixed wing . because the lift coefficient of a rotor blade varies along the blade length as well as with the blade angular position , it is common to evaluate the lift characteristics of a rotor blade by ascertaining its loading . blade loading ( c t / σ ) is a parameter which is a function of the rotor blade average lift coefficient ( c l ) and is defined by the equation : ## equ2 ## where t = rotor thrust , s = rotor disc area , v t rotor tip speed t is approximated at t = nw where n is the vertical maneuver factor and w is the helicopter weight . the solidity factor , σ , is the ratio of weighted total blade area to the rotor disc area . ## equ3 ## the term &# 34 ; blade loading &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; rotor blade loading &# 34 ; as used herein refers to c t / σ . the useful limit of blade loading for any helicopter rotor system can be derived experimentally , i . e ., through flight testing . the usefull limit blade loading for a typical rotor system is given in fig3 by curve 14 as function of the helicopter advance ratio m , i . e ., the ratio of helicopter forward speed to the rotor tip rotational tip speed v t . as can be seen from fig3 at advance ratios greater than 0 . 4 , there is a sharp decline of blade loading limit . thus , to avoid the sharp reduction of rotor lift limit , at a maximum forward speed a certain minimum rotor rpm has to be maintained to avoid increasing the advance ratio beyond 0 . 4 - 0 . 5 . an optimum range 16 of blade loading can also be derived through flight test for a specific helicopter rotor system as a function of advance ratio as shown in fig3 . for a given advance ratio , the optimum blade loading range is defined by the blade loadings required to optimize the various flight performance parameters such as endurance , range , and climb rate . the osr of the present invention allows for the adjustment to the rotor rpm to maintain a blade loading within the optimum range . by operating below 100 % of rpm , the power required to drive the rotor at the decreased rpm is also decreased . the adjustment to rotor rpm and power can be accomplished manually or automatically as for example by computer . in a manual osr system , for best endurance , the pilot will manually adjust the rotor rpm and engine power to minimize fuel consumption ( either directly measured or by observing an indication of engine power ). for best cruise range , the pilot will adjust rpm and airspeed for maximizing the miles traveled per unit of fuel . in climb at a given power setting , the pilot will adjust the rotor rpm and airspeed for maximizing the climb rate . an automated osr will operate the same way . information such as fuel consumptions and miles traveled per unit of fuel consumed will be monitored by the computer . the pilot will select the flight performance parameter that needs to be optimized , e . g ., range , endurance , rate of climb , etc . and the computer will adjust the rotor rpm , power and airspeed settings accordingly for maximizing the selected performance . alternatively , the optimum blade loading range as a function of advance ratio is predetermined from flight testing and stored on the computer which in turn will adjust the rotor rpm and power settings so as to maintain the blade loading within the predetermined range for any pilot controlled airspeed and rate of climb . applicant discovered that he can overcome the structural dynamics problems associated with significant changes of rotor rpm by building a rotor system consisting of blades 18 having reduced mass and increased stiffness ( fig4 a , 4b , 4c and 7b ). the applicant was able to design a blade having a continuously decreasing flap , lag and torsion stiffness from the root 20 to the tip 22 of the blade and having continuously decreasing mass from the root to the tip of the blade . the flap 24 , lag 26 and torsional 28 directions are depicted in fig4 b , 4c and 4d , respectively . these blades when mounted on a rotor hub will allow for significant changes in rotor rpm without being subject to the structural dynamics problems of conventional blades . an exemplary embodiment of such a blade is shown in fig4 a , 4b and 4c which is made of a carbon - epoxy advanced composite material . in order to be able to operate over a wide rpm range , the osr is designed specifically to be able to operate close to or on rotor excitation frequencies . the osr is capable of operating a long time under fill rotor lift load at or near such frequencies . to achieve such unique capability , the osr rotor blades are designed to be very stiff and lightweight . by increasing the stiffness of the blades in flap in relation to the feathering axis 30 ( fig4 a ), the blade is better able to operate at or near the rotor excitation frequencies . lag stiffness tends to be less sensitive to the excitation frequencies but if kept at a ratio to flap stiffness of on average greater than 2 it helps reduce oscillatory lag loads and helicopter vibration levels . the osr rotor blades should be substantially stiffer and lighter than conventional rotor blades . as a general rule , applicant discovered that to achieve operation at a wide range of angular velocities , the osr blades require a flap stiffness and a blade weight as follows : ______________________________________flap stiffness : ei . sub . flap ≧ 25 d . sup . 4 at 10 % of rotor radius measured from the center of rotor rotation ei . sub . flap ≧ 10 d . sup . 4 at 30 % of rotor radius measured from the center of rotor rotationtotal blade weight : w ≦ 0 . 0015d . sup . 3______________________________________ where d is the rotor diameter and is measured in feet , w is pounds , and ei is in lbs - in 2 . the exemplary osr blade of the present invention shown in fig4 a , 4b and 4c has a length 32 including the shank 33 of about 17 . 84 feet , a maximum width 34 of about 18 inches and a minimum width 36 at its tip of about 9 inches ( fig4 a ). the blade has a shank length 40 of about 14 inches and a shank diameter 42 of about 3 . 75 inches . the exemplary blade has the dimensions ( in . ), stiffness ( lbs - in 2 ) and weights per unit length ( lbs / in .) depicted in table of fig5 a . as can be seen from fig5 a , the exemplary blade has a continuously reducing flap and lag stiffness from the hub center to the blade tip . the blade cross - sections at the blade 20 % station 5c - 5c , and the 70 % station 5d - 5d , are depicted in fig5 c and 5d , respectively . the 20 % and 70 % stations are at 20 % and 70 % of the rotor radius , respectively , as measured from the center of rotor rotation . the cross - section of the blade shank is depicted in fig5 b . the blade is constructed of a carbonepoxy spar / shank and a carbon epoxy leading edge . the trailing edge is a lightweight section made of thin carbon - epoxy top and bottom skins and a fill - depth honeycomb core . in the exemplary osr blades , adequate torsional stiffness was easily achieved . in stiffer osr blades the use of a hub flexbeams provide for a flap and lag effective spring inboard of the feathering axis 30 to reduce the load and vibration levels typical of rigid rotor blades . but , the spring rate of such flexbeams is not &# 34 ; tuned &# 34 ; to avoid natural frequency / rpm &# 34 ; crossings &# 34 ; i . e ., the rotor excitation frequencies . the blades can be mounted in any type or rotor hub such as hingeless , teetering or articulated , to form the rotor system . however , in a preferred embodiment , the blades are mounted in a hingeless rotor system . a hingeless rotor is well known in the art . it consists of sleeves 59 for mounting the blades 18 the sleeves are fixed relative to the hub mast 61 when mounted on a hingeless rotor hub 60 , the blades can not pivot in the flap and lag directions relative to the hub ( fig6 ). the preferred embodiment hingeless rotor is made of steel . the rotor hub structure is chosen to have a hub stiffness in flap and lag matched to the blade corresponding stiffness at the blade root . the bearing system 62 incorporated for blade pitch changes about the feathering axis is also required to resist moments that are substantially greater than those for an articulated rotor system . fig7 a and 7b present two tables , respectively , comparing dimensions and design parameters of the exemplary osr blade incorporated in a hingeless rotor to a conventional blade of an articulated rotor system . fig7 c depicts a scaled comparison between the osr blade 18 the conventional blade 70 being compared in the tables of fig7 a and 7b . the compared conventional blade 70 has a length 72 of about 13 . 17 feet , a constant width 74 of about 6 . 75 inches and a shank length 76 of about 19 inches . as can be seen from fig7 a , the osr blades are 85 fold stiffer at about 10 % radius than the conventional articulated rotor blades which are hinged at the root in the flap direction ( up - down ) and lag direction ( forward - aft in the plane of the rotor ). the conventional blades must be heavy enough in order to achieve adequate centrifugal forces to avoid excessive upward bending (&# 34 ; coning angle &# 34 ;). in spite of its 85 fold increase in stiffness the osr blades weight per blade surface area is less than half that of the conventional blade . this increase in stiffness and reduction in weight per blade surface area is achieved on the osr blades by 3 . 5 fold increase in maximum blade thickness using tapered planform , large root chord and thick root airfoils and use of high stiffness / weight carbon - epoxy materials . the stiff light weight osr blades do not require weights at their tips as do conventional blades . a rotor system of the present invention can operate from 0 to 100 % rpm under full lift load without reducing the rotor structural integrity . moreover , the vibration levels produced by the rotor of the present invention are within acceptable levels as related to crew fatigue , passenger comfort and payload performance . the rotor systems of the present invention are able to avoid the structural stability , loads and vibration problems associated with the operation of the rotor over a wide range of rpm . the exemplary embodiment osr blades mounted on a hingeless rotor forminig an exemplary osr were analyzed , optimized and its performance verified using 9 integrated dynamics analysis tools for computational fluid dynamics , structures , structural dynamics and control dynamics . the most important of these tools is camrad ii ( originated by wayne johnson and available analytical methods inc , redmond , wash .) which was used extensively for evaluating rotor stability , loads , vibrations , performance and control , including higher harmonic control . all performance and structural dynamic data presented are results of camrad ii runs with non - uniform inflow . in the extensive camrad ii analysis , the exemplary osr exhibited no rotor dynamics instability anywhere in the design rpm range . the camrad ii analysis revealed that the exemplary osr can reduce its angular velocity to as low as 150 rpm ( tip mach number of 0 . 25 ) or at any other interim rpm to optimize lift / drag ratio , reduce power and achieve longer endurance and range or achieve higher altitude and forward speed for the same power level . it is expected that the rotor rpm of an osr can be lowered to as much as 40 % of the maximum rotor design rpm while providing the required lift for a helicopter at its minimum weight . fig8 - 10 depict power requirements when operating the osr of the exemplary embodiment consisting of 3 blades and a hingeless hub , using a low drag unmanned helicopter fuselage , at various rpm values for improved efficiency ( curve 50 ) and when operating the same rotor at a constant angular velocity of 380 rpm ( curve 52 ), at a helicopter weight of 1400 lbs , 2600 lbs , and 4000 lbs , respectively at sea level . fig8 - 10 were created from data obtained from the camrad ii analyses . the advantage of osr is dramatic at the lower speeds and light weight range ( loiter at the end of fuel and with light payload ). the reduction of 60 %- 70 % in power required at 1400 lbs . at 40 - 80 knots ( fig8 ) provide an equal impact on fuel consumption . the reduction in tip mach number ( about 40 %- 50 %) of the advancing blade may provide 10 - 15 dba reduction rotor noise levels . the 15 knot increases in speed at constant power of 270 hp and the 50 knot increase at a constant power of 120 hp are dramatic and indicative of the level of inefficiency of conventional constant rpm rotors especially for a low weight helicopter loitering at low speed . fig9 shows the performance gains at an average weight of 2600 lbs . as can be seen form fig8 the 45 % reduction in required power and fuel consumption at a loiter speed of about 60 knots will provide an 82 % increase in maximum endurance for the same total fuel capacity . similarly , the 38 % reduction in power required at 80 knots should provide a 61 % increase in maximum range . fig1 shows that even at an overload weight of 4000 lbs . the reduction in power of about 25 % required at 65 - 80 knots and the increase in speed at a constant power level are substantial . a similar power required analysis conducted for hover out of ground effect ( oge ) indicated that osr offers 23 % increase in take - off weight with constant engine power ( may provide double the payload weight in most helicopters ) and 30 % reduction in tip speed ( may reduce noise level 8 dba ). the reduction in power required offers 7 , 000 feet increase in hover oge ceiling out of ground effect with the same engine . in an alternate embodiment , instead of operating at a wide range of rpm , the osr can be made to operated at 2 or more angular velocities . with such an osr , the benefits in efficiency will be substantial but not as great as the benefits achieved by using an osr that operates over a wide range of rpm .	8
the present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising the amine salts of structural formula i above , or a pharmaceutically acceptable solvate thereof , in association with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers . the compositions in accordance with the invention are suitably in unit dosage forms such as tablets , pills , capsules , powders , granules , sterile solutions or suspensions , metered aerosol or liquid sprays , drops , ampoules , auto - injector devices or suppositories . the compositions are intended for oral , parenteral , intranasal , sublingual , or rectal administration , or for administration by inhalation or insufflation . formulation of the compositions according to the invention can conveniently be effected by methods known from the art , for example , as described in remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences , 17 th ed ., 1995 . the dosage regimen is selected in accordance with a variety of factors including type , species , age , weight , sex and medical condition of the patient ; the severity of the condition to be treated ; the route of administration ; and the renal and hepatic function of the patient . an ordinarily skilled physician , veterinarian , or clinician can readily determine and prescribe the effective amount of the drug required to prevent , counter or arrest the progress of the condition . oral dosages of the present invention , when used for the indicated effects , will range between about 0 . 01 mg per kg of body weight per day ( mg / kg / day ) to about 100 mg / kg / day , preferably 0 . 01 to 10 mg / kg / day , and most preferably 0 . 1 to 5 . 0 mg / kg / day . for oral administration , the compositions are preferably provided in the form of tablets containing 0 . 01 , 0 . 05 , 0 . 1 , 0 . 5 , 1 . 0 , 2 . 5 , 5 . 0 , 10 . 0 , 15 . 0 , 25 . 0 , 50 . 0 , 100 and 500 milligrams of the active ingredient for the symptomatic adjustment of the dosage to the patient to be treated . a medicament typically contains from about 0 . 01 mg to about 500 mg of the active ingredient , preferably , from about 1 mg to about 100 mg of active ingredient . intravenously , the most preferred doses will range from about 0 . 1 to about 10 mg / kg / minute during a constant rate infusion . advantageously , the salt of the present invention may be administered in a single daily dose , or the total daily dosage may be administered in divided doses of two , three or four times daily . furthermore , the salt of the present invention can be administered in intranasal form via topical use of suitable intranasal vehicles , or via transdermal routes , using those forms of transdermal skin patches well known to those of ordinary skill in the art . to be administered in the form of a transdermal delivery system , the dosage administration will , of course , be continuous rather than intermittent throughout the dosage regimen . in the methods of the present invention , the salts herein described in detail can form the active ingredient , and are typically administered in admixture with suitable pharmaceutical diluents , excipients or carriers ( collectively referred to herein as ‘ carrier ’ materials ) suitably selected with respect to the intended form of administration , that is , oral tablets , capsules , elixirs , syrups and the like , and consistent with conventional pharmaceutical practices . for instance , for oral administration in the form of a tablet or capsule , the active drug component can be combined with an oral , non - toxic , pharmaceutically acceptable , inert carrier such as lactose , starch , sucrose , glucose , methyl cellulose , magnesium stearate , dicalcium phosphate , calcium sulfate , mannitol , sorbitol and the like ; for oral administration in liquid form , the oral drug component can be combined with any oral , non - toxic , pharmaceutically acceptable inert carrier such as ethanol , glycerol , water and the like . moreover , when desired or necessary , suitable binders , lubricants , disintegrating agents and coloring agents can also be incorporated into the mixture . suitable binders include starch , gelatin , natural sugars such as glucose or beta - lactose , corn sweeteners , natural and synthetic gums such as acacia , tragacanth or sodium alginate , carboxymethylcellulose , polyethylene glycol , waxes and the like . lubricants used in these dosage forms include sodium oleate , sodium stearate , magnesium stearate , sodium benzoate , sodium acetate , sodium chloride and the like . disintegrators include , without limitation , starch , methyl cellulose , agar , bentonite , xanthan gum and the like . according to a further aspect , the present invention provides a process for the preparation of the amine salts of formula i , which process comprises reacting 3 -( 2 - methyl - pyrimidin - 5 - yl )- 9 -( 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro -[ 1 , 8 ]- naphthyridin - 2 - yl )- nonanoic acid of structural formula iv below : with approximately one molar equivalent of the appropriate r 1 r 2 nh amine in a suitable organic solvent . the process is carried out generally at about 0 ° c . to 100 ° c ., and preferably at about 20 ° to 40 ° c . generally , the organic solvent is a linear or branched c 1 - c 4 alkanol , such as methanol , ethanol , or isopropanol , a linear or branched c 1 - 4 alkyl acetate , such as ethyl acetate or isopropyl acetate , diethyl ether , toluene , or acetonitrile , or aqueous organic solvent . in one embodiment , the organic solvent is a c 1 - 4 alkanol or aqueous c 1 - 4 alkanol . crystallization is then effected by adding a solvent , such as ethyl acetate , and optional seeding with crystals of the authentic amine salt , but the latter is not essential . the amine salts are then isolated and purified by conventional procedures , such as by filtration and drying . the starting compound of structural formula iv can be prepared by the procedures detailed in schemes 1 - 2 and example 1 below . in a still further aspect , the present invention provides a method for the treatment and / or prevention of clinical conditions for which an integrin α v β3 receptor antagonist is indicated , which method comprises administering to a patient in need of such prevention or treatment a prophylactically or therapeutically effective amount of the salt of structural formula i as defined above or a pharmaceutically acceptable solvate thereof . the present invention also provides the use of a salt of structural formula i as defined above or pharmaceutically acceptable solvate thereof for the manufacture of a medicament for the prevention and / or treatment of clinical conditions for which an antagonist of the integrin αvβ3 receptor is indicated . another aspect of the present invention provides compounds 2 - 6a and 2 - 6b in the form of a zwitterion trihydrate . the following non - limiting examples are intended to illustrate the present invention and should not be construed as being limitations on the scope or spirit of the instant invention . all x - ray patterns were obtained on a siemens d5000 x - ray diffractometer , using cu kα radiation . all dsc thermograms were taken on a ta 2920 differential scanning calorimeter with a heating rate of 10 ° c ./ minute under nitrogen . the carbon - 13 cpmas nuclear magnetic resonance ( nmr ) spectra were collected with a 200 mhz varian inova solid - state nmr spectrometer ; a contact time of 1 . 5 seconds and a pulse delay of 5 seconds were used for all samples . the ft - infrared spectra were obtained using a perkin elmer ft - ir spectrum one spectrometer ; spectra were collected at 4 cm − 1 resolution . to a solution of bromoacetic acid 1 - 1 ( 12 g , 86 . 4 mmol ) in dmf ( 44 ml ) at 90 ° c . was added phosphorous oxychloride ( 24 ml , 260 mmol ) over 5 h and then heated to 110 ° c . after stirring at 110 ° c . for 2 . 5 h , the mixture was cooled to 45 ° c . and quenched into cold isopropanol ( 44 ml ) at 2 ° c . and diluted with isopropyl acetate ( 44 ml ) and then treated with water ( 6 . 2 ml ), which was added over 45 minutes at 2 ° c ., to form the dichloride vinamidinium salt 1 - 2 . after stirring for 1 h , the deposited solid was collected and washed with isopropyl acetate ( 2 × 14 ml ) and acetonitrile ( 2 × 14 ml ) to afford 1 - 2 ( 12 . 0 g , 54 %) as a pale yellow crystal . to a slurried mixture of dichloride vinamidinium salt 1 - 2 ( 10 . 1 g , 39 . 9 mmole ) and acetamidine hydrochloride 1 - 3 ( 4 . 2 g , 44 . 4 mmol ) in acetonitrile ( 48 ml ) at 22 ° c . was added 50 % sodium hydroxide ( 4 . 9 g , 61 . 1 mmol ) over 1 . 5 h and stirred at room temperature for 1 . 5 h . the reaction mixture was filtered and washed with acetonitrile ( 10 ml ), and the combined filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure and solvent switched to heptane . the resulting mixture of crude 1 - 4 in heptane ( 25 ml ) was extracted with methyl t - butyl ether ( mtbe ) ( 4 × 20 ml ) at 40 ° c . the combined mtbe extracts were filtered through a pad of silica gel and concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was recrystallized from heptane to give aldehyde 1 - 4 ( 2 . 15 g , 44 %) as pale yellow solid ; m . p . 78 - 79 ° c . [ 0062 ] 1 h nmr ( 400 . 25 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 10 . 09 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 03 ( s , 2h ), 2 . 79 ( s , 3h ) ppm . [ 0063 ] 13 c nmr ( 100 . 64 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 189 . 0 , 173 . 2 , 158 . 2 , 126 . 3 , 26 . 7 ppm . a stirred suspension of anhydrous powdered k 2 co 3 ( 6 . 21 g , 45 mmol ), ketophosphonate 2 - 1 ( for preparation of 2 - 1 , see u . s . pat . no . 6 , 048 , 861 ) ( 7 . 66 g , 22 . 5 mmol ), and 2 - methyl - pyrimidine - 5 - carboxaldehyde 1 - 4 ( 2 . 5 g , 20 . 5 mmol ) in thf ( 250 ml ) was heated at reflux for 4 h . after cooling to room temperature , the mixture was diluted with etoac ( 500 ml ) and washed with water ( 100 ml ) and brine ( 100 ml ). the organic solution was dried over mgso 4 , filtered and concentrated . the residue was purified by flash chromatography ( sio 2 ; 10 % etoh / ch 2 cl 2 ) to give 5 . 66 g ( 85 %) of the enone adduct 2 - 2 as a tan solid . 1 h nmr ( 400 . 13 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 8 . 77 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 42 ( d , j = 16 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 04 ( d , j = 7 . 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 80 ( d , j = 16 . 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 34 ( d , j = 7 . 3 hz , 1h ) 4 . 80 ( br s , 1h ), 3 . 38 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 76 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 70 - 2 . 65 ( om , 4h ), 2 . 57 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 88 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 70 ( om , 4h ) ppm . [ 0066 ] 13 c nmr ( 100 . 61 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 199 . 5 , 169 . 4 , 158 . 0 , 156 . 0 , 155 . 9 , 136 . 8 , 135 . 1 , 128 . 4 , 125 . 5 , 113 . 4 , 111 . 5 , 41 . 8 , 41 . 4 , 37 . 7 , 29 . 5 , 26 . 5 , 26 . 2 , 24 . 0 , 21 . 6 ppm . enone 2 - 2 ( 7 . 13 g , 22 . 0 mmol ) was dissolved in meoh ( 200 ml ) and cooled to 0 ° c . solid nabh 4 ( 1 . 00 g , 1 . 2 eq ) was added in 3 portions . after 15 minutes of stirring , the reaction was quenched with 10 % aqueous citric acid , and 1n hcl was added to adjust the ph to about 3 . the mixture was stirred for 20 min ., and then 1n naoh was added to adjust the ph to about 9 . methanol was removed in vacuo and the residue was extracted with chcl 3 ( 3 × 100 ml ). the combined organic extracts were dried over mgso 4 , filtered , and concentrated . the residue was purified by flash chromatography ( sio 2 ; 80 : 10 : 10 chcl 3 / meoh / etoac ) to give 6 . 10 g ( 85 %) of the racemic allylic alcohol 2 - 3 as a pale yellow solid . the racemic mixture was resolved by chiral preparative hplc ( 10 × 50 cm chiralpak ad column , 80 / 20 etoh / hexanes + 0 . 1 % diethylamine ; 6 . 1 g injection @ 300 ml / min ) to give 2 . 72 gm ( 38 %) of the first eluting enantiomer 2 - 3a ( r t = 40 to 51 min ; & gt ; 98 % enantiomeric excess ) and 2 . 1 g ( 34 %) of the second eluting enantiomer 2 - 3b ( r t = 51 to 62 min ). to a stirred solution of allylic alcohol 2 - 3a ( 4 . 7 g , 13 . 9 mmol ) in triethyl orthoacetate ( 88 ml ) was added a solution of propionic acid ( 5 . 34 ml of a 0 . 15 m soln in ( eto ) 3 cme ; 0 . 80 mmol ). the solution was heated to reflux ( 145 ° c .) for 2 hours . the solution was then cooled to room temperature and the reaction treated with 1n hcl / brine ( 25 ml ). after stirring for 10 min , the mixture was neutralized and extracted with etoac ( 3 × 100 ml ) and the combined organic extracts dried over mgso 4 , filtered and concentrated . the residue was purified by flash chromatography ( sio 2 ; 80 : 10 : 10 chcl 3 / etoac / meoh ) to give 4 . 6 g ( 82 %) of 2 - 4a as a brown oil . [ 0071 ] 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 8 . 52 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 04 ( d , j = 7 . 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 34 ( d , j = 7 . 3 hz , 1h ), 5 . 53 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 05 ( br s , 1h ), 4 . 07 ( q , j = 7 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 81 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 49 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 69 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 58 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 05 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 90 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 63 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 41 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 18 ( t , j = 7 . 0 hz , 3h ) ppm . unsaturated ester 2 - 4a ( 12 . 3 g , 30 . 1 mmol ) was dissolved in ethanol ( 300 ml ) and the solution purged with argon gas for 20 min . 10 % palladium - on - carbon ( 3 . 2 g ) was added . a balloon of hydrogen gas was affixed to the partially evacuated flask . the heterogeneous reaction was stirred for 3 . 5 h . the reaction mixture was then filtered through celite , and the filtrate concentrated . the residue was purified by flash chromatography ( sio 2 ; 80 : 10 : 10 chcl 3 / meoh / etoac ) to give 10 . 2 g ( 83 %) of ester 2 - 5a as a colorless oil . [ 0074 ] 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 8 . 43 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 04 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 27 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 1h ), 4 . 01 ( q , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 37 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 01 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 64 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 68 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 48 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 87 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 59 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 24 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 12 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 3h ) ppm . to a stirred solution of ester 2 - 5a ( 10 . 2 g , 24 . 8 mmol ) in meoh / thf ( 50 ml / 150 ml ) was added 1n naoh ( 75 ml , 75 mmol ). the reaction was stirred for 16 h at room temperature and then neutralized with 1n hcl ( 75 ml ). the solvent was removed in vacuo . the residue was purified by flash chromatography ( sio 2 ; 80 : 10 : 10 chcl 3 / meoh / etoac ) to give a viscous foam which was redissolved in a minimal volume of water to produce a white gummy paste . stirring and scratching with a metal spatula produced a white crystalline solid . the precipitate was collected by filtration to give 8 . 0 g ( 84 %) of the zwitterion 2 - 6a . [ 0077 ] 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ): δ 8 . 54 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 36 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 43 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 1h ), 3 . 39 ( t , j = 8 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 27 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 12 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 72 ( t , j = 6 . 0 hz , 2h ), 2 . 58 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 87 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 76 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 61 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 29 ( m , 5h ) ppm . the x - ray powder diffraction pattern of the crystalline zwitterion trihydrate is illustrated in fig3 . it has characteristic diffraction peaks corresponding to d - spacings of 9 . 69 , 8 . 04 , 7 . 60 , 6 . 80 , 5 . 39 , 4 . 51 , 4 . 47 , 4 . 44 , 4 . 35 , 4 . 32 , 4 . 29 , 4 . 11 , 4 . 02 , and 3 . 86 angstroms . the crystalline zwitterion trihydrate was also characterized by solid - state carbon - 13 nmr spectroscopy . fig6 illustrates the carbon - 13 cpmas nmr spectrum of the crystalline zwitterion trihydrate which exhibits signals with chemical shift values at 179 . 5 , 166 . 4 , 159 . 7 , 155 . 4 , 150 . 5 , 140 . 9 , 136 . 8 , 116 . 6 , 110 . 8 , 46 . 0 , 39 . 7 , 37 . 2 , 35 . 5 , 33 . 4 , 29 . 8 , 27 . 4 , 25 . 1 , 24 . 1 , and 20 . 7 ppm . the differential scanning calorimeter ( dsc ) curve of the crystalline zwitterion trihydrate is illustrated in fig9 . the dsc curve exhibits a broad dehydration endothermic peak centered around 68 ° c . ( extrapolated onset temperature of about 50 ° c .). the small endothermic peak ( peak temperature at about 87 ° c .) on the shoulder of the dehydration endotherm is likely attributed to degradation of the salt . the ft infrared spectrum of the crystalline zwitterion trihydrate is illustrated in fig1 , which exhibits significant absorption bands at 1671 , 1624 , 1559 , 1450 , 1409 , 1322 , 1288 , 1016 , 752 , and 733 cm − 1 . the content of water as obtained with karl - fischer titration was 12 . 5 wt % ( the theory for a trihydrate is 12 . 4 wt %). the product from step f ( 2 - 6a ) ( 8 . 73 g , 20 . 0 mmol ), tris ( hydroxymethyl ) aminomethane ( 2 . 42 g , 20 . 0 mmol ), and methanol ( 100 ml ) were added to a 500 ml flask . the mixture was warmed to 30 ° c . to obtain complete solution . ethyl acetate ( 100 ml ) was added and the mixture seeded with crystals of the authentic “ tris ” salt ( 2 mg ). the slurry was aged 30 minutes and then concentrated at constant volume ( 25 - 30 ° c ., 100 mmhg ) by adding ethyl acetate ( total of 100 ml ). the resultant slurry was cooled to 20 ° c ., aged for one hour , and filtered . the product 2 - 7a was washed with ethyl acetate ( 50 ml ) and dried in vacuo at 20 ° c . the x - ray powder diffraction pattern of the crystalline tris ( hydroxymethyl ) aminomethane (“ tris ”) salt [ r 1 ═ h ; r 2 ═ c ( ch 2 oh ) 3 ] is illustrated in fig1 . it has characteristic diffraction peaks corresponding to d - spacings of 16 . 07 , 8 . 52 , 5 . 70 , 5 . 35 , 4 . 51 , 4 . 28 , 4 . 01 , 3 . 81 , 3 . 56 , 3 . 41 , and 3 . 21 angstroms . the crystalline “ tris ” salt was also characterized by solid - state nmr spectroscopy . fig4 illustrates the carbon - 13 cpmas nmr spectrum of the crystalline salt which exhibits signals with chemical shift values at 179 . 0 , 178 . 5 , 166 . 9 , 161 . 2 , 158 . 5 , 157 . 1 , 156 . 1 , 137 . 6 , 135 . 8 , 114 . 0 , 111 . 4 , 109 . 5 , 62 . 0 , 58 . 0 , 57 . 0 , 49 . 8 , 47 . 4 , 40 . 5 , 37 . 4 , 32 . 9 , 29 . 1 , 26 . 8 , 26 . 0 , and 19 . 9 ppm . the differential scanning calorimeter ( dsc ) curve of the crystalline anhydrous “ tris ” salt is illustrated in fig7 . the dsc curve exhibits a melting / decomposition endotherm with a peak temperature of about 160 ° c . ( extrapolated onset temperature of about 155 ° c .). the ft infrared spectrum of the crystalline anhydrous “ tris ” salt is illustrated in fig1 , which exhibits significant absorption bands at 3347 , 1597 , 1586 , 1519 , 1452 , 1392 , 1062 , and 1031 cm − 1 . the content of water as obtained with karl - fischer titration was about 0 . 3 wt %. the enantiomeric “ tris ” salt 2 - 7b was prepared from 2 - 3b as described for 2 - 7a . compound 2 - 6a ( 1 . 0 g , 2 . 29 mmol ), 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol ( 2 . 29 mmol ), and methanol ( 2 ml ) were added to a 25 ml flask . the mixture was warmed to 30 ° c . to obtain complete solution . ethyl acetate ( 20 ml ) was added and the mixture stirred at 20 ° c . to obtain a slurry . the slurry was aged 60 minutes and filtered . the product was washed with ethyl acetate ( 5 ml ) and dried in vacuo at 20 ° c . the x - ray powder diffraction pattern of the crystalline 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol salt [ r 1 ═ h ; r 2 ═ c ( ch 3 ) 2 ch 2 oh ] is illustrated in fig2 . it has characteristic diffraction peaks corresponding to d - spacings of 11 . 17 , 9 . 51 , 8 . 92 , 7 . 44 , 5 . 92 , 5 . 38 , 4 . 84 , 4 . 46 , 4 . 24 , and 4 . 13 angstroms . the crystalline 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol salt was also characterized by solid - state nmr spectroscopy . fig5 illustrates the carbon - 13 cpmas nmr spectrum of the crystalline salt , which exhibits signals with chemical shift values at 178 . 7 , 165 . 9 , 159 . 3 , 158 . 2 , 157 . 2 , 138 . 1 , 136 . 1 , 112 . 8 , 111 . 6 , 110 . 3 , 67 . 6 , 53 . 7 , 44 . 1 , 41 . 2 , 40 . 5 , 40 . 1 , 38 . 7 , 37 . 6 , 33 . 6 , 32 . 1 , 30 . 7 , 29 . 9 , 27 . 0 , 25 . 4 , 24 . 5 , 22 . 9 , 20 . 8 , and 19 . 9 ppm . the differential scanning calorimeter ( dsc ) curve of the crystalline anhydrous 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol salt is illustrated in fig8 . the dsc curve exhibits a melting / decomposition endotherm with a peak temperature of about 133 ° c . ( extrapolated onset temperature of about 126 ° c .). a small reversible endothermic peak with a peak temperature of 107 ° c . is also observed . the ft infrared spectrum of the crystalline anhydrous 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol salt is illustrated in fig1 , which exhibits significant absorption bands at 3252 , 1537 , 1454 , 1394 , 1320 , 1064 , 802 , and 751 cm − 1 . the content of water as obtained with karl - fischer titration was about 0 . 3 wt %. the enantiomeric 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol salt 3 - 7b was prepared from 2 - 3b as described for 2 - 7a . the amine salts of formula formula i can be formulated into a tablet by a direct compression process . a 100 mg potency tablet is composed of 100 mg of the active ingredient , 276 mg mannitol , 20 mg of croscarmellose sodium , and 4 mg of magnesium stearate . the active ingredient , microcrystalline cellulose , and croscarmellose are first blended , and the mixture is then lubricated with magnesium stearate and pressed into tablets . an intravenous ( i . v .) aqueous formulation is prepared by dissolving an amine salt of structural formula i in ethanol ( 10 %)/ water ( 90 %). for a formulation with a concentration of 5 mg / ml , 5 mg of the active ingredient is dissolved in one ml ethanol ( 10 %)/ water ( 90 %) solution .	2
referring first to fig1 a front view of a motherboard test machine is illustrated . as shown in fig1 a carrier 107 and a shingle 109 — are disposed over a function test box 101 of the test machine and are movable up and down . the presser bar members or press sticks 111 underneath the shingle 109 can fix the motherboard to be tested 113 while the shingle 109 moves downward to a fixed or held position . the carrier 107 is capable of carrying the motherboard to be tested 113 and has guide holes ( not shown in the figs .) located opposite to the pins on the bottom surface of the motherboard to be tested 103 . a probe load board 103 on the function test box 101 has probes 105 located opposite to the guide holes on the carrier 107 . while the carrier moves downward , the probes 105 are inserted into the guide holes of the carrier 107 exactly and are coupled to the pins of the motherboard to be tested 113 . before testing , the computer components , such as the peripheral equipment , apparatus , and an interface card ( not shown in the figs . ), are assembled in the function test box 101 beforehand . the function test box 101 then couples the pins of those components to the probes 105 on the probe load board 103 . please refer to fig2 for the plug - in location of the cpu . a perspective view of the test machine shown in fig1 is illustrated in fig2 . as shown in fig2 a cpu adapter 200 on the bottom surface of the probe load board 103 is capable of coupling a cpu 205 and the motherboard to be tested 113 . please also refer to fig3 . a front view of the structure of a cpu adapter of a motherboard test machine according to a preferred embodiment of this invention shown in fig2 is illustrated in fig3 . the cpu adapter 200 includes a connection board 201 , a number of probe - receptacles 301 and a number of probes wherein the connection board 201 includes a socket 203 for connecting to the cpu 205 . the probe - receptacles 301 are on the connection board 201 and the probes insert within them . the probes 303 are capable of connecting to the pins of the bottom surface of the motherboard to be tested 113 and are coupled to the probe - receptacles 301 and the connection board 201 . the cpu adapter 200 further includes a mounting board 305 for fixing the probe - receptacles wherein the probe - receptacles 301 can pierce though the mounting board 305 . by this way , the probes 303 can be coupled to the pins of the motherboard to be tested 113 precisely . since the cpu 205 is coupled to the pins of the motherboard to be tested 113 , it might cause the signals to diminish and the timing to become disordered , and make the system malfunction . thus , the circuit design on the connection board 201 is used for improving the above - mentioned defects . the connection board 201 further includes an electrolytic capacitor 207 and a clock widen circuit 209 . the electrolytic capacitor is provided for enhancing the signals of the cpu 205 . and the connection board 201 widens the clock signal of the cpu 205 by using the clock widen circuit . hence , the signals of the cpu 205 can keep the signals and timing regular . moreover , considering that the cpu adapter in fig3 occupies more space than the cpu adapter in fig4 . a front view of the structure of a cpu adapter of a motherboard test machine according to another preferred embodiment of this invention shown in fig2 is illustrated in fig4 . the cpu adapter 200 includes a connecting board 201 , a number of probe - receptacles 401 , a number of probes , a socket 203 , and a mounting board 405 . the circuit design and the connecting correlation thereof are as mentioned above except that the location of the probes 403 is directly opposite to that of the pins of the cpu 205 for the sake of saving the space . in order to prevent the probe - receptacles 401 from conflicting with the pins of cpu 205 , the cpu adapter 200 further includes a connection board 407 and a number of probes 409 . the connection board 407 for connecting with the probe - receptacles 401 is coupled to the connection board 201 by the probes . the location of the probes 409 should avoid conflict with the pins of the socket 203 . referring to fig5 a front view of a motherboard to be tested disposed in the fixed position for testing shown in fig1 is illustrated . after the motherboard to be tested 113 is placed in position , the shingle 109 and carrier 107 move downward and arrive the fixed position for testing . the probes 105 of the cpu adapter 200 move into the guide holes of the carrier 107 exactly and connect to the corresponding pins on the bottom surface of the motherboard to be tested 113 . thereafter , the test machine proceeds to test the circuitry . after finishing the test , the shingle 109 and the carrier 107 are uplifted and another motherboard to be tested is substituted in the next test . in accordance with the above - mentioned preferred embodiment of the invention , the adapter may be used not only for a cpu but also for any other high - frequency components , such as graphic cards , ram , and so on . the advantages of the cpu adapter of the motherboard test machine according to the disclosed embodiment are as follows : first , it shortens the test time and raises the producing rate : the cpu is plugged in the connection board of the cpu adapter in the function test box beforehand . instead of insertion and removal of the cpu by manpower , the pcb to be tested is put in the function test box and the circuit testing proceeds . second , it decreases the cost of testing : the connecting pins of the cpu used to get bent and even snap due to the worker negligence and frequent insertion and removal of the computer components . the damage to the component increases the cost of testing . by way of using probes to connect the computer components according to this invention , it can lower the hazard of damaging the computer component and further decrease the component consumption rate and the cost of testing . third , it decreases the demand for test tools , such as cpus . it requires one cpu for one test machine instead of plugging one cpu in each motherboard to be tested . therefore , it decreases the amount of test tools for usage . while the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment . to the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures , and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures .	6
1 . by reference to step i of the figure , air bearing slider 1 which is of a known type such as illustrated in ibm journal of research and development , vol . 18 , no . 6 , pp . 493 - 496 , november 1974 , is prepared and pre - machined so that the air bearing surfaces 2 require further only a final polish . preparation of sliders 1 in step i is accomplished by known techniques which are not a part of the present invention . overall slider dimensions are machined to within final specifications . surface 3 is the trailing edge of said slider when ultimately operational in a computer magnetic recording disc memory , and said surface 3 is the plane to which the thin film magnetic transducer elements must be affixed . 2 . a plurality of prepared sliders from step 1 are next ganged together by suitable mechanical constraint 4 as shown in step ii of the figure . said mechanical constraint 4 prevents relative motion between the sliders . 3 . the plurality of sliders locked together by said mechanical constraint 4 are coated with a filler material 6 so that all spaces 5 among and between sliders 1 are filled as shown in step iii . as capillary action will usually not draw the filler material completely into all spaces , pressure or vacuum suction is typically employed . suitable filler materials are polyimide and photopolymers . 4 . said filler material in step iii is hardened by exposure to heat or other techniques depending upon the chemistry of the filler employed . 5 . the surface 3 of all of the sliders held together by mechanical constraint 4 are lapped and / or polished to a surface finish of 1 to 2 microinches arithmetic average as shown in step iv . 6 . thin film transducer elements 7 are applied to all sliders 1 on surface 3 as prepared by process step v by well - known techniques as discussed in the description of the prior art above . 7 . mechanical constraint 4 is removed as indicated in step vi . 8 . filler material 6 is dissolved away to permit separation of individual air bearing sliders as shown in step vii . 9 . air bearing sliders are final polished upon air bearing surfaces 2 and are ready for final assembly as shown in step viii . as an alternative embodiment in process step iv hereinabove , surface 3 of each slider may be coated with a layer of material to function as a base foundation for the thin film transducer elements 7 . said base foundation could be composed of sio 2 , al 2 o 3 , si 3 n 4 , or many other materials that possess non - magnetic , non - conductive properties . said base foundation layer would be used to enhance adhesion and / or thermal expansion compatibility between the transducer element 7 and slider surface 3 . as a further alternative embodiment , a plurality of thin film transducer elements may be applied to each air bearing slider 1 .	8
fig1 illustrates exemplary communication network architecture 100 . communication network architecture 100 comprises a mobile network 105 , a communication management system 110 and a private network 115 . communication management system 110 generally manages communications between the mobile network 105 and the private network 115 . a network should be generally understood as a group of associated devices ( e . g ., computing devices ) that are coupled to one another via a communications facility . for example , mobile network 105 is illustrative of an exemplary group of mobile computing devices such as mobile phones , smart phones , pdas , tablet pcs and wi - fi equipped laptops . private network 115 is illustrative of an enterprise server and various workstation clients such as that found in any number of corporate entities and businesses . private network 115 may also be embodied as a single computer ( e . g ., a home computer ) coupled to a series of other computing devices via an internet connection as provided by an isp . mobile network 105 , communication management system 110 and private network 115 may also be reflective of a network in that they reflect a variety , of computing devices coupled to one another via a variety of communications channels ( e . g ., mobile telephone base stations , the internet and so forth ). in that regard , networks should be interpreted as being inclusive rather than exclusive . private network 115 may be separated from the communication management system 110 , mobile network 105 and any other networks by a firewall 120 . firewall 120 is traditionally a set of software applications located at a network gateway server ( not shown ) to protect the resources of the private network 115 ( e . g ., corporate or private data ) from unauthorized users and / or malicious data entities ( e . g ., viruses and spy - ware ) that might exist outside the private network 115 . firewall 120 may also be a security policy used with the aforementioned software application . firewall 120 , in the case of a personal computer ( pc ) 130 , may be software directly implemented on the pc 130 . the mobile network 105 comprises a variety of mobile devices that may communicate over the internet through , for example , a wireless or landline mobile network . a variety of mobile networks and communications channels for enabling internet access are well known in the art . private network 115 may be any enterprise network , individual user network , or local computer system that maintains data for one or more users . in an exemplary embodiment , the private network 115 may comprise an enterprise server 125 configured to be accessed by multiple pcs 130 . in one example , the enterprise server 125 may be a microsoft ® exchange ® server and the pcs 130 may access data such as electronic mail ( e - mail ) on the enterprise server 125 through a client software application ( not shown ) such as microsoft ® outlook ®. the enterprise server 125 can store e - mail mailboxes , contact lists , calendars , tasks , notes , or any other type of local data or electronic documents ( e . g ., word processing documents , powerpoint ® presentations , excel spreadsheets ). pcs 130 are coupled to the enterprise server 125 over a local area network ( lan ) 135 , which is coupled to a wide area network ( wan ) 140 such as the internet . in some embodiments , pcs 130 may operate independently of enterprise server 125 ( e . g ., a home personal computer or a business enterprise without an enterprise server 125 ). pc 130 may comprise or be coupled to memory ( not shown ) to store e - mail mailboxes , contact lists , calendars , tasks , notes , or any other type of local data or electronic document that might otherwise be stored on enterprise server 125 . in these embodiments , a personal client application ( not shown ) may also provide for communication with a management server 145 or a personal client server ( pcs ) ( not shown ) coupled to the management server 145 . this latter configuration would be functionality similar to an enterprise client ( not shown ) at the enterprise server 125 configured to allow communication with the management server 145 . the particularities of a given communications architecture implementation are left to the requirements of a user , their particular network and available communications hardware and software . in that regard , the present disclosure &# 39 ; s reference to a pcs should not be interpreted as an operational necessity but an alternative embodiment of the present invention . communication management system 110 comprises at least one management server 145 configured to manage transactions between mobile devices in the mobile network 105 and the private network 115 . a user database 150 , which may be coupled to or directly integrated with management server 145 , comprises configuration information for different users . for example , the user database 150 may comprise login data for users in the private network 115 and / or mobile network 105 . communication management system 110 may further comprise one or more smart device servers ( sds ) ( not shown ) and / or one or more of the aforementioned pcs ( not shown ) in addition to any other specially configured equipment that might be necessary to enable communications between the mobile network 105 and private network 115 in addition to communications within the communication management system 110 . optional sds ( not shown ), for example , manages communications with particular smart mobile devices 190 ( e . g ., smart phones like the treo 600 ) whereas an optional pcs ( not shown ) may manage communications with personal clients ( not shown ) that may reside on pc 130 . mobile devices in the mobile network 105 may comprise cellular phones 170 comprising wireless application protocol ( wap ) interfaces configured to communicate with management server 145 through a wap gateway 195 . other mobile devices may include tablet pcs , pdas and internet kiosks 180 or any smart mobile device 190 operating as a communication start / endpoint . communication channels 160 are any communication pathways that allow the aforementioned mobile devices to communicate between the mobile network 105 with the internet and / or any other communications network . for example , communications channel 160 may be a landline , a cellular channel , an 802 . 11x wireless channel , satellite channels , or any combination of the above . in an independent pc configuration , the personal client application ( not shown ) installed on the pc 130 establishes a data connection between the pc 130 and management server 145 over the appropriate networks ( e . g ., lan 135 and wan 140 ) as well as any necessary intermediate hardware or software applications that might further be necessary such as an optional pcs ( not shown ). the data connection between the pc 130 and management server 145 , in one embodiment , is initiated by the personal client as an outbound connection , which is then authenticated by the management server 145 . for example , the personal client on pc 130 may present authentication information to the management server 145 , which the management server 145 may attempt to reconcile with information in the user database 150 . a similar connection process may occur in the context of an enterprise server 125 with an enterprise client and a related data connection . if the management server 145 authenticates the personal client or enterprise client , the data connection is established through firewall 120 ( if applicable ) to establish access with the communication management system 110 , which , in some embodiments , is outside the private network 115 . management server 145 , after having established the data connection may provide connection sharing information or other communication configuration parameters as might be related to an associated mobile device in the mobile network 105 . management server 145 and the related client at the enterprise server 125 or pc 130 may then enter a quiescent mode until a transaction ( e . g ., the arrival of data at the server 125 or pc 130 ) that requires the transfer of data between the private network 115 and mobile network 105 ( e . g ., pushing of e - mail ). in some embodiments , if the data connection is inadvertently terminated , the client at the enterprise server 125 or pc 130 will automatically reestablish a data connection with the management server 145 . the data connection may be maintained even when there is no exchange of data between the management server 145 and mobile network 105 and an associated mobile device . in one embodiment , the data connection is a transmission control protocol / internet protocol ( tcp / ip ) connection although any connection protocol may be used that provides connectivity between the private network 115 and communication management system 110 . alternative embodiments may utilize a proxy server and / or a secure socket layer ( ssl ) for the purposes of maintaining the security of information transmitted between the private network 115 and communication management system 110 . after establishing the data connection , a mobile data connection may be established between any of the mobile devices in the mobile network 105 and the management server 145 . the mobile data connection may , in some embodiments , be established prior to and / or maintained notwithstanding the presence of a data connection between the private network 115 and communication management system 110 . for example , a mobile device in mobile network 105 may seek to establish and maintain a connection as soon as a communication channel 160 is available that facilitates establishing that connection . the mobile data connection may further be subject to polling ( e . g ., accessing the communication management system 110 on a regularly scheduled basis ), manual synchronization and / or the generation of or request for data at the mobile device . the mobile connection , in some embodiments , may also be initiated by the communication management system as a result of the arrival of data at the enterprise server 125 or pc 130 that needs to be delivered to the mobile device via the communication management system 110 and appropriate communication channel 160 ( e . g ., arrival of e - mail to be pushed to the mobile device ). after the mobile connection is established , the mobile device 170 may access e - mail and other data ( e . g ., pim data ) at the enterprise server 125 or pc 130 via , for example , an enterprise client or personal client , respectively . as noted , in some embodiments , the use of an optional sds ( not shown ) to establish connectivity between the communication management system 110 and a smart device 190 may be required as may an optional pcs ( not shown ) for establishing connectivity between communication management system 110 and pc 130 . mobile device connection , as noted , may be initiated by a mobile device in the mobile network 105 . for example , a mobile user &# 39 ; s username and password for accessing the communication management system 110 may be established in user database 150 when the user enrolls with the communication management system 110 . the user would subsequently be required to provide this information when the mobile device attempts to automatically or manually accesses the communication management system 110 . a username / password combination is not necessarily required to access the management system 110 as other security credentials may be utilized to establish access . for example , an authentication token may be established on the mobile device following the device &# 39 ; s providing of the proper security credentials ( e . g ., a user name and password ). that authentication token may be recognized by the communication management system 110 with regard to establishing future access so that the re - entry of a username and password is not required for subsequent access . the authentication token may be permanent or set to expire after a certain period of time or a certain number of uses . certificate mapping ( using ssl certificates ), host - ip access control ( white - listing and black - listing certain ip addresses or networks ) and device location may also be used to establish access to the communication management system 110 . in the latter example , the position of a device may be established by access to a particular base station ( in the case of a cellular device ) or a gps - transceiver may identify the position of the device . if the device is out of a specified region , the communication management system 110 may deny access ( e . g ., a user designates denial of access if their mobile device is taken overseas or out - of - state as that location suggests it has been stolen ). security credentials may also be provided through a combination of various mobile identifiers , for example , mobile identification numbers ( min ), international mobile subscriber identity ( imsi ) and electronic serial number ( esn ). additional layers of security may be provided through the use of a secure hash algorithm or a virtual private network ( vpn ). notwithstanding the particular access methodology , the credentials are ultimately verified by the management server 145 or some related software / hardware ( e . g ., optional sds ( not shown )) and possibly with further regard to user information stored in the user database 150 . similar authentication methodologies may be utilized for establishing a data connection between the communication management system 110 and a computing device in the private network 115 . once connectivity is established by the mobile device , the user may access e - mail , files or pim data residing at the enterprise server 125 , pc 130 or in the communication management system 110 at the management server 145 . such access includes information as may be ‘ published ’ by a user of communication management system 110 . management server 145 may be configured to reformat and render local data from the private network 115 according to the particularities of the user &# 39 ; s mobile device in addition to functioning as a routing engine for data transactions between the mobile devices of the mobile network 105 and the private network 115 . fig2 is an illustration of a data aggregation and management system 200 comprising an exemplary dynamic data aggregation server 210 , an exemplary client device 220 and various sources of pim and other types of data including an enterprise server 230 and a pc 240 . various intermediate operations and services 250 are also shown . the intermediate operations and services 250 may be directly integrated as a part of data aggregation server 210 , may stand alone as a third - party service accessible by data aggregation server 210 and / or device 220 or be remotely coupled to the data aggregation server 210 ( e . g ., physically separate from the physical architecture of the data aggregation server 210 ); for example , a switch or customer service center . pc 240 may be a desktop pc coupled to the data aggregations server 210 by way of client connection software like seven personal edition available from seven networks , inc . of redwood city , calif . this client connection software may provide a secure link to data stored at the pc 240 such as e - mail , personal contacts , documents or other pim data . a client device 220 such as a smart phone or other mobile device may access this data via the data aggregation server 210 and / or a communications management system like that described in fig1 and any variety of communication networks ( e . g ., wireless ). pc 240 and its client connection software may be configured with certain features such as end - to - end encryption to ensure secure transmission of personal data or notification functionalities to inform a user that new content ( e . g ., e - mail ) has arrived at the pc 240 and should be forwarded to client device 220 via , for example , a push operation through the data aggregation server 210 and / or a communications management system . enterprise server 230 may be a corporate enterprise server configured to manage e - mail , data and various applications . enterprise server 230 ( and pc 240 ) may utilize a firewall ( not shown ) like that described in fig1 . although a firewall is described , a firewall is not necessary for the operation and interaction of the enterprise server 230 ( or pc 240 ) with data aggregation server 210 and / or client device 220 . enterprise server 230 is coupled to the data aggregation server 210 via appropriate client server software , which , like the client software of pc 240 , intermediately couples the enterprise server 230 to client device 220 via a data connection to the data aggregation server 210 and / or a communications management system like that described in fig1 . an example of such software is seven server edition available from the aforementioned seven networks , inc . additional software installed at the enterprise server 230 may provide various users ( e . g ., clients or workstations ) the ability to interact with the enterprise server 230 and have access to application data ( e . g ., email ), pim data or other types of information . data aggregation server 210 comprises the various modules necessary to aggregate and manage pim and other types of data . data aggregation server 210 may be directly integrated with the management server ( 145 ) of fig1 or otherwise coupled to the communication management system ( 110 ) described in fig1 . data aggregation server 210 is optionally coupled to the enterprise server 230 and / or pc 240 via network 260 . network 260 further enables communications access to additional sources of pim and other types of data . access to an enterprise server 230 or pc 240 by the data aggregation server 210 is not required for the operation of the data aggregation server 210 . the data aggregation server 210 may operate independently of an enterprise server 230 and pc 240 so long as certain information required by the data aggregation server 210 and an associated client device 220 is otherwise available ( e . g ., pim data such as calendar and / or contact data ). coupling the data aggregation server 210 to pc 240 and / or enterprise server 230 provides additional or enhanced functionality that might otherwise be unavailable absent such a coupling . similarly , the e - mail redirection and data access functionality offered by connection software at pc 240 and enterprise server 230 may also operate independent of the data aggregation server 210 . in an embodiment of the present invention , data aggregation server 210 and pc 240 and / or enterprise server 230 may operate in parallel without ever being ‘ aware ’ of the operation of the other . another embodiment of the present invention , however , may integrate certain features of data aggregation server 210 with enterprise server 230 and / or pc 240 to provide for the aforementioned enhanced functionality . in an embodiment of the present invention , data aggregation server 210 may be operating on and / or integrated into with a service provider network ( e . g ., cingular wireless for wireless networking or sbc communications , inc . for telecommunications such as digital subscriber lines ( dsl )). through integration or operational contact with a service provider &# 39 ; s network , instant access to a community of millions of subscribers ( i . e ., the service provider &# 39 ; s customers ) is provided . this integration may also allow for access to additional features such as news , media content , maps and directions as well as e - mail , short messaging service ( sms ) and any other value - added features as made available by the service provider . the service provider &# 39 ; s network and the data aggregation server 210 may operate independently of or in conjunction with enterprise server architecture 230 and / or pc 240 . as noted above , the data aggregation server 210 may also be integrated with the communication management system ( 110 ) and / or management server ( 145 ) of fig1 . in that regard , data aggregation server 210 may be a part of the management server ( 145 ), which may be an operational part of the communications management system ( 110 ) of fig1 . that communication management system ( 110 ) may be a part of the aforementioned service provider network . data aggregation server 210 may comprise various access controls , gateways and operational modules , which are described in detail in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 217 , 203 . intermediate operations and services 250 may comprise any variety of operations and services deemed necessary and / or desirable by a service provider . in fig2 , an sms gateway 270 , ip / sip gateway 280 and billing and transaction service 290 are illustrated . the inclusion of these particular operations and services is not to suggest their presence is a prerequisite for practice of the presently claimed invention . sms gateway 270 may comprise a software and / or hardware utility enabling users to send and receive sms messages on a gsm or pcs digital cellular network . sms gateway 270 may support a number of ip interfaces such as pop3 and smtp for integration with an e - mail environment as well as http / xml interfaces and snmp traps for notification of events . sms gateway 270 may further support local programming interfaces such as object linking and embedding ( ole ), dynamic data exchange ( dde ) and command line interface ( cli ). sms gateway 270 may be further coupled to an smsc ( not shown ). a push gateway may be functionally integrated with sms gateway 270 and may further operate proxy applications such as a wap gateway 195 for the translation of wap requests into http requests . an ip / sip gateway 280 may operate in conjunction with an sip stack located in device 220 to integrate the pstn , which uses the signaling system 7 protocol to offload pstn data onto a wireless or broadband network . billing and transaction service 290 may be configured and / or utilized for calculating the minutes a user is on a network and / or the amount of bandwidth the user has consumed and how this usage pertains to a service plan and / or billing cycle . other features that may be utilized by the user of device 220 and subject to a service fee may be calculated by billing and transaction service 290 such as sms , roaming and 411 . device 220 , in an embodiment of the present invention , is a mobile device such as a cellular telephone configured to allow access to the data aggregation server 210 as well as various types of data at enterprise server 230 and / or pc 240 . device 220 may operate through intermediate operations and services 250 in order to access the data management server 210 . client device 220 may comprise various authentication controls and operational modules that interact with certain modules in the data aggregation server 210 , the intermediate operations and service 250 as well as an enterprise server 230 and / or pc 240 . fig3 is an exemplary device 300 allowing for interaction with and manipulation of dynamically aggregated personal and professional contact information and other types of information and data . device 300 may be any variety of exemplary portable devices as may be implemented in mobile network 105 such as a mobile phone , smartphone , pda , tablet pc , wi - fi equipped laptop and so forth . device 300 may correspond to device 220 relative the data aggregation server 210 as illustrated in fig2 . device 300 comprises various modules ( e . g ., synchronization module 305 , logic module 310 , etc .). the present device 300 is exemplary ; additional or differing embodiments of the present invention may lack certain modules ( e . g ., location module 345 ) and / or may comprise additional modules such as an enhanced user interface framework as described in commonly owned and co - pending u . s . patent application ser . nos . 11 / 123 , 540 ; 11 / 227 , 013 ; 11 / 227 , 272 ; and ser . no . 11 / 227 , 323 , which are incorporated herein by reference . synchronization module 305 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for updating or backing up data on one device with a second device . the most common instance of synchronization occurs between a mobile device ( e . g ., a pda or a smartphone ) and a desktop computer running a desktop connector or coupled to a server hosting synchronization software . while synchronization may be the result of a physical coupling of the mobile device to the desktop computer ( e . g ., through a desktop cradle and cable ), the pervasiveness of wireless technology ( e . g ., cdma2000 , 1 × rtt , foma , gsm / gprs , umts , i - mode , mopera , edge , wcdma , bluetooth and wi - fi ) and related devices as well as improvements in encryption technology ( e . g ., aes 128 -, 192 - and 256 - bit keys ) now allow for synchronization to occur wirelessly while a user of the mobile device is away from their office . physical presence of the synchronizing device with the synchronized device is no longer required . various improvements in ‘ push ’ and ‘ pull ’ technology further allow for more than mere ‘ backing up ’ of data through a synchronization operation but also to receive and retrieve data in real - time . for example , seven server edition provides end - users with real - time access to corporate and personal data such as microsoft exchange , lotus domino , imap4 and pop3 email ; calendar ; corporate directories ; personal contacts ; and documents . logic module 310 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for data manipulation and control functions . in the case of hardware , logic module 310 is comprised of circuits that perform an operation . in the case of software , logic module 310 is the sequence of instructions in a program ; logic module 310 may be comprised of hardware and software , only software or only hardware . further , the hardware of logic module 310 may implement the software of logic module 310 . certain software in the logic module 310 may be implemented by other modules or hardware components of device 300 . encryption module 315 and decryption module 325 are responsible for the encryption and decryption , respectively , of data exchanged between , for example , device 300 and communication management system 110 and / or data aggregation server 210 . encryption module 315 and decryption module 325 may , in some embodiments of the present invention , operate in conjunction with other modules such as authentication module 355 to allow for encryption of authentication information related to network and service access . in other embodiments , encryption and decryption modules 315 / 325 may be a single module . in still other embodiments of the present invention , the encryption and decryption modules 315 / 325 may be utilized for the purposes of exchanging data and information directly between mobile devices , for example , between bluetooth enabled mobile devices utilizing the jsr - 82 api , which is incorporated herein by reference . an example of an encryption algorithm that may be utilized by encryption and decryption module 315 and 325 , respectively , is the 128 - bit advanced encryption standard ( aes ), which is based on federal information processing standard ( fips ) 197 . the disclosure of the pips 197 is incorporated herein by reference . another encryption methodology within the scope of the present invention , specifically encryption / decryption modules 315 / 315 , is the diffie - hellman ( dh ) secret - key negotiation ( sometimes referred to as the diffie - hellman - merkle key exchange ). the algorithm for dh secret - key negotiation is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 200 , 770 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . dh secret - key negotiation is a cryptographic protocol that allows two parties to agree on a secret key for use over an insecure communications channel ; the key can then be used to encrypt subsequent communications using a symmetric key cipher . in an embodiment of the present invention , various data types are exchanged between the device 300 and , for example , communication management system 110 , which may include dynamically aggregated pim and other types of data as aggregated by , for example , dynamic aggregation server 210 . such data , when being transmitted from device 300 , may be encrypted by encryption module 315 using 128 - bit aes or dh secret - key negotiation . similar methodologies and algorithms may be used to decrypt received information by device 300 and decryption module 325 . in some embodiments of the present invention , encryption / decryption modules 315 / 325 may further prevent the storage or write - to - disk ( e . g ., proxy caching ) of transmitted / received data to further improve security whereby no one but authorized users can read or access data . additional embodiments of the prevent invention may provide for the encryption module 315 to obliterate data stored on the device 300 or lock - down ′ the device 300 should a user of device 300 report device 300 stolen or initiate an obliteration or lock - down command from communication system 110 , server 125 , or pc 130 . establishing end - to - end encryption may comprise the submission of security credentials upon initial registration of a device 300 with communication management system 110 . these credentials may be used to later authenticate the user and provide access to appropriate data and resources at the communication management system 110 . in an embodiment of the invention , these security credentials are not stored outside of the system 110 architecture in order to further improve security . in one embodiment of the present invention , and as referenced in the context of fig1 , during the registration process , a unique , encrypted authentication token is exchanged between the device 300 and communication system 110 whereby the user of the device 300 will be able to access resources at the communication system 110 without being required to submit credentials upon each subsequent login . security credentials may be enabled by the user of the device 300 and / or communication system 110 or by an it administrator who may set various security policies for the device 300 , communication system 110 and / or related network . for example , an administrator may implement a username / password policy whereby users are required to login using a name and password . administrators may also enable or disable a browser mode wherein users may be able to access data not only through a mobile device 300 but also through a secure internet web browser utilizing , for example , 128 - bit ssl encryption . certain policies ( e . g ., user name and password ) may also be made time sensitive whereby a login expires every ‘ x ’ days . administrators may also control the obliteration of data in devices 300 in the instance that a device 300 with access to behind - the - firewall data is lost or stolen . in another embodiment of the present invention , encrypted data transmitted to and / or received from mobile device 300 may utilize digital signature algorithms such as sha - 1 , a secure hash algorithm , as disclosed in fips 180 - 2 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . the use of a digital signature algorithm provides additional protection against the modification of data as it passes through a network , even though the data is independently encrypted ( e . g ., using aes ). in yet another embodiment of the present invention , encrypted data transmitted to and / or received from mobile device 300 may further utilize a multichannel encryption protocol whereby a single block of data comprises multiple separately encrypted sections , each destined for a different endpoint . for example , a block of data may comprise a header section , which is accessed for routing purposes and a body section , which comprises several e - mail messages destined for the device 300 . each section of data may be encrypted with a separate key whereby the routing information may be decrypted without requiring access to the e - mail message data . in still another embodiment of the present invention , a virtual private network ( vpn ) may be utilized adding yet another layer of security on top of a ssl . these various embodiments may be implemented individually , collectively , or in a piece - meal fashion depending upon the particular security concerns of the data accessed and generated by device 300 . application cache 320 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for storing application data in memory as opposed to constantly looking up , loading , reading and executing the application data from another location . application cache 320 helps improve the processing speed of device 300 . application cache 320 may be configured so that every time data is instantiated or called , the data is time - stamped . a clean - up process will occasionally remove all instances of data that are beyond a certain age as reflected by the time - stamp . by time - stamping and removing stale data , there is increased certainty that the cache 320 and the data that would otherwise be called from its native environment are synchronized . data stored in application cache 320 may , if necessary , be manually removed . such manual deletion may be required in instances where data is in error or has otherwise been corrupted and is preventing proper synchronization . sms module 330 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for initiating a push or pull synchronization operation in response to the receipt of an sms message , which may include interaction with the synchronization module 305 . for example , an sms message is sent from a mobile device or an sms - gateway website and received at a network operator &# 39 ; s short message service center ( smsc ). the sms message is then stored and forwarded from the smsc to the recipient mobile device . if the recipient device is off or out of range , the sms message is stored at the smsc and delivered at the next possible opportunity or until it expires as determined by network and / or smsc settings . in addition to sending messages , sms can be used to transport data to a handset ; for example , ring tones and operator logos . in conjunction with the wireless application protocol that allows for internet access from a mobile device and the general packet radio service , configuration data for a particular device can be delivered via an sms message ( e . g ., allowing for remote configuration of a wap browser by a service provider or mobile operator ). sms messages may also be used to indicate the receipt of new voice mail or e - mail messages on a mobile device . sms functionality is also of particular benefit in the context of data synchronization , especially real - time access to e - mail or other data . many prior art synchronization systems merely provide for a regularly scheduled synchronization ( e . g ., every 15 minutes ) in order to limit the consumption of bandwidth and / or to preserve battery life on the client device . such a synchronization schedule deprives the mobile client user of real - time access to their data as exemplified by the arrival of a critical message or posting of information to a blog or other information depository , just seconds after the completion of a timed - synchronization operation . through the use of an sms message , the arrival or publication of new email or data that meets user specified qualifications ( e . g ., sender , importance , subject content , message content , etc .) may result in the generation of an sms message that is delivered to the device 300 . the sms module 330 , upon receipt and processing of the sms message and any instructive or identifying data contained therein , may initiate a synchronization operation in conjunction with the synchronization module 305 . for example , upon receipt of an sms message from a server or other computer associated with device 300 , the sms module 330 may instruct the synchronization module 305 to begin a synchronization operation with the server or associated computer . initiation of the synchronization operation may be governed , however , by certain limitations of the device 300 . for example , if the user of the device 300 is presently engaged in a telephone call , the synchronization operation will not take place . further , if the user is engaged in a high - bandwidth operation ( e . g ., receiving streaming media ) or is low on battery power , the device 300 may not effectuate the synchronization operation . such governance may be under the control of sms module 330 , synchronization module 305 and / or other components of the device 300 ( e . g ., logic module 310 ). identity module 340 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the routines , hardware , driver devices and various device identification tools that may be used to control access to various communications networks and utilization of certain services by the device 300 . for example , identity module 340 may be comprised of an advanced intelligent network sub - module ( not shown ) allowing for access to the advanced intelligent network ( ain ). the ain is a switched voice and data network architecture comprising a variety of network elements allowing for open , interfaced , multi - vendor , telecommunication capabilities . through these various capabilities , phone companies and service providers are able to define and customize , test and introduce service offerings such as multimedia messaging and cell routing . the ain , by further example , allows a wireless user to make and receive phone calls while ‘ roaming .’ optional location module 345 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the routines , hardware — including a gps receiver ( not shown )— and driver devices necessary for gps functionality in a gps - equipped device . signals emitted by gps satellites arrive at a gps receiver in the device 300 whereby the gps receiver can calculate its location in relation to gps satellite transmissions through a process known as trilateration . through trilateration , a gps receiver measures the distance from the gps satellite using travel time of the gps satellite signals and thereby pinpoints the physical location of the gps receiver . optional location module 345 may further comprise the assisted global positioning system ( a - gps ). a - gps uses a combination of gps satellites and cellular phone base stations to pinpoint location of the mobile device and its gps receiver and to offer a determination of location that is more accurate than gps alone . mobile device gps receivers , in correlation with an estimate of the mobile handset &# 39 ; s location as determined by a cell - sector , can predict with greater accuracy the gps signal the handset will receive and send that information to the mobile device handset . with this assistance , the size of the frequency search space is reduced and the time - to - first - fix of the signal is reduced from minutes to seconds . a - gps handset receivers can also detect and demodulate signals that are weaker in magnitude than those required by a traditional gps receiver . the interaction of a - gps in a synchronized network or with an assistance server ( not shown ) in an asynchronous network is generally known in the art . rich media module 350 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for enabling rich media in device 300 . rich media includes , but is not limited to , scalable vector graphics , streaming video , animation and multimedia messaging service ( mms ). mms enables the creation , delivery and receipt of text messages that also include an image , audio , and / or video clip . mms messages may be sent from one mobile device to another or to an e - mail address . mms generally uses the synchronized multimedia integration language ( smil ) to define the layout of multimedia content . smil is a markup language allowing for the separate access of audio , video and images followed by their subsequent integration and playback as a synchronized multimedia presentation . authentication module 355 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for authenticating device 300 with regard to the presence of device 300 on a particular network or access to particular services and / or access to data at remote location ( e . g ., a desktop computer or enterprise server , communication management system 110 and / or data aggregation server 210 ). authentication module 355 may work in conjunction with sip stack ( not shown ) and / or identity module 340 with regard to performing authentication routines and / or accessing network services including communication system 110 and / or data aggregation server 210 . authentication module 355 may , in some embodiments , further operate with one or more other modules present at device 300 such as synchronization module 305 , and encryption and decryption modules 315 and 325 . authentication module 355 may further operate with server - or network - side applications such as an ip or sip gateway or access module . authentication module 355 may rely on pre - call validation wherein the min and esn of the device 300 are verified before a call is processed ( i . e ., before a call is originated or received ). authentication module 355 may utilize a challenge / response process as governed by the cellular authentication and voice encryption ( cave ) algorithm . a mobile device seeking access to a particular network inputs several parameters into the cave algorithm and transmits the result to a mobile switching center ( msc ), which controls the switching elements of a cellular system ; the msc makes the same calculations and compares the results . if the results match then the device 300 is deemed authentic and to have legitimate access to the network ; if the results do not reconcile with one another ( e . g ., in the instance of a cloned phone ), device 300 is denied access . additional authentication methodologies may be utilized by authentication module 355 including radio frequency ( rf ) fingerprinting . just as no two human fingerprints are exactly identical , transmission characteristics vary slightly between individual cellular phones . technical details such as phase noise and harmonic spectra can uniquely identify a particular cell phone transmitter . by checking this transmitter signature against a known good signature , an rf fingerprinting system can determine whether a cell phone trying to place a call is authentic or an impostor . browser module 360 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for enabling web browsing in a mobile device , for example , html and xhtml browsers . browser module 360 may operate in conjunction with rich media module 350 to the extent a browser enabled by the browser module 360 is utilized to access a web page comprising rich media , for example , streaming media . browser module may implement certain functionalities disclosed in commonly owned and co - pending u . s . patent application ser . nos . 11 / 123 , 540 ; 11 / 227 , 013 ; 11 / 227 , 272 ; and ser . no . 11 / 227 , 323 . browser module 360 may utilize the wireless application protocol , an open international standard for applications that use wireless communication and that allows for small , consumer - class wireless devices to access the internet . as wireless devices do not typically need a complete web browser implementation to provide web access , a wap gateway ( 195 ) provided by a network service provider may act as a go - between with a hyper text transfer protocol server to reduce the amount of data that needs to be sent to the device 300 by offloading computational requirements from the phone to the gateway . for example , through this offloading methodology , only the fundamental elements of a web page will be transmitted to device 300 whereby the total number of bytes of data transmitted is reduced . the gateway may identify these fundamental elements by identifying wireless markup language ( wml ) or wireless extensible markup language ( wxml ) tags embedded in the web page accessed . once nonessential data has been stripped from the web page , the page is sent to the wireless device using a lightweight transport stack such as the uniform datagram protocol ( udp ). use of the wap architecture in browser module 360 may further comprise the utilization of sub - protocols such as the wap application environment ( wae ); the session - layer wireless session protocol ( wsp ); the transaction - layer wireless transaction protocol ( wtp ); the security - layer wireless transport layer security ( wtls ); and / or the wireless datagram protocol ( wdp ). optional e - mail client 365 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for enabling e - mail access in device 300 . for example , e - mail client 365 allows for access to e - mail messages received in an e - mail architecture such as microsoft exchange 5 . 5 2000 , 2003 ; lotus domino r5 , r6 , r6 . 5 ; impa4 ; and pop3 and imap - accessible internet e - mail . in conjunction with other modules , for example the sms module 330 and encryption and decryption modules 315 / 325 , e - mail client 365 may access e - mail as it arrives at a remote e - mail server or desktop computer that is integrated with or coupled to data management server 210 through , for example , a push and / or pull function . e - mail client 365 may also allow for traditional user - to - user electronic mail communications , for example , delivery of a message to an e - mail address associated with a particular mobile device rather than the address of a desktop computer where that message is subsequently forwarded to an associated mobile device . e - mail client 365 may be a client developed for a specific mobile device or operating environment . e - mail client 365 may also be a platform portable client like those disclosed in commonly owned and co - pending u . s . patent application ser . nos . 11 / 123 , 540 ; 11 / 227 , 013 ; 11 / 227 , 272 ; and ser . no . 11 / 227 , 323 . e - mail client 365 may comprise additional functionalities beyond simple receipt / review and generation / delivery of email . e - mail client 365 may further comprise address book functionality . such address book / contact functionality and the related contact data ( e . g ., individuals , their e - mail addresses , phone number and other data ) may be directly integrated with the e - mail client 365 or separate memory ( not shown ) in the device 300 . the address book functionality / contact data may also be embodied in a sub - or secondary module coupled to the e - mail client 365 ( not shown ), in some embodiments , such address book functionality and contact data may be stored remotely , for example , at the communication system 110 or at a server or desktop computer coupled to the device 300 via the communication system 110 and a data connection ( e . g ., a wireless connection between the communication system 110 and device 300 as well as a related connection between communication system 110 and a server 125 or pc 130 . the address book functionality and contact data may be utilized to create an interactive , networked experience in conjunction with , for example , dynamic aggregation module 370 as further discussed herein . utilizing contact data may contribute to a community - like experience including enhanced presence , peer - to - peer communication and information sharing / publication . dynamic aggregation module 370 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for enabling access to and interaction with certain other modules at the device 300 ( e . g ., e - mail client 365 ) and communication system 110 ( e . g ., a presence module , location module , calendar module , and groups module like those described in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 217 , 203 ) allowing for the dynamic aggregation of information from various users and / or data depositories and the utilization and display of that information for various functionalities . dynamic aggregation module 370 may be configured to organize , filter and present information from multiple inputs concerning context , relationship and communication means as described in u . s . provisional patent application no . 60 / 704 , 781 . dynamic aggregation module 370 may be a client software application that identifies the device 300 to a communication management system 110 and / or data aggregation server 210 . dynamic aggregation module 370 may further comprise certain software routines necessary to receive instructions or notifications from a communication management system 110 and / or data aggregation server 210 concerning the publication of information ( e . g ., to translate a received sms message into an instruction executable by the device ). for example , a publisher may provide information to be received by a group of recipients . communication management system 110 and / or data aggregation server 210 may only communicate ( or be able to communicate ) the existence of this information ( or the actual information ) with those devices comprising a dynamic aggregation module 370 such that the device 300 may receive the information or otherwise function to allow the user to access the published information . users of client device 300 and / or communication management system 110 can publish pim data or other forms of data and / or information to one or more users that are a member of an information community made possible by communicative coupling to communication system 110 . fig4 , for example , illustrates an exemplary methodology 400 for publishing information in an information community . in step 410 , a first user ( user a ) provides certain information to the data aggregation server 210 . this information may be pushed to the server 210 or pulled from a pc 115 / 240 or server 125 / 230 via a polling operation by the data aggregation server 210 . in step 420 , the data aggregation server 210 identifies a particular community . a community may be manually defined by a user and stored at the server 210 ( e . g ., group a comprises users b , c , and d ). the data aggregation server 210 may also intelligently identify a community based on , for example , pim data . for example , user a may be identified as an entry in user b &# 39 ; s pim data and / or vice versa . other possible communities may be identified based on factors such as common employment , family members and so forth . specific indicia for the delineation of a community may be set forth by a user for subsequent automated identification by the data aggregation server 210 ( e . g ., identify all users in a certain zip code ). once a community has been identified in step 420 , the data aggregation server 210 seeks to establish a publication link in step 430 . the link may occur automatically or may be subject to the data aggregation server 210 querying whether to make / accept the link in addition a number of other security limitations . for example , the data aggregation server 210 may seek to establish a link between user a and user b based on a community relationship based on a particular correlation or match in , for example , pim data . user b may be queried by the data aggregation server 210 with regard to whether user b wishes to accept the link and the information related thereto . similarly , user a may be queried as to whether to offer user b the link . for example , user b may have been identified as being a part of a community based on employment information derived from pim data in user a &# 39 ; s contact information . it might be the case that user b is no longer employed by the same company as user a and user a has not updated their contact information to reflect the termination . by offering user a the option of offering the link to user b , the inadvertent publication of proprietary information to user b may be avoided . the link may also be subject to the existence of certain security limitations . for example , if user b cannot establish a communicative link with , for example , data aggregation server 210 and / or communication management system via a secured communication channel ( e . g ., utilizing a ssl or vpn ), then the link may be automatically denied . alternatively , the user may be informed of the absence of certain security precautions via a server generated notification informing them of the requisite security requirements and a means to re - establish the link once those requirements have been met ( e . g ., a hyperlink or sms address ). the order of establishing the link may be concurrent ( e . g ., user a and user b are both informed of the attempt to establish the link at the same time by the server 210 ) or occur subject to approval by one of the two parties ( e . g ., user a must accept the data aggregation server &# 39 ; s 210 attempt to establish the link prior to the link being offered to user b ). the order of offering these links may also be subject to the confirmation of certain security precautions . for example , offering the link to user b when user b does not possess the requisite security credentials would be moot . in an alternative embodiment ( step 450 ), instead of the data aggregation server 210 identifying a correlation in the pim data , a user of the data aggregation and publication service offered by the data aggregation server 210 may specifically request certain publication information . for example , one user may be aware that a second user has recently updated certain information under their control ( e . g ., a blog ). that user may specifically request the delivery ( publication ) of the information from that user . in such a cases , the link is established — subject to the aforementioned optional security limitations and user approvals in step 430 and the data is published in step 440 . in yet another embodiment ( step 460 ), publication information is pushed to targeted recipients . for example , a user may wish for family members to have immediate access to recently published information ( e . g ., a blog entry ). in this embodiment , the provider of the publication data may directly target desired recipients of the data so that the recipients may immediately receive and review the published data from the server . the targeted link may be subject to the aforementioned acceptance and security protocols as discussed in the context of other embodiments ( step 430 ) and the data is then published in step 440 . publication information may be a variety of different types of information . for example , the information may be related to calendar data . a professor may , for example , wish to publish their calendar to reflect the availability to meet with students in the professor &# 39 ; s class . similarly , a doctor may wish to publish their availability to see patients . this calendar information may be published , in accordance with the various embodiments as set forth in fig4 . publication information , by further example , may also be a blog ( i . e ., a web - log ). a blog is , typically , a journal or newsletter that is frequently updated and intended for the general public consumption . blogs typically represent the personality of the author or a particular web site . once the owner of the blog has made a new entry to their blog ( e . g ., a new entry for a particular data and / or time ), the new blog entry may be published to users through the various methodologies disclosed in fig4 . publication information may also be a set of pictures . for example , a user may have recently traveled on vacation and taken a series of pictures of the locales visited . that user may wish to make those photos available to various members in their information community . those photos may be published in accordance with the various methodologies set forth in the context of fig4 . publication information is meant to be inclusive rather than exclusive . the aforementioned examples of calendar , blog and photo data / information are , therefore , exemplary and not meant to be interpreted as limitations as to the scope of the present invention . published information may be subject to read / write access . recipients of information published in the context of the present invention may be able to only read the published information or , alternatively , to edit or write to the information . for example , in the professor - student calendar example , students may be able to sign up for particular blocks on the professor &# 39 ; s schedule . to sign up for these blocks of time will require write access . similarly , in the blog example , recipients may respond to a particular blog entry and share their point of view or comment on the entry made by the user publishing the blog . posting a response , too , would require write access . in this regard , read / write access can be granted to all recipients , none of the recipients or a particular group of recipients . that group of recipients having read / write access may be classified as members . membership may be based on any set of requirements as set forth by the publishing user ( e . g ., family members , selected friends , associates at work , etc .). membership may also be subject to requests to join the membership group or invitations sent to prospective members . for example , a user who is aware of the content but not able to access the content may request the ability to view that content of the publishing user in a manner similar to that described in step 450 of fig4 . alternatively , a publishing user may send a voice sms or other communication to a recipient inviting them to join the group in a manner similar to that described in step 460 of fig4 invitations may also be sent as the result of the data aggregation server identifying a community as noted in step 420 as described in the context of fig4 . the published data — that is , the actual content — may be sent to recipients or , alternatively , a notification of the availability of published data may be sent to the recipients . for example , in the instance that the publication data happens to be digital photographs , the size of these files may consume a considerable amount of bandwidth . bandwidth consumption may be of issue when the user happens to be accessing data via a bandwidth constricted network ( e . g ., a wireless network ) or pays for consumed bandwidth ( e . g ., payment per mb of data transferred over the network ). the user , after having received the notification , may then access the published data on a more bandwidth - enabled network ( e . g ., a home computer with a dsl connection ). the notification , in this example , may be an sms message , an e - mail message , a voice - sms message , a voice mail or any other form of communication that is capable of being delivered to the various intended recipients over a communications network . the message may provide instructions for accessing the published data or , in the case of an e - mail or sms message , provide a link for directly gaining access to the content ( e . g ., a hyperlink ). in some embodiments of the present invention , the content or notification may be transmitted directly to targeted recipients following the establishment of a link by the data aggregation server 210 . that is , the server 210 identifies a community in a manner like that described in step 420 of fig4 and offers the establishment of a link in step 430 . instead of the server publishing the information like that described in step 440 of fig4 , the publishing user may then deliver the content directly to the recipient via the link established by the data aggregation server 210 . that is , the actual content bypasses the aggregation server 210 but is delivered to a user as identified by the server 210 . alternatively , the published data or notification may be provided by the publishing user directly to the server 210 . the server 210 may , via the links as established in , for example , step 430 , then deliver to the content to the users in step 440 as previously described . while the present invention has been described in connection with a series of preferred embodiments , these descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular forms set forth herein . to the contrary , the present descriptions are intended to cover such alternatives , modifications , and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and otherwise appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art .	7
in fig1 and 2 , the reference numeral 1 denotes a carburetor body , 2 denotes a venturi , 3 denotes a butterfly throttle valve , 4 denotes a main nozzle assembly including a tubular jet holder 5 air - tightly fitted within a through hole 1a extending vertically through a boss part 1a and a nozzle tube 6 inserted air - tightly through a hole 1b made in the upper part of the carburetor body 1 coaxially with the through hole 1a and screwed at the lower end to the upper end of the jet holder 5 within the through hole 1a , 7 denotes a main jet screwed to the lower end of the jet holder 5 , 8 denotes a hole made in the side wall of the boss part 1a to make the inlet of the main jet 7 communicate with a float chamber 1b , 9 denotes a bleed pipe , 10 denotes a main air jet screwed in from the upper opening end of the nozzle pipe 6 , 11 denotes an annular air chamber formed between the inner wall surface of the large diameter part of the hole 1b and the outer peripheral surface of the head part of the nozzle tube 6 and made to communicate with the main air jet 10 through a split groove 6b formed in the diametral direction in the top part of the nozzle tube 6 , 12 denotes a plug body removably fitted in the inlet of an air introducing path 13 , able to interrupt the communication of the air introducing path with the suction bore 1c and made of rubber or the like , 14 denotes a nipple fitted to the carburetor body , 15 denotes a suction silencer sectioned within with a plurality of silencing plates 16 into a first chamber 15a having an air inlet 15a and a second chamber 15b having an air outlet 15b of substantially the same diameter as of the suction bore 1c , 17 denotes a bellows tube connecting the air outlet 15b of the suction silencer 15 with the suction bore 1c and substantially serving as a member for supporting the suction silencer 15 on the carburetor body 1 , 18 denotes a nipple fitted to the side wall on the second chamber 15b side of the suction silencer 15 , 19 denotes a pipe fitted at the respective ends to the nipples 14 and 18 to make the air introducing path 13 communicate with the second chamber 15b of the suction silencer 15 , 20 denotes a cover plate fitted to the carburetor body 1 through a gasket 21 and pressing downward the top surface of the main assembly 4 to keep the air - tightness between the jet holder 5 and through hole 1a and between the nozzle tube 6 and hole 1b and to close the upper opening of the air chamber 11 , 22 denotes a cylindrical jet block air - tightly fitted within the hole 1c formed in the upper part of the carburetor body 1 adjacently to the air chamber 11 and having through holes 22a and 22b formed in the side wall and through holes 22c formed in the bottom wall and communicating with the suction bore 1c , 23 denotes an idling screw screwed to the carburetor body 1 and able to adjust the flow volume of the fuel flowing through a path 1d communicating with the through hole 22a , 24 ( see fig2 ) denotes a fuel path opened at one end within the float chamber 1b and connected at the other end to the through hole 22b of the jet block 22 , 25 denotes a pilot jet screwed from above into the carburetor body 1 in the course of the fuel path 24 , and 26 denotes a pilot air jet which is screwed from above into the carburetor body 1 and is on the inlet side covered with the cover plate 20 through the gasket 21 and opened within an air chamber 27 communicating with the above mentioned air chamber 11 and on the outlet side opened within the fuel path 24 . by the way , the upper opening of the jet block 22 is closed with the cover plate 20 through the gasket 21 in the same manner as of the air chamber 11 , the main nozzle assembly 4 forms a main fuel feeding system and the fuel path 24 , pilot jet 25 , pilot air jet 26 and jet block 22 form a low speed fuel system . the operation of the carburetor according to the present invention shall be explained in the following . it is as well known that , at the time of starting and idling the engine , an air - fuel mixture will be fed to the engine mostly through the path 1d and through holes 22c through the low speed fuel system and , in response to the opening of the throttle valve , a proper amount of the mixture obtained of the fuel sucked in through the main jet 7 and air sucked in through the main air jet 10 will be jetted out of the nozzle 6a of the nozzle tube 6 so as to be fed to the engine . however , in such case , air to be fed to the main air jet 10 and pilot air jet 26 , that is , to be introduced into the air chambers 11 and 27 will be taken in directly from the second chamber 15a of the suction silencer 15 , that is , from the part in which no snow will flow or accumulate even when used while snow is falling through the nipple 18 , pipe 19 , nipple 14 and air introducing path 13 . therefore , even a snow powder will not flow into the air chambers as in the conventional structure of this kind . thus the air jets 10 and 26 will not be clogged and the engine will be able to always continue a favorable operation . by the way , according to the present invention , as the plug body 12 for interrupting the communication of the air introducing path 13 with the suction bore 1c is removable , in such case that a well known air cleaner is to be fitted to be used in place of the suction silencer 15 in a place having no snow , by removing the plug body 12 and fitting a plug into the nipple 14 , the carburetor can be used in the same manner as of the conventional structure and the range of utilizing the carburetor can be made wider . as described above , according to the present invention , there can be provided carburetors which can always develop a sufficient performance even when used while snow is falling and which can be used favorably for snow running cars and snow mobiles .	5
hereinbelow , an embodiment of a system and a method for producing gasoline from natural gas via methanol according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . as shown in fig1 , the system according to the present embodiment mainly includes a steam reformer 10 , which is configured to generate reformed gas by steam - reforming natural gas , a methanol synthesis column 20 , which is configured to synthesize methanol from the reformed gas generated by the steam reformer , a gasoline synthesis column 30 , which is configured to synthesize gasoline from the methanol synthesized by the methanol synthesis column , and a pre - reformer 40 , which is configured to pre - reform natural gas before the natural gas is steam - reformed . the steam reformer 10 primarily includes a reaction tube 11 for steam reforming , a burning portion 12 disposed around the reaction tube 11 , a waste heat recovery portion 15 , which is configured to recover waste heat of the flue gas generated in the burning portion 12 , and a stack 16 , which is configured to release the flue gas to the atmosphere after waste heat has been recovered therefrom . the reaction tube 11 , which includes a steam reforming catalyst charged inside the tube , is a device for generating hydrogen , carbon monoxide , and carbon dioxide from natural gas containing methane as its main ingredient by carrying out the following reactions . for the steam reforming catalyst , known catalysts such as a nickel - based catalyst can be used , for example . a material supply line 13 for supplying a material 1 , which includes natural gas and steam , is connected to an inlet of the reaction tube 11 . the burning portion 12 includes a combustion burner ( not shown ) for heating the reaction tube 11 , and a fuel supply line 14 for supplying a fuel 2 such as natural gas is connected to the combustion burner . a reformed gas supply line 18 is connected to an outlet of the reaction tube 11 , which is a line for supplying reformed gas containing hydrogen , carbon monoxide , and carbon dioxide generated by the steam reforming reaction as its main ingredients to a methanol synthesis column 20 . a pre - reformer 40 is a device configured to pre - reform c2 or higher hydrocarbons contained in the natural gas such as ethane , primarily , into c1 hydrocarbons such as methane , carbon monoxide , or hydrogen . the pre - reformer 40 includes a pre - reforming catalyst charged inside the tube . for the pre - reforming catalyst , known catalysts such as a nickel - based catalyst can be used . the pre - reformer 40 is disposed on the upstream side of the steam reformer 10 in the direction of supply of the material , more specifically , in the material supply line 13 . in the material supply line 13 , a first flue gas - material heat exchanger 41 , which is configured to preheat the material 1 with flue gas from the waste heat recovery portion 15 , is provided on the further upstream side of the pre - reformer 40 in the direction of supply of the material , and a second flue gas - material heat exchanger 42 , which is configured to preheat the material that has been pre - reformed by the pre - reformer 40 with the flue gas from the waste heat recovery portion 15 , is provided on the downstream side of the pre - reformer 40 in the direction of supply of the material . in other words , the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 includes the second flue gas - material heat exchanger 42 and the first flue gas - material heat exchanger 41 described above , and also a flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 , disposed in order of the flow of the flue gas from the burning portion 12 to the stack 16 . the flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 is a device for obtaining steam or heat to be used within the system , and is configured to recover heat from the flue gas and obtain high - pressure steam by heating boiler water and the like with the flue gas flowing inside the waste heat recovery portion 15 . similarly , the reformed gas supply line 18 is provided with a reformed gas - steam heat exchanger 19 , which is provided in order to obtain steam or heat to be used within the system . the reformed gas - steam heat exchanger 19 is a device configured to obtain high - pressure steam and recover heat from the reformed gas by heating boiler water and the like by using the reformed gas . the methanol synthesis column 20 is a device configured to synthesize methanol from reformed gas by running the following reactions . the methanol synthesis column 20 includes a methanol synthesis catalyst charged inside the tube . for the methanol synthesis catalyst , known catalysts such as a copper - based catalyst can be used . a methanol supply line 22 is connected to methanol synthesis column 20 , which is a line for supplying methanol synthesized by the methanol synthesis column 20 to the gasoline synthesis column 30 . note that in addition to the synthesized methanol , liquid crude methanol containing water , which is a byproduct of the reaction of formula 4 , flows in the methanol supply line 22 . the gasoline synthesis column 30 is a device which is configured to synthesize gasoline from methanol by running the reactions of the following formulae . as described above , methanol is synthesized by the gasoline synthesis reaction expressed in formula 3 into gasoline via the dimethyl ether ( i . e ., dme ) synthesis reaction expressed by formula 5 . in the gasoline synthesis column 30 , two types of catalysts including the dme synthesis catalyst and the gasoline synthesis catalyst are provided in two stages so that two reactions can be run in stages . for the dme synthesis catalyst , known catalysts such as an aluminosilicate type zeolite - based catalyst can be used , for example . in addition , for the gasoline synthesis catalyst , known catalysts such as an aluminosilicate type zeolite - based catalyst can be used . a gasoline supply line 32 is connected with the gasoline synthesis column 30 , which is a line for supplying gasoline synthesized by the gasoline synthesis column 30 to storage facilities ( not shown ). note that although the example illustrated in fig1 includes the gasoline synthesis column 30 , a dme synthesis column , which is configured to produce dme by running the reactions up to the dme synthesis reaction of formula 5 , can be provided instead of the gasoline synthesis column 30 . according to the above - described configuration , the fuel 2 such as natural gas is first supplied to the burning portion 12 of the steam reformer 10 via the fuel supply line 14 . in the burning portion 12 , the fuel 2 is burned together with air , and the reaction tube 11 is heated to a temperature ranging from about 800 ° c . to about 900 ° c . the flue gas containing carbon dioxide generated in the burning portion 12 flows into the waste heat recovery portion 15 . on the other hand , the material 1 containing natural gas and steam is heated by the first flue gas - material heat exchanger 41 of the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 to a temperature ranging from about 450 ° c . to about 550 ° c ., and then the heated material 1 is supplied to the pre - reformer 40 . in the pre - reformer 40 , c2 or higher hydrocarbons contained in the material 1 , such as ethane , is pre - reformed into methane and the like . the pre - reformed gas is heated by the second flue gas - material heat exchanger 42 again to a temperature ranging from about 600 ° c . to about 700 ° c ., and then it is supplied to the reaction tube 11 of the steam reformer 10 via the material supply line 13 . after the material 1 is heated serially by the second flue gas - material heat exchanger 42 and the first flue gas - material heat exchanger 41 of the waste heat recovery portion 15 as described above and heat is recovered by the flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 by heating boiler water or the like , the flue gas containing carbon dioxide generated in the burning portion 12 , which has the temperature of about 1 , 000 ° c ., is released from the stack 16 to the atmosphere . in the reaction tube 11 of the steam reformer 10 , the material 1 is steam - reformed by the reactions of formulae 1 and 2 and converted into reformed gas containing hydrogen , carbon monoxide , and carbon dioxide as its main ingredients . before the reformed gas is supplied to the methanol synthesis column 20 via the reformed gas supply line 18 , heat is recovered by the reformed gas - steam heat exchanger 19 by heating boiler water or the like . in the methanol synthesis column 20 , methanol is synthesized from the reformed gas by the reactions of formulae 3 and 4 . the methanol synthesis reactions are exothermic reactions . the temperature of the reformed gas is controlled by the reformed gas - steam heat exchanger 19 to the range of about 160 ° c . to about 200 ° c ., which is suitable for synthesis of methanol . methanol synthesized by the methanol synthesis column 20 is supplied to the gasoline synthesis column 30 via the methanol supply line 22 as crude methanol containing water . in the gasoline synthesis column 30 , gasoline is synthesized from methanol by the reactions of formulae 5 and 6 . the gasoline synthesis reactions are an exothermic reaction . in addition , because water is generated as a byproduct in the reaction of formula 6 , the crude methanol may contain water , and it is therefore not necessary to provide the methanol supply line 22 for supplying methanol to the gasoline synthesis column 30 with a purification device for removing water by distilling crude methanol , which is necessary in a conventional methanol synthesis plant . in the present embodiment , as described above , and differently from conventional methanol synthesis plants , the gasoline synthesis column 30 is provided in which exothermic reactions are run and thermal energy is generated , and in addition , it becomes unnecessary to provide a methanol distillation column which consumes energy , and thereby the amount of supply of the fuel 2 to the burning portion 12 of the steam reformer 10 can be reduced , although excessive energy is generated , by providing the pre - reformer 40 to heat the material at locations across the pre - reformer 40 by using the first and the second flue gas - material heat exchangers 41 and 42 of the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 . in addition , in the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 , the recovered heat decreases because the first and the second flue gas - material heat exchangers 41 and 42 are provided ; however , the system can be designed so that the energy of the entire system can be self - balanced by using the exothermic energy generated in the gasoline synthesis column 30 to compensate for the decreased heat . next , an embodiment illustrated in fig2 will be described . a system of the present embodiment primarily includes the steam reformer 10 , the methanol synthesis column 20 , the gasoline synthesis column 30 , and a co 2 recovery device 50 , which is configured to remove co 2 from flue gas of the steam reformer . note that the same configurations as those of the system illustrated in fig1 are provided with the same reference symbols , and detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated here . the co 2 recovery device 50 is a device configured to absorb and remove carbon dioxide from flue gas by bringing co 2 absorbing liquid into gas - liquid contact with the flue gas that flows in the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 . the co 2 recovery device 50 is disposed on the flue gas downstream side of the flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 . note that an absorbing liquid regeneration device ( not shown ) is added to the co 2 recovery device 50 . the absorbing liquid regeneration device is a device configured to obtain carbon dioxide gas as well as regenerate the co 2 absorbing liquid by separating carbon dioxide from the co 2 absorbing liquid which has absorbed carbon dioxide . the co 2 recovery device 50 is provided with a co 2 supply line 51 for supplying the recovered carbon dioxide gas to the methanol synthesis column 20 to reuse it as a material of the reaction expressed by formula 4 mentioned above , which is run in the methanol synthesis column 20 . with the above - described configuration , first , the fuel 2 such as natural gas is supplied to the burning portion 12 of the steam reformer 10 via the fuel supply line 14 . in the burning portion 12 , the fuel 2 is burned together with air , and the reaction tube 11 is heated to a temperature ranging from about 800 ° c . to about 900 ° c . after boiler water or the like is heated by the flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 of the waste heat recovery portion 15 to recover heat and co 2 is removed by the co 2 recovery device 50 , the flue gas containing carbon dioxide generated in the burning portion 12 , which has the temperature of about 1 , 000 ° c ., is released from the stack 16 to the atmosphere . on the other hand , the material 1 containing natural gas and steam is supplied to the reaction tube 11 of the steam reformer 10 via the material supply line 13 . in the reaction tube 11 of the steam reformer 10 , the material 1 is converted by a steam reforming reaction into reformed gas . after heat is recovered by heating boiled water or the like by the reformed gas - steam heat exchanger 19 , the reformed gas is supplied to the methanol synthesis column 20 via the reformed gas feed line 18 . in addition , carbon dioxide recovered by the co 2 recovery device 50 is also supplied to the methanol synthesis column 20 via the co 2 supply line 51 . in the methanol synthesis column 20 , methanol is synthesized from the reformed gas and the carbon dioxide gas by running the reactions of formulae 3 and 4 . by adding the carbon dioxide gas , excessive hydrogen contained in the reformed gas can be converted into methanol , and as a result , the production of methanol can be increased . in addition , because the methanol synthesis reactions are an exothermic reaction , the exothermic energy generated in the methanol synthesis column 20 increases as the production of methanol increases . methanol synthesized by the methanol synthesis column 20 is supplied to the gasoline synthesis column 30 via the methanol supply line 22 as crude methanol containing water . in the gasoline synthesis column 30 , gasoline is synthesized from methanol by the reactions of formulae 5 and 6 . because the supply of methanol increases , the production of gasoline also increases , and the exothermic energy generated in the gasoline synthesis column 30 also increases in accordance with the increase in the production because the gasoline synthesis reactions are an exothermic reaction . in the present embodiment , as described above and differently from conventional methanol synthesis plants , the gasoline synthesis column 30 is provided in which exothermic reactions are run and thermal energy is generated , and in addition , it becomes unnecessary to provide a methanol distillation column which consumes energy , and thereby the system can be designed , although excessive energy is generated , so that the energy of the entire system can be self - balanced by providing the co 2 recovery device 50 and the absorbing liquid regeneration device ( not shown ) that consume energy . in addition , the production of gasoline in the gasoline synthesis column 30 can be increased by supplying carbon dioxide recovered by the co 2 recovery device 50 to the methanol synthesis column 20 together with the reformed gas . an embodiment illustrated in fig3 will be described . a system of the present embodiment primarily includes the steam reformer 10 , the methanol synthesis column 20 , the gasoline synthesis column 30 , and an the air preheater 60 , which is configured to preheat combustion air to be supplied to the burning portion of the steam reformer . note that the same configurations as those of the system illustrated in fig1 and 2 are provided with the same reference symbols , and detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated here . the air preheater 60 includes a fan 63 for feeding combustion air , a flue gas - combustion air heat exchanger 62 , which is configured to preheat combustion air with the flue gas that flows in the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 , a combustion air introduction line 61 for introducing the preheated combustion air into the gasoline synthesis column 30 with the synthesis heat generated in the gasoline synthesis column 30 in order to further heat the preheated combustion air , and a combustion air supply line 64 for supplying the combustion air heated with the synthesis heat to the burning portion 12 of the steam reformer 10 . the flue gas - combustion air heat exchanger 62 is disposed on the flue gas downstream side of the flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 . means for heating combustion air with the heat of reaction generated in the gasoline synthesis column 30 is not limited to specific means , but for example , the combustion air can be heated with steam obtained by heating boiler water with the heat of reaction generated in the gasoline synthesis column 30 . alternatively , heat can be exchanged between the dme synthesis catalyst in the gasoline synthesis column 30 or the reaction tube ( not shown ) charged with the gasoline synthesis catalyst and the combustion air . according to the above - described configuration , the fuel 2 such as natural gas is first supplied to the burning portion 12 of the steam reformer 10 via the fuel supply line 14 . in the burning portion 12 , the fuel 2 is burned together with air , and the reaction tube 11 is heated to a temperature ranging from about 800 ° c . to about 900 ° c . after boiler water or the like is heated by the flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 of the waste heat recovery portion 15 to recover heat and co 2 is removed by the co 2 recovery device 50 , the flue gas containing carbon dioxide generated in the burning portion 12 , which has the temperature of about 1 , 000 ° c ., is cooled to a temperature ranging from about 300 ° c . to about 400 ° c . then , after the combustion air from the fan 63 is heated by the flue gas - combustion air heat exchanger 62 , the flue gas is released from the stack 16 . on the other hand , the material 1 containing natural gas and steam is supplied to the reaction tube 11 of the steam reformer 10 via the material supply line 13 . in the reaction tube 11 of the steam reformer 10 , the material 1 is converted into reformed gas by a steam reforming reaction . after heat is recovered by heating boiled water or the like by using the reformed gas - steam heat exchanger 19 , the reformed gas is supplied to the methanol synthesis column 20 via the reformed gas feed line 18 . in the methanol synthesis column 20 , methanol is synthesized from the reformed gas and carbon dioxide gas . methanol synthesized by the methanol synthesis column 20 is supplied to the gasoline synthesis column 30 via the methanol supply line 22 as crude methanol containing water . in the gasoline synthesis column 30 , gasoline is synthesized from methanol by the reactions of formulae 5 and 6 . the synthesis reaction from methanol to dme run in the gasoline synthesis column 30 is an exothermic reaction , and its heat of reaction is 185 kcal equivalent to 1 kg of methanol . in addition , the gasoline synthesis reaction is also an exothermic reaction , and its heat of reaction is 231 kcal equivalent to 1 kg of methanol . therefore , in synthesizing gasoline from methanol , the heat of reaction is 416 kcal equivalent to 1 kg of methanol . the combustion air introduced from the combustion air inlet line 61 is heated by using this heat of reaction . with respect to the condition of the dme synthesis reaction performed by the gasoline synthesis column 30 , it is preferable that the temperature range from 250 ° c . to 300 ° c . in addition , for the condition of the gasoline synthesis reaction , it is preferable that the temperature range from 380 ° c . to 450 ° c . therefore , the combustion air can be heated up to the range of about 300 ° c . to about 380 ° c . the combustion air heated by the gasoline synthesis column 30 is supplied to the burning portion 13 of the steam reformer 10 via the combustion air supply line 64 together with the fuel 2 . because the combustion air is heated as described above , the supply of the fuel 2 to the burning portion 13 can be reduced . in the present embodiment , as described above and differently from conventional methanol synthesis plants , the gasoline synthesis column 30 is provided in which exothermic reactions are run and thermal energy is generated , and in addition , it becomes unnecessary to provide a methanol distillation column which consumes energy , and thereby the system can be designed , although excessive energy is generated , so that the energy of the entire system can be self - balanced because the supply of the fuel 2 to the steam reformer 10 can be reduced by preheating the combustion air in the steam reformer 10 and preheating the combustion air by using the exothermic energy generated in the gasoline synthesis column 30 . an embodiment illustrated in fig4 will be described . a system of the present embodiment is a combination of all the embodiments illustrated in fig1 to 3 . more specifically , the system primarily includes the steam reformer 10 , the methanol synthesis column 20 , the gasoline synthesis column 30 , the pre - reformer 40 , the co 2 recovery device 50 , and the air preheater 60 , which is configured to preheat air to be supplied to the burning portion of the steam reformer . note that the same configurations as those of the system illustrated in fig1 to 3 are provided with the same reference symbols , and detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated here . the components of the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 are disposed in the following order from the flue gas upstream side , i . e ., the second flue gas - material heat exchanger 42 , the first flue gas - material heat exchanger 41 , the flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 , the flue gas - combustion air heat exchanger 62 , and the co 2 recovery device 50 . according to the above - described configuration , the fuel 2 such as natural gas is first supplied to the burning portion 12 of the steam reformer 10 via the fuel supply line 14 . in the burning portion 12 , the fuel 2 is burned together with air , and the reaction tube 11 is heated to a temperature ranging from about 800 ° c . to about 900 ° c . after the material is heated by the second flue gas - material heat exchanger 42 and cooled to a temperature ranging from about 450 ° c . to about 550 ° c . and the material is heated by the first flue gas - material heat exchanger 41 , the flue gas containing carbon dioxide generated in the burning portion 12 , which has the temperature of about 1 , 000 ° c ., is cooled to a temperature ranging from about 600 ° c . to about 700 ° c . next , boiler water or the like is heated by the flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 of the waste heat recovery portion 15 , cooled to a temperature ranging from about 300 ° c . to about 400 ° c ., and then heat is recovered by heating the combustion air by using the flue gas - combustion air heat exchanger 62 . then , after co 2 is removed by the co 2 recovery device 50 , the flue gas is released from the stack 16 to the atmosphere . on the other hand , the material 1 containing natural gas and steam is supplied to the reaction tube 11 of the steam reformer 10 via the material supply line 13 . in the reaction tube 11 of the steam reformer 10 , the material 1 is converted by a steam reforming reaction into reformed gas . after heat is recovered by heating boiled water or the like by using the reformed gas - steam heat exchanger 19 , the reformed gas is supplied to the methanol synthesis column 20 via the reformed gas feed line 18 . in addition , carbon dioxide recovered by the co 2 recovery device 50 is also supplied to the methanol synthesis column 20 via the co 2 supply line 51 . in the methanol synthesis column 20 , methanol is synthesized from the reformed gas and carbon dioxide gas by running the reactions of formulae 3 and 4 . by adding the carbon dioxide gas , the production of the methanol and exothermic energy can be increased in the methanol synthesis column 20 . methanol synthesized by the methanol synthesis column 20 is supplied to the gasoline synthesis column 30 via the methanol supply line 22 as crude methanol containing water . in the gasoline synthesis column 30 , gasoline is synthesized from methanol by running the reactions of formulae 5 and 6 . because the supply of methanol increases , the production of gasoline and the exothermic energy can be increased in the gasoline synthesis column 30 . in the gasoline synthesis column 30 , the combustion air introduced from combustion air inlet line 61 is heated by the heat of reaction . in the present embodiment , as described above and differently from conventional methanol synthesis plants , the gasoline synthesis column 30 is provided in which exothermic reactions are run and thermal energy is generated , and in addition , it becomes unnecessary to provide a methanol distillation column which consumes energy , and thereby the amount of supply of the fuel 2 to the steam reformer 10 can be reduced , although excessive energy is generated , by providing the pre - reformer 40 , the co 2 recovery device 50 and the absorbing liquid regeneration device ( not shown ), and the air preheater 60 which preheats combustion air by using the heat of reaction of the gasoline synthesis column 30 and by heating the material at locations across the pre - reformer 40 by using the first and the second flue gas - material heat exchangers 41 and 42 of the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 , and the supply of the fuel 2 to the steam reformer 10 can also be reduced by preheating the combustion air . in addition , in the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 , the recovered heat decreases because the first and the second flue gas - material heat exchangers 41 and 42 are provided , however , the system can be designed so that the energy of the entire system can be self - balanced because the exothermic energy generated in the gasoline synthesis column 30 can be used to compensate for the decreased heat . the production of gasoline in the gasoline synthesis column 30 can be increased by supplying carbon dioxide recovered by the co 2 recovery device 50 to the methanol synthesis column 20 together with the reformed gas . further , the supply of the fuel 2 can be reduced by converting the entire carbon dioxide gas or a part thereof recovered by the co 2 recovery device 50 into carbon monoxide gas and by supplying it to the burning portion 12 of the steam reformer 10 together with the fuel 2 , which also enables self - balancing of the system . simulation of energy balance was carried out for the respective embodiments illustrated in fig1 to 3 , respective embodiments including a combination of two of the embodiments illustrated in fig1 to 3 , and the embodiment illustrated in fig4 , which includes all the embodiments illustrated in fig1 to 3 . the results are shown in table 1 . note that the simulation was carried out for the case in which the daily production of methanol was 2 , 500 tons . for the conditions of both the material and the fuel , natural gas was used . in addition , for comparison , results of a conventional example in which methanol is synthesized from natural gas and those of a reference example in which gasoline or dme is synthesized from natural gas via methanol are also shown in table 1 . as shown in table 1 , in the conventional example for synthesizing methanol , the residual energy was 0 kcal / h for the entire system , and the self - balance was achieved . on the other hand , in the reference examples 1 and 2 for synthesizing dme or gasoline via methanol , the synthesis heat generated in the synthesis of dme or gasoline ( mtg ) increased and methanol distillation heat became unnecessary , and accordingly , excessive energy was generated . in example 1 in which the pre - reformer configured to carry out pre - reforming was provided , the supply of fuel and the flue gas heat recovery amount in the steam reformer decreased , and accordingly , better self - balance was achieved compared with reference examples 1 and 2 . in addition , in example 2 in which the co 2 recovery device was provided , co 2 recovery heat became necessary and the production of gasoline increased , and accordingly , better self - balance was achieved compared with reference examples 1 and 2 . in example 3 in which combustion air was used to recover gasoline synthesis heat ( mtg heat ), the supply of fuel in the steam reformer and the amount of recovered flue gas decreased , and accordingly , better self - balance was achieved compared with reference examples 1 and 2 . similarly in examples 4 to 7 , which are a combination of the above - described examples , more remarkably better self - balance was achieved compared with reference examples 1 and 2 .	8
the urinary concentrations of the analytes measured in the method of the present invention may be obtained by the use of any suitable quantitative or semi - quantitative analytical technique . such techniques for thromboxane b 2 compounds , and for apo ( a ) and its isoforms include , but are not limited to , enzyme - linked immunoassays ( elisa ), radio - immunoassays ( ria ), immunoturbidimetric assays , amperometric assays , dipstick - type assays and measurements using semiconductor - based devices . these techniques are all extensively described in the art , and well known to the skilled artisan in this field . in the case of dipstick - type assays , antibodies and reagents suitable for the quantitative or semi - quantitative detection of both apo ( a ) and thromboxane b 2 would be incorporated onto the same dipstick , and appropriate color charts would be provided for the interpretation of data thus obtained . similarly , biosensor devices could be used as the measurement apparatus for determining the concentrations of the two analytes involved in the method of the present invention . examples of suitable biosensors include fluorescence - based devices , spectrophotometric devices and semi - conductor based devices . in the latter case , separate channels of the device would be used for the separate determination of the concentrations of apo ( a ) and thromboxane b 2 , each determination being performed by virtue of the presence of specific antibodies located at spatially - separated locations on the device . thus , two separate electric currents are produced and analyzed separately , according to one or more interpretive rules ( as described in more detail in the following illustrative example ). additionally and optionally , a third channel might be used for determining the electrical conductivity of the urine sample , as a means of standardizing the thromboxane concentrations ( because of their dependence on urinary volume ). the measurement of a conductivity - normalized urinary analyte is described in co - pending israel patent application no . 137308 . the combined use of conductivity and thromboxane concentration measurements are also described in the following examples . in addition to the techniques described hereinabove , the urinary concentrations of the thromboxane and / or apo ( a ) analytes may also be measured using an antibody library phage display technique . many different variations on the basic technology [ described in : burton , d . r . & amp ; barbas , c . f . iii ( 1993 ) immunomethods 3 : 155 - 163 ] are known in the art , and may be adapted for use in measuring in conjunction with the method claimed herein . a further approach for measuring one or both of the analytes of the method of the present invention is the use of aptamer - based assays . aptamers are nucleic acid molecules that bind specific ligands with high affinity and selectivity [ jayasena , s . d . ( 1999 ) clin . chem . 45 : 1628 - 50 ]. although clearly very different from antibodies in terms of structure and means of production , aptamers are beginning to emerge as a class of detection molecules that rival antibodies in both therapeutic and diagnostic applications . they are thus ideally suited for use in the method of the present invention . many different types of assay have been developed [ osborne , s . e ., masumura , i . & amp ; ellington , a . d . ( 1997 ) curr . opin . chem . biol . 1 : 5 - 9 ] and may be used for the measurements required by the method of the present invention . the concentration of conjugated dienes and of lipid peroxides can be determined according to methods reviewed by aviram [ aviram m . et al . ( 2001 ) methods in enzymology 235 : 244 - 248 ] or according to their modifications , using spectrophotometry , titrations , tlc , hplc , gc , etc . the preferred method for determining the concentration of lipid peroxides is iodometry or spectrophotometry , and of conjugated dienes spectrophotometry . the use of specific biochemical and electrochemical measurement techniques in performing the methods of the present invention , and the interpretation of the results obtained therefrom , are described in the following illustrative and non - limiting examples . a group of 44 subjects in the age range 40 - 70 presenting in the emergency room of a large district hospital were randomly selected for this study . samples of urine were collected from each of the patients before they were subjected to any diagnostic or treatment procedures . these urine samples were immediately frozen and stored at − 20 ° c . for periods of less than one month , prior to being used for the biochemical analyses . the patients were also asked whether they were currently taking , or had recently been taking , cyclooxygenase inhibitors such as aspirin . the medical condition of each patient was also assessed 30 days after taking the urine sample , each patient being assigned to one of the following diagnostic groups : in addition , the patients &# 39 ; 30 day outcome was also assessed according to the following two criteria : comparison of the clinical outcome with the result obtained from the biochemical analyses ( see below in “ data analysis methods ”) was performed , in order to determine the sensitivity and specificity of said biochemical analyses as diagnostic tools . the concentrations of thromboxane b 2 in the urine samples were measured using a modification of the biotrak ™ system ( amersham international plc , little chalfont , buckinghamshire , england ; code rpn 220 ). the frozen urine samples were thawed and used directly in the thromboxane assay , without any form of pretreatment . briefly , 50 μl of each sample or thromboxane b 2 standard was added in duplicate to the wells of a microtitre plate pre - coated with donkey anti - rabbit igg . all standard solution dilutions were made in an assay buffer consisting of 0 . 1m phosphate buffer , ph 7 . 5 containing 0 . 9 % sodium chloride and 0 . 1 % bovine serum albumin . the same buffer was also used in the preparation of the zero standard ( i . e . 0 pg thromboxane b 2 ) and non - specific binding ( i . e . buffer - only ) wells . the amount of thromboxane b 2 added to the standard wells varied between 0 . 5 and 64 pg per well . next , 50 μl of rabbit anti - thromboxane b 2 antiserum was added to each well ( except for the spectrophotometric blank well ). following this , 50 μl of thromboxane b 2 - horseradish peroxidase conjugate solution was added to each well ( except for the blank well ), and the plate incubated with shaking at room temperature for one hour . at the end of this incubation period , the contents of each well were aspirated , and each well washed four times with 400 μl wash buffer ( 0 . 01m phosphate buffer , ph 7 . 5 , containing 0 . 05 % tween 20 ). immediately following the final washing step , 150 μl of enzyme substrate ( consisting of 3 , 3 ′, 5 , 5 ′- tetramethylbenzidine and hydrogen peroxide ) were added to each well . the plate was then incubated with shaking at room temperature for exactly 15 minutes , to allow development of the colored reaction product . the reaction was stopped by the addition of 100 μl of 1m sulphuric acid into each well . following thorough mixing , and within 30 minutes of addition of the sulphuric aced , the optical density of each well at 450 nm was determined using a plate reader . a calibration curve was constructed for the thromboxane b 2 standards by plotting the known thromboxane b amount ( x - axis ) against the percentage of bound antibody (% b / b 0 ). the latter parameter was calculated according to the following relationship : the sample thromboxane b 2 amounts for the samples were obtained by reading directly from the calibration curve . the electrical conductivity of each of the urine samples was measured using a cyberscan con100 conductivity meter ( eutech instruments pte ltd ., singapore ). a corrected thromboxane b 2 concentration for each sample tested was obtained by dividing said thromboxane concentration ( measured in pg / ml ) by the conductivity ( measured in ms / cm ), either by simple division or by more advanced statistical model . urinary apo ( a ) concentrations were measured by use of a commercially - available kit for detection of lipoprotein ( a ) using the following immunoturbidimetric method ( unimate 3 lpa , roche diagnostics , cat . no . 07 3980 4 ). the undiluted urine sample was kept at 2 - 8 ° c . prior to the analysis . the sample was then incubated with the following reagents : reagent r ( supplied in the kit ), rabbit antibodies specific for human lipoprotein ( a ) ( supplied in the kit ), lipoprotein ( a ) standard ( lpa t standard , roche diagnostics , cat . no . 07 51170 ), lipoprotein ( a ) control ( lpa t control , roche diagnostics , cat . no . 07 51197 ) and nacl solution 154 mmol / l ( 0 . 9 %). the precipitate formed following 10 minutes incubation was determined turbidimetrically using a chemical analyzer ( cobas mira , cobas instruments ), and converted to protein concentration by the use of a calibration curve created from results obtained with the specific lipoprotein ( a ) standard solution . the cut - off indicates a value which dictates if the patient condition is pathological or normal . cut - off was determined according to receiver operating characteristic curves ( roc ), which is a plot of the sensitivity ( or the true positive values ) vs . the false positive values . this analysis optimizes the correlation between the test results and the clinical outcome . the cut - off values are the reference values used in the method of the invention . preferably , such reference values are based on results of diagnostic tests of large groups of patients . the results of the various analyses described hereinabove were collected and analyzed according to the following three interpretive ‘ rules ’. rule 1 is based on measuring thromboxane b 2 concentrations and conductivity , and transforming a thromboxane / conductivity ratio to its natural logarithm , wherein a positive result ( i . e . the presence of cardiovascular disease ) is indicated by a natural logarithm - transformed ratio greater than the cutoff value of 3 . 2 for patients not taking cyclooxygenase inhibiting drugs ( e . g . aspirin ), or greater than the cutoff value of 2 . 7 for patients that are taking or have recently taken such drugs . rule 2 is based on measuring apo ( a ) concentrations alone , wherein a positive result ( i . e . the presence of cardiovascular disease ) is indicated by an apo ( a ) concentration equal to or greater than the cutoff value 20 mg / dl rule 3 is based on measuring thromboxane b 2 concentrations , conductivity and apo ( a ) concentrations , wherein a positive result ( i . e . the presence of cardiovascular disease ) is indicated by a thromboxane / conductivity ratio greater than the cut - off points given in rule 1 and an apo ( a ) concentration greater than the cutoff value of 20 mg / dl . following analysis of the data according to the foregoing rules , and tabulation of said data , the sensitivity and specificity of each rule was determined according to the following definitions : the results comparing the clinical outcome ( any cardiovascular event / free of chest pain ) with the biochemical results , as interpreted by each of the three aforementioned rules are given in table i . it may be seen from this table that the sensitivity of rule 1 ( based on thromboxane concentration / conductivity ratio only ) was 83 . 8 %, while the specificity obtained with this rule was 30 . 7 %. for rule 2 ( based on apo ( a ) measurements alone ) the sensitivity dropped to 77 . 4 % while the specificity was reduced to 23 %. the best sensitivity results , however , were obtained with rule 3 ( based on a combination of the thromboxane / conductivity results and the apo ( a ) measurements ). in this case , the sensitivity obtained was 87 %, while the specificity was 30 . 7 %. the predictive strength of the three rules in correctly determining the outcome of patients with major cardiovascular events ( including myocardial infarction ) and patients with angina , is illustrated in table ii . from this table it may be seen that all rules gave good sensitivity results for predicting major cardiovascular events ( rule 1 : 100 %; rule 2 : 88 . 8 %; rule 3 : 100 %). in the case of angina , however , the rule that yielded the highest sensitivity was rule 3 , that is the rule using both the thromboxane / conductivity data and the apo ( a ) measurements ( 81 . 8 %). the specificity of this rule ( 30 . 7 %) was the same as rule 1 , and higher than that observed in rule 2 ( 23 %). table i 30 days outcome any cardiovascular free of chest event pain n % n % rule 1 0 5 ( 16 . 1 %) 4 ( 30 . 7 %) 1 26 ( 83 . 8 %) 9 ( 69 . 2 %) rule 2 0 7 ( 22 . 5 %) 3 ( 23 . 0 %) 1 24 ( 77 . 4 %) 10 ( 76 . 9 %) rule 3 0 4 ( 12 . 9 %) 4 ( 30 . 7 %) 1 27 ( 87 . 0 %) 9 ( 69 . 2 %) [ 0089 ] table ii 1 : mi , mce 2 : angina 4 : discharged n % n % n % rule 1 0 5 ( 22 . 7 %) 4 ( 30 . 7 %) 1 9 ( 100 . 0 %) 17 ( 77 . 2 %) 9 ( 69 . 2 %) rule 2 0 1 ( 11 . 1 %) 6 ( 27 . 2 %) 3 ( 23 . 0 %) 1 8 ( 88 . 8 %) 16 ( 72 . 7 %) 10 ( 76 . 9 %) rule 3 0 4 ( 18 . 1 %) 4 ( 30 . 7 %) 1 9 ( 100 . 0 %) 18 ( 81 . 8 %) 9 ( 69 . 2 %) a group of 27 patients was randomly selected , and samples of their urine were collected in the same manner as in example 1 . ten patients were free of chest pain , and 17 had a cardiovascular event . 1 . tromboxane b 2 was analyzed , and the results were normalized , as described in example 1 . the conductivity was measured as described in example 1 . the concentrations of conjugated dienes ( cd ) in the urine samples were measured using the following spectrophotometric assay . the frozen sample was thawed , vortexed with 2 ml of hexane / isopropanol ( 3 : 2 ), and acidified by vortexing with 1 ml sulfuric acid ( 1 : 2000 ). the upper phase was dried under nitrogen , diluted with hexane and immediately measured at 234 nm . the cd concentration was calculated according to this relationship : nmol cd / ml = od × 10000 / 27 the concentrations of lipid peroxides ( pd ) in the urine samples were measured using a commercially available reagent ( chod - iodide - merck , cat . no . 14106 ) according to el - saadani [ el - saadani et al . ( 1986 ) j . lipid res . 30 : 627 - 630 ]. shortly , 100 μl sample was vortexed with the color reagent and left 30 minutes in dark . the absorbance at 365 nm was read against the color reagent as the blank , and the concentration of pd was calculated using this relationship : nmol pd / ml = od / 2 . 46 . the results of the various analyses described hereinabove were collected and analyzed as follows . a positive result ( i . e . the presence of cardiovascular disease ) was indicated by an experimental value greater than a cut - off point , which was varied according to the measured marker . the cut - off value was determined on a probability scale of zero to one , statistically calculated by integrating the following experimental parameters : analytes concentration , urine conductivity and in the case of thromboxane , aspirin intake . the sensitivity and specificity for a desired combination of measurements and certain cut - off values were calculated according to their definitions in example 1 . the results for various models are presented in the following tables , wherein “ test +” and “ test −” mean positive and negative results , respectively , of the biochemical measurement interpretation . “ disease +” and “ disease −” mean presence or absence , respectively , of the disease as found by clinical examination . disease + disease − test + 12 5 test − 3 7 sensitivity / specificity 80 %/ 58 % conductivity and thromboxane were measured together with cd . cut - off value is 0 . 60 disease + disease − test + 14 3 test − 1 9 sensitivity / specificity 93 %/ 75 % conductivity and thromboxane were measured together with pd . cut - off value is 0 . 60 . disease + disease − test + 11 3 test − 6 7 sensitivity / specificity 65 %/ 70 % conductivity and thromboxane were measured together with apo ( a ). cut - off value is 0 . 60 . disease + disease − test + 15 2 test − 4 6 sensitivity / specificity 79 %/ 75 % conductivity and thromboxane were measured together with cd , ad , and apo ( a ). cut - off value is 0 . 60 . disease + disease − test + 13 4 test − 1 9 sensitivity / specificity 93 %/ 69 % it is concluded from the data presented in the above examples that the use of the multiple biochemical parameters ( thromboxane concentration , urine conductivity , apo ( a ), cd , and pd ), all together or in subgroups , in accordance with interpretive rules described above , significantly increases the accuracy of the test in comparison to using any marker alone , for diagnosing a cardiovascular event . while specific embodiments of the invention have been described for the purpose of illustration , it will be understood that the invention may be carried out in practice by skilled persons with many modifications , variations and adaptations .	6
referring now to the figs ., a handgun security lock - box in accordance with the present invention is shown at 10 . the lock - box 10 includes a receptacle 12 having a locking door 14 for controlled access to the receptacle &# 39 ; s interior cavity 16 . adjacent the door 14 , two pairs of mounting brackets 18 and 20 are secured to the exterior of the receptacle 12 . the brackets 18 and 20 are alternatively adapted for sliding engagement with a mounting plate 22 which is rigidly attached to a supporting surface 24 by means of threaded fasteners 26 . upon locking the door 14 , the mounting plate 22 may be trapped within the brackets 18 or 20 to prevent unauthorized movement of the receptacle 12 . the receptacle 12 is a generally rectangular box formed from metallic sheeting and dimensioned to retain one or more handguns ( not shown ) within its interior cavity 16 . the receptacle 12 includes : a rear wall 28 , horizontally - spaced , side walls 30 and 32 extending forwardly from the rear wall 28 , and vertically - spaced , top and bottom walls 34 and 36 connecting the side walls 30 and 32 and extending forwardly from the rear wall 28 . the receptacle 12 has an opening 38 in its front end for access to the interior cavity 16 which is preferably lined with a foam padding 40 to protect items placed within the interior cavity . to permit quick access to items placed within the interior cavity 16 , the lock - box 10 is provided with a sliding tray 42 . the tray 42 is formed from metallic sheeting and is lined with protective foam padding 44 . the tray 42 includes : a bottom wall 46 , side walls 48 extending upwardly from the bottom wall 44 , a rear wall 50 with a height greater than that of the side walls 48 and extending upwardly from the bottom wall 46 , and a front lip 52 extending upwardly from the bottom wall 46 . the lip 52 is provided with a hole 54 for grasping by the finger of a user . adjacent the opening 38 , four projections 56 protrude slightly from both the top wall 34 and the bottom wall 36 of the receptacle 12 . the projections 56 are arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the receptacle centerline a and are equidistantly spaced therefrom . the projections 56 are formed by stamping or otherwise and are preferably shaped like frustums , i . e ., forms left by cutting off the top portion of a cone with a plane parallel to the cone &# 39 ; s base . like the receptacle 12 , the door 14 is formed from metallic sheeting and is shaped to cover the opening 38 when closed . the door 14 includes a front plate 58 secured by a hinge 60 to the side wall 32 of the receptacle 12 . extending rearwardly from the front plate 58 is a peripheral flange 62 . as shown in fig3 the flange 62 is spaced from both the top wall 34 and the bottom wall 36 of the receptacle 12 so that slots 64 are provided therebetween . secured to the front plate 58 of the door 14 is a combination lock 66 of the type made by simplex access controls of north carolina . the lock 66 includes a knob 68 which extends outwardly from the front plate 58 which can be turned counterclockwise to extend a bolt 70 to catch on the projection 72 so as to lock the door 14 . unlocking the door 14 is accomplished by pressing the correct sequence of push buttons 74 adjacent the knob 68 and then turning the knob clockwise to retract the bolt 70 . the brackets 18 and 20 are each integrally formed from metallic sheeting . each of the brackets 18 and 20 includes a rectangular , retaining flange 76 with a lateral fin 78 extending at right angles from the rear edge thereof and an adjacent , longitudinal fin 80 extending at right angles from a side edge thereof . a mounting flange 82 extends at right angles from the base of each longitudinal fin 80 . as shown in fig4 the retaining flange 76 and the mounting flange 82 extend from opposite sides of the longitudinal fin 80 so as to provide the brackets 18 and 20 with s - shaped cross sections . each of the retaining flanges 76 is provided with a pair of frustum - shaped projections 84 adapted for alignment with one pair of projections 56 on the receptacle 12 . the projections 84 project outwardly from each retaining flange 76 toward the receptacle 12 . preferably , the projections 56 and 84 have a combined height adequate to permit the mounting plate 22 to pass therebetween . the brackets 18 are secured to the receptacle 12 by respectively welding the lateral fin 78 and mounting flange 82 of each to the top wall 34 . welding permanently positions the brackets 18 so that their retaining flanges 76 extend forwardly from the ends of the fins 78 toward the opening 38 in a common plane parallel to the top wall 34 . welding also permanently retains the projections 84 in axial alignment with the projections 56 of the top wall 34 . the brackets 20 are similarly welded to the bottom wall 36 of the receptacle 12 . thus , the retaining flanges 76 of brackets 20 are secured in a spaced , parallel relationship to the bottom wall 36 . likewise , the projections 84 of the brackets 20 are aligned with the projections 56 of the bottom wall 36 . the mounting plate 22 is integrally formed from metallic sheeting and includes a central portion 86 having a pair of arm portions 88 secured to the opposite sides thereof by downwardly - sloping shoulder portions 90 . as shown , the central portion 86 is sized to alternately fit between the retaining flanges 76 of the brackets 18 or 20 and includes apertures 92 for the passage of threaded fasteners 26 . the arm portions 88 , however , are sized to slide snugly between the axially aligned projections 56 and 84 as well as abut the fins 78 and 80 of the brackets 18 and 20 . extending forwardly from the front of each arm portion 88 is a downwardly - sloping wrist portion 94 which terminates in a finger portion 96 . the finger portions 96 are adapted to snugly fit within either of the slots 64 when the door 14 is closed . locking the door 14 with the finger portions 96 located in either of the slots 64 prevents unauthorized movement of the receptacle 12 away from the mounting plate 22 . to further discourage unauthorized movement of the receptacle 12 , each of the arm portions 88 of the mounting plate 22 is provided with a pair of locking apertures 98 . the apertures 98 are adapted to snugly encircle the projections 56 or 84 when the receptacle 12 is either pushed toward , or pulled from , the mounting plate 22 and supporting surface 24 . in either case , the projections 56 or 84 act as lugs inserted into the mounting plate 22 to prevent sliding movement of the receptacle 12 relative to the mounting plate . it should be noted that the finger portions 96 , arm portions 88 and central portion 86 are disposed in parallel , vertically - spaced planes . the preferred vertical displacement of the central portion 86 relative to the arm portions 88 permits the central portion 86 to move freely between the brackets 18 or 20 without the retaining flanges 76 binding against supporting surface 24 . further , such displacement spaces the heads of threaded fasteners 26 away from the top wall 34 of the receptacle 12 . use of the lock - box 10 is uncomplicated . first , the mounting plate 22 is secured with threaded fasteners 26 to a suitable supporting surface 24 . next , the door 14 is opened and the brackets 18 or 20 are drawn over the arm portions 88 of the mounting plate 22 . the tray 42 is now pulled from the cavity 16 and filled with such items as a handgun . after repositioning the tray 42 , the door 14 is closed and locked . when access to the items on the tray 42 is required , the lock 42 is simply unlocked and the door 14 is opened . a user may need to secure the receptacle 12 to the underside of a bed to hold a handgun for personal protection while at home and also to secure the receptacle 12 to the floorboard of an automobile to safely transport the handgun to a firing range . such a need is easily accommodated by securing separate mounting plates 22 to the bed frame and floorboard . the mounting brackets 18 and 20 permit the push buttons 74 to always be oriented in a standard position regardless of whether the receptacle 12 is suspended from above , or supported from below , by the mounting plate 22 . consistent orientation of the push buttons 74 permits a user to easily memorize the correct sequence for pressing the push buttons 74 to unlock the lock 66 and later to repeat the sequence without looking at the push buttons themselves as might be required in the dark . while the invention has been described with a high degree of particularity , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made thereto . therefore , it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described above , but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims .	5
fig2 a depicts a circuit diagram of a decision feedback equalizer ( dfe ) 200 in accordance with the subject invention . the dfe 200 of the subject invention is capable of accepting electrical input data signals v in based upon optical data signals , appropriately converted , and analyzing such data at a variety of circuit elements to output an appropriately recovered data signal component v out1 or v out2 . more specifically , the dfe 200 compares the incoming data v in to reference voltages denoting threshold detection points for data analysis . dependent upon clock signaling and the prior data bit value , the dfe 200 will output the data signal component at either a first data output line v out1 or a second data output line v out2 . the configuration of the dfe 200 is such that it facilitates processing of a data pulse stream ( i . e ., the incoming data signal v in ) of 10 gbits / s and higher ( e . g ., 20 gbits / s , 40 gbits / s and the like ) by splitting the incoming signal v in into odd and even clock valued bits . as such , corresponding odd and even clock value actuated detection subcircuits are operating at only half of the transmission system data rate . the reader should note that fig2 a represents a simplified drawing of the circuit of the subject invention . specifically , each line that connects circuit elements actually represents two lines , each of which carry complementary values of the signal traveling along the depicted line . additional details are provided in the following description where necessary . the dfe 200 comprises a plurality of parallel detection subcircuits 210 n for processing incoming data pulses v in . in one embodiment of the subject invention , a first parallel subcircuit 210 1 and a second parallel subcircuit 210 2 are provided . each subcircuit 210 n further comprises a plurality of input analyzers 202 n . the signal analyzers 202 n compare the incoming data v in to threshold references ( v ref + and v ref − ) in order to accurately recover data from v in . as discussed above , each line in the depicted circuit represents two lines of complementary input . accordingly , each signal analyzer 202 n has four actual inputs that are represented by the two depicted inputs . for example , the line carrying v in to first signal analyzer 202 1 is actually one line connecting v in to a non - inverting input ( v in + ) and a second line connecting v in to an inverting input on the first signal analyzer 202 1 ( v in − ). the line carrying v ref + on the first signal analyzer 202 1 is actually one line connecting v ref + to a non - inverting input on the first signal analyzer 202 1 ( v ref + )+ and a second line connecting v ref + to an inverting input on the first signal analyzer 202 1 ( v ref + )− for a total of four inputs . similar connections are made to the second , third and fourth signal analyzers 202 2 , 202 3 and 202 4 , respectively . the results of the signal analyzers 202 n are passed on to a plurality of memory devices 204 n . in the first subcircuit 210 1 , the first signal analyzer 202 1 receives data v in and compares it to an upper detection threshold ( v ref + ) and sends the results to first memory unit 204 1 . a second signal analyzer 202 2 receives input from v in and compares it to a lower detection threshold reference ( v ref − ). the result of the second signal analyzer 202 2 is passed on to second memory device 204 2 . more specifically , each signal analyzer 202 n has two outputs ( represented by the single output line shown ). each memory device 204 n has a non - inverting input d + to accept one of the signal analyzer outputs and an inverting input d − to accept another of the signal analyzer outputs . each of the plurality of memory devices 204 n is also provided with input that is correlated to the timing of the transmission system . in one embodiment , the memory devices 204 n are provided with input timing pulses at timing intervals that are half of the system clock rate ( clk / 2 ). the single clk / 2 line represents two clock inputs ( clk / 2 )+ and ( clk / 2 )− applied to each memory device 204 n . the specific and strategic reason for designing the circuit with a complementary line configuration is that at the high operational speed of the circuit , it is easier to decide about the difference between two voltages ( applied signals ) than to decide about their absolute value . in other words , common mode distortions are more easily suppressed with the described configuration . the output of each of the plurality of memory units 204 n is provided to a selector unit 206 n . specifically , and in one embodiment , the output from first memory device 204 1 and the output of second memory device 204 2 is provided to first selector 206 1 . the second subcircuit 210 2 is similarly configured and wired as the first subcircuit 210 1 . specifically , a third signal analyzer 202 3 receives inputs from v in and upper threshold reference v ref + and outputs the results to third memory device 204 3 . similarly , fourth signal analyzer 202 4 is provided with input from v in and the lower detection threshold ( v ref − ). the output of fourth signal analyzer 202 4 is provided as input to a fourth memory device 204 4 . each of the third and fourth memory devices 204 3 and 204 4 are also provided with timing pulses that are correlated to the transmission system timing . specifically , and in one embodiment , second subcircuit 210 2 is provided with input timing pulses at timing intervals that are half of the system clock . however , these timing pulses are opposite or 180 ° out of phase with pulses provided to the first subcircuit 210 1 ( i . e ., clk / 2 ). outputs from the third and fourth memory units 204 3 and 204 4 are provided to a second selector 206 2 . the selector 206 from each subcircuit 210 n is crosswired to its counterpart in the other subcircuit . in this manner , each subcircuit 210 n is connected to its parallel counterpart so that each subcircuit controls the selection for the next bit in the other subcircuit 210 n . the output from each selector 206 1 and 206 2 is provided as input to first and second secondary memory units 208 1 and 208 2 , respectively . first secondary memory unit 208 1 is provided with an input clock signal one half the clock rate of the transmission system ( clk / 2 ). second secondary memory unit 208 2 is provided with an input clock signal one half the clock rate of the transmission system but at 180 ° out of phase with the first subcircuit 210 1 ( clk / 2 ). accordingly , if the input data pulse at v in is an odd clock valued data pulse , its recovered output can be found at v out1 . if incoming data v in is an even clock valued data pulse , the output can be found out at v out2 . effectively , each subcircuit 210 n divides the data recovery tasks so that each subcircuit 210 n is only working at one half the system clock rate ( clk typically 10 , 20 gbits / s or higher ). the dfe 200 of fig2 a , is created using a plurality of switching and logic components . in one embodiment , the dfe 200 is realized using an enhancement - depletion algaas / gaas hemt technology with a 0 . 2 μ gate length and a threshold frequency of about 60 ghz . optionally , the dfe 200 is built in source - coupled fet logic for better common - mode noise rejection and high speed circuit operation . differential coplanar waveguides are implemented on a single chip for providing both clock pulses and data pulses to the circuit 200 . in one particular example , the entire dfe circuit 200 comprises approximately 310 fets on a chip area of approximately 2 . 5 mm 2 and operates at a power consumption level of approximately 1 . 9 w . accordingly , the subject invention has the capabilities of providing differential feedback equalization to a 20 gbits / s signal . this design takes advantage of parallel signal processing which reduces electrical bandwidth requirements of the circuit while increasing the gain of a received signal with greater accuracy then previously realizable . one skilled in the art can also understand that since the typical delays associated with a basic feedback loop configuration have been eliminated , incoming signal rates of up to 20 gbits / s and higher can be processed with the same or better results than the processing of slower signals in the conventional manner . another embodiment of the invention is seen in fig2 b depicting an optical receiver 250 incorporating the dfe 200 . specifically , optical receiver 250 receives a train of broad spectrum ( wdm ) optical data pulses from transmission , line 252 . the pulses are provided to a demultiplexer 254 which segregates the broad spectrum pulses into individual wavelength pulses . the optical receiver may or may not incorporate a single broad spectrum or individual wavelength amplifiers ( not shown , but understood by those skilled in the art ) to improve incoming pulse quality prior to further processing . subsequent to demultiplexing , the individual wavelength pulses are provided to a plurality of converters 256 which convert the optical signal into an electrical signal ( a logical “ 1 ” or “ 0 ”). these electrical signals are then provided to a plurality of dfe &# 39 ; s 200 for analysis and data recovery as described to provide a plurality of data recovered electrical signals 258 . there are several types of optical data receivers , which can benefit from the above - identified dfe . more specifically , two basic types of optical data receivers are a pin receiver and an optically pre - amplified receiver . typically , pin receivers include , among other components , a photodiode for receiving optical data signals from a transmission line followed by an electrical amplifier . such a receiver configuration introduces a certain amount of terminal noise into the received signal prior to threshold detection ( or recovery ); hence , such a receiver requires a relatively higher degree of received power than an optically pre - amplified receiver . the optically pre - amplified receiver contains , among other components , an optical amplifier which receives optical data signals from a transmission line and amplifies them . subsequent to optical pre - amplification , the received data signal is passed through a band - pass filter ( bpf ) so as to filter undesirable optical components and sharpen the received signal . subsequent to band - pass filtering , the received signal is passed to a photodiode which converts the optical signal into an electrical signal . the performance gain of a pin and optically pre - amplified receivers with implemented dfe is described as follows . for pin receivers , symbol independent thermal noise is the main noise source . for optically pre - amplified receivers , the signal - ase beat noise becomes dominant . consequently there will be different performance gains for dfe operation in both receiver types . the amount of intersymbol interference ( isi ) in both receivers in the examples was the same . for the purpose of equalization gain estimation , fig4 shows an eye diagram 400 of an isi distorted nrz signal . for a pin receiver , the q factor of the unequalized signal is given by q ≈ ( i max - i min 2 ⁢ ⁢ σ th ) where i max , i min and σ th stand for the inner eye borders ( traces ) and the variance of the thermal noise respectively . perfect cancellation of the trace representing i min by means of the dfe would improve the receiver sensitivity by a penalty reduction of δ = - 20 ⁢ ⁢ log ⁢ ⌊ q dfe q isi ⌋ = - 20 ⁢ ⁢ log ⁢ ⌊ i max - i min i max ⌋ in the case of an optically pre - amplified receiver , the noise variance becomes symbol dependent . good approximations for q factors with and without dee operation are then given by q ≈ i max - i min x ase ⁢ i max + x ase ⁢ i min q dfe ≈ i max ′ x ase ⁢ i max ′ + x ase ⁢ i min ′ δ = 10 ⁢ ⁢ log ⁢ ⌊ i max i max ′ ⌋ ⁢ \| q dfe = q where x ase is a parameter that describes the signal ase beat noise . when assuming that i imax and i min are proportional to each other , the penalty reduction in the case of the optically pre - amplified receiver is expected to be twice than that for the pin receiver . also the isi amount can be estimated after the penalty is measured . in one example , a 20 gb / s signal was generated by polarization multiplexing of two orthogonally polarized and de - correlated 10 gb / s 33 % rz data streams . by time interleaving of the 2 31 − 1 prbs data streams with 50 ps phase offset the isi was minimized . a lightwave converter with relative small electrical bandwidth was used to detect the 20 gb / s signal . after launching the signal to the decision circuit that included a 2 : 1 electrical de - mux , the bit error rate measurement was performed at 10 gb / s data rate . fig3 depicts graphs denoting the characteristics of each type of receiver described above . specifically , fig3 a shows a graph 300 plotting received power of a pin receiver versus the bit error rate ( in logarithmic scale ). fig3 b depicts a graph 310 plotting received power of an optically pre - amplified receiver versus the bit error rate ( in logarithmic scale ). first line 302 ( corresponding to the star data points ) denote the received power versus bit error rate with a dfe equipped pin receiver , while a line at 304 ( corresponding to the square data points ) reflects the same characteristics without dfe . inspection readily reveals that it is possible to lower the power of a transmitted data signal to the pin receiver simply by virtue of dfe recovery techniques as described in the subject invention . similarly , fig3 b shows similar lines for a pre - amplified receiver . that is , line 306 ( corresponding to the star data points ) reveals a lower power of a transmitted signal to the optically pre - amplified receiver with dfe than that of a line at 308 ( corresponding to the square data points ) of such receiver not using dfe . specifically , the gain from feedback equalization from the subject invention was about 3 db for the pin receiver and about twice that for the optically pre - amplified receiver . this is in good agreement with the derivations . the experimental result estimates the isi to be about 50 % ( 0 . 5 i max ≈ i min ) in front of the decision element without feedback operation . from this we conclude the overall electrical bandwidth of the front end to be around 10 ghz . accordingly , the results shown herein indicate that there is an improvement in systems using the dfe of the subject invention in that the received power of a transmitted data signal can be reduced and yet still maintain accurate data recovery . although various embodiments that incorporate the teachings of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein , those skilled in the art can readily devise many other varied embodiments that still incorporate these teachings .	7
referring now to the drawings , some of the embodiments of the invention are described in detail below . first in fig4 numeral 1 denotes a microcomputer of the invention , which comprises a ps signal generator 3 which generates and delivers a pulse modulation signal ps thereby to drive an electromagnetic valve 2 so as to control the oil pressure of a transmission gear which is not shown . the electromagnetic valve 2 is intended to control the automatic transmission by regulating the feed direction of the oil pressure , and it comprises an emitter - grounded npn transistor 22 which receives , as an input , the pulse modulation signal ps at its base and turns on and off collector current accordingly , and an excitation coil 21 of which one end is connected to the power source and the other end is connected to a collector . the excitation coil 21 is designed to move a spool ( not shown ) of the electromagnetic valve 2 , and it is excited or de - excited by the on or off state of the transistor 22 . the collector current is applied through an inverter 23 , to a toggle flip - flop circuit ( hereinafter referred to as an f / f ) 5 which is a means for holding signals provided to the microcomputer 1 , such as a monitor signal ms showing the state of the electromagnetic valve 2 , to be held therein . the f / f 5 inverts a held value fv at the leading edge of a mode signal ms . the held value fv of the f / f 5 is taken into a latch 72 through a transfer gate 71 at an input time provided by a latch control signal ls relating to the mode signal ms . fv is also given to an exclusive - nor gate 73 . at the other input of the exclusive - nor gate 73 , an output signal lv of a latch 72 is added , and the output signal of the exclusive nor gate 73 and the monitor timing signal mt are given to an and gate 74 . the monitor timing signal mt is of the same period as the pulse modulation signal ps , and a pulse is delivered at a time before the latch control signal ls . the output signal of the and gate 74 is regarded as a failure detection signal ds . the presence or absence of a failure is judged in accordance with the h or l state of this signal . a judging circuit 7 is constructed of such transfer gate 71 , latch 72 , exclusive - nor gate 73 and and gate 74 , as a failure detecting means . the operation for detecting a failure is explained below . fig5 is a timing chart showing the procedure for failure detection by the microcomputer of the present invention . in the example of fig5 a pulse width modulation ( pwm ) signal is used as the pulse modulation signal ps . to operate the electromagnetic valve 2 , the microcomputer 1 gives the pulse modulation signal ps of a specific period to the electromagnetic valve 2 . the electromagnetic valve 2 , depending on whether the pulse modulation signal ps is h or l , turns on or off the collector current of the transistor 22 , and excites or de - excites the excitation coil 21 . this collector current is inverted by the inverter 23 , and is given to the f / f 5 as the mode signal ms . the f / f 5 inverts its held valve fv at the rise of the mode signal ms , and delivers the held value fv to the latch 72 through the transfer gate 71 , and also to one end of the exclusive - nor gate 73 . the transfer gate 71 is turned on at the input timing of the latch control signal ls , and gives the held value fv to the latch 72 . the output signal lv of the latch 72 is delivered to the other end of the exclusive - nor gate 73 , thereby to carry out the exclusive nor calculation with the held value fv fed at one end of the gate 73 . the and calculation of the signal resulting from the above exclusive nor calculation and the monitor timing signal is performed in the and gate 74 . by the detection signal ds delivered from the and gate 74 , the presence or absence of a failure of the electromagnetic valve 2 is detected . that is , while the electromagnetic valve 2 is normally operating , the held value fv is inverted at the rise of the monitor signal , whereas , if not operating normally , the monitor signal ms does not rise , and the signal is not inverted as indicated by a broken line in fig5 ( c ). therefore , by latching the held value fv by the latch 72 one period before and judging whether or not this output signal lv and the held value fv are equal to each other at every monitor timing , the presence or absence of a failure of the electromagnetic valve 2 can be detected . thus , in the instant embodiment , it is enough to monitor the output of the exclusive - nor gate 73 by generating a monitor timing signal only once within the period of the pulse modulation signal ps . another embodiment of the invention is described below . in another embodiment , a high frequency pulse frequency modulation ( pfm ) signal is used , as the pulse modulation signal ps , and the rest is the same as in the foregoing embodiment . fig6 is a timing chart for explaining the failure detecting operation of this embodiment . in this case , too , similarly as in the preceding embodiment , it is enough to monitor the output of the exclusive - nor gate 73 only once within the period of the pulse modulation signal ps , and it is consequently possible to cope with the tendency to increase in speed of the pfm signal . a further different embodiment is explained next . fig7 is a block diagram showing the structure of a microcomputer according to the further embodiment , in which the f / f 5 is provided in two stages , namely , 5a , 5b , so as to cope with the trend toward high speeds of the pulse modulation signal ps . a held value fva of the f / f 5a is given to a transfer gate 71a and also to the f / f 5b . therefore , the held value fvb is a frequency - divided portion of the held value fva . the held value fva is applied to a latch 72a through the transfer gate 71a , and is further given to one input of an exclusive - nor gate 73a . at the other end of the exclusive - nor gate 73a , an output signal lva of the latch 72a is given . the held value fvb is also , similar to the held value fva , given to an exclusive - nor gate 73b . the output signals of the exclusive - nor gates 73a , 73b , and the monitor timing signal mt are given to the and gate 74 . by their and , that is , the detection signal ds , the presence or absence of a failure of the electromagnetic valve 2 is detected . the period of the timing signal mt and the latch control signal given to the transfer gates 71a , 71b is three times as long as the period of the pulse modulation signal ps . referring to a timing chart shown in fig8 the failure detecting operation of the further embodiment is explained below . when a monitor signal ms is outputted from the electromagnetic valve 2 , the held valve fva of the f / f 5a is inverted at the rise of the signal ms . in consequence , the exclusive nor of the held value fva and the value of the output signal lva of the held value latched three periods before the pulse modulation signal ps , and that of the held value fvb and the value of the output signal lvb of the held value latched three periods before the pulse modulation signal ps are calculated individually , and thus the presence or absence of a failure of the electromagnetic valve 2 is detected by the detection signal ds which is the and of these signals and the monitor timing signal mt . for example , as indicated by broken lines in fig8 ( c ) and ( d ), if the monitor signal ms is not outputted due to the disconnection or other cause , the held values fva , fvb are not inverted , and the held values fva and fvb , and output signals lva and lvb become respectively equal to each other , whereby the detection signal ds becomes h . in the manner as described hereinabove , by arranging the f / f 5 in two stages , it is possible to detect a failure by a single monitoring action in every three periods of the pulse modulation signal ps , so that it is possible to cope with the trend toward high speeds of the pulse modulation signal ps . in the foregoing embodiments , the electromagnetic valve is shown as an example of the external device , but this invention is not limited to it alone . whatever the external device may be , if it generates a monitor signal in response to the pulse modulation signal , a failure can be reliably detected by the microcomputer of this invention . in the preceding embodiment , the f / f is arranged in two stages the device is comprised of a counter as shown in fig9 it is similarly possible to cope with the trend of the pulse modulation signals toward high speeds . instead of the structure of the circuits employing the hardware as in the description herein , similar effects will be obtained if all functions are performed by software except that of the f / f . in this case , however , it is necessary to add means for reading the held value of the f / f . thus , according to the invention , a failure of an external device operating at high speeds can be securely detected by a simple hardware construction , and it is enough to monitor only once within the pwn period . it is not necessary to take into consideration the delay of the individual monitor input signal peculiar to the external device , and thus the load an the software , which is inclined to increase , can be reduced . as this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit of essential characteristics thereof , the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive , since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the description preceding them , and all changes that fall within the meets and bounds of the claims , or equivalence of such meets and bounds thereof are therefore intended to be embraced by the claims .	6
fig1 is a simplified diagram of a usb dongle , according to an embodiment of the invention . dongle 100 comprises two main parts : plug 120 and end cap 110 . plug 120 comprises a printed circuit board ( pcb ) encased in a metallic shell 130 . the plug 120 inserts into a usb port on an electronic device . plug 120 may plug directly into a device such as a personal computer or a laptop computer , or plug 120 may plug into a device , which is connected to a computing device . end cap 110 protrudes out from the usb socket . end cap 110 may be slightly wider than plug 120 , or end cap 110 may be the same width as plug 120 . a wider end cap would be able to house a larger antenna . also , end cap 110 provides a place for gripping the dongle for insertion into and removal from the usb port . a wider end cap also gives more of an area under which to slide fingertips in order to grip the dongle for unplugging from the device . in an alternate embodiment , the dongle module may use a different kind of mechanical plug such as firewire , hdmi , or mini - usb . the components within a dongle of one of these alternative form factors , or any other form factor , may be scaled appropriately for the form factor . for example , the pcb and / or the antenna may be larger than the pcb and antenna described in the specific examples herein . in addition , dongles of different embodiments may replace or omit certain components described in the example herein . for example , a dongle may omit the metallic shell in favor of using a shell of plastic or other material , or may provide a different way to secure the endcap to the pcb without using a shell . fig2 is a simplified diagram of dongle 100 viewed from the bottom with the metallic shell 130 removed from the plug , according to an embodiment of the invention . removing the metallic shell from the plug exposes pcb 200 . fig3 a is a simplified diagram illustrating the difference between a reference nano dongle and a pico dongle regarding the size of the pcb 200 and layout of the antenna , according to an embodiment of the invention . length 320 indicates the length of pcb 200 in a reference nano dongle form factor . length 320 includes the plug length 321 and the endcap length 322 for the reference nano dongle . for the reference nano dongle the antenna is printed on the pcb 200 within the endcap portion ( length 322 ), and is thus in the same plane as the pcb 200 . a metallic shell generally covers the plug length 321 . the antenna printed on endcap length 322 is not covered by the metallic shell . in other reference nano dongles , a trace can connect the antenna to internal circuitry located inside the metallic shell , thereby providing part of the antenna within plug length 321 . the proximity and overlap of a metallic shell with an antenna impacts the radiation pattern , because a metallic sheath may block or interfere with an antenna &# 39 ; s radiation pattern . an endcap may be applied over the length 322 of the pcb 200 to cover and protect the antenna . dimension 330 illustrates the length of the pcb 200 in a pico dongle comprising the length of plug 331 and the length of the antenna 332 . in some embodiments , the length of plug 331 in the pico dongle is roughly the same as the length of 321 in the nano dongle . the length of the antenna 332 includes a length of antenna 300 orientated perpendicular to the pcb 200 and a tail portion that is soldered to the pcb 200 , according to an embodiment of the invention . the vertical portions are illustrated in fig3 a are tilted in accordance with a perspective view , although the vertical portions can extend up and down with respect to the plane of the pcb 200 . dimension 333 illustrates the length of the generally perpendicular portion of the antenna 300 with respect to the pcb 200 , not including the soldered extension . an endcap may be applied over and / or around the some or all of the antenna 300 to cover the antenna 300 and for protection . the endcap may be made of plastic , or another material that would not significantly reduce the wireless transmission or reception properties of the antenna 300 . the endcap may also isolate some or all of the antenna 300 from the metallic shell enclosing the pcb 200 , reducing the interference that it may cause . in some embodiments , the length of the antenna portion 332 of the pico dongle is about half of the antenna portion 322 of the reference nano dongle . the pico dongle , according to embodiments of the invention , provides performance and a radiation patterns similar to reference nano dongles , but with a shorter antenna portion extending beyond the metallic shell . the configuration of the pico dongle , according to embodiments of the invention , provides benefits that cannot be achieved using the reference nano dongle . for example , reducing the length of the antenna portion 322 of the reference nano dongle would result in poorer signal strength and radiation pattern . if the antenna portion of the reference nano dongle were to be maintained , but partially inserted within the metallic shell to achieve the same overall length as a pico dongle , the performance would again be reduced due to interference from the metallic shell . fig3 b provides simplified perspective views of a pico dongle with a two dimensional ( 2d ) metallic plate antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention . fig3 b ( 1 ) illustrates a perspective view of a pico dongle as a complete package . the two dimensional ( 2d ) metallic plate antenna is located inside endcap 307 . fig3 b ( 2 ) is a perspective view from the same angle as that in fig3 b ( 1 ), but with metallic shell 305 and the endcap 307 removed , exposing the pcb 350 and antenna 340 . fig3 b ( 3 ) is a perspective view from the underside of the device illustrated in fig3 b ( 2 ). fig3 b ( 4 ) is a perspective view of the antenna , illustrating the clipping mechanism used to attach the antenna to the pcb . orienting the plate antenna 340 perpendicular to pcb 350 allows the antenna to fit within a shorter pico endcap . the perpendicular orientation also provides a quasi - 3d performance . because the illustrations are not drawn to scale , the plate antenna illustrated in fig3 b ( 2 ) appears to not fit in the endcap illustrated in fig3 b ( 1 ). however , as will be evident , the plate antenna does , in fact , fit in the endcap . further , as illustrated in fig3 b ( 4 ), clips 342 are attached to the antenna 340 to enable the antenna to be joined to the pcb at appropriate coupling locations . although two clips 342 are illustrated , additional or fewer clips can be utilized depending on the particular device geometry and design . fig3 c is a simplified diagram of a pico dongle with the end cap removed showing a three - dimensional ( 3d ) wire antenna 300 , according to an embodiment of the invention . the shape of wire antenna 300 overcomes the limitation of its size by radiating in three dimensions . the shape of the antenna as well as its placement and orientation within the dongle affects the radiation pattern . the antenna can be adjusted / optimized based on desired form factor . in some embodiments , a minimum distance between the antenna and shield ( i . e ., metallic shell 130 illustrated in fig1 ) is utilized to avoid shunting of current . fig3 d is a simplified side view diagram of a pico dongle illustrating a spatial separation between the three - dimensional ( 3d ) wire antenna 300 and the shield 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention . the minimum distance may be based on the thickness of the end cap housing 110 . in an embodiment , the plastic end cap 110 may be about 8 mm thick . a thinner housing may reduce the minimum distance , and thus , the length of the end cap 110 . in an embodiment , the antenna 300 may be no wider and / or higher than the plug 120 . in such an embodiment , the antenna 300 may retract into the plug 120 when not in use and extend outside of the plug 120 when in use . in an embodiment , the antenna may be three dimensional and made of wire , resembling the shape of a paper clip that has been bent so that it no longer lies flat . the length 333 of the antenna , as illustrated in fig3 a , is about 1 . 8 mm which is less than the 3 mm length of a typical pico dongle endcap . fig4 is a simplified diagram illustrating the height and width dimensions of wire antenna 300 , according to an embodiment of the invention . in fig4 , the illustrated dimensions are labeled as width 410 and height 420 . width 410 may be the same or larger than the standard usb socket of 12 mm because the width of the endcap may be wider than the width of the usb socket . in the embodiment illustrated , the width of the antenna is about 11 . 75 mm , and the end cap is slightly wider than the usb socket . in order for antenna 300 to be outside of the metallic shell surrounding the pcb in the plug portion of the dongle , the end cap that protrudes from the plug must be at least as long as antenna length 333 . in the illustrated embodiment , height 420 is an indication of the vertical dimension of the antenna when the pcb is in a horizontal orientation . the antenna may be mounted with a portion above the pcb and a portion underneath the pcb . the height 420 of the antenna is the minimum thickness of the endcap . in the illustrated embodiment , height 420 is about 4 mm . thus , the pico dongle that houses this example antenna 300 may be slightly thicker ( i . e . taller ) than it is long . such a 3d antenna may have a radiation pattern that allows improved ability to receive a signal from a transmitter and providing more flexibility regarding placement of the transmitter . the combination of removing the antenna from the metallic shell covering the plug and shaping the antenna to be three dimensional greatly enhances the effective radiation pattern and power of the dongle . the size of the 3d antenna is not limited to the dimensions described in the examples . for example , a dongle in a hdmi form factor may be used with audio / video equipment , such as a television . such a dongle may be plugged into the back of the television where size may be constrained . thus , the antenna within a dongle may be smaller than other types of wireless antennas used for televisions . the antenna design and dimensions may also be adjusted to provide increased signal power . thus , there may be different applications of a wireless communication device that require different sizes and configurations for a 3d wire antenna mounted perpendicular to a pcb . further , the dongle may be used to connect to one device , or to multiple devices simultaneously . the devices that connect to the dongle may be of any suitable type , such as but not limited to a computer mouse , keyboard , video camera , audio / video receiver , audio headphones , cable box , desktop or mobile computer , smart phone , and tablet . in some embodiments , the dongle may be configured differently depending on which type of device it is intended to connect to . fig5 and 6 each illustrates the radiation pattern for a dongle provided according to an embodiment of the invention , as compared to two different conventional dongles respectively . in each figure , the dongle provided according to an embodiment of the invention is a pico dongle housing a 3d wire antenna . to create the radiation pattern graph for each dongle , the power was measured while the dongle was attached to the same usb port of a particular laptop computer . fig5 is a graph illustrating a radiation pattern ( 507 ) for a first conventional dongle that is a pico dongle with a 2d antenna . radiation pattern ( 505 ) was measured for the dongle according to an embodiment of the invention ( hereinafter shortened to “ pico dongle with 3d antenna ” or simply “ 3d antenna ”). as can be measured using the figure , the average difference in radiation signal between the 3d antenna and the first conventional dongle is + 12 db . thus , comparing the 3d antenna to a 2d antenna in dongles of the same form factor shows that the 3d antenna outperforms the 2d antenna . fig6 is a graph illustrating the measured radiation pattern ( 607 ) for a second conventional dongle as compared to the radiation pattern of the 3d antenna ( 505 ). the second conventional dongle is a 2d nano dongle . the antenna in the 2d nano dongle is printed on the pcb . as can be seen in the graph , the performance of the 3d antenna allows the smaller dongle to perform almost as well as the larger dongle with only a 2 db difference on average . fig8 a - 8d are simplified diagrams illustrating components of a usb dongle at stages of assembly , according to an embodiment of the invention . fig8 a illustrates a 3d wire antenna mounted on a pcb . subassembly 810 comprises the antenna 300 attached to the pcb 200 . antenna 300 has spring - like properties . the antenna is compressed laterally to line up with the notches in the end of the pcb . once the antenna is inserted , the spring force acts laterally in the arrow directions to hold the antenna in place while an end of the antenna 450 is soldered to the pcb . fig8 b illustrates subassembly 840 which is constructed by placing subassembly 810 into a bracket 830 . fig8 c illustrates the placement of the endcap . endcap 110 covers antenna 300 and allows for a user to hold the dongle for insertion and removal of the dongle into and out of a usb socket . there are two portions to the endcap : a thicker portion that is useful for gripping the dongle with fingers , and a thinner portion that partially extends over the pcb . the thinner portion of endcap 110 has two recesses 851 and 852 on the side and top respectively . the endcap is placed onto the bracket from the top and snaps into the bracket at 853 , seen from the bottom of the bracket . fig8 d illustrates the placement of the metallic shell over the plug . the top and bottom illustrations view the same subassembly 870 from different angles . in subassembly 870 , metallic shell 130 encases a portion of the pcb and forms the plug that inserts into the usb socket . metal clip 882 on the top of the metallic shell snap fits into recess 852 on the endcap , and metal clips 881 on both sides of the metallic shell snap fit into corresponding recesses 851 on the sides of the endcap . fig7 is a simplified flow diagram of the steps for assembling a usb dongle that refers to the components and subassemblies shown in fig8 a - d , according to an embodiment of the invention . for purposes of describing these assembly steps , the pcb is assumed to be oriented in a horizontal position and the antenna oriented in a vertical position , though the assembled dongle may be used in other orientations . the length of the wire segment between vertical portions 430 and 440 of the wire antenna is slightly greater than the distance between notches 822 on the pcb . in step 710 , the 3d antenna is spring loaded onto a pcb to form subassembly 810 . to attach the antenna to the pcb , vertically oriented portions of the wire antenna 430 and 440 may be squeezed towards each other close enough so that the vertical portions can be inserted into notches 822 on the pcb . once the wire antenna portions 430 and 440 are inserted into the pcb notches 822 , the spring force acts laterally ( parallel to width 410 ) to hold the antenna in place while a horizontally oriented portion 450 of the antenna is soldered to the pcb in step 720 . thus , the pcb itself serves as a holding fixture during soldering , obviating the need for another plastic part to hold the antenna in place as well as removing the need for extra space on the pcb to place a soldering fixture during this assembly step . also , the spring loading of the antenna onto the pcb allows for easy assembly of a very small part . this design allows the 3d antenna shape to occupy a minimal space and yet provide a maximal rf pattern . in step 730 , subassembly 810 is inserted into bracket 830 from the top creating subassembly 840 . in step 740 , the endcap 110 is placed over the antenna from the top and snaps into subassembly 840 . hooks in the endcap hold the endcap onto the bracket 830 of subassembly 840 to form subassembly 860 . removing the dongle from the usb socket requires holding the endcap and pulling in the direction away from the plug . snapping the endcap onto the bracket from the top rather than from the end towards the plug avoids the endcap from separating from the dongle upon removing the dongle from the usb socket . in step 750 , the metallic shell 130 slides over the plug end of the dongle towards the endcap 110 , overlapping a portion of the endcap and holding the endcap securely onto the dongle . clips in the metallic shell snap into recesses on the sides of the bracket and the top of the overlapped portion of the endcap respectively . the entire assembly of the dongle may be performed without glue or other additional adhesive substance other than soldering the antenna to the pcb . this reduces the parts and time required for assembly . it should be appreciated that the specific steps illustrated in fig7 provide a particular method of assembling a wireless communications dongle according to an embodiment of the present invention . the individual steps illustrated in fig7 may include multiple sub - steps that may be performed in various sequences as appropriate to the individual step . furthermore , additional steps may be added or removed depending on the particular applications . one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize many variations , modifications , and alternatives . it is also understood that the examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art and are to be included within the spirit and purview of this application and scope of the appended claims .	8
reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention , one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings . each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention , not limitation of the invention . in fact , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . for instance , features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment . thus , it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents . fig1 and 2 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a vertical axis washing machine appliance 100 . in fig1 , a lid or door 130 is shown in a closed position . in fig2 , door 130 is shown in an open position . washing machine appliance 100 generally defines a vertical direction v , a lateral direction l , and a transverse direction t , each of which is mutually perpendicular , such that an orthogonal coordinate system is generally defined . while described in the context of a specific embodiment of vertical axis washing machine appliance 100 , using the teachings disclosed herein it will be understood that vertical axis washing machine appliance 100 is provided by way of example only . other washing machine appliances having different configurations , different appearances , and / or different features may also be utilized with the present subject matter as well , e . g ., horizontal axis washing machines . washing machine appliance 100 has a cabinet 102 that extends between a top portion 103 and a bottom portion 104 along the vertical direction v . a wash basket 120 ( fig2 ) is rotatably mounted within cabinet 102 . a motor ( not shown ) is in mechanical communication with wash basket 120 to selectively rotate wash basket 120 ( e . g ., during an agitation or a rinse cycle of washing machine appliance 100 ). wash basket 120 is received within a wash tub or wash chamber 121 ( fig2 ) and is configured for receipt of articles for washing . the wash tub 121 holds wash and rinse fluids for agitation in wash basket 120 within wash tub 121 . an agitator or impeller ( not shown ) extends into wash basket 120 and is also in mechanical communication with the motor . the impeller assists agitation of articles disposed within wash basket 120 during operation of washing machine appliance 100 . cabinet 102 of washing machine appliance 100 has a top panel 140 . top panel 140 defines an opening 105 ( fig2 ) that permits user access to wash basket 120 of wash tub 121 . door 130 , rotatably mounted to top panel 140 , permits selective access to opening 105 ; in particular , door 130 selectively rotates between the closed position shown in fig1 and the open position shown in fig2 . in the closed position , door 130 inhibits access to wash basket 120 . conversely , in the open position , a user can access wash basket 120 . a window 136 in door 130 permits viewing of wash basket 120 when door 130 is in the closed position , e . g ., during operation of washing machine appliance 100 . door 130 also includes a handle 132 that , e . g ., a user may pull and / or lift when opening and closing door 130 . further , although door 130 is illustrated as mounted to top panel 140 , alternatively , door 130 may be mounted to cabinet 102 or any other suitable support . a control panel 110 with at least one input selector 112 ( fig1 ) extends from top panel 140 . control panel 110 and input selector 112 collectively form a user interface input for operator selection of machine cycles and features . a display 114 of control panel 110 indicates selected features , operation mode , a countdown timer , and / or other items of interest to appliance users regarding operation . operation of washing machine appliance 100 is controlled by a controller or processing device 108 ( fig1 ) that is operatively coupled to control panel 110 for user manipulation to select washing machine cycles and features . in response to user manipulation of control panel 110 , controller 108 operates the various components of washing machine appliance 100 to execute selected machine cycles and features . controller 108 may include a memory and microprocessor , such as a general or special purpose microprocessor operable to execute programming instructions or micro - control code associated with a cleaning cycle . the memory may represent random access memory such as dram , or read only memory such as rom or flash . in one embodiment , the processor executes programming instructions stored in memory . the memory may be a separate component from the processor or may be included onboard within the processor . alternatively , controller 100 may be constructed without using a microprocessor , e . g ., using a combination of discrete analog and / or digital logic circuitry ( such as switches , amplifiers , integrators , comparators , flip - flops , and gates , and the like ) to perform control functionality instead of relying upon software . control panel 110 and other components of washing machine appliance 100 may be in communication with controller 108 via one or more signal lines or shared communication busses . during operation of washing machine appliance 100 , laundry items are loaded into wash basket 120 through opening 105 , and washing operation is initiated through operator manipulation of input selectors 112 . wash additives may be added to washing machine appliance 100 to assist in the cleaning process . in this regard , top panel 140 may define one or more apertures configured for receiving wash additives when door 130 is rotated to the open position . for example , as shown in fig2 , a first aperture 150 may be configured to receive pretreating additive , bleach , or powdered detergent for late wash cycles . a second aperture 152 may be configured to receive detergent for the primary wash cycle . each aperture 150 , 152 may direct wash additives to a separate additive dispenser or dispensing chamber . by contrast , the wash additives may be directed to a single dispensing chamber separated by a partition , as is known in the art . although two apertures 150 , 152 are illustrated , one skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more than two apertures may be used and may be configured to receive any particular type of wash additive depending on the particular application . as will be described in detail below , wash additive that is added through first aperture 150 may be received in an additive dispenser 200 . water may be added to additive dispenser 200 to create a wash liquid that may be dispensed into wash basket 120 along with additional water , detergent , and / or other powdered or fluid additives . one or more valves can be controlled by washing machine appliance 100 to provide for filling wash basket 120 to the appropriate level for the amount of articles being washed and / or rinsed . by way of example for a wash mode , once wash basket 120 is properly filled with fluid , the contents of wash basket 120 can be agitated ( e . g ., with an impeller as discussed previously ) for washing of laundry items in wash basket 120 . after the agitation phase of the wash cycle is completed , wash basket 120 can be drained . laundry articles can then be rinsed by again adding fluid to wash basket 120 depending on the specifics of the cleaning cycle selected by a user . the impeller may again provide agitation within wash basket 120 . one or more spin cycles also may be used . in particular , a spin cycle may be applied after the wash cycle and / or after the rinse cycle to wring wash fluid from the articles being washed . during a spin cycle , wash basket 120 is rotated at relatively high speeds . after articles disposed in wash basket 120 are cleaned and / or washed , the user can remove the articles from wash basket 120 , e . g ., by reaching into wash basket 120 through opening 105 . referring now generally to fig3 through 8 , additive dispenser 200 that may be used with washing machine appliance 100 will be described in more detail . although the discussion below refers to additive dispenser 200 , one skilled in the art will appreciate that the features and configurations described may be used for other additive dispensers in other washing machine appliances as well . for example , additive dispenser 200 may be positioned elsewhere within cabinet 102 , may have a different shape or chamber configuration , and may dispense water , detergent , or other additives . other variations and modifications of the exemplary embodiment described below are possible , and such variations are contemplated as within the scope of the present subject matter . additive dispenser 200 includes a lower portion 202 ( fig3 ) and an upper portion 204 ( fig4 ) that are spaced apart along the vertical direction v and joined together to form a dispenser chamber 206 . lower portion 202 , upper portion 204 , and other components of additive dispenser 200 may be made from any suitably rigid material . for example , according to the exemplary embodiment , lower portion 202 and upper portion 204 may be formed of injection molded plastic . in this regard , they may be injection molded from plastic such as hips ( high impact polystyrene - injection molding grade ) or abs ( injection molding grade ). according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment , lower portion 202 includes a bottom surface 210 defining a siphon sump area 212 and a plateau 214 , which will be described in more detail below . upper portion 204 may have substantially the same cross - sectional shape as lower portion 202 and may be fixed onto lower portion 202 using suitable mechanical fasteners , such as screws , bolts , rivets , etc . similarly , glue , snap - fit mechanisms , interference - fit mechanisms , or any suitable combination thereof may secure lower portion 202 and upper portion 204 . additive dispenser 200 may further include a water supply nozzle 216 for directing water into dispenser chamber 206 . for example , as best illustrated in fig4 through 6 , water supply nozzle 216 is mounted to upper portion 204 and is configured to provide a flow of water to dispenser chamber 206 . in general , this water may be mixed with wash additive , such as powdered detergent 224 , to form a wash liquid to be dispensed into the wash tub 121 from additive dispenser 200 . to supply water to water supply nozzle 216 , washing machine appliance 100 may further include a plurality of valves ( not shown ) that supply hot and / or cold water to water supply nozzle 216 from a hot water supply and a cold water supply . each valve may be , for example , a solenoid valve that is electrically connected to controller 108 . however , any other suitable water valve may be used to control the flow of water . the hot and cold water may be diverted directly to water supply nozzle 216 or may be mixed to achieve the appropriate water temperature prior to delivery through water supply nozzle 216 into dispenser chamber 206 . other methods of water delivery into dispenser chamber 206 are possible and within the scope of the present invention . although the illustrated embodiment shows a single water supply nozzle 216 mounted to upper portion 204 , it will be understood that different nozzle configurations may be used in alternative exemplary embodiments . for example , a water supply nozzle may be positioned on lower portion 202 of additive dispenser 200 or multiple nozzles may be placed throughout dispenser chamber 206 . other configurations are also possible and within the scope of the present subject matter . referring now specifically to fig3 through 8 , plateau 214 is generally a sloping surface that may have one or more angles , each angle being configured to direct liquid toward the siphon sump 212 . plateau 214 is positioned vertically above the siphon sump 212 and may define a receiving surface 218 . upper portion 204 may define an opening 222 configured to receive a wash additive ( e . g ., powdered detergent 224 ). according to the illustrated embodiment , opening 222 is positioned directly over receiving surface 218 . additive dispenser 200 may be mounted underneath top panel 140 of cabinet 102 ( fig2 ) such that opening 222 may receive wash additive poured into first aperture 150 or second aperture 152 . for example , according to the example embodiment , first aperture 150 may coincide with opening 222 , such that powdered detergent poured into first aperture 150 is received directly through opening 222 . in this regard , the user may see bottom surface 210 of lower portion 202 , and may thereby know how much detergent has been added to additive dispenser 200 . however , one skilled in the art will appreciate that the present subject matter is not limited to such a method of adding wash additive to additive dispenser 200 . for example , wash additive may be supplied directly from an additive reservoir located within cabinet 102 or apertures 150 , 152 may connect to additive dispenser 200 indirectly , e . g ., via a chute or channel . additive dispenser 200 may be mounted to top panel 140 using a plurality of mounting features , using mechanical fasteners , or in any other suitable manner . similarly , glue , snap - fit mechanisms , interference - fit mechanisms , or any suitable combination thereof may secure additive dispenser 200 to cabinet 102 . in addition , additive dispenser 200 may be easily removable , e . g ., for periodic cleaning . one skilled in the art will appreciate that additive dispenser 200 may be mounted in other locations and use other mounting means according to alternative exemplary embodiments . as described above , opening 222 is configured to receive wash additive through first aperture 150 of washing machine appliance 100 ( i . e ., a vertical - axis washing machine ). however , one skilled in the art will appreciate that different configurations of additive dispenser 200 are possible in alternative washing machine appliances and according to alternative exemplary embodiments . for example , according to an alternative embodiment , additive dispenser 200 may be slidably received within the cabinet of a horizontal - axis washing machine , such that a user may pull additive dispenser 200 along the transverse direction t to slide it out of the cabinet . the user may then add wash additive through opening 222 before sliding additive dispenser 200 back into the cabinet prior to starting a wash cycle . alternatively , additive dispenser 200 may draw wash additives from a separate storage container within washing machine appliance 100 . other configurations of additive dispenser 200 and dispenser chamber 206 are also possible and within the scope of the present subject matter . in addition , although only one dispenser chamber 206 is described herein , one skilled in the art will appreciate that more than one dispenser chamber may be included in alternative additive dispensers . referring again to fig3 through 8 , bottom surface 210 may further define an inner siphon cylinder 230 that extends in a substantially vertical direction from siphon sump 212 . one or more alignment ribs 232 may extend radially outward from inner siphon cylinder 230 . upper portion 204 may define an outer siphon cylinder 234 that extends downward over inner siphon cylinder 230 when upper portion 204 is mounted on lower portion 202 . outer siphon cylinder 234 may define a plurality of alignment slots 236 ( fig4 ) configured to receive alignment ribs 232 . in this manner , inner siphon cylinder 230 and outer siphon cylinder 234 define a siphon 238 . outer siphon cylinder 234 extends below plateau 214 very close to siphon sump 212 . a siphon inlet 240 is therefore formed between inner siphon cylinder 230 and outer siphon cylinder 234 proximate to the siphon sump 212 . in this manner , siphon 238 includes a siphon path that extends from siphon inlet 240 , through an annular siphon channel defined between siphon cylinders 230 , 234 , and out a siphon outlet 242 , such that wash liquid may flow through the inside of inner siphon cylinder 230 and into wash tub 121 . according to the exemplary embodiment , the annular siphon channel has a uniform thickness defined between the outer surface of the inner siphon cylinder 230 and the inner surface of the outer siphon cylinder 234 . after detergent 224 is added to receiving surface 218 , water may be added to create a wash liquid , and the siphon 238 is used to draw the wash liquid out of the dispenser chamber 206 and into wash tub 121 . more particularly , to operate siphon 238 according to an example embodiment , controller 108 may cause water to enter dispenser chamber 206 through water supply nozzle 216 to raise the level of wash liquid in dispenser chamber 206 . eventually , the wash liquid rises above siphon outlet 242 , which creates a siphon effect to draw wash liquid out of dispenser chamber 206 and into wash tub 121 through inner siphon cylinder 230 . as long as nothing clogs siphon inlet 240 , wash liquid may siphoned out of dispenser chamber 206 until the level of wash liquid drops below plateau 214 and siphon inlet 240 . bottom surface 210 may further define an overflow weir 250 that extends vertically upward from siphon sump 212 . a weir inlet 252 is defined at the top of overflow weir 250 and is in fluid communication with wash tub 121 . weir inlet 252 is typically positioned vertically above the top of inner siphon cylinder 230 — i . e ., the siphon outlet 242 . in this manner , wash liquid is dispensed into wash tub 121 through overflow weir 250 only when the level of wash liquid is above weir inlet 252 . when wash liquid is below this level , wash liquid is dispensed into wash tub 121 through the siphon 238 , as described above . notably , weir inlet 252 has a larger cross - section than siphon outlet 242 to allow for higher flow rates of wash liquid when dispenser chamber 206 is filled . as best shown in fig5 , overflow weir 250 is positioned adjacent siphon 238 within the siphon sump 212 . in addition , overflow weir 250 has a generally arcuate shape and wraps at least partly around siphon 238 . in this manner , overflow weir 250 , lower portion 202 , and upper portion 204 define a flow channel 254 on the opposite side of overflow weir 250 from siphon 238 . as described in detail below , this configuration directs the flow of water such that clogs in the siphon inlet 240 are reduced or eliminated . during operation of washing machine appliance 100 , a user may add powdered detergent through first aperture 150 . first aperture 150 coincides with opening 222 , which is positioned directly over receiving surface 218 . therefore , powdered detergent is collected on receiving surface 218 of plateau 214 . notably , receiving surface 218 is positioned remote from siphon inlet 240 . for example , as shown in fig6 , and 10 , receiving surface 218 does not coincide with siphon inlet 240 . instead , receiving surface 218 may be adjacent to siphon inlet 240 , and is sufficiently spaced apart to prevent detergent 224 from collecting in siphon inlet 240 . more specifically , receiving surface 218 may be spaced at least 5 millimeters away from outer siphon cylinder 234 along a horizontal direction h ( fig9 and 10 ). in addition , receiving surface 218 has a lower angle relative to horizontal than the remainder of plateau 214 . the angle of receiving surface 218 may be such that powdered detergent remains on receiving surface 218 until a flow of water entrains the powdered detergent . for example , receiving surface 218 may have an angle of less than five degrees relative to horizontal h ( fig9 and 10 ). in this manner , powdered detergent has a reduced tendency of collecting around and clogging siphon inlet 240 . referring now specifically to fig6 through 8 , the flow path of water within dispenser chamber 206 will be described . additive dispenser 200 and dispenser chamber 206 may generally define a first end 260 proximate water supply nozzle 216 and a second end 262 proximate siphon sump 212 . according to the exemplary embodiment , water supply nozzle 216 directs a flow of water 264 ( as indicated by arrows in fig6 through 8 ) in a substantially horizontal direction from first end 260 toward second end 262 . in this manner , liquid dispensed onto plateau 214 always tends to flow toward siphon sump 212 , and more particularly , to siphon inlet 240 . the flow of water 264 may be generally directed so as to slowly disperse and entrain powdered detergent . for example , as shown in fig6 through 8 , the flow of water 264 may be directed primarily down a side of dispenser chamber 206 , through flow channel 254 . notably , second end 262 is curved such that channel 254 wraps around overflow weir 250 and directs water directly past siphon inlet 240 . as the flow of water 264 is directed past siphon inlet 240 , it forces powdered detergent away from siphon inlet 240 , thereby reducing the tendency of powdered detergent to clog the siphon inlet 240 . more specifically , the flow of water 264 is directed past siphon 238 and back up onto plateau 214 . as best shown in fig9 and 10 , plateau 214 has two sloping portions and receiving surface 218 . a first sloping portion 270 is positioned underneath water supply nozzle 216 and slopes substantially in a direction toward siphon sump 212 . more particularly , the flow of water 264 on first sloping portion 270 is substantially parallel with a first sidewall 272 of lower portion 202 . a second sloping portion 274 is sloped substantially toward receiving surface 218 and toward siphon sump 212 . more particularly , second sloping portion 274 is angled in a direction substantially away from a second sidewall 276 and toward siphon sump 212 . due to the geometry of bottom surface 210 , sidewalls , 272 , 276 , and plateau 214 , the flow of water 264 tends to circulate about receiving surface 218 . in this manner , the powdered detergent deposited on top of receiving surface 218 is slowly eroded , entrained , and dispersed in the flow of water 264 . by directing water adjacent to and past receiving surface 218 , the tendency of powdered detergent to clog siphon inlet 240 may be reduced or eliminated when compared to designs that simply flush detergent using a shower of water or more direct flows of water . this written description uses examples to disclose the invention , including the best mode , and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention , including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods . 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 include 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 .	3
the instant invention may be employed to amidate naturally occurring , synthetically - derived or recombinantly expressed polypeptides . in the embodiments illustrated in detail hereinafter , the invention is employed to amidate recombinantly expressed chimeric proteins that have been recovered from host cells in the form of inclusion bodies . chimeric proteins employed in the instant invention may be expressed in a microbial host cell using known techniques of recombinant dna production . any suitable host cell known to be useful for the expression of proteins by recombinant dna methods may be employed , including prokaryotic and eukaryotic host cells and cell lines . e . coli is a preferred host cell . the host cell contains an expression vector which encodes the chimeric protein under the control of a regulatory sequence which is capable of directing its expression in the host , as well as an origin of replication that is functional in the host cell . the vector may contain other dna sequences conventionally employed in recombinant dna technology such as sequences encoding selectable markers . methods for expressing a foreign gene in a host organism also are well known in the art ( see , e . g ., maniatis et al . molecular cloning : a laboratory manual , cold spring harbor laboratory press , 2 nd ed ., 1989 ). the gene encoding a particular polypeptide can be constructed by chemically synthesizing the entire nucleotide sequence , by amplification , such as by the polymerase chain reaction ( pcr ), or by cloning the gene of interest . the gene is then subcloned into an appropriate expression vector . cloning vectors , expression vectors , plasmids , and viral vectors are well known in the art ( see , e . g ., maniatis et al ., supra , and goedell , methods in enzymology , vol . 185 ( academic press 1990 )). example 1 provides a detailed description of the preparation of a t7 - based expression system useful for high - level expression of mammalian proteins in e . coli . the host cell containing the expression vector is grown and the chimeric protein expressed under appropriate conditions . the conditions for growth of the host cell and expression of the chimeric protein will vary depending on various factors such as the host cell employed , the promoter and the particular chimeric protein being expressed . those skilled in the art are capable of determining the appropriate conditions for the particular host / vector system employed . methods for expressing a foreign gene in a host organism also are well known in the art ( see , e . g ., maniatis et al ., molecular cloning : a laboratory manual , cold spring harbor laboratory press , 2 nd ed ., 1989 ). the gene encoding a particular polypeptide can be constructed by chemically synthesizing the entire nucleotide sequence , by amplification , such as by the polymerase chain reaction ( pcr ), or by cloning the gene of interest . the gene is then subcloned into an appropriate expression vector . cloning vectors , expression vectors , plasmids , and viral vectors are well known in the art ( see , e . g ., maniatis et al ., supra , and goedell , methods in enzymology , vol . 185 ( academic press 1990 )). example 1 provides a detailed description of the preparation of a t7 - based expression system useful for high - level expression of mammalian proteins in e . coli . when a polypeptide is prepared by recombinant techniques , one can add a cleavage site at a point preceding the n - terminus , and a cys - x 2 - x 3 tail sequence to the c terminus of the amino acid sequence defining the peptide product , by incorporating or mutating the appropriate nucleotides into the encoding nucleic acid by any of various methods including , for example , site - directed mutagenesis . such cleavage site and cys - x 2 - x 3 sequences can provide a site for concurrent cleavage and amidation by palladium complexes as described herein . recombinant methods can also be used to generate a nucleic acid encoding a protein with a repeating polypeptide sequence , with each sequence separated by a predetermined cleavage site and the c - terminus of each sequence attached to the group cys - x 2 - x 3 . in this case , palladium complex - promoted concurrent cleavage and amidation can occur at multiple cleavage sites as defined above in the polypeptide , releasing multiple copies of the desired peptide . as used herein , “ protein ,” “ polypeptide ,” and “ peptide ” are used interchangeably and are intended to refer to any sequence of two or more amino acids , regardless of length , and including those having a molecular weight of between about 400 to about 100 , 000 daltons or greater ( preferably between 1 , 000 and 50 , 000 daltons ). polypeptides suitable for cleavage can comprise any of the natural amino acids , such as ala ( a ), arg ( r ), asp ( d ), asn ( n ), glu ( e ), gln ( o ), gly ( g ), his ( h ), leu ( l ), ile ( i ), lys ( k ), met ( m ), cys ( c ), phe ( f ), pro ( p ), ser ( s ), thr ( t ), trp ( w ), tyr ( y ), val ( v ) ( single letter amino acid code in parentheses ), or may comprise any side chain - modified amino acid derivative commonly used in peptide chemistry . the latter amino acid derivatives include , for example , 1 - or 2 - napthylalanines and p - benzoylamino - l - phenylalanine , among others . the process of the instant invention is applicable to natural polypeptides , synthetic polypeptides , or polypeptides produced using recombinant techniques . methods for preparing synthetic polypeptides are well known in the art and include , for example , merrifield solid phase peptide synthesis . methods for expressing a foreign gene in a host organism also are well known in the art ( see , e . g ., maniatis et al . molecular cloning : a laboratory manual , cold spring harbor laboratory press , 2 nd ed ., 1989 ). the gene encoding a particular polypeptide can be constructed by chemically synthesizing the entire nucleotide sequence , by amplification , such as by the polymerase chain reaction ( pcr ), or by cloning the gene of interest . the gene is then subcloned into an appropriate expression vector . cloning vectors , expression vectors , plasmids , and viral vectors are well known in the art ( see , e . g ., maniatis et al ., supra , and goedell , methods in enzymology , vol . 185 ( academic press 1990 )). example 1 provides a detailed description of the preparation of a t7 - based expression system useful for high - level expression of mammalian proteins in e . coli . thus , the process of the instant invention provides for the production of desired peptides which include , but are not limited to , glucagon - like peptide - 2 ( glp - 2 ), glucagon - like peptide - 1 ( glp - 1 ), growth hormone - releasing factor ( grf ), parathyroid hormone ( pth ), parathyroid hormone related peptide , adrenocorticotropic hormone ( acth ), enkephalins , endorphins , exendens , amylins , various opioid peptides , frog skin antibiotic peptides , such as gaegurins 5 and 6 , brevinin 1 , the ranatuerins 1 through 9 , and the esculetins , glucose - dependent insulinotropic polypeptide ( gip ), glucagon , motilin , thymopoietins , thymosins , ubiquitin , serum thymic factor , thymic humoral factor , neurotensin , tuftsin , and fragments and derivatives of these peptides . precursor non - amidated or reduced forms of the following peptides and other peptides of like nature , can also be expressed as a fusion construct with a predetermined cleavage site and subjected to cleavage and concurrent or sequential amidation in accordance with the process of the instant invention : gastrin , calcitonin , luteinizing - hormone - releasing hormone , pancreatic polypeptide , endothelin , corticotropin releasing factor , neuropeptide y , atrial naturetic peptide , amylin , galanin , somatostatins , vasoactive intestinal peptide , insulin , and fragments and derivatives of these peptides . examples of leader sequences which can be employed with chimeric proteins include a signal sequence such as that used to direct secretion of a protein from a cell , the n - terminal portion of a mature protein sequence , such as from a structural gene , a linker sequence , or combinations thereof . useful leader sequences also are shown in example 1 . a leader sequence can be obtained from the genes encoding glutathione - s - transferase or carbonic anhydrase . linkers may be designed to end in a predetermined cleavage sequences . c - terminal sequences which may be employed in accordance with the process of the instant invention include any sequence defined by cys - x 2 - x 3 , where x 2 is any amino acid and x 3 is cys , his , or met . such sequences include , but are not limited to , cacle ( seq id no : 12 ), cacdd ( seq id no : 13 ), cackk ( seq id no : 14 ), ckcle ( seq id no : 15 ), camle ( seq id no : 16 ), and cahle ( seq id no : 17 ). in preferred embodiments of the instant invention in which the peptide has been expressed in the form of a chimeric protein , the chimeric protein has a molecular weight of between about 400 to about 100 , 000 daltons or greater ( preferably between 1 , 000 and 50 , 000 daltons and can comprise any of the natural amino acids , such as ala ( a ), arg ( r ), asp ( d ), asn ( n ), glu ( e ), gln ( o ), gly ( g ), his ( h ), leu ( l ), ile ( i ), lys ( k ), met ( m ), cys ( c ), phe ( f ), pro ( p ), ser ( s ), thr ( t ), trp ( w ), tyr ( y ), val ( v ) ( single letter amino acid code in parentheses ), or may comprise any side chain - modified amino acid derivative commonly used in peptide chemistry . the latter amino acid derivatives include , for example , 1 - or 2 - napthylalanines and p - benzoylamino - l - phenylalanine , among others . after the chimeric protein has been expressed it can be recovered ( in the form of inclusion bodies ) from the host cells by known methods such as , for example , lysing the cells chemically or mechanically and separating the inclusion bodies ( chimeric protein ) by centrifugation . recovered inclusion bodies are thereafter subjected to palladium - promoted hydrolytic cleavage by dissolving them in a reaction mixture comprising 1 to about 22 molar organic acid containing a palladium ( ii ) or ( iv ) complex ( e . g ., tetrachloropalladate ( ii )). the palladium complex is added in significant molar excess to the chimeric protein in the process of the instant invention , ideally in about 2 - to about 20 - fold molar excess ( preferably in about 5 : 1 molar excess over cys ). the organic acid can include monocarboxylic acids such as acetic acid , propionic acid , butyric acid , pyruvic acid ; hydroxysubstituted acids such as lactic acid , tartaric acid , citric acid ; dicarboxylic acids such as oxalic acid , malic acid , maleic acid , malonic acid , fumaric acid , glutaric acid , adipic acid , succinic acid , pimelic acid ; tricarboxylic acids such as tricarballylic acid ; sugar acids such as glucuronic acid and other uronic acids , aldonic acids such as gluconic acid ; and aldaric acids such as saccharic acid . acetic , citric , formic , maleic , malonic , propionic , pyruvic , tartaric , lactic , and trifluoroacetic acids are preferred organic acid solvents . cleavage is usually carried out at a temperature of between about 50 ° c . to about 70 ° c . it is understood that the reaction conditions of the cleavage step of the process of the instant invention are adjusted depending on the palladium complex used and the characteristics of the polypeptide to be cleaved . the palladium complex should be solubilized , which will affect the reaction conditions . moreover , in a preferred embodiment , the reaction conditions used will at least partially denature the polypeptide to be cleaved . palladate ( pd ) ( ii ) complexes that can promote the cleavage of polypeptides in accordance with the instant invention include [ pd ( oh 2 ) 3 ( oh )] + , [ pdcl 4 ] 2 − ; cis -[ pd ( en )( oh 2 ) 2 ] 2 + , cis -[ pd ( pn )( oh 2 ) 2 ] 2 + , cis -[ pd ( pic )( oh 2 ) 2 ] 2 + , cis -[ pd ( bpy )( oh 2 ) 2 ] 2 + , cis -[ pd ( phen )( oh 2 ) 2 ] 2 + , and cis -[ pd ( dtco - oh )( oh 2 ) 2 ] 2 + . additionally , pd ( iv ) complexed with chloride ion as hexachloropalladate can also provide an effective cleavage agent . palladium complexes can be prepared by methods well known in the art ( see e . g ., ( hohmann et al ., inorg . chim . acta 174 : 87 ( 1990 ); rau et al ., inorg . chem ., 36 : 1454 ( 1997 ); drexler et al ., inorg . chem ., 30 : 1297 ( 1991 ), or u . s . pat . no . 5 , 352 , 771 ) or can be purchased commercially . preferred palladium complexes include salts of the following : [ pdcl 4 ] 2 − , [ pd ( ncch 3 ) 2 ( oh 2 ) 2 ] 2 + , and [ pdcl 6 ] 2 − . palladium complexes most preferred include [ pdcl 4 ] 2 − , [ pd ( ncch 3 )( oh 2 ) 2 ] 2 + , and [ pdcl 6 ] 2 complexes are used as the salt of an inorganic base , such as sodium or potassium . the sodium salt of [ pdcl 4 ] 2 − is preferred . in one embodiment of the instant invention , the chimeric protein ( in the form of a precursor peptide ) t7tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 ) cacle ( seq id no : 11 ) was expressed in e . coli and thereafter concurrently cleaved and amidated in accordance with the process of the instant invention . this chimeric protein has a leader sequence connected by a cys - his sequence to the growth hormone releasing factor peptide grf ( 1 - 44 ). the grf is linked to a cys - ala - cys - leu - glu ( seq id no : 12 ) c - terminal sequence . the precursor peptide comprises a 14 - residue signal sequence followed by both a 27 residue vestigial ( vg ) sequence ( which induced inclusion body formation and high expression ) and a 13 - residue linker which ends with the cys - his cleavage site . the precursor peptide was reacted in a mixture of ( 1 ) 4 m malonic acid in a ratio of 3 mg of precursor peptide / ml malonic acid , and ( 2 ) 4mm na 2 pdcl 4 the reaction proceeded at about 60 ° c . for approximately 2 hours to yield around 17 - 21 % of amidated peptide product as determined by hplc analyses . other precursor peptides which have been cleaved and amidated in accordance with the process of the instant invention include : t 7 - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ; ( seq id no : 11 ) t 7 - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacdd ; ( seq id no : 18 ) t 7 - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cackk ; ( seq id no : 19 ) t 7 - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- camle ; ( seq id no : 20 ) t 7 - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cable ; ( seq id no : 21 ) t 7 - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cghle ; ( seq id no : 22 ) and t 7 - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- clhle ; ( seq id no : 23 ) these precursor peptides were cleaved and amidated using 5 m malonic acid as an organic solvent , at precursor peptide concentration ranges of approximately 2 mg of precursor peptide / ml of organic solvent , with pd ( ii ) promoter concentrations of 5 . 6 molar excess to cys , at a reaction temperature of about 60 ° c . and a reaction time of about 2 hours . cleavage and amidation yields for these various precursor peptides obtained under these conditions ranged from 2 to 50 %. the mechanistic pathway for conversion of the cys - x 2 - x 3 tail sequence to the amidated grf product is not known . without intending any limitation to the scope of the instant invention , one possible explanation is that the first cys ( i . e ., cys ) moiety is converted to dehydroalanine to give a jacle ( seq id no : 24 ) species ( where j is used as the single letter code for the dehydroalanyl residue ). the dehydroalanine group then is either oxidatively or hydrolytically cleaved ( most likely with pd assistance ) at the amino terminal side to leave grf in amidated form . other embodiments of the instant invention are disclosed in the following examples , which are illustrative and not limiting . expression of t7tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cys - x 2 - x 3 ( seq id no : 25 ) precursor peptides : the following precursor peptides : t 7 tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ; ( seq id no : 11 ) t 7 tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacdd ; ( seq id no : 18 ) t 7 tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cackk ; ( seq id no : 19 ) t 7 tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- camle ; ( seq id no : 20 ) t 7 tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cahle ; ( seq id no : 21 ) t 7 tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cghle ; ( seq id no : 22 ) and t 7 tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- clhle ; ( seq id no : 23 ) e . coli bacteria containing expression plasmids encoding the t7tag - vg - d 4 k - ch - grf ( 1 - 44 ) cys - x 2 - x 3 ( seq id no : 25 ) polypeptides ( e . g ., the t7tag - vg - d 4 k - ch - grf ( 1 - 44 ) cacle ( seq id no : 11 ) in fig2 ) were grown in 500 ml shake flasks containing tryptone , yeast , glucose , batch salts ( sodium and potassium mono - and diphosphate salts and ammonium sulfate ), and antibiotic . inoculated shake flasks were subject to orbital shaking ( 200 rpm , 37 ° c .). incubation was completed when the culture reached an optical density ( od ) of 0 . 8 - 1 . 8 at 540 nm . fermentors ranging from 5 l to 100 l production capacities were seeded using shake flask cultures . the media included batch salts , glucose , and chelated metals solution ( potassium citrate , sodium citrate , magnesium sulfate , phosphoric acid ferric chloride , zinc chloride , cobalt chloride , sodium molybdate , manganese chloride , calcium chloride , and copper sulfate ). the ph of the medium was adjusted to 6 . 9 prior to inoculation and the ph was maintained at 6 . 9 during culture . dissolved oxygen was maintained at approximately 40 %, via agitation and supplemental oxygen . either silicone - based or polypropylene glycol - based “ antifoam ” was added aseptically on an “ as needed ” basis to reduce foaming in the fermentation culture . when the fermentation culture od reached 25 at 540 nm , recombinant protein expression was induced by adding filter - sterilized isopropylthiogalactoside ( iptg , 600 mm ) to a final concentration of 0 . 5 mm , followed by filter - sterilized magnesium induction supplement ( potassium citrate and magnesium sulfate ). the culture was incubated for another 6 hr , and then cooled to 10 - 15 ° c . recovery of inclusion bodies of t7tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cys - x 2 - x 3 ( seq id no : 25 ) precursor peptides the inclusion bodies prepared as in example 1 were recovered as follows . the e . coli cells from 500 ml shake flask were isolated . to the whole cells suspended in tris - edta buffer ( ph 8 . 0 , 10 mm and 1 mm , respectively ) was added lysozyme . freeze - thaw process followed by sonication broke the cells . the crude precursor peptides were further purified by solubilization in 1 . 5 m citric acid followed by precipitation by titration of the acid with naoh . the precipitate obtained at ph 4 . 0 was washed with deionized water until the conductivity of the solution became less than 0 . 1 ms . the residual white cake was lyophilized . the whole cells containing precursor peptides from 5 l fermentations were suspended in tris - edta buffer ( ph 8 . 0 , 10 mm and 1 mm , respectively ) and then pressurized to break . the isolated precursor peptide was further washed with deionized water until the conductivity of the wash became less than 0 . 1 ms . the crude precursor peptides grf - cacle ( seq id no : 26 ), grf - cacdd ( seq id no : 27 ), grf - cackk ( seq id no : 28 ), grf - camle ( seq id no : 29 ), grf - cahle ( seq id no : 30 ), grf - cghle ( seq id no : 31 ), and grf - clhle ( seq id no : 32 ) were further purified by solubilization in 6 . 5 m malonic acid or 3 . 5 m citric acid followed by sonication ( with probe sonicator , 2 mm tip od ). the precursor peptides were purified by hplc with a microsorb mv - 100 cnc8 column ( 4 . 6 × 100 mm ). the ibs were eluted with a linear gradient ; 10 - 100 % b in 20 min with buffers ; a was 100 % water and 5 mm hcl , and b 95 % acetonitrile and 5 mm hcl at 0 . 8 ml / min of flow rate and monitored at 280 nm . hplc method 1 : beckman hplc with system gold v 8 . 1 software , with waters symmetry column ( 4 . 6 × 150 mm with a guard column ( 4 . 6 × 15 mm )). a typical hplc performance was done with a linear gradient ; 20 - 30 % b in 5 min , 30 - 38 % b in 15 min and 38 - 100 % b in 3 min , with buffers ; a was 100 % water and 0 . 1 % tfa , and b 95 % acetonitrile and 0 . 1 % tfa . hplc method 2 : lc - ms : finnigan duo q lc - ms with a 4 . 6 × 250 mm , 10 μm , 300 å vydac c 8 reverse phase column was used . the gradient followed the same rate of change of the organic modifier as in method 3 . hplc method 3 : for t = 0 ( inclusion bodies ) and reaction time - course samples ( through t final ), a 4 . 6 × 250 mm , 10 μm , 300 å vydac c 8 reverse phase column was used ( 1 ml / min flow , 32 ° c . setpoint on column heater ) with the following mobile phases : a = 20 % acetonitrile , 0 . 1 % tfa ; b = 75 % acetonitrile , 0 . 1 % tfa . the gradient used was 15 - 33 % b ( 25 min . ), 33 - 100 % b ( 5 min . ), 100 - 15 % b ( 1 min . ), 15 % b ( 7 min .). uv absorbance detection was at 214 nm . the use of citric acid in cleavage - amidation of t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ( seq id no : 11 ) precursor peptide , t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle , was dissolved with homogenization in citric acid at concentrations of 1 mg / ml , 2 mg / ml , and 3 mg / ml using techniques as described in example 2 . approximately 3 . 5 m citric acid stock was diluted to a 3 m final concentration during homogenization . for each inclusion body concentration , five tetrachloropalladate concentrations were investigated : 1 mm , 2 mm , 5 mm , 10 mm , and 15 mm . the reaction time was six hours and the reaction temperature was 60 ° c . yields of amidated r - grf of up to 14 % were determined by hplc method 3 of example 3 and are listed in table 1 . four solubilizations of grf - cacle ( seq id no : 26 ) inclusion bodies into malonic acid were made as follows : 2 mg / ml in 4 m malonic , 2 mg / ml in 5 m malonic , 3 mg / ml in 4 m malonic , and 3 mg / ml in 5 m malonic . for each of the two solutions at 2 mg / ml peptide , tetrachloropalladate was introduced at 2 , 3 , and 4 mm concentrations . for the two 3 mg / ml solutions , tetrachloropalladate was added separately at 3 , 4 , and 5 mm concentrations . all conditions were run in duplicate and each reaction was allowed to proceed for 3 hours at 60 ° c . and then was quenched by 3 × dilution in nascn solution ( specific for each such that final pd : scn − was kept at 1 : 2 ). hplc analyses were performed on samples diluted 5 fold into 8 m urea / 20 mm tcep , using method 3 , example 3 . fig2 illustrates the yield of rgrf ( 1 - 44 ) amide as a function of malonic acid , precursor peptide and tetrachloropalladate concentrations . as can be seen in fig2 , by comparing the ( 4 m , 2 mg / ml ) trend to the ( 4 m , 3 mg / ml ) as well as the ( 5 m , 2 mg / ml ) curve to the ( 5 m , 3 mg / ml ), there is very little difference in maximum yield associated with peptide concentration . however , comparison of ( 4 m , 2 mg / ml ) to ( 5 m , 2 mg / ml ), and also ( 4 m , 3 mg / ml ) to ( 5 m , 3 mg / ml ), shows a definite advantage of 4 m malonic acid concentration regardless of precursor peptide concentration . all four curves in fig2 demonstrate a maximum for the tetrachloropalladate concentration that corresponds to 5 - 5 . 5 equivalents of tetrachloropalladate per cysteine residue ( 3 cys / precursor peptide ) comparison of the cleavage - amidation of t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- camle ( seq id no : 20 ). t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ( seq id no : 11 ), and t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cahle ( seq id no : 21 ) by tetrachloropalladate in malonic acid the - camle ( seq id no : 16 ), - cahle ( seq id no : 17 ), and - cacle ( seq id no : 12 ) precursor peptides , prepared in solution in 5 m malonic acid as described in examples 1 and 2 , were incubated with 4 mm tetrachloropalladate at 60 ° c . for 2 hours . analyses were performed by method 1 . the cacle ( seq id no : 12 ) precursor peptide cleavage and amidation yields were double those of the cahle ( seq id no : 17 ) precursor peptide ( 31 vs 16 . 1 % yield of grf ( 1 - 44 ) amide ), and camle ( seq id no : 16 ) precursor peptide cleavage and amidation was 17 fold less than that of the cacle ( seq id no : 12 ) precursor peptide ( 1 . 8 % vs 31 % yield of grf ( 1 - 44 ) amide ). use of the cacle ( seq id no : 12 ) tail sequence was therefore shown to yield the greatest amount of c - terminally amidated grf . comparison of the cleavage - amidation of t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cghle ( seq id no : 22 ), t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cahle ( seq id no : 21 ), t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 ) clhle ( seq id no : 23 ) by tetrachloropalladate in malonic acid the precursor peptides t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cghle ( seq id no : 22 ), t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cahle ( seq id no : 21 ), t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- clhle ( seq id no : 23 ) were solubilized in 5 m malonic acid as described in examples 1 and 2 , and were incubated with 4 mm tetrachloropalladate at 60 ° c . for 2 hours . hplc analyses were performed by hplc method 1 of example 3 . the resultant amidation yields of the - clhle ( seq id no : 33 ) and - cahle ( seq id no : 17 ) precursors were essentially identical ; both yielded about 50 % more amide than the - cghle ( seq id no : 34 ) precursor . the results of this set of experiments established that x 2 in the tail sequence cys - x 2 - x 3 is not limited to any particular amino acid . comparison of the cleavage - amidation of t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ( seq id no : 11 ). t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cackk ( seq id no : 19 ), and t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacdd ( seq id no 18 ), by tetrachloropalladate in malonic acid the precursor peptides t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ( seq id no : 11 ), t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cackk ( seq id no : 19 ), and t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacdd ( seq id no : 18 ) were solubilized in 5 m malonic acid as described in examples 1 and 2 , and were incubated with 4 mm tetrachloropalladate at 60 ° c . for 2 hours . hplc analyses were performed by method 1 of example 3 . about 21 % of the precursor cackk ( seq id no : 14 ) amidated ; the amidation yield of the other constructs averaged around 50 %. mass spectrometric investigation of the reaction products of t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ( seq id no : 11 ) with tetrachloropalladate in malonic acid the precursor peptide t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ( seq id no : 11 ) was solubilized in 5 m malonic acid at a concentration of 3 mg / ml , as described in examples 1 and 2 . the solution was incubated with 4 mm tetrachloropalladate at 60 ° c . for 2 . 5 hours . an aliquot of the solution was analyzed by lc - ms by hplc method 2 of example 3 . fig3 a is rgrf ( 1 - 44 ) amide . fig3 c is rgrf ( 1 - 44 ) jacle ( seq id no : 35 ). the mass - spectrum of the putative grf - product showed the correct mass for grf ( 1 - 44 ) amide , as shown in fig3 . fig3 b is rgrf ( 1 - 44 ) amide . fig3 d is rgrf ( 1 - 44 ) jacle ( seq id no : 35 ). hplc identification of the product of the tetrachloropalladate reaction with t7tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ( seq id no : 11 ) in malonic acid as grf ( 1 - 44 )- amide t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ( seq id no : 11 ) precursor peptide was reacted with tetrachloropalladate as described in example 9 , and was analyzed by hplc method 1 of example 3 . the cleavage - amidation product was analyzed with and without spiking standards of grf ( 1 - 44 ) amide and grf ( 1 - 44 )- oh . the retention times for the standards were respectively 18 . 3 and 18 . 7 min . the product peak from the reaction eluted at 18 . 3 min . when the standards were added to the sample and then analyzed , the major peak at 18 . 3 min increased in height . this supports the mass - spectrometric identification of the product as being grf ( 1 - 44 ) amide , and not grf ( 1 - 44 ) free acid . all publications , patents and patent applications including priority patent application no . 60 / 383 , 362 filed on may 24 , 2002 are incorporated herein by reference . while in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof , and many details have been set forth for purposes of illustration , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein may be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention .	2
referring first to fig1 a conventional method will be described by which a deployment engineer can use a conventional radio - deployment tool ( rdt ) to determine the boundaries of a cell , for use in lower bit - rate applications unaffected by short - term fades and dispersion . fig1 contains an rdt base station ( rdtbs ) 1 , and an rdt wireless handset ( rdtwh ) 2 which could be carried by a deployment engineer ( not shown ). the rdt , which comprises the rdtbs 1 and the rdtwh 2 , operates when test signals are periodically sent from the rdtwh 2 to the rdtbs 1 while the rdtwh is held by a deployment engineer following a path , such as a path 3 for example . test signals are generated only as the deployment engineer walks the rdtwh 2 away from the rdtbs 1 . the test signals are analysed on the rdtbs 1 , so that it can indicate to the deployment engineer , through the user - interface of the rdtwh 2 , whether or not he or she has reached a cell boundary . the analysis performed on the test signals by such a conventional rdtbs 1 comprises the steps of measuring rssi - levels of the test signals , determining points 4 where the rssi - levels of the test signals fall below some threshold value , rssi 0 , and then using these points 4 to define a cell - boundary . as discussed previously however , this conventional method is inadequate when applied to the newly - emerging high bit - rate pcs ( personal communication services ) systems because of its inability to account for short - term fading and temporal dispersion . according to an embodiment of the invention , an rdt is provided which can determine cell - boundary points for the newly - emerging high bit - rate pcs systems by considering , in addition to the rssi - levels of test signals with respect to rssi 0 , the bit error rates ( ber ) of test signals . ber - levels are measured , because they are functions of both rssi - levels , and the short - term fading and dispersion effects described above . ber - levels of received signals are thus analysed , in conjunction with the rssi - levels of those same signals , to deduce whether or not short - term fading or dispersion effects are adversely impacting signals at a given point in the site . it is to be noted that in a preferred embodiment of this invention , the rdt measures ber - levels only for signals whose rssi - levels it forces down into a testing range , [ rssi 0 . . . rssi min ], where rssi min is the minimum power level at which communication between a handset and a receiver is of an acceptable quality . ber - levels are only measured for signals that have been driven into the testing range because signals falling outside it are either too strong ( rssi & gt ; rssi 0 ) to be adversely affected by short - term fading and dispersion or too weak ( rssi & lt ; rssi min ) to be considered for acceptance by the network in the first place . signals falling inside the testing range on the other hand , are both susceptible to these same effects and occasionally of value to the network . more specifically , signals falling inside the testing range are of value when they also form part of a fading range that is maintained in order to allow the network to tolerate signals afflicted by a pre - defined range of non - linear and unpredictable fades . the fading range at a given point extends from [ rssi meas . . . rssi meas - m f ], where rssi meas is the average rssi - level with which signals are received from that point during deployment , and m f is a fading margin that must be maintained below rssi meas at all points in a cell . the fading range begins to be adversely impacted by short - term fades and dispersion as it starts to overlap with the testing range . therefore , ber testing is performed on signals whose rssi - levels have been forced down into the testing range , in order to simulate the operation of the fading margin over a range of rssi - levels at which it is vulnerable against short - term fading or dispersion . referring now to fig2 a , an rdt according to an embodiment of the invention , again has an rdtbs 1 and an rdtwh 2 . the rdtwh may be a conventional wireless handset or may contain modifications to enhance rdt functionality . the rdtbs may be an otherwise conventional base station enhanced with the required rdt capabilities as discussed in detail below . the rdtwh 2 contains a microphone 6 for converting audio signals from the user into electrical signals , and a mute button 7 that the user can press to prevent the digitization and transmission of any electrical signal emanating from the microphone 6 . both the microphone 6 and the mute button 7 are connected to an adaptive pulse code modulation ( adpcm ) digital signal processor ( dsp ) 8 , such that adpcm modulation is performed on digitized signals received from the microphone 6 when the mute button 7 is not depressed , and on a string of 0 - bytes when the mute button 7 is being held down . in some rdtwhs , the mute button 7 may also function in a toggle mode wherein alternate strokes of the button 7 initiate and disable the mute feature . for the purposes of this embodiment , the mute feature must be activated during testing , and in what follows , this is assumed to be the case . the adpcm dsp 8 is connected to a scrambler circuit 9 . the scrambler 9 combines the bit - stream output of the adpcm dsp 8 with a known sequence of bits in order to produce a scrambled sequence of bits which is unlikely to contain continuous strings of 0 - bits or 1 - bits , and which is therefore more easily modulated and transmitted . the scrambler 9 is connected to an antenna and associated circuitry 10 , which is responsible for inserting the scrambled bit stream into packets , placing the packets into communications signals , and transmitting the communications signals through the air to the rdtbs 1 . the rdtbs 1 contains an antenna and associated circuitry 11 which is capable of applying a known attenuation to the rssi - level of the received signals so the attenuated rssi - level falls into the testing range , [ rssi 0 . . . rssi min ]. the generation of such signals , hereinafter rdt attenuated signals , is achieved by having the rdtbs 2 use different receiver configuration settings by , for example , adjusting the receive - sensitivity control of the rdtbs 2 , varying the location of attenuation pads on the rdtbs 2 , and / or varying the antennas 11 used to detect the received signals . the resulting rdt - attenuated signals are sent to an rssi detector 13 that measures rssi - levels and passes the results to a processor 14 . the antenna and associated circuitry 11 also extract packets from the received signals from the rdtwh 2 , and passes them to a descrambler 12 that is matched to the scrambler 9 on the rdtwh 1 . the output of the descrambler 12 , which is the received version of the digitized output generated by the adpcm 8 on the rdtwh 2 , is also sent to the processor 14 where ber calculation takes place . since the descrambled contents of the packets should be entirely comprised of zero bits in the absence of any error , the processor 14 may determine the ber by , for example , making the following calculation : ## equ1 ## ber - levels must be calculated to a threshold accuracy of 0 . 1 %, said threshold hereinafter referred to as ber 0 . ber 0 is the highest ber - level at which bit errors are accepted as being imperceivable to the human ear . a large number of ber tests are required to calculate a ber to an accuracy of the order of ber 0 . for ber 0 of 0 . 1 %, at least 1000 bits per second are required per ber measurement . a large number of ber tests are also needed to reduce the inaccuracies introduced by random fades , which are generally small and temporal in nature , and which are not to be confused with either the short - term or long - term fades that have been previously described , which are persistent in nature . this high resolution is preferably achieved by filling the entire payload field of the packets sent by the rdtwh with ber test data , as done in the rdtwh 2 illustrated in fig2 a . for example , consider a preferred embodiment wherein the communication protocol shared by the rdtbs and rdtwh is the digital european cordless telecommunications ( dect ) protocol . with dect , 320 bits of data are transmitted in the payload field ( the b - field ) of a packet , every 10 ms . thus , under this embodiment , each packet &# 39 ; s payload field is populated with a scrambled version of 320 zero - bits every 10 ms . a total of 32 , 000 bits per second are available for ber testing . since , as indicated above , 1000 bits per second are required per ber measurement , this provides an adequate capacity to support ber testing at up to 32 different rssi - levels . more specifically , given that 320 bits of test data are received every 10 ms , and assuming that the rdt is receiving test data from signals that are each transmitted at one of 32 different rssi - levels , 320 bits of ber test data are received per rssi - level per 320 ms test period . this may be extrapolated to conclude that an average 1000 bits of ber test data are received per rssi -- level per second . if test data from different test periods are combined to yield averaged ber results over periods of time at least a second in duration , as contemplated below , the use of the dect payload thus provides 1000 bits for ber testing per second for each rssi - level , or equivalently , a ber resolution of 0 . 1 %. an example of the operation of the embodiment illustrated in fig2 a is illustrated in fig2 b . as in the conventional method illustrated in fig1 the rdt operates when test signals are periodically sent from the rdtwh 2 to the rdtbs 1 which held by a deployment engineer following a path such as a path 3 . test signals are preferably generated only as the deployment engineer walks the rdtwh 2 away from the rdtbs 1 . also as in the conventional method illustrated in fig1 the test signals are analysed such that the rdtbs 1 can indicate to the deployment engineer whether or not he or she has reached a cell boundary . unlike the method illustrated in fig1 however , the deployment engineer holds down the mute button 7 of the rdtwh 2 to generate a test signal . when the mute button 7 is held down , the adpcm module 8 automatically generates a digitized adpcm - encoded stream of 0 - bits , regardless of what sounds can be detected by the microphone 6 . the scrambler 9 will combine the zero - bits with known pseudo - random sequences . the scrambler then places the scrambled combination into the payload of a test packet , which is placed within the test signal . using the mute button 7 to generate test packets for ber testing allows the deployment engineer to populate the entire payload field of test packets with clean , known and consistent pseudo - random sequences using only a conventional wireless handset ( the rdtwh ). the test signal is transmitted through the air to the rdtbs 2 via the transmit antenna 6 . once received at the rdtbs 1 via the antenna and associated circuitry 11 , the rssi - level of the signal is attenuated to a level falling within the testing range , [ rssi 0 . . . rssi min ]. the rssi detector 13 measures the rssi - level of the rdt - attenuated signal . the measured rssi - level is reported to the processor 14 , which uses the information to help determine whether or not a cell boundary has been reached by the deployment engineer . at the same time , the data in the payload field of the received packet contained within the received signal is extracted and descrambled by the descrambler 12 , which is aware of the scrambling sequence used by the scrambler 9 . assuming the mute button 7 was activated by the deployment engineer at transmission time , a correctly descrambled packet would yield a stream of zero - bits . any non - zero bits emerging from the descrambler 12 would indicate an error during transmission , which could be attributable to long - term fading , or dispersion and short - term fading . the processor 14 counts the non - zero bits and calculates a ber - level for the test signal . the processor 14 then uses rssi and ber measurements to help the deployment engineer determine whether or not he or she has reached a cell boundary . boundary points can be deemed present at points 4 where the rssi test is failed , or at points 5 where the rssi test is passed but the ber test is failed . the processor 14 may use the rssi and ber measurements to determine the cell boundary in a number of ways . in a preferred embodiment , ber - testing and rssi - testing do not take place on a per - signal basis . instead , each ber and rssi test is carried out using a plurality of signals that are sequentially transmitted from the rdtwh 2 to the rdtbs 1 within a testing - period of less than one second . this allows for statistical manipulation of the test results in order to compensate for spurious signals which if analysed in isolation may cause the rdt to incorrectly determine cell - boundary points . it also allows for the combining of ber test results from several test signals so as to improve the ber resolution of the rdt . more specifically , the rdt measures ber - levels for a series of signals received at selected rssi - levels evenly spaced within the range [ rssi 0 . . . rssi min ]. for example , if the dect protocol is assumed wherein the fading margin extends 32 db above rssi min , then 32 test - signals would be generated each test - period . the signals would be attenuated so their rssi - levels equal { rssi min + 1 db , rssi min + 2 db , . . . , rssi min + 32 db }. the measured ber - levels of each of the 32 rdt - attenuated test signals are held in a ber -- errors array , which is illustrated in fig3 . the ber -- errors array 15 has 32 elements 16 that each contain an average ber - level for packets received at a respective one of the 32 rdt - attenuated rssi - levels . the elements are indexed according to the rssi - levels at which the associated ber tests were conducted , which ranges from [ rssi 0 . . . rssi min ] as mentioned previously . the rdtbs updates one element in the array 15 every time a packet arrives from the rdtwh 2 . as indicated previously , a single packet may contain spurious data which should not be analysed in isolation . as such , ber - levels obtained from a packet received at one of the 32 rdt - attenuated rssi - levels , must be combined with previous measurements taken at the same rssi - level . in a preferred embodiment , this is done using an exponentially weighted moving average ( ewma ) which generally has the following form : in the above , average -- x t - 1 is the previously computed average value , new -- x is the newly measured value and average -- x t is the newly computed average value . c 1 and c 2 are ewma parameters which determine the relative weight given to the new data versus the previous data . for the ber computation case , the nth element in the ber -- errors array 15 is updated according to the following equation : ber count is the ber - level measured for the nth rdt - attenuated signal during the current testing - period . ber -- errors [ n ] t - 1 is the average ber - level entry to the ber -- errors array 15 made for the previous test period . in a preferred embodiment , c 1 and c 2 are chosen such that a significant exponential lag is implemented to minimise the effect of spurious ber measurements on the ber - levels entered into ber -- errors 15 . it is to be noted that besides negating the impact of spurious ber measurements , this combining of results also means that values in the ber -- errors array 15 can represent an average number of erroneous bits per test packet received over multiple test - periods . this allows for the recording of ber - levels with a resolution that exceeds the 1 / 320 resolution that is possible if test data from each individual packet is analysed in isolation . besides an update of ber -- errors 15 , an average rssi - level for the entire test - period is incrementally developed as more test - signals arrive . more specifically , when the nth test - signal arrives within a test period , the average rssi - level is updated using an ewma according to the following equation : rssi n is the rssi - level measured for the nth rdt - attenuated signal processed by the rssi detector 13 during the current testing - period . a ( n ) is the effect of the attenuation setting imposed by the rdt upon the nth test signal , which is added back on to rssi n in order to estimate the rssi - level that would have been measured if no rdt - attenuation had been imposed . the variable , average -- rssi ( n - 1 ), is the estimate of an average rssi - level calculated after the previous test signal had arrived . c 1 and c 2 are ewma weighting parameters . in a preferred embodiment , c 1 and c 2 are chosen such that a significant exponential lag is implemented to minimise the effect of spurious rssi measurements on the rssi - level calculated for the test - period . at the end of every test period ( in this example , every 320 ms ), the average rssi - level calculated using the last test signal of the period ( in this example , rssi ( 32 )) will be defined as the rssi meas value for the present location of the deployment engineer . once rssi meas is determined , it is compared to rssi 0 . if it is less than rssi 0 , the rssi test is failed from the point at which the deployment engineer is presently located , and there is no need to process the gathered ber data . the deployment engineer will be informed that he or she is located at a point on the cell boundary . if rssi meas is greater than rssi 0 , the accumulated ber - level measurements in ber -- errors 15 are processed to complete the ber test . completing the ber test involves sequentially examining the contents of the elements of the ber -- errors array 15 , to determine whether or not communication channels with ber & lt ; ber 0 are available across the entire required fading range for the present location of the deployment engineer . this object can be achieved using the following algorithm , which is described with reference to fig4 . fig4 illustrates a plot of various rssi - levels . it shows a maximum expected rssi - level for signals arriving from a handset , rssi max 17 , rssi 0 18 and rssi min 19 . fig4 also illustrates the rssi - levels in the testing range , [ rssi 0 . . . rssi min ] 20 , at which the ber - levels were just measured . finally , fig4 illustrates the fading range 21 for a given test period , which extends m f decibels downward from rssi meas , and which can only be defined once rssi meas has been determined . the ber test is completed by determining whether or not inadequate ber - levels are measured at rssi - levels that fall within the required fading range [ rssi meas . . . rssi meas - m f ] 21 . if the ber - levels of fading range signals are inadequate ( i . e . if ber & gt ; ber 0 ), the required fading margin 21 is deemed to be unavailable at the present location of the deployment engineer and the ber test is failed . since unacceptable ber - levels are assumed to occur only within the testing range , [ rssi 0 . . . rssi min ] 20 , the foregoing test can be achieved by seeing if unacceptable ber - levels have been recorded for parts of the testing range 20 that overlap with the fading range 21 . this in turn , can be done according to the following procedure : 1 . the readings in all the corresponding ber -- errors elements are compared to the threshold , ber 0 . if there are no elements with ber values & gt ; ber 0 , then there are no noticeable short - term fading or dispersion effects within the testing range [ rssi 0 . . . rssi min ] 20 , and therefore no such effects within the fading range 21 . the ber test is passed and there is no need to proceed to the next step . 2 . if there are elements in ber -- errors 15 with ber values & gt ; ber 0 , the highest rdt - attenuated rssi - level signal at which the ber - level rises above 0 . 1 %, rssi fail , is isolated . the size of the required fading margin , m f , is added to rssi fail . if the resulting sum exceeds rssi meas , rssi fail must fall within the fading margin 21 and the ber test is therefore failed . otherwise , ber - levels are deemed to become unacceptable only at rssi - levels falling below the fading margin , and the ber test is thus passed . if either the ber test or the rssi test is failed , the deployment engineer is alerted to the fact that a point on the cell boundary has been found , regardless of whether or not the average rssi - level , rssi meas , exceeds rssi 0 . in this way , rssi meas is maintained high enough not only for it to exceed rssi 0 , but also for all rssi - levels within its fading margin to exceed any rssi - levels at which dispersion and short - term fading effects are noticeable . if neither the ber test nor the rssi test has failed , the deployment engineer is informed that the rdtwh is deemed to be inside the cell boundary . in the above - described embodiment , this procedure is repeated each 320 ms , using freshly updated elements of the ber -- errors testing array 15 and a freshly updated average rssi - level . at the end of every testing period , once the rdt has decided whether or not a cell boundary point has been located on the basis of the most recent rssi and ber tests , it can directly communicate those determinations using well known man - machine i / o ( mmi ) devices such as sound or light sources , or it can communicate those same determinations to the rdtwh 2 which would then communicate them to the deployment engineer through an mmi . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the transmitter of a standard base station and the receiver and display of a standard wireless handset could be used without further alteration to implement an acceptable mmi for an rdt . a discrete alert may be signalled to the deployment engineer as the cell boundary point is encountered . this would occur when the ber / rssi tests undergo a transition from pass to fail . alternatively , an alert may be signalled after each test that indicates whether the rdtwh is located inside or outside a cell boundary . numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practised otherwise than as specifically described herein . for example , the rdt can be operated over protocols other than dect . methods of generating known pseudo - random sequences of bits for ber testing , other than holding down the mute button 7 on the rdtwh 2 , can also be used . in other variants , a cell - boundary may be defined by manipulating the measured ber and rssi - levels according to different algorithms . the size of the testing periods and test - packets can be varied . moreover , filtering functions other than ewma functions can be employed to statistically manipulate rssi and ber measurements . the weights used by such functions can also be varied . in another variant , the size of the fading margin can be reduced by decreasing the power at which the rdtwh operates , such that the lowest rssi - level that is detectable by the rdtbs increases . as long as reducing the size of the fading margin is acceptable to network users , such variants would be preferred embodiments as they would allow for a greater number of ber tests to be conducted per second . for example , if the dect rdtwh has a minimum sensitivity level at only 16 db below rssi 0 as opposed to 32 db below rssi 0 , the fading margin could be reduced to 16 db , the testing range can also be reduced so it extends over 16 db , and only 16 test signals would be required per ber test period . this in turn means that twice as many ber tests could be carried out per unit of time , and an increased ber resolution of 0 . 05 % can be achieved that would span ber 0 . similarly , a greater number of tests per unit time , and therefore a greater ber resolution , can be achieved by driving rdt - attenuated signals into more widely spaced rssi - levels within the testing range . calculating ber - levels for signals at 2 db intervals for example , would also double the number of possible tests per unit time . the user - interface by which the rdt communicates with a deployment engineer , can also be varied in a number of ways , including having the display on the rdtwh 2 continuously display rssi and ber - levels , and having the rdtbs 1 communicate directly with the deployment engineer using a variety of mmi devices . furthermore , audible alerting devices or ringers on the rdtwh 2 can be used as mmis . these devices can draw on one of the several forms of distinctive ringing sounds supported by most standard wireless communication protocols for non - deployment environment features such as &# 34 ; ring - again .&# 34 ; since such features need not be supported in the deployment environment , each associated ringing sound can be designated to represent a different message from the rdt . for example , when a cell boundary has been determined , one form of ringing can be used to attribute the determination to a failed ber test , while another form of ringing can be used to attribute the determination to a failed rssi test . in another example , another form of ringing could indicate when the mute button 7 is not operational because it has not been toggled .	7
lipoxygenase enzymes ( also referred to herein as lox ) are widely used in commercial processing of food products , the manufacture of perfumes and painting products , and in the processing of wood pulp . although all lipoxygenase catalyze the same basic function , only plant lipoxygenases have been approved by the united states food and drug administration for use in foods and food products . despite their broad uses , lipoxygenase enzymes are only expressed at low levels and , consequently , commercial quantities are both expensive and difficult to produce . despite previous failures in achieving high level lox expression , it has been surprisingly discovered that considerable enhancement of plant lipoxygenase expression can be achieved . at least part of this high - level of expression is attributed to the selection of sequences being expressed , expression of the sequences in a protease deficient host , and / or the co - expression with one or more chaperone plasmid sequences . preferable , the increased expression achieved is at a higher level than expression in host cells that do not contain a protease deficiency and / or cells that do not contain one or more chaperone plasmids . preferably the expression of the one or more proteases is eliminated , reduced to an undetectable level using conventional detection or reduced by at least 90 %, all as compared to wild - type expression levels . one embodiment of the invention comprises a system containing a bacterial cell host , preferably with a deficiency or one or more proteases , containing a coding sequence for lipoxygenase enzyme and preferably a chaperone system comprising one or more chaperone molecules . the system is preferably inducible and also preferably maintained from about 10 ° c . to about 37 ° c . for a period of time for maximal expression of enzyme product . the period of time is preferably from minutes to hours to days , and more preferably from about 1 to about 24 hours , more preferably from 2 to 12 hours and more preferably from about 2 to about 4 hours . the cells are preferably maintained at temperatures from about 15 ° c . to about 25 ° c . during this period . the lipoxygenase enzyme may be derived from animal or bacterial cells , and is preferably derived from plant cells . expression constructs may contain all or a portion of the lipoxygenase gene or coding region . preferably constructs contain a portion of the coding region sufficient to create functional lipoxygenase activity . preferably the constructs of the invention encode the sequences of seq id nos 1 - 3 , or contain the nucleic acid sequences of seq id nos 4 - 6 . also preferably the sequence is a functional sequences that generates functional lipoxygenase activity . preferably the host cell is a microorganism that rapidly and economically proliferates in vitro such as , for example , one or more of the bacterial cell strains of k12 cells , e . coli cells , bacillus cells , lactococci or yeast cells . also preferably , the host cells contain one or more protease deficiencies as compared to wild - type cells . for e . coli host cells , the deficiency is preferably of one or more of the proteases lon , ompt , and / or lon / clpp . preferably the host cells further contain one or more chaperone plasmid expression vectors . chaperones function in assisting protein folding , benefiting the co - expressed molecules . expression of lipoxygenase in the systems of the invention typically involves inducing expression of the lipoxygenase sequence and also preferably the chaperone sequences before , during or after expression of the lipoxygenase , and preferably simultaneously or nearly simultaneously to allow for maximal expression of the enzyme . lipoxygenase produced according to methods of the invention can be further isolated and purified . preferably , purification of lipoxygenase produced according to the methods of the invention involves contact the with immobilized - metal affinity chromatography media . the enzyme remains bound and can be washed with wash buffer and subsequently eluted with elution buffer . preferably the increased lipoxygenase expression of the invention is 5 fold greater as compared to expression in wild - type cells ( e . g ., cells that are not protease deficient and / or cells without one or more expression chaperones ), more preferably 10 fold greater , more preferably 50 fold greater , more preferably 100 fold greater , more preferably 200 fold greater , more preferably 300 fold greater , more preferably 400 fold greater , and more preferably 500 fold greater or more . lipoxygenase made according to the invention is preferably useful in the manufacture of food products such as bread products ( for either , or both bleaching and improving texture ), the manufacture of paints thinners , perfumes , aroma and flavor enhancers , as signaling compounds , and for pitch control in softwood pulp in paper industry . the following examples illustrate embodiments of the invention , but should not be viewed as limiting the scope of the invention . slp1 ( seed linoleate 13s - lipoxygenase - 1 [ glycine max ] ncbi reference sequence : np_001236153 . 1 , length 839 amino acids ) and slp3 seed linoleate 9s - lipoxygenase - 3 [ glycine max ] ncbi reference sequence : np_001235383 . 1 ) were employed as loxs for production in microbes . in addition , a shortened version of slp1 ( herein minilox ) from amino acid serine 278 containing an additional methionine before the serine 278 were cloned and expressed in microbes . synthesis of dna encoding protein sequences for slp1 , slp3 and minilox optimized for expression optimal gene codon usage in plants and bacteria differ . new dna encoding sequences for slp1 , slp3 and minilox were determined and synthetically generated according to instructions ( genscript usa inc .). the sequence for minilox was identical as that of slp1 with the exception of having an atg encoding for an initiator methionine prior to nucleotide bases encoding for slp1 serine 278 . optimized sequences with desired cloning sites were created . initially , slp1 and slp3 were cloned into the pet 47b vector ( novogen ) using smai - xhoi restriction sites , so that each contained the pet47b initiating methionine and a 6x histidine tag ( seq id no 7 ). the slp1 and minilox encoding dna were then transferred to the dna2 . 0 expression vector 424 purple , a low copy number plasmid without the histidine tags using ndei - xhol sites , so that expressed proteins would not contain the histidine tags . similarly , the slp1 encoding sequence was cloned into the 424 - purple vector ( herein 424 vector ) with the exception of using ndei - ecori cloning sites . the slp1 encoding sequences were then transferred to the dna2 . 0 purple - 444 vector ( herein 444 vector ), a high copy number plasmid using restriction sites ndel - xhoi . the vectors contained promoters for expression of the insert dna with the pet47 containing a t7 - promotor , and the dna2 . 0 vectors contained a t5 - promotor . vectors were transfected into cell lines . initially , expression of slp1 was performed with the 6 histidine ( seq id no 7 ) tagged slp1 vector in e . coli bl21 cells , an e . coli b cell line suitable for the expression of the pet47b vectors . thereafter , all expression was performed in e . coli k12 strains . expression was tested in lb media , with 50 - 100 μg / m1 ampicillin , and induction of expression for all vectors was with 0 . 5 - 1 mm iptg . the activity assay utilized linoleic acid as a substrate and colorimetric detection of product . detected values for the assay varied depending on the substrate preparation , age of substrate , and substrate batch , which may be subject to variation due to oxidation from the environment . as such , approximate expression levels of slp1 in bl21 are presented as 1 unit / cell od550 slp1 - lb culture and relative and approximate values for expression in other strains is relative to the bl21 expression . cell od550 is defined as a cell density at od550 . slp1 expressed with or without a histidine tag using the pet47b vector and bl21 cells was very poor when induced at room temperature . the standard level of activity , 1 unit / od cells was established for induction at 15 ° c . with and overnight expression . dramatically improved activity was observed using the purple - 424 vector ( herein 424 vector ), in the k12 hms 174 cell line ( 4 units / cell od550 ). unlike bl21 cells , activity was also observed when induced at 20 ° c .- 25 ° c . with overnight expression . slp1 activity could be further enhanced by growing cells at 15 ° c . for up to several days . in all e . coli strains tested , growth at 37c of was found to generate little or no slp1 activity , and protein degradation products were observed upon western analysis ( fig2 ). an additional increase in activity was discovered using protease deficient e . coli k12 strains with the 424 vector . lon , ompt , or lon / clpp mutants all showed a further minimum two - fold increase in activity with (˜ 10 units / cell od550 ). the specific e . coli cell lines with specific protease deficiencies also showed some similar characteristics of protein degradation ( fig3 ) yet some cell lines had less degradation than others , signifying that proteases play a role in the limited production of lipoxygenases . an additional enhancement of activity was observed when using the 444 high plasmid copy vector in the k12 pam155 ( lon protease deficient ) e . coli cell line and with chaperones . chaperone plasmid sets consisting of five different plasmids from takara bio inc . each designed to express a single or multiple molecular chaperone sets can enable optimal protein expression and folding and reduce protein misfolding . each takara plasmid carries an origin of replication ( orf ) derived from pacyc and a chloramphenicol - resistance gene ( cmr ) gene , which allows the use of e . coli expression systems containing cole1 - type plasmids that confer ampicillin resistance . the chaperone genes are situated downstream of the arab or pzt - 1 ( tet ) promoters and , as a result , expression of target proteins and chaperones can be individually induced if the target gene is placed under the control of different promoters ( e . g ., lac ). these plasmids also contain the necessary regulator ( arac or tet r ) for each promoter . takara bio inc . plasmids containing chaperones or sets thereof either tetracycline or arabinose inducible were coexpressed with slp1 . these include : groes - groel , dnak - dnaj - grpe , groes - groel - tig , or tig in plasmids ( takarabo inc .). expression of slp1 in the presence of groes - groel alone or with tig ( groes - groel - tig ) enhanced the amount of active enzyme produced roughly to 40 - 60 units / cell od . activity was optimal at 15 ° c . but also observed at or below 25 ° c . at 37 ° c ., expression was more limited . expression of slp1 in the pam153 cell with concomitant groesl chaperone expression , in lb , produces 68 micrograms of slp1 per milliliter at a bacterial od550 of 3 , when grown in test tubes at 37 ° c . and induced at 20 ° c . overnight . however , slp1 expression in an e . coli strain that is not a protease deficient strain and without chaperone expression can either not be detected at all with standard sds page analysis , or western analysis , or expresses less than 1 μg per milliliter lb under similar conditions at an od550 of 3 ( see fig4 ). in general , expression of slp1 in e . coli strains grown and induced under optimal conditions was undetectable or less than 1 microgram per milliliter when appropriate chaperones were absent and strains were not protease deficient . however when expressing slp1 in e . coli k12 protease deficient strains with co - expression of an appropriate chaperone , 68 micrograms of slp1 per milliliter at a bacterial od550 of 3 was attained . purification of slp1 with the 6xhis tag ( seq id no 7 ) was highly effective using standard ni - nta imac purification . in the 424 or 444 vectors lacking the 6xhis tag ( seq id no 7 ), where slp1 was encoded by the native slp1 sequence alone , imac was equally efficient though under modified conditions . nickel and zinc were each tested with similar results and calcium or other divalent metals should do as well . buffers for imac were either 50 mm phosphate or tris - hcl at ph 7 - 9 , with 400 mm nacl and 10 % glycerol . cells were disrupted using b - per ( peirce ) or by a homogenizer , in the presence of pmsf as a protease inhibitor . employing zinc - nta , it was discovered that loading the sample in buffer with 10 mm imidazole and elution in buffer with 80 mm imidazole was effective in purification of slp1 . other column media that effectively binds slp1 include monoq and deae , but not negatively charged resins . preliminary studies indicate that relatively poor production of slp1 is the result of rapid proteolysis accompanied by improper folding of the enzyme . the limited soluble slp1 and lack of insoluble protein suggests that most of the protein produced was rapidly degraded . degradation products of slp1 are visible in different e . coli strains with different protease deficient genetic backgrounds ( see fig1 ). an increase in both active enzyme and total protein was observed when inducing at suboptimal growth temperatures , where proteases are less functional . a relative increase in production and activity of slp1 when protein folding is enhanced by an over - expressed chaperone . high level expression of lipoxygenase in the e . coli , k12 , unless otherwise stated , all bacterial media employed in this example was luria broth ( herein lb , consisting of 10 grams tryptone , 5 grams yeast extract , and 10 grams nacl , dissolved in 1 liter water , and sterilized for a minimum of 20 minutes in an autoclave ). soybean lipoxygenase 1 ( herein slp1 ) was expressed from a plasmid transfected into e . coli k12 cells . fig5 represents an sds - page protein gel of whole cell soluble proteins extracted from the k12 cells employing the commercial b - per protein extraction reagent ( pierce , cat # 78243 ), following company protocols . the highest level of soluble slp1 protein relative to total soluble protein in the cell extract was 30 % or greater and approximated at 34 % as estimated by the imagej ( national institute of health public software ) analysis software . these levels are consistent with high level production of the enzyme . m = marker , 1 uninduced , 2 slp1 induced with 0 . 5 mm iptg 3 & amp ; 4 induced with 0 . 5 mm iptg and expressing a molecular chaperone . 1 . permiakova , m . d . and v . a . trufanov , effect of soybean lipoxygenae on baking properties of wheat flour , prikl biokhim mikrobiol , 2011 . 47 ( 3 ): p . 348 - 54 . 2 . permiakova , m . d ., et al ., [ role of lipoxygenase in the determination of wheat grain quality ]. prikl biokhim mikrobiol , 2010 . 46 ( 1 ): p . 96 - 102 . 3 . kanamoto , h ., m . takemura , and k . ohyama , cloning and expression of three lipoxygenase genes from liverwort , marchantia polymorpha l ., in escherichia coli . phytochemistry , 2012 . 77 : p . 70 - 8 . 4 . osipova , e . v ., et al ., recombinant maize 9 - lipoxygenase : expression , purification , and properties . biochemistry biokhimi , 2010 . 75 ( 7 ): p . 861 - 5 . 5 . hwang , i . s . and b . k . hwang , the pepper 9 - lipoxygenase gene calox1 functions in defense and cell death responses to microbial pathogens . plant physiol , 2010 . 152 ( 2 ): p . 948 - 67 . 6 . padilla , m . n ., et al ., functional characterization of two 13 - lipoxygenase genes from olive fruit in relation to the biosynthesis of volatile compounds of virgin olive oil . j agric food chem , 2009 . 57 ( 19 ): p . 9097 - 107 . 7 . knust , b . and d . von wettstein , expression and secretion of pea - seed lipoxygenase isoenzymes in saccharomyces cerevisiae . appl microbiol biotechnol , 1992 . 37 ( 3 ): p . 342 - 51 . 8 . steczko , j ., et al ., effect of ethanol and low - temperature culture on expression of soybean lipoxygenase l - 1 in escherichia coli . protein expr purif , 1991 . 2 ( 2 - 3 ): p . 221 - 7 . other embodiments and uses of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein . all references cited herein , including all publications , u . s . and foreign patents and patent applications , are specifically and entirely incorporated by reference . the term comprising , where ever used , is intended to include the terms consisting and consisting essentially of . furthermore , the terms comprising , including , and containing are not intended to be limiting . it is intended that the specification and examples be considered exemplary only with the true scope and spirit of the invention indicated by the following claims .	2
a behind - the - head mounted personal audio set 30 having two earphone portions 40 a , 40 b , each independently pivotally secured to a behind - the - head headband 32 , is shown in fig1 - 20 . in a preferred embodiment , the behind - the head mounted personal audio set 30 has a curved headband 32 , preferably occupying a common plane 34 as best shown in fig1 . as best shown in fig4 , 5 , and 7 - 11 , the headband 32 is preferably sized to encircle and slightly grasp the rear contour of a wearer &# 39 ; s head 36 substantially between the wearer &# 39 ; s ears 38 a , 38 b . as shown in fig1 - 6 , the earphone portions 40 a , 40 b are preferably positioned on opposite ends of the headband 32 at individual pivots 47 a , 47 b . each pivot 47 a , 47 b operably secures an earphone - mounting portion 42 which as a substantially elongate pivot mounting portion 43 extending therefrom to operably engage the pivot , each earphone - mounting portion contains an earphone 39 therein . preferably , the center 41 of each earphone 39 is positioned below the common plane 34 of the headband during stereo use of the personal audio set . more preferably , the personal audio set 30 is a headset 30 ′ having a mini - boom microphone 46 extending therefrom . the mini - boom microphone 46 is preferably pivotally secured to the headset - mounting portion 42 at a defined third pivot 48 . the length of the boom portion of the mini - boom microphone is preferably sized to define a concealed position 100 as best shown in fig1 & amp ; 15 when aligned with the substantially elongate pivot mounting portion 43 . the mini - boom microphone may be pivoted about the third pivot 48 to define an operational position 102 of the mini - boom microphone as best shown in fig2 - 5 , 7 , 8 , 12 - 14 and 16 - 20 . by pivoting the earphone mounting portions 42 about their respective pivots and the mini - boom microphone about the third pivot 48 , the headset may be worn so that each earphone is positioned over one of the wearer &# 39 ; s ears with the mini - boom microphone 46 positioned on either the wearer &# 39 ; s left side as shown in fig4 , 5 and 8 , or a wearer &# 39 ; s right side as shown in fig7 . in addition , should the user desire or require using the personal audio - set in mono mode , and not have one of the earphone portions 40 b cover an ear , as shown in fig5 , the user can pivot one of the earphone mounting portions 42 about its respective pivot 47 b so that earphone portion rests away from the respective ear . for example , one possible mono configuration is shown in fig8 and 9 shows one earphone portion 40 a positioned over the wearer &# 39 ; s right ear with the earphone mounting portion 42 containing the boom microphone 46 pivoted to its engaged position ( fig8 ) while the other earphone portion 40 b is pivoted away from the wearer &# 39 ; s left ear ( fig9 ). it can be appreciated that the disclosed structure can also be pivoted about its three pivots to provide the same basic configurations while covering the right ear with an earphone and preventing the left ear from being covered with an earphone . an alternative possible mono configuration is shown in fig1 and 11 with one earphone portion 40 a moved forward of the wearer &# 39 ; s left ear with the boom microphone 46 extending there from towards the wearer &# 39 ; s mouth as shown in fig1 and the opposite earphone portion 40 b covering the wearer &# 39 ; s right ear as shown in fig1 . it can be appreciated that the disclosed structure can also be pivoted about its three pivots to provide the same basic configurations while covering the left ear with an earphone and preventing the right ear from being covered with an earphone . preferably , the earphone portion 40 a positioned nearest to the mini - boom microphone 46 is displaced from the wearer &# 39 ; s ear during mono use as best shown in fig1 . however , the disclosed structure also allows a user to position the earphone furthest away from the mini - boom microphone away from the user &# 39 ; s ear during mono use as shown in fig5 . preferably , the first and second pivots 47 a , 47 b are aligned along a defined three dimensional angle with respect to the headband 32 so as to optimize wearer comfort . this defined angle is shown as three two - dimensional angles in fig1 - 20 and labeled “ angle 1 ” ( fig1 ), “ angle 2 ” ( fig1 ), and “ angle 3 ” ( fig2 ). preferably , “ angle 1 ”, which biases the position of the earphone portion of the audio set to fit the angle of a human ear when viewed from the top of the head is 12 degrees plus or minus 10 degrees . “ angle 2 ” ( fig1 ), which is the angle between the intersection of the first pivot 47 a and the second pivot 48 , is preferably 25 degrees plus or minus 20 degrees and “ angle 3 ”, which is the angle between the common plane 34 of the headband 32 and the longitudinal centerline 45 of the headset mounting portion 42 , is preferably about 60 degrees plus or minus 30 degrees . more preferably , “ angle 3 ” is about 63 degrees . more preferably , the first and second pivots 47 a . 47 b includes a detent mechanism 60 to allow proper alignment when the audio set 30 is positioned for wearing adjacent to either a wearer &# 39 ; s left or right ears . preferably , four detents are provided , one for the left ear position shown in fig4 , one for the right ear position shown in fig7 , one for the first desired mono position shown in fig1 , and one for the second desired mono position shown in fig9 . one possible pivot structure for the first and second pivot 47 a , 47 b is shown in fig6 . the opposite ends 44 of the headband 32 each include a recess 62 defining a cam surface 64 . recesses 66 are placed at defined positions along the cam surface 64 to define the detent positions . the headset mounting portion 42 includes a circular recess 68 sized to rotate about a circular protrusion 70 extending from the first end 44 of the headband 32 . preferably , a resilient o - ring 47 is positioned between the circular recess 68 and the circular protrusion 70 to create frictional holding force . a detent spring 72 is positioned within the recess 62 and secured to the headset mounting portion 42 with a fastener 74 . preferably the detent spring 72 is sized to engage the recesses 66 in the cam surface 64 thereby urging the headset mounting portion 42 to one of the defined detents . more preferably , a cover 76 covers the fastener 74 and detent spring 72 . a possible pivot structure for the third pivot 48 is shown in fig6 . the headset mounting portion 42 includes a substantially circular opening 80 about which the mini - boom microphone is pivotally secured thereto . the headset - mounting portion 42 preferably includes operating electronics therein . preferably , an o - ring 86 is positioned within the circular opening 80 to hold a desired position of the mini - boom microphone . the personal audio set may be wired or wireless . if desired , the electronics can contain suitable electronic control systems and control logic to deactivate the earphone not positioned adjacent to a wearer &# 39 ; s ear during mono - use . this deactivation can be manually activated through a control button or the like positioned on the personal audio - set , or automatically detected by the control system based on predetermined criteria such as the position of the earphone mounting portions relative to the predetermined detents on the pivots . alternatively , the control system can deactivate one earphone during use of the mini - boom microphone such as when a user is initially listening to music from one source , and then receives a phone call from another source . preferably , controls 125 in communication with the electronics , such as volume control , channel selection , on / off and the like are provided on an exterior surface of one of the earphone mounting portions . more preferably , these controls are positioned so as to allow them to be substantially at the same locations relative to the earphone mounting portion when that earphone mounting portion is worn on either the wearer &# 39 ; s left or right ears . for example , the primary control is preferably a button positioned on the centerline of the earphone . having described and illustrated the principles of our invention with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof , it will be apparent that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles . in view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles may be put , it should be recognized that the detailed embodiment is illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of our invention . accordingly , we claim as our invention all such modifications as may come within the scope and spirit of the following claims and equivalents thereto .	7
illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below . in the interest of clarity , not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification . it will be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment , numerous implementation - specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer &# 39 ; s specific goals , such as compliance with system - related and business - related constraints , which will vary from one implementation to another . moreover , it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time - consuming but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure . the present invention relates to a system for accessing distributed temperature data that is linked to time - based sensor data . in one embodiment , the system accesses a database of a scada system , such as a scada historian , in which sensor data , such as pressure data , single - point temperature data , flow rate data , or the like , resides . the data of interest is displayed on a user interface , such as a graphical user interface , in tabular and / or graphical forms . the system also accesses a database of a dts system for temperature data corresponding to a specified sensory event , such as a pressure anomaly , a single - point temperature anomaly , a flow rate anomaly , or the like , represented as data residing in the scada system database . for example , when an anomaly is identified in the scada system database data , either by computing means or by human means , one or more temperature series from the dts system database are displayed on the user interface . fig1 depicts a stylized , graphical representation of a system for accessing dts data residing in a database 101 of a dts system 103 based upon a selected event represented by sensor data residing in a database 105 of a scada system 107 . dts data is derived from one or more sensory outputs of a corresponding one or more distributed temperature sensors 109 and database 101 . dts system 103 comprises a dts system host 111 operably associated with the one or more distributed temperature sensors 109 . scada system 107 comprises a scada host 113 operably associated with one or more sensors 115 , such as one or more pressure sensors , one or more single - point temperature sensors , one or more flow rate sensors , or the like , and database 105 . in one embodiment , scada host 113 is operably associated with one or more controls 117 , such as valve controls , pump controls , temperature controls , or the like . the one or more sensors 115 and / or the one or more controls 117 may communicate with scada host 113 via other equipment and / or devices , such as remote terminal units 119 and 121 , respectively . scada system 107 receives inputs from the one or more sensors 115 , transforms the inputs into time - based data , and records the data in database 105 . scada system 107 further includes a human interface , which may be rendered on a display 123 of scada host 113 . the human interface or a portion thereof may be rendered on other displays , such as a display of combined access computer 125 , which is described in greater detail herein . in one embodiment , sensor data residing in database 105 of scada system 107 is managed by a scada historian residing on scada host 113 . still referring to fig1 , combined access computer 125 comprises hardware and software embodied in a computer - readable medium 126 , which are embodied in at least combined access computer 125 , that access data residing in dts database 101 and scada database 105 . combined access computer 125 includes a user interface 127 that , in the illustrated embodiment , is a graphical user interface . in one embodiment , the combined access computer 125 and the hardware and software embodied in combined access computer 125 access data residing in dts database 101 and scada database 105 . in another embodiment , the system for accessing dts data residing in database 101 of dts system 103 based upon a selected event represented by sensor data residing in database 105 of scada system 107 further comprises one or both of dts system 103 and scada system 107 . fig2 depicts an exemplary user interface 127 . it should be noted that , while user interface 127 is depicted as having a particular configuration in fig2 , the scope of the present invention is not so limited . in the embodiment shown in fig2 , user interface 127 includes two informational zones , a scada or discrete sensor zone 201 and a dts zone 203 . in the view shown in fig2 , scada data is rendered in zone 201 but no data is rendered in dts zone 203 . while many different types of data from sensors 115 , controls 117 , ( both shown in fig1 ) or the like may be rendered in scada zone 201 , “ average horizontal temperature ,” represented by a line 205 , and “ flow rate ,” represented by a line 207 , for “ well 2 ” are graphically depicted . various data may be selected for rendering and display in a selection area 208 of user interface 127 . scada zone 201 further provides gridlines and reference values for the data rendered in zone 201 . for example , in the illustrated embodiment , gridlines and reference values are provided in zone 201 for temperature , flow rate , and time , e . g ., date and time of day . it should be noted that data for any combination of sensors and / or any combination of wells can be rendered in zone 201 . scada data is inspected , either by human means or computer means , to find one or more events of interest . for example , fig2 depicts an anomaly in average horizontal temperature , generally at 209 , and an anomaly in flow rate , generally at 211 . to display dts data corresponding to a particular time , such as the time at which anomalies 209 and 211 occurred , a pointing device , such as a mouse , tablet pen , or the like , is used to place a pointer 213 at the time of interest and the pointing device is actuated . fig3 additionally depicts an exemplary embodiment of the results rendered in dts zone 203 of user interface 127 upon entering the time of interest in scada zone 201 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig3 , dts data from one or more times generally corresponding to the time and wells selected in scada zone 201 are displayed . for example , data for a time prior to the time selected in scada zone 201 is graphically displayed as line 301 , while data for a time after the time selected in scada zone 201 is graphically displayed as line 303 . dts zone 203 further provides gridlines and reference values for the data rendered in zone 203 . thus , for one or more times generally corresponding to a particular time of interest , determined from scada data , data from one or more distributed temperature sensing runs can readily be rendered . fig4 provides a flowchart depicting an illustrative embodiment of a method for using the system of fig1 . in the illustrated embodiment , the method starts at block 401 . the operator of the method selects one or more wells of interest ( block 403 ), such as in selection area 208 of scada zone 201 in user interface 127 ( each shown in fig2 ). one or more sensors of interest are selected ( block 405 ), such as in selection area 208 . the scada data for the selected one or more wells and the one or more sensors is rendered and displayed , such as in scada zone 201 , by the system and inspected to determine events of interest ( block 407 ). if an event is found ( block 409 ), the time corresponding to the event is selected ( block 411 ). dts data corresponding to the selected time is rendered and displayed , such as in dts zone 203 , by the system and inspected ( block 413 ). it should be noted that dts data for a plurality of times that fall about the selected time may be rendered and displayed . if no event is found in the scada data ( block 409 ) and / or after the dts data has been inspected ( block 413 ), a determination is made whether to inspect other scada data ( block 415 ). if an inspection of other scada data is desired , the method restarts at block 403 to select one or more wells of interest . if no other inspection of scada data is desired , the method ends at block 417 . fig5 provides a flowchart depicting an illustrative embodiment of a method for accessing dts data that may be performed using the system of fig1 . in the illustrated embodiment , the method starts at block 501 . based upon the one or more wells and the one or more sensors selected , such as in blocks 403 and 405 of the method shown in fig4 , sensor data is retrieved from scada system 107 ( block 503 ). the retrieved scada data is rendered and displayed in graphical and / or textual forms ( block 505 ). when an event of interest is found ( block 507 ), such as in block 409 of the method shown in fig4 , and the time corresponding to the event is selected , such as in block 411 of the method shown in fig4 , a record is made of the time of the event of interest ( block 509 ). data corresponding to the time of the event of interest is retrieved from dts system 103 ( block 511 ), rendered , and displayed ( block 513 ). it should be noted that dts data for a plurality of times that fall about the selected time may be rendered and displayed . the method ends at block 515 . while the present invention is described herein as being operatively associated with one or more wells , the scope of the present invention is not so limited . rather , the present invention contemplates the present system being a part of many different types of implementations . the particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only , as the invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein . furthermore , no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown , other than as described in the claims below . although the present invention is shown in a limited number of forms , it is not limited to just these forms , but is amenable to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof .	6
referring now to the drawings , fig1 depicts , in its operative position , a primary filter 10 , and as shown here , with integral post filter 12 , mounted in the exit plenum 14 for removing an air stream from an industrial paint booth . air as depicted by reference arrow 16 exits from the paint booth , and the air contains particles 18 of paint overspray which are escaping the paint booth . the air stream 16 , containing particles 18 , is directed through the filter 10 , and then through the optional post filter 12 . as a result of this filtering process , it is customary that in excess of ninety five percent ( 95 %) of the mass of the particles 18 are removed , for a ninety five percent removal efficiency . it is more preferable that in excess of ninety nine percent ( 99 %) of the mass of the particles 18 are removed from the air stream 16 passing through the filter . clean air 20 from which particles 18 have been largely removed escapes from filter 10 and optional filter 12 in the direction of reference arrows indicated , and thence outward through exhaust stack 22 . in the typical paint booth filter plenum 14 , filters 10 and optional post filters 12 are left in place until they are &# 34 ; loaded &# 34 ; with a mass of paint being removed from the air stream to such a degree that ( a ) it can no longer function to an adequate removal efficiency , and / or ( b ) because the pressure drop ( delta p ) across the applicable filter ( s ) becomes excessive , generally as indicated by a remote pressure differential gauge device . alternately , particularly with experienced operators and with respect to the post filters 12 , filters may be changed based on visual appearance at time of an inspection . in any case , primary filter 10 is removed from the exit plenum 14 of the paint booth when it has completed a cycle of service . the optional post filter 12 is here shown provided in an integral fashion with primary filter 10 , and is slidably inserted and securely positioned in a slot defined by l - shaped flanges 24 and 26 . such a post filter 12 may also be provided separately ( as indicated , for example , in relation to fig7 herebelow ), or may be omitted entirely . typically , the post filter 12 may be provided in a poly or fibrous synthetic construction which is not amenable to recycling . thus , the post filter 12 is either ( a ) held for reinsertion into our novel metal filter , after it has been cleaned , recycled and is ready for reuse , if appropriate , or ( b ) discarded . after removal from the filtration system , our novel , preferably metal filter 10 is then placed in a &# 34 ; bake - off &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; heat cleaning &# 34 ; type oven 30 . the bake oven is operated at a relatively lower initial temperature for a first preselected time period and at a relatively higher final temperature level for a second preselected time period . the length of the first period is from about two to three hours . a typical example of a suitable oven would be the &# 34 ; go &# 34 ; series heat cleaning ovens as manufactured by guspro , inc ., 280 grand avenue east , chatham , ontario , n7m 5l5 , canada . in the oven 30 , one or more metal filters 10 are heated via primary burner 32 to oxidize contaminants in the process heating chamber 34 ( such as paint residue , represented by particles 18 which have become adhered to filters 10 ). the exact temperatures selected will depend on a variety of factors , including the paint to be oxidized , the local emission regulations , and the oven design itself . in some locales and some ovens , an initial heating period at up to about 260 ° c ., followed by a final heating period at about 343 ° c ., can be used . however , in another locale , it is preferred that oxidation take place at temperatures of up to about 540 ° c ., or more preferably , at temperatures up to about 450 ° c ., and most preferably , at temperatures ranging from approximately 426 ° c . to approximately 455 ° c ., and to produce combustion gases therefrom as noted by reference arrow 36 . with the guspro type oven 30 design , an oxidizing afterburner chamber 38 is provided , with a separate heating burner 40 , to further heat the gases produced in the process chamber up to a final temperature of up to about 877 ° c . or more , or more preferably , up to about 760 ° c . ideally , a long residence time is achieved in the oxidizing after burner chamber for gases traversing therethrough ( as represented by reference arrow 42 ), typically on the order of at least 0 . 75 seconds at the desired final temperature . the long residence time helps assure that complete oxidation occurs of the volatilized organics , and that stringent pollution control emission requirements are met for the stack gas 44 leaving oven 30 . in one embodiment of the method the filters are weighed when clean and weighed again when loaded with contaminants removed from the air stream . knowing the weight of contaminants removed , the necessary first period time required in the bake oven can be readily determined . in our method , the paint adhering to the metal filters 10 is baked until the paint turns to ash . upon removal of filter 10 from the oven 30 , any convenient method , such as manual manipulation of filters ( in direction of reference arrows 52 and 54 , for example ) or by use of a pressurized air hose ( not shown ), or other pneumatic , hydraulic , or mechanical methods , may be used to remove ( reference arrow 56 ) residual ash 58 from filter 10 . preferably , the ash 58 passes applicable regulatory criteria for disposal as a non - hazardous material . typically , with u . s . epa regulations , a non - detect analytical result for volatile organic compounds is required . also , a toxicity characteristic leaching procedure test ( tclp ) is also performed , and the reported leachate contaminant levels must be below hazardous waste listing criteria levels . to return the recycled metal filter 10 to service in the paint booth plenum 14 , preferably a new post filter 12 , is provided , and the recycled filter 10 and new post filter 12 are returned to their operating locations in the paint booth apparatus . although a flat type post - filter 12 is shown in fig1 a pocket type post filter 60 can also be utilized , as depicted in fig2 . such pocket type post - filters 60 can be selected in dimensions as desired to fit the clearance between l - shaped flange 24 and l - shaped flange 26 clear inside height h as may be provided on a filter 10 of pre - selected size . the pocket filter 60 may have one or more pockets p extending outward in the air flow direction for a total pocket thickness t . the height x of the frame 62 of the pocket filter , and the width y of the frame 62 of the pocket filter , are adapted to fit in a complementary , close relationship with the outer frame section 64 of recyclable metal filter 10 . likewise , if the flat poly filter 12 is used , its height x &# 39 ; and width y &# 39 ; are selected to fit in a complementary , close fitting relationship with the inside top 66 , inside bottom 68 , inside first side 70 , and inside second side 72 portions of the post filter attachment l - shaped flanges on outer frame section 64 of recyclable metal filter 10 . overall , the key design feature is that the recyclable metal filter 10 with flanges is designed so that air flow cannot appreciably escape outward between the first , primary filter 10 and the post filter 12 or 60 , so as to allow bypass or escapement of particles 18 . rather , air flow 16 is preferably effectively and substantially entirely filtered by both the primary metal filter 10 and the post filter 12 or 60 , so as to assure high overall filter efficiencies , i . e . removal efficiencies e in excess of ninety nine percent ( 99 %). although &# 34 ; metal mesh &# 34 ; filters have been around for some time , our novel metal mesh filter 10 has several novel and improved characteristics over the prior art metal mesh filters known to us . in particular , our filter 10 has an outer frame section 64 and filter media mesh section m which is constructed of a material designed to withstand extreme temperatures , repeatedly , at levels as set forth hereinabove . preferably , the filter 10 has a metallic outer frame section 64 and a plurality of metal mesh portions in the metallic filter mesh section m . more preferably , stainless steel is used for frame 64 and filter mesh m . most preferably , both frame 64 and mesh m are provided in 304 type stainless steel . alternately , a non - metal composite or ceramic material may be provided for frame 64 and filter mesh m , so long as the material will withstand repeated handling and the temperature cycling herein described . further , our filter 10 has a filter mesh m section which is comprised of two or more , and preferably four or more mesh portions which may be identified as mesh portions m 1 , m 2 , . . . to m n . these mesh portions m 1 to m n are preferably each a layer of stainless steel corrugated or expanded metal mesh . these mesh portions occur in at least two layers ( n = 2 ), and yet more preferably in at least four layers ( n = 4 ). still more preferably , a plurality of mesh portions m are provided where the number of layers is six or more ( n = 6 ). most preferably , for a frame of one or two inch thickness tf ( see fig2 ), our design comprises seven ( 7 ) or eight ( 8 ) or more mesh portions , i . e ., m 1 through m 8 ( where n = 8 ), or more mesh portions . each of the mesh portions m 1 through m 8 or more have a different configuration , as seen in fig3 . the first layer may have one configuration , such as a diamond shaped opening of a first dimension d 1 m 1 by d 2 m 1 with acute angle alpha 1 ( α ), one suitable first dimension would be diamond openings of one - half ( 0 . 5 ) inch by one quarter ( 0 . 25 ) inch . the second layer may have a second configuration with a second dimension d 1 m 2 by d 2 m 2 , with an acute angle alpha 2 ( α ), which might be the same as the first layer m 1 , or might be slightly smaller . the middle layers , e . g . m 3 , m 4 , m 5 , etc ., could be of a pleated or corrugated design with openings in the one - quarter ( 0 . 25 ) inch by one - eighth ( 0 . 125 ) inch size . the final layer , m n , may have openings as small as d 1 m n of one - eighth ( 0 . 125 ) inch by d 2 m n of one - sixteenth ( 0 . 0625 ) inch in size . this design is a &# 34 ; progressive density &# 34 ; type paint collector . the first few mesh layers m 1 , m 2 or so act as a pre - filter to the following layers m 3 , m 4 , etc . as may be appropriate for a specific design , based on desired service life , expected paint loading , and other appropriate design parameters . the progressive density design helps prevent face loading of the filters , i . e ., avoids capture of most of the particulates on the first one or two layers m 1 and m 2 , and , thereby avoids restricting the air flow so as to cause the later mesh layers , e . g ., m n - 2 , m n - 1 , m n , etc . to become ineffective and useless . if the filter were of only three layers m 1 , m 2 , and m 3 , it would be the second and third mesh layers m 2 and m 3 respectively , that determine the overall efficiency of the filter 10 , and the ability of the filter to capture and to hold the paint overspray particulate at low air velocities , such as 100 to 200 feet per minute ( fpm ), until such time as filter 10 can be removed and reused . for improved efficiency , a synthetic filter media 12 may be used downstream of the mesh section m of filter 10 , as depicted in fig3 . turning now to fig4 use of our novel filters 10 in a typical down - flow type paint booth 102 is depicted . the booth has an enclosing wall 104 and overhead 106 , and effectively sealable entrance doors 108 . a grate type floor 110 is provided with apertures 112 suitable for large volumes of paint overspray particles 18 carried by airstream 16 to flow downward therethrough and into horizontally mounted metal filters 10 affixed therebelow . air as indicated by reference arrows 114 leaves filters 10 and proceeds to the perimeter of the booth , where it turns and flows upward ( see reference arrows 116 ) through post filters of any preselected type , such as flat mounted poly filters 12 &# 39 ;. the fully filtered air stream thence flows outward and upward in the direction of reference arrows 118 . filters 10 may be manually removed from paint booth 102 , or , alternately , the process may be automated as depicted in fig5 and 6 . in fig6 the automated process for a typical down - flow paint booth , as just depicted , is illustrated . the booth 102 &# 39 ; has filters 10 &# 39 ; mounted below the floor grates ( not shown ) as depicted above . filters 10 &# 39 ;, when ready for recycling , are conveyed to bake oven 30 &# 39 ; which is closed and fired to remove paint particles from filters 10 &# 39 ;. the filters 10 &# 39 ; are then moved to an ash handling booth 120 , wherein high pressure air jets 122 or other pulsating or vibratory means are used to dislodge ash 58 from filters 10 &# 39 ;. ash 58 is collected in an air pollution control device 130 , and the clean filters 10 &# 39 ; are then automatically returned along a conveyor track 124 to the booth 102 &# 39 ; for reuse . the same basic principles as just described in reference to fig6 also apply to the cross - flow design shown in fig5 . there , a cross - flow paint booth 150 is shown with a bank of filters 152 in place for filtration of particulates 18 &# 39 ; leaving booth 150 in airstream 16 &# 39 ;. loaded filters , shown as 152 &# 39 ;, are transported by conveyance system track 154 to burn - off oven 30 &# 34 ;. in the burn off oven 30 &# 34 ;, particles 18 &# 39 ; of paint are removed from the recyclable primary heat resistant filters 152 . next , and shown with paint removed as filters 152 &# 34 ;, the now paint free filters 152 &# 39 ; are sent to an ash removal booth 120 &# 39 ;, wherein high pressure air jets 122 &# 39 ; or other pulsating or vibratory means are used to dislodge ash 58 from the paint free but ash laden filters 152 &# 34 ;. in a still further embodiment , a vacuum system 156 would collect the ash in an enclosed container 158 , for disposal of the non - hazardous ash . upon completion of ash 58 removal , filters 152 &# 34 ; have been transformed into clean filters 152 once again , and are conveyed along track 154 to booth 150 for re - use . ideally , the conveyor system uses an enclosed tunnel ( see partial enclosure indicated by hidden lines 159 ) to completely isolate the filters during their recycle process . in a common configuration alternative to the configuration initially depicted in fig1 above , a recyclable high temperature resistant and preferably metal filter 10 &# 39 ;, with outer frame section 64 &# 39 ; and mesh section m , may be provided without an integrally mounted post filter . rather , the pocket type final filter 60 &# 39 ; and recyclable metal filter 10 &# 39 ; are both independently mounted in support structure frame 160 . also shown in this embodiment are stainless steel handles 180 and 182 . as can be seen in fig9 which shows a partial bottom view , taken looking upward at filter 10 &# 39 ; of fig7 handle 180 is pivotally mounted to outer frame section 64 &# 39 ;, so that handle 180 may be repositionably displaced to locations 180 &# 39 ; and 180 &# 34 ;, as necessary for handling . handle 182 is also preferably pivotally mounted to the outer frame section 64 &# 39 ;. an industrial paint booth facility used to paint railroad cars had an exhaust filter bank 200 of ten filter elements , shown as elements f - 1 through f - 10 in fig8 . four of the ten conventional flat face paper filters were replaced with our novel metal filters , in locations f - 7 , f - 8 , f - 9 , and f - 10 . the filters were tested by taking velocity readings averaged by taking four readings per filter element . clean , the conventional paper filter elements had a linear face velocity of less than 200 feet per minute , and actually were found to average from a low of 139 feet per minute in location f - 8 to a high of about 190 feet per minute in location f - 7 . our novel metal filter elements had an air flow between about 200 feet per minute ( 197 feet per minute as tested in location f - 9 ) and about 300 feet per minute ( 296 feet per minute as tested in location f - 7 ), with a desired range of between about 270 feet per minute and about 300 feet per minute . for nominal 24 inch by 24 inch filters , conventional paper filters would need to be changed after two shifts of paint booth operation . our novel metal filters maintained air flow in excess of 200 feet per minute after five days of two shift per day operation . at that time , our metal filters were removed , and upon weighing the filters , it was determined that our filters had captured approximately six to eight pounds of paint overspray . the paint was removed from the filters by heating in the above described bake - off oven . it is thus to be appreciated that the novel recyclable metal filter device provided by the present invention , and the method by which filter recycling is possible , thus avoiding hazardous waste production and resulting disposal requirements , is a significant improvement in the state of the art of paint booth operation and maintenance . our novel filter design , and the method of employing by recycling the same in paint booth operations , is relatively simple , and it substantially improves the cost effectiveness of the paint operations that utilize the same . it will be readily apparent to the reader that our novel , recyclable filter device and the method of using the same in paint filter systems may be easily adapted to other embodiments incorporating the concepts taught herein . thus , the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof . therefore , the embodiments presented herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive . all changes and devices which are described within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosures set forth herein are therefore intended to be embraced therein .	1
referring now to the drawings and in particular to fig3 and 4 , a compression device for applying cyclical compression therapy to a limb ( e . g ., a leg ) of a wearer is indicated in its entirety by the reference number 10 . the compression device 10 comprises a compression sleeve 12 and a controller 14 ( or “ air compressor unit ”) directly attached to the compression sleeve for supplying pressurized fluid to the sleeve 12 for providing compression therapy to the limb . the compression device 10 has a portable configuration such that the wearer of the device can more easily move about while wearing the device . however , the controller 14 may have a configuration other than portable such that the controller is not directly attached to the sleeve 12 without departing from the scope of the invention . the compression sleeve 12 is of the type sized and shaped for being disposed around a leg of the wearer , but could be configured to be applied to other parts of the wearer &# 39 ; s body . more specifically , the sleeve 12 has a width w ( fig4 ) for being wrapped around a full circumference of the leg and a length l for running from the ankle to a knee of the leg . this type of sleeve is generally referred to in the art as a knee - length sleeve . it will be understood that a compression sleeve may come in different sizes , such as a thigh - length sleeve ( not shown ) extending from the ankle to the thigh of the leg . it is understood that compression devices having other configurations for being disposed about other parts of the wearer &# 39 ; s body , are also within the scope of this invention , such as a wrap around a patient &# 39 ; s chest in the treatment of breast cancer . referring to fig4 , the compression sleeve 12 may comprise four layers secured together . the scope of the present invention , however , is not limited to four layers ( fig3 shows the compression sleeve 12 having only two layers .) in the illustrated embodiment , the compression sleeve 12 comprises an inner layer , generally indicated by 16 , on which a first intermediate layer ( broadly , a first bladder layer ), generally indicated by 18 , is overlaid . a second intermediate layer ( broadly , a second bladder layer ), generally indicated by 20 , overlies the first intermediate layer 18 and is secured thereto . an outer cover generally indicated by 22 , overlies and is secured to the second intermediate layer 20 . in use , the inner layer 16 will contact the limb of the wearer , and the outer cover 22 will be farthest from the limb of the wearer . if the sleeve 12 is constructed using only two layers of material ( e . g ., two bladder layers 18 , 20 ), then the first bladder layer 18 will contact the limb of the wearer , and the second bladder layer 20 will be farther from the limb of the wearer ( see fig3 ). the layers have the same shape and are superposed on each other so edges of the layers generally coincide . it is contemplated that one or more of the layers 16 , 18 , 20 , or 22 may not be superposed on a corresponding layer , but slightly offset to accommodate a particular feature of a patient &# 39 ; s limb . moreover , the number of sheets making up the compression sleeve 12 may be other than described . the first and second intermediate layers 18 , 20 , respectively , each include a single sheet of elastic material ( broadly , “ bladder material ”). for example , the sheets 18 and 20 are made of a pliable pvc material having a thickness of about 0 . 006 inch . the inner and outer layers 16 and 22 can be made of a polyester material having a thickness of about 0 . 005 inch . the materials and thicknesses of the layers may vary to add strength or to cause more expansion in one direction , such as toward the limb , during inflation . the second intermediate layer 20 may be secured to the first intermediate layer 18 along bladder seam lines 26 defining a proximal bladder 28 a , an intermediate bladder 28 b and a distal bladder 28 c , respectively , that are spaced longitudinally along the length l of the sleeve 12 . the number of bladders may be other than three without departing from the scope of the present invention . as used herein , the terms “ proximal ”, “ distal ”, and “ intermediate ” represent relative locations of components , parts and the like of the compression sleeve when the sleeve is secured to the wearer &# 39 ; s limb . as such , a “ proximal ” component or the like is disposed most adjacent to a point of attachment of the wearer &# 39 ; s limb to the wearer &# 39 ; s torso , a “ distal ” component is disposed most distant from the point of attachment , and an “ intermediate ” component is disposed generally anywhere between the proximal and distal components . the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c are circumferential bladders meaning that they are sized and shaped to wrap around the wearer &# 39 ; s limb or around very nearly the entire circumference of the limb . for example , in one embodiment , the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c each extend around at least 90 % around a leg . it is to be understood that the construction described herein can be adopted by the prior art sleeves with a partial bladder construction , without departing from the scope of the present invention . the intermediate layers 18 , 20 may be secured together by radiofrequency ( rf ) welding , adhesive , or other chemical and / or mechanical process . further , the intermediate layers 18 , 20 may be secured together at other locations , such as around their peripheries or at the bladder seam lines 26 to further define the shape of the inflatable bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c . the first intermediate layer 18 may be secured to the inner layer 16 along a seam line 46 extending along the outer periphery of the first intermediate layer 18 so central regions of the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c are not secured to the inner layer 16 permitting the bladders to move relative to the inner layer 16 . the second intermediate layer 20 may also be secured to the inner layer 12 along the same seam line 46 . the first intermediate layer 18 may be secured to the inner layer 16 by rf welding , adhesive , or in other suitable ways . referring to fig4 , each inflatable bladder 28 a , 28 b , 28 c receives fluid from the controller 14 mounted on the sleeve 12 via a dedicated proximal bladder tube 34 a , intermediate bladder tube 34 b , and distal bladder tube 34 c , respectively , fluidly connecting the bladders to the controller . as will be appreciated , a tube line need not be dedicated to a bladder to practice the invention . in one embodiment , the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c are configured to hold air pressurized in a range of about 10 mm hg ( 1333 pa ) to about 45 mm hg ( 6000 pa ). further , the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c are preferably capable of being repeatedly pressurized without failure . materials suitable for the sheets include , but are not limited to , flexible pvc material that will not stretch substantially . in another embodiment , the intermediate layers 18 , 20 may form a chamber for receiving an inflatable bladder that is formed separate from the chamber . in this embodiment , the layers 18 , 20 need not be capable of containing pressurized air provided the inflatable bladders are . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c may have openings 36 extending completely through the bladders . further , these opening 36 may be formed by a seam line 30 sealing the bladder layers 18 , 20 together . in the illustrated embodiment , the openings 36 are tear - drop - shaped , but the openings may have other shapes without departing from the scope of the invention . the inner layer 16 may be constructed of a material that is capable of wicking moisture . the inner ( or “ wicking ”) layer 16 , through capillary action , absorbs moisture trapped near the limb of the wearer , carries the moisture away from the surface of the limb , and transports the moisture from locations on the limb at the inner layer 16 where the moisture is abundant to areas where it is less abundant ( e . g ., closer to the openings 36 in the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c ), to evaporate to the ambient environment . the openings 36 may have various sizes , shapes , and locations within the area of the bladder providing the compression . each opening 36 may expose the wicking layer 16 to the ambient air as opposed to the portion of the wicking layer beneath the bladder material . the portions of the inner layer 16 in registration with the openings 36 may be referred to as “ exposed portions ”. other ways of exposing the wicking material such as slits or extending the wicking material outside the perimeter of the bladder material are also envisioned as being within the scope of the present invention . if the sleeve 12 is constructed having only two bladder layers 18 , 20 , then the openings 36 expose portions of the limb of the wearer to the atmosphere . in the illustrated embodiment , the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c have openings 36 . thus , the regions of the sleeve 12 that expand and contract under the influence of air pressure or other fluids to provide compression have the openings 36 . the regions of the sleeve 12 that do not provide compression ( e . g ., the seam lines 26 ) do not have openings 36 . the wicking material 16 may be inter - weaved with the impervious material to form the inner layer 16 that transports moisture to an area of less moisture . the openings 36 must be sized , shaped , and positioned so the sleeve provides adequate compression to maintain blood velocity , while maximizing evaporation of moisture . suitable wicking materials may comprise , for example , some forms of polyester and / or polypropylene . microfibers may be used . suitable microfiber materials include , but are not limited to , cooldry model number cd9604 , sold by quanzhou fulian warp knitting industrial co ., ltd . of quanzhou city , fujian province , china , and coolmax ®, sold by e . i . dupont de nemours and company of wilmington , del . referring to fig4 and 5 , the outer cover 22 of the compression sleeve 12 may be constructed of a single sheet of material . in the embodiment , the outer cover 22 is breathable and has a multiplicity of openings 40 or perforations so it has a mesh construction to provide even more breathability . a suitable material for the outer cover 22 may be a polyester mesh . the rate of evaporation through the openings is improved by treating the fibers of the mesh material with a hydrophilic material , so the mesh material absorbs the wicked fluid more readily . wicking fibers of this type are indicated generally by 42 in fig5 . these hydrophilic fibers 42 lower the surface tension of the mesh material to allow bodily fluids to more easily absorb into the fibers and spread through the material to provide more efficient evaporation of the wicked fluid . absorbing fluid more readily allows the fluid to move to the open areas more quickly for evaporation . the capillary effect is made more efficient when the absorbed fluid from the openings moves more quickly through the mesh outer cover 22 . the entire outer surface of the outer cover 22 may act as a fastening component of a fastening system for securing the sleeve 12 to the limb of the wearer . in a particular embodiment , the outer cover 22 of mesh ( fig5 ) has an outer surface comprising loops 48 , that act as a loop component of a hook - and - loop fastening system . a mesh construction , as shown in fig5 , may have interconnected or weaved fibers 42 of material forming the outer cover 22 . the loops 48 may be formed as part of the material of the outer cover 22 or otherwise disposed on the surface of the outer cover . a suitable material with such construction is a polyester mesh loop 2103 sold by quanzhou fulian warp knitting industrial co ., ltd . of quanzhou city , china . hook components ( not shown ) may be attached to an inner surface of the inner layer 16 at proximal , intermediate and distal flaps 50 a , 50 b , 50 c , respectively ( fig4 ). the loops 48 of the outer cover 22 allow the hook components to be secured anywhere along the outer surface of the outer cover 22 when the sleeve 12 is wrapped circumferentially around the limb of the wearer . this allows the sleeve 12 to be of a substantially one - size - fits - all configuration with respect to the circumferences of different wearers &# 39 ; limbs . moreover , the loops 48 on the outer cover 22 allow the practitioner to quickly and confidently secure the sleeve 12 to the wearer &# 39 ; s limb without needing to align the fastening components . it is contemplated that the outer cover 22 may be capable of wicking fluid in addition to being breathable . for example , the outer cover 22 may be constructed of the same material as the inner layer 16 ( e . g ., cool dry ). in this way , the moisture wicked by the inner layer 16 may be wicked by the outer cover 22 through the openings 36 in the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c . the moisture can spread out evenly across the outer cover 22 and is able to evaporate more readily than if the outer cover was not formed of a wicking material because a greater surface area of the outer cover , as opposed to the inner layer 16 , is exposed to air . alternatively , the cover 22 can have a wicking material laced in or on top of outer layer . referring to fig6 - 9 , the controller 14 comprises a housing 60 enclosing the necessary components for pressurizing the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c . the controller 14 may be programmed to execute various compression regimens , which may include inflation and deflation ( vent ) phases . a configuration in which a controller 14 is removably mounted on a compression garment and operatively connected to bladders on the compression garment is disclosed in more detail in u . s . patent applications ser . nos . 12 / 241 , 670 , 12 / 241 , 936 , and 12 / 893 , 679 which are assigned to tyco healthcare group lp and incorporated by reference in their entireties . other embodiments where the controller 14 is not configured for mounting directly on the sleeve 12 are also within the scope of the present invention . supply ports 62 in the controller housing 60 are configured to attach the bladder tubes 34 a - c to the controller 14 for delivering pressurized fluid to the inflatable bladders 28 a - c . an exhaust port 64 ( fig7 ) is disposed in a back 66 of the controller housing 60 for expelling the vented pressurized fluid from the compression device 10 during the vent phase . in the illustrated embodiment , a single exhaust port 64 is shown . however , the controller 14 may also have a plurality of exhaust ports without departing from the scope of the invention . referring to fig3 and 8 , the controller 14 is mounted on the sleeve 12 such that the exhaust port 64 faces an outer surface of the sleeve ( e . g ., outer cover 22 or second intermediate layer 20 ). therefore , during the vent phase , the exhausted fluid is not expelled into ambient as is the case with prior art designs . instead , the vented fluid is directed onto the sleeve 12 . the vented air will flow past the outer cover , bladder layers and inner layer , and flow over the leg of the wearer providing a cooling effect to the leg and improving moisture evaporation , because the outer cover 22 is formed of a mesh material , because the bladder layers 18 , 20 have openings 36 , and because the inner layer 16 is gas permeable . in the illustrated embodiment , the exhaust port 64 is located in a calf area of the leg . typically , the calf area is the location where a larger percentage of moisture accumulates during compression treatment . the exhaust port 64 could be located in a different area of the leg without departing from the scope of the present invention . referring to fig8 , the exhaust port 64 may be positioned directly over an opening 36 in the bladder layers 18 , 20 to increase the amount of air that impinges upon the leg . when the controller 14 includes multiple exhaust ports 64 , they can be generally aligned with an opening 36 . if the compression device is configured so that the controller is not mounted directly on the sleeve , an exhaust port of the controller can be in fluid communication with an exterior surface of the sleeve through tubing 68 ( fig9 ) extending from the exhaust port 64 to the sleeve 12 . the tubing can be positioned such that the vented air is directed through an opening 36 in the bladder layers 18 , 20 ( fig4 ). referring to fig1 , fluid impermeable sheets 70 ( e . g ., plastic sheets ) can be welded ( e . g ., by rf welding ) around the openings 36 that receive the vented fluid . in fig1 the opening 36 is circular , but can also be teardrop - shaped as shown in fig3 and 4 . the sheets 70 can be welded to an inner surface of the first intermediate layer 18 and around the opening 36 as shown to form three fluid channels 72 for directing fluid entering the opening 36 away from the opening . the channels 72 guide the air to facilitate the cooling of areas of the wearer &# 39 ; s skin that are not directly below the opening 36 . for example , it is envisioned that the channels 70 can be formed to guide air toward a back of the wear &# 39 ; s calf where more perspiration may be present . although the sheet 70 is welded to form three channels 72 in the illustrated embodiment , those skilled in the art will appreciate that fewer or more channels may be formed or the sheets may be embossed with dimples to provide multiple airways . as will also be appreciated , the sheet - and - channel configuration may be broadly referred to as a guide . having described the invention in detail , it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims . when introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiments ( s ) thereof , the articles “ a ”, “ an ”, “ the ”, and “ said ” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements . the terms “ comprising ”, “ including ”, and “ having ” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements . in view of the above , it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained . as various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense .	0

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