Split (3)

train · 25k rows

text stringlengths 1.55k 332k	label int64 0 8
referring to fig1 , an exemplary mobile - based client - server system 20 includes a server 22 that operates in conjunction with at least one and preferably a plurality of data bases 24 . the server 22 may also be linked to multiple further servers ( not shown ) and data sources ( also not shown ) via a local or wide area network (“ lan ” or “ wan ”) 26 . in this manner , the server 22 ( as well as any application programs residing thereon ) may access any number of applications and stored information available through the network 26 . the server 22 is connected to an associated communication transceiver 28 via a gsm - based wireless network 27 for communicating with a plurality of mobile client stations 30 , which may comprise , e . g ., suitable data terminals , laptop computers , or pdas , etc . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , the particular communication transceiver 28 associated with the server 22 may be any one of many transceivers available via the communication network 27 , e . g ., on a reserved , or dial - up basis . for purposes of ease in illustration , however , a single “ server transceiver ” 28 will be referred to in conjunction with the remaining detailed description . each mobile client station 30 is preferably connected to its own respective gsm - based wireless network transceiver 32 , wherein a communication link between the server 22 and the respective client station 30 may be established via the respective server and client station transceivers 28 and 32 . a particular advantage of employing gsm ( i . e ., “ global system for mobile communications ”) based transceivers 28 and 32 is that no additional modem is required at the server and client stations 22 and 30 . instead , data can be transmitted and received directly through the respective gsm - based transceivers 28 and 32 — e . g ., which may each consist of a respective mobile telephone set configured with a data communication port . generally , the client stations 30 , including one or more residing application programs , periodically receive and transmit information from and to the server 22 . in the case where information is to be sent from a client station 30 to the server 22 ( e . g ., a data retrieval request ), the client station causes a wireless communication link to be established between the client station gsm transceiver 32 and the server gsm transceiver 28 — i . e ., via an agent also residing on the respective client station 30 — and then transmits the respective information to the server 22 . in certain cases , the client station may maintain the wireless communication link until responsive information is received back from the server 22 . otherwise , or at such time as the given information exchange is completed , the communication link is terminated . in situations where the server 22 generates or otherwise receives information intended for a client station 30 , the server 22 generates a signal containing a telephonic address of the client station 30 and a message indicating that the server 22 has information waiting for the client station 30 , and relays this message to its associated gsm transceiver 28 . the server transceiver 28 then transmits the message to the respective client station transceiver 32 via a wireless communication page based on the telephonic address . in particular , the server transceiver 28 preferably employs a gsm - based short message service (“ sms ”) to send the message page to the client station transceiver 32 , which allows users to send and receive point - to - point messages containing up to a few tens of bytes limit . sms paging is similar to conventional paging services , but much more comprehensive , allowing bidirectional messages , store - and - forward delivery , and acknowledgment of successful delivery . the message preferably includes ( at least ) both the type and quantity of information awaiting delivery to the identified client station . by way of example only , an sms paging message from the server 22 may contain a first field for identifying the type of information ( e . g ., “ e - mail ”) and a second field indicating the quantity ( e . g ., “ 56 mbytes ”) waiting for a specified client station 30 . preferably , the paging message transmits the information type and quantity fields in both numeric form , so that the message can be interpreted both directly by the client station 30 , and alpha form , so that the message may be interpreted by a user of the client station 30 . in particular , if the client station 30 is not connected to its transceiver 32 , receipt of an message transmitted from the server 22 is preferably still detected by a user of the client station 30 , e . g ., by an audible ring or mechanical vibration of the client station transceiver 32 . the user could then either connect the transceiver 32 to the client station 30 so that the later may receive and analyze the message , or , alternately , the message may be viewed by the user on a display screen 33 provided with the transceiver 32 , wherein the user can then decide whether to establish a communication link between the client station 30 and the server 22 . a more detailed description of a preferred communication protocol for the transmission of information between the server 22 and a specified client station 30 is provided in conjunction with the flow charts set forth in fig2 and 3 . referring to fig2 , when an exemplary block of information 40 intended for a given client station 30 is first received , or otherwise generated , by the server 22 , the server 22 performs a first look - up 42 to verify that the respective client station 30 has been selected to be notified of pending information , e . g ., by comparing a client station address (“ csid .”) associated with the information 40 against those stored in a respective memory table ( not shown ). the server 22 then performs a second look - up 44 to verify that the type ( i . e ., nature ) of the pending information 40 is of a selected type that the respective client station 30 is to be notified of . finally , the server 22 performs a third look - up 46 to verify that the size ( or quantity ) of the pending information 40 ( i . e ., byte size ) is sufficient to justify notification of the respective client station 30 . if any of these respective verifications 42 , 44 or 46 fail , the server 22 takes no further action , but preferably saves the information 40 in a memory space ( not shown ) associated with the respective client station 30 . if all of the verifications 42 , 44 and 46 are “ yes ,” the server 22 generates a message 48 to send to the respective client station 30 , which preferably includes ( at least ) the csid of the information , along with the type and size . a stored telephone number 50 of the transceiver 32 associated with the respective client station 30 is appended to the message to form a paging signal 51 , which is then sent to the server transceiver 28 . the server transceiver 28 will then send an sms page ( not shown in fig2 ) to the respective client station 30 , based on the respective telephone number 50 . notably , any or all of the respective csid , type , and quantity verifications 42 , 44 and 46 may preferably be by - passed ( i . e ., “ turned off ”), e . g ., by a system operator or administrator . further , as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , the particular order of the respective csid , type , and quantity verifications 42 , 44 and 46 is not significant , i . e ., any order may be employed . still further , other types or combinations of filtering verifications may be employed in alternate embodiments . in particular , the intelligent filtering of outgoing messages is preferably extensible , wherein various desired filtering options may be configured and applied ( e . g ., including particular thresholds for each filter ) on a client station by client station basis . thus , the aforedescribed filtering verifications illustrated in fig2 are provided for purposes of non - limiting illustration of the inventive concepts described herein . moreover , in a presently preferred embodiment , the server 22 may be configured on a client station - by - client station basis , such that an sms page is only made to selected client stations , and only then if certain types and / or quantities of information is waiting to be transferred . referring to fig3 , when a respective sms paging message 52 is received by a client station 30 from its associated transceiver 32 , it performs a similar set of filtering verifications on the received message 52 . in particular , the csid of the received message 52 is verified 54 , to ensure the proper client station ( 30 ) has been sent the paging message 52 . the respective client station 30 verifies that the identified pending information ( 40 ) waiting for it at the server is of a selected type 56 and quantity 58 that justify the cost of establishing a wireless communication link in order to immediately retrieve the information ( 40 ). if any of these respective verifications 54 , 56 or 58 fail , the client station 30 takes no further action with respect to the received message 52 . if , however , all of the verifications 54 , 56 and 58 are “ yes ,” the client station 30 issues an instruction 60 to its associated transceiver 32 to establish a communication link with the server transceiver 28 , whereby the client station 30 thereafter “ logs - in ” with the server 22 . once a log - on / communication link 62 is established between the respective client station 30 and server 22 , the client station 30 transmits a request 64 to the server 22 for the pending information ( 40 ). after receiving the pending information 66 , the client station 30 may then utilize the now - established communication link 62 for conducting further exchanges of information with the server 22 . from a flow protocol point of view , the client station 30 first polls 68 its resident applications to inquire whether further information exchange transactions 72 with the server 22 are desired . if none are desired , then the client station 30 logs - off 70 from the server 22 and the communication link is discontinued . if there are one or more desired further transactions 72 , each is carried out , wherein the same inquiry 68 is made of the resident applications after each respective transaction 72 is completed , until there are no further desired transactions and the log - off / disconnect 70 is performed . as at the server end , any or all of the respective csid , type , and quantity verifications 54 , 56 and 58 of received messages at the client station 30 may preferably be by - passed ( i . e ., “ turned off ”) by a client station user ( or remotely by a system operator or administrator ). further , as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , the particular order of the respective csid , type , and quantity verifications 54 , 56 and 58 is not significant , i . e ., any order may be employed . still further , other types or combinations of filtering verifications may be employed in alternate embodiments . in particular , the intelligent filtering of received messages is preferably extensible , wherein various desired filtering options may be configured and applied on a client station by client station basis , wherein the particular thresholds for each filter are preferably set by the respective client station users . thus , the aforedescribed filtering verifications of received messages illustrated in fig3 are provided for purposes of non - limiting illustration of the inventive concepts described herein . while embodiments and applications of this invention have been shown and described , as would be apparent to those skilled in the art , many more modifications and applications are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein . for example , many types of communication networks other than a wireless network may be employed for providing connectivity between the client station and server following the paging notification of the client station by the server seeking to transmit information . by way of illustration , in an alternate preferred embodiment , upon receiving a paging notification from the server and determining that the pending information is of a sufficient type and quantity to justify the costs of establishing a connection to transfer the information , the client station may execute a dial - up connection over a local telephone network in order to reach the server . in particular , the advantages of the present invention may be gained in a variety of client - server network architectures , including those spanning conventional ( i . e ., wired or optical ) networks , wherever the continuous or polled connection between server and client station is impossible or otherwise impractical , e . g ., where transmission set - up costs are a factor in deciding whether a transfer of information should occur between a server and a respective client station . thus , the scope of the disclosed inventions is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appending claims .	7
the various embodiments disclosed herein are directed to a low profile surgical implant insertion tool . an exemplary embodiment of the insertion tool 10 is illustrated in fig1 . in this particular embodiment , the insertion tool 10 is illustrated holding a hook implant 50 . the hook 50 may be a conventional distraction hook or other hook implant such as that belonging to the cd horizon ® legacy ™ spinal system available from medtronic sofamor danek in memphis , tenn . various types of hooks may be held and positioned using the insertion tool 10 , including for example pedicle hooks , supralaminar hooks , infralaminar hooks , and transverse process hooks . in fig1 , the hook 50 is held by the exemplary insertion tool 10 . in contrast , fig2 shows the hook 50 separated from the insertion tool 10 . the insertion tool 10 includes an elongated bar 12 having a head or retainer 20 disposed at an end of the elongated bar 12 . the insertion tool 10 may be manipulated during surgery by maneuvering the elongated bar 12 to place the hook 50 in a desired position relative to a vertebral member ( not shown ). the retainer 20 is configured to hold the hook 50 in a releasable manner . thus , once the hook 50 is positioned , the insertion tool 10 may be extracted , leaving the hook 50 substantially in the desired position . the retainer 20 is shaped to fill much of the saddle portion 52 of the hook 50 . in the embodiment shown , the saddle portion 52 comprises spaced apart side walls 54 having a substantially u - shaped open channel therebetween . it is between these side walls 54 that a spinal rod 60 of a spinal implant system is inserted . in the illustrated embodiment of a hook 50 , the side walls 54 include a threaded central portion 56 into which a retaining member 70 is inserted to secure the rod 60 within the saddle portion 52 of the hook 50 . the retainer 20 has a generally u - shaped configuration , which permits insertion of the retainer 20 into the saddle portion 52 of the hook 50 . the retainer 20 further comprises a plurality of biasing members 22 . in this embodiment , the biasing members 22 are configured as cantilevered leaf springs and operate as engagement elements that contact the hook 50 . furthermore , in the embodiment shown , the retainer 20 has four biasing members 22 , though a different number may be used . the insertion tool 10 is configured such that , when the retainer 20 is inserted into the saddle 52 of the hook 50 as shown in fig1 , the biasing members 22 frictionally engage inner faces 58 of the side walls 54 on either side of the threaded portion 56 . the biasing force applied by the biasing members 22 against the inner side walls 58 of the hook 50 is sufficient to support the weight of the hook 50 . however , as suggested above , the retainer 20 and the biasing members 22 hold the hook 50 in a releasable manner . thus , the biasing members 22 should not create so large a retaining force that the insertion tool 10 cannot be extracted from the hook 50 as needed . the exemplary insertion tool 10 also includes an enlarged flange 14 adjacent to the retainer 20 . the flange 14 serves to limit the depth to which the hook 50 may be inserted onto the retainer 20 . in addition , the flange 14 permits the application of an insertion force in the direction indicated by the letter f in fig1 . for instance , it may be necessary to apply an insertion force in the direction of arrow f during surgical installation of the hook 50 . however , once the hook 50 is positioned as desired , the arrangement of the retainer 20 and flange 14 allow the insertion tool 10 to be removed in the directions indicated by arrow a or arrow p or some vector combination thereof . these arrows f , a , and p are shown relative to an x - y - z coordinate system . note also that the direction of deflection of the biasing members 22 caused by installation of the hook 50 onto the retainer 20 in one or more embodiments may be substantially aligned with the y - coordinate . fig3 a shows arrows a and p relative to the same x - y - z coordinate system and to the entire insertion tool 10 and hook 50 . notably , the elongated bar 12 is substantially aligned with the direction of removal along arrow p . this direction p is towards the open part of the u - shaped channel in the saddle 52 ( see fig2 ). this direction p is also substantially perpendicular to the rod 60 that lies within the u - shaped channel in saddle 52 . the ability to remove the insertion tool in this direction may help preserve the desire to maintain small surgical incisions and may also prevent interference with vertebrae or other anatomy ( not shown ). furthermore , since the retainer 20 fits substantially within the interior of the saddle 52 , the extent to which the insertion tool 10 is a limiting factor in guiding and placing the hook 50 in a desired position may be minimized . also , the size of the insertion tool 10 in the direction of arrow a may be minimized by adjusting the size of the bend 16 in the elongated bar 12 and the distance between the bend 16 and the distal end at which the hook 50 is attached . as described above and shown in fig2 , the retainer 20 uses friction to grasp the inner surfaces 58 of side walls 54 of the hook 50 . consequently , there is some amount of flexibility in orienting the hook 50 onto the retainer 20 . that is , as fig3 b shows , the hook 50 may be rotated slightly up and down in the x - z plane as indicated by the arrows h relative to the insertion tool 10 . this additional degree of flexibility may further improve approach angles during surgical installation as well as in removing the insertion tool 10 from the hook 50 . the u - shaped configuration of the retainer 20 is more clearly visible in the frontal view shown in fig4 . this particular view is aligned with a longitudinal axis labeled d . the bottom surface 24 is curved to fit within the saddle 52 of hook 50 . in one embodiment , the bottom surface 24 of retainer 20 has a radius of curvature that matches that of the bottom of saddle 52 ( see fig2 ). this same radius of curvature may also correspond to a diameter of rod 60 ( also shown in fig2 ). fig4 also illustrates a small outward bow of the biasing members 22 relative to the width of the bottom surface 24 . the biasing members 22 are resilient and deflect inward , conforming to the size of the saddle 52 of hook 50 ( as shown in fig1 ). the reaction force caused by this inward deflection supplies the friction that holds the hook 50 onto the retainer 20 . fig5 shows a top view of the exemplary retainer 20 , including the biasing members 22 , in relation to the flange 14 and elongated bar 12 . notably , the middle portion 26 between the biasing members 22 extends wider than the biasing members 22 ( also visible in fig3 ). when the retainer 20 is inserted into the saddle 52 of the hook 50 as shown in fig1 , these middle portions 26 fit within the threaded portion 56 of the hook 50 . a close fit between the middle portions 26 of retainer 20 and the threaded portions 56 of hook 50 may contribute to a more robust retention , reducing unwanted motion between the two parts 10 , 50 . a widened middle portion 26 may omitted in cases where the hook 50 or other vertebral implant does not have the threaded portions 56 . fig5 also shows that the retainer 20 is oriented along the longitudinal axis labeled d . the biasing members 22 are positioned in a free state and are spaced apart a first width w 1 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis d . when the hook 50 is attached as illustrated in fig1 , the biasing members 22 deflect inward towards an engaged state where the biasing members are space apart a second width illustrated by the dimension labeled w 2 . this inward deflection of the biasing members 22 creates the outward retention force that keeps the hook 50 attached to the retainer 20 . note that the length of the retainer in the left to right direction of fig5 remains substantially constant . an alternative embodiment of a retainer 120 is illustrated in fig6 - 9 . fig6 shows an exploded view of components in this particular embodiment . the retainer 120 uses a biasing member 122 to apply a retaining force to a hook 50 . in the embodiment shown , the biasing member 122 is a compression ring . the biasing member 122 fits within a recess 126 formed between retaining walls 128 of a substantially u - shaped retainer body 124 protruding from flange 14 . in one embodiment , this retainer body 124 is sized to fit within the saddle 52 of the hook 50 shown in fig2 . the biasing member 123 is captured within the recess 126 by a substantially cylindrical plug 130 . the plug 130 includes three portions 132 , 134 , 136 defined by different diameters . a flange portion 132 has a diameter that is larger than the inner diameter of the biasing member 122 . the body portion 134 has a diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the biasing member 122 . further , a plug portion 136 has a diameter that is sized to fit within a corresponding aperture 138 in the retainer body 124 . the plug portion 136 may be threaded to fit within a corresponding threaded aperture 138 . alternatively , the plug portion 136 may be press fitted into the aperture 138 . in other embodiments , the plug portion 136 may be loosely fit into aperture 138 , but retained using an adhesive compound . as configured , the plug 130 may retain the biasing member 122 as shown in fig7 . the biasing member 122 further comprises a gap 123 that is larger than a corresponding orienting feature 133 in the body portion 134 of the plug 130 . this relationship among these features is more readily visible in fig8 , which shows a top view of the exemplary retainer 120 . the gap 123 in biasing member 122 is aligned with the orienting feature 133 . the gap 123 is wider than the orienting feature 133 as evidenced by the existence of gaps 123 on either side of the orienting feature 133 . also as indicated , the body portion 134 ( see fig6 ) has a diameter that is smaller than the biasing member 122 . this difference in size allows resilient compression of the biasing member 122 in the direction indicated by the arrows labeled c in fig8 , which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis d . fig8 also shows that the biasing member 122 is marginally wider than the retaining walls 128 of the retainer body 124 . fig9 illustrates that this configuration mates with a corresponding configuration in a hook 50 . specifically , the biasing member 122 in the present embodiment engages the threaded portion 56 of the sidewalls 54 of hook 50 . fig9 also shows that upon inserting the retainer 120 into the hook 50 , the biasing member 122 compresses slightly , creating a reaction force that frictionally engages the hook 50 . the compression of the biasing member 122 is visible in the vicinity of the orienting feature 133 , where the amount of gap 123 on either side of the orienting feature 133 is reduced as compared to fig8 . in yet another embodiment of a retainer 220 illustrated in fig1 and 11 , a biasing member 222 is used to apply a frictional retaining force when compressed in the direction of arrows c . a single biasing member 222 is illustrated though a plurality may be used . however , in contrast with previously described embodiments , the biasing member 222 in this embodiment does not directly contact a hook 50 of the type shown in the various figures . instead , the biasing member 222 imparts a reactive force on complementary plungers 226 disposed within a head 224 and that are configured to fit within the threaded portion 56 of the sidewalls 54 of hook 50 . fig1 shows this same embodiment with the hook 50 attached to the retainer 220 and the plungers 226 compressed as compared to the position shown in fig1 . as with the embodiment of the retainer 20 shown in fig1 - 2 , and 4 - 5 , the retention mechanism created by biasing members 122 and 222 provides some flexibility in attaching a hook 50 . that is , the adjustability represented by the arrows labeled h in fig3 b is equally applicable to these embodiments of the retainer 120 , 220 . accordingly , the hook 50 may be rotated slightly up and down in the x - z plane as indicated by the arrows h relative to the insertion tool 10 . this additional degree of flexibility may further improve approach angles during surgical installation as well as in removing the insertion tool 10 from the hook 50 . in another embodiment of a retainer 320 illustrated in fig1 and 13 , a biasing member 222 similar to that shown in fig1 and 11 is used to apply a frictional retaining force when compressed in the direction of arrow c . a single biasing member 222 is illustrated though a plurality may be used . in contrast with the embodiment shown in fig1 and 11 , the biasing member 222 imparts a reactive force on a single plunger 226 that is disposed within a head 324 and is also configured to fit within the threaded portion 56 of sidewalls 54 of hook 50 . fig1 shows this same embodiment with the hook 50 attached to the retainer 320 and the single plunger 226 compressed as compared to the position shown in fig1 . the present invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the scope and essential characteristics of the invention . for example , while certain embodiments described above have contemplated engaging a threaded portion 56 on the interior of the sidewall 54 of hook 50 , other hooks may have threaded portions on the exterior of the sidewall 54 or transversely formed through the sidewalls 54 . however , the friction forces applied by the various biasing members 22 , 122 , 222 may be generally applied to the inner surface 58 of the sidewalls 54 , regardless of the positioning or existence of threads . furthermore , while a hook 50 has been used as an exemplary implant that may be placed with the insertion tool 10 , other implant devices may be positioned using the insertion tool . for instance , pedicle screws , clamps for securing a rod to a plate , and other items featuring a rod clamp similar to the illustrated saddle 52 of hook 50 may be inserted and positioned using the insertion tool 10 disclosed herein . the present embodiments are , therefore , to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein . spatially relative terms such as “ under ”, “ below ”, “ lower ”, “ over ”, “ upper ”, “ distal ”, “ proximal ”, and the like , are used for ease of description to explain the positioning of one element relative to a second element . further , the terms “ down ”, “ downward ”, “ up ”, “ upward ”, and the like , are used to explain the positioning of the elements as viewed in the figures . these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to different orientations than those depicted in the figures . further , terms such as “ first ”, “ second ”, and the like , are also used to describe various elements , regions , sections , etc and are also not intended to be limiting .	0
the embodiments of the present invention will next be explained in detail on the basis of the drawings . fig1 is a view showing first to fourth embodiments of the present invention . in this embodiment , a radio base station 10 is arranged instead of the radio base station 50 , and a control section 11 is arranged instead of the control section 54 in this radio base station 10 . the operation of a transmission - band allotting apparatus in a first embodiment of the present invention will next be explained with reference to fig1 and 2 . the features of this embodiment are characterized in the procedure of processing of the following scheduling performed by the control section 11 arranged in the radio base station 10 . in the following description , a code 60 - n is noted additionally to a mobile station shown by an identifier n of the mobile station . the control section 11 sequentially makes the following arithmetic calculation for the mobile station 60 - n shown by the identifier n pertinent to each of 1 to n . with respect to a time series m , a forgetting coefficient μ (& gt ; 0 ) less than 1 , and r n ( m ) as tbs of the mobile station 60 - n acquired in the process of scheduling , an average value r n ( m ) of its r n ( m ) and an average value s n ( m ) of square values of this r n ( m ) are calculated by repeating the arithmetic calculation based on an exponential smoothing method shown in the following recurrence formulas ( 3 ), ( 4 ) in the order of the time series (( 1 ) and ( 2 ) of fig2 ) s n ( m )= μ s n ( m − 1 )+( 1 − μ ){ r n ( m )} 2 ( 4 ) the number of populations ( the length of an interval on the time series ) as an object of the exponential smoothing based on these recurrence formulas ( 3 ), ( 4 ) is set to be long as the above forgetting coefficient μ is increased . a priority pa n ( m ) ( hereinafter called priority a ) of the terminal 60 - n is calculated in the order of the time series m by making the arithmetic calculation shown by the following formula ( 5 ) on the basis of these average values r n ( m ), s n ( m ) and the above r n ( m ) (( 3 ) of fig2 ). pa n ⁡ ( m ) = r n ⁡ ( m ) - r n ⁡ ( m ) [ s n ⁡ ( m ) - { r n ⁡ ( m ) } 2 ] 1 / 2 ( 5 ) further , the control section 11 preferentially allots the band of downlink to mobile stations in the descending order of the above calculated priority pa n ( m ) among the mobile stations 60 - 1 to 60 - n , or to a mobile station having a maximum priority pa n ( m ), in parallel with making the above arithmetic calculations (( 1 ) to ( 5 ) of fig2 ) (( a ) and ( b ) of fig2 ). the denominator of the right - hand side of the above formula ( 5 ) corresponds to the square root of a dispersion value of tbs (= r n ( m )) calculated in the order of the time series m for every mobile station , and the numerator of this right - hand side means a deviation from an average value of this tbs (= r n ( m )). thus , in accordance with this embodiment , the band of the downlink of transmission with respect to the uplink is preferentially allotted to any mobile station as the amount of a change of the above - described tbs (= r n ( m )) calculated in the order of the time series m is reduced as long as the above deviation is not greatly small . accordingly , since the priority allotted to the band of the downlink is reduced as the average value r n ( m ) of the above tbs (= r n ( m )) is increased , the ( problem 1 ) caused in the conventional example as mentioned above is greatly corrected or reduced , and the fairness relating to the allotment of the band of the downlink of such transmission is raised . the operation of a transmission - band allotting apparatus in a second embodiment of the present invention will next be explained with reference to fig1 and 2 . this embodiment is characterized in the procedure of processing of the following scheduling performed by the control section 111 arranged in the radio base station 10 . the control section 11 performs the following processing to all the mobile stations 60 - 1 to 60 - n ( for brevity , it is here supposed that the mobile stations 60 - 1 to 60 - n wait for the allotment of the band of the downlink based on hsdpa in parallel with each other ) in addition to the arithmetic calculation for calculating the above - described priority a . with respect to the time series m and r n ( m ) as tbs of the mobile station 60 - n acquired in the process of scheduling , an average value r ( m ) of its r n ( m ) relating to all the mobile stations 60 - 1 to 60 - n and an average value s ( m ) of these square values of r n ( m ) are calculated by repeating the arithmetic calculation based on the moving average method in the order of the time series as shown by the following formulas ( 6 ), ( 7 ) (( 6 ) and ( 7 ) of fig2 ). r ⁡ ( m ) = ∑ n = 1 n ⁢ r n ⁡ ( m ) / n ( 6 ) s ⁡ ( m ) = ∑ n = 1 n ⁢ { r n ⁡ ( m ) } 2 / n ( 7 ) a priority pb n ( m ) ( hereinafter called priority b ) is calculated in the order of the time series m by making the arithmetic calculation shown by the following formula ( 8 ) on the basis of the above r n ( m ) in addition to these average values r ( m ), s ( m ) (( 8 ) of fig2 ) pb n ⁡ ( m ) = r n ⁡ ( m ) - r ⁡ ( m ) [ s n ⁡ ( m ) - { r ⁡ ( m ) } 2 ] 1 / 2 ( 8 ) further , the control section 11 calculates a priority ( hereinafter called general priority ) p n ( m ) shown by one of the following formulas ( 9 ), ( 10 ) with respect to the above - described priority a ( pa n ( m )), the priority b (= pb n ( m )), and coefficients α , β already fixed within the mobile stations 60 - 1 to 60 - n in parallel with the above arithmetic calculation (( 9 ) of fig2 ). p n ( m )= max { α × pa n ( m ), β pb n ( m )} ( 10 ) the above coefficients α , β respectively mean a degree in which the fairness relating to the allotment of the band of the downlink to the individual terminal should be prior , and a degree in which the improvement of the general throughput should be prior . further , the control section 11 preferentially allots the band of the downlink above - described in the descending order of such a general priority p n ( m ), or with respect to the terminal maximum in its general priority p n ( m ) (( a ) and ( b ) of fig2 ). the denominator of the right - hand side of the above formula ( 8 ) corresponds to the square root of all dispersion values of tbs calculated in the order of the time series m with respect to the mobile stations 60 - 1 to 60 - n , and the numerator of this right - hand side means a deviation of the individual tbs with respect to an average value of all these tbss (= r n ( m )). namely , the priority with which the band of the downlink is allotted to any mobile station is set to a value at which the above - described fairness and the throughput are prior in a predetermined desirable ratio according to a combination of the values of the above - described coefficients α , β . accordingly , in contrast to the above first embodiment , as long as these coefficients α , β are set to appropriate values , the band of the downlink is preferentially allotted to the mobile station having a high average value of tbs (= r n ( m )) in comparison with the other mobile stations , and is also preferentially allotted even in the mobile station having a low average value of this tbs . thus , in accordance with this embodiment , the above - described ( problem 2 ) caused because the band of the downlink is allotted to the mobile station having a large average value of the above tbs (= r n ( m )) and the mobile station having a low average value of this tbs in the conventional example is greatly reduced as well as the above ( problem 1 ). further , the fairness relating to such allotment of the band of the downlink is raised , and the general throughput is highly maintained . the operation of a transmission - band allotting apparatus in a third embodiment of the present invention will next be explained with reference to fig1 and 2 . this embodiment is characterized in the procedure of the following processing performed by the control section 11 arranged in the radio base station 10 . the control section 11 performs processing different from that of each of the above - described first and second embodiments with respect to the following points . no arithmetic calculation (( 2 ) and ( 7 ) of fig2 ) based on the above - described recurrence formulas ( 4 ), ( 7 ) is made . instead of the arithmetic calculation based on the above - described formulas ( 5 ), ( 8 ), the priority a (= pa n ( m )) and the priority b (= pb n ( m )) are calculated by making the arithmetic calculation shown in the following formulas ( 11 ), ( 12 ) (( 10 and ( 11 ) of fig2 ). further , the control section 11 calculates the general priority p n ( m ) shown by one of the above - described formulas ( 9 ), ( 10 ) with respect to the priority a and the priority b thus calculated (( 12 ) of fig2 ). the control section 111 further preferentially allots the band of the downlink to terminals in the descending order of its general priority p n ( m ), or to the terminal with largest general priority p n ( m ) (( a ) and ( b ) of fig2 ). the priority a shown in the above formula ( 11 ) is equal to a priority calculated under the pf method applied to the conventional example , and the priority b shown in the above formula ( 12 ) becomes a large value as the average value of tbss notified from all the mobile stations 60 - 1 to 60 - n becomes small . accordingly , in comparison with the above second embodiment , the inappropriate balance of the fairness and the general throughput caused in the above - described problem 2 caused in the conventional example is reduced although the calculating procedure of the priority a and the priority b is greatly simplified . in the above second and third embodiments , the general priority p n ( m ) is given as one of the formulas ( 9 ), ( 10 ) given with respect to the above - described coefficients α , β . however , for example , as shown in the following formula ( 13 ), such a general priority p n ( m ) may be also calculated as a simple product of the priority a and the priority b . fig3 is an operation flow chart of a fourth embodiment of the present invention . the operation of a transmission - band allotting apparatus in the fourth embodiment of the present invention will next be explained with reference to fig1 to 3 . as described later , this embodiment is characterized in the procedure of processing performed by the control section 11 arranged in the radio base station 10 and calculating a value r n ′( m ) of tbs to be applied instead of the above - described value r n ( m ) of tbs . information referred in a process of such processing is as follows . tbs ( hereinafter called tbs req directly obtained from cqi as above - described the size of data to be actually transmitted to a terminal allotted in band by scheduling , and tbs tx not necessarily having the same value as the above tbs req ( e . g ., when the size tbs buf of data to be transmitted , stored to a buffer of the radio base station is smaller than tbs req , it is sufficient to a value equal to this tbs buf , but it is desirably set to a value equal to tbs req when more data are stored to such a buffer .) further , the control section 11 performs the following processing by referring to these information . the r n ′( m ) of tbs shown by the following formula ( 14 ) is calculated with respect to a packet error rate per n ( m ) presumed as above described , and tbs tx is calculated (( 1 ) of fig3 ). r n ′( m )=( 1 − per n ( m )) tbs tx ( 14 ) it is judged whether this tbs tx is a sum or more of the above tbs req and an already fixed constant (≧ 0 ) or not ( or this tbs tx is equal to both tbs req and tbs buf or not ) (( 2 ) of fig3 ). when its judging result is false , r n ′( m ) calculated on the basis of the above formula is selected . in contrast to this , when this judging result is true , tbs tx is applied as the value r n ′( m ) of tbs as shown in the following formula ( 15 ) (( 3 ) of fig3 ). namely , the value r n ′( m ) of tbs is calculated on the basis of tbs tx and the packet error rate per n ( m ) which the radio base station 10 can independently acquire under the initiative of the radio base station 10 instead of the value r n ( m ) of tbs notified by the mobile station 60 - n . accordingly , in accordance with this embodiment , the mobile station allotted the band of the downlink on the basis of scheduling is appropriately selected with respect to the substantial transmission quality of the downlink even when the value of tbs notified to the radio base station 10 by each mobile station might include an error caused by a characteristic deviation of the individual mobile station , an environmental condition , an unfair reconstruction and others in the processes of quantization and coding performed to calculate this tbs . in each of the above embodiments , the present invention is applied to the mobile communication system applying the above - described hsdpa thereto . however , the present invention is not limited to such a mobile communication system , but can be also applied to various radio transmission systems irrespective of applied multiple access system , modulating system , frequency allocation , channel allocation and zone configuration as long as the band of the downlink is suitably allotted to the terminal in accordance with the transmission quality and the transmission speed notified by the terminal . further , in each of the above embodiments , the present invention is applied to the radio transmission system to which an adaptive modulating system suitably changed in the modulating system is applied in accordance with the transmission quality and the transmission speed notified by the terminal . however , the present invention is not limited to such a construction , but can be adapted to various radio transmission systems irrespective of the formats and contents of the packet and information to be supplied in the notification of the above transmission quality and the transmission speed and the allotment of the band of the downlink even when such an adaptive modulating system is not applied at all . further , in each of the above embodiments , all the transmission bands of a specific radio channel are allotted to the individual mobile station in every constant period . however , the present invention is not limited to such a construction . for example , when both or one of the band of the specific radio channel allotted to the individual mobile station and the length of a period for allotting this specific radio channel to every terminal is not constant , management for maintaining the appropriate fairness may be also performed together with respect to a substantially allotted band width and an integrated value of transmission capacity . further , in each of the above embodiments , the scheduling is performed in one mode described above . however , the fairness and the general throughput using a predetermined desirable mode may be also maintained appropriately and stably by suitably changing the mode of such scheduling in a mode adapted to e . g ., the construction of the system , a traffic distribution and other events ( e . g ., discriminated in the processes of channel control , call setting and supervisory and control ). further , in the above first and second embodiments , the deviation from the average value of tbs is normalized on the basis of the square root of an above - described dispersion value as shown by the denominator of the right - hand side of each of the formulas ( 5 ), ( 8 ). however , in such a denominator , the difference in the distribution of tbs may be also weighted in a predetermined desirable degree by applying a γ - multiplying value of the above dispersion value with respect to e . g ., an arbitrary real number γ . a transmission quality acquiring unit acquiring , for every terminal , a transmission quality of a downlink notified by the terminal ; a statistic processing unit averaging all of transmission qualities of the terminals acquired by the transmission quality acquiring unit to obtain a total average value , and calculating , for every terminal , an average value and a dispersion of transmission qualities acquired by the transmission quality acquiring unit ; and an allotting unit preferentially a band of the downlink to terminals according to both or one of ratios of the transmission qualities acquired by the transmission quality acquiring unit and the average values , and ratios of deviations from the average values of the transmission qualities and the dispersions , such that the larger ratios the terminals have , the more preferentially the terminals are allotted the band . a transmission quality acquiring unit acquiring , for every terminal , a transmission quality of a downlink notified by the terminal ; a statistic processing unit averaging all of transmission qualities of the terminals acquired by the transmission quality acquiring unit to obtain a total average value , calculating dispersions of the transmission qualities , and calculating , for every terminal , an average value of the transmission qualities acquired by the transmission quality acquiring unit ; and an allotting unit preferentially allotting a band of the downlink to terminals according to both or one of ratios of the transmission quality acquired by the transmission quality acquiring unit and the average values , and ratios of deviations from the average values of the transmission qualities and the dispersions , such that the larger ratios the terminals have , the more preferentially the terminals are allotted the band . a transmission quality acquiring unit acquiring , for every terminal , a transmission error rate and a transmission quality of a downlink notified by the terminal , and weighting the transmission quality such that the smaller the transmission error rate is , the larger the weighting is ; a statistic processing unit calculating , for every terminal , a dispersion of all of transmission qualities weighted by the transmission quality acquiring unit ; and an allotting unit preferentially allotting a band of the downlink to terminals in a descending order of ratios of the dispersions and deviations from the average values of the transmission qualities weighted by the transmission quality acquiring unit . a transmission quality acquiring unit acquiring , for every terminal , a transmission error rate and a transmission quality of a downlink notified by the terminal , and weighting the transmission quality such that the smaller the transmission error rate is , the larger the weighting is ; a statistic processing unit averaging all of transmission qualities of the terminals weighted by the transmission quality acquiring unit to obtain a total average value , and calculating , for every terminal , the average value of the transmission qualities weighted by the transmission quality acquiring unit ; and an allotting unit preferentially allotting a band of the downlink to terminals according to both or one of ratios of the transmission qualities weighted by the transmission quality acquiring unit and the average values , and ratios of the transmission qualities and the total average , such that the larger ratios the terminals have , the more preferentially the terminals are allotted the band . a transmission quality acquiring unit acquiring , for every terminal , a transmission error rate and a transmission quality of a downlink notified by the terminal , and weighting the transmission quality such that the smaller the transmission error rate is , the larger the weighting is ; a statistic processing unit averaging all of transmission qualities of the terminals weighted by the transmission quality acquiring unit to obtain a total average value , and calculating , for every terminal , the average value and a dispersion of the transmission qualities weighted by the transmission quality acquiring unit ; and an allotting unit preferentially allotting a band of the downlink to terminals according to both or one of ratios of the transmission qualities weighted by the transmission quality acquiring unit and the average values , and ratios of deviations from the average values of the transmission qualities and the dispersions , such that the larger ratios the terminals have , the more preferentially the terminals are allotted the band . a transmission quality acquiring unit acquiring , for every terminal , a transmission error rate and a transmission quality of a downlink notified by the terminal , and weighting the transmission quality such that the smaller the transmission error rate is , the larger the weighting is ; a statistic processing unit averaging all of transmission qualities of the terminals weighted by the transmission quality acquiring unit to obtain a total average value , and calculating dispersions of the transmission qualities , and calculating , for every terminal , an average value of the transmission quality weighted by the transmission quality acquiring unit ; and an allotting unit preferentially allotting a band of the downlink to terminals according to both or one of ratios of the transmission qualities weighted by the transmission quality acquiring unit and the average values , and ratios of deviations from the average values of the transmission qualities and the dispersions , such that the larger ratios the terminals have , the more preferentially the terminals are allotted the band . the invention is not limited to the above embodiments and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . any improvement may be made in part or all of the components .	7
the present invention provides a system and method for applying a protective coating on various components , including parts of cmp equipment . by way of overview and with reference to fig1 one presently preferred embodiment of the invention includes a coated part 20 adaptable to cmp equipment , including a part surface or substrate 22 that is covered by a laminate coating 24 . the laminate coating 24 includes a base primer coating 26 used to facilitate an adequate bond between the substrate 22 and subsequent coatings ; at least one intermediate colored coating 28 ; and , a top coating 30 . together , the coating 24 protects the substrate 22 from mechanical and chemical harm . specific details of the coated part 20 are described in more detail below . as used in this specification , the term “ substrate ” means the surface of any part , equipment component , or other object that can be coated . likewise , the term “ laminate ” coating refers to the preferred coating embodiment having several layers as well as a coating comprising a single layer . similarly , while the preferred embodiment includes a primer , intermediate layer , and top coat , the term “ intermediate ” layer also refers to a part coating comprised of a single layer , without a top coat or primer . the coating used in the present invention includes a non - stick coating applied to the surface of the cmp tooling . preferably , the non - stick coating is a fluoropolymer such as pfa , fep , etfe , ectfe , or other type of fluoropolymer . in an actual embodiment , the coating is an ectfe fluoropolymer commercially available under the trademark halar ® and sold by ausimont usa , inc ., 10 leonards lane thorofare , n . j . 08086 , usa . fluoropolymers are also available from dupont , under the brand names tefzel ® and teflon ®, or other sources . generally one coat , preferably the intermediate coat 28 , of the laminate coating 24 is blended with a colorant or other additive to give it a distinctive color that provides contrast with the slurry , abrasive matter , or other particles expected to build up on the equipment . accordingly , it is possible to readily see when the coated part 20 accumulates a build - up of foreign particles . in the preferred embodiment , the colorant is a blue pigment available from ferro corporation , 1000 lakeside avenue , cleveland , ohio 44114 - 7000 . in an actual embodiment , the colorant is ferro &# 39 ; s product code f . 6279 . other colorants and additives or different colors are also possible , consistent with this invention . preferably , the fluoropolymer is blended with the pigment at a ratio of 50 grams of pigment to 5 pounds of fluoropolymer . in an alternate embodiment , multiple layers of the coating contain different colored pigments . thus , for example , a layer close to the substrate ( such as the primer layer or an intermediate layer ) can be colored gray , while an adjacent layer is colored blue . when the blue layer begins to wear , the gray layer will become visible , signaling that it is time to replace or recoat the part . any number of colors and layers may be used to accomplish the wear - indicating result , although the two colors preferably contrast with one another so that when the top layer begins to wear the lower layer is readily visible . for example , contrasting layers of black and white or blue and gray may be used . the same contrasting effect may also be possible by using a primer and an intermediate coating with naturally - contrasting colors , so that adding pigments are unnecessary . depending on the application and the materials chosen , a sufficient contrast may be achieved . in this regard , “ clear ” is considered to be a color that may be desirable for a coating layer . for example , a clear base coat applied to a metallic surface will give the appearance of a metallic - colored layer . in the preferred embodiment , however , pigments are added to improve upon the contrast and to provide a final color that contrasts with contaminants expected to be deposited on the equipment . fig2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the coating process 40 beginning at block 42 . the parts to be coated , for example , substrate 22 , are first masked at block 44 to cover any surface areas intended not to be coated . then , as indicated by block 46 , the parts are blasted with 80 - grit aluminum oxide to rough up the surface to improve adhesion of the coating . while a grit - blast with 80 - grit aluminum oxide is preferred , the surface may be roughed up in other manners , or using a different materials other than 80 - grit aluminum oxide . once the surface is prepared by roughing up surfaces to be coated , the masking is removed at block 48 and replaced with a heat - resistant tape , block 50 . in this case , the heat - resistant tape masks the same areas that are intended not to be coated , but does so with a tape or other material that can withstand high temperatures . the masked article is then pre - baked at 560 ° f . for about 15 minutes to remove impurities , improve the bonding ability , and prevent out - gassing under the coating , at block 52 . next , as indicated by block 54 , the article is coated with a chemical resistant fluorpolymer primer at a thickness of about 0 . 005 inches or 5 mils . while a variety of materials would be suitable as a primer , in an actual embodiment it is ausimont fluoropolymer 6814 , chosen because it has exceptional bonding and acid resistance qualities . after covering the component part with primer , at block 56 the article is put into the oven , which is still at 560 ° f ., and immediately turned down to 500 deg f . it is left in for about 5 minutes . once the primer coat is flowed out , a first coat of the coating mixed with pigment is applied to a thickness of 3 mils , block 58 , and baked at 500 ° f . for 15 minutes , at a block 60 . additional coats of the colored fluoropolymer are added at block 62 , and heated at block 63 in the same manner as with block 60 , to achieve a preferred thickness of 11 mils . while this is the preferred thickness for a cmp application , the coating may be applied to produce a greater or lesser thickness , consistent with this invention . likewise , the final thickness of 11 mils is preferably achieved by applying a total of four coats of fluoropolymer material . this thickness may alternatively be produced by a greater or lesser number of coatings , depending on the thickness of the coats applied . a top coating 30 of fluoropolymer is applied at a block 64 . the top coating 30 is preferably a clear fluoropolymer , having no added pigment . alternatively , there need be no additional top coating or the top coating can include a colorant . the top coating is preferably a thin coat , less than 3 mils . once applied , the article is baked at 490 ° f . for about 10 - 15 minutes at block 66 . while the temperatures and baking times described above have been found to be suitable for applying a colored fluoropolymer such as ectfe , both the temperature and baking times may be varied , consistent with this invention . the part is allowed to cool to room temperature , at block 68 . once it is cool , it is unmasked and inspected at block 70 to determine whether the desired thickness , smoothness , and any other desired attributes have been achieved . an r . a . test is then performed . the preferred end product is specified at 15 - 25 mils thick , with r . a . less than 16 . some parts may have either a higher or lower thickness requirement , depending upon the final environment and the end use to which the user subjects the part . a determination is made regarding the acceptability of the laminate coating thickness at block 72 . if it is not thick enough , the process returns to block 62 to add further coating layers , as desired . if the thickness is acceptable , the process proceeds to block 74 to evaluate overall quality . if it is unacceptable , it is possible to either reheat and reflow the product , to add further coatings ( returning to blocks 60 or 62 ) or to strip the coating at block 78 and start again . upon meeting the established criteria for uniform and complete coverage , showing no delaminations or release of coating , no pinholes , and the part has uniform color , thickness and surface texture , the part is then passed through quality control testing , the part thus accepted , and the process finished , block 76 . the resulting application produces a nonstick surface that is chemical - resistant and abrasion - resistant . when used with a pigment , the pigment allows users to see the cmp slurry when it is starting to build up at the earliest stages , providing a forewarning that slurry is starting to build up and parts may have to be removed , cleaned , re - coated , or replaced . because the coating is non - stick , the slurry can be usually be wiped clean and will only need to be recoated or replaced after an extended period of use . although the process has been described above with reference to cmp parts in particular , it is also valuable for other tools , equipment parts , and other components . in such applications , the addition of pigments allows operators to see the buildup of oil , debris , or other contaminants that can then be easily cleaned from the non - stick surface . fig3 shows a generic cmp system in operation , including a rotating base 102 having a top - mounted polishing pad 104 . a wafer 106 is mounted to a rotating polishing head 108 to polish the wafer by abrasion . slurry particles 110 used in the polishing process and worn away from the wafer 106 are sprayed from the working surface . as discussed above , some of the slurry 110 will splatter and deposit onto the rotating polishing head 108 or other components . for that reason , the polishing head 108 is coated as discussed above , preferably in a color that contrasts with the color of the slurry 110 or other materials that may build - up on the equipment . the inside of the polishing head 108 to which the wafer 106 is mounted need not be coated , and is preferably masked and not coated during the coating process . because the polishing head is coated , it allows the slurry to be wiped away , avoiding any significant build - up . likewise , the abrasive nature of the slurry will eventually cause the coating to wear away ( though it will take longer than with other coatings ). by using color contrasting layers , it will be easy to readily see when the coating is beginning to wear away , indicating at an early stage when the part must be re - coated or replaced . another example of a coated cmp part is a clamp as illustrated in fig4 . the clamp 120 may be used , for example , to hold a silicon wafer for polishing . the clamp 120 includes a right semi - circular retainer 122 and a mating left semi - circular retainer 124 joined by a pin 126 . the pin 126 , which may be a rivet , bolt , or other connector , forms a pivot point allowing the two retainers 122 , 124 to open and close about a wafer . each retainer includes an internal channel 128 , 130 to receive the wafer . at an end of the retainers opposite the pin 126 , each retainer 122 , 124 includes a descending prong 132 , 134 . the right prong 132 descends perpendicularly from the right retainer 122 , and includes upper and lower tabs that form the prong . likewise , the left prong 134 includes upper and lower tabs to form the left prong 134 . another pin 136 extends through the right prong 132 to pivotally retain a bolt 138 . the bolt is allowed to freely pivot downward to allow the clamp to open , or upward to lock the clamp in a closed position . a hemispherical washer ( not shown ) slides over the bolt 138 , followed by an internally threaded nut ( not shown ). the hemispherical washer mates with a concave section 140 within the left prong 134 so that the clamp is held firmly closed when the nut is tightened on the bolt 138 . the left retainer 124 and right retainer 122 are each coated with the coating of the preferred embodiment , as described above , so that they are covered with a blue - pigmented fluoropolymer coating . accordingly , slurry or other materials deposited onto the clamp are easily wiped away . while the coating invention has been described primarily in association with a cmp process , aspects of the invention are equally applicable to other environments . for example , parts used in aircraft or automotive industries that are in abrasive or high wear environments can be coated as described above . depending on the amount of wear encountered by the particular component , a thicker or thinner layer of coating may be applied . by using multiple color - contrasting layers , users can quickly see when a part is beginning to wear and must be replaced . likewise , the non - stick aspect allows oil , grease , tar , dirt , or other contaminants to be wiped clean before they build - up and damage the system . while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described , as noted above , many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be limited only by the claims that follow .	8
the present invention is directed to ( 1 ) a new and improved process for effecting covalent chemical reactions between components of a first fluid that is initiated by component ( s ) of a second , substantially immiscible fluid , in order to produce a chemical product , ( 2 ) a new and improved process for neutralizing and washing organic reaction products and vegetable oils and fats prior to further processing , and ( 3 ) a new and improved process for degumming and neutralizing vegetable oils . some embodiments of the present invention employ fiber reactors / contactors as described in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 754 , 377 , 3 , 758 , 404 , and 3 , 992 , 156 , which are incorporated herein by reference to the extent not inconsistent herewith ; wherein two essentially immiscible fluids with reactive components in them , including one phase which preferentially wets the fibers of the contactor ( constrained phase ), and , if needed , a phase transfer catalyst or a solvent that partially dissolves a reactant from the aqueous phase and brings it into the organic phase , are utilized . the conduit apparatuses described herein comprising fibers may be utilized as reactors and / or contactors / extractors , but simplicity will be generally referred to as conduit reactors . the fiber conduit reactor and phase transfer catalyzed reactions complement each other extremely well . major advantages of the conduit reactor for producing new covalent chemical bonds by catalysis are : ( 1 ) processes are very fast because of excellent phase - to - phase contact , and ( 2 ) by - products are greatly reduced because dispersions and rag layers are virtually eliminated . since dispersions are eliminated , settling time for coalescence of the dispersed particles is eliminated , thus reducing process time . when one of the reactants ( such as epichlorohydrin or vegetable oil ) can also react with water , this shorter contact time will mean better yields , reduced by - products , reduced pollution , and reduced costs for the process . additionally , elimination of settling zones and / or tanks will reduce the footprint of the process and the cost and size of the process equipment . the conduit reactor and vegetable oil processing also complement each other extremely well . major advantages of the conduit reactor for degumming , neutralizing , washing , and / or bleaching fats , vegetable oils , and biodiesel are ( 1 ) very efficient degumming , neutralization , washing and bleaching because of excellent phase - to - phase contact , ( 2 ) fast separation of the two phases , and ( 3 ) elimination of long - lived dispersions caused by the soaps that form as result of caustic and water reacting with fatty acids . use of co - solvents in the constrained phase is advantageous in light of the poor solubility of gums and stearate salts in water . the fibers that may be employed in the conduit reactor include , but are not limited to , cotton , jute , silk , treated or untreated minerals , metals , metal alloys , treated and untreated carbon , polymers , polymer blends , and combinations thereof . suitable treated or untreated minerals include , but are not limited to , glass , asbestos , ceramic , and combinations thereof . suitable metals include , but are not limited to , iron , steel , nickel , copper , brass , lead , tin , zinc , cobalt , titanium , tungsten , nichrome , silver , aluminum , magnesium , and alloys thereof . suitable polymers include , but are not limited to , hydrophilic polymers , polar polymers , hydrophilic copolymers , polar copolymers , and combinations thereof , such as polysaccharides , polypeptides , polyacrylic acid , polymethacrylic acid , functionalized polystyrene ( including but limited to , sulfonated polystyrene and aminated polystyrene ), nylon , polybenzimidazole , polyvinylidenedinitrile , polyvinylidene chloride , polyphenylene sulfide , polymelamine , polyvinyl chloride , co - polyethylene - acrylic acid and ethylene - vinyl alcohol copolymers . the fibers can be treated for wetting with preferred phases and to protect from corrosion by the process streams . for instance , carbon fibers can be oxidized to improve wettability in aqueous streams and polymers can display improved wettability in aqueous streams by incorporation of sufficient functionality into the polymer , including but not limited to , hydroxyl , amino , acid , or ether functionalities . the constrained phase can comprise any liquid that wets the fibers preferentially to the continuous phase , including but not limited to , such materials as water , water solutions , water and co - solvents , alcohols , phenols , amines ( including but not limited to , polyamines , ethanolamines , and polyethanolamines ), carboxylic acids , dimethyl sulfoxide , dimethyl formamide , sulfuric acid , ionic liquids ( including but not limited to , 1 - allyl - 3 - methylimidazolium chloride , 1 - ethyl - 3 - methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate , 1 , 2 - dimethyl - 3 - n - propylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate , 1 , 2 - dimethyl - 3 - n - butylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate , and 1 , 2 - dimethyl - 3 - n - butylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ), and the like . referring to fig1 , which depicts the conduit reactor disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 977 , 829 , a conduit 10 has in it a bundle of elongated fibers 12 filling the conduit 10 for a portion of its length . these fibers 12 are secured to a tube 14 at a perforated node 16 . tube 14 extends beyond one end of conduit 10 and has operatively associated with it a metering pump 18 which pumps a first ( constrained ) phase liquid through tube 14 and onto fibers 12 . operatively connected to conduit 10 upstream of node 16 is an inlet pipe 20 having operatively associated with it a metering pump 22 . this pump 22 supplies a second ( continuous ) phase liquid through inlet pipe 20 and into conduit 10 , where it is squeezed between the constrained coated fibers 12 . at the downstream end of conduit 10 is a gravity separator or settling tank 24 into which the downstream end of fibers 12 may extend . operatively associated with an upper portion of gravity separator 24 is an outlet line 26 for outlet of one of the liquids , and operatively associated with a lower portion of gravity separator 24 is an outlet line 28 for outlet of the other liquid , with the level of an interface 30 existing between the two liquids being controlled by a valve 32 , operatively associated with outlet line 28 and adapted to act in response to a liquid level controller indicated generally by the numeral 34 . in an alternative embodiment ( not shown ), an inverted arrangement using organophilic fibers with a constrained phase that is substantially organic can also be used . this arrangement can , for example , be used to extract organic materials from water with organic liquids constrained to the fibers . during operation of an apparatus such as that depicted by fig1 , a liquid , such as a caustic aqueous solution , is introduced through tube 14 and onto fibers 12 . another liquid , such as epichlorohydrin containing resin chlorohydrin ( organic phase ), is introduced into conduit 10 through inlet pipe 20 and through void spaces ( not labeled ) between fibers 12 . fibers 12 will be wetted by the aqueous caustic solution preferentially to the organic mixture . the aqueous caustic solution will form a film ( not shown ) on fibers 12 , wherein the film will be dragged downstream through conduit 10 by the passage of the organic mixture therethrough . optionally , a phase transfer catalyst can be employed to facilitate mass transfer across the interface between the phases . useful phase transfer catalysts for the reaction include , but are not limited to , quaternary ammonium compounds , quaternary phosphonium compounds , sulfonium compounds , crown ethers , polyglycols , and combinations thereof . one skilled in the relevant art would understand the applicability of various catalysts and reaction conditions to achieve the desired product . the phase transfer catalyst may be introduced to the conduit reactor in the constrained phase , the continuous phase , or both phases . as a consequence of the relative movement of the organic phase with respect to the aqueous caustic film on fibers 12 , a new interfacial boundary between the organic phase and the aqueous caustic solution is continuously being formed , and as a result , fresh resin chlorohydrin is brought in contact with caustic and the phase transfer catalyst , thus causing and accelerating the reaction . both liquid phases will be discharged into separator 24 , but the volume of the organic phase discharged will be greater because the aqueous caustic solution will move at a slower velocity than the organic phase . in separator 24 , the aqueous caustic solution will collect in the lower portion as it is heavier ( denser ) than the organic phase . although the embodiment shown in fig1 describes an arrangement wherein the downstream end of fibers 12 extends into separator 24 , the present invention is not so limited . in some embodiments of the present invention , the downstream end of fibers 12 within separator 24 may be disposed above , below , or at the interface between the liquid phases within separator 24 , depending on the relative density of the constrained phase and the continuous phase . optionally , for denser constrained phases , the interface 30 within separator 24 can be kept at a level above the bottom of the downstream end of fibers 12 , so that the heavier aqueous caustic film can be collected directly in the bottom of separator 24 without it being dispersed into the organic phase . although the embodiment of the present invention disclosed above describes the use of a caustic solution as the aqueous phase and epichlorohydrin containing resin chlorohydrin as the organic phase , this example is only illustrative and the present invention is not so limited . any suitable materials comprising substantially immiscible phases may be employed to practice the present invention . the conduit reactor can be used with constrained phases lower in density than the continuous phase . because the liquid phases come out of the conduit reactor separated and the constrained phase follows the fibers , the present invention may be utilized even when the phases are very close in density . fig2 shows a conduit reactor system useful in practicing the present invention . in operation , the secured fibers in reactors 1 and 2 are wetted by the constrained phase (“ caustic in ”) before the mobile phase (“ organic in ”) is started . fig2 shows how multiple fiber reactors can be used to increase efficiency of utilization of reactants and to increase conversion of reactants by essentially feeding the liquids counter - currently through the reactor sequence . the continuous phase output of reactor 1 (“ organic out ”) is introduced to reactor 2 (“ organic in ”) and further processed thereby . the constrained phase output of reactor 2 is introduced to reactor 1 (“ caustic in ”) while the constrained phase output of reactor 1 is discarded as waste ( or alternatively introduced to another reactor upstream of reactor 1 ( not shown )). in fig2 , the caustic and organic phases are depicted as flowing co - currently through each individual reactor , but the caustic and organic phases flow counter - currently through the reactor sequence . of course , fresh caustic can be used with each reactor if desired . fig3 shows a conventional shell and tube heat exchanger . combining this design with the conduit reactor yields a conduit reactor design ( not shown ) adapted to handle exothermic reactions that need to be cooled and endothermic reactions that need to be heated . one can see that modification of the inlet of the heat exchanger tubes (“ tube inlet ”) to duplicate the inlets shown in fig1 would make each tube in the exchanger act like a thermally controlled fiber reactor ( not shown ). the exit end of the heat exchanger (“ tube outlet ”) can be modified to operate as a separator ( not shown ) to collect the aqueous phase on the bottom near the end of the fibers ( not shown ) and allow the organic phase to exit from the top of the separator section . introduction of a heat exchange medium to the exchanger ( via “ shell inlet ”) and outflow thereof ( via “ shell outlet ”) allows for the addition or removal of thermal energy from the exchanger tubes . while fig3 depicts a counter - current flow heat exchanger , a co - current arrangement could also be used in conjunction with the present invention . in addition , although baffles are shown on the shell side of the exchanger in fig3 , the invention is not so limited and a heat exchanger without baffles may be employed . fig4 describes the chemical synthesis of diepoxy resin from epichlorohydrin and bisphenol a ( bpa ). as illustrated therein , epichlorohydrin and bpa are combined in the presence of a basic material to produce a mixture of resin intermediates , diepoxy resin , and excess epichlorohydrin ( not shown ). while the major reaction products are described in fig4 , additional minor by - products typically produced are not shown . a large excess of epichlorohydrin is used to minimize formation of higher molecular weight products . useful basic materials for the reaction include , but are not limited to , basic compounds such as amines ( including but not limited to , ethanolamines , polyamines , and polyethanolamines ), hydroxides , carbonates , bicarbonates , chlorides , phosphates , and combinations thereof . these basic materials may comprise cations including , but not limited to , lithium , sodium , potassium , calcium , quaternary complexes , and combinations thereof . the resin intermediates , dichlorohydrin resin and monoepoxy - monochlorohydrin resin ( collectively referred to herein as “ resin chlorohydrin ”), are converted to the diepoxy resin ( polyglycidyl ether resin ) by subsequent exposure to an aqueous base and a phase transfer catalyst in the conduit reactor described in fig1 . while the reaction depicted by fig4 utilizes epichlorohydrin and bpa , any suitable epihalohydrin . and any suitable polyhydric alcohol may be used to produce polyglycidyl ether resins according to the present invention . one suitable polyhydric alcohol is phenol - novolac , ( bisphenol f ) ( available from dow deutschland gmbh & amp ; co ., schwalbach , germany ). the epichlorohydrin reaction described above is one example of a chemical reaction which could be achieved using the processes comprising the present invention . other suitable reactions include , but are not limited to , o - alkylation ( etherification ); n - alkylation ; c - alkylation ; chiral alkylation ; s - alkylation ; esterification ; transesterification ; displacement ( e . g ., with cyanide , hydroxide , fluoride , thiocyanate , cyanate , iodide , sulfide , sulfite , azide , nitrite , or nitrate ); other nucleophilic aliphatic & amp ; aromatic substitutions ; oxidation ; hydrolysis ; epoxidation and chiral epoxidation ; michael addition ; aldol condensation ; wittig condensation ; darzens condensation ; carbene reactions ; thiophosphorylation ; reduction ; carbonylation ; transition metal co - catalysis ; hcl / hbr / hocl / h . sub . 2so . sub . 4 reactions ; and polymer synthesis or polymer modification . in one aspect , an organic halide ( r — x ) and an organic acid ( r ′— h ) may be coupled by the process described herein to produce a coupled product ( r — r ′), wherein r — x and r ′— h can be on the same molecule or different molecules . in such an embodiment , the organic acid ( r ′ h ) may comprise a carbon acid , such as a cyclopentadiene , an acetoacetate , or an acetylene , or the organic acid may comprise carboxylic acids ; thiocarboxylic acids ; phenols , alcohols , thiols , amines , ethanolamines , and the like . in another aspect , water , alcohols , carboxylic acids , inorganic acids , thiols , amines , or the like may be reacted with an epoxide to form a glycol or a substituted glycol such as , but not limited to , an alkyl ether alcohol , an alkyl thioether alcohol , an ester alcohol , and an amino alcohol , a phosphate ester or a borate ester . the following examples are provided to demonstrate particular embodiments of the present invention . it should be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the methods disclosed in the examples which follow merely represent exemplary embodiments of the present invention . however , those of skill in the art should , in light of the present disclosure , appreciate that many changes can be made in the specific embodiments described and still obtain a like or similar result without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . in the examples provided , all temperature and pressure conditions should be considered as ambient unless otherwise noted . this example illustrates the use of a conduit reactor comprising a 12 ″. times . ¼ ″ stainless steel tube containing approximately 100 , 000 glass fibers . tests were run with approximately 100 , 000 glass fibers 17 inches in length in a ¼ - inch internal diameter ( i . d .) stainless steel tube . the liquid volume of this reactor was approximately 2 . 9 ml . two liquids were pumped through this tube , with the constrained phase on the glass fibers being a 23 % by weight sodium hydroxide aqueous solution . the continuous phase was a mixture of epichlorohydrin and resin chlorohydrin ( made by reacting epichlorohydrin and bisphenol a ( bpa ) in a 10 : 1 molar ratio at 70 ° c . for 24 hours ), and included 0 . 2 % tetrabutyl ammonium hydroxide used as a coupling initiator and phase transfer catalyst . the caustic flow rate was 0 . 5 ml / min . table 1 shows flow rate , stoichiometry , conversion , and contact time data obtained using the aforementioned reactor for phase transfer catalyzed ring closure of resin chlorohydrin to diepoxy resin . table - us - 00001 table 1 org . flow contact time , ( ml / min .) naoh : bpa % conversion ( min .) start 0 51 . 0 0 16 0 . 55 68 . 3 0 . 18 8 1 . 10 69 . 9 0 . 34 4 2 . 20 70 . 9 0 . 64 2 4 . 39 71 . 8 1 . 16 1 8 . 79 77 . 7 1 . 93 0 . 5 17 . 58 96 . 3 2 . 9 . this example illustrates the use of a conduit reactor comprising a 36 ″. times . ½ ″ stainless steel tube with approximately 570 , 000 glass fibers . tests were run with approximately 570 , 000 glass fibers 40 inches in length in a ½ - inch i . d . the liquid volume of this reactor was approximately 35 ml . two liquids were pumped through this tube with the constrained phase on the glass fibers being a 23 % by weight sodium hydroxide aqueous solution . the continuous phase was a mixture of epichlorohydrin and resin chlorohydrin ( made by reacting epichlorohydrin and bisphenol a in a 10 : 1 molar ratio at 70 ° c . for 24 hours ), with 0 . 1 % tetrabutyl ammonium hydroxide coupling and phase transfer catalyst . the caustic solution was introduced onto the upstream end of the glass fibers at about 12 to about 60 ml per hour . the organic phase was introduced into the conduit and flowed past the fibers at rates varying between about 30 and about 3540 ml per hour . after passing through the fiber reactor , the separated organic phase was analyzed by gel permeation chromatography ( gpc ) for resin and chlorohydrin content and the results shown as percent conversion to diepoxy resin as listed in table 2 . table - us - 00002 table 2 org . flow aq . flow contact time run ( ml / hr ) ( ml / hr ) % ptc % conversion ( min .) 1 30 30 0 . 1 95 . 7 35 2 60 30 0 . 1 94 . 7 23 3 120 30 0 . 1 92 . 9 12 . 8 4 240 30 0 . 1 87 . 9 7 . 1 5 480 30 0 . 1 77 . 3 3 . 76 6 210 30 0 . 1 98 . 45 23 . 3 7 330 30 0 . 1 99 . 09 5 . 8 8 950 30 0 . 1 96 . 60 2 . 1 9 480 30 0 . 1 98 . 08 4 . 1 10 2010 30 0 . 188 . 2 1 . 0 11 1290 30 0 . 1 92 . 2 1 . 6 12 2480 30 0 . 1 82 . 2 0 . 8 13 3540 30 0 . 1 79 . 4 0 . 6 14 2940 30 0 . 1 82 . 7 0 . 7 15 1830 60 0 . 1 90 . 1 1 . 1 16 1800 40 0 . 1 92 . 8 1 . 14 17 1800 20 0 . 1 90 . 8 1 . 15 18 1200 12 0 . 1 90 . 7 1 . 7 19 240 12 1 . 0 98 . 5 8 . 3 . this example illustrates the use of a conduit reactor comprising a 12 ″. times . ½ ″ stainless steel tube with approximately 570 , 000 glass fibers . tests were run with approximately 570 , 000 glass fibers 16 inches in length in a 12 ″ outside diameter ( o . d . ). times . ½ - inch i . d . stainless steel tube . the liquid volume of this reactor was approximately 18 ml . two liquids were pumped through this tube with the constrained phase on the glass fibers being a 23 % by weight sodium hydroxide aqueous solution containing 2 % tetrabutyl ammonium hydroxide phase transfer catalyst . the continuous phase was a mixture of benzyl alcohol and benzyl bromide ( 1 : 1 molar ratio ) in equal weight of toluene . the caustic solution was introduced onto the upstream end of the glass fibers at 60 ml / hr . the organic phase was introduced into the conduit and flowed past the fibers at rate of 270 ml / hr . the reactor was maintained at 75 ° c . after passing through the fiber reactor , the organic phase separated cleanly from the aqueous phase and was analyzed by gas chromatography - mass spectroscopy ( gc - ms ). the data , shown in table 3 below , indicate about 70 % conversion of benzyl alcohol to benzyl ether in 3 . 25 minutes reaction time , with no settling time required . table - us - 00003 table 3 component relative concentration ( gc - ms ) benzyl bromide 10 benzyl alcohol 17 benzyl ether 72 . the same conduit reactor used in example 3 above was used in this experiment . two liquids were pumped through the reactor with the constrained phase on the glass fibers being an aqueous solution comprising about 94 % methanol , 4 % sodium hydroxide , and 2 % water . the continuous phase was soybean oil . the methanolic caustic solution was introduced onto the upstream end of the glass fibers at 60 ml / hr . the soybean oil was introduced into the conduit and flowed past the fibers at a rate of 270 ml / hr . the reactor was maintained at 60 ° c . after passing through the fiber reactor , the organic phase separated cleanly from the aqueous phase and was analyzed by gas chromatography ( gc ). the data , shown in table 4 below , indicate about 67 % conversion of vegetable oil to fatty acid alkyl ester ( biodiesel ) in 5 minutes reaction time , with no settling time required . table - us - 00004 table 4 relative concentration component ( gc area percent ) soybean oil 33 biodiesel 67 . the same conduit reactor used in example 3 above was used in this experiment . two liquids were pumped through the reactor with the constrained phase on the glass fibers being a 5 % sodium hydroxide solution . the continuous phase was commercial degummed soybean oil containing 0 . 13 % free fatty acid ( ffa ) ( available from archer daniels midland company , decatur , ill .) dissolved at 30 % by weight in hexane . this simulated micella was neutralized as the 5 % caustic solution was flowed through the reactor at a rate of 1 ml / min . the neutralization results , shown in table 5 below , indicate that ffa concentrations more than ten times lower than the 0 . 05 % ffa specification for commercial soybean oil were obtained . this exceptional ffa reduction was achieved in 1 to 3 minutes with excellent and immediate separation of the phases . the reactor pressure did rise over time , however , indicating that solids were building up in the reactor thereby restricting flow ( i . e ., reactor plugging ). table - us - 00005 table 5 org . flow residual contact rate ffa time , time before run ( ml / min .) (%) ( min .) plugging observed 1 4 . 5 0 . 0018 3 . 3 1 day 2 9 0 . 0020 1 . 8 6 - 8 hr . 3 12 0 . 0027 1 . 4 3 - 4 hr . 4 16 0 . 0026 1 . 1 & lt ; 1 hr . the same conduit reactor used in example 3 above was used in this experiment . two liquids were pumped through the reactor with the constrained phase on the glass fibers being an aqueous ethanolic sodium hydroxide solution . the ethanol : water ratio was varied from about 1 : 9 to about 9 : 1 . the continuous phase used was soybean oil dissolved at 30 - 95 % by weight in hexane . the soybean oil used was retail soybean oil contaminated with from about 1 % ffa to about 16 % ffa . the ethanol was included to prevent reactor plugging , caused by organic salts ( sodium carboxylates ) formed and precipitated during the reaction . the reactor was maintained at 25 ° c . or 70 ° c . to increase solubility of sodium carboxylate salts . reactor pressure remained low at ethanol : water ratios at or above about 3 : 7 . results are shown in table 6 below . runs made using 10 % and 20 % ethanol co - solvent ( not shown in table 6 ) gave pressure increases , indicating only partial solubility of sodium carboxylates at these high levels of free fatty acids . during run 8 , which utilized a high caustic and high ffa concentration , solids were observed but the reactor did not plug . table - us - 00006 table 6 temp . naoh etoh aq . flow org . flow % oil in % ffa % ffa in naoh : ffa % ffa contact run (. degree . c .) (%) (%) ( ml / min .) ( ml / min .) micella in oil effluent ratio removal time ( min .) 1 25 1 30 3 3 30 1 . 67 0 . 01 19 . 56 97 . 88 3 . 00 2 25 1 30 1 9 30 1 . 67 0 . 01 2 . 17 98 . 48 1 . 80 3 25 0 . 58 60 1 16 30 1 . 00 0 . 01 1 . 10 99 . 18 1 . 06 4 70 1 60 1 8 95 1 . 00 0 . 28 1 . 20 71 . 99 2 . 00 5 70 0 . 95 60 1 8 90 1 . 00 0 . 01 1 . 20 98 . 60 2 . 00 6 70 0 . 95 60 1 8 85 1 . 00 0 . 00 1 . 27 99 . 80 2 . 00 7 25 10 90 1 9 30 16 . 67 0 . 05 1 . 97 99 . 07 1 . 80 8 25 12 . 5 90 1 16 30 16 . 67 0 . 01 1 . 40 99 . 87 1 . 06 . the same conduit reactor used in example 3 was used in this experiment . two liquids were pumped through the reactor with the constrained phase on the glass fibers being aqueous ethanol containing about 1 . 73 % sodium hydroxide . the ethanol : water ratio employed in runs 1 and 2 was 3 : 2 , and in run 2 95 % ethanol was used . the continuous phase used was neat soybean oil containing about 1 % free fatty acids . the reactor was maintained at about 70 ° c . the reactor pressure varied from about 150 psig to about 500 psig with a flow of oil of about 4 ml / min . to about 8 ml / min ., providing for a contact time of about 2 minutes to about 3 . 6 minutes in the reactor . the fiber contactor provided about 90 % removal of ffa in this time frame . the ffa content of the exit oil was about 0 . 1 %. the results are shown in table 7 . a longer contact time would presumably be needed to get the ffa level down to & lt ; 0 . 05 % under these reaction conditions , which produce a viscous fluid environment in the reactor . table - us - 00007 table 7 naoh etoh aq . flow org flow , naoh : ffa ffa removal contact time run (%) (%) ( ml / min .) ( ml / min .) ratio (%) ( min .) 1 1 . 73 60 1 4 3 . 28 90 . 2 3 . 6 2 1 . 73 60 1 8 1 . 64 87 . 7 2 . 0 3 1 95 1 4 1 . 73 77 . 9 3 . 6 . the same conduit reactor used in example 3 was used in this experiment . two liquids were pumped through the reactor with the constrained phase on the glass fibers being water , and the organic phase comprising commercial biodiesel fuel ( available from archer daniels midland company , decatur , ill .). the phases separated quickly and easily at 1 minute contact time with minimal pressure , thereby demonstrating excellent washing characteristics , as shown in table 8 below . table - us - 00008 table 8 biodiesel flow rate h . sub . 2o flow rate pressure ( ml / min .) ( ml / min .) ( psig ) observations 8 1 0 clear with good separation 12 1 0 clear with good separation 16 1 0 clear with good separation 16 0 . 5 5 - 8 clear with good separation . it will be understood that certain of the above - described structures , functions , and operations of the above - described embodiments are not necessary to practice the present invention and are included in the description simply for completeness of an exemplary embodiment or embodiments . in addition , it will be understood that specific structures , functions , and operations set forth in the above - described referenced patents and publications can be practiced in conjunction with the present invention , but they are not essential to its practice . it is therefore to be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described without actually departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims .	1
the present invention relates to an ignition interlock device for cars , commercial vehicles and other vehicles such as ( but not limited to ) motorcycles , airplanes , boats , trains , etc ., and to an ignition interlock device that is intended to prevent an intoxicated driver from operating such a motor vehicle . the device is comprised of two parts , a sensor head assembly and a control module , which are interconnected by a cable . the sensor head 10 is depicted in fig1 . the sensor head in the form of a housing having six main components : an air sample tube 12 ; an air chamber 14 ; a moisture and spit trap 16 ; a pressure sensor 18 ; a gas sensor 20 ; and an audible transducer 22 . the air sample tube 12 may be approximately 2 ″ long with a 0 . 15 ″ inside diameter . a small orifice ( 0 . 02 ″ in diameter ) 26 is located in the side of the air sample tube , approximately midway along its length , and connects the tube to the air chamber 14 , allowing a portion of a breath sample in the tube to enter the air chamber . the air chamber is designed to be self - evacuating . an exhaust port 28 having a cross - sectional area several times larger than that of the inlet orifice 26 is located on the side of the air chamber opposite the orifice , provides pressure equalization , and allows evacuation of the air chamber without developing significant backpressure in the air chamber . the exhaust port may be approximately 0 . 15 ″× 0 . 075 ″. gas sensor 20 , responsive to ethanol , is located in the air chamber . it may sit on a floor of the chamber , with a top sensing surface positioned just below the inlet orifice such that the incoming breath sample is directed over the sensing surface . any one of a variety of sensors known in the art , such as the tgs line of figaro usa , inc . of glenview , ill ., or sensors by fis of japan , distributed by advanced sensor products of canada , may be employed . the fis sb31 sensor is particularly preferred . as known , the resistance of the sensor is a function of the concentration of the gas to which it is responsive . the air chamber is made large enough to accommodate the gas sensor ( approximately 0 . 3 ″ in diameter ). however , the chamber space above the sensor may be limited to provide a small volume that allows the air chamber contents to be exchanged several times during a breath sample . this may be accomplished by incorporating a small ridge 15 around a portion of an inside circumference of the air chamber which comes in contact with the top of the sensor , creating a baffle - like barrier and regulating the size of the space . sensor head mouthpiece 24 , directs a breath into the sensor head , and is coupled to moisture / spit trap 16 , which in turn exhausts into y - tube 30 . the air sample tube 12 is connected to the moisture / spit trap 16 through one leg of the y - tube . the pressure sensor 18 , such as an 0 - 1 . 5 psi gauge , motorola mpx5010gp , is connected to the other leg of the y - tube . when a breath sample is provided a back pressure is created in the air sample tube . this pressure causes part of the sample to enter the air chamber 14 through the inlet orifice 26 due to the pressure differential resulting from the initially lower pressure in the air chamber . as previously indicated , the air chamber is limited in volume to allow its contents to be replaced several times during a breath sample . this prevents dilution of a current breath sample by residual air present in the air chamber . the breath pressure is also applied to the pressure sensor 18 through the y - tube . this allows both the pressure and duration of the breath sample to be measured by monitoring pressure sensor output . since the volume of air going through the air sample tube is related to the pressure and the duration of the flow , the total volume of air exhaled can be determined . this ensures that a deep lung breath sample , which is important for an accurate alcohol concentration measurement , has been provided . as depicted in fig2 , the outputs of both pressure sensor 18 and gas sensor 20 are coupled through electronic analog switch 32 to an a / d converter in the control unit by a shielded wire . the position of the switch is controlled by the microprocessor in the control unit . the output of the gas sensor is buffered by amplifier 34 . the sensor head 10 also contains audible transducer 22 , which can be an electronic buzzer , used to provide information to the user / driver without requiring the driver to look at a display , allowing the driver to concentrate on the road . in a preferred embodiment , the audible transducer provides a first indication , such as a continuous tone , during a breath sample input so long as the breath sample is of the correct pressure and is continuing towards the proper duration . this provides feedback to the user , allowing the user to continue providing the sample . once a breath sample of the correct pressure is received for the specified duration the transducer provides a second indication , such as two short duration tones , indicating to the user that the breath sample is valid . a similar indication can be generated prior to the start of a breath sample to indicate that the system is ready to accept a breath sample . all indications are under microprocessor control . other components and circuitry that may be required to drive the transducer and sensors , and buffer or condition their outputs , are conventional in nature and are not shown . preferably , the system defines and recognizes upper and lower limits for the breath sample pressure to assist in validating the sample . these limits are changed midway through the breath sample . the limit change can be indicated to the user by another indication , such as three short tones with a shorter duration than the initial two tones . the user is required to blow with a moderate pressure during the first interval of the breath sample , and then with a stronger pressure during the second interval of the breath sample . the pressure readings from pressure sensor 18 are compared to values stored in nonvolatile ram located in the control unit for both intervals of the breath sample . an acceptance window , bounded by the upper and lower limits pressure values , allows rejection of pressure readings that are either too high or too low . this “ two blow ” method prevents mechanically - generated air samples from being accepted as valid breath samples , as it is difficult to provide and regulate such an air source , particularly in the context of the driver &# 39 ; s seat of an automobile or other vehicle . attempted circumvention attempts , such as by use of a balloon to generate an airflow , are thus minimized , while still providing ease of use for an individual . such an approach can be contrasted with other systems that require a hum tone , for example , or other input forms that can be awkward to provide . with a tube construction having the foregoing dimensions , sensed maximum (?) pressure levels of 0 . 16 psi and 0 . 41 psi , ( are this maximums ? what are the minimums ?) respectively , have been found to provide suitable results . the durations for each breath interval may be on the order of 3 seconds . the provision of spit trap 16 in conjunction with the removes water from the breath air stream . this allows for a simple spit trap design that is washable and reusable . the spit trap , located at the central entrance arm of the y - tube , adjacent the mouthpiece , may consist of a fine mesh screen that prevents excess moisture from entering the air sample tube and eventually the air chamber . the spit trap may be made part of a mouthpiece assembly 38 . the mouthpiece assembly is preferably designed so that it is to be used with the mouthpiece portion touching only the outside of the user &# 39 ; s lips . this reduces the quantity of moisture accumulation that can occur with other designs that require the user to put a tube in his or her mouth . the mouthpiece assembly preferably removably attached to the y - tube through a header assembly 40 , allowing the mouthpiece assembly to be easily removed for washing and to allow interchange of personalized mouthpieces . the y - tube can be formed as an integral part of the header assembly to reduce production costs . the small diameter of orifice 26 in the air sample tube further reduces the amount of moisture entering air chamber 14 . the distal end of the air sample tube 12 is provided with flexible tube 42 , the open end of which is positioned adjacent vent aperture 44 in the sensor head . the momentum of remaining moisture is the air stream tends to be carried past the orifice 26 , and is carried by the continuing air stream in the sample tube through flexible tube 42 and out through vent aperture 44 , allowing the moisture in the air sample tube to be vented to the outside atmosphere and preventing condensation in the sensor head . as shown , the end of the tube 42 may be kept a small distance from the vent aperture hole to prevent the user &# 39 ; s hand from blocking the air flow , whereby in such situations the tube 42 can still vent into the interior of the sensor head . the tube 42 is flexible so that it can be bent to conform to the inner construction of the sensor head , allowing the vent aperture 44 to be located as desired and appropriate . the gas sensor 20 itself is operated and controlled in a manner so as to reduce the amount of time before a test result is generated . typically , sensors such as the figaro line of sensors include an integral heating element , and require a stabilization / oxidation interval before an accurate gas level reading can be obtained . the present invention provides for overlap between the required stabilization / oxidation and the breath sample interval . that is , sensor output is allowed to continue stabilizing during the initial portion of a breath sample , in contrast to waiting for the output to completely stabilize prior to receipt of a breath sample . if the breath sample has no alcohol present , the sensor output will continue to decrease during the breath sample interval . however , if there is alcohol present the sensor output will stop decreasing and remain constant or start increasing , depending on the alcohol concentration . by the end of the sample period stabilization will have occurred , allowing a reading to be obtained in a relatively short amount of time , improving the ease of use of the device . as set forth above , sensor 20 includes a heater that raises the temperature of the active sensor element , typically a metal oxide , to a certain temperature to generate a space charge layer from adsorbed oxygen , and the stabilization period is associated with this required heating . as shown in fig2 , the heater in the sensor is controlled by voltage 46 , which in turn is controlled by the microprocessor and is kept off to conserve power until just prior to a request for a breath sample . the heater is then turned on by the microprocessor and a small delay period is initiated . this allows the sensor the opportunity to start to stabilize ( referred to as “ initial action ”). this delay is small , and is typically 5 to 10 seconds . the request for a breath sample is then provided . the heater remains on during sample reception and continues to heat and stabilize as the breath sample is started . at the end of the breath sample the heater remains energized through a small following delay period which allows the sensor enough time to fully react to the received sample but is short enough that the concentration of the sample in the air chamber remains unchanged ( as the user has stopped providing a breath ), subject to leakage through the exhaust port 28 . this delay may be approximately 5 to 8 seconds . after this delay the heater is turned off and the sensing period terminated . as may be recognized , any sensor used should have a relatively small sensing element to provide a fast response time to allow this type of operation . during the interval when the breath sample is being provided , the pressure sensor 18 is selected and activated by analog switch 32 and its output signal fed to the microprocessor in the control unit . when the microprocessor determines that the end of a proper breath sample has been received , with a correct pressure contour and duration as described above , an output signal from the pressure sensor is no longer required . the switch 32 selects the output from the gas sensor 20 and delivers it to the control unit . the selective switching reduces the number of shielded wires required to couple the sensor head to the control unit . the wires may be part of a sensor head cable 48 depicted in fig1 , connected to the sensor head by a connector 50 mounted on a circuit board 52 upon which sensor head components are mounted within the head 10 . the control unit or module is depicted in fig3 , and contains a microprocessor 54 , such as a texas instruments tm5320oc203pz , conventional storage ram 56 ; rom 58 and nonvolatile ram 60 for storage of event and setup data . a / d converter 62 , such as a texas instruments tlc1550ifn , converts analog signals passed by the sensor head analog switch 32 to digital form for processing by the microprocessor . speech processor / generator 64 , such as an isd model 2575s also under microprocessor control , generates speech commands and instructions ; its output is fed to audio amplifier 66 and an attached speaker ( not shown ). a multiple line interface 68 is provided for receipt of signals from the vehicle ; while relay driver / interface 70 , driving multiple relay outputs 72 , allows switched control of vehicle systems . sensor head interface 74 provides necessary control and operation signals to the sensor head . an rs - 232 interface 76 is also provided for interconnecting the control module to other equipment . the relay outputs 72 can control vehicle systems , such as the vehicle &# 39 ; s lights and / or horn , to provide a variety of functions , including a visual or audible warning in the event a rolling retest , which is a breath test given after the vehicle engine has been started , is failed ; control of the vehicle &# 39 ; s starter motor to prevent the vehicle from being started if the driver &# 39 ; s breath alcohol level is over the breath alcohol limit set point ; and muting of the vehicle &# 39 ; s radio ( among other devices ) during generated voice messages or sensor head control signal issuance . the output of audio amplifier 66 may be fed to an external speaker ( not shown ), but can alternatively be connected to the vehicle &# 39 ; s speaker system using a set of the relay outputs 72 to switch between the vehicle &# 39 ; s radio / audio system output and the audio amplifier . the microprocessor and control module also controls the operation of the sensor head components as described above through interface 74 , including control of the analog switch 32 , the gas sensor 20 &# 39 ; s heater , and audio transducer 22 . the output of the analog switch 32 is directed to a / d converter 62 through a shielded wire in the sensor head cable . the sensor head cable may be connected to a mating cable from the control module through a small quick - disconnect inline connector . such a construction allows the sensor head to be easily removed from the vehicle while providing a vehicle anti - theft feature , particularly if a relay output 72 is connected to the vehicle &# 39 ; s starter circuit as described above , since the interlock device will not allow the engine to be started without a proper output from the sensor head . the control module , through the microprocessor , further controls all aspects of the system &# 39 ; s operation , including providing instructions to the driver through voice messages . the methodology is conventional in nature . the messages allow the driver to concentrate on the road rather than watching a display . the messages may include , but are not limited to , reporting the result of a breath test , providing a warning to stop the vehicle if a rolling retest has been failed , providing information whether the vehicle may be started , and generating an alert message to the driver several seconds prior to the request for a breath sample . an optional parental keyswitch can be attached to vehicle input interface 68 to allow an authorized individual , such as a parent of a child for whom the unit was purchased , to override the system . all features of the control module are programmable through the rs - 232 interface 76 , which may have two levels of programming access . a first level is intended for the installation for the system and may include , but need not be limited to , a selection of the language for voice messages , and entry of the current date and time . a second , higher level of programming is intended for factory use and may include , but need not be limited to , establishment of setpoints for the initial breath test and subsequent rolling retests ; limits for the breath pressure and duration ; the scheduling and duration of rolling retests ; the intended use of the system , such as voluntary , mandate , bus , truck , etc ., which may have differing operating and data storage criteria ; as well as the features accessible through the first programming level . in the case of bus use , for example , the bus brake pedal is monitored for activity through vehicle input interface 68 . the following description of operation of a motion sensing element using the brake pedal is not limited to only brake pedal operation . this motion sensing can also be accomplished using a motion sensor ; either a mechanical or solid state acceleration sensor ; or a sensor , either mechanical or electrical , that monitors rotation of the drive shaft or wheel rotation or operation of the throttle , clutch or transmission shift lever . when the bus is in normal operation and motion , brake pedal usage ( or other sensing element as previously described ) will occur at an expected frequency . the expected frequency can be monitored such that the driver will not be required to give a sample during such normal operation . if the bus is stopped for a long period of time with the engine running , such as when the driver is having lunch , the system can detect the next time the brake pedal is used and require the driver to provide a breath sample . this prevents the embarrassing situation of requiring the driver to provide a breath sample while there are passengers aboard the bus . another time the driver can be required to provide a breath sample is prior to starting the bus &# 39 ; s engine . an override keyswitch can be connected to the interface 68 input to allow a supervisor to start the bus &# 39 ; s engine without the requirement for a breath sample . after the bus &# 39 ; s engine has been started in this manner and the override switch is returned to off , the next time the brake pedal is used the driver will be required to provide a breath sample . the override keyswitch can also allow the bus to be driven by a mechanic for maintenance purposes without the requirement for a breath sample if the keyswitch override is in the “ on ” position . although the above description mentions buses as an example , this ( and all other descriptions of vehicles in the present disclosure ) is intended only as a non - limiting example , and is not limited to buses , but may also include other vehicles such as , e . g ., trucks , automobiles , heavy equipment and any other vehicles . when the system is installed in a school bus a buzzer or other sounder can be installed at the front of the bus and connected to one of the relay outputs 72 , and a pushbutton safety switch installed at the rear of the bus and connected to one of the interface 68 inputs . when the bus &# 39 ; s engine is shut off the sounder will sound . the driver must then go to the rear of the bus to press the pushbutton to stop the sound and reset the system . the travel of the driver from front to rear of the bus allows inspection of the seats , and prevents children who may have fallen asleep from being left on the bus . the sounder can be interfaced with an override keyswitch to disable operation when appropriate . the present invention provides for great flexibility in use , with simplified and economical production of a control module , as only one version of the board needs to be produced . the intended use ; voluntary , mandate , bus , school bus , etc . is determined by a setting of the appropriate configuration through the rs - 232 interface as described above . the configuration setting , a level 2 function , is intended to be set during production , and would not normally be available to field personnel . connections to the vehicle are made through appropriate interface cables that connect to the input interface 68 and the relay outputs 72 by means of connectors on or associated with a printed circuit board on which the microprocessor and other components are mounted , as known in the art . since different models and functionality may require connections and wires with different functions in the interface cables , it may be advantageous to provide contacts for wires for all configurations can be included in the connectors . during production only those wires needed for the intended end use can be included in the interface cables . this eliminates the need to stock a wide variety of boards , and also results in the ability to provide custom configurations using the same board . functionality may be changed either by re - programming rom 58 or by changing the rom to one having the appropriate instruction set . another embodiment of the invention is a version particularly adapted for automobile use . this version uses two smaller control modules instead of one ; the first , a central processor unit ( cpu ), would incorporate the microprocessor 54 , ram 56 , rom 58 , nonvolatile ram 56 for storage of events and setup information , the a / d converter 62 , the speech processor 64 and the rs - 232 interface 76 . the second module , the car control module ( ccm ) would incorporate the relays 72 necessary to control vehicle functions ; the relay interface 70 ; the vehicle signal input interface circuitry 68 ; and the audio amplifier 66 . the two modules would include connectors for connection of the sensor head 10 to the cpu , an interconnecting cable from the cpu to the ccm ( cpu / ccm interconnect cable ) and a connector to allow the ccm to be connected to various circuits in the vehicle ( vehicle interface cable ). this design can provide for an easier installation in cars with limited space under the dashboard , since the two modules do not have to be installed in the same location . all features of the cpu would be programmable through the rs - 232 interface including , but not limited to , the selection of all languages for the voice messages , setpoint setting , limits for breath pressure and duration , the number of rolling retests and their duration , and the current date and time . an enhancement that can be included in either version of the control module is the addition of a form of positive identification to deter circumvention of the system . the most common type of circumvention occurs when someone other than the driver provides a breath sample to start the vehicle . the driver then proceeds to drive , possibly with a breath alcohol limit over the setpoint . the enhancement comprises means to record a preferably digital picture of the user taken during the first breath sample when the vehicle is started . this picture serves to identify the “ driver ”. subsequent pictures would also be taken during rolling retests . if a retest result is satisfactory , the picture may or may not be saved . the pictures can be saved on a random basis to prevent the driver from knowing when a picture is to be saved while minimizing memory needed to save the images . if the rolling retest is failed , the picture of the first breath sample would be available , along with the picture of the failed test taker . with reference to fig4 , this enhancement can be implemented in the form of an infrared video camera 78 mounted facing the driver &# 39 ; s position ; an infrared light source 80 ; a video processor 82 ; and memory 84 in the form of a hard drive or solid state devices . the foregoing may all form an integrated system , provided by third - party suppliers , such as verifeye technologies of ontario , canada . the video processor may comprise microprocessor 86 ; ram 88 ; rom 90 ; video interface 92 , a memory interface 94 ; and an interface 96 to the microprocessor in the control module . the camera is connected to the video processor , while the external memory is connected to the processor as known in the art using a memory controller . as known in the art , the type of controller may be dependent on the type of memory used . the video processor 82 can be located in the control module or can be located in a separate case . operating software , for processing and storing the picture data can be stored in the rom , while the video processor interfaces to the microprocessor in the control module , whereby camera operation is controlled . any circumvention attempts would be recorded by the nonvolatile ram in the control module . in addition , recognition / comparison software can be utilized to provide “ on the fly ” analysis of the photographs to immediately determine if the same individual appears in compared photographs . appropriate outputs can be generated in the event a discrepancy is found . in a further embodiment an interface to a cellular telephone or similar communication may be incorporated into the system . as shown in fig5 , the cellular telephone 98 is connected to an interface unit 100 . if a startup test or rolling retest is failed the phone automatically dials a number stored in software . a recorded message transmitted by the telephone may state that a breath test had been failed , and provides information about the driver and the vehicle &# 39 ; s make , model and license number . this information may also be sent in the form of encoded data . alternatively , the telephone number of the cellular telephone may be used to identify the driver and / or vehicle . the vehicle &# 39 ; s location can be determined through the cellular network or a gps ( global positioning system ) receiver 116 . the interface may consist of a microprocessor 102 ; ram 104 ; rom 106 ; a speech processor / generator 108 ; a dial tone and ring detector 110 , an interface 112 to the telephone &# 39 ; s keypad ; and an interface 114 to the gps unit and to the microprocessor in the control module , software associated with the interface 112 turns the telephone on , obtains a dial tone , and dials a number stored in the software . the software then waits for a ring tone , repeating the entire process ( wait for dial tone , dial and wait for ring tone ) until the ring tone is detected . once the ring tone is detected , the system awaits connection . this can be accomplished , for example , though a counter in the software counting , for example , ten rings . if the full number of rings is counted , signifying a failure of pick - up at the dialed number , the entire process ( wait for dial tone , dial , wait for ring tone , count number of rings ) would then be repeated . this would continue until the ring tone count ended before ten rings , indicating that the call has been answered . a recorded message from speech generator 108 would then be played or encoded data transmitted . the software would keep the phone active until the connection at the other end was broken . the stored number could be 911 or that of a central dispatch location . the message played or the data sent can be dependent on what event had occurred , i . e ., start up test failed , rolling retest failed , etc . those skilled in the art can readily recognize that in place of the cellular telephone other transmitters or transmitter / receiver combinations can be employed , to access a satellite link for example , which could communicate with a central dispatch location . the cellular telephone or satellite link could also be used to transmit ( download ) data that is stored in the control module &# 39 ; s nonvolatile ram upon receipt of a command from a central dispatch location . this function can be used to satisfy requirements for periodic downloads for mandatory installed units without requiring the driver to return to a download center . such a link can also provide the ability to monitor and repot vehicle usage and events at any time . in another embodiment of the present invention , a 911 feature may be available ( as shown , for example , in fig5 ). with the addition of the 911 feature 117 , a message may be sent to a remote server when the operator of the vehicle fails a rolling retest . activation of the 911 routine as referenced at 117 can be done immediately after the failure occurs or after the emergency mode is engaged and the driver fails to pull the vehicle over and / or stop the vehicle when directed to do so by the voice prompt . in such a situation , the server will receive a message that provides driver identification and the bac level . the server will first determine whether the bac exceeds a preset level ( for example , 0 . 60 or 0 . 80 ). if the bac level exceeds this preset level , the server will compare the driver &# 39 ; s identification with information stored in a database . when the driver &# 39 ; s information is found , the server may determine the identity of the driver &# 39 ; s probation officer . through the transmission of position location data generated by gps 116 , the location information may be used to determine whether there is a local 911 response center , and if so , the emergency phone number for that response center . this information can then be passed onto another server , which contains a telephone dialer and a voice synthesizer . the second server may then dial the stored emergency phone number and wait for the remote telephone to be answered . when the telephone is answered , the server may repeat a message , for example , “ interceptor alert , code number 101 .” in the case of multiple servers , the first digit may determine which server originated the event . this code number information will then be used to direct the call recipient to the proper website , where the recipient of the call may enter the code , as described below ( in the case where multiple servers are present , and wherein each of the multiple servers hosts a distinct site ). in certain embodiments , the telephone message will keep repeating until the telephone is hung up . the recipient of the call , such as for example , the emergency response operator , may then access an input interface ( for example , by maximizing a formally minimized web page ) and enter the transmitted code number . the code number will correspond to the incident , including the driver &# 39 ; s information , which triggered the telephone call , and may then cause coordinate data from the vehicle to be passed to an active map on the operator &# 39 ; s screen , along with the current bac level and photograph and / or other identifying information of the driver . the operator will then be able to follow the vehicle &# 39 ; s position on the screen , which is updated periodically ( for example , once every 10 seconds ). the screen may automatically display the updated coordinate data until either a “ stop ” button is pressed , or a certain time period has elapsed ( for example , 10 minutes , 20 minutes ). when either of these events occurs , the screen may then revert back to the original screen where the incident number was entered , and the operator may then minimize the screen in preparation for any subsequent telephone messages . the operator may contact field personnel as needed to take such measures as appropriate in connection with the incident .	6
in the assembly shown in fig1 the reference character 10 indicates the main tool bar which may be of any conventional form and which , it will be understood , is attached to a towing vehicle such as a tractor through the medium of the conventional lift arms provided for that purpose . the cultivator attachment according to this invention consists essentially of the parallelogram linkage frame indicated generally by the reference character 12 which is attached to the tool bar 10 and which includes the depending yoke assembly indicated generally by the reference character 14 , to the lower end of which the bed cultivator frame indicated generally by the reference character 16 is attached . as may be seen more clearly in fig2 the parallelogram linkage frame 12 includes the mast structure indicated generally by the reference character 18 which may take the form of a pair of laterally spaced and vertically extending side plates 20 and 22 joined by the upper and lower tubular members 24 and 26 as well as by the upper and lower plates 28 and 30 . the two plates 28 and 30 are apertured to receive the respective clamping bolts 32 and 34 which cooperate with the clamping bar 36 rigidly to mount the assembly 12 on the tool bar 10 . the upper link of the parallelogram linkage is provided by the two arms 38 and 40 which are pivotally attached to the mast 18 by means of stub axle pivots such as the pivot 42 shown in fig1 . each of these stub axles or shafts is welded to a tab member 44 which is bolted as at 46 to the appropriate arm 38 or 40 . similarly , the lower linkage is comprised of the two arms 48 and 50 pivotally secured to the mast 18 as by the axles 52 and associated tabs 54 . the arms 38 and 40 are rigidly joined together at their free ends by a bridging tubular member 56 and , between their ends , by a further cross brace or tubular member 58 . similarly , the lower arms 48 and 50 are joined at their free ends by the bridging tubular member 60 and the intermediate cross member 62 , see particularly fig5 . the member 62 has an ear 64 welded thereto which is straddled by the bifurcated end portion 66 of the rod 68 , the bifurcation being pivotally attached to the ear 64 by means of the pin 70 as is shown in fig5 . the rod 68 carries a stop collar 72 adjustably locked thereon as by means of a set screw and a trunnion 74 is pivotally mounted about a horizontal transverse axis to the nose 76 of the mast 18 . between these two members 72 and 74 is disposed a compression spring 78 whereby to control downward pressure upon the linkage 12 for purposes presently apparent . the upper end of the rod 68 carries a snubber comprising the washers 80 and 82 and an intervening block 84 of resilient material such as rubber , this snubber being surmounted by the stop collar 86 similar to the collar 72 and locked to the rod 68 by means of the set screw 88 . a lock nut 90 is provided to secure the snubber positively in place . the rod 68 freely moves through the trunnion 74 and when the linkage 12 drops to a lowermost position , the snubber cushions the assembly . the free ends of the upper and lower link arms pivotally carry the yoke assembly 14 which , as will be seen from fig3 comprise the two side plate member 92 and 94 which diverge at their lower ends to terminate in the depending leg portions 96 and 98 . the arms 38 and 40 and the arms 48 and 50 are pivotally joined to the respective side plates 92 and 94 by means of the stub axles or shafts 56 and 60 and associated tabs 100 and 102 . the plates 92 and 94 are rigidly joined by means of a cross brace or tubular member 104 and the lower end of the yoke assembly is rigidified by the tool bar member 106 which bridges between and is rigidly joined to the two feet 96 and 98 , see particularly fig3 . a bed cultivator frame is more clearly illustrated in fig4 wherein it will be seen that it includes the opposite side rails 108 and 110 provided with a forward tool bar 112 and a rear tool bar 114 . the forward tool bar is permanently joined to the side rails 108 and 110 and presents opposite end portions 116 and 118 which project laterally from each of the respective side rails . the rear tool bar 114 is provided at its opposite ends with the attaching plates 120 and 122 which abut against the inner surfaces of the side rails 108 and 110 and cooperate with the clamping plates 124 and 126 securely to sandwich the respective side rails 108 and 110 therebetween , thus allowing the rear tool bar 114 to be positioned at a desired longitudinal position on the side rails 108 and 110 . fig4 also illustrates the fact that the two legs 96 and 98 of the yoke assembly 14 likewise abut against the inner faces of the side rails 108 and 110 and cooperate with the respective clamping plates 128 and 130 securely to clamp , in adjustable longitudinal fashion , the side rails therebetween , as shown . the tool bars are of conventional design , incorporating a square cross - section adapted to receive conventional double clamping tool attachment units such as the one indicated generally by the reference character 132 . such devices include the cooperable portions 134 and 136 which are adapted to clamp the tool bar therebetween and the latter of which includes a split clamping unit adapted to receive the post 138 of an associated tool device or the like . the split portion 136 is of circular cross - section so that the post 138 may be oriented in a desired rotational relation therewithin and the ear portions 140 and 142 in association with the bolt and nut assembly 144 serve securely to clamp the post in the desired position both rotationally and longitudinally thereof . in the embodiment shown , the post 138 carries a gauge wheel w rotatably supported at the forward end of a leading arm member 146 fixed to the lower end of the post 138 and projecting therefrom as is illustrated more clearly in fig1 . this particular type of bed cultivator frame is particularly suited for cultivating two rows of a crop such as peppers . the two spiders 150 and 152 while mounted on the forward tool bar 112 and are angled inwardly as illustrated in fig4 in order to move the soil away from the crop row on either side of the row which is straddled by the two spiders 150 and 152 . the spiders 154 and 156 , on the other hand , are similarly set to move the soil away from the other row of peppers or the like , the spider 156 in this case being located on the tool bar 106 which forms part of the parallelogram linkage frame . finally , the rear spider 158 is set between the two rows to cultivate this area of the bed and to equalize soil flow . other crops may require other arrangements of cultivating tools as , for example , is illustrated in fig7 . in fig7 the arrangement shown is particularly suited for cultivating sugar beet rows . conventionally , this crop is planted in rows spaced 8 to 12 inches apart and the pairs of discs 160 , 162 and 164 , 166 open a shallow furrow on each side of each row while displacing the soil removed in forming these furrows laterally . tapered &# 34 ; beet knives &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; half sweeps &# 34 ; as indicated by the reference characters 168 , 170 , 172 and 174 are located effectively to cultivate the remaining area of the bed by slicing and crumbling a thin layer of soil on the top of the bed . for this type of tool distribution , a modified form of bed cultivator frame is usefully employed . the side rails in this case are formed of forward sections 176 and 178 for the two respective side rails and the rear portions 180 and 182 . the forward sections 176 and 178 are relatively widely spaced and are joined permanently by the two transverse tool bars 184 and 186 . the rearward portions of the sections 176 and 178 have the tool bars 188 and 190 permanently attached thereto and they bridge between the sections 176 , 180 and 178 , 182 , as is illustrated best in fig7 . the legs 96 and 98 of the parallelogram linkage frame fit between the rearward sections 180 and 182 as illustrated in fig7 and are simply bolted thereto as by the bolts 192 as illustrated . finally , the rearward ends of the sections 180 and 182 are joined by a further tool bar 194 which permanently joins these portions together as illustrated . the parallelogram linkage frame is identical to that previously described in conjunction with fig1 . thus , it will be seen that the parallelogram linkage frame lends itself readily to adaptation with different types of bed cultivator frames , all to the end of providing a multiplicity of available tool bars with which to mount the necessary cultivating tools . in order to rigidify the assembly , the brace 196 as shown in fig7 is employed . the brace is permanently affixed as by welding to the two tool bars 184 and 186 and extends into overlying relation to the tool bar 106 , to which it is removably clamped by the bolts 198 .	0
the sc platform is user accessible through conventional website access , direct ip commands m2m ( machine to machine ), or through sms or other messaging means . sc website access can be accomplished through a url stored in the user &# 39 ; s device or a url address which is directly entered by a user . in addition , the user can have a url for a sc website pushed to their device via direct internet access , through an sms or mms message , an email , an im , or any messaging means that will transmit an embedded url for an sc webpage . the user can then access the sc platform through the embedded url to the sc webpage . an sc webpage structure is not limited and is formatted as needed to display on stationary devices or mobile devices , such as by authoring them in xhtml , wml , chtml , html , among others . in one embodiment , the world wide web consortium ( w3c ) structure is deployed . regional domains such as www . xxxx . com . uk or other domains , such as org , mobi and the like can be used in the url for the sc webpage . the same sc can be active in more than one sc platform or sc webpage . the sc webpage loads to the user internet device when that device addresses a url assigned to the sc webpage for interfacing with the sc platform . the url assigned to the sc webpage is not limited . according to one embodiment , a url is entered manually by the user through an internet device using aspects in the sc platform that can be reflected in the url address assigned to the sc webpage . for instance , according to another embodiment , a family of url addresses might be reserved with names associated with sc webpages optimized for mobile device access , such as a www . mobi type url . this can be combined by also naming the url using some geographical attribute associated with the goods and services provided through the sc platform . as an example , a www . mobi . uk type url is chosen for an sc platform which provides goods and services within the united kingdom as the geographically pertinent area by a webpage optimized for access by a mobile device . in addition to manual entry of the url , any url might also be stored in memory , recorded as a bookmark by a browser application on the internet device , or otherwise stored in the device . referring to fig2 , at least one form of identification is associated with the identity ( id ) a user must provide in order for the user to be able to access the sc platform . the form of identification utilized for providing access is not limited . in one embodiment , a sc platform user will manually input their telephone number from the handset . in other embodiments , the user &# 39 ; s telephone number will load automatically to the sc platform when the user accesses the webpage . the telephone number can be drawn automatically from any number of stored locations associated with the user &# 39 ; s internet device , such as memory storage within the device , or taken from the user &# 39 ; s hlr in a communications protocol associated with the user &# 39 ; s device . if a fixed ip address is available , such as with a machine - to - machine embodiment and with some mobile devices , the fixed ip address can load for purposes of functioning as a user id or user profile at the sc platform , or some part thereof . a user registers their id for identification and access to an sc platform . the user &# 39 ; s id is stored at the sc platform within the profile information associated with that user in a sc platform database . the user id is then used by the sc platform for verification purposes whenever that user seeks to access the platform . according to select embodiments , when a user initially registers with an sc platform , the user may just limit entry of profile information to one data field , such as a phone number , to quickly complete a transaction through the sc platform that requires no additional information from the user . in another embodiment , for registration with the sc platform , the user is presented with a choice of different data fields for data to associate with their individual user profile at the sc platform . the user profile data fields will always relate the user &# 39 ; s id with the sc platform . but a user &# 39 ; s profile information can also relate to billing information , a user personal identification number ( pin ), a code or other authorization features , a phone number , an industry standard or other format associated with the phone number to infer location data from sub - codes in the phone number , a fixed ip address if available , physical address location fields such as a zip code , or any other data field that can be implemented through the platform in processing sc command language from the user to distribute goods and services . the user &# 39 ; s profile at the sc platform is updated as needed so that the user profile fields maintain current information about the user for providing goods and services , and optionally for other purposes such as billing , through the sc platform . according to one embodiment , a phone number and / or fixed ip address is used as at least a part of the user id as identification for login purposes . upon login at the sc platform , other verifications can also be employed such as a two way sms which is sent to the user &# 39 ; s internet device for the user to confirm their identity with a reply sms message containing a user &# 39 ; s pin sent back to the sc platform . alternative user id identifications for providing access may be specifically defined by a user . in other embodiments , a user id for access to the sc platform may involve other information that is associated with the user by some other source , or be combined with the other variants described above . any part of the user identification id used for access may be unique to an individual user . in an alternative embodiment , part of an individual user &# 39 ; s identification id may be associated also with other users to identify a set of users with similar profiles . also , an individual user may access more than one sc platform or sc webpage with a single user id or with multiple separate user ids for parallel access by the user to the same or different sc platforms . in addition to a user id , an sc platform may also use passwords as an additional security feature . once a user obtains access to an sc platform , typically through an sc webpage , a user will then provide as input a symbol command ( sc ) for processing at the sc platform . according to one embodiment , the sc character string is input through manual entry by the user through the user &# 39 ; s physical keystrokes on an internet device keyboard . this input provides an sc character string in a data entry field provided on the sc webpage . when a complete character string has been entered , the user initiates processing of this sc character string , according to optional embodiments , by clicking on a graphical object on the sc webpage , by entry of a user command through the internet device , or through some other trigger . the sc platform then initiates processing of the modified sc character string using this additional data . the invention is not limited to sc entry through physical keystrokes by the user on the user &# 39 ; s internet device in order to accomplish initial entry of the character string for processing at the sc platform . in alternate embodiments , voice input is the basis for data entry . voice data is translated to form a symbol command ( sc ) for processing . in one embodiment , the voice data is processed at the user internet device into an sc character string which is then entered to the sc platform for processing . in another embodiment , a programming module at the sc platform processes voice data taken directly from the user &# 39 ; s internet device to form an sc character string for comparison with the sc directory at the platform . in another embodiment , the voice data is processed at the sc platform to form an sc character string which is then displayed on the sc webpage to the user through the user &# 39 ; s internet device for user confirmation purposes . according to another embodiment , user entry of an sc character string is accomplished by keystroke entry on mobile tablets with a larger form - factor for data entry . in another embodiment , a user &# 39 ; s eyewear or another visual data communication user device , transmits user selected data forming or designating a symbol command ( sc ) through a direct connection with the user &# 39 ; s internet device . if the user &# 39 ; s eyewear or visual data device is a stand - alone computing device , the data designating a sc is transmitted through a local wireless connection , such as bluetooth , to the user &# 39 ; s internet device . selection of a symbol command made through a user &# 39 ; s eyewear , in select embodiments , is based on the visual projections of individual characters , sc character strings , text representations , or graphical objects which form an sc character string or designate a symbol command ( sc ). any of these or other visual projections can be displayed to the user through the user &# 39 ; s visual device or eyewear . location based “ telelocation ” information is incorporated into the processing at the sc platform in a variety of ways . when a user id is based on a phone number , the sc platform can infer location information associated with the user based on sub - code information from sub - codes in the telephone number such as the country code , area code or prefix code in the phone number . a telephone number structure typically includes a wc = world command number 2 - 8 digits , a global alpha - numeric code such as the universal 800 number ; a cc = country code as defined in the msisdn standard ; an ac = area code as defined in the msisdn standard ; and an ep = exchange prefix as defined by the telephone industry as a switch identifier . when the sc platform responds to an sc command entered by a user , telephone number derived location data associated with the user can be used to condition processing or delivery of goods and services , or generate other responses , for location - based sc platform replies . the sc platform can extract any location - based information from any part of a user phone number . sc platform programming incorporates information regarding the relevant industry standards such as isdn , msisdn and international standards , in order for the sc platform programming to identify various sub - coded information within each industry standard format . location based information may also be provided to the sc platform based on enhanced 911 ( e911 ) or global positioning system ( gps ) data provided by the user &# 39 ; s internet device . in addition , data fields in the communication protocols commonly used by wireless service providers can provide further enhancements to how location based data is provided by a user to the sc platform . for instance , the registries for hlr ( home location registry ) and vlr ( visitor location registry ) fields are used in these protocols by wireless service providers and associated companies . these hlr and vlr registries contain information on user location that can also be input to the sc platform . as an example , if the vlr field associated with the user &# 39 ; s device becomes active , this indicates a mobile user is “ roaming ” within a network . modules to monitor and process this event are programmed within the sc platform to automatically load related information , such cc or ac associated with the user telephone number . if location based data such as gps , or other forms of location identifying technology , are associated with a user through the user &# 39 ; s internet device , this information is accepted automatically from the user &# 39 ; s internet device at some point after a user accesses the sc platform . in addition , internet devices that are locatable based on another location based technology , such as e911 , can utilize data from this alternate technology . the location based information from any of these sources is coordinated with any “ smart ” function code that may be input with a sc to condition the sc platform response following processing at the sc platform . referring to fig3 , in the system and method according to the invention , character strings associated with a symbol command ( sc ), a “ smart ” symbol command ( ssc ) or a keyword ( kw ) or function ( fn ) command can be any combination of alpha - numeric characters , or other character symbols designated within an sc directory and associated with specific goods or services provided through the sc platform . the sc , ssc or kw and fn commands may be at least one of a number , a letter , multiples of letters , short words , and a number and a letter , or any combination thereof with other types of symbols , such as mathematic function symbols , greek letter symbols and the like . in certain embodiments , an sc , ssc or combinations thereof with fn and kw commands in one character string will contain 1 - 200 characters , 1 - 100 characters , 1 - 80 characters , 1 - 60 characters , 1 - 40 characters , 1 - 30 characters , 1 - 20 characters , 1 - 15 characters , 1 - 10 characters , or any single increment between 1 and 100 characters in length . referring to fig4 , the sc platform , according to one embodiment , contains a billing program module . a user creates a billing relationship with the sc platform by registering and recording the user &# 39 ; s billing information there . this information will include such items as normally contained in a billing database . in some embodiments , this billing information can include the user &# 39 ; s phone number and other user id identification information . the user id information is used for session log in and also for purchasing authentication purposes allowing for a separate billing confirmation process utilizing a two way sms message with pin reply . the billing database is structured for pre - purchase payments or post - purchase payments and supports direct payments , paypal , credit cards , debit cards and other forms of payment . the method includes receiving approval to purchase the selected item based on the sc from the user with one click of a user input device . in other embodiments , alternative channels than the internet can be used in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed above . sms , mms , or email messages can be used as alternative distribution channels for such things as reminders or coupons associated with a purchase . in one embodiment , sms ; mms , or email are used for sending coupons or messages that include bar code information . the following examples illustrate some aspects of the invention and are not in any way limiting upon the invention disclosed and claimed . in this example , a user inputs a mobile url to an internet device to access a sc webpage such as www . soda . mobi . an sc webpage is displayed and the user inputs a symbol command ( sc ), such as an a / n character string into a field on the webpage and clicks enter . the sc triggers a product or promotional material , such as a screen saver or coupon which is downloaded to the user internet device . in this example , a user inputs a mobile url to an internet device to access a sc webpage such as www . company . mobi . an sc webpage is displayed with options of symbol command ( sc ) which can be searched by category such as coupons , sales offers , tickets , location based services , personal service offerings , or product offerings , such as games , videos , mobile tv , or music and the like . selecting from these choices , a user inputs a sc and clicks enter . the sc platform associated with the sc webpage approves the sc product or service through user authentication , by sending a secure sms requesting a pin number input to approve the purchase . the user has a billing account with the sc platform and is charged for the product or service that is sent by physical delivery or download . in this example , a user implements a keyword ( kw ) command with an sc . after accessing the sc platform through an sc webpage , the user inputs “ soda ” as the sc and “ coupon ” as the kw . in this example the user is associated with a location based id on their login at the sc platform by automatic loading of the user telephone number . the sc platform then forwards the request to the company server associated with the sc “ soda ” and that server responds through the internet with local coupon offers to the user . if the user were traveling , they may also login using the cc + ac + ep in their phone number to indicate their current location or a target location for delivery . in this example , a user implements a function ( fn ) command with an sc . after accessing an sc webpage on the user &# 39 ; s internet device , the user logs into a sc platform which automatically loads the user telephone number through the sc webpage as the user id . the user then inputs “ hvac ” as the sc , followed by the “+” symbol (( plus ) symbol ) to indicate an appended command , and then the number “ 72 ” as the function ( fn ) command . the sc platform processes this and then forwards a command directly to that user &# 39 ; s home thermostat controller to set the temperature in the user &# 39 ; s house to 72 degrees fahrenheit . in an alternative embodiment , this command might be sent to a commercial service center to perform the same electronic service . in an alternative embodiment , the user might specify separate temperatures in different zones within the household by replacing the single temperature fn command “ 72 ” with the fn command “ 75 - 70 - 78 ” to designate the service to set three temperatures corresponding to three different zones in the user &# 39 ; s household . in this example , a user implements a common short code ( csc ) through an sc platform with an sc command that includes the short code or a symbol command ( sc ) character string that corresponds in the sc directory with a specific good or service associated with the common short code ( csc ). this would be the csc corresponding to a good or service as provided by a wireless service provider that has authorized the csc . in the alternative , the sc platform can define how the same good or service is to be distributed in a way that is completely independent of how the common short code ( csc ) is authorized and distributed through a wireless service provider that has approved the csc within its own network . after accessing the sc platform through an sc webpage , the user inputs the csc itself , or a symbol command ( sc ) which corresponds to a specific good or service otherwise associated with the csc . the sc platform then implements distribution of the good or service according to independent sc platform criteria coded within the programming modules associated with the sc directory and sc platform . in the alternative , the sc platform is connected through the internet or other communication channels with a wireless service provider that has authorized the csc for processing and distributing the same specific good or service . the sc platform communicates with the wireless service provider by sending data identifying the csc and any user identification or other information the wireless service provider needs to complete the transaction and distribute the specific good or service according to the parameters for processing the csc within the provider &# 39 ; s network . in one embodiment , the sc platform passes this information to the wireless service provider through the vlr or hlr registries maintained within the provider &# 39 ; s communications network . by providing alternate distribution channels , the sc platform provides a method for distributing the good or service associated with a common short code ( csc ) outside just those networks of the wireless service provider which have authorized the csc for use within their own networks . in this example , a user implements a “ smart ” symbol command ( ssc ) combined with both a keyword ( kw ) command and a function ( fn ) command , to set a vacation home security alarm to arm itself for active home security following a three hour delay after the ssc command is communicated to the home security device . after accessing an sc webpage , an automatic login associates the user with the sc platform , containing information about the user &# 39 ; s msisdn number and vacation home residence information . the user then inputs the ssc command “ vh ” to indicate smart processing at the sc platform relating to the user &# 39 ; s vacation home , appended to secur ″ as the basic sc to access a home security service . this input is followed by a “+” symbol (( plus ) symbol ) to indicate an appended command , then followed by the number “ 3 ” as the function ( fn ) command , and then followed with another “+” symbol (( plus ) symbol ) to indicate a second appended command and then the command “ arm ” as the keyword ( kw ) command . the complete ssc character string is “ vhsecur + 3 + arm ” which is manually entered by the user through the user &# 39 ; s internet device . the sc platform processes this complete ssc character string and implements delivery of the electronic service by communicating instructions to the security device in the user &# 39 ; s vacation home to arm itself after a three hour delay . in this example , a user interacts with the sc platform with only partial information and the sc platform responds with options for the user to complete the sc platform transaction . a user enters “ pizzah + ac ” which incorporates the sc “ pizzah ” for home delivery of pizza followed by the kw command “ ac ” for home delivery of pizza within the user &# 39 ; s own area code ( ac ). given that more than one pizza delivery service is available within the user &# 39 ; s area code , the sc platform receives this partial sc and upon processing , returns a list of further limiting choices for the user to the sc webpage . the list is displayed on the sc webpage as graphical objects representing specific commercial services as choices for the pizza delivery . the user then clicks on any of these graphical objects indicating a modification to the original sc command . the sc platform then processes this modified sc command and implements home delivery of the pizza as indicated by the user and charges the user for the delivered pizza using billing information maintained in the user &# 39 ; s profile within the sc platform . in an alternative embodiment , the user enters “ pizzah + ac202 ” for a list of choices within the 202 area code , as opposed to the user &# 39 ; s own area code . an alternative to this example is practiced with variants utilizing information relating to country code ( cc ), area code ( ac ), and exchange prefix ( ep ). in addition , other location based system ( lbs ) information , such as gps or e911 , might be utilized , through a user entering “ pizzah + lbs1m ” for all pizza home delivery services located within a one mile radius of the current location of the user &# 39 ; s internet device . by adding the kw command “ coupon ”, the user can also have the sc platform forward a message to the user &# 39 ; s internet device , by sms or other means , for coupons associated with the pizza service delivering the pizza that can be redeemed when the pizza is delivered . in this example , a user orders travel tickets with any coupons that might be associated with the purchase through the sc platform . the associated coupons contain visual data , such as bar code information . because the sc webpage generally does not persist in memory on a user &# 39 ; s internet device , the platform will modify delivery of bar code coupons to the user in a manner that allows the bar code data to reside with the user &# 39 ; s internet device until the coupons can be redeemed when claiming the purchased travel tickets . these bar code coupons are sent by mms , email , as a picture or other form of image delivery which persists in the device and are readable by scanners linked to the retail merchant to scan and validate with the ticket . a user enters “ amtrak + dc - pa + 530pm + fc ” to order train tickets and obtain a confirmation for will - call pickup . this scm would be for a ticket from washington d . c . to philadelphia at 530 pm in first class . in one embodiment , the user would authenticate by getting a pin sms to validate and then a confirmation number for will call or a barcode for automated ticketing . to the scm , the user also adds the keyword ( kw ) command “ coupon ” for a coupon to any available upgrades or amenities the train company associates with the user and the purchase . the sc platform processes the sc with the kw command for coupons . the purchasing charges from the sc platform would go directly to an amtrak account or an account such as paypal . if the train were fully reserved , sold out , or the entered time frame did not directly correspond with the trains schedule at the preferred time , a schedule can be presented with alternate choices the nearest time before and after with avail seats can be presented . similarly , of first class were full then other tickets or scheduling might be presented through the sc platform . after final choices were made , the train company would then respond with information for will - call confirmation and digital data for coupons that include visual data relating to a bar code , such as an aztec matrix code , that must be scanned for entry . the sc platform can notify the user through the sc webpage , but will also forward a digital copy of the bar code coupons to the user &# 39 ; s internet device by sms , mms , email or some other message means that preserves a digital copy of the bar code coupon and remains accessible to the user &# 39 ; s internet device after that device has powered off or is otherwise disconnected from the sc webpage . computing devices for operating the sc platform are used to implement the systems and methods described herein , as either a client or as a server or plurality of servers . a computing device is intended to represent various forms of digital computers , such as laptops , desktops , workstations , personal digital assistants , servers , mainframes , and other appropriate computers . a user internet device can be various forms of mobile devices , such as personal digital assistants , cellular telephones , smart phones , and other similar computing devices . the components described herein , their connections and relationships , and their functions , are meant to be exemplary only , and are not meant to limit implementations of the inventions described and / or claimed herein . a computing device includes a processor , memory , a storage device , a high - speed interface connecting to memory and high - speed expansion ports , and a low speed interface connecting to low speed bus and storage device . each of the components , are interconnected using various busses , and may be mounted on a common motherboard or in other manners as appropriate . the processor can process instructions for execution within the computing device , including instructions stored in the memory or on the storage device to display graphical information for a gui on an external input / output device , such as display coupled to high speed interface . in other implementations , multiple processors and / or multiple buses may be used , as appropriate , along with multiple memories and types of memory . also , multiple computing devices may be connected , with each device providing portions of the necessary operations ( e . g ., as a server bank , a group of servers , or a multi - processor system ). the memory stores information within the computing device . in one implementation , the memory is a computer - readable medium . in one implementation , the memory is a volatile memory unit or units . in another implementation , the memory is a non - volatile memory unit or units . the storage device is capable of providing mass storage for the computing device . in one implementation , the storage device is a computer - readable medium . in various different implementations , the storage device may be a floppy disk device , a hard disk device , an optical disk device , or a tape device , a flash memory or other similar solid state memory device , or an array of devices , including devices in a storage area network or other configurations . in one implementation , a computer program product is tangibly embodied in an information carrier . the computer program product contains instructions that , when executed , perform one or more methods , such as those described above . the information carrier is a computer - or machine - readable medium , such as the memory , the storage device , memory on processor , or a propagated signal . the high speed controller manages bandwidth - intensive operations for the computing device , while the low speed controller manages lower bandwidth - intensive operations . such allocation of duties is exemplary only . in one implementation , the high - speed controller is coupled to memory , display ( e . g ., through a graphics processor or accelerator ), and to high - speed expansion ports , which may accept various expansion cards . in the implementation , low - speed controller is coupled to a storage device and a low - speed expansion port . the low - speed expansion port , which may include various communication ports ( e . g ., usb , bluetooth , ethernet , wireless ethernet ) may be coupled to one or more input / output devices , such as a keyboard , a pointing device , a scanner , or a networking device such as a switch or router , e . g ., through a network adapter . the computing device may be implemented in a number of different forms . for example , it may be implemented as a standard server , or multiple times in a group of such servers . it may also be implemented as part of a rack server system . in addition , it may be implemented in a personal computer such as a laptop computer . alternatively , components from computing device may be combined with other components in a mobile device . each of such devices may contain one or more of computing device and an entire system may be made up of multiple computing devices communicating with each other . the user internet device and the computing device may communicate wirelessly through communication interface , which may include digital signal processing circuitry where necessary . the communication interface may provide for communications under various modes or protocols , such as ip , gsm voice calls , sms , ems , or mms messaging , cdma , tdma , pdc , wcdma , cdma2000 , or gprs , among others . such communication may occur , for example , through a radio - frequency transceiver . in addition , short - range communication may occur , such as by using a bluetooth , wifi , or other such transceiver . in addition , a gps receiver module may provide additional wireless data to device , which may be used as appropriate by applications running on device . the user internet device may be implemented in a number of different forms that are mobile or fixed . for example , it may be implemented as a cellular telephone with ip capabilities . it may also be implemented as part of a smartphone , personal digital assistant , or other similar mobile device . digital computers , such as laptops , desktops , workstations , personal digital assistants , servers , mainframes , and other appropriate computers may also be used . the internet device may also communicate data audibly using audio codec , which may receive spoken information from a user and convert it to usable digital information . audio codex may likewise generate audible sound for a user , such as through a speaker , e . g ., in a handset of the device . such sound may include sound from voice telephone calls , may include recorded sound ( e . g ., voice messages , music files , etc .) and may also include sound generated by applications operating on device . where appropriate , the systems and the functional operations described in this specification can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or in computer software , firmware , or hardware , including the structural means disclosed in this specification and structural equivalents thereof , or in combinations of them . the techniques can be implemented as one or more computer program products , i . e ., one or more computer programs tangibly embodied in an information carrier , e . g ., in a machine readable storage device or in a propagated signal , for execution by , or to control the operation of , data processing apparatus , e . g ., a programmable processor , a computer , or multiple computers . a computer program ( also known as a program , module , software , software application , or code ) can be written in any form of programming language , including compiled or interpreted languages , and it can be deployed in any form , including as a stand alone program or as a module , component , subroutine , or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment . a computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file . a program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data , in a single file dedicated to the program in question , or in multiple coordinated files ( e . g ., files that store one or more modules , sub programs , or portions of code ). a computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network . the processes and logic flows described in this specification can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform the described functions by operating on input data and generating output . the processes and logic flows can also be performed by , and apparatus can be implemented as , special purpose logic circuitry , e . g ., an fpga ( field programmable gate array ) or an asic ( application specific integrated circuit ). processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include , by way of example , both general and special purpose microprocessors , and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer . generally , the processor will receive instructions and data from a read only memory or a random access memory or both . the essential elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data . generally , a computer will also include , or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to , or both , one or more mass storage devices for storing data , e . g ., magnetic , magneto optical disks , or optical disks . information carriers suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non volatile memory , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , e . g ., eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks , e . g ., internal hard disks or removable disks ; magneto optical disks ; and cd rom and dvd - rom disks . the processor and the memory can be supplemented by , or incorporated in , special purpose logic circuitry . to provide for interaction with a user , aspects of the described techniques can be implemented on a computer having a display device , e . g ., a crt ( cathode ray tube ) or lcd ( liquid crystal display ) monitor , for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device , e . g ., a mouse or a trackball , by which the user can provide input to the computer . other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well ; for example , feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback , e . g ., visual feedback , auditory feedback , or tactile feedback ; and input from the user can be received in any form , including acoustic , speech , or tactile input . the techniques can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back - end component , e . g ., as a data server , or that includes a middleware component , e . g ., an application server , or that includes a front - end component , e . g ., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation , or any combination of such back - end , middleware , or front - end components . the components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication , e . g ., a communication network . examples of communication networks include a local area network (“ lan ”) and a wide area network (“ wan ”), e . g ., the internet . the computing system can include clients and servers . a client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network . the relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client - server relationship to each other . in one embodiment , the invention is directed to an internet - based delivery platform connected to a communications network for distributing goods or services based on information sent from an internet device to the delivery platform , said platform comprising : a computing device and a computer operations program , module or code for operating an internet - based delivery platform ; an internet interface accessible by a user internet device , said internet interface configured for receiving a symbol command message including a symbol command ; a symbol command directory with a database having a plurality of symbol commands ; a comparison program , module or code for comparing the symbol command in the symbol command message with the plurality of symbol commands in the database of the symbol command directory ; and a distribution program , module or code for implementing a distribution of a good or service associated in the symbol command directory with the symbol command in the symbol command message . in other embodiments , the invention is directed to a platform wherein the symbol command directory includes one or more smart symbol commands and a comparison program , module or code for comparing a smart symbol command in the symbol command message with one or more smart symbol commands listed in the database of the symbol command directory ; wherein the symbol command directory includes one or more keyword commands and a comparison program , module or code for comparing a keyword command in the symbol command message with one or more keyword commands listed in the database of the symbol command directory ; or wherein the symbol command directory includes one or more function commands and a comparison program , module or code for comparing a function command in the symbol command message with one or more function commands listed in the database of the symbol command directory . in still other embodiments , the invention is directed to a platform wherein the computer operations program , module or code is associated with a database for maintaining a profile associated with a user , said database including at least one user identification data field for holding user identity data ; wherein the user identity data is associated with a phone number , a fixed ip address , an identifier defined by the user , or another identifier associated with the user ; wherein the user identity data is associated with a msisdn number , a part of a msisdn number , a fixed ip address , or an id defined by or associated with the user ; wherein the computer operations program , module or code includes coding for a process for verifying a user &# 39 ; s identity a ) prior to granting a user access to the platform and / or b ) a ) after granting a user access to the platform ; wherein the computer operations program , module or code includes coding for a process for accepting manual input of data associated with a user &# 39 ; s identity ; wherein the computer operations program , module or code includes coding for a process for accepting automated input of data associated with a user &# 39 ; s identity ; wherein the automated input of data is loadable from a user &# 39 ; s internet device ; wherein the automated input of data is loadable from a location associated with a communications network connectable with the platform or a user &# 39 ; s internet device ; and wherein the communications network connectable with the platform or the user &# 39 ; s internet device is a ) the internet or b ) a gsm , tdma , cdma or satellite communications network network . in yet still other embodiments , the invention is directed to a platform wherein a platform database includes at least one data field for user billing information data ; wherein a platform database includes at least one data field for user authentication data for authenticating the identity of a user when a ) providing a user access to the platform or b ) processing a purchase or distribution of goods or services distributed through the platform ; wherein the user authentication data corresponds with a pin associated with the user ; wherein a platform database includes at least one data field for holding location information for locating or delivering goods or services distributed using the platform ; wherein the data field for location information is configured to hold data associated with a telelocation ; wherein the data field for location information is configured to hold data associated with a global positioning system location ; wherein the data field for location information is configured to hold data associated with an e911 location ; wherein the data field for location information is configured to hold data associated with a hlr or vlr registry in a gsm network ; wherein the data field for location information is configured to hold data associated with a geographic variable location ; wherein the interface is a webpage ; wherein the webpage has an input field for receiving entry of a symbol command message ; wherein the computer operations program , module or code includes coding for a one - click purchasing process ; wherein the computer operations program , module or code includes coding for sending a response to a user after a symbol command is processed at the platform ; wherein the coding for a response specifies sending the response to the interface ; or wherein the coding for a response specifies sending the response by im , sms , mms or email message . in another embodiment , the invention is directed to a method of using an internet platform connected to a communications network , said method comprising : providing a user access to the internet platform through an interface ; receiving at the platform a symbol command message including a symbol command ; comparing at the platform the symbol command message to a symbol command directory associated with a database ; and implementing a response by the platform based on the symbol command message . in other embodiments , the invention is directed to a method wherein the response includes distributing a good or service associated with the symbol command in the symbol command message ; wherein the response includes processing of a purchase of a good or service associated with the symbol command in the symbol command message ; wherein the response includes sending a request for information associated with the symbol command message ; wherein the comparing includes comparing a smart symbol command , a keyword command or a function command in the symbol command message with one or more smart symbol commands , keyword commands or function commands listed in the database of the symbol command directory ; wherein the providing user access step includes verifying the identity of a user ; wherein the processing of a purchase includes verifying the identity of a user ; or wherein the verifying the identity of a user includes authenticating a user through sending an im to the user requesting a pin or other authentication response from the user . in still other embodiments , the invention is directed to a method wherein the verifying the identity of a user includes a comparing of the user identity with data associated with a user profile at the platform , said data associated with a ) a phone number , b ) a fixed ip address , c ) an identifier defined by the user , or d ) another identifier associated with the user ; wherein the phone number is a msisdn number ; wherein the response includes sending information for presentation to the user through the interface ; wherein the response includes sending information for presentation to the user through an im , sms , mms or email message ; wherein the information for presentation to the user sent through an im , sms , mms or email message includes information in a bar code format ; or wherein the response by the platform is associated with location information for locating or delivering goods or services distributed using the platform . in yet still other embodiments , the invention is directed to a method wherein the location information is associated with a telelocation ; wherein the location information is associated with a global positioning system location ; wherein the location information is associated with an e911 location ; wherein the location information is associated with an hlr or vlr registry in a gsm network ; wherein the location information is associated with a geographic variable location ; wherein the interface is a webpage ; wherein the webpage has an input field for receiving entry of a symbol command message ; or wherein the purchase includes a single - click process associated with the purchase . in another embodiment , the invention is directed to an internet - based system for ordering and distributing goods or services comprising : a ) an internet device ; and b ) an internet - based delivery platform that is an internet - based delivery platform connected to a communications network for distributing goods or services based on information sent from an internet device to the delivery platform , said platform comprising : a computing device and a computer operations program , module or code for operating an internet - based delivery platform ; an internet interface accessible by a user internet device , said internet interface configured for receiving a symbol command message including a symbol command ; a symbol command directory with a database having a plurality of symbol commands ; a comparison program , module or code for comparing the symbol command in the symbol command message with the plurality of symbol commands in the database of the symbol command directory ; and a distribution program , module or code for implementing a distribution of a good or service associated in the symbol command directory with the symbol command in the symbol command message . in other embodiments , the invention is directed to a system wherein the internet device is a mobile device ; wherein the internet device is a phone ; wherein the symbol command directory includes one or more smart symbol commands and a comparison program , module or code for comparing a smart symbol command in the symbol command message with one or more smart symbol commands listed in the database of the symbol command directory ; wherein the symbol command directory includes one or more keyword commands and a comparison program , module or code for comparing a keyword command in the symbol command message with one or more keyword commands listed in the database of the symbol command directory ; wherein the symbol command directory includes one or more function commands and a comparison program , module or code for comparing a function command in the symbol command message with one or more function commands listed in the database of the symbol command directory ; wherein the computer operations program , module or code is associated with a database for maintaining a profile associated with a user , said database including at least one user identification data field for holding user identity data for verifying the identity of a user ; wherein the user identity data is associated with a phone number , a fixed ip address , an identifier defined by the user , or another identifier associated with the user ; wherein the user identity data is associated with a msisdn number , a part of a msisdn number , a fixed ip address , or an id defined by or associated with the user ; or wherein the computer operations program , module or code includes coding for a process of verifying a user &# 39 ; s identity a ) prior to granting a user access to the platform and / or b ) a ) after granting a user access to the platform . in another embodiment , the invention is directed to a communications network - based delivery platform connected to a communications network for distributing goods or services using information sent from a communications device to the delivery platform , comprising : an interface accessible by a user communications device , said interface being configured for receiving a symbol command message including a symbol command ; a symbol command directory with a database having a plurality of symbol commands ; a comparison program , module or code for comparing the symbol command in the symbol command message with the plurality of symbol commands in the database of the symbol command directory ; and a distribution program , module or code for implementing a distribution of a good or service associated in the symbol command directory with the symbol command in the symbol command message . in another embodiment , the invention is directed to a method of using data gathered from distributing goods or services using information sent from an internet device to an internet platform , comprising : collecting a data record of a ) a symbol command message received at the platform , b ) a platform response to the symbol command message or c ) both the symbol command message and the platform response to form a historical data record . 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 . for example , although certain platforms , systems and methods have been shown , the particular components of each platform , system and method may be rearranged as appropriate , and additional components may be added , or components may be combined , separated , or eliminated , as appropriate . also , although much of the disclosure speaks to mobile devices and platforms and systems with an interface for display on mobile devices , in appropriate circumstances , the features described here may be applied to non - mobile devices also . accordingly , other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims .	6
when a range of values is provided herein , it is intended to encompass the end - points of the range unless specifically stated otherwise . numerical values used herein have the precision of the number of significant figures provided , following the standard protocol in chemistry for significant figures as outlined in astm e29 - 08 section 6 . for example , the number 40 encompasses a range from 35 . 0 to 44 . 9 , whereas the number 40 . 0 encompasses a range from 39 . 50 to 40 . 49 . the parameters n , p , and q as employed herein are each independently integers in the range of 1 - 10 . as used herein , the term “ fluorovinyl ether functionalized aromatic diester ” refers to that subclass of compounds of structure ( iii ) wherein r 2 is c 1 - c 10 alkyl . the term “ fluorovinyl ether functionalized aromatic diacid ” refers to that subclass of compounds of structure ( iii ) wherein r 2 is h . the term “ perfluorovinyl compound ” refers to the olefinically unsaturated compound represented by structure ( vii ), infra . as used herein , the term “ copolymer ” refers to a polymer comprising two or more chemically distinct repeat units , including dipolymers , terpolymers , tetrapolymers and the like . the term “ homopolymer ” refers to a polymer consisting of a plurality of repeat units that are chemically indistinguishable from one another . in any chemical structure herein , when a terminal bond is shown as “—”, where no terminal chemical group is indicated , the terminal bond “—” indicates a radical . for example , — ch 3 represents a methyl radical . in one aspect , the present invention provides a polymer comprising a fluorovinyl ether functionalized aromatic repeat unit represented by the structure ( i ). ar represents a benzene or naphthalene radical ; each r is independently h , c 1 - c 10 alkyl , c 5 - c 15 aryl , c 6 - c 20 arylalkyl ; oh , or a radical represented by the structure ( ii ) with the proviso that only one r can be oh or the radical represented by the structure ( ii ); r1 is a c2 - c4 alkylene radical which can be branched or unbranched , x is o or cf 2 ; z is h , cl , or br ; a = 0 or 1 ; and , q represents the structure ( ia ) rf 1 is ( cf 2 ) n , wherein n is 0 - 10 ; rf 2 is ( cf 2 ) p , wherein p is 0 - 10 , with the proviso that when p is 0 , y is cf 2 . as can be noted in the formulas above that show substituents attached to aromatic rings “ ar ”, the substituents can be attached to the aromatic rings at any point , thus making it possible to have ortho -, meta - and para - substituents as defined above . in one embodiment of the polymer , one r is oh and the remaining two rs are each h . in one embodiment of the polymer , one r is represented by the structure ( ii ) and the remaining two rs are each h . in one embodiment of the polymer , r 1 is an ethylene radical . in one embodiment of the polymer , r 1 is a trimethylene radical , which can be branched . in one embodiment of the polymer , r 1 is a tetramethylene radical , which can be branched . in one embodiment of the polymer , x is o . in an alternative embodiment , x is cf 2 . in one embodiment of the polymer , y is o . in an alternative embodiment , y is cf 2 . in one embodiment of the polymer z is cl or br . in a further embodiment , z is cl . in an alternative embodiment , one r is represented by the structure ( ii ), and one z is h . in a further embodiment , one r is represented by the structure ( ii ), one z is h , and one z is cl . in one embodiment of the polymer , rf 1 is cf 2 . in one embodiment of the polymer , rf 2 is cf 2 . in one embodiment of the polymer , rf 2 is a bond ( that is , p = 0 ), and y is cf 2 . in one embodiment of the polymer , each r is h , z is cl , r 1 is methoxy , x is o , y is o , rf 1 is cf 2 , and rf 2 is perfluoropropenyl , and q = 1 . in one embodiment of the polymer , the polymer of the invention is a homopolymer . in one embodiment , the polymer is a copolymer made up of repeat units that are different embodiments of structure ( i ); that is , different repeat units that are still represented by embodiments of structure ( i ). the copolymer can thus contain repeat units of structure ( i ) that are the same or different . in one embodiment the specific repeat unit represented by structure ( i ) is represented by the structure ( iva ) wherein r , r 1 , z , x , q , and a are as stated supra . in one embodiment the specific repeat unit represented by structure ( i ) is represented by the structure ( ivb ) wherein r , r 1 , z , x , q , and a are as stated supra . in an alternative embodiment , the polymer is a copolymer comprising fluorovinyl ether functionalized aromatic repeat units represented by the structure ( iva ) and fluorovinyl ether functionalized aromatic repeat units represented by the structure ( ivb ). in one embodiment , the copolymer is a random copolymer . in one embodiment , the copolymer is a block copolymer . in another embodiment the polymer is a copolymer comprising arylate repeat units represented by the structure ( v ), wherein each r is independently h or alkyl , and r 3 is c 2 - c 4 alkylene which can be branched or unbranched . in one embodiment , all the rs are h , and r 3 is trimethylene . in one embodiment , the repeat unit represented by structure ( v ) is a terephthalate radical . in an alternative embodiment , the repeat unit represented by the structure is an isophthalate radical . in an alternative embodiment , the polymer is a copolymer comprising terephthalate repeat units and isophthalate repeat units represented by the structure ( v ). in one embodiment , the copolymer is a random copolymer . in one embodiment , the copolymer is a block copolymer . in another aspect , the present invention provides a process , comprising combining a fluorovinyl ether functionalized aromatic diester or diacid with an excess of c 2 - c 4 alkylene glycol or a mixture thereof , branched or unbranched , and a catalyst to form a reaction mixture . the reaction can be conducted in the melt , preferably within the temperature range of 180 to − 240 ° c ., to initially condense either methanol or water , after which the mixture can be further heated , preferably to a temperature within the range of 210 to − 300 ° c ., and evacuated , to remove the excess c 2 - c 4 glycol and thereby form a polymer comprising repeat units having the structure ( i ), wherein the fluorovinyl ether functionalized aromatic diester or diacid is represented by the structure ( iii ), ar represents a benzene or naphthalene radical ; each r is independently h , c 1 - c 10 alkyl , c 5 - c 15 aryl , c 6 - c 20 arylalkyl ; oh , or a radical represented by the structure ( ii ) with the proviso that only one r can be oh or the radical represented by the structure ( ii ); r 2 is h or c 1 - c 10 alkyl ; x is o or cf 2 ; z is h , cl , or br ; a = 0 or 1 ; and , q represents the structure ( ia ) rf 1 is ( cf 2 ) n , wherein n is 0 - 10 ; rf 2 is ( cf 2 ) p , wherein p is 0 - 10 , with the proviso that when p is 0 , y is cf 2 . in some embodiments , the reaction is carried out at about the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . in one embodiment of the process , one r is oh and the remaining two rs are each h . in one embodiment of the process , one r is represented by the structure ( ii ) and the remaining two rs are each h . in one embodiment of the process , r 2 is h . in one embodiment of the process , r 2 is methyl . in one embodiment of the process , x is o . in an alternative embodiment , x is cf 2 . in one embodiment of the process , y is o . in an alternative embodiment , y is cf 2 . in one embodiment of the process z is cl or br . in a further embodiment , z is cl . in an alternative embodiment , one r is represented by the structure ( ii ), and one z is h . in a further embodiment , one r is represented by the structure ( ii ), one z is h , and one z is cl . in one embodiment of the process , rf 1 is cf 2 . in one embodiment of the process , rf 2 is cf 2 . in one embodiment of the process , rf 2 is a bond ( that is , p = 0 ), and y is cf 2 . in one embodiment of the process , each r is h , z is cl , r 2 is methyl , x is o , y is o , rf 1 is cf 2 , and rf 2 is perfluoropropenyl , and q = 1 . suitable alkylene glycols include but are not limited to 1 , 2 - ethanediol , 1 , 3 - propanediol , 1 , 4 - butanediol , and mixtures thereof . in one embodiment , the alkylene glycol is 1 , 3 - propanediol . suitable catalysts include but are not limited to titanium ( iv ) butoxide , titanium ( iv ) isopropoxide , antimony trioxide , antimony triglycolate , sodium acetate , manganese acetate , and dibutyl tin oxide . the selection of catalysts is based on the degree of reactivity associated with the selected glycol . for example , it is known that 1 , 3 - propanediol is considerably less reactive than is 1 , 2 - ethanediol . titanium butoxide and dibutyl tin oxide — both considered “ hot ” catalysts — have been found to be suitable for process when 1 , 3 - propanediol is employed , but are considered over - active for the process when 1 , 2 - ethanediol . the reaction can be carried out in the melt . the thus resulting polymer can be separated by vacuum distillation to remove the excess of c 2 - c 4 glycol . in one embodiment the reaction mixture comprises more than one embodiment of the repeat units encompassed in structure ( i ). in another embodiment , the reaction mixture further comprises an aromatic diester or aromatic diacid represented by the structure ( vi ) wherein ar is an aromatic radical , r 4 is h or c 1 - c 10 alkyl , and each r is independently h or c 1 - c 10 alkyl . in a further embodiment , r 4 is h and each r is h . in an alternative embodiment , r 4 is methyl and each r is h . in one embodiment ar is benzyl . in an alternative embodiment , ar is naphthyl . suitable aromatic diesters of structure ( vi ) include but are not limited to dimethyl terephthalate , dimethyl isophthalate , 2 , 6 - naphthalene dimethyldicarboxylate , methyl 4 , 4 ′- sulfonyl bisbenzoate , methyl 4 - sulfophthalic ester , and methyl biphenyl - 4 , 4 ′- dicarboxylate . in one embodiment , the aromatic diester is dimethyl terephthalate . in an alternative embodiment , the aromatic diester is dimethyl isophthalate . suitable aromatic diacids of structure ( vi ) include but are not limited to isophthalic acid , terephthalic acid , 2 , 6 - naphthalene dicarboxylic acid , 4 , 4 ′- sulfonyl bisbenzoic acid , 4 - sulfophthalic acid and biphenyl - 4 , 4 ′- dicarboxylic acid . in one embodiment , the aromatic diacid is terephthallic acid . in an alternative embodiment , the aromatic diacid is isophthallic acid . suitable fluorovinyl ether functionalized aromatic diesters can be prepared by forming a reaction mixture comprising a hydroxy aromatic diester in the presence of a solvent and a catalyst with a perfluoro vinyl compound represented by the structure ( vii ) wherein x is o or cf 2 , a = 0 or 1 ; and , q represents the structure ( ia ) rf 1 is ( cf 2 ) n , wherein n is 0 - 10 ; rf 2 is ( cf 2 ) p , wherein p is 0 - 10 , with the proviso that when p is 0 , y is cf 2 ; at a temperature between about − 70 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . preferably the reaction is conducted using agitation at a temperature above room temperature but below the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . the reaction mixture is cooled following reaction . when a halogenated solvent is employed , the group indicated as “ z ” in the resulting fluorovinyl ether aromatic diester represented by structure ( iii ) is the corresponding halogen . suitable halogenated solvents include but are not limited to tetrachloromethane , tetrabromomethane , hexachloroethane and hexabromoethane . if the solvent is non - halogenated z is h . suitable non - halogenated solvents include but are not limited to tetrahydrofuran ( thf ), dioxane , and dimethylformamide ( dmf ). the reaction is catalyzed by a base . a variety of basic catalysts can be used , i . e ., any catalyst that is capable of deprotonating phenol . that is , a suitable catalyst is any catalyst having a pka greater than that of phenol ( 9 . 95 , using water at 25 ° c . as reference ). suitable catalysts include , but are not limited to , sodium methoxide , calcium hydride , sodium metal , potassium methoxide , potassium t - butoxide , potassium carbonate or sodium carbonate . preferred are potassium t - butoxide , potassium carbonate , or sodium carbonate . reaction can be terminated at any desirable point by the addition of acid ( such as , but not limited to , 10 % hcl ). alternatively , when using solid catalysts , such as the carbonate catalysts , the reaction mixture can be filtered to remove the catalyst , thereby terminating the reaction . suitable hydroxy aromatic diesters include , but are not limited to , 1 , 4 - dimethyl - 2 - hydroxy terephthalate , 1 , 4 - diethyl - 2 - 5 - dihydroxy terephthalate , 1 , 3 - dimethyl 4 - hydroxyisophthalate , 1 , 3 - dimethyl - 5 - hydroxy isophthalate , 1 , 3 - dimethyl 2 - hydroxyisophthalate , 1 , 3 - dimethyl 2 , 5 - dihydroxyisophthalate , 1 , 3 - dimethyl 2 , 4 - dihydroxyisophthalate , dimethyl 3 - hydroxyphthalate , dimethyl 4 - hydroxyphthalate , dimethyl 3 , 4 - dihydroxyphthalate , dimethyl 4 , 5 - dihydroxyphthalate , dimethyl 3 , 6 - dihydroxyphthalate , dimethyl 4 , 8 - dihydroxynaphthalene - 1 , 5 - dicarboxylate , dimethyl 3 , 7 - dihydroxynaphthalene - 1 , 5 - dicarboxylate , dimethyl 2 , 6 - dihydroxynaphthalene - 1 , 5 - dicarboxylate , or mixtures thereof . suitable perfluorovinyl compounds include , but are not limited to , 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 2 , 3 , 3 - heptafluoro - 3 -( 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoro - 3 -( 1 , 2 , 2 - trifluorovinyloxy ) propan - 2 - yloxy ) propane , heptafluoropropyltrifluorovinylether , perfluoropent - 1 - ene , perfluorohex - 1 - ene , perfluorohept - 1 - ene , perfluorooct - 1 - ene , perfluoronon - 1 - ene , perfluorodec - 1 - ene , and mixtures thereof . to prepare a suitable fluorovinyl ether functionalized aromatic diester a suitable hydroxy aromatic diester and a suitable perfluovinyl compound are combined in the presence of a suitable solvent and a suitable catalyst until the reaction has achieved the desired degree of conversion . the reaction can be continued until no further product is produced over some preselected time scale . the required reaction time to achieve the desired degree of conversion depends upon the reaction temperature , the chemical reactivity of the specific reaction mixture components , and the degree of mixing applied to the reaction mixture . progress of the reaction can be monitored using any one of a variety of established analytical methods , including , but not limited to , nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy , thin layer chromatography , and gas chromatography . when the desired level of conversion has been achieved , the reaction mixture is quenched , as described supra . the thus quenched reaction mixture can be concentrated under vacuum , and rinsed with a solvent . under some circumstances , a plurality of compounds encompassed by the structure ( iii ) can be made in a single reaction mixture . in such cases , separation of the products thus produced can be effected by any method known to the skilled artisan such as , but not limited to , distillation or column chromatography . if it is desired to employ the corresponding diacid as the monomer instead of the diester , the thus produced fluorovinyl ether functionalized aromatic diester can be contacted with an aqueous base , preferably a strong base such as koh or naoh , at a gentle reflux , followed by cooling to room temperature , followed by acidifying the mixture , preferably with a strong acid , such as hcl or h 2 so 4 , until the ph is between 0 and 2 . preferably ph is 1 . the acidification thus performed causes the precipitation of the fluorovinyl ether functionalized aromatic diacid . the thus precipitated diacid can then be isolated via filtration and recrystallization from suitable solvents ( e . g ., redissolved in a solvent such as ethyl acetate , and then recrystallized ). the progress of the reaction can be followed by any convenient method , including but not limited to thin layer chromatography , gas chromatography and nmr . once the fluorovinyl ether aromatic compound has been prepared , it is suitable for polymerization , among other potential uses . the invention is further described but not limited by the following specific embodiments . the chemicals and reagents were used as received in the examples as follows : in a dry box , 1 , 4 - dimethyl - 2 - hydroxy terephthalate ( 30 . 25 g , 0 . 144 mol ) was added to an oven dried multiple neck 500 ml reaction flask equipped with a stirring bar and a pressure equaling ( pe ) addition funnel . tetrahydrofuran ( thf , 288 ml ) was then added forming a mixture . the mixture was stirred until a homogeneous solution resulted . potassium t - butoxide ( 4 . 435 g , 0 . 040 mol ) was added , resulting in a heterogeneous mixture . via the pe funnel , 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 2 , 3 , 3 - heptafluoro - 3 -( 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoro - 3 -( 1 , 2 , 2 - trifluorovinyloxy ) propan - 2 - yloxy ) propane ( 155 . 52 g , 0 . 36 mol ) was added resulting in a reaction mixture . the reaction mixture was allowed to stir at room temperature ( approximately 25 ° c .) for ˜ 40 hours . the reaction mixture was quenched by the addition of 5 ml of 10 % hcl . a material was formed from the reaction mixture . the material in the reaction flask was concentrated at reduced pressure . the material was then dissolved in dichloromethane (˜ 300 ml ) and then washed with 10 % hcl ( 2 × 75 ml ) and then with water (˜ 75 ml ), yielding an organic and an aqueous phase . the separated organic phase was then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate . the sodium sulfate was then filtered off and the resulting material concentrated at reduced pressure and then fractionally vacuum distilled . the fractions boiling between 134 - 136 ° c . at 1 . 4 - 1 . 1 torr ( 84 . 55 g , 91 . 4 % yield ) and 136 - 138 at 1 . 1 torr ( 3 . 35 g ) ( combined yield : 95 . 04 %) were collected . nmrs ( nuclear magnetic resonance ) of these samples were shown to be dimethyl 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) propoxy ) ethoxy ) terephthalate . in a dry box , tetrahydrofuran ( thf , 1000 ml ) and dimethyl 5 - hydroxyisophthalate ( 42 . 00 g , 0 . 20 mol ) were added to an oven dry round bottom reaction flask equipped with a stirrer and an addition funnel ; then potassium t - butoxide ( 6 . 16 g , 0 . 055 mol ) was added . 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 2 , 3 , 3 - heptafluoro - 3 -( 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoro - 3 -( 1 , 2 , 2 - trifluorovinyloxy ) propan - 2 - yloxy ) propane ( 216 g , 0 . 50 mol ) was then added via the addition funnel forming a reaction . the reaction was allowed to stir at room temperature . after 24 hours the reaction was terminated via the addition of 80 ml of 10 % hcl . the reaction was concentrated at reduced pressure , diluted with dichloromethane , washed with 10 % hcl ( 2 × 100 ml ) and then with water ( 2 × 100 ml ) forming an organic phase and a crude product . the organic phase was dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated at reduced pressure . the crude product was purified by column chromatography to give 86 . 07 g ( 67 . 32 %) yield of dimethyl 5 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) propoxy ) ethoxy ) isophthalate . in a dry box , 1 , 4 - dimethyl - 2 - hydroxy terephthalate ( 35 . 85 g , 0 . 185 mol ) was added to an oven dried round bottom reaction flask equipped with a stirring bar and a pressure equaling ( pe ) addition funnel . dimethyl formamide ( dmf , 170 . 70 . 0 ml ) and tetrachloromethane (˜ 853 ml ) were then added to the reaction flask and the reaction mixture was stirred until a homogeneous solution resulted . potassium t - butoxide ( 0 . 154 g , 0 . 001375 mol ) was added to the reaction flask , resulting in a heterogeneous mixture . via the pe funnel , heptafluoropropyltrifluorovinylether ( 113 . 51 g , 0 . 426 mol ) was added . the resulting reaction mixture was allowed to stir at room temperature ( about 25 ° c .) for ˜ 24 hours . the reaction was quenched by the addition for 50 ml of 10 % hcl . the resulting material in the reaction flask was concentrated at reduced pressure . this material was then dissolved in dichloromethane and then washed with 10 % hcl ( 2 ×) and then with water to form an organic phase and an aqueous phase . the separated organic phase was then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate . the sodium sulfate was then filtered off and the filtrate concentrated at reduced pressure to form a crude material . this crude material was then purified by column chromatography to give the pure material , dimethyl 2 -( 2 - chloro - 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) ethoxy ) terephthalate , in a dry box , 1 , 4 - dimethyl - 2 - hydroxy terephthalate ( 1 . 05 g , 0 . 005 mol ) was added to an oven dried 100 ml reaction flask equipped with a stirring bar and a pressure equaling ( pe ) addition funnel . dimethyl formamide ( 20 . 0 ml ) and carbon tetrabromide ( 12 . 5 g ) were then added to the reaction flask , and the reaction mixture was stirred until a homogeneous solution resulted . potassium t - butoxide ( 0 . 154 g , 0 . 001375 mol ) was added to the reaction flask , resulting in a heterogeneous mixture . via the pe funnel , heptafluoropropyltrifluorovinylether ( 3 . 325 g , 0 . 0125 mol ) was added . the reaction mixture was allowed to stir at room temperature ( about 25 ° c .) for ˜ 24 hours . the reaction was quenched by the addition for 2 ml of 10 % hcl . the resulting material in the reaction flask was concentrated at reduced pressure . this material was then dissolved in dichloromethane (˜ 150 ml ) and then washed with 10 % hcl ( 2 × 25 ml ) and then with water (˜ 25 ml ) to form an organic phase and an aqueous phase . the separated organic phase was then dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate . the sodium sulfate was then filtered off and the filtrate concentrated at reduced pressure to form a crude material . nmr of this crude material only showed the desired material , dimethyl 2 -( 2 - bromo - 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) ethoxy ) terephthalate , and small amounts of dimethyl formamide and carbon tetrabromide present . this crude material was then purified by column chromatography to give the pure material , dimethyl 2 -( 2 - bromo - 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) ethoxy ) terephthalate , as a clear oil , 2 . 280 g ( 82 . 31 % yield ). dimethyl 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) propoxy ) ethoxy ) terephthalate ( 64 . 2 g , 0 . 10 mol ), 1 , 3 - propanediol ( 19 . 00 , 0 . 25 mol ) and titanium n - butoxide ( 0 . 34 g , 0 . 001 mol ) were charged into a oven dried three neck reaction flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer , thermocouple and a vigreux column , attached to a distillation head , with receiving flask , to form a reaction mixture . the resulting mixture was heated to 180 ° c ., then to 225 ° c . over 50 minutes and then to 250 ° c . over 90 minutes . at this point the material was yellow in color . vacuum was applied to the reaction , causing the temperature to fall to 214 ° c . over the next 40 minutes the temperature recovered to 226 ° c . with a vacuum of 0 . 60 torr and attained 248 ° c . over the next 25 minutes with the vacuum holding at 0 . 7 torr , wherein lighter components ( e . g ., methanol , excess 1 , 3 - propanediol ) were distilled over to a distillation flask . a dark brown reaction mixture remained in the reaction flask . the dark brown reaction mixture containing viscous homopolymer was stirred at 248 ° c . for 35 minutes and then the reaction was terminated . the distillate in the distillation flask contained two phases , a top phase and a bottom phase , which were separated . nmr analyses of the top phase ( 15 . 51 g ) showed it to be a mixture of 1 , 3 - propanediol and methanol . the bottom phase ( 5 . 68 g ) was a mixture of reaction materials as shown via nmr analyses . viscous homopolymer that remained in the reaction flask was dark brown in color . nuclear magnetic resonance was used to determine its composition and it was identified as the homo - polyester of dimethyl 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) propoxy ) ethoxy ) terephthalate and 1 , 3 - propanediol . dimethyl 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) propoxy ) ethoxy ) terephthalate ( 31 . 1 g , 0 . 05 mol ), dimethyl terephthalate ( 9 . 7 ( 0 . 05 ) 1 , 3 - propanediol ( 19 . 00 , 0 . 25 mol ) and titanium n - butoxide ( 0 . 34 g , 0 . 001 mol ) were charged into a oven dried three neck reaction flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer , thermocouple and a vigreux column , attached to a distillation head , with receiving flask , to form a reaction mixture . the reaction mixture was heated to 200 ° c ., then held at that temperature for 60 minutes , then heated to 225 ° c . over 30 minutes , then held at that temperature for 20 minutes , and then to 250 ° c . over 40 minutes , then held at that temperature for an hour , wherein lighter components ( e . g ., methanol , excess 1 , 3 - propanediol ) were distilled over to a distillation flask . at this point the mixture that remained in the reaction flask was yellow in color . vacuum was applied to the reaction flask . the reaction mixture containing viscous copolymer in the reaction flask was heated at ˜ 250 ° c . and a vacuum of 0 . 7 - 0 . 85 torr over 2 hours . the distillate in the distillation flask contained two phases , a top phase and a bottom phase , which were separated . nmr analyses of the top phase ( 18 . 02 g ) showed it to be a mixture of 1 , 3 - propanediol and methanol . the bottom phase ( 0 . 88 g ) was a mixture of reaction materials as shown via nmr analyses . the viscous homopolymer remaining in the reaction flask was dark brown in color , and was elastomeric . nuclear magnetic resonance was used to determine its composition and it was identified as a co - polyester of dimethyl 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) propoxy ) ethoxy ) terephthalate , dimethyl terephthalate and 1 , 3 - propanediol . dimethylterephthalate ( dmt , 130 g , 0 . 66 mol ), dimethyl 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) ethoxy ) terephthalate ( weight percent relative dmt ), and 1 , 3 - propanediol ( 90 . 4 g , 1 . 19 mol , 1 . 8 eq to dmt ) were charged to a pre - dried 500 ml three necked round bottom reaction flask . an overhead stirrer and a distillation condenser were attached . the reactants were stirred at a speed of 50 rounds per minute ( rpm ), the reaction mixture was kept under nitrogen ( g ) ( n 2 ) purge atmosphere and the condenser was kept at 23 ° c . the reaction mixture was degassed three times by evacuating down to 100 torr and refilling back with n 2 gas . tyzor ® tpt catalyst [ 50 ppm ti to theoretical polymer yield , δ tyzor = 0 . 96 g / ml ] was added to the reaction flask after the first evacuation . the reaction flask was immersed into a preheated metal bath set at 160 ° c . the solids in the reaction flask were allowed to completely melt at 160 ° c . for 20 minutes , after which the stirring speed was slowly increased to 180 rpm . the reaction temperature was increased to 210 ° c . and maintained for 90 minutes to distill off most of the formed methanol into a distillation flask . the reaction temperature was increased to 250 ° c . after which the nitrogen purge was closed and a vacuum ramp started on the reaction flask . after about 60 minutes the vacuum reached a value of 50 - 60 mtorr . as the vacuum stabilized the stirring speed was increased to 225 rpm and the reaction conditions were held for a maximum of 3 - 4 hours . the torque of the stirrer was monitored ( readings at 180 rpm ) and the reaction was stopped when a value of ˜ 100n / cm 2 was reached . the polymerization was stopped by removing the heat source . the over - head stirrer was stopped and elevated from the floor of the reaction vessel before the vacuum was turned off and the system purged with n 2 gas . the formed product was allowed to cool to ambient temperature , the reaction flask was detached from the distillation column and flask , and the product recovered after carefully breaking the reaction flask glass with a hammer . the isolated product containing a copolymer of 1 , 3 - propanediol , dimethyl 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) ethoxy ) terephthalate , and dimethyl terephthalate was cryo - ground ( using liquid nitrogen ) to produce an off - white powder using a wiley mill . overall yield ˜ 80 - 90 %. 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 / tfa - d , 700 mhz ): δ 8 . 25 - 7 . 90 ( arh —, m , backbone ), 7 . 65 ( arh , s , cyclic dimer ), 6 . 17 (— cf 2 — cfh — o —, d , side chain ), 4 . 75 - 4 . 45 ( coo — ch 2 —, m , backbone ), 3 . 97 ( ho — ch 2 — r , t - broad , end group ), 3 . 82 (— ch 2 — o — ch 2 —, t , backbone dpg ), 2 . 45 - 2 . 05 (— ch 2 —, m , backbone ). the 19 f - nmr scan is shown in fig1 . dimethylterephthalate ( dmt , 130 g , 0 . 66 mol ), dimethyl 5 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) ethoxy ) isophthalate ( weight percent relative dmt ), and 1 , 3 - propanediol ( 90 . 4 g , 1 . 19 mol , 1 . 8 eq to dmt ) were charged to a pre - dried 500 ml three necked round bottom reaction flask . an overhead stirrer and a distillation condenser were attached . the reactants were stirred at a speed of 50 rounds per minute ( rpm ), the reaction mixture was kept under nitrogen ( g ) ( n 2 ) purge atmosphere , and the condenser was kept at 23 ° c . the reaction mixture was degassed three times by evacuating down to 100 torr and refilling back with n 2 gas . tyzor ® tpt catalyst [ 50 ppm ti to theoretical polymer yield , δ tyzor = 0 . 96 g / ml ] was added to the reaction flask after the first evacuation . the reaction flask was immersed into a preheated metal bath set at 160 ° c . the solids in the reaction flask were allowed to completely melt at 160 ° c . for 20 minutes after which the stirring speed was slowly increased to 180 rpm . the temperature of the reaction mixture was increased to 210 ° c . and maintained for 90 minutes to distill off most of the formed methanol into a distillation flask . the temperature of the reaction mixture was increased to 250 ° c . after which the nitrogen purge was closed and a vacuum ramp started . after about 60 minutes , the vacuum reached a value of 50 - 60 mtorr . as the vacuum stabilized the stirring speed was increased to 225 rpm and the reaction conditions were held for a maximum of 3 - 4 hours . the torque of the stirrer was monitored ( readings at 180 rpm ) and the reaction was stopped when a value of ˜ 100n / cm 2 was reached . the polymerization was stopped by removing the heat source . the over - head stirrer was stopped and elevated from the floor of the reaction vessel before the vacuum was turned off and the system purged with n 2 gas . the formed product was allowed to cool to ambient temperature , the reaction flask was detached from the distillation column and flask , and the product recovered after carefully breaking the reaction flask glass with a hammer . the isolated product containing a copolymer of 1 , 3 - propanediol with dimethyl 5 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) ethoxy ) isophthalate , and dimethyl terephthalate was cryo - ground ( using liquid nitrogen ) to produce an off - white powder using a wiley mill . overall yield ˜ 80 - 90 %. 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 / tfa - d , 700 mhz ): δ 8 . 60 ( arh , s , backbone ), 8 . 25 - 7 . 90 ( arh —, m , backbone ), 7 . 65 ( arh , s , cyclic dimer ), 6 . 10 (— cf 2 — cfh — o —, d , side chain ), 4 . 75 - 4 . 45 ( coo — ch 2 —, m , backbone ), 3 . 95 ( ho — ch 2 — r , t , end group ), 3 . 82 (— ch 2 — o — ch 2 —, t , backbone dpg ), 2 . 45 - 2 . 05 (— ch 2 —, m , backbone ). dimethylterephthalate ( dmt , 130 g , 0 . 66 mol ), dimethyl 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoro - 2 - perfluoropropoxy ) propoxy ) ethoxy ) terephthalate ( weight percent relative dmt ), and 1 , 3 - propanediol ( 90 . 4 g , 1 . 19 mol , 1 . 8 eq to dmt ) were charged to a pre - dried 500 ml three necked round bottom reaction flask . an overhead stirrer and a distillation condenser were attached . the reactants were stirred at a speed of 50 rounds per minute ( rpm ), the reaction mass was kept under nitrogen ( g ) ( n 2 ) purge atmosphere , and the condenser was kept at 23 ° c . the reaction mixture was degassed three times by evacuating down to 100 torr and refilling back with n 2 gas . tyzor ® tpt catalyst [ 50 ppm ti to theoretical polymer yield , δ tyzor = 0 . 96 g / ml ] was added to the reaction flask after the first evacuation . the reaction flask was immersed into a preheated metal bath set at 160 ° c . the solids in the reaction flask were allowed to completely melt at 160 ° c . for 20 minutes after which the stirring speed was slowly increased to 180 rpm . the temperature of the reaction mixture was increased to 210 ° c . and maintained for 90 minutes to distill off most of the formed methanol into a distillation flask . the temperature of the reaction mixture was increased to 250 ° c . after which the nitrogen purge was closed and a vacuum ramp started . after about 60 minutes the vacuum reached a value of 50 - 60 mtorr . as the vacuum stabilized the stirring speed was increased to 225 rpm and the reaction conditions were held for a maximum of 3 - 4 hours . the torque of the stirrer was monitored ( readings at 180 rpm ) and the reaction was typically stopped when a value of ˜ 100n / cm 2 was reached . the polymerization was stopped by removing the heat source . the over - head stirrer was stopped and elevated from the floor of the reaction vessel before the vacuum was turned off and the system purged with n 2 gas . the formed product was allowed to cool to ambient temperature and the reaction vessel was detached from the distillation column and flask , and the product recovered after carefully breaking the reaction flask glass with a hammer . the isolated polymer containing a copolymer of 1 , 3 - propanediol with dimethyl 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoro - 2 - perfluoropropoxy ) propoxy ) ethoxy ) terephthalate , and dimethyl terephthalate was cryo - ground ( using liquid nitrogen ) to produce an off - white powder using a wiley mill . overall yield ˜ 80 - 90 %. 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 / tfa - d , 700 mhz ): δ 8 . 25 - 7 . 90 ( arh —, m , backbone ), 7 . 65 ( arh , s , cyclic dimer ), 6 . 18 (— cf 2 — cfh — o —, d , side chain ), 4 . 75 - 4 . 45 ( coo — ch 2 —, m , backbone ), 3 . 97 ( ho — ch 2 — r , t - broad , end group ), 3 . 82 (— ch 2 — o — ch 2 —, t , backbone dpg ), 2 . 45 - 2 . 05 (— ch 2 —, m , backbone ). dimethylterephthalate ( dmt , 130 g , 0 . 66 mol ), dimethyl 5 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoro - 2 - perfluoropropoxy ) propoxy ) ethoxy ) isophthalate ( weight percent relative dmt ), and 1 , 3 - propanediol ( pdo , 90 . 4 g , 1 . 19 mol , 1 . 8 eq to dmt ) were charged to a pre - dried 500 ml three necked round bottom reaction flask . an overhead stirrer and a distillation condenser were attached . the reactants were stirred at a speed of 50 rounds per minute ( rpm ), the reaction mixture was kept under nitrogen ( g ) ( n 2 ) purge atmosphere , and the condenser was kept at 23 ° c . the reaction mixture was degassed three times by evacuating down to 100 torr and refilling back with n 2 gas . tyzor ® tpt catalyst [ 50 ppm ti to theoretical polymer yield , δ tyzor = 0 . 96 g / ml ] was added to the reaction flask after the first evacuation . the reaction flask was immersed into a preheated metal bath set at 160 ° c . the solids in the reaction flask were allowed to completely melt at 160 ° c . for 20 minutes after which the stirring speed was slowly increased to 180 rpm . the temperature of the reaction mixture was increased to 210 ° c . and maintained for 90 minutes to distill off most of the formed methanol into a distillation flask . the temperature of the reaction mixture was increased to 250 ° c . after which the nitrogen purge was closed and a vacuum ramp started . after about 60 minutes the vacuum reached a value of 50 - 60 mtorr . as the vacuum stabilized the stirring speed was increased to 225 rpm and the reaction conditions held for a maximum of 3 - 4 hours . the torque of the stirrer was monitored ( readings at 180 rpm ) and the reaction was stopped when a value of ˜ 100n / cm 2 was reached . the polymerization was stopped by removing the heat source . the over head stirrer was stopped and elevated from the floor of the reaction flask before the vacuum was turned off and the system purged with n 2 gas . the formed product was allowed to cool to ambient temperature , the reaction vessel was removed , and the product recovered after carefully breaking the glass with a hammer . the isolated product containing a copolymer of 1 , 3 - propanediol with dimethyl 5 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoro - 2 - perfluoropropoxy ) propoxy ) ethoxy ) isophthalate , and dimethyl terephthalate was cryo - ground ( using liquid nitrogen ) to produce an off - white powder using a wiley mill . overall yield ˜ 80 - 90 %. 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 / tfa - d , 700 mhz ): δ 8 . 60 ( arh , s , backbone ), 8 . 25 - 7 . 90 ( arh —, m , backbone ), 7 . 65 ( arh , s , cyclic dimer ), 6 . 10 (— cf 2 — cfh — o —, d , side chain ), 4 . 75 - 4 . 45 ( coo — ch 2 —, m , backbone ), 3 . 95 ( ho — ch 2 — r , t , end group ), 3 . 82 (— ch 2 — o — ch 2 —, t , backbone dpg ), 2 . 45 - 2 . 05 (— ch 2 —, m , backbone ). in a 500 ml three necked round bottom reaction flask 1 , 3 - propanediol ( pdo ) ( 74 . 65 g , 0 . 98 mol ), terephthalic acid ( tpa ) ( 80 g , 0 . 48 mmol ), 5 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) ethoxy ) isophthalic acid ( 4 g , 0 . 0089 mol ), and tyzor ® catalyst ( 21 mg , 21 μl , 25 ppm to 140 . 52 g theoretical product yield , δ tyzor ® = 0 . 96 g / ml ) were charged to form a reaction mixture , and the reaction flask was then connected to a nitrogen / vacuum inlet / outlet and a distillation condenser . the reaction flask was evacuated three times ( backfilling with nitrogen ), left under a static nitrogen blanket , and immersed into a metal bath set at t = 160 ° c ., stirring at 50 rounds per minute ( rpm ). the reaction mixture was allowed to equilibrate at 160 ° c . for 10 minutes with an increased stirring speed of 180 rpm and then gradually heated to the final set temperature at t = 240 ° c . the reaction mixture was kept at this temperature for 4 hours ( max ), or the reaction was stopped when the water evolution had completely leveled off or the reaction mixture melt became homogeneous . when the reaction was completed the metal bath was removed , the stirrer turned off , and the product formed from the reaction mixture allowed to cool to ambient temperature under a low stream of nitrogen and left until the following morning . under nitrogen purge the traps were emptied and put together again . tyzor ® catalyst ( 31 mg , 32 μl , 50 ppm to theoretical polymer yield = 103 . 2 g ) was added to the reaction flask , after which the system was degassed one time by pumping to 100 torr . the reaction flask was back - filled with nitrogen and immersed into a metal bath set at t = 160 ° c . the reaction system was allowed to equilibrate for 10 minutes and the temperature increased to t = 250 ° c . when the intermediate formed in the reaction flask started to melt the stirring speed was increased to 180 rpm . the nitrogen purge was closed and a vacuum ramp started . after about 60 minutes the vacuum reached a value of 50 - 60 mtorr . the reaction conditions were held for a maximum of 3 - 4 hours or until the torque of the stirrer was around 100n / cm . the polymerization was stopped by removing the heat source , the reaction flask was detached from the distillation column and flask , and the product was recovered by carefully breaking the reaction flask glass with a hammer . the isolated product contained a copolymer of 1 , 3 - propanediol with 5 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) ethoxy ) isophthalic acid , and terephthalic acid . overall yield ˜ 80 - 90 %. 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 / tfa - d , 700 mhz ): δ 8 . 62 ( arh —, s , backbone ), 8 . 25 - 8 . 05 ( arh —, m , backbone ), 7 . 65 ( arh , s , cyclic dimer ), 6 . 15 (— cf 2 — cfh — o —, d , side chain ), 4 . 75 - 4 . 55 ( coo — ch 2 —, m , backbone ), 3 . 97 ( ho — ch 2 — r , t - broad , end group ), 3 . 82 (— ch 2 — o — ch 2 —, t , backbone dpg ), 2 . 45 - 2 . 30 (— ch 2 —, m , backbone ). an alternative method to produce the desired product is to apply the vacuum ramp subsequent to the water condensation step . in this case the temperature would be increased to 250 ° c . the vacuum ramp would be applied and the excess 1 , 3 - propanediol would be driven off to complete the polymerization . the torque of the stirrer would be monitored in the same manner as described above , and the reaction stopped when the torque had increased to the desired level . dimethylterephthalate ( dmt , 130 g , 0 . 66 mol ), dimethyl - 2 -( 2 - chloro - 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) ethoxy ) terephthalate ( weight percent relative dmt ), and 1 , 3 - propanediol ( 90 . 4 g , 1 . 19 mol , 1 . 8 eq to dmt ) were charged to a pre - dried 500 ml three necked round bottom reaction flask . an overhead stirrer and a distillation condenser were attached to the reaction flask . the reactants were stirred at a speed of 50 rounds per minute ( rpm ) to form a reaction mixture , which was kept under nitrogen ( g ) ( n 2 ) purge atmosphere . the condenser was kept at 23 ° c . the contents of the reaction flask were degassed three times by evacuating down to 100 torr and refilling back with n 2 gas . tyzor ® tpt catalyst [ 50 ppm ti to theoretical polymer yield , δ tyzor = 0 . 96 g / ml ] was added to the reaction flask after the first evacuation . the reaction flask was immersed into a preheated metal bath set at 160 ° c . the solids in the reaction flask were allowed to completely melt at 160 ° c . for 20 minutes after which the stirring speed was slowly increased to 180 rpm . the temperature was increased to 210 ° c . and maintained at that temperature for 90 minutes to distill off most of the formed methanol into a distillation flask . the temperature of the metal bath into which the reaction flask was immersed was increased to 250 ° c . after which the nitrogen purge was closed and a vacuum ramp started ; after about 60 minutes the vacuum applied to the reaction flask reached a value of 50 - 60 mtorr . as the vacuum stabilized the stirring speed was increased to 225 rpm and the reaction held for a maximum of 3 - 4 hours . the torque of the stirrer was monitored ( readings at 180 rpm ) and the reaction was stopped when a value of ˜ 100n / cm 2 was reached . the polymerization was stopped by removing the heat source from the reaction flask . the over head stirrer was stopped and elevated from the floor of the reaction flask before the vacuum was turned off and the system purged with n 2 gas . the formed product in the reaction flask was allowed to cool to ambient temperature ( about 25 ° c .) and the reaction flask was removed and the product recovered after carefully breaking the glass with a hammer . the isolated polymer was cryo - ground ( using liquid nitrogen ) to an off - white powder containing the desired product , the co - polymer of 1 , 3 - propanediol dimethyl - 2 -( 2 - chloro - 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) ethoxy ) terephtalate , and dimethyl terephthalate , using a wiley mill . overall product yield was ˜ 80 - 90 %. 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 / tfa - d , 700 mhz ): δ 8 . 25 - 7 . 90 ( ar h —, m , backbone ), 7 . 65 ( arh , s , cyclic dimer ), 4 . 75 - 4 . 45 ( coo — c h 2 —, m , backbone ), 3 . 97 ( ho — c h 2 — r , t - broad , end group ), 3 . 82 (— c h 2 — o — c h 2 —, t , backbone dpg ), 2 . 45 - 2 . 05 (— ch 2 —, m , backbone ). dimethylterephthalate ( dmt , 130 g , 0 . 66 mol ), dimethyl - 2 -( 2 - bromo - 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) ethoxy ) terephthalate ( weight percent relative dmt ), and 1 , 3 - propanediol ( 90 . 4 g , 1 . 19 mol , 1 . 8 eq to dmt ) were charged to a pre - dried 500 ml three necked round bottom reaction flask . an overhead stirrer and a distillation condenser were attached to the reaction flask . the reactants were stirred at a speed of 50 rounds per minute ( rpm ) and the resulting reaction mixture was kept under nitrogen ( g ) ( n 2 ) purge atmosphere . the condenser was kept at 23 ° c . the contents of the reaction flask were degassed three times by evacuating down to 100 torr and refilling back with n 2 gas . tyzor ® tpt catalyst [ 50 ppm ti to theoretical polymer yield , δ tyzor = 0 . 96 g / ml ] was added to the reaction flask after the first evacuation . the reaction flask was immersed into a preheated metal bath set at 160 ° c . the solids in the reaction flask were allowed to completely melt at 160 ° c . for 20 minutes after which the stirring speed was slowly increased to 180 rpm . the temperature was increased to 210 ° c . and maintained at that temperature for 90 minutes to distill off most of the formed methanol into a distillation flask . the temperature of the metal bath into which the reaction flask was immersed was increased to 250 ° c . after which the nitrogen purge was closed and a vacuum ramp started . after about 60 minutes the vacuum applied to the reaction flask reached a value of 50 - 60 mtorr . as the vacuum stabilized the stirring speed was increased to 225 rpm and the reaction held for a maximum of 3 - 4 hours . the torque of the stirrer was monitored ( readings at 180 rpm ) and the reaction was stopped when a value of ˜ 100n / cm 2 was reached . the polymerization was stopped by removing the heat source from the reaction flask . the over head stirrer was stopped and elevated from the floor of the reaction flask before the vacuum was turned off and the system purged with n 2 gas . the formed product in the reaction flask was allowed to cool to ambient temperature and the reaction flask was removed and the product recovered after carefully breaking the glass with a hammer . the isolated polymer was cryo - ground ( using liquid nitrogen ) to an off - white powder containing the desired product , a copolymer of 1 , 3 - propanediol dimethyl - 2 -( 2 - bromo - 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) ethoxy ) terephthalate , and dimethyl terephthalate , using a wiley mill . overall yield ˜ 80 - 90 %. 1 h - nmr * ( cdcl 3 / tfa - d , 700 mhz ): δ 8 . 25 - 7 . 90 ( ar h —, m , backbone ), 7 . 65 ( arh , s , cyclic dimer ), 4 . 75 - 4 . 45 ( coo — c h 2 —, m , backbone ), 3 . 97 ( ho — c h — 2 — r , t - broad , end group ), 3 . 82 (— c h 2 — o — c h 2 —, t , backbone dpg ), 2 . 45 - 2 . 05 (— ch 2 —, m , backbone ). 85 . 36 g ( 0 . 44 mol ) of dimethyl 5 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoro - 2 - perfluoropropoxy ) propoxy ) ethoxy ) isophthalate ( weight percent relative dmt ), and ethylene glycol ( 81 . 93 g , 1 . 32 mol ) were charged to a pre - dried 500 ml three - necked round bottom flask . an overhead stirrer and a distillation condenser were attached . the reactants were stirred at a speed of 50 rpm , the reaction mass was kept under nitrogen purge , and , the condenser was kept at 23 ° c . the contents were degassed three times by evacuating down to 100 torr and refilling back with n2 gas . tyzor ® tpt catalyst was added [ 200 ppm ti to 92 . 8 g theoretical polymer , δtyzor = 0 . 96 g / ml ] after the first evacuation . the flask was immersed into a preheated metal bath set at 160 ° c . the solids were allowed to completely melt at 160 ° c . for 10 minutes and the stirrer speed was slowly increased to 180 rpm . the temperature was increased to 210 ° c . and maintained for 90 minutes to distill off the formed methanol . the temperature was increased to 280 ° c . after which the nitrogen purge was closed and a vacuum ramp started , after about 60 minutes the vacuum reached a value of 50 - 60 mtorr . as the vacuum stabilized the stirring speed was increased to 225 rpm and the reaction held for 3 - 4 hours ( follow the torque , readings at 180 rpm ). the polymerization was stopped by removing the heat source . the over head stirrer was stopped and elevated from the floor of the reaction vessel . the formed product was allowed to cool to ambient temperature and the vacuum turned off and the system purged with n2 gas . the reaction vessel was removed and the product recovered after carefully breaking the glass with a hammer . the isolated polymer was cryo - ground ( using liquid nitrogen ) to an off - white powder using a wiley mill . overall yield ˜ 80 - 90 %. 1h - nmr ( cdcl3 / tfa - d , 500 mhz ): δ 8 . 60 ( arh , s , backbone ), 8 . 25 - 7 . 95 ( arh —, m , backbone ), 6 . 10 (— cf2 - cfh — o —, d , side chain ), 4 . 80 - 4 . 45 ( coo — ch 2 —, m , backbone ). dimethylterephtalate ( dmt , 85 . 3 g , 0 . 44 mol ), dimethyl 5 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoro - 2 - perfluoropropoxy ) propoxy ) ethoxy ) isophthalate ( weight percent relative dmt ), and 1 , 4 - butanediol ( 79 . 3 g , 0 . 88 mol ) were charged to a pre - dried 500 ml three necked round bottom flask . an overhead stirrer and a distillation condenser were attached . the reactants were stirred at a speed of 50 rpm , the reaction mass was kept under a nitrogen purge , and the condenser was kept at 23 ° c . the contents were degassed three times by evacuating down to 100 torr and refilling back with n 2 gas . tyzor ® tpt catalyst [ 200 ppm ti to theoretical polymer yield , δtyzor = 0 . 96 g / ml ] was added after the first evacuation . the flask was immersed into a preheated metal bath set at 160 ° c . the solids were allowed to completely melt at 160 ° c . for 10 minutes and the stirrer speed was slowly increased to 180 rpm . the temperature was increased to 210 ° c . and maintained for 90 minutes to distill off the formed methanol . the temperature was increased to 250 ° c . after which the nitrogen purge was closed and a vacuum ramp started , after about 60 minutes the vacuum reached a value of 50 - 60 mtorr . as the vacuum stabilized the stirring speed was increased to 225 rpm and the reaction held for 3 - 4 hours . the torque was monitored ( readings at 180 rpm ) and the reaction was typically stopped when a value of ˜ 100n / cm2 was reached . the polymerization was stopped by removing the heat source . the over head stirrer was turned off and elevated from the floor of the reaction vessel before the system was purged with n2 gas . the formed product was allowed to cool to ambient temperature and the reaction vessel was removed and the product recovered after carefully breaking the glass with a hammer . the isolated polymer was cryo - ground ( using liquid nitrogen ) to an off - white powder using a wiley mill . yield ˜ 80 - 90 %. 1h - nmr ( cdcl3 / tfa - d , 500 mhz ): δ δ 8 . 60 ( arh , s , backbone ), 8 . 25 - 7 . 95 ( arh —, m , backbone ), 6 . 10 (— cf2 - cfh — o —, d , side chain ), 4 . 70 - 4 . 30 ( coo — ch 2 —, m , backbone ), 2 . 20 - 1 . 80 (— ch2 -, m , backbone ). for 1h - nmr and 19f - nmr spectrums see below . dimethyl 5 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( perfluoropropoxy ) ethoxy ) isophtalate ( 100 g , 0 . 21 mol ) and 1 , 3 - propanediol ( 28 . 8 g , 0 . 38 mol ) were charged to a pre - dried 500 ml three necked round bottom flask . an overhead stirrer and a distillation condenser were attached . the reactants were stirred at a speed of 50 rounds per minute ( rpm ) and the reaction mass was kept under nitrogen ( g ) ( n 2 ) purge atmosphere , the condenser was kept at 23 ° c . the contents were degassed three times by evacuating down to 100 torr and refilling back with n 2 gas . tyzor ® tpt catalyst [ 30 mg or 32 μl , 50 ppm ti to 102 g theoretical polymer yield , δ tyzor = 0 . 96 g / ml ] was added after the first evacuation . the flask was immersed into a preheated metal bath set at 210 ° c . and held for 120 minutes to distill off most of the formed methanol , stirring at 180 rpm . the nitrogen purge was stopped and a vacuum ramp started and after about 60 minutes the vacuum reached a value of 50 - 60 mtorr . the reaction was held for a maximum of 3 - 4 hours with stirring at 180 / 225 rpm , measure torque every 15 / 30 minutes ( readings at 180 rpm ). the polymerization was stopped by removing the heat source . the over head stirrer was stopped and elevated from the floor of the reaction vessel before the vacuum was turned off and the system purged with n 2 gas . the formed product was allowed to cool to ambient temperature and the reaction vessel was removed and the product recovered after carefully breaking the glass with a hammer . yield ˜ 88 %. 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ : 8 . 60 ( ar h , s , 1h ), 8 . 00 ( ar h —, s , 2h ), 7 . 70 ( ar h , s , 4h ), 6 . 15 (— cf 2 — cf h — o —, d , 1h ), 4 . 70 - 4 . 50 ( coo — c h 2 —, m , 4h ), 3 . 95 (— c h 2 — oh , t , 2h ), 3 . 85 (— c h 2 — o — c h 2 —, t , 4h ), 2 . 45 - 2 . 30 (— ch 2 —, m , 2h ), 2 . 10 (— c h 2 — ch 2 — o — ch 2 — c h 2 —, m , 4h ). dimethyl 5 -( 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoro - 2 -( 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoro - 2 - perfluoropropoxy ) propoxy ) ethoxy ) isophthalate ( 100 g , 0 . 156 mol ) and 1 , 3 - propanediol ( 21 . 3 g , 0 . 28 mol ) were charged to a pre - dried 500 ml three necked round bottom flask . an overhead stirrer and a distillation condenser were attached . the reactants were stirred at a speed of 50 rounds per minute ( rpm ) and the reaction mass was kept under nitrogen ( g ) ( n 2 ) purge atmosphere , the condenser was kept at 23 ° c . the contents were degassed three times by evacuating down to 100 torr and refilling back with n 2 gas . tyzor ® tpt catalyst [ 30 mg or 32 μl , 50 ppm ti to 102 g theoretical polymer yield , δ tyzor = 0 . 96 g / ml ] was added after the first evacuation . the flask was immersed into a preheated metal bath set at 210 ° c . and held for 120 minutes to distill off most of the formed methanol , stirring at 180 rpm . the nitrogen purge was stopped and a vacuum ramp started and after about 60 minutes the vacuum reached a value of 50 - 60 mtorr . the reaction was held for a maximum of 3 - 4 hours with stirring at 180 / 225 rpm , measure torque every 15 / 30 minutes ( readings at 180 rpm ). the polymerization was stopped by removing the heat source . the over head stirrer was stopped and elevated from the floor of the reaction vessel before the vacuum was turned off and the system purged with n 2 gas . the formed product was allowed to cool to ambient temperature and the reaction vessel was removed and the product recovered after carefully breaking the glass with a hammer . yield ˜ 88 %. 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ : 8 . 60 ( ar h , s , 1h ), 8 . 00 ( ar h —, s , 2h ), 7 . 70 ( ar h , s , 4h ), 6 . 15 (— cf 2 — cf h — o —, d , 1h ), 4 . 70 - 4 . 50 ( coo — c h 2 —, m , 4h ), 3 . 95 (— c h 2 — oh , t , 2h ), 3 . 85 (— c h 2 — o — c h 2 —, t , 4h ), 2 . 45 - 2 . 30 (— ch 2 —, m , 2h ), 2 . 10 (— c h 2 — ch 2 — o — ch 2 — c h 2 —, m , 4h ).	8
while the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms , there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described a presently preferred embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated . it should be further understood that the title of this section of this specification , namely , “ detailed description of the invention ”, relates to a requirement of the united states patent office , and does not imply , nor should be inferred to limit the subject matter disclosed herein . referring to the figures and in particular to fig1 there is shown a swab 10 in accordance with the principles of the present invention . the swab 10 includes a handle 12 and a cleaning head 14 . the handle 12 has a grasping end 16 and a cleaning head end 18 . the cleaning head 14 is formed from a material that is applied to the handle 12 in a flat , over - end wrapped construction as best seen in fig2 and 3 . the flat construction provides two large , planar areas 20 over which components such as connectors can be cleaned and four edge areas 22 for cleaning smaller areas , for example , between the pins of connectors . importantly , the swab 10 has an over - end wrapped end or tip as indicated at 24 . in this configuration , the cleaning head 14 has a blunted tip 26 as the cleaning head 14 material is wrapped over the tip 28 of the handle 12 to form a loop 30 at the end of the cleaning head 14 . the handle 12 defines a longitudinal axis a 12 . the loop 30 defines an inner or annular cleaning region 32 . it will be appreciated that the annular cleaning region 32 ( formed by the loop 30 tip ) has been found to be extremely effective for , and innovative in its ability to , clean optical fibers that may be embedded in connector elements or shrouded by alignment pins . in a present embodiment . the handle 12 is flat , that is , it has a generally rectangular cross - section , and the cleaning head 14 is formed as a strip that has a width w 14 that is about equal to the width w 12 of the handle 12 . the cleaning head 14 material is wrapped over the tip 28 of the handle 12 . this forms the two relatively large cleaning surfaces 20 on the major faces of the swab 10 ( that is , the material covering the major sides of the handle 12 ), the smaller , edge - like cleaning surfaces 22 on the sides of the swab 10 , and the inner or annular cleaning surface 32 within the loop portion 30 of the material that is folded over the handle tip 28 . the loop portion 30 is not pulled tight over the handle tip 28 . rather , the material is loosely wrapped over the tip 28 to specifically define the enclosed cleaning region 32 . in a present swab 10 , the swab 10 has a length 1 10 of about 3 . 25 inches ( about 8 . 25 cm ), including the distance created by the cleaning head 14 material being wrapped over the tip 28 . in that the material is relatively thin and the “ loop ” 30 is relatively small , the length 1 12 of the handle 12 is essentially equal to the overall swab length 1 10 . the length 1 14 of the head 14 is about 0 . 88 inches ( about 22 . 3 mm ). a present swab 10 has a width w 10 of about 0 . 38 inches ( about 9 . 6 mm ), and again , this is essentially equal to the width w 12 of the handle 12 so that the cleaning head 14 material is coextensive with the handle 12 width . in a present swab 10 , the handle 12 has a thickness t 12 of about 0 . 07 inches ( about 1 . 7 mm ). the handle 12 can be formed from a polymeric material , such as acrylonitrile - butadiene - styrene ( abs ). the material can be formulated or filled with additional desired constituents , such as a static dissipative material , for a particular application or service . the cleaning head 14 material is a soft , absorbent material . it is anticipated that a non - woven material that is dust and lint free ( that is , it does not flake or shed fibers or the like ). preferably , such a material absorbs oils as well as water and other aqueous liquids . one material that is particularly suited for use as the cleaning head 14 material is chamois , and more particularly , synthetic chamois . such a material exhibits the above - noted desired characteristics , while at the same time , is sufficiently durable so that it an be used to remove contaminants by abrading ( e . g ., scrubbing the dirt ) from around the fiber optic connection components . synthetic chamois can be made from , for example , polyurethane , polyvinyl acetate and other like - based materials . other suitable materials , such as polyester , micro denier or other cleaning textiles or fabrics may also be used . preferably , the material prevents over - saturating the fiber optic connection which can cause signal distortion . it will be understood that often , the swab 10 is used in a combination cleaning method , in conjunction with a spray cleaner or degreaser , such as one of the electro - wash ® brand cleaners ( for example , electro - wash ® px , electro - wash ® mx , and electro - wash ® cz ) commercially available from itw chemtronics of kennesaw , ga . as such , any material that is used for the cleaning head 14 should be compatible with any anticipated cleaners or solvents . one of the advantages of the present swab 10 is the annular cleaning surface 32 . as will be appreciated , the loop over the tip 28 forms the annular cleaning surface 32 . it has been found that with many connector that have projection like pins , it is difficult to assure proper cleaning of the entirely of the body of the pin . in addition , some connectors are formed having pins p that extend from the connector c at an angle ( generally normal ) to a longitudinal axis a c of the connector c ( see , for example , fig4 ). the present swab loop annular cleaning surface 32 provides an arrangement by which these projecting pins or connections p can be efficiently and effectively cleaned by use of a single cleaning implement or tool , without having to overly manipulate the tool . at the same time , it also assures that a large cleaning surface 20 is available to apply to the connector c surface , rather that having to rely on edges and comers of standard tools . it will also be appreciated that the loop cleaning surface 32 ( which is formed as a looped tip ) provides a cushioned surface to permit more exercised cleaning of connector c surfaces . that is , because the loop 30 essentially forms a cushion , a greater amount of force can be used to scrub surfaces clean . the present swab 10 can be used for cleaning sensitive components and surfaces such as fiber optics connectors , telecommunications components and the like . a swab 10 in accordance with the present invention leaves little to no residue ( e . g ., fibers ) from the device within the component or on the surface , and can be used wet or dry ( i . e ., with or without a solvent ) to facilitate cleaning . the swab 10 has been found to be structurally stable when used wet or dry . the present swab 10 has been found to be in certain connectors in which the fiber strands are aligned with metal pins ( to assure continuity of the signal between the connections ), since the connections are minute , they are often “ shrouded ” by the alignment pins , such as in mt - type ribbon connector . this makes cleaning a difficult operation . it has been found that the present swab 10 extremely effective in carrying out these difficult but necessary cleaning operations . all patents referred to herein , are hereby incorporated herein by reference , whether or not specifically done so within the text of this disclosure . in the present disclosure , the words “ a ” or “ an ” are to be taken to include both the singular and the plural . conversely , any reference to plural items shall , where appropriate , include the singular . from the foregoing it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations can be effectuated without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present invention . it is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiments illustrated is intended or should be inferred . the disclosure is intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims .	1
there is shown in the drawing a clock radio 10 , for example , the am clock radio cat . no . 12 - 1460 manufactured for radio shack , a division of tandy corporation . the clock radio 10 includes a front panel having tuning and volume knobs extending therefrom and having a front panel 12 mounted thereon . a knob controlling the off - on switch and the alarm is mounted spaced from one side of a clock face , positioned on the front panel 12 , and a timer knob 14 is mounted spaced from the other side of the clock face as shown in fig1 . the timer knob 14 comprises a drum like body portion 16 having a screw 18 extending axially and rearwardly therefrom . the screw 18 engages a pulley and pulley shaft which , in turn , is connected to the clock mechanism . an electrically conductive , metal strip 20 is wrapped around and attached to the circumferential , external surface of the body portion 16 . the external surface of the metal strip 20 is partially covered with insulation material 22 leaving a rear circumferential section 24 and a front circumferential section 26 both bare of insulation , as shown in fig2 . a post 28 , formed from electrically insulating material , extends from the front panel 12 above the timer knob 14 in spaced parallel relation to the screw 18 . a first wire 30 has one of its terminal ends wrapped around the post 28 and a second wire 32 also has one of its terminal ends wrapped around the post 28 . the portions of the first and second wires 30 , 32 wrapped around the post 28 are electrically insulated from each other by positioning an insulator barrier , a piece of insulating tape for example , between them . the other terminal ends of the first wire 30 and of the second wire 32 are electrically connected to the electrical system 34 of the radio 10 as will be more fully set forth hereinafter . the first wire 30 is positioned to electrically engage the bare rear circumferential section 24 of the metal strip 20 as the timer knob 14 is rotated , by a drive means , in a counterclockwise direction for a predetermined number of degrees . during this rotation the first wire 30 maintains physical and electrical contact with the bare rear circumferential section 24 . simultaneously , the second wire 32 rides on the insulation material 22 adjacent the bare rear circumferential section 24 , as shown in fig2 . after the timer knob 14 has rotated counterclockwise the predetermined number of degrees , the second wire 32 physically and electrically engages the bare front circumferential section 26 . at the same time the first wire 30 is positioned on the insulation material 22 adjacent the bare front circumferential section 26 . as is the usual case , the volume control of the clock radio 10 is accomplished through a primary variable resistor 36 that is manually adjusted , by rotating the volume control knob 38 , to provide the desired listening output level from the speaker . the inventor has mounted a secondary variable resistor 40 on the inside surface of the radio cabinet top 42 which is manually controlled by a second volume control knob 44 that extends from the external surface of the radio cabinet top 42 . the first wire 30 is electrically connected to a first lead 46 which , in turn , is connected to the central terminal 39 of the secondary variable resistor 40 . the second wire 32 is electrically connected to a second lead 48 which in turn is connected to a middle terminal 41 of the primary variable resistor 36 . the first side terminal 50 of the secondary variable resistor 40 is connected to the first side terminal 50a of the primary variable resistor 36 and the second side terminal 52 of the secondary variable resistor 40 is connected to the second side terminal 52a of the primary variable resistor 36 . these connections electrically position the secondary variable resistor 40 in parallel relation to the primary variable resistor 36 . a third wire 54 physically and electrically connects the metal strip 20 , which circumscribes the body portion 16 of the timer knob 14 , to the amplifier circuit of the radio 10 . the connection , in prior art devices , is made between the middle terminal of the primary variable resistor 36 and the amplifier circuit of the radio 10 . the first side terminal 50a of the primary variable resistor 36 is connected to source ( i . e . the line leading from the circuit beyond the transistor 56 and the transformer 58 ) and its second side terminal 52a goes to ground . the new device is used to permit independent control of what may be termed the &# 34 ; normal &# 34 ; volume and &# 34 ; sleep control &# 34 ; volume . in prior art designs &# 34 ; normal &# 34 ; volume is controlled by the volume control knob 38 and , in the disclosed device , operates when the sleep switch timer knob 14 is inactive . &# 34 ; sleep control &# 34 ; volume is controlled by the same volume control knob in prior art devices , but in the disclosed device a second volume control knob 44 operates when the sleep switch timer knob 14 is active ( i . e . is rotating ). to operate the device the sleep control timer knob 14 is rotated clockwise a desired number of degrees , at which time the radio is playing . the desired volume is obtained by manipulating the second volume control knob 44 . the timer knob 14 is rotated by a drive mechanism , not shown , in a counterclockwise direction with the first wire 30 physically and electrically contacting the metal strip 20 through the bare rear circumferential section 24 . the secondary variable resistor 40 controls the volume of the radio 10 until the timer knob 14 completes its timing cycle at which time the electrical connection of the secondary variable resistor is cut off from the metal strip 20 and the primary variable resistor 36 is electrically connected to the metal strip 20 . at this time volume control is returned to the volume control knob 38 . a variation of the timer knob 14 is disclosed in fig7 - 9 and is numbered 14a . the timer knob 14a comprises a cylindrical body portion 16a having a screw engaged axially therewith and extending rearwardly to engage a pulley and pulley shaft which , in turn , is connected to a clock mechanism . first and second conductive strips 60 , 62 are engaged to the external surface of the body portion 16a as shown in fig7 . the first conductive strip 60 runs from 0 degrees on the circumferance of the body portion 16a to 328 degrees thereon and the second conductive strip 62 runs from 329 degrees on the circumferance of the body portion 16a to 359 degrees thereon . the first and second conductive strips 60 , 62 are seperated from each other by first and second insulator strips 64 , 64a each of which occupies one degree of circumferance . a post 28a , formed from an insulating material , for example , extends from the front panel 12a above and off set from the body portion 16a . the post 28a is in parallel relation to the screw 18a . a conductor wire 66 has one of its terminal ends wrapped around the post 28a and the terminal end connected to the electrical system 34a of the radio 10a as will be more fully set forth herinafter . the central portion of the conductor wire 66 is positioned to engage either the first or second conductive strips 60 , 62 and the arc of the body portion 16a is such that the conductor wire 66 will not engage both the first and second conductive strips 60 , 62 simultaneously . the front panel 12a has a circle of material removed from around the area of the body portion 16a for a purpose to be discussed hereinafter . a first lead 46a is attached to and extends from the first conductive strip 60 to the central terminal 39a of the secondary variable resistor 40a . a second lead 48a is attached to and extends from the second conductive strip 62 to the central terminal 41a of the primary variable resistor 36a . the remaining parts of the radio 10a are identical in all respects to the radio 10 described hereinbefore . the variation is also used to permit independent control of what the inventor has termed the &# 34 ; normal &# 34 ; volume and &# 34 ; sleep control &# 34 ; volume . to operate the variation 10a the sleep control timer knob 14a is rotated clockwise a desired number of degrees , at which time the radio is playing . the desired volume is obtained by manipulating the second volume control knob 44a . the timer knob 14a is rotated by a drive mechanism , not shown , in a counterclockwise direction with the conductor wire 66 physically and electrically contacting the first conductive strip 60 . the first and second leads 46a , 48a rotate about the shaft engaged by the screw 18a as the body portion 16a rotates . the secondary variable resistor 40a controls the volume of the radio 10a until the timer knob 14a completes its timing cycle and which time the physical and electrical connection of the conductor wire 66 is broken and the connection with the secondary variable resistor 40a is cut off and the conductor wire physically and electrically engages the second conductive strip 62 connecting the primary variable resistor 36a to the electrical system 34a . at this time volume control is returned to the volume control knob 38a .	7
the present invention is directed to compounds having the general formula ( i ): ## str13 ## wherein : z is selected from the group consisting of alkylene groups such as ch 2 , ch 2 ch 2 , ch ( ch 3 ), alkenylene groups such as ch ═ ch ; alkynylene groups such as c . tbd . c ; and nh , n ( c 1 - c 3 alkyl ), o , s , c ( o ) ch 2 and och 2 ; r 1 and r 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a c 1 - c 8 straight or branched alkyl or c 3 - c 8 cycloalkyl ; r 3 is a c 1 - c 12 straight or branched alkyl ; r 4 is a c 3 - c 10 cycloalkyl optionally substituted with oh , or a c 3 - c 10 cylcoalkenyl optionally substituted with oh ; and r 8 is a c 1 - c 8 straight or branched alkyl or a c 3 - c 8 cycloalkyl , optionally substituted with oh . as used herein , the following terms are intended to have the meaning as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art , and are specifically intended to include the meanings set forth below : &# 34 ; alkyl &# 34 ; means a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon group having a single radical . examples of alkyl groups include methyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , n - butyl , isobutyl , sec - butyl , tert - butyl , pentyl , hexyl , heptyl , cetyl , and the like . a branched alkyl means that one or more alkyl groups such as methyl , ethyl or propyl are attached to a linear alkyl chain . the term &# 34 ; cycloalkyl &# 34 ; means a non - aromatic mono - or multicyclic ring system having a single radical . exemplary monocyclic cycloalkyl rings include cyclopentyl , cyclohexyl and cycloheptyl . exemplary multicylic cycloalkyl rings include adamantyl and norbornyl . the term &# 34 ; cycloalkenyl &# 34 ; means a non - aromatic monocyclic or multicyclic ring system containing a carbon - carbon double bond and having a single radical . exemplary monocyclic cycloalkenyl rings include cyclopentenyl , cyclohexenyl or cycloheptenyl . an exemplary multicyclic cycloalkenyl ring is norbornenyl . &# 34 ; alkylene &# 34 ; means a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon group having two radicals . examples of alkylene groups include methylene , propylene , isopropylene , butylene , and the like . the term &# 34 ; alkenylene &# 34 ; means a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon group containing a carbon - carbon double bond , having two radicals . the term &# 34 ; alkynylene &# 34 ; means a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon group containing a carbon - carbon triple bond and , having two radicals . &# 34 ; alkoxy &# 34 ; means an alkyl - o - group in which the alkyl group is as previously described . exemplary alkoxy groups include methoxy , ethoxy , n - propoxy , i - propoxy , n - butoxy and heptoxy . the term &# 34 ; cycloalkoxy &# 34 ; means a cycloalkyl - o - group in which the cycloalkyl group is as previously described . exemplary cycloalkoxy groups include cyclopentyloxy . as used herein , the term &# 34 ; patient &# 34 ; includes both human and other mammals . the present invention also includes organic and inorganic salts , hydrates , esters , prodrugs and metabolites of the compounds of formula i . the compounds of the present invention can be administered to anyone requiring pde iv inhibition . administration may be orally , topically , by suppository , inhalation or insufflation , or parenterally . the present invention also encompasses all pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the foregoing compounds . one skilled in the art will recognize that acid addition salts of the presently claimed compounds may be prepared by reaction of the compounds with the appropriate acid via a variety of known methods . alternatively , alkali and alkaline earth metal salts are prepared by reaction of the compounds of the invention with the appropriate base via a variety of known methods . for example , the sodium salt of the compounds of the invention can be prepared via reacting the compound with sodium hydride . various oral dosage forms can be used , including such solid forms as tablets , gelcaps , capsules , caplets , granules , lozenges and bulk powders and liquid forms such as emulsions , solutions and suspensions . the compounds of the present invention can be administered alone or can be combined with various pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and excipients known to those skilled in the art , including but not limited to diluents , suspending agents , solubilizers , binders , retardants , disintegrants , preservatives , coloring agents , lubricants and the like . when the compounds of the present invention are incorporated into oral tablets , such tablets can be compressed , tablet triturates , enteric - coated , sugar - coated , film - coated , multiply compressed or multiply layered . liquid oral dosage forms include aqueous and nonaqueous solutions , emulsions , suspensions , and solutions and / or suspensions reconstituted from non - effervescent granules , containing suitable solvents , preservatives , emulsifying agents , suspending agents , diluents , sweeteners , coloring agents , and flavorings agents . when the compounds of the present invention are to be injected parenterally , they may be , e . g ., in the form of an isotonic sterile solution . alternatively , when the compounds of the present invention are to be inhaled , they may be formulated into a dry aerosol or may be formulated into an aqueous or partially aqueous solution . in addition , when the compounds of the present invention are incorporated into oral dosage forms , it is contemplated that such dosage forms may provide an immediate release of the compound in the gastrointestinal tract , or alternatively may provide a controlled and / or sustained release through the gastrointestinal tract . a wide variety of controlled and / or sustained release formulations are well known to those skilled in the art , and are contemplated for use in connection with the formulations of the present invention . the controlled and / or sustained release may be provided by , e . g ., a coating on the oral dosage form or by incorporating the compound ( s ) of the invention into a controlled and / or sustained release matrix . specific examples of 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 by reference herein . techniques and compositions for making solid oral dosage forms are described in pharmaceutical dosage forms : tablets ( lieberman , lachman and schwartz , editors ) 2nd edition , published by marcel dekker , inc ., incorporated by reference herein . 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 ), 1553 - 1593 ( 1980 ), incorporated herein by reference . techniques and composition for making liquid oral dosage forms are described in pharmaceutical dosage forms : disperse systems , ( lieberman , rieger and banker , editors ) published by marcel dekker , inc ., incorporated herein by reference . when the compounds of the present invention are incorporated for parenteral administration by injection ( e . g ., continuous infusion or bolus injection ), the formulation for parenteral administration may be in the form of suspensions , solutions , emulsions in oily or aqueous vehicles , and such formulations may further comprise pharmaceutically necessary additives such as stabilizing agents , suspending agents , dispersing agents , and the like . the compounds of the invention may also be in the form of a powder for reconstitution as an injectable formulation . the dose of the compounds of the present invention is dependent upon the affliction to be treated , the severity of the symptoms , the route of administration , the frequency of the dosage interval , the presence of any deleterious side - effects , and the particular compound utilized , among other things . as used herein , the term &# 34 ; et &# 34 ; refers to any ethyl group , and the term &# 34 ; bu &# 34 ; refers to a butyl group . &# 34 ; bu t &# 34 ; refers to a tertiary butyl group . the term &# 34 ; thf &# 34 ; refers to tetrohydrofuran . the term &# 34 ; dmac &# 34 ; refers to dimethyl acetate . the term &# 34 ; ph &# 34 ; refers to a phenyl group . the terms z ; r 1 ; r 2 ; r 3 ; r 4 ; and r 8 refer to the terms as defined in this application . in ( a ) of the synthetic scheme , a thiourea compound ( ii ) is reacted with a an ester , e . g . a cyanoacetate ester such as ethyl cyanoacetate to cause cyclization to a uracil compound ( iii ), for example as depicted below : ## str14 ## the cyclization reaction preferably occurs from about 80 ° c . to about 120 ° c ., although other temperature ranges can be used e . g . from about 60 ° c . to about 150 ° c ., and may occur in the presence of an alcohol solvent , e . g . isopropanol . other reactants that are optionally present during the cyclization reaction include a base , e . g . sodium or potassium alkoxide , or other alkali metal salts ( e . g . calcium sulfate , sodium chloride , potassium sulfate , sodium carbonate , lithium chloride , tripotassium phosphate , sodium borate , potassium bromide , potassium fluoride , sodium bicarbonate , calcium chloride , magnesium chloride , sodium citrate , sodium acetate , calcium lactate , magnesium sulfate and sodium fluoride ). an exemplary alkoxide is sodium ethoxide . step ( b ) of the reaction comprises the elaboration of compound ( iii ) to a corresponding amide ( iv ). the second step comprises successive amination , reduction , and amidation reactions , for example as depicted below . ## str15 ## in the aminating reaction of sub - step of step ( b ), the reaction may occur in the presence of a nitrosating reagent formed from mineral acid , e . g . phosphoric acid , and a nitrite salt , e . g . sodium nitrite . the reaction may occur in the presence of a common organic solvent , such as dmso or thf , at a preferable temperature range of from about 30 ° c . to about 60 ° c ., although other temperature ranges can be use , e . g . from about 0 ° c . to about 60 ° c . thereafter , reduction takes place with sodium or potassium dithionite , in the presence of an alcohol or water solvent , at a preferable temperature range from about 0 ° c . to about 30 ° c ., although other temperature ranges can be used . alternatively , instead of sodium or potassium dithionite , the reduction step may comprise numerous other reducing agents or methods of reduction known to persons of ordinary skill in the art . exemplary alternative reducing agents include for example raney nickel , and alternative methods of reduction are reduction by catalytic hydrogenation or by hydride reduction . the amidation reaction of step ( b ) may occur with an acid anhydride or acid chloride in the presence of a base , such as triethylamine . the reaction may occur at from about 10 ° c . to about 30 ° c ., preferably from 0 - 5 ° c ., in the presence of a suitable solvent , e . g . thf and / or water . step ( c ) of the synthetic scheme of the invention comprises cyclization of compound ( iv ) to a corresponding xanthine compound ( v ). the cyclization reaction may occur in the presence of a base , e . g . sodium or potassium hydroxide , or a non - nucleophilic alternative such as saspotassium t - butoxide . depicted below is an example of step ( c ): ## str16 ## the reaction preferably occurs from about 60 ° c . to about 100 ° c ., although other temperature ranges may be used , e . g . from about 40 ° c . to about 120 ° c ., in the presence of an alcohol solvent , such as isopropanol . following ring closure , the reaction is neutralized and the product is isolated in a neutral form . step ( d ) of the synthetic scheme of the invention , compound ( v ) is reacted with a suitable desulfurization compound , e . g . raney nickel or a nickel aluminum alloy , to form compound ( iv ), for example as shown below : ## str17 ## the desulfuration reaction occurs at from about 60 ° c . to about 100 ° c ., in the presence of a suitable alcoholic solvent , such as ethanol or 1 - propanol . after the desulfuration , step ( e ) of the synthetic scheme of the invention involves the 6 - oxo group of the resulting hypoxanthine ( vi ) being transformed to the amine by successive halogenation , e . g . chlorination , and displacement to give an adenine compound ( i ) of the invention , for example as shown below : ## str18 ## the halogenation step preferably occurs at a temperature range from about 40 ° c . to about 80 ° c ., although other temperature ranges can be used , e . g . from about 20 ° c . to about 100 ° c . the reaction may occur in a toluene or other hydrocarbon solvent , for example dichloromethane or chloroform . the halogenating agent is preferably a chlorinating reagent e . g . phosphorous oxychloride , thionyl chloride or oxalyl chloride . the adenine formation occurs in a reaction with an amine in an alcoholic or aqueous solution , at a preferable temperature range from about 0 ° c . to about 30 ° c ., although other temperature ranges can be used , e . g . from about 0 ° c . to about 60 ° c . while the invention has been illustrated with respect to the production and use of particular compounds , it is apparent that variations and modifications of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention .	2
unless otherwise defined , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the present invention , suitable methods and materials are described below . herein trademarks are designated by upper case . all publications , patent applications , patents , and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety , unless a particular passage is cited . in case of conflict , the present specification , including definitions , will control . in addition , the materials , methods , and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting . r o -[ l -( c q h 2q s ) p c r h 2r r f ] 2 ( i ) r o is a divalent organic group having 2 to 40 carbon atoms ; l is a linking group selected from — nhc ( o ) nh — or — c ( o ) nh — wherein the left side of the linking group is bonded to r o ; r f is a linear or branched c 1 - c 6 perfluoroalkyl group . in various embodiments , in formula ( i ) r o is selected from : c 2 - c 18 linear or branched alkyl group ; c 2 - c 18 linear or branched alkyl group substituted or interrupted by a c 4 - c 16 cycloaliphatic group ; c 2 - c 18 linear or branched alkyl group substituted or interrupted by a c 4 - c 16 aromatic group ; c 2 - c 18 linear or branched alkyl groups substituted or interrupted by a c 4 - c 16 cycloaliphatic group and a c 4 - c 16 aromatic group ; c 4 - c 16 cycloaliphatic group ; c 4 - c 16 aromatic group ; and c 4 - c 16 cycloaliphatic group having a c 4 - c 16 aromatic group ; wherein each aromatic group is optionally substituted with one or more cl or br ; each alkyl and cycloaliphatic group is optionally substituted with one or two carbon - carbon double bonds ; each group is optionally interrupted by one to two radicals selected from — o —, — s — and — nr 3 —; and each group is optionally interrupted by one to four linkers selected from the group — s —, — n ═, — oc ( o )—, — c ( o ) nr 3 —, — oc ( o ) nr 3 —, — nr 3 c ( o ) nr 3 —; wherein r 3 is selected from : hydrogen and c 1 - c 4 alkyl groups . the term “ wherein each aromatic group is optionally substituted with one or more cl or br ” is meant to include aromatic groups substituted with one or more cl or br , as well as aromatic groups having no cl or br substituents . the term “ each alkyl and cycloaliphatic group is optionally substituted with one or two carbon - carbon double bonds ” is meant to include alkyl and cycloaliphatic groups having one or two carbon - carbon double bonds ; as well as alkyl and cycloaliphatic groups that are fully saturated . in a preferred embodiment r o is selected from the group c 2 - c 18 linear or branched alkyl group ; and c 2 - c 18 linear or branched alkyl group substituted , or interrupted by , a c 4 - c 16 cycloaliphatic group ; and most preferably r o is —( ch 2 ) 6 —. one preferred embodiment is a compound of formula ( i ) wherein l is — nhc ( o ) nh —, corresponding to a class of bis - ureas of formula ( ii ): r f c r h 2r ( sc q h 2q ) p nhc ( o ) nh — r o — nhc ( o ) nh —( c q h 2q s ) p c r h 2r r f ( ii ) wherein p , q , r , r o , and r f are as defined above . compounds of formula ( ii ) can be provided by condensation of diisocyanates with two equivalents of primary perfluoroalkyl alkyl amines . typically a tertiary amine , for instance triethylamine , is used as catalyst , but other catalysts , or no catalyst , can be used if so desired . typically a nonhydroxylic hydrocarbon solvent such as toluene or xylenes or a halocarbon such as dichloromethane ( dcm ) is used in the condensation . diisocyanates useful in the synthesis of bis - ureas of formula ( ii ) include 2 , 4 and 2 , 6 - toluene diisocyanate , 4 , 4 ′- diphenylmethane diisocyante ( mdi ), 1 , 3 - and 1 , 4 - phenylene diisocyanate , m - and / or p - xylylene diisocyanate ( xdi ), hexamethylene diisocyanate , tetramethylene diisocyanate , dodecamethylene diisocyanate , methyl pentamethylene diisocyanate , 2 , 2 , 4 - trimethylhexamethylene diisocyanate , lysine diisocyanate , isophorone diisocyanate ( ipdi ), 1 , 3 - and 1 , 4 - diisocyanatocyclohexane , methyl cyclohexylene diisocyanate ( hydrogenated tdi ), dicyclohexylmethane - 4 , 4 ′- diisocyanate ( hydrogenated mdi ). they are available from bayer inc ., pittsburgh , pa ., and aldrich chemical co ., milwaukee wis . preferred are hexamethylene diisocyanate , methyl cyclohexylene diisocyanate , lysine diisocyanate , and isophorone diisocyanate . most preferred is hexamethylene diisocyanate . another preferred embodiment is a compound of formula ( iii ) wherein l is — c ( o ) nh —, corresponding to a class of bis - amides of formula ( iii ): r f c r h 2r ( sc q h 2q ) p nhc ( o )— r o — c ( o ) nh —( c o h 2q s ) p c r h 2r r f ( iii ) wherein p , q , r , r o , and r f are as defined above . compositions of formula ( iii ) can be provided by condensation of diacid chlorides with two equivalents of primary perfluoroalkyl alkyl amines . the condensation is typically performed in the presence of a tertiary amine , for instance triethylamine , or other base . typically a nonhydroxylic hydrocarbon solvent such as toluene or xylenes or a halocarbon such as dichloromethane ( dcm ) is used in the condensation . dicarboxylic acid chlorides useful in the synthesis of compositions of formula ( iii ) include cyclohexane - 1 , 4 - dicarboxyl dichloride , succinoyl dichloride , adipoyl dichloride , suberoyl chloride , phthaloyl chloride , isophthaloyl chloride , and terephthaloyl chloride , all available from aldrich chemical co or by synthesis . a preferred diacid chloride is suberoyl chloride . the primary perfluoroalkyl alkyl amines useful in formation of compounds of formula ( i ) are available by synthesis using well - known synthetic methods . for instance , 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluoroalkyl amines are synthesized from corresponding iodides via treatment with sodium azide followed by reduction using raney ni as described in the literature procedure ( trabelsi , h . ; szoenyi , f . ; michelangeli , n . ; cambon , a . j . fluorine . chem ., 1994 , 69 , 115 - 117 ). the 2 -( 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluoroalkylthio ) ethylamines can be prepared by the reaction of 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluoroalkyl iodides with 2 - aminoethanethiol as described in rondestvedt , c . s ., jr . ; et al , j . org . chem . 1977 , 42 , 2680 . in a similar manner , reaction of 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluoroalkyl iodides with 3 - aminopropanethiol or 4 - aminobutanethiol provides the corresponding 3 -( 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluoroalkylthio ) propylamines and 4 -( 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluoroalkylthio ) butylamines , respectively . higher homologs of the w - aminoalkylthiols can be treated in a similar manner . in all the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein , with regard to compounds of formula ( i ), preferably r f is a linear or branched c 3 - c 6 perfluoroalkyl group . the compounds of formula ( i ) are useful as organogelators , i . e . compounds that can self - assemble into fiber - like morphologies . upon cooling a hot , homogeneous solution of a thermoreversible gelator in a gelling solvent for example , the gelator molecules associate via intermolecular hydrogen bonds to form fibers , which are bundles of h - bonded gelator molecules . if these fibrous bundles grow to be sufficiently long , they become entangled with one another like covalently - linked polymer chains to gel their solvent medium . the solvent can be removed from the gel to leave behind a network of assembled gelator fibers , a “ nanoweb ”. hence , organogelators can be used to obtain particular surface effects on porous or solid substrates and can be useful in the formation of nanoweb composites . thus , another aspect of the invention is a composite material comprising a porous support and a porous nanoweb , wherein said porous nanoweb comprises fibrous structures of between about 10 nm and about 1000 nm effective average fiber diameter as determined with electron microscopy ; said fibrous structures comprising one or more compounds of formula ( i ), as disclosed above . all the preferred embodiments disclosed above for the compounds of formula ( i ) are also applicable and included in the preferred embodiments of the composite material . a further aspect of the invention is a method for making a composite material comprising a porous support and a porous nanoweb comprising : a ) providing a porous support ; b ) providing a gelling mixture comprising one or more solvents and one or more organogelator ( s ); c ) applying the gelling mixture to the porous support ; d ) inducing said organogelator ( s ) to form a nanoweb gel ; and e ) removing the solvent ( s ) from the nanoweb gel to provide a dry porous nanoweb coating on said porous support ; wherein said organogelator ( s ) is one or more compounds of formula ( i ), as disclosed above . all the preferred embodiments disclosed above for the compounds of formula ( i ) are also applicable and included in the preferred embodiments of the method for making the composite material . suitable porous supports include woven and nonwoven fabrics , sheet materials and films , monolithic aggregates , powders , and porous articles such as frits and cartridges . porous supports include : woven fabrics comprising glass , polyamides including but not limited to polyamide - 6 , 6 ( pa - 66 ), polyamide - 6 ( pa - 6 ), and polyamide - 6 , 10 ( pa - 610 ), polyesters including but not limited to polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ), polytrimethylene terephthalate , and polybutylene terephthalate ( pbt ), rayon , cotton , wool , silk and combinations thereof ; nonwoven materials having fibers of glass , paper , cellulose acetate and nitrate , polyamides , polyesters , polyolefins including bonded polyethylene ( pe ) and polypropylene ( pp ), and combinations thereof . porous supports include nonwovens fabrics , for instance , polyolefins including pe and pp such as tyvek ® nonwoven fabric ( flash spun pe fiber ), sontara ® nonwoven fabric ( nonwoven polyester ), and xavan ® nonwoven fabric ( nonwoven pp ), suprel ® nonwoven composite sheet , a nonwoven spunbond - meltblown - spunbond ( sms ) composite sheet comprising multiple layers of sheath - core bicomponent melt spun fibers and side - by - side bicomponent meltblown fibers , such as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 548 , 431 , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 797 , 655 and u . s . pat . no . 6 , 831 , 025 , herein incorporated by reference all trademarked products of e . i . du pont de nemours and company ; nonwoven composite sheet comprising sheath - core bicomponent melt spun fibers , such as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 885 , 909 , herein incorporated by reference ; other multi - layer sms nonwovens that are known in the art , such as pp spunbond - pp meltblown - pp spunbond laminates ; nonwoven glass fiber media that are well known in the art and as described in waggoner , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 338 , 825 , bodendorf , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 253 , 978 , and references cited therein , hereby incorporated by reference ; and kolon ® fabric , a spunbond polyester trademarked product of korea vilene . the nonwovens materials include those formed by web forming processing including dry laid ( carded or air laid ), wet laid , spunbonded and melt blown . the nonwoven web can be bonded with a resin , thermally bonded , solvent bonded , needle punched , spun - laced , or stitch - bonded . the bicomponent melt spun fibers , referred to above , can have a sheath of pe and a core of polyester . if a composite sheet comprising multiple layers is used , the bicomponent melt - blown fibers can have a pe component and a polyester component and be arranged side - by - side along the length thereof . typically , the side - by - side and the sheath / core bicomponent fibers are separate layers in the multiple layer arrangement . preferred nonwoven porous supports include woven fabrics comprising glass , polyamides , polyesters , and combinations thereof ; and nonwoven fabrics comprising glass , paper , cellulose acetate and nitrate , polyamides , polyesters , polyolefins , and combinations thereof . most preferred porous supports include nonwoven bonded pe , pp , and polyester , and combinations thereof . other preferred nonwoven porous supports include electrospun nanofiber supports such as described by schaefer , et al ., in us 2004 / 0038014 , hereby incorporated by reference ; and electro - blown nanofiber supports disclosed in kim , wo 2003 / 080905 , hereby incorporated by reference . the nanofiber supports can be self - supporting or can be supported by other porous support layers . preferably , the electropsun fiber supports are nanofiber supports comprised of nanofibers with an effective fiber diameter in the range of about 20 nm to about 1 μm , and preferably about 100 nm to about 750 nm . suitable nanofiber supports include those derived from electro - spinning of polyester , polyamide , cellulose acetate , polyvinylidene fluoride ( pvdf ), polyacrylonitrile ( pan ), polysulfone , polystyrene ( ps ), and polyvinyl alcohol ( pva ). a preferred nanofiber porous support is incorporated into a layered structure comprising one or more other porous supports or scrims , for instance , nonwoven bonded pe or pp , and one or more layers of nanofiber , such as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 983 , 513 filed in november 2004 , hereby incorporated by reference . other porous supports include microporous polymer films and sheet materials such as polyethersulfone , hydrophilic polyethersulfone , polyamide , pp , polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ), and cellulose esters including cellulose acetate and nitrate . microporous polymer films include stretched ptfe materials such as those manufactured by w . l . gore and associates , inc . under the trade name gore - tex ® membranes , and tetratex ® ptfe membrane film , manufactured by the donaldson company ; pp membranes ; hydrophilic pp membranes , nitrocellulose membranes such as biotrace ™ nt membranes , modified nylon membranes such as bio - inert ® membranes , pvdf membranes such as biotrace ™ pvdf membranes , polyethersulfone membranes such as omega ™ membranes , supor ® hydrophilic polyethersulfone membrane , ion exchange membranes such as mustang ™ ion exchange membranes , all brand names of pall life sciences ; nylon membranes disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 413 , 070 and references cited therein , herein incorporated by reference . preferred microporous polymer films are polyethersulfone , hydrophilic polyethersulfone , polyamide , pp , ptfe , and cellulose esters . porous supports can also be solid substrates . solid substrates useful as porous supports for the invention are stone , masonry , concrete , unglazed tile , brick , porous clay , granite , limestone , grout , mortar , marble , wood , gypsum board , terrazzo , or composite materials . an organogelator is defined herein as a non - polymeric organic compound whose molecules can establish , between themselves , at least one physical interaction leading to a self - assembly of the molecules in a carrier fluid , with formation of a 3 - d network , also called a “ nanoweb gel ”, that is responsible for gelation of the carrier fluid . the nanoweb gel may result from the formation of a network of fibrous structures due to the stacking or aggregation of organogelator molecules . depending on the nature of the organogelator , the fibrous structures have variable dimensions that may range up to one micron , or even several microns . these fibrous structures include fibers , strands and / or tapes . the term “ gelling ” or “ gelation ” means a thickening of the medium that may result in a gelatinous consistency and even in a solid , rigid consistency that does not flow under its own weight . the ability to form this network of fibrous structures , and thus the gelation , depends on the chemical structure of the organogelator , the nature of the substituents , the nature of the carrier fluid , and the particular temperature , pressure , concentration , ph , shear conditions and other parameters that may be used to induce gelation of the medium . the nanoweb gels can be reversible . for instance , gels formed in a cooling cycle may be dissipated in a heating cycle . this cycle of gel formation can be repeated a number of times since the gel is formed by physical , non - covalent interactions between gelator molecules , such as hydrogen bonding . the composites can be made using a nanoweb gel that comprises a nanoweb phase and a fluid phase , which , upon removal of the fluid , forms a porous interpenetrating nanoweb . it has been found that this capability is strongly dependent upon the particular structural characteristics of the organogelator and particular processing parameters including the nature of the solvent , temperature , gelator concentration , method of solvent removal , and the nature of the porous support . solvents and specific conditions for forming gels of many organogelators are available in the patent and scientific literature . however , the one skilled in the art will recognize that many specific gelators may require some preliminary gelling experimentation . for such cases , a methodology has been developed for matching a solvent system with specific gelators to allow efficient gel formation . in general , if the gelator is too soluble , it will dissolve without forming a gel even at high concentrations . if the gelator is not soluble enough , it may or may not dissolve at high temperature , but precipitate again as the temperature is lowered . ideally , the organogelator should dissolve in a solvent at some temperature and assemble into a network upon cooling . preferably the gelators have a solubility in a solvent system of about 0 . 1 to 5 wt % at a temperature / pressure above the gel point . changing the temperature and / or pressure , adjusting the solvent composition , adjusting the ph , altering the shear - state of thixotropic systems , or a combination of parameters can be used to induce gelling . a simple screening protocol for evaluating thermo - reversible gels allows evaluation of a specific gelator with different solvents in parallel using a reactor block . in a typical set - up , 1 - 2 wt % slurries of the organogelator in solvents of varying polarities can be prepared , for example a series may include : water , n - butanol , ethanol , chloroform , toluene , and cyclohexane . the vials are then placed in a reactor block for 1 h while stirring at a temperature close to the boiling point of the solvent to induce dissolution . in the case of some gelators , for instance , urea - based gelators , additives such as lithium salts , for instance lithium nitrate , can be added in small amounts ( 0 . 1 to about 10 wt %, based on the amount of organogelator ) as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 420 , 466 , hereby incorporated by reference . upon cooling , gelation may occur and is evident by formation of a translucent to opaque appearance without the formation of solid crystals , and / or a significant increase in viscosity . if gelation does not occur , one can screen different solvents or solvent mixtures as well as different additives and additive levels . if a gelator sample is soluble in a given solvent , but gelation does not occur , then one can either raise the gelator concentration to , for instance , 3 or 5 wt % and repeat the heating cycle , or one can lower the solubility of the compound by using a solvent mixture of lower polarity . preferred solvents for h - bonded organogelators are those having h - bonding capability that allows disruption of intermolecular h - bonding between solute molecules . water , ammonia , alcohols , sulfoxides , esters , ethers , amines , amides , and lactams are useful . h - bonded organogelators often exhibit very high solubility in the lower alcohols such as methanol and ethanol . whereas h - bonded organogelators often exhibit lesser solubility in the higher aliphatic and cyclic alcohols including propanol , butanol , hexanol , cyclohexanol and isomers thereof , making them more desirable for use as gelating solvents . specific solvents that are especially useful in forming gelling mixtures include : water , the lower aliphatic and cyclic alcohols such as ethanol , isopropyl alcohol , butanol , hexanol , cyclohexanol , cyclopentanol , and octanol ; aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons such as hexane , cyclohexane , heptane , octane , toluene , xylenes , and mesitylene ; amides and lactams such as n - methylpyrrolidone , pyrrolidone , caprolactam , n - methyl caprolactam , dimethyl formamide , and dimethyl acetamide ; ethers such as dibutyl ether , dipropyl ether , methyl butyl ether ; ether alcohols such as 2 - methoxyethanol , 2 - butoxyethanol , and others in the class of ethers known as cellusolves ®; esters such as ethyl acetate , butyl acetate and the like ; aliphatic and aromatic halocarbons such as dichloromethane , 1 , 2 - dichloroethane , 1 , 1 , 1 - trichloroethane and dichlorobenzene . a preferred solvent for the fluorinated h - bonded organogelators disclosed herein is supercritical carbon dioxide ( scco 2 ). an advantage of scco 2 is that the solvent is environmentally friendly relative to typical organic solvents ; and can be readily removed after gel formation by slow venting of the carbon dioxide . in addition , scco 2 is an attractive medium for preparing composites from organogelators because the solvent and transport properties of the supercritical fluid solution ( e . g ., the solution density ) can be varied appreciably and continuously with relatively minor changes in temperature or pressure . thus , the solvent environment can be optimized for a specific gelation application by tuning the various density - dependent fluid properties . a fluid is in the supercritical fluid state when the system temperature and pressure exceed the corresponding critical point values defined by the critical temperature ( t c ) and pressure ( p c ). for pure substances , the critical temperature and pressure are the highest at which vapor and liquid phases can coexist . above the critical temperature , a liquid does not form for a pure substance , regardless of the applied pressure . similarly , the critical pressure and critical molar volume are defined at this critical temperature corresponding to the state at which the vapor and liquid phases merge . similarly , although more complex for multicomponent mixtures , the mixture critical state is identified as the condition at which the properties of coexisting vapor and liquid phases become indistinguishable . for a discussion of supercritical fluids , see kirk - othmer encycl . of chem . technology , 4 th ed ., vol . 23 , pg . 452 - 477 . the gelling mixture , as applied to a solid or porous support , can be in the form of a homogeneous isotropic solution ; a gel that can be shear - thinned ( thixotropic ) to form a fluidized gel ; or a gel in the form of a film , sheet or powder that can be melted to form a fluidized gel . formulation of a suitable gelling mixture depends upon the methods anticipated for applying the gelling mixture and gelling the impregnated or coated support . for instance , in a preferred embodiment the gelling mixture is a gel that can be shear - thinned prior to , or during , application to form a fluidized gel . the fluidized gel can then penetrate a porous support to provide an impregnated support . in another preferred embodiment the gelling mixture is a homogeneous isotropic solution that , if so desired , is heated above ambient conditions . after applying the solution to provide a coated or impregnated support , the treated support can be cooled to induce gelation . suitable gelling mixtures preferably comprise 0 . 01 to 20 wt % of one or more organogelators , and preferably , 0 . 5 to 5 wt %, with the remainder being solvent and other processing aids , for instance lithium salts . applying the gelling mixture to a solid or porous support can be done by a variety of methods including one or more of the steps of : spraying , coating , blading , casting laminating , rolling , printing , dipping , and immersing ; and allowing gravity , diffusion , and / or flow through of the gelling mixture into the porous support , and , optionally , applying pressure , heat or vacuum . spraying , coating , blading , casting and immersing are preferred methods for applying thixotropic gels and spraying and blading are most preferred . laminating and heating is a preferred method for applying solid gels in the form of films . spraying , coating , blading , casting , printing and immersing or dipping are preferred methods for applying homogeneous isotropic solutions . in some instances , it is advantageous to remove excess gelling mixture from the surface of a porous support , such as by scraping or the like . gelling the treated support can be accomplished by a variety of methods depending upon the nature of the gelling mixture . in one preferred embodiment , wherein the gelling mixture is a thermo - reversible gel , the gelling step comprises cooling of a homogeneous solution of the gelling mixture in the impregnated support . the gelling mixture can be pre - heated to provide a homogeneous solution or can be cooled from ambient temperature , if so desired . another preferred embodiment , wherein the gelling mixture is a gel applied with shearing , the gelling step can comprise abating the shearing in the impregnated support . this can be accomplished by allowing the impregnated support to sit for a period of time in the absence of shear . in another embodiment , wherein the gelling mixture is sensitive to ph , the impregnated support can be subjected to a change in ph . in other embodiments the solvent can be modified by addition of a non - solvent in a solvent exchange or partially removed to provide a gel . drying the gel , or removing the solvent from the gel , will leave behind a porous nanoweb on and / or within a solid or porous support . drying can be achieved through a variety of routes including freeze drying , ambient drying , oven , radiant and microwave heating , vacuum drying ( with or without heat ), or critical point drying ( cpd ). alternatively the solvent can be exchanged with another fluid , in a fluid - fluid extraction process or a supercritical fluid extraction ( sfe ) process , which then can be removed from the gel via one of the aforementioned drying techniques , if so desired . when scco 2 is used as the solvent , it may be removed from the gel by slowly venting the co 2 . the drying method can have a profound effect on the resultant nanoweb structure as the various drying methods occur over different time scales , place different stresses on the nanoweb structure , and involve the crossing of different phase boundaries . in vacuum drying , the driving force for solvent removal from the impregnated material is increased such that the solvent can be removed more readily , and thus without disruption of the assembled nanoweb . heat can be used in combination with vacuum if it does not disrupt the gelled assembly . ambient drying is performed at atmospheric pressure and optionally with heat . in freeze drying , the coated or impregnated material is rapidly frozen ( on a time scale that does not allow for rearrangement of the gel structure ) and solvent is subsequently sublimed away to provide the nanoweb material . the compounds of formula ( i ) can also be used as surface treatment agents for solid substrates , for instance stone and tile , as defined above . thus , another aspect of the invention is a solid substrate having disposed thereon a composition comprising a compound of formula ( i ), as disclosed above . all the preferred embodiments disclosed above for the compounds of formula ( i ) are also applicable and included in the preferred embodiments of the solid substrate having disposed thereon a composition comprising formula ( i ). the composition comprising compounds of formula ( i ) can be applied to solid substrates using the method for making a composite material disclosed above , wherein the porous support is a solid substrate ; or , if so desired , the solid substrate can be treated with a homogeneous solution comprising the compound of formula ( i ) and allowed to dry . for fibrous substrates , the amount of composition of formula ( i ) applied , in order to obtain a nanoweb composite material , is about 0 . 1 to about 2 . 0 wt %, and preferably 0 . 1 to about 1 wt %, based on the dry wt of substrate . for fibrous substrates , the treated substrate preferably has about 100 micrograms per gram to about 10 , 000 micrograms per gram fluorine , and more preferably about 100 micrograms per gram to about 1000 micrograms per gram fluorine , based on the weight of the dried substrate ; to provide significant surface treatment properties such as increases in water and oil contact angles . for solid substrates such as stone and tile , the treated substrate preferably contains about 100 micrograms per gram to about 1000 micrograms per gram fluorine based on the weight of the dried substrate ; to provide significant surface treatment properties such as increases in water and oil contact angles . the nanoweb composites can be characterized by scanning electron microscopy . fig1 a and b , and fig2 show various composite structures of the invention . in fig1 a the larger fibers are the nonwoven porous support and the fine structures are the nanoweb . fig1 b shows the detailed structure of a separate nanoweb . the porous nanoweb composites and treated solid substrates can be characterized by a quantitative estimation of the surface tension relative to that of the support . surface tension is typically characterized by measuring the contact angle of a water droplet or other liquid substance , contacting the surface in the advancing and receding dynamic modes . an advancing contact angle is measured as a liquid droplet is increasing in size and advancing on the surface of a substrate . a receding contact angle is measured as a liquid droplet is decreasing in size and receding on the surface of a substrate . contact angles can also be measured in a static mode . this is a well known method for determining surface properties and is discussed in detail in physical chemistry of surfaces , 4th ed ., arthur w . adamson , john wiley & amp ; sons , 1982 , pp . 338 - 361 . the water contact angle is a quantitative measurement of the hydrophobicity of a surface . the higher the hydrophobicity , the higher will be the contact angle of the water droplet . surfaces exhibiting water droplet advancing contact angles of greater than 150 ° are considered super - hydrophobic . the details of contact angle measurements are discussed in the examples . preferred nanoweb composites of the invention are characterized by water droplet advancing contact angle of greater than 130 °. other preferred composites of the invention are characterized by a static hexadecane droplet contact angle of about 70 ° or greater , indicating oleophobicity . the composite materials can be used as gas - solid filter . the gas can be air , carbon dioxide , oxygen , nitrogen , a noble gas , or any other process gas used in industrial or commercial processes . air filters are preferred applications of the composite materials . filters can be in the form of nonwoven pleated or unpleated cartridge filters , glass or other ceramic microfiber filters . since the individual organogelator molecules making up the nanoweb are not covalently bonded to one another , there are conditions in which the porous nanoweb can be easily dissolved and removed from the porous support . in applications wherein trapped material is of significant interest , for instance , biological material , radioactive material , etc ., the solubility of the nanoweb is a particular advantage , as it can allow release and recovery of the trapped material . such flexibility can be useful in recycling and recovery of composite materials as well . the composite materials of various embodiments may also find use in barrier fabric applications , such as for protective clothing or construction wrap , in which good barrier against liquid penetration is provided while maintaining good air and moisture vapor permeability . these examples are illustrative and are not to be read as limiting the scope of the invention as it is defined by the appended claims . all solvents and reagents , unless otherwise indicated , were purchased from commercial sources and used directly as supplied . 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluorohexylamine was synthesized from corresponding iodides via the azide followed by reduction using raney ni as described in the literature procedure ( trabelsi , h . ; szoenyi , f . ; michelangeli , n . ; cambon , a . j . fluorine . chem ., ( 1994 ), 69 , 115 - 117 ). 2 -( 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluorohexylthio ) ethylamine was prepared by the reaction of 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluoroalkyl iodides with 2 - aminoethanethiol as disclosed in the literature procedure ( rondestvedt , c . s ., jr . ; thayer , g . l ., jr . j . org . chem . ( 1977 ), 42 , 2680 ). 1 h and 19 f nmr spectra were recorded on a brucker drx 400 or 500 spectrometer . chemical shifts have been reported in ppm relative to an internal reference ( cdcl 3 , cfcl 3 or tms ). all melting points reported were uncorrected . nonwoven fabrics : tyvek ® polyethylene nonwoven fabric ( e . i . du pont de nemours , wilmington del . ); and kolon ® 70 gsm spunbound polyester fabric ( korea vilene inc )] ( about 3 . 0 - 3 . 0 cm squared ) were immersed in a suspension of a gelator in organic solvent kept in closed reaction flask equipped with a stir bar and temperature controller . the mixtures were heated 5 ° c . below the boiling point of the solvent for 1 - 2 h until clear solutions formed . the flasks were then either rapidly cooled to rt by removing the oil bath or slowly cooled to rt by switching off the heat . gel formation was usually observed in 0 . 5 h to about 6 h time and the gels were allowed to age for additional 6 h . the gelator impregnated samples removed and dried in a vacuum oven at rt overnight . the dried samples were weighed and used for contact angle measurements . samples of tyvek ® and kolon ® 70 gsm nonwoven fabrics identical to those of method 1 were mounted in a high - pressure variable volume view cell which had been charged with gelator and equipped with a teflon - coated stir bar and an electrical heating jacket . the cell was sealed and then charged with liquid co 2 to give a final gelator concentration of 0 . 2 - 0 . 5 wt %. the cell was then heated to about 70 ° c . and pressurized to about 210 bar ( 21 . 0 mpa ) with agitation to solubilize a significant portion of the gelator . agitation was then suspended and the cell was slowly cooled to room temperature over several hours at constant pressure to allow gel formation within and upon the nonwoven fabric samples . the co 2 was then slowly vented from the view cell , and the gelator impregnated samples were removed , imaged by scanning electron microscopy , and utilized for contact angle measurements . to a mixture of 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluorooctylamine ( 1 . 81 g , 5 . 0 mmol ) and tea ( 0 . 02 g , 0 . 2 mmol ) in dry dcm ( 15 ml ), under nitrogen atmosphere and cooled to 0 ° c ., was added drop - wise 1 , 6 - diisocyanatohexane ( 0 . 420 g , 2 . 5 mmol ). the mixture was slowly warmed to rt , and stirred for 3 h . the precipitated urea was filtered and washed repeatedly with cold dcm . the resulting solid was dried to provide compound 1 ( 2 . 0 g ): mp 156 . 8 - 158 . 5 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( methanol - d4 ): δ 3 . 41 ( t , j = 6 . 8 hz , 4h ) 3 . 06 ( t , j = 6 . 8 hz , 4h ), 2 . 34 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 46 ( m , 4h ,), 1 . 34 ( m , 4h ); 19 f nmr ( methanol - d4 ): δ − 81 . 4 ( m , 6f ), − 114 . 2 ( m , 4f ), − 121 . 8 ( s , 4f ), − 122 . 8 ( s , 4f ), − 123 . 7 ( s , 4f ), − 126 . 3 ( m , 4f ). using a similar procedure as described in example 1 , reaction of 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluorohexylamine ( 2 . 10 g ) with of 1 , 6 - diisocyanatohexane ( 0 . 672 g ) provided compound 2 ( 2 . 18 g ): mp 130 - 131 . 8 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( methanol - d4 ): δ 3 . 45 ( t , j = 6 . 8 hz , 4h ) 3 . 10 ( t , j = 6 . 8 hz , 4h ), 2 . 35 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 48 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 35 ( m , 4h ); 19 f nmr ( methanol - d4 ): δ − 81 . 7 ( m , 6f ), − 114 . 4 ( m , 4f ), − 124 . 7 ( m , 4f ), − 126 . 2 ( m , 4f ). this example illustrates the synthesis of compound 3 of the invention . to a solution of 1 , 8 - diisocyanatooctane ( 1 . 4 g , 6 . 9 mmol ) in dry chloroform ( 25 ml ), cooled to − 5 ° c ., was added and 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluorohexylamine ( 3 . 6 g , 13 . 8 mmol ) dropwise under nitrogen atmosphere , maintaining temperature below 0 ° c . the reaction was slowly warmed to rt and stirred overnight . the resulting precipitate was isolated by filtration , rinsed with diethyl ether and dried to provide compound 3 ( 5 . 0 g ). 1 h nmr ( tfa - d ): δ 3 . 81 ( 4h ), 3 . 30 ( br , 4h ), 2 . 52 ( br , 4h ), 1 . 70 ( br , 4h ), 1 . 40 ( br , 8h ); 19 f nmr ( tfa - d ): δ − 89 . 4 ( 6f ), − 122 . 1 ( 4f ), − 132 . 3 ( 4f ), − 133 . 7 ( 4f ). this example illustrates the synthesis of compound 4 of the invention . to a solution of 2 , 4 - tolylene diisocyanate ( 0 . 435 g ) in dry dcm ( 15 ml ), was added and 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluorohexylamine ( 2 . 0 g ) dropwise under nitrogen atmosphere at rt . the mixture stirred for 10 h at rt and the solid formed was filtered , washed with cold dcm and dried to obtain compound 4 as a off - white solid ( 2 . 1 g ): 1 h nmr ( acetone d6 ) δ 7 . 79 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 67 ( dd , j = 6 . 4 , 2 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 13 ( d , j = 2 . 0 hz , 1h ), 6 . 83 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 6 . 1 ( bs , 2h ), 3 . 44 ( q , j = 6 . 8 hz , 4h ), 2 . 39 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 99 ( s , 3h ); 19 f nmr ( acetone d6 ) δ − 82 . 1 ( tt , j = 10 , 2 hz , 6f ), − 114 . 8 ( m , 4f ), − 122 . 6 ( m , 4f ), − 123 . 8 ( m , 4f ), − 124 . 6 ( m , 4f ), − 127 . 1 ( m , 4f ). using a similar procedure as described in example 3 , reaction of lysine diisocyanate ( 1 . 1 g ) with 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluorooctylamine ( 3 . 9 g ) provided compound 5 ( 5 . 05 g ): 1 h nmr ( tfa - d ): δ 4 . 58 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 90 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 76 , 3 . 70 , 3 . 33 ( t , 2h each , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 2 . 55 - 2 . 37 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 83 , 1 . 74 ( m , 1h each ), 1 . 71 , 1 . 54 ( m , 2h each ); 19 f nmr ( tfa - d ): δ − 89 . 9 ( 6f ), − 112 . 5 ( 4f )- 129 . 6 ( 4f ), − 131 . 0 ( 4f ), − 132 . 0 ( 4f ), − 134 . 6 ( 4f ); 13 c nmr ( tfa - d ): δ 178 . 1 , 162 . 3 , 161 . 8 , 56 . 5 , 55 . 6 43 . 7 , 36 . 4 , 35 . 8 , 33 . 7 , 32 . 9 ( t ), 32 . 6 ( t ), 29 . 7 , 24 . 6 . using a similar procedure as described in example 3 , reaction of lysine diisocyanate ( 1 . 4 g ) with 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluorohexylamine ( 3 . 6 g ) provided compound 6 ( 5 . 05 g ): 1 h nmr ( tfa - d ): δ 4 . 57 ( br , 1h ), 3 . 91 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 77 , 3 . 71 , 3 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 46 ( br , 4h ), 2 . 00 , 1 . 83 ( br , 1h each ), 1 . 72 , 1 . 53 ( br , 2h each ); 19 f nmr ( tfa - d ): δ − 89 . 4 ( 6f ), − 122 . 0 ( 4f ), − 132 . 2 ( 4f ), − 133 . 6 ( 4f ); 13 c nmr ( tfa - d ): 178 . 1 , 162 . 4 , 161 . 8 , 56 . 5 , 55 . 7 , 43 . 7 , 36 . 4 , 35 . 8 , 33 . 7 , 32 . 8 , 32 . 6 , 29 . 8 , 24 . 6 . using a similar procedure as described in example 1 , reaction of 2 -( 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluorooctylthio ) ethylamine ( 4 . 23 g ) with of 1 , 6 - diisocyanatohexane ( 0 . 84 g ) provided compound 7 ( 4 . 3 g ): mp 176 . 8 - 177 . 5 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmf - d7 100 ° c . ): δ 5 . 84 ( bs , 2h ), 5 . 73 ( bs , 2h ), 3 . 38 ( q , j = 6 . 4 hz , 4h ), 3 . 15 ( q , j = 6 . 8 hz , 4h ), 2 . 83 ( t , j = 6 . 4 hz , 4h ), 2 . 73 ( t , j = 6 . 8 hz , 4h ), 2 . 57 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 56 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 35 ( m , 4h ,); 19 f nmr ( dmf - d7 100 ° c . ): δ − 81 . 4 ( m , 6f ), − 113 . 4 ( m , 4f ), − 121 . 7 ( m , 4f ), − 122 . 7 ( m , 4f ), − 123 . 2 ( s , 4f ), − 126 . 0 ( m , 4f ) using a similar procedure as described in example 1 , reaction of 2 -( 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluorohexylthio ) ethylamine ( 1 . 94 g ) with of 1 , 6 - diisocyanatohexane ( 0 . 504 g ) provided compound 8 ( 1 . 97 g ): mp 160 - 162 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmf - d7 100 ° c . ): δ 5 . 85 ( bs , 2h ), 5 . 74 ( bs , 2h ), 3 . 39 ( q , j = 6 . 4 hz , 4h ), 3 . 13 ( q , j = 6 . 8 hz , 4h ), 2 . 84 ( t , j = 6 . 4 hz , 4h ), 2 . 72 ( t , j = 6 . 8 hz , 4h ), 2 . 58 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 55 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 35 ( m , 4h ); 19 f nmr ( dmf - d7 100 ° c . ): δ − 81 . 6 ( m , 6f ), − 113 . 5 ( m , 4f ), − 124 . 2 ( m , 4f ), − 125 . 8 ( m , 4f ). to a mixture of 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluorooctylamine ( 3 . 6 g , 9 . 9 mmol ), dcm ( 30 ml ) and tea ( 0 . 999 g , 9 . 9 mmol ) under a n 2 purge was added suberoyl chloride ( 0 . 949 g , 4 . 5 mmol ) and the mixture stirred for 12 h at rt . the reaction mixture was concentrated to half its volume and filtered . the solid product was washed with cold dcm ( 5 ml ) followed by 1 % hcl ( 2 × 5 ml ), water ( 2 × 5 ml ) and finally with hexanes ( 2 × 5 ml ). the resulting solid was recrystallized from methanol to provide compound 9 : mp 114 . 1 - 115 . 2 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( methanol - d4 ): δ 3 . 48 ( t , j = 6 . 8 hz , 4h ), 2 . 39 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 18 ( t , j = 7 . 6 hz , 4h ), 1 . 59 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 34 ( m , 4h ); 19 f nmr ( methanol - d4 ): δ − 84 . 3 ( m , 6f ), − 117 . 1 ( m , 4f ), − 124 . 6 ( m , 4f ), − 125 . 9 ( m , 4f ), − 126 . 6 ( m , 4f ), − 128 . 9 ( m , 4f ). using a similar procedure as described in example 9 , reaction of 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluorohexylamine ( 2 . 6 g ) with suberoyl chloride ( 0 . 949 g ) provided compound 10 ( 3 . 2 g ): mp 114 . 1 - 115 . 2 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( methanol - d4 ): δ 3 . 51 ( t , j = 6 . 8 hz , 4h ), 2 . 41 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 20 ( t , j = 7 . 6 hz , 4h ), 1 . 63 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 36 ( m , 4h ); 19 f nmr ( methanol - d4 ): δ − 83 . 1 ( m , 6f ), − 116 . 0 ( m , 4f ), − 126 . 1 ( m , 4f ), − 127 . 6 ( m , 4f ). by using a similar procedure as described in example 9 , reaction of 2 -( 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluorooctylthio ) ethylamine ( 2 . 09 g ) with suberoyl chloride ( 0 . 475 g ) provided compound 11 ( 3 . 2 g ): mp 144 . 8 - 146 . 2 ° c . : 1 h nmr ( acetone - d6 ): δ 7 . 22 ( bs , 2h ), 3 . 42 ( q , j = 6 . 0 hz , 4h ), 2 . 86 ( t , j = 6 . 4 hz , 4h ), 2 . 75 ( t , j = 6 . 8 hz , 4h ), 2 . 57 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 16 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 4h ), 1 . 59 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 35 ( m , 4h ); 19 f nmr ( acetone - d6 ): δ − 82 . 1 ( m , 6f ), − 115 . 0 ( m , 4f ), − 122 . 8 ( m , 4f ), − 123 . 8 ( m , 4f ), − 124 . 2 ( s , 4f ), − 126 . 2 ( m , 4f ). by using a similar procedure as described in example 9 , reaction of 2 -( 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluorohexylthio ) ethylamine ( 1 . 59 g ) with suberoyl chloride ( 0 . 475 g ) provided compound 12 ( 1 . 4 g ): mp 122 - 123 . 5 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( acetone - d6 ): δ 7 . 22 ( bs , 2h ), 3 . 40 ( q , j = 6 . 0 hz , 4h ), 2 . 85 ( t , j = 6 . 4 hz , 4h ), 2 . 75 ( t , j = 6 . 8 hz , 4h ), 2 . 55 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 15 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 4h ), 1 . 56 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 37 ( m , 4h ); 19 f nmr ( acetone - d6 ): δ − 82 . 4 ( m , 6f ), − 116 . 2 ( m , 4f ), − 126 . 2 ( m , 4f ), − 127 . 7 ( m , 4f ). generally 0 . 5 - 3 wt % of a gelator in an organic solvent in a closed vial was heated to 5 - 10 ° c . below the boiling point of the solvent in a reactor block until a clear solution was obtained . the vials were allowed to cool at rt either by a slow cool by switching of the heat or by transferring the vials to a constant temperature water bath kept at rt . the state of the solution was evaluated after 2 - 12 h . stable gel formation was tested by inversing the vial . compounds 1 , 7 and 8 gelled a variety of the organic solvents ranging various polarities , whereas compounds 2 - 6 and 9 - 12 gelled more selectively . the results are summarized in table 1 and 2 . † number in parenthesis indicates minimum gel concentration . hazy : solid gel partially transparent ; transparent : solid gel completely transparent ; opaque : solid gel , not transparent ; partial : solid or semi - moving gel that has some free flowing liquid in it ; precipitate : more like a precipitate than a gel . a gelator was charged to a high - pressure variable volume view cell equipped with a teflon ® polymer - coated stir bar and an electrical heating jacket . the cell was sealed and then charged with liquid co2 to give a final gelator concentration of 0 . 3 - 0 . 7 wt %. the cell was then heated to about 70 to 100 ° c . and pressurized to about 260 - 350 bar ( 26 . 0 - 35 . 0 mpa ) with agitation to solubilize a significant portion of the gelator . agitation was then suspended and the cell was slowly cooled to room temperature over several hours at constant pressure to allow gel formation within the cell volume . the co 2 was then slowly vented from the view cell , and the gelled sample was removed from the cell and imaged by scanning electron microscopy , revealing a gelled nanoweb microstructure . table 3 summarizes the results for this series of examples . contact angle ( ca ) measurements to determine the contact angle of both water and hexadecane on a surface were performed using a ramé - hart standard automated goniometer model 200 employing drop image standard software and equipped with an automated dispensing system with a 250 μl syringe and an illuminated specimen stage assembly ; according to procedures in the manufacturer &# 39 ; s manual . the goniometer camera was connected through an interface to a computer that allowed the droplet to be visualized on a computer screen . the horizontal axis line and the cross line could both be independently adjusted on the computer screen using the software . prior to contact angle measurement , the sample was placed on the sample stage and the vertical vernier adjusted to align the horizontal line ( axis ) of the eye piece coincident to the horizontal plane of the sample , and the horizontal position of the stage relative to the eye piece positioned so as to view one side of the test fluid droplet interface region at the sample interface . to determine the contact angle of the test fluid on the sample , approximately one drop of test fluid was dispensed onto the sample using a 30 μl pipette tip and an automated dispensing system to displace a calibrated amount of the test fluid . for water measurements deionized water was employed , and for oil measurements , hexadecane was suitably employed . horizontal and cross lines were adjusted via the software in case of the model 200 after leveling the sample via stage adjustment , and the computer calculated the contact angle based upon modeling the drop appearance . the initial contact angle is that angle determined immediately after dispensing the test fluid to the sample surface . initial contact angles above 90 degrees are indicators of effective water and oil repellency . contact angle can be measured after the droplet has been added to a surface ( advancing contact angle , abbreviated “ adv ca ”) or after the droplet has been partially withdrawn from a surface ( receding contact angle , abbreviated “ rec ca ”). a 1 wt % solution of above compounds in a solvent ( acetone , methanol or acetonitrile depending on the solubility ) were dip - coated mylar ® pet film ( du pont teijin films , hopewell , va . 23860 ). the films were then air or vacuum dried for 24 h before measuring the contact angles and the values are summarized in table 4 . by following the procedure for gel - impregnation on nonwoven supports , weighed samples of tyvek ® polyethylene nonwoven fabric ( 3 . 0 cm × 3 . 0 cm ) were gel - impregnated with a gel obtained by cooling a 1 wt % compound 1 in acetone ; followed by drying the impregnated support under vacuum at rt ; to provide a composite material 16a . the contact angle of the composite material and untreated tyvek ® fabric control were measured and the results summarized in table 5 . fig1 a and b illustrate a scanning electron micrograph of composite material 16a at 2000 × and 10 , 000 × magnification . the larger fibers in fig1 a are the nonwoven support . the smaller fibers in fig1 b are representative of the nanoweb . a similar composite material was prepared with kolon ® 70 gsm spunbound polyester fabric and compound 1 to provide composite material 16b . the contact angle of the composite material and untreated kolon ® fabric control were measured and the results summarized in table 5 . following the procedure as described in example 16 , a weighed sample of kolon ® 70 gsm spunbound polyester fabric ( 3 . 0 cm × 3 . 0 cm ) was gel impregnated from a gel obtained by cooling a 2 wt % compound 5 in acetonitrile , followed by drying the impregnated support under vacuum at rt ; to provide a composite material 17 . the contact angle of the composite material was measured and the results are summarized in table 5 . following the procedure as described in example 16 , a weighed sample of tyvek ® polyethylene nonwoven fabric ( 3 . 0 cm × 3 . 0 cm ) was gel impregnated from a gel obtained by cooling a 2 wt % compound 7 in methanol , followed by drying the impregnated support under vacuum at rt , to provide a composite material 18a . a similar composite material was prepared with kolon ® 70 gsm spunbound polyester fabric and compound 7 to provide composite material 18b . the contact angles of the composite materials were measured and the results are summarized in table 5 . following the procedure as described in example 16 , a weighed sample of tyvek ® polyethylene nonwoven fabric ( 3 . 0 cm × 3 . 0 cm ) was gel impregnated from a gel obtained by cooling a 2 wt % compound 8 in n - butanol , followed by drying the impregnated support under vacuum at rt ; to provide a composite material 19a . a similar composite material was prepared with kolon ® 70 gsm spunbound polyester fabric and compound 8 to provide composite material 19b . the contact angles of the composite materials were measured and the results are summarized in table 5 . the results indicate that the composite materials exhibit significantly higher advancing contact angle with water than the untreated controls ; and the composite materials exhibit high advancing contact angle with hexadecane ; whereas the untreated controls rapidly absorb hexadecane . a weighed sample of tyvek ® nonwoven fabric was mounted in a high - pressure variable volume view cell which had been charged with gelator compound 8 . the cell was sealed and then charged with liquid co 2 to give an overall gelator concentration of 1 . 0 wt %. the cell was then heated to 99 ° c . and pressurized to 306 bar ( 30 . 6 mpa ) with agitation to solubilize a significant portion of the gelator . agitation was then suspended and the cell was slowly cooled to room temperature over several hours at constant pressure to allow gel formation within and upon the tyvek ® nonwoven fabric . the co 2 was then slowly vented from the view cell , and the resulting composite material 20a was removed , imaged by scanning electron microscopy , and utilized for contact angle measurements . a composite material was prepared with kolon ® 70 gsm spunbound polyester fabric and compound 8 using a similar procedure to provide composite material 20b . the contact angles of the composite materials were measured , and the results are summarized in table 6 . this example illustrates the gel impregnation of compound 9 in tyvek ® nonwoven fabric ( 21a ) and kolon ® 70 gsm spunbound polyester ( 21b ) nonwoven fabric in supercritical co 2 . following the procedure as described in example 20 , a weighed sample of tyvek ® polyethylene nonwoven fabric was gel impregnated with compound 9 at an overall gelator concentration of 0 . 33 wt %, temperature of 71 ° c ., and cell pressure of 208 bar ( 20 . 8 mpa ) to provide a composite material 21a . a similar composite material was prepared with kolon ® 70 gsm spunbound polyester fabric and compound 9 to provide composite material 21b . the contact angles of the composite materials were measured , and the results are summarized in table 6 . a scanning electron micrograph at 2000 × magnification of composite 21b was obtained , displayed in fig2 , and exhibited the nanoweb structure of the composite of the invention provided by gelation in scco 2 . the typical width of the fibers is about 0 . 1 to about 0 . 36 microns . this example illustrates the gel impregnation of compound 11 in kolon ® 70 gsm spunbound polyester nonwoven fabric in supercritical co 2 . following the procedure as described in example 20 , a weighed sample of kolon ® 70 gsm spunbound polyester nonwoven fabric was gel impregnated with compound 11 at an overall gelator concentration of 0 . 41 wt %, temperature of 68 ° c ., and cell pressure of 310 bar ( 31 . 0 mpa ) to provide a composite material 22 . the contact angles of the composite material were measured , and the results are summarized in table 6 . this example illustrates the gel impregnation of compound 12 in kolon ® 70 gsm spunbound polyester nonwoven fabric in supercritical co 2 . following the procedure as described in example 20 , a weighed sample of kolon ® 70 gsm spunbound polyester nonwoven fabric was gel impregnated with compound 12 at an overall gelator concentration of 0 . 50 wt %, temperature of 68 ° c ., and cell pressure of 355 bar ( 35 . 5 mpa ) to provide a composite material 23 . the contact angles of the composite material were measured , and the results are summarized in table 6 the results indicate that the composite materials of examples 20 - 23 exhibit significantly higher advancing contact angle with water than the untreated controls ; and the composite materials exhibit high advancing contact angle with hexadecane ; whereas the untreated controls rapidly absorb hexadecane . this example illustrates the treatment of compound 7 on granite and limestone . a 1 wt % solution of compound 7 in acetone was prepared by heating the mixture at 40 ° c . to this solution was immersed a weighed piece of clean granite ( about 5 . 0 - 5 . 0 cm squared ) for 2 minutes ( partial gel formation observed ) and quickly removed . the granite piece was dried under vacuum at rt to provide a composite 24a , which was weighed and used for contact angle measurements . a similar treatment of compound 7 was performed on a piece of clean limestone ( about 5 . 0 - 5 . 0 cm squared ) to provide a composite 24b . the contact angles of the composite materials were measured and the results are compared with the untreated samples in table 7 . this example illustrates the treatment of compound 9 on granite and limestone . following the procedure as described in example 24 , composites 25a and 25b were prepared from weighed samples of granite (˜ 5 . 0 × 5 . 0 cm squared ) and limestone ( 5 . 0 × 5 . 0 cm squared ) using a 1 wt % solution of compound 9 in acetone . the contact angles of the composite materials were measured and the results are summarized in table 7 .	8
in a preferred embodiment of the signal detector of the invention , harmonic heterodyne down conversion is used to convert the input microwave signal to an if signal . the input microwave signal and a lower frequency signal from local oscillator 101 are applied to harmonic mixer 102 . the frequency of the lo signal is set by a control signal from microprocessor 103 . one or more of the harmonics of the lo signal combines with the microwave signal in harmonic mixer 102 to produce an intermediate frequency ( if ) signal output . the relationship between the frequencies of the input signal f x , the lo signal f lo , and the if signal f if , for mixing with at the nth harmonic of the lo is : the if output is amplified and conditioned by an if amplifier 104 , then applied to two if signal detectors 105 and 106 . detector 105 senses if there is a signal present . this detector can be implemented in a variety of well known ways , for example , a peak detector followed by a comparator . detector 106 senses if the signal is pulsed or cw . this detector can also be implemented in a variety of well known ways , for example with an envelope detector , e . g ., a peak detector with a relatively short time constant , followed by a comparator and a logic circuit . the outputs from detectors 105 and 106 are sent to microprocessor 103 . detectors 105 and 106 are capable of sensing signals only within a limited if bandwidth . that is , depending on where in the microwave input frequency range the input signal is located , an appropriate lo signal must be selected for the input signal to be down converted within the if range of the detectors . the problem , of course , is that the frequency of the input signal is not known . based on an analysis of how the if range is mapped onto the microwave range by the harmonics of the lo frequencies , a set of lo frequencies can be selected such that at least one lo frequency will down convert any microwave input signal in the microwave range into the if range . fig2 illustrates graphically how the lo frequency selection proceeds . the vertical axis of fig2 represents the microwave frequency range , with the highest frequency at the top . the three vertical columns 201 , 202 and 203 graphically represent the microwave frequencies down converted within the if range by three lo frequencies . as will be explained below , these three lo frequencies are chosen so the bands of microwave frequencies converted to the if range overlap , i . e ., no microwave frequencies are uncovered . the first lo frequency , f lo1 , is chosen so that the maximum microwave frequency , f max , is down converted within the top of the if range at some high harmonic : the microwave frequencies covered by the n max harmonic of the first lo are shown by the two side bands 205 and 206 . the upper side band 205 and the lower side band 206 are centered around the frequency n max f lo1 , and are separated by an uncovered region 207 that is 2if min wide . the second lo frequency , f lo2 , is chosen so that , at the same harmonic n max , the microwave frequency down converted to the top of the if range is just above the top of the uncovered region 207 , and just overlaps the bottom of the lower side band 206 . these relationships can be expressed as : solving equation 3a for f lo2 gives the second lo frequency . the result should be checked in equation 3b also to assure that the top side band 208 for the second lo covers region 207 . the bottom side band 209 of the second lo frequency must also cover the gap between the lower side band 206 of the n max harmonic and the upper side band 210 of the next lower harmonic of the first lo frequency . this can be expressed as : when rearrange , equation 3c is the same relationship as equation 3a , so it is already satisfied . the lo frequencies need to be checked to be certain they satisfy , equation 3d . in general , the relationships for two lo frequencies can be stated as : the next question to answer is when another lo frequency will be needed . at some lower harmonic n x , because f lo2 is smaller than f lo1 , the bottom of the upper side band 21 0 for the second lo will equal the top of the lower side band 211 of the first lo . this situation is graphically shown in the middle section of fig2 . at this point , another gap will start , unless a third lo frequency is added to cover the gap . the relationship at this point can be expressed as : solving for n x allows the next , i . e ., third lo frequency to be determined , similar to the way the second lo frequency was determined : solving for f lo3 gives the third lo frequency . again , the result is that , at this harmonic number , the third lo upper side band 212 covers the gap left by the side bands from the first and second lo frequencies . this process can be repeated until the lower end of the microwave frequency range is reached , or until the lowest usable harmonic is reached . if the lowest harmonic is reached first , either the if range or the lo range must be increased , and the lo selection process repeated , if the desired microwave input range is to be covered . if the coverage for the last chosen lo frequency f lon extends to the lower end of the microwave range f min before the minimum harmonic number n min is reached , the relationship can be expressed as : this situation is graphically shown in the lower right corner of fig2 where the lower side band 213 of the final lo reaches the low end of the microwave frequency range . the process of selecting the lo frequencies could also be started at the lower end of the microwave frequency range , moving to higher lo and microwave frequencies and higher harmonic numbers . the set of equations for determining the lo frequencies and harmonic numbers for this set of frequencies can be derived similarly to the way the equations for proceeding from the top of the microwave range down were derived . an example will further explain the process for selecting the set of lo frequencies . for a microwave frequency range of 0 . 5 to 20 ghz , and an if range of 20 to 140 mhz , to obtain a first lo frequency around 350 mhz requires a harmonic number n max of 83 . to check that setting f lo1 to 350 mhz works , solve equation 2 for f lo1 : ## equ1 ## to select the second lo frequency , we solve equation 3 for f lo2 , substituting the known values for n max = 83 f ifmin = 20 mhx , f ifmax = 175 mhz , and f lo1 = 350 mhz : ## equ2 ## rounding up to assure coverage set the second lo frequency to 348 . 6 mhz . next , determine the harmonic at which the next lo is needed to prevent a gap , by solving equation 4 for n x again substituting known quantities : since n must be an integer , round up to assure coverage , and use n x = 29 . the third lo frequency can be determined by using this harmonic and f lo2 similarly as done in equation 8 : solving and rounding up , the third lo frequency , f lo3 is set to 344 . 7 mhz . repeating the process in a similar function for the next lo frequency , substituting in equation 9 , the harmonic number at which a fourth lo is needed is n = 11 , and substituting in equation 10 , the fourth lo frequency is f lo4 = 333 . 8 mhz . again repeating the process , the harmonic number at which a fifth lo is needed is n = 4 , and the fifth lo frequency is f lo6 = 303 . 8 mhz . the next lo frequency would be needed at a harmonic number of 1 . 33 . however , the side bands of the fifth lo frequency extend below the minimum rf frequency at harmonic number of 2 . this can be shown with equation 6 : ## equ3 ## thus coverage with the fifth lo frequency extends down to 467 . 6 mhz , which is below the minimum rf frequency of 500 mhz . for this example , signal detection can be done using the five lo frequencies selected : 350 mhz , 348 . 6 mhz , 344 . 7 mhz , 333 . 8 mhz and 303 . 8 mhz . the flow chart of fig3 shows the detection procedure . the procedure determines whether an rf signal is present , then if a signal is found , determines whether it is a pulsed or cw signal . when a signal is found , the measurement instrument is set to the correct rondo of operation and a measurement is taken . the process starts at block 301 . in blocks 303 to 311 , the lo frequencies are checked sequentially until an if signal is detected . the local oscillator is set to the first lo frequency at block 303 and the detector 105 is checked for an if signal in decision block 305 . if no if signal is detected , the next lo frequency is selected at block 307 and the detector is checked again . if an if signal is detected , at block 309 detector 106 is checked to determine if the signal is pulsed or cw , and the lo frequency and the nature of the signal is stored at block 311 . at decision block 313 , if not all the if frequencies have been checked , the local oscillator is set to the next lo frequency and control flows again to block 305 . if all the if frequencies have been checked , control passes to decision block 315 . form block 315 , if no if signal was detected at any lo frequency , at block 317 an error message is sent , and control passes back to star block 301 . if an if signal was detected , control passes from block 315 to decision block 319 . after the first detection of a signal , a second check is made at the lo frequencies at which signals were detected , to confirm the existence and nature of the signal . this is necessary because , for example , the if detectors behave differently for rf signals mixed with different harmonics of lo signals , because the if falls at the edge of the detector &# 39 ; s range , or because of variability in the rf input signal . because the harmonics of the various lo frequencies overlap , several lo frequencies may produce a detected if signal . if any of the if signals detected and stored is a cw signal , decision block 319 passes control to blocks 321 to 335 , in which either the cw nature is confirmed , or an error is found and the process started again . if none of the signals detected is cw , decision block 319 passes control to blocks 337 to 351 , in which either the pulsed nature is confirmed , or an error is found and the process started again . at block 321 the local oscillator is set to the first lo frequency that produced a cw if signal . at block 323 , detector 106 is checked for a cw signal present . if no cw signal is found , and not all the lo frequencies that produced cw if signals have been checked , as determined at decision block 325 , the local oscillator is set to the next lo that produced a cw if signal , at block 327 , and control returns to block 323 . if no cw signal is found , and all the lo frequencies that produced cw if signals have been checked , at block 335 an error message is sent and control returns to the start an block 301 . if a cw signal is detected at block 323 , the signal is confirmed as cw at block 329 . control passes to block 331 so the measurement instrument is set for cw mode and a measurement is taken at block 333 . if only pulses signals were detected , a similar confirmation procedure is followed in blocks 335 to 351 . at block 335 the local oscillator is set to the first lo frequency that produced a pulsed if signal . at block 337 , detector 1 06 is checked for a pulsed signal present . if no pulsed signal is found , and not all the lo frequencies that produced pulsed if signals have been checked , as determined at decision block 341 , the local oscillator is set to the next lo that produced a pulsed if signal , at block 343 , and control returns to block 339 . if no pulsed signal is found , and all the lo frequencies that produced pulsed if signals have been checked , an error message is sent at block 351 and control returns to the start an block 301 . if a pulsed signal is detected at block 339 , the signal is confirmed as pulsed at block 345 . control passes to block 347 so the measurement instrument is set for pulsed mode and a measurement is taken at block 349 . a device and method are thus provided which detect the presence of a microwave signal and determine whether the signal is pulsed or cw , using if detectors and a small number of lo frequencies . while specific hardware components are shown in fig1 for implementing the invention , such components are not a limitation on the invention and the invention may be practiced utilizing other suitable hardware , or a combination of hardware and software . thus , while the invention has been shown and described with respect to a preferred embodiment , the foregoing and other changes in form and detail may be made therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	7
the clip attachment structure for the writing instrument according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises a shaft tube 1 ; a clip 2 attached to the back end of the shaft tube 1 ; and an insertion member 3 inserted into the back part of the shaft tube 1 with the back part of the clip 2 mounted thereto ; wherein the insertion member 3 attaches and secures the back part of the clip 2 to the back part of the shaft tube 1 . its detailed configuration is described below . a clip attachment part 10 is formed at the back part of the shaft tube 1 . the back part of the clip 2 is fitted in and aligned with the clip attachment part 10 . in this embodiment , the clip attachment part 10 comprises a notch 11 ( fig3 ) formed on the back end of the shaft tube 1 for fitting the back end base of the clip 2 therein ; slits 12 and 13 formed on both sides of and in front of a notch 11 in a parallel fashion and extending axially ; and an engaging stopper portion 14 provided on an inner wall surface of the shaft tube in front of the notch 11 and locking a tail crown 3 at a predetermined position . the clip 2 comprises a clip piece 20 extending axially along the outer wall surface of the shaft tube 1 from the back end of the shaft tube 1 ; a curved base 21 formed at the back end of the clip piece 20 in a curved manner ; clip legs 22 a and 23 a ( fig6 and 8 ) continuously formed on both sides of the curved base 21 and fitted in the slits 12 and 13 of the shaft tube 1 ; and attachment pieces 22 and 23 continuously formed at each tip of the clip legs 22 a and 23 a with the clip legs 22 a and 23 a acting as necks . the back end faces of the clip legs ( necks ) 22 a and 23 a and attachment pieces 22 and 23 are on the same end plane , and side surfaces of the attachment pieces 22 and 23 are formed into squares that are wider than the width of the clip legs ( necks ) 22 a and 23 a . the attachment pieces 22 and 23 are formed in a curved manner in a direction to cause their lateral surfaces to extend along an inner circumferential surface of the shaft tube 1 . in this embodiment , the insertion member 3 comprises a tail crown inserted into the back part of the shaft tube 1 . the tail crown 3 has an insertion part 30 that is inserted into the shaft tube 1 . the insertion part 30 comprises a cylindrical barrel ( cylindrical body ) 31 with its outer diameter being approximately equal to the inner diameter of the shaft tube 1 ; a pair of right and left arm pieces 32 and 33 formed continuously at the front end of the cylindrical barrel 31 and extending forward ; and an annular part 34 extending over tips of the arm pieces 32 and 33 and formed concentrically with the cylindrical barrel 31 , wherein an annular collar ( flange ) 35 formed continuously at the back end of the cylindrical barrel 31 abuts the back end of the shaft tube 1 . an outer diameter of the collar 35 is identical to that of the shaft tube 1 . in such a tail crown 3 , fitting recesses 36 and 37 having square side surfaces are formed on the outer wall of the cylindrical barrel 31 ( fig1 , 9 , and 10 ). the attachment pieces 22 and 23 of the clip 2 fit in and engage the fitting recesses . bottom surfaces of these fitting recesses 36 and 37 are formed into curved surfaces having approximately the same curvature as the attachment pieces 22 and 23 of the clip 2 . when the attachment pieces 22 and 23 of the clip 2 fit in the fitting recesses 36 and 37 , the lateral surfaces of the attachment pieces 22 and 23 and the outer wall of the cylindrical barrel 31 of the tail crown 3 are on the same circumferential surface . an engaging protrusion 38 is also formed on the outer wall of the cylindrical barrel 31 between the fitting recesses 36 and 37 for engaging the engaging stopper portion 14 of the shaft tube 1 . notched engaging parts 39 a and 39 b are formed on both sides of a junction with the collar 35 in the cylindrical barrel 31 . inner edges of the clip legs ( necks ) 22 a and 23 a at the back end of the clip 2 fit in the notched engaging parts between the fitting recesses 36 and 37 . the attachment of the clip 2 to the shaft tube 1 will now be described . when attaching the clip 2 , first , the attachment pieces 22 and 23 at the back part of the clip 2 fit in and engage the fitting recesses 36 and 37 of the tail crown 3 , and the inner edges of the clip legs 22 a and 23 a at the back end of the clip 2 fit in the notched engaging parts 39 a and 39 b of the tail crown ( insertion member ) 3 . this causes the fitting recesses 36 and 37 of the tail crown 3 and the collar 35 at the back end of the tail crown 3 to regulate the axial movement and circumferential movement of the attachment pieces 22 and 23 of the clip 2 . in addition , the lateral surfaces of the attachment pieces 22 and 23 are flush with the outer wall of the cylindrical barrel 31 of the tail crown 3 , and the back end base of the clip 2 is maintained in a state in which it is mounted and placed on the cylindrical barrel 31 of the tail crown 3 . in this state , the clip legs 22 a and 23 a at the back end of the clip 2 form a gap between the cylindrical barrel 31 of the tail crown 3 and the clip piece 20 , which enables the cylindrical barrel 31 to be inserted into the back part of the shaft tube 1 . in this way , when the clip legs 22 a and 23 a acting as necks at the back end of the clip 2 are pushed into the slits 12 and 13 of the shaft tube 1 while the insertion part 30 of the tail crown 3 on which the back end base of the clip 2 is mounted is inserted into the back part of the shaft tube 1 , the curved base 21 at the back end of the clip 2 is fitted in and aligned with the notch 11 at the back end of the shaft tube 1 , and the collar 35 of the tail crown 3 abuts the back end of the shaft tube 1 at the point when the entire attachment pieces 22 and 23 at the back end of the clip 2 fitted in and engaging the fitting recesses 36 and 37 of the tail crown 3 are inserted along the inner circumferential surface of the shaft tube 1 . at the time of abutment , the engaging stopper portion 14 of the shaft tube 1 engages the engaging protrusion 38 of the tail crown 3 within the shaft tube 1 . this causes the clip 2 and the tail crown 3 to be integrally mounted to the back part of the shaft tube 1 . according to the clip attachment structure for the writing instrument described above , by a simple operation in which the attachment pieces 22 and 23 at the back part of the clip 2 fit in and engage the fitting recesses 36 and 37 on the cylindrical barrel 31 of the tail crown ( insertion member ) 3 to insert the insertion part 30 of the tail crown 3 in this state into the back part of the shaft tube 1 and to cause the back end base ( curved base 21 ) of the clip 2 to be fitted in and aligned with the notch 11 at the back end of the shaft tube 1 , the clip 2 may be attached to the back end of the shaft tube 1 with the collar 35 of the tail crown 3 abutting the back end of the shaft tube 1 . in the attached state of the clip 2 , the attachment pieces 22 and 23 of the clip 2 and the insertion part 30 of the tail crown 3 are contained within the shaft tube 1 , and only the clip piece 20 and the collar 35 of the tail crown 3 are exposed outside of the shaft tube 1 , thereby achieving aesthetics . at the position wherein the collar 35 of the tail crown 3 abuts the back end of the shaft tube 1 as described above , the engaging protrusion 38 of the tail crown 3 engages the engaging stopper portion 14 of the shaft tube 1 within the shaft tube 1 , thereby causing the back end base of the clip 2 to be rigidly attached to the back part of the shaft tube 1 . further , when the tail crown 3 is inserted into the back part of the shaft tube 1 , by pushing the clip legs ( necks ) 22 a and 23 a into the slits 12 and 13 of the shaft tube 1 , the slits 12 and 13 may guide the engaging protrusion 38 of the tail crown 3 in a direction wherein the engaging protrusion 38 engages the engaging stopper portion 14 of the shaft tube 1 . this may cause the engaging protrusion 38 to smoothly and securely engage the engaging stopper portion 14 . furthermore , when the clip 2 attached to the shaft tube 1 grasps , for example , a pocket , only the clip legs 22 a and 23 a at the back end of the clip 2 act as a fulcrum such that substantially the entire length of the clip piece 20 functions as a grasping portion of the clip that sandwiches the pocket between the clip 2 and the shaft tube 1 . thus , the clip 2 may not be easily disengaged from the pocket , and the stability during the clip 2 grasps the pocket is improved . in this specific embodiment , the engaging stopper portion 14 is formed on the inner wall of the shaft tube 1 , and the engaging protrusion 38 is formed on the outer wall of the cylindrical barrel 31 of the tail crown 3 . the engaging stopper portion and engaging protrusion collectively function as a means for engaging the tail crown ( insertion member ) 3 within the shaft tube 1 . in contrast , the engaging protrusion 38 may be formed on the inner wall of the shaft tube 1 , and the engaging stopper portion 14 may be formed on the outer wall of the cylindrical barrel 31 of the tail crown 3 , in which case , a similar engagement function may be performed . in fig1 - 15 showing a clip attachment structure for a writing instrument according to a second embodiment , the same numerals are applied to the parts which are identical or correspond to those of fig1 - 12 to omit repetition in their description . in the previous embodiment , the notch 11 is formed at the back end of the shaft tube 1 , and the tail crown 3 having the collar 35 at its back end is applied as the insertion member 3 . however , in embodiment 2 , the shaft tube 1 eliminating the notch 11 is used , and the cylindrical body 31 is used as the insertion member 3 , which is entirely inserted into the back part of the shaft tube 1 with the collar 35 being eliminated . with regard to the shaft tube 1 of this specific embodiment , the slits 12 and 13 extending axially forward from the back end of the shaft tube 1 are formed for fitting the clip legs ( necks ) 22 a and 23 a of the clip 2 therein . further , the engaging protrusion 15 engaging the front end of the cylindrical body 31 is provided on the inner wall of the shaft tube 1 . the cylindrical body 31 as the insertion member 3 entirely inserted into the back part of the shaft tube 1 has the outer diameter substantially the same as the inner diameter of the shaft tube 1 , and the fitting recesses 36 and 37 are formed at a middle part on the outer wall of the cylindrical body 31 . in this second embodiment , when attaching the clip 2 , by fitting the attachment pieces 22 and 23 of the clip 2 in the fitting recesses 36 and 37 of the cylindrical body 31 as in the case of embodiment 1 , the fitting recesses 36 and 37 regulate the axial movement and circumferential movement of the attachment pieces 22 and 23 , and the lateral surfaces of the attachment pieces 22 and 23 are flush with the outer wall of the cylindrical body 31 , such that the back part of the clip 2 is mounted and temporarily held to the cylindrical body 31 . when the cylindrical body 31 in this state is inserted into the back part of the shaft tube 1 and the clip legs 22 a and 23 a are fitted in the slits 12 and 13 of the shaft tube 1 to push the entire cylindrical body 31 into the shaft tube 1 , the front end of the cylindrical body 31 abuts and engages the engaging protrusion 15 within the shaft tube 1 . this causes the entire cylindrical body 31 to be contained within the shaft tube 1 such that the back part of the clip 2 is attached and fixed to the back part of the shaft tube 1 . according to the above - described clip attachment structure for the writing instrument of this second embodiment , the slits 12 and 13 at the back part and the engaging protrusion 15 on the inner wall need only to be formed in the shaft tube 1 . further , with regard to the insertion member 3 , the cylindrical body 31 is used , and the fitting recesses 36 and 37 need only to be formed on the outer wall of the cylindrical body 31 . thus , the construction may be simplified , and the processing cost for the shaft tube 1 and insertion member 3 may be further reduced . in a third embodiment , as shown in fig1 and 17 , a planar , recessed and groove - shaped notch 11 a is formed as a clip attachment part 10 of the shaft tube 1 at the back part of the shaft tube 1 , and the clip legs 22 a and 23 a of the clip 2 are fitted together in the notch 11 a , such that the lateral surfaces of the clip legs 22 a and 23 a abut the inner surface on both sides of the notch 11 a . according to this exemplary embodiment , the planar , recessed and groove - shaped notch 11 a needs only to be formed at the back part of the shaft tube 1 , and thus the processing cost for the shaft tube 1 may be further reduced .	8
referring to fig1 , illustrating the various participants and their interaction envisioned in the present invention , computer system 10 preferably comprises a hub , which manages all the transactions and information flows among the various players . initially , the ticket issuing authorities 20 feed into computer system 10 various details related to tickets being allocated to the creation of options ( e . g ., number of seats , location of such seats , different classes of seats and their face values , tentative times and dates for the specific events / games , etc .). customers 30 interested in these options may access computer system 10 via a communication link ( of any sort , including , but not limited to , internet , telephone , cable , wireless , optical , etc .) and open accounts to transact their trades , and will thereafter be able to bid on initial issues of the options as well as sell or buy options going forward . payments made by customers will preferably be managed through an interface with a payment agency 40 ( such as a credit card payment processing company , electronic payment agency or bank ). dues collected will be transferred to a bank account 50 , with information feeds back to the payment agency and the computer system , so as to maintain account trading histories up to date . the revenue share of the ticket issuing authorities 20 will also be transferred upon collection from customers . further , ancillary business may be transacted by third parties 60 using the data within the computer system block 10 , thereby yielding additional revenue streams to bank account 50 . in accordance with the invention , an option is preferably an event - strike option with the following characteristics : the individual purchaser of the option acquires the right to purchase tickets at a predetermined price ( or the payoff ) from the seller of the option , should the competitor on whom they chose the option advance to a pre - specified higher round of competition ( or the strike event ). the maturity of the option is the date on which it is finally / irrevocably decided whether the competitor progresses or not . if the competitor on whom the option was purchased does not qualify for the specified round of competition , the option expires worthless and the owner of the option receives no compensation . the settlement of the option will take place within an appropriate time frame subsequent to maturity and prior to the specified event commencing . the settlement could take place in a number of ways including physical or electronic acknowledgment of ownership of such tickets . for example , the customer would pick a team / player underlying the option purchased to reach a specified higher level round of competition ( e . g ., wild - card , quarterfinals , semifinals , up to and including the final round of competition ) in the tournament . if that team / player qualifies for the round of competition specified in the option contract , the customer has the right to purchase an attendance ticket from the authorized ticketing body at a given fixed price . the higher round of play could be either a single event elimination or a multiple event series . the customer can purchase the option to any or all games of the chosen round of competition . the invention is applicable to tournaments where there is a regular season that determines qualification for an ensuing play - off contest ( e . g ., basketball , football , athletics , golf , soccer , cricket tournaments ) or to pure elimination style competitions ( e . g ., match play golf , tennis , figure skating , etc .). reference is now made to fig2 , which illustrates the opening of an account to facilitate the transactions envisioned in accordance with the invention . here , customer 110 accesses an online web page 120 to fill out the information required to open an account . this information preferably includes name , addresses , credit card information , dollar limit in the trading account , demographic / personal information , and contact information , like email and phone number ( s ). there are alternative ways to collect this application information , which can be done in writing , over the telephone and through other technologies that are being developed currently ( e . g ., webtv , etc .). once the information is received , the credit authorization process 130 secures a payment authorization from a payment processing agency 140 and blocks out the limit of funds required and requested by the customer . this information is relayed to the database and computer system 150 that manages the account information , which assigns an account number , password and other requisite information and communicates this information back to the customer 110 to facilitate use . collectively , functional units 120 , 130 and 150 are preferably implemented on a single computer system 160 , but may alternatively distributed over a number of servers / nodes connected in a network . reference is now made to fig3 , which illustrates the information flow associated with the initial marketing / valuation of options in accordance with the present invention . here , ticket issuing authority 210 provides details to computer system 280 regarding the tickets being allocated to the creation of options ( e . g ., number of seats , location of such seats , different classes of seats and their face values , tentative times and dates for the specific events / games , etc .). these are then posted on the online service 220 ( or other information - disseminating facilities that may be developed ) so that account - holding customers 230 can access the information they require to decide on the various options they would be interested in through search functionality associated with their accounts . customers may then , through their accounts 230 , post bids on options they are interested in acquiring , with specifications on options pertaining to the underlying competitor chosen , the round of play and potentially the specific games if the playoff is a series playoff , number of seats , and bid price . verification module 240 confirms that all information is valid and correctly input , and provides confirmation back to the customer on the bids submitted or rejected . qualified bids are then forwarded to the market clearing mechanism 250 , which determines the optimal pricing to match supply and demand . it is envisioned that this will occur through a dutch auction , but other auction or bid and offer type matching can easily be adopted . see , e . g ., u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 890 , 138 , 5 , 905 , 975 , 4 , 674 , 044 , and 5 , 950 , 176 , each incorporated herein by reference . also , conditions like minimum price reserve levels and adjustments of volume offered may be allowed to facilitate a revenue maximization objective . see , e . g ., previously incorporated &# 39 ; 201 patent . for bids that are accepted , there would be a credit card payment process with the payment agency 260 , which would then transfer the funds to the bank account 270 , from which the revenue share to the ticket issuing authority 210 is remitted . market clearing mechanism 250 also sends notification to the customer accounts 230 on order status , e . g ., orders filled and unfilled , positions , payments received and account balance , if any . this initial offer of options can be made in one offering prior to the beginning of any competitive process or can be made in a series of offerings as the competitive process progresses and the uncertainty of the outcome is lower ( thereby increasing the price of the option ), but preferably not once the outcome is finally decided . reference is now made to fig4 , which depicts an illustrative information flow associated with the sale of options held by an account holder in accordance with the present invention . here , the customer accesses his / her customer account 310 to access the option positions held in the account . the customer may then have access to functionality 320 , to review information that helps him / her decide on the details of an intended sale offer . this functionality 320 includes historical transactions ( volume and price ), valuation tools , other open offers to sell and open bids to purchase . once this process is completed , the customer will typically post 330 a sell offer . this information is then forwarded to the market clearing mechanism 340 . clearing mechanism 340 , as previously described , preferably either matches an open bid to purchase or keeps the posted sell offer open for a defined period of time during which the system attempts to match open sell offers and purchase bids , closing transactions as long as the purchase bids are at least greater than the sell offer , and closing on the lower volume if there is a mismatch . during this period that the sell offer is open , the customer can change its details by looping back to 320 and modifying the offer as necessary . if , at the end of the defined period of time , there are no matched purchase bids for the sell offer , the order is closed 370 and the account position / trade status is updated 360 accordingly . once the match is performed , the transaction moves to the settlement 350 to complete the transaction , including generating the information necessary to update the account positions , credit the selling customer &# 39 ; s account and update 360 his / her account balance . reference is now made to fig5 , which depicts an information flow associated with the purchase of options by an account holder in accordance with the present invention . this represents the other party to the transaction described above . here , if the customer does not already have an account , he / she would open an account 410 , as described in fig2 , and then could proceed to 420 , which is similar to 320 , as described in connection with fig4 . once this process 320 is completed , the customer will post a purchase bid 430 . this information is then forwarded to the market clearing mechanism 440 , which processes the bid as in 340 ( described in connection with fig4 ). during the period that the purchase bid is open , the customer can change its details by looping back to 420 and making changes as necessary . if , at the end of the defined period of time , there is no match , the offer is closed 490 , and the account position / trade status is updated accordingly . if a match is found , the transaction moves to 450 for the settlement , which involves updating account positions and collection of dues through the payment processing agency 460 / 470 from the buyer , in a similar manner as laid out in fig3 , and updating the concerned account balances 480 . in fig4 , 5 and 6 , the market clearing mechanism may take other forms if required to provide liquidity to the marketplace . these would include “ marketmaker ” functions , open outcry auctions with or without reserve levels , sealed bid auctions , etc . also , bids and offers may be allowed to scale up or down based on customer defined rules to seek matches . reference is now made to fig6 , which depicts an information flow associated with the exercise of options held by an account holder in accordance with the present invention . here , in block 510 , computer system 590 determines all open option positions that vest ( or qualify ) for the purchase of attendance rights / tickets and processes 520 the relevant options for ticket purchases . the payment processes related to the ticket purchase ( e . g ., blocks 530 and 560 ) is similar to that described in fig3 , as is the remittance of the associated funds to the ticket issuing authority ( e . g ., block 550 ). information is also sent ( from 520 to 570 ) as part of the ticket purchase process to facilitate delivery of the tickets , with the necessary information ( confirmation numbers , names , etc .) being sent to the ticket counter . reference is now made to fig7 , which depicts an information flow associated with the settlement of the account balances by payment to account holders in accordance with the present invention . if a customer requests that he / she be paid the account balance in his / her account , the customer account , at 630 , is accessed and the balance is verified by computer system 620 . then , either a check is processed and sent to the customer or funds are processed 650 for a credit to the customer &# 39 ; s credit card account ( in much the same manner as a refund would be processed by a vendor ). also , the customer &# 39 ; s account 630 is updated to reflect the appropriate account balance . reference is now made to fig8 , which depicts certain exemplary functional blocks associated with the data storage and analytics aspects of the present invention ; in other words , some of the information that would be captured and stored by the computer system is described . as shown , a position information module 720 contains information on trades , open positions and holdings , which is preferably fed by clearing mechanism 770 . clearing mechanism 770 preferably performs all trades , using information from customer accounts module 760 , and feeds resulting data to position information module 720 . up - to - date position information is supplied ( by position information module 720 ) to a data warehouse 730 , which can be accessed by custom designed display screens and reports . further , analytic algorithms and code modules can be run against this warehouse data for the purpose of generating financial derivative instruments on the listed options ; and indices and probabilities to quantify the odds of the various competitors reaching the different levels of competition can be generated . these are preferably used to evaluate competitors across the specified competition or across competitions ( i . e ., either in different locations or across time periods ) and even develop comparative rankings . some of this data can also be sent / sold to vendors 750 interested in these analytics , published for public dissemination , used in contests , etc . the above described arrangement is largely illustrative of the principles of the current invention . for example , while the illustrative embodiment ( s ) is / are described in terms of “ options ” to purchase particular attendance rights , the invention can be alternatively implemented by issuing / marketing “ contingent attendance rights ”— i . e ., an actual attendance right for an event that may , or may not , take place , such as a “ second round home playoff game at texas stadium .” this contingent attendance right is , in effect , the same as an option , but does not require that the ticket issuing authority keep track of vesting and actually issue tickets after the vesting period . other facilities provided by the creation of these options include the ability to split the rights to post - season tickets associated with season ticket ownership . further , another alternative implementation could be the sale of tickets to such events with a refund option and a refund fee that would de facto be the option price at initial issue . finally , it is not critical to this invention that a secondary market to trade these options exists . this is a feature that adds functionality useful to customers but the rest of the advantages of this invention are still available to all parties if only the initial issue of options was available . other advantages , modifications , and adaptations of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art . for example , the present invention allows fans to buy attendance options well in advance — as early as before the entire competition starts and all the way until the settlement time — before the commencement of the actual event ( s ) covered by the option ( s ). therefore , fans are able to lock - in the ability to purchase attendance rights to certain events under certain desired circumstances ( e . g ., round of play , competitors , etc .). option holders can thereafter trade their options ( until maturity of the individual options ), and continue to do so based on the ongoing performance of the competitors . based on the prices of the multitude of options on all competitors and competitions , the present invention also facilitates the development of derivative instruments on these options and indices , and probabilities and statistical measures to quantify the odds of the various competitors reaching the different levels of competition . these can be used extensively to evaluate , among other things , competitors across the specified competition or across competitions ( i . e ., either in different locations or across time periods ). the present invention preferably — though not necessarily — works in conjunction with fixed price attendance rights / tickets , and allows the options to capture the market premium ( or consumer surplus ) that supply and demand imbalances would create . the invention allows all team owners to generate revenues by selling options for potential post - season play , so that there is some potential revenue ( no matter how small ), even if the team does not qualify . for tournament event organizers in single elimination style competition ( e . g ., tennis tournaments ), the present invention allows for the sale of multiple options on a fixed number of seats , thereby expanding the market size ( and hence revenues ) significantly . the invention also allows team owners / event organizers to hedge against the uncertainty of future revenues . unlike traditional financial options , the options marketed and traded in accordance with the present invention relate to attendance rights to events under very specific circumstances , like defined competitors and round of play . hence , the outcome ( i . e ., whether the option will be valuable or “ in the money ”) is uncertain at initial issue and for a large part of the trading period . vesting of the options takes place when the chosen competitors underlying the option qualify for the competitive event specified . such vesting preferably — though not necessarily — produces an obligation to purchase attendance rights / tickets to the specified event at a face value price of those attendance rights / tickets . in traditional options , the vesting takes place over time leading up to maturity , and options are exercised only if they are “ in the money ” or the strike price is favorable to the price of the underlying asset . unlike traditional ticketing systems , which only allow for returns and / or refunds ( if at all ), the present invention envisions the options either expiring worthless or being converted into the purchase of tickets . further , a secondary market will be created to allow for the ongoing trade in these options , and to allow subsequent participants to enter and also create liquidity for initial participants . thus , the present invention fills a void of unmet market ticket purchaser demand ; it provides a product / service that allows the various market participants to interact freely to satisfy such demand ; and it simultaneously provides a mechanism that incorporates individuals &# 39 ; subjective evaluation of competitive outcomes to value such products ( a price discovery mechanism ), and further facilitates the trading of such a product based on an individual &# 39 ; s valuation of the option vis - à - vis the rest of the purchasers and sellers ( i . e ., the marketplace ). the present invention also facilitates the hedging of risks . for example , in some competitive events , the individual must purchase tickets today for future rounds , without the knowledge of who the participants may be . as the competition evolves , a ticket holder maybe less interested to see a certain round of competition and would like to hedge against this risk . if he / she has purchased tickets for a particular round of competition , he / she could potentially sell an option on his / her ticket should a competitor he / she dislikes be a competitor in that round . however , another individual may have exactly the opposite desire , and may want to be cautious about spending the entire cost of the ticket on the day tickets go on sale , as he / she may like the competitor that the current holder of the ticket dislikes , but think that that competitor has a low probability of advancing . the invention facilitates the matching of these two desires to create an efficient , market - driven outcome .	6
the embodiments of the invention , with further developments described in the following , are to be regarded only as examples and in no way limit the scope of the protection provided by the patent claims . fig1 a shows a known permanent magnet 1 . fig1 b shows a cut section of the magnet 1 along a plane 2 through the middle of the magnet with some schematic magnetic lines indicated with dash dotted lines . the shown magnet is rectangular and symmetrically polarized with a north pole , denoted with an n , and a south pole , denoted with an s . the magnet can be made from any suitable material . below , when a magnetic arrangement is described and shown as a cut section , it is a similar cut through the middle of the magnetic arrangement that is used to illustrate the magnetic arrangement with schematic magnetic lines , also indicated with dash dotted lines . it is also assumed that the magnetic field is symmetrical along its symmetry axis 7 which coincides with a centerline running from n to s in the middle of the magnet . in fig2 a , a magnetic arrangement 3 comprising two permanent magnets 4 , 5 is shown . preferably , the magnets have approximately the same magnetic properties . it is advantageous if the magnets are made out of the same material and have the same geometric outline , but some deviations are acceptable . as the skilled person will appreciate , the terms “ equal ” or “ the same ” for the magnetic properties of permanent magnets will have the meaning “ as close as possible ” or “ approximately the same ” due to the nature and to the production process of permanent magnets . the magnets 4 , 5 are equally polarized and positioned next to each other in a symmetrical way with their symmetry axes 7 parallel and with the polarization in the same direction , as can be seen in fig2 a . the distance between the magnets is denoted with d . positioned in this way , the magnets will repulse each other , and more specific the north pole of magnet 4 will repulse the north pole of magnet 5 and the south pole of magnet 4 will repulse the south pole of magnet 5 . because the magnets are fixed in relation to each other , the magnetic force between the magnets cannot move the magnets . instead , the magnetic field from the magnets will deform symmetrically in respect to a plane in between the magnets , indicated as the centerline 6 in fig2 b . in this example , rectangular magnets are used . the size of the magnets depends on e . g . the desired magnetic field strength . depending on the desired magnetic field , other geometric shapes are also possible such as bars where one side is much longer than the other sides or circular ring magnets are possible to use . it is important that the magnets are positioned so that they repulse each other , preferably with the north pole and south pole positioned next to each other , side by side . the sides closest to each other are preferably flat . in fig2 b , the magnetic field lines are deformed somewhat . when the distance d between the magnets is decreased , the magnets will repulse each other and the outer magnetic field at the north and south pole will increase ; that is , the magnetic flux density will increase . a schematic relationship between the magnetic flux density b for a magnet and the distance d is shown in fig3 a - 3 c . fig3 a shows the magnetic flux density b for two magnets at a distance when the magnets do not affect each other . at a certain distance , the magnetic flux density b will superimpose so that the magnetic field will be approximately equal between the symmetry axes 7 of the magnets . at this distance , the magnetic field will be as wide as possible with an equal density . this distance is denoted as the critical distance d . if the distance d is decreased further , the magnetic flux density b will continue to superimpose and when the magnets touch , the magnetic field will equal that of a single magnet with the size of the two magnets combined . fig3 b shows the magnetic flux density b for two magnets at the critical distance d where the magnetic field will be approximately equal and as wide as possible . the resulting magnetic field from fig3 b can be seen in fig3 c . the critical distance d depends on various magnetic properties of the magnets . the critical distance d is small compared to the magnets . as an example , the critical distance d for two ceramic type magnets with the size 12 * 6 * 4 mm can be approximately 0 . 9 mm . the easiest way to obtain the critical distance d is by empirical measurements . the appearance of the magnetic flux density along line 6 , i . e . how pointed the magnetic flux density is , can be altered somewhat by adjusting the distance d . at the critical distance d , the magnetic flux density is as flat and wide as possible . in some cases , it may be desirable to have a magnetic flux density that is somewhat wider and not as flat . for instance , if the magnetic arrangement is to be used for a magnetic switch , the switch can obtain a larger tolerance with a magnetic flux density that is somewhat altered . in this case , the distance between the magnets is extended somewhat . this well - defined magnetic field can be used in a number of applications , of which a few will be described below . preferably , the magnetic arrangement is used for various contact - less detectors . one way to improve the magnetic arrangement 3 as shown above is to use pole - pieces . fig4 a , shows a magnetic arrangement 12 comprising two magnets 4 , 5 and two pole - pieces 9 , 10 . preferably , the magnets have approximately the same magnetic properties . it is advantageous if the magnets are made out of the same material and have the same geometric outline , but some deviations are acceptable . the resulting effect is a normalization of the magnetic field . a pole - piece is made of a ferromagnetic material and is positioned at a side of a magnet . a pole - piece will collect and lead the magnetic field through the pole - piece instead of through the air . this alters the magnetic flux density in that the magnetic field will be concentrated in the pole - piece . thus , a high magnetic flux density that is embedded in the pole - piece is obtained . the size of a pole - piece corresponds to the magnet at which it is positioned , and the thickness of the pole - piece is configured so that no saturation in the pole - piece occurs . the pole - pieces 9 , 10 are positioned at the outer sides of the magnets ; that is , pole - piece 9 is in close contact with the right side of magnet 4 and pole - piece 10 is in close contact with the left side of magnet 5 , as can be seen in fig4 a . the thickness of the pole - pieces is chosen so that no saturation in the pole - piece occurs . a schematic view of the resulting arrangement 12 is shown in fig4 b . in comparison with the arrangement of fig3 b , the magnetic flux density around the outer sides of the arrangement is concentrated closer to the arrangement . in combination with the in space - dispersed magnetic field obtained in between the magnets , this concentration of magnetic flux density at the outsides of the magnets also helps to reduce disturbing influences from the magnetic field of the magnets . since the magnetic field from the two outer sides of the magnets are embedded in the pole - pieces and also symmetric , the resulting magnetic field is very stable in geometry . another magnetic arrangement 13 is shown in fig5 a , where the magnetic arrangement 13 comprises two magnets 4 , 5 and a pole - piece 11 . preferably , the magnets have approximately the same magnetic properties . it is advantageous if the magnets are made out of the same material and have the same geometric outline , but some deviations are acceptable . the pole - piece 11 is laminated between and in contact with the two magnets 4 , 5 . the thickness of the pole - pieces is chosen so that no saturation in the pole - piece occurs . the pole - piece 11 will collect and lead the magnetic field through the pole - piece instead of through the air . this alters the magnetic field around the centerline 6 in that the magnetic field will be more concentrated . thus , a high magnetic flux density that is embedded in the pole - piece is obtained . this type of magnetic arrangement can be used , for example , in combination with a linear displacement sensor comprising a coil where a softmagnetic core is to be saturated . the saturation area of the core influences the coil such that the position of the saturated area , and thus the piston in a hydraulic cylinder can de detected . another magnetic arrangement 14 is shown in fig6 a where the magnetic arrangement 14 comprises two magnets 4 , 5 and three pole - pieces 9 , 10 and 11 . preferably , the magnets have approximately the same magnetic properties . it is advantageous if the magnets are made out of the same material and have the same geometric outline , but some deviations are acceptable . the pole - pieces 9 and 10 are positioned to the outer sides of the magnets ; that is , pole - piece 9 is in close contact with the right side of magnet 4 and pole - piece 10 is in close contact with the left side of magnet 5 . the thickness of the pole - pieces 9 , 10 are chosen so that no saturation in the pole - pieces occurs . the pole - piece 11 is laminated between and in contact with the two magnets 4 , 5 . the thickness of pole - piece 11 is chosen so that no saturation in the pole - piece occurs . with this embodiment , a high magnetic dispersed flux density that is more equally distributed is obtained . above , different approaches using a magnetic arrangement for obtaining a well - defined magnetic field are described . these magnetic arrangements are preferably used in magnetic switches . in the above magnetic arrangements , it is assumed that the magnetic field of a magnet is symmetrical along its symmetry axis 7 , a centerline running from n to s in the middle of the magnet . this is , however , rarely the case for normal production permanent magnets . instead , the direction of the magnetic field deviates with an angle in respect to the symmetry axis 7 . this deviation is normally comparably small , in the region up to 10 degrees , but can be as high as 30 degrees . this deviation in turn affects the function of a magnetic switch or a magnetic sensor where such a magnet is used . the described magnetic arrangements can partly compensate for this deviation . to improve such a magnetic arrangement further , the deviation of the magnetic field direction can be compensated further . this is done by placing the magnets such that the deviation of one magnet compensates for the deviation of the other magnet . in one example , the magnets have a deviation of 20 degrees relative the symmetry axis . by placing the magnets such that the magnetic field of one magnet deviates with 20 degrees in one direction ( e . g . away from the centerline in fig2 b ) and the magnetic field of the other magnet deviates with 20 degrees in the other direction . here , the deviation is also away from the centerline in fig2 b and the resulting magnetic field will be symmetric with respect to the centerline 6 ; i . e ., to the center of the magnetic arrangement . by placing the magnets so that the deviation of the magnets is in the direction towards the centerline will also create a symmetric magnetic field . the critical distance d may vary slightly depending of the magnetic field deviation of the magnets . since it is difficult to detect the deviation of the magnetic field for a single magnet , especially in a production plant , one way of obtaining a symmetric magnetic field is to start with one magnet having the size of the two desired magnets . by splitting the magnet along the center in a north - south direction and turning one of the resulting magnets 180 degrees around the symmetric axis , the resulting magnetic field from the resulting magnetic arrangement will always be symmetric , regardless of the deviation of the magnetic field in the single starting magnet . using the same method , it is also possible to create a magnetic arrangement that resembles a single magnet but where the direction of the magnetic field is parallel with the symmetry axis . this is done as described above , the difference being that the magnets are positioned together after the splitting ; i . e ., the critical distance is close to or equal to zero . regardless of the deviation of the magnetic field in the starting magnet , the resulting magnetic field will always be symmetric . in a first embodiment of an inventive magnetic switch 17 configured according to the invention and as shown in fig7 , the switch comprises a second magnetic system 25 consisting of two magnets 4 , 5 , a first magnetic system 24 consisting of a biasing magnet 20 and an assembler 19 , and a magnetically sensitive switching element 18 . the switching element can be , for instance , a reed - contact or an integrated circuit - based switching element . the switching element is connected to an electrical circuit ( not shown ) that detects the state of the switching element . the biasing magnet 20 is positioned close to the switching element 18 and biases the switching element . this biasing magnetic field is strong enough to alter the state of the switching element . because of the close distance to the switching element , the biasing magnet 20 can be relatively small . preferably , the biasing magnet 20 has a lower magnetic strength than the magnets 4 , 5 . the assembler 19 is a device used to assemble all field lines in a uniform way so that the magnetic field from a permanent magnet positioned outside of the assembler is converted into a longitudinal field inside the assembler . the magnetic field inside the assembler displays identical field directionality regardless of the direction of the magnetic field from the used biasing magnet and thus allows for an identical reproducibility of the magnetic field inside the assembler . a magnetic switching element placed inside the assembler will thus always be subjected to the same magnetic field regardless of the angular response of the detector element . this eliminates the need of having to position an asymmetrically responding magnetic switching element in a specific rotational position along its longitudinal axis . the assembler is preferably made of a soft ferromagnetic material . the biasing magnet 20 is positioned close to or in contact with the assembler . this allows for a relatively small biasing magnet and makes the biasing of the magnetic switching element less sensitive for external interference . the two permanent magnets 4 , 5 , are positioned at a distance from the magnetic switching element 18 so that the magnetic field from the magnets 4 , 5 interacts with the biasing magnetic field at the magnetic switching element . the switch is designed as one unit , with the magnets and the magnetic switching element integrated in the same housing . in the embodiments described here , a normally open reed - contact is used as the magnetic switching element . this is the most common type of reed - contact and it is also the least expensive type . other types , such as changeover or normally closed reed - contacts , can also be used when required . in the first embodiment , the switch is switched by disturbing the magnetic field of the magnets 4 , 5 with a ferromagnetic material 21 . in this embodiment , the magnets 4 , 5 , are positioned at a distance from the reed - contact so that the magnetic field from the magnets 4 , 5 cancels the biasing magnetic field at the reed - contact . this leaves the reed - contact in its normal , open state . the resulting magnetic field over the reed - contact will thus be close to zero , or at least under the threshold level of the reed - contact . when the ferromagnetic material 21 is introduced into the magnetic field of magnets 4 , 5 ; that is , when the ferromagnetic material 21 approaches the magnetic switch , the material 21 will collect some of the magnetic field which means that the magnetic field from the magnets 4 , 5 at the reed - contact will decrease . when the ferromagnetic material is at a certain distance , the magnetic field from magnets 4 , 5 has decreased enough for the biasing field to close the reed - contact ; i . e ., the switch switches . the switch is , for example , suitable for mounting on a truck and the ferromagnetic material could be a door . in this case , the switch detects that the door is closed . this embodiment provides for a normally open switch that is closed e . g . by bringing the door close to the switch . in a second embodiment , the switch is also switched by disturbing the magnetic field of the magnets 4 , 5 with a ferromagnetic material 21 . in this embodiment , the magnets 4 , 5 , are positioned somewhat closer to the reed - contact so that the magnetic field from the magnets 4 , 5 overcomes the biasing magnetic field enough for the reed - contact to close . the resulting magnetic field over the reed - contact is thus at least over the threshold level of the reed - contact . when the ferromagnetic material 21 is introduced into the magnetic field of magnets 4 , 5 ( that is , when the ferromagnetic material 21 approaches the magnetic switch ), the material 21 will collect some of the magnetic field , which means that the magnetic field from the magnets 4 , 5 at the reed - contact will decrease . when the ferromagnetic material is at a certain distance , the magnetic field from magnets 4 , 5 has decreased so much that it is balanced by the biasing magnetic field . the resulting magnetic field over the reed - contact will thus be under the threshold level of the reed - contact , which opens the reed - contact ; i . e ., the switch switches . the switch is , for example , suitable for mounting on a truck and the ferromagnetic material can be something such as a door of the vehicle . in this case , the switch detects that the door is closed . this embodiment provides for a normally closed switch that is opened , for example , by bringing the door close to the switch . in a third embodiment , the switch is switched by removing a ferromagnetic material 21 from the switch . in this embodiment , the balance between the biasing magnetic field and the magnetic field from magnets 4 , 5 at the reed - contact is set up with a ferromagnetic material 21 close to the switch . in this embodiment , the magnets 4 , 5 are positioned at a distance from the reed - contact so that the magnetic field from the magnets 4 , 5 together with the ferromagnetic material 21 cancels the biasing magnetic field at the reed - contact . this leaves the reed - contact in its normal , open state . the resulting magnetic field over the reed - contact will thus be close to zero , or at least under the threshold level of the reed - contact . when the ferromagnetic material is removed from the switch , that is when the ferromagnetic material 21 is moved away from the switch , the balance between the biasing magnetic field and the magnetic field from magnets 4 , 5 at the reed - contact disappears . in this case , the magnetic field of the magnets 4 , 5 will increase enough to close the reed - contact , i . e . the switch switches . the switch is e . g . suitable for mounting on a truck and the ferromagnetic material can be e . g . a door . in this case , the switch detects that the door is opened . in a fourth embodiment , the switch is also switched by removing a ferromagnetic material 21 from the switch . in this embodiment , the balance between the biasing magnetic field and the magnetic field from magnets 4 , 5 at the reed - contact is set up with a ferromagnetic material 21 close to the switch . in this embodiment , the magnets 4 , 5 are positioned so that the magnetic field from the magnets 4 , 5 together with the ferromagnetic material is less than the biasing magnetic field so that the reed - contact is closed by the biasing magnetic field . the resulting magnetic field over the reed - contact is thus lower than the threshold level of the reed - contact . when the ferromagnetic material is removed from the switch , that is when the ferromagnetic material 21 is moved away from the switch , a balance between the biasing magnetic field and the magnetic field from magnets 4 , 5 at the reed - contact is created . in this case , the magnetic field of the magnets 4 , 5 will increase enough to open the reed - contact ; that is , the switch switches . the switch is therefore suitable for mounting on a truck and the ferromagnetic material can be suitably a door . in this case , the switch detects that the door is opened . the above - described switches are suitable for contactless detection of the position of metallic parts on e . g . vehicles . since the magnetic switch is enclosed in a single housing , it is protected against corrosion , dirt and the like . thus , the switch is especially suitable for the detection of safety critical parts . this can , for example , be to detect if the cab is in a locked position , to detect if the storage doors are closed or to detect if a tipper body is in a rest position . if the part to detect is not made of a ferromagnetic material , a ferromagnetic material can easily be fitted to the part , either by applying it on the surface or by integrating it into the part . in a further embodiment , a single magnet replaces the two magnets 4 , 5 . the single magnet is positioned in a similar manner as described above for the magnetic arrangement with magnets 4 , 5 . to use a single magnet requires a good knowledge of the properties of the used magnet . in production , where the magnetic properties of the used magnets vary considerably not only between different batches but also in the same production batch , it can be difficult to ensure that the magnetic field from the single magnet always balances the biasing magnetic field . thus , in production it is advantageous to use a magnetic arrangement with two magnets to obtain a good reproducibility . in a further embodiment , the magnetic switching element is used without the assembler . if the angular response of the magnetic switching element is known and it is possible to position the magnetic switching element in a reproducible predefined position , the switch will work as described above without the assembler . in production , it is advantageous to use an assembler . this ensures that the biasing magnetic field will affect the magnetic switching element in a predefined manner . in the above magnetic switches , any of the magnetic arrangements described above can be advantageous , depending on the requirements . it should be appreciated that the invention is not to be regarded as being limited to the embodiments described above ; a number of additional variants and modifications being possible within the scope of the subsequent patent claims . the magnetic switch arrangement can be used wherever a contactless detection is required .	7
it will be readily understood that the components of the present invention , as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein , could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations . thus , the following more detailed description of the embodiments of systems and methods in accordance with the present invention , as represented in fig1 through 12 , is not intended to limit the scope of the invention , as claimed , but is merely representative of certain examples of presently contemplated embodiments in accordance with the invention . the presently described embodiments will be best understood by reference to the drawings , wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout . referring to fig1 , a relative positioning apparatus 10 for use underwater or elsewhere may include a computer 12 . the computer 12 may be wrist - mounted or be otherwise packaged to enable the computer 12 to be remain submerged and independently powered . in some embodiments , the computer 12 may be incorporated within a dive computer typically used to inform divers of critical dive parameters . the computer 12 will typically include an lcd 14 , or like display for presenting information to a user . an apparatus 10 may track acceleration in the number of degrees of freedom ( e . g . directions ) necessary to track a diver &# 39 ; s movements . in some instances these directions may include a transverse direction 16 a , a lateral direction 16 b , and a longitudinal direction 16 c . it will be noted that the directions 16 a - 16 c are defined with respect to the computer 12 . rotational directions 18 a - 18 c , may be defined as rotation about axes parallel to the directions 16 a - 16 c , respectively . the directions 16 a - 16 c may be mutually orthogonal to one another . it will also be noted that any definition of translational and rotational directions may be used provided they are sufficient to uniquely identify the position and orientation of the computer 12 . referring to fig2 , in some embodiments a computer 12 may include a processor 20 for executing instructions , processing inputs , and producing output data . a memory 22 may connect to the processor 20 to store executable and operational data . a memory 22 may include volatile ram 24 as well as long term secondary memory 26 , such as flash memory or a hard drive . the computer 12 may include an input device 28 such as buttons or the like to enable a user to input user defined parameters to the computer 12 . likewise a display 30 may enable the processor 18 to display data to a user . a display 30 may include an lcd 14 , or other video or audio output devices . a signal processor 32 may be dedicated to processing analog signals , performing such functions as filtering or making analog - to - digital conversions or vice versa . referring to fig3 , a computer 12 may execute the modules forming a relative positioning system 31 . the modules forming the relative positioning system 31 may be formed as digital or analog circuits . alternatively , the modules forming the relative positioning system 31 may represent computer executables ( i . e . executable data ) processed by the processor 20 . a relative positioning system 31 may include a signal processing module 32 , an integration module 34 , a reconstruction module 36 , a storage module 38 , a trajectory module 40 , a reference point management module 42 , a switching module 44 , an input module 46 and an output module 48 . the input module 46 may receive user instructions directing the operation of the system 31 . for example , buttons , wireless communication links , or other data input means may be used . likewise , an output module 48 may be a liquid crystal display ( an lcd ) 14 , a wireless communication link to an external device , or some other means of outputting data . an array 50 of accelerometers may be electrically connected to a data acquisition system or other similar computer 12 , supplying information thereto relating to the accelerations experienced by the array 50 . the output of the array 50 may be input to the signal processing module 32 . the signal processing module 32 may filter the output of the array 50 to eliminate noise and otherwise condition the output to compensate for unwanted components of the output signal . an integration module 34 may convert the output of the accelerometers from a signal representing acceleration to a signal representing velocity , displacement , or both . the integration module 32 may perform this function by numerically integrating the conditioned signal . a first integration of the signal will yield velocity whereas a second integration will yield a displacement . a reconstruction module 36 may reconstruct a three dimensional path based on the integrated signal . an array 50 may output signals measuring acceleration corresponding to the six degrees of freedom necessary to describe the position and orientation of an object in three dimensional space ( i . e . lateral , transverse , and longitudinal translation and rotation about the lateral , transverse , and longitudinal axes ). accordingly , the integrated signal may be converted by the reconstruction module 36 into a description of the acceleration , velocity , and displacement of the accelerometers in three dimensional space as well as the rotations experienced by the accelerometers . a storage module 38 may store such things as the current three - dimensional position and orientation of the array 50 , the three dimensional position and orientation of the array 50 at a prior point in time that is significant ( e . g . the starting position of the diver or one or more way points specified by the diver ), or other points along the path followed by the array 50 . the storage module 38 may automatically store such points or store points as instructed by the user . for example a diver may instruct the storage module 38 that a specific point ( e . g . the current position of the array 50 ) is to be saved as a way point . in some embodiments , the storage module 38 may store points based on the length of the path traveled or the amount of time that has passed ( e . g . store a point every twenty feet or every 30 seconds ). the length of time passed and distance traveled may be specified by a user or be either fixed or chosen automatically . referring to fig4 , while still referring to fig3 , a trajectory module 40 may compute a vector 60 indicating a trajectory of some interest for a user . it will be noted that although fig4 and 5 illustrate a two dimensional path , the trajectory may also represent a three dimensional vector . the trajectory module 40 may evaluate the current position 62 a of the array 50 and a starting point 64 stored in the storage module 38 . the trajectory module 40 may calculate a corresponding vector 60 pointing from the current position 62 a of the array 50 to the starting point 64 or another selected point of significance . as a user moves from a point 62 a to a point 62 b or 62 c , the trajectory module 40 may update the vector 60 to point from the point 62 b , 62 c to the starting point 64 as the user moves from point 62 a to points 62 b and 62 c . referring to fig5 , while still referring to fig3 , alternatively , a user may specify that the vector 60 to be calculated shall point from a current position 62 a - 62 e to any of a number of saved way points 66 a , 66 b . in some embodiments , the trajectory module 40 may calculate a trajectory from the current position 62 to a point a standardized distance from the current position . for example , the trajectory module 40 may be programmed to constantly update the trajectory to point to a point on the reconstructed path 20 feet ( or some other distance ) from the current position . in this manner , the trajectory module 40 may aid a user to substantially retrace a path . in order to facilitate precise retracing the trajectory module 40 may calculate a trajectory or a curve fit that approximates a tangent line , polynomial or other reconstructed path calculated at , near , or through the points on the path closest to the series of current positions of a user and indicating the direction to be followed to retrace the original path . that is , a path may include an original path and a return path . a user may specify to the computer 12 at some point that he is returning , thus defining subsequent additions to the path as the return path . when calculating a tangent or other curve - fit trajectory , the trajectory module 40 may use the position on the original path closest to the return path . numerical methods and filtering may provide a shortened , smoothed , or otherwise improved return path . a reference point management module 42 may enable a user to identify reference points that are to be stored and select which of stored reference points are to be used by the trajectory module 40 . for example , a user may press a button , or otherwise provide inputs to instruct the computer 12 , and cause that current position of the array 50 to be stored as a reference point . a user may repeatedly store points as reference points . when a user wishes to retrace a path the reference point management module 42 may present a list of reference points , e . g . reference points 66 a , 66 b , and allow a user to select which points are to be used by the trajectory module 40 to calculate a vector 60 , return path , or the like . in some embodiments , the reference point management module 42 may automatically select which of the stored reference points 66 a , 66 b is to be used to calculate a vector 60 . for example , the reference point management module 42 may march through the reference points 66 a , 66 b , with the last reference point created used first by the trajectory module 40 . when a user approaches the location of the last reference point , the reference point management module 42 may then select the next to last reference point to calculate a new trajectory , and so on for multiple stored reference points . for example , when a user comes within a specified distance of reference point 66 a , the reference point management module 42 may automatically select reference point 66 b for use in calculating the vector 60 . in some embodiments , a reference point management module 42 may be instructed by a user , pre - programmed , or hard wired to select the reference point 66 a , 66 b , or starting point 64 based on proximity . for example at point 62 d , the reference point management module 42 may calculate that point 62 d is closer to reference point 66 b and therefore select reference point 66 b to calculate the vector 60 . referring to fig6 , while still referring to fig3 , a switching module 44 may manage interaction between the system 12 and an independent reference system 70 . an independent reference system 70 may include a global positioning system ( gps ), radio frequency beacon system ( e . g . omni ), or the like . in the illustrated embodiment , cell phone towers 72 a and 72 b may be used to determine the position of a cellular phone 74 , or like device . however , radio waves may be unavailable in some circumstances . for example , a diver will be unable to receive radio frequency signals under water . likewise , a cell phone user who travels outside of the service coverage areas 76 a , 76 b of available cell phone towers 72 a , 72 b or is blocked therefrom will not be able to use radio contact to determine position . accordingly , a switching module 44 may detect when an independent reference system 70 is unavailable and prompt the other modules forming the relative positioning system 31 to function as describe hereinabove . for example , a switching module 44 may detect the weakening or disappearance of radio signals and begin tracking a user &# 39 ; s position using the signals from the accelerometer array when the intensity of radio signals falls below a certain threshold . a switching module 44 may likewise detect when the signal intensity of an independent reference system 70 is above a certain threshold and revert to the use of the system 70 or simply re - calibrate distances for correction using the system 70 . referring to fig7 , a method 80 for using a relative positioning system 31 may include setting 82 a reference point . setting 82 a reference point may include storing sufficient data to define a point in three dimensional space based . setting 82 a reference point may also include storing an orientation of the array 50 . in some embodiments , a first reference point may be presumed to be the point at which a relative positioning system 31 is first engaged or powered on . accordingly , subsequent tracking of the movements of the array 50 will “ set ” 82 the reference point as simply the point of origin of the reconstructed path . a method 80 may include conditioning 84 the output of the array 50 . conditioning 84 may include removing noise and other artifacts from the signal output by the array 50 . conditioning 84 the output of the array 50 may be performed prior to integration of the output and prior to reconstruction of the path . alternatively , the integrated output or the reconstructed path may be smoothed , filtered , or both . in some embodiments , conditioning 84 may be performed by one or more of the output of the array 50 , the integrated output , and the integrated path . a method 80 may include integrating 86 the output . integrating 86 may include using numerical integration techniques to integrate the output signal of the array 50 . the integration 86 may be performed using analog electronics or by converting the output of the array 50 into a digital data and performing the integration programmatically or through digital logic circuits . a method 80 may include reconstructing 88 a path followed by the array 50 . reconstruction may include interpreting the integrated output to reconstruct the path . the integrated output may be interpreted as rotations and displacements , which may be interpreted to reconstruct a three - dimensional path followed by the array . the three dimensional path may also include a history of the rotations experienced by the array 50 . again , the path may be smoothed to any desired degree by curve fitting . a method 80 may include setting 90 an objective point , the objective point may be automatically set to be a starting point or first point on a reconstructed path . alternatively , a reference point , whether created by a user or automatically , may be set 90 , whether automatically or manually , to be an objective point . a method 80 may include calculating 92 a trajectory . calculating 92 a trajectory may include calculating a vector pointing from the current location of the array 50 to the objective point chosen in step 90 . the vector may be displayed 94 on the lcd 14 of the computer 12 , or transmitted to another device and displayed 94 . for example , an arrow pointing to the objective point may be displayed on an lcd of a watch - based computer 12 . referring to fig8 , a method 80 may have various alternative embodiments . in the embodiment of fig8 , the method 80 is used to determine relative position in regions where independent reference systems 70 are unavailable . a method 80 may include detecting 102 signal loss . detecting 102 signal loss may include detecting when reception of a signal is so poor as to render reliance on the signal improper . detecting 102 signal loss 102 may include measuring the intensity of the carrier wave transmitting a signal and comparing the intensity to a predetermined value . likewise , relative variation in signal intensity may be used in addition or instead . the method 100 may include storing 104 the current position of the array 50 at , or near , the time when the signal loss is detected 102 . in some embodiments , the current position of the array 50 may be constantly and repeatedly stored on some schedule , such that when the signal loss is detected 102 , one or more accurate locations will be preserved . storing 104 the current position of the array 50 may also include storing the orientation of the array 50 . the steps of conditioning 84 the output , integrating 86 the output , and reconstructing 88 a path may be performed as described hereinabove in order to track subsequent movements of the array 50 . a method 80 may be further modified to include calculating information 106 relating to relative position and may include using the reconstructed path and the location stored in step 104 to provide information to a user relating to relative position . for example , a user &# 39 ; s location with respect to a map of an area may be identified . displaying 108 relative position information may include displaying to a user the information calculated in step 106 . for example , a digital representation of a map with markings indicating a user &# 39 ; s location may be displayed . this may provide not just a vector instructing which direction to move , but perspective and context . moreover , the vector , destination , path , or all of the above may be displayed schematically or to scale on a compass grid , cartesian coordinate grid , polar coordinate grid , or the like . referring to fig9 , a relative positioning system 31 may be used in conjunction with a ski 120 , snow board 120 , wristwatch , hand held device , or other type of recreational equipment , such as a surf board , skate board , bicycle , backpack , or the like . such an integrated device will ensure that the sportsman can always return to a known point without fear of becoming lost . on land or water , a user can backtrack , beeline , or jink around obstacles , yet a relative positioning system 31 in accordance with the present invention will always indicate the correct direction toward “ home ” ( e . g . a reference point 66 of particular interest or importance ). additionally , a relative positioning system 31 may calculate the distance between a current position 60 and a reference point 66 . summing or integrating in each dimension can provide net distances in two or three dimensions . thus , one may always know the direction and distance “ home ” to a starting point or a destination . a relative positioning system 31 may be operative in two or three dimensions and be incorporated into sporting equipment , a wristwatch , hand held device , or the like . additionally , a relative positioning system 31 may secure directly to , or be incorporated as an integral part of , a ski 120 , snow board 120 , bicycle , backpack , and the like for all the functionality discussed hereinabove . furthermore , when skiing , for example , one &# 39 ; s weight distribution on the skis may be critical to correctly execute turns and like maneuvers . changes in weight distribution may be accompanied by changes in the relative position of points 122 a - 122 c along the length of the ski . for example , if a skier &# 39 ; s weight is shifted forward , the point 122 c may shift upward . in some instances , torsional flexing of the ski may also be reflective of weight distribution or otherwise important to examine a user &# 39 ; s technique . thus , an apparatus 10 in accordance with the invention may provide comparisons of minute variations in timing , acceleration , speed , and position for diagnostics and training . accordingly , a relative positioning system 31 may be used to monitor the motion of the points 122 a - 122 c . tracking the motion of the points 122 a - 122 c may enable a user to reconstruct a model of the motion of the ski in order to give feedback to skiers regarding their weight distribution , velocity , turning technique , timing , stance , positioning and the like . referring to fig1 , the array 50 of accelerometers may include three or more distinct arrays 130 a - 130 c . the arrays 130 a - 130 c may detect acceleration in at least one dimension . for example , the arrays 130 a and 130 c may detect acceleration corresponding to transverse acceleration only , inasmuch as upward deflection of the tip and tail of the ski may be of interest . an array 130 b may detect acceleration in all six degrees of freedom in order to provide an accurate description of the motion of the skier . in some embodiments , each array 130 a - 130 c may detect motion in multiple directions . for example , arrays 130 a , 130 c may also detect rotation in rotational direction 18 c in order to track torsion of the ski . arrays 130 a - 130 c may connect to serial wires 132 a - 132 c to communicate the output of the arrays 130 a - 130 c to other devices . a wire 134 , or plate may likewise connect the arrays 130 a - 130 c to another device . the wires 132 a - 132 c , 134 may be positioned between a lower layer 136 and an upper layer 138 of laminate layers forming the ski 120 . apertures 140 , or an aperture 140 , may be formed in the upper layer 138 to enable access to the wires 132 a - 132 c . a computer 12 may secure to the ski 120 or other recreational member 120 near the apertures 140 and receive the outputs from the arrays 130 a - 130 c . in some embodiments , the lcd 14 of the computer 12 may display data calculated by the relative positioning system 31 such as velocity , distance traveled , or the like . in some embodiments , the computer 12 may transmit the output of the arrays 130 a - 130 c , or data calculated using the arrays 130 a - 130 c to an external device using wireless communication transmitters and receivers . in some embodiments , the computer 12 may simply store the output , or the result of operations executed on the outputs , in its ram 24 or secondary memory 26 to be retrieved later . it will be noted that the computer 12 may be positioned on the ski 120 or in some other location . the output of the arrays 130 a - 130 c may simply be stored or transmitted to a computer 12 located on the skier &# 39 ; s person or elsewhere referring to fig1 , in some embodiments , the output of calculations may be displayed on a mask 142 worn by a user . using leds , lcds or other display technology , a user may move a display area of a face mask , or a “ heads - up ” display on a part of the mask . for example , an lcd 14 may be positioned on the mask 142 . alternatively , graphical representations of data may be projected onto the mask 142 for viewing by the user . in some embodiments , the computer 12 may also secure to the mask 142 and receive the output of the arrays 130 a - 130 c from a wireless transmitter secured to the ski 120 or from wires extending from the ski 120 to the mask 142 . referring to fig1 , a method 80 may be modified as illustrated for use with a ski 120 . for example , the output of the array 50 , or of some step of the processing of the array output , may be transmitted 150 from the array 50 to another device . for example , the computer 12 may be remote from the array . transmitting 150 the output may be accomplished by means of wires or wireless transmission . context data may be input 152 to a computer to enable interpretation of the reconstruction of the path of the array 50 . for example , a model of the ski to which the array 50 is attached may be input . critical data 154 may be isolated from the reconstructed path . for example , the top speed or maximum altitude obtained may be determined based on the reconstructed path . in some embodiments , identifying a maximum altitude may include analyzing which maximum altitude is of significance . for example , a skier performing a jump will start at the top of a hill , descend the hill to gather speed , engage a ramp , ascend through the air until an apex is reached , and then descend . the starting position of the skier will likely be the absolute maximum , with the apex of the jump being a local maximum . accordingly , a large parabolic portion of the path may be isolated to identify the region where the maximum altitude is to be found . similarly , curve fitting and filtering may isolate features of interest . the critical data isolated in step 154 may be displayed in step 156 . for example , a top speed or maximum altitude may be displayed on the top of a ski or a display secured to a skier &# 39 ; s mask 142 . alternatively , the critical data identified in step 154 may be stored to be displayed 156 at a later time . in some embodiments , an animation of a rider &# 39 ; s , boarder &# 39 ; s , or skier &# 39 ; s path may be rendered 158 using the context data of step 152 and the reconstructed path of the array 50 . rendering 158 an animation may include applying translations and rotations to a digital model of a ski , bike , board , or the like . the animation may then be displayed 160 to a user in order to provide feedback to improve technique or performance . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics . the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative , and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the appended claims , rather than by the foregoing description . all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope .	6
hvac systems may include refrigerant circuits having a compressor , a condenser , and an evaporator connected in a refrigerant loop . refrigerant is circulated through the refrigerant loop to the various components . the compressor compresses refrigerant vapor and delivers it to the condenser . the refrigerant vapor delivered by the compressor to the condenser enters into a heat exchange relationship with water or other suitable heat exchange fluid , heating the water while undergoing a phase change to a refrigerant liquid as a result of the heat exchange relationship with the water . the refrigerant leaves the condenser and is delivered to an evaporator . one type of evaporator or cooler is referred to as a chiller heat exchanger , commonly referred to as a direct expansion heat exchanger . the chiller heat exchanger places the liquid refrigerant from the condenser into a heat exchange relationship with a fluid , typically water , and undergoes a phase change to a refrigerant vapor as a result of the heat exchange relationship with the fluid , removing heat from the fluid , typically resulting in a reduction in fluid temperature . the cooled fluid then may be used for cooling applications , including the cooling of buildings . the vapor refrigerant in the chiller heat exchanger exits the chiller heat exchanger and returns to the compressor to complete the cycle . chiller systems may also include multiple refrigerant circuits having independent refrigerant loops . refrigerant in the refrigerant loops circulate through one or more compressors , condensers and evaporators , without combining refrigerant streams . multiple refrigerant circuits may share single components , such as evaporators . when multiple refrigerant loops share a single component , the refrigerant streams remain independent of each other , but exchange heat with the same fluid . in chiller heat exchangers , multiple sets of tubes may be used to maintain independent refrigerant loops . the utilization of a single component in multiple circuit systems allows for increased efficiency of the system and reduction in space required for the chiller system . fig1 shows a known chiller heat exchanger for use with an hvac system having flat plate headers 109 and 117 . the chiller heat exchanger shown in fig1 is a shell and tube heat exchanger having a shell 101 , which receives a fluid , typically water , through shell inlet line 103 . the water in the shell 101 enters into a heat exchange relationship with refrigerant passing through tubes arranged within the shell 101 . the water then exits the shell 101 through water outlet line 105 . liquid refrigerant , typically from a condenser , is circulated to the chiller heat exchanger through refrigerant inlet line 107 . refrigerant inlet line 107 delivers the liquid refrigerant to the first flat header 109 . the first flat header 109 comprises a head plate 111 and a baffle chamber 113 . the head plate 111 is a flat , relatively thick plate that provides containment for the refrigerant within the system . a gasket must be placed between the head plate 111 and the baffle chamber 113 in order to reduce leakage . the baffle chamber 113 contains one or more baffles that direct the flow of refrigerant into a first set of tubes 309 ( see fig3 ) that are arranged in the shell 101 and substantially prevents the direct flow of refrigerant between the inlet and outlet . the head plate 111 and the baffle chamber 113 are fastened to a tubesheet 115 of shell 101 by fasteners 116 . a second gasket must be placed between the baffle chamber 113 and the tubesheet 115 in order to reduce leakage . the shell 101 includes a tubesheet 115 at each end of the shell 101 and provides openings into which refrigerant may pass and a flange to which the header may be attached . the return end of the shell 101 includes a second header 117 . like the first flat header 109 , the second header 117 comprises a head plate 111 and baffle chamber 113 . also like the first flat header 109 , the head plate 111 is a flat , relatively thick plate . also like the first header 109 , the second flat header 117 requires at least two gaskets in order to reduce leakage . center bolts 120 are also shown on the inlet / outlet and return heads . the liquid refrigerant from refrigerant inlet line 107 passes through the first flat header 109 , enters the tubes arranged within the shell 101 and travels to the second flat header 117 . heat transfer between the refrigerant and heat transfer fluid takes place within the shell 101 and generally results in a mixed phase refrigerant and liquid and vaporous refrigerant . the refrigerant in the second flat header 117 then enters a second set of tubes 311 ( see fig3 ), which flow back in a direction toward the first flat header 109 . the refrigerant continues to exchange heat with the fluid in the shell 101 and reenters the first flat header 109 . the refrigerant then exits the first flat header 109 through outlet line 119 substantially as a vapor . the baffle chamber 113 in each of the first flat header 109 and second flat header 117 may also include an arrangement that provides a number of passes of refrigerant across the shell that is greater than two . fig2 shows a chiller heat exchanger according to the present invention . fig2 has substantially the same arrangement of shell 101 , shell inlet line 103 , water outlet line 105 , tubesheet 115 , refrigerant inlet line 107 and refrigerant outlet line 119 , as shown and described with respect to fig1 . however , unlike fig1 , fig2 includes a first header 201 and a second header 203 having a curved geometry , without the use of a baffle chamber 113 and with a single gasket between first header 201 and second header 203 and tubesheets 115 . the curved or dished heads are inexpensive and may be easily fabricated and eliminate the need for center bolts . the gasket may be fabricated from any suitable sealing device that provides sealing of the first and second headers 201 and 203 against the tubesheets 115 . suitable materials include , but are not limited to neoprene or rubber . first header 201 and second header 203 are attached to shell 101 by fasteners 116 . although fig2 shows bolts fastening the first and second headers 201 and 203 against the tubesheet , any suitable fastening means may be used , including welding , clamping or adhering the first and second headers 201 and 203 to the tubesheet 115 . the refrigerant inlet 108 and refrigerant outlet 119 pass through the curved portion of first header 201 and provides refrigerant to and takes refrigerant from the chiller heat exchanger . although fig2 only shows one refrigerant inlet 107 and one refrigerant outlet 117 , the chiller heat exchanger may include multiple inlets and outlets , corresponding to multiple circuits . fig3 shows a cutaway view of the heat exchanger according to the present invention , as shown in fig2 . shell 101 contains a plurality of tubes 301 , which fluidly connect inlet chamber 303 and outlet chamber 305 to return chamber 307 . the tubes 301 are divided into a first set of tubes 309 and a second set of tubes 311 . inlet chamber 303 receives refrigerant , typically liquid refrigerant , from refrigerant inlet line 107 . refrigerant inlet line 107 includes a refrigerant diffuser 306 that diffuses the flow of refrigerant and distributes the refrigerant across tubes 301 of the first set of tubes 309 . although diffuser 306 has been shown as a plate that directs flow substantially perpendicular to the flow into the chiller heat exchanger , any configuration of diffuser 306 may be used so long as the flow of refrigerant is sufficiently diffused to maintain efficient operation of the chiller heat exchanger . the refrigerant in tubes 301 of the first set of tubes 309 flows from the inlet chamber 303 to the return chamber 307 . also , a flow restrictor plate 801 may be included to assure high velocity and enhanced performance ( see fig8 a ). the location of the restrictor plate can be adjusted to achieve the desired refrigerant flow rate and achieved improved efficiencies of operation . as the refrigerant passes through the first set of tubes 309 , heat is exchanged between the refrigerant in tubes 301 and fluid present in the shell 101 . the fluid , typically water , in the shell flows into shell inlet 103 , enters into a heat exchange relationship with the refrigerant in tubes 301 , wherein the water is cooled , and exits through water outlet 105 . the shell inlet 103 and shell outlet 105 may be positioned in any configuration along the length of the shell 101 that provides efficient operation of the chiller heat exchanger . the cooled water leaving the chiller heat exchanger flows to a heat load , such as a building cooling system . although the fluid in the shell has been described as including water , any suitable heat exchange fluid may be used within the shell 101 , including but not limited to brine or glycol solutions . the heat transfer typically involves heat passing from the water to the refrigerant and resulting in a phase change of the refrigerant from a liquid to a vapor . refrigerant entering return chamber 307 preferably includes a mixture of vapor and liquid . the refrigerant in return header 307 is distributed across tubes 301 of the second set of tubes 311 . the refrigerant from the return chamber 307 flows in tubes 301 to outlet chamber 305 . a baffle 313 attached to first header 201 separates the inlet chamber 303 from outlet chamber 305 . like in the first set of tubes 309 , the refrigerant exchanges heat with the fluid in the shell 101 and continues to change from a liquid to a vapor . the refrigerant in outlet header 305 is preferably a vapor . the refrigerant in outlet header 305 exits the chiller heat exchanger through outlet line 117 . from the chiller heat exchanger refrigerant outlet 117 , the refrigerant continues to circulate through the refrigerant loop . fig4 a and 4b show cutaway views of first header 201 for attachment to a chiller heat exchanger for chiller systems having two refrigerant circuits . header 201 shown in fig4 a and 4b includes refrigerant inlet 107 , refrigerant outlet 117 , diffuser 306 , and baffle 313 , as shown and described with respect to fig3 . fig4 a shows a side view cross - section of first header 201 . header 201 includes a flange portion 401 and a rounded wall portion 403 . the rounded wall portion 403 defines inlet chamber 303 and outlet chamber 305 when attached to a tubesheet 115 ( see fig3 ). baffle 313 divides the first header 201 into inlet chamber 303 and outlet chamber 305 . fig4 a and 4b show a two refrigerant circuit system wherein one circuit corresponds to one of the refrigerant inlets 107 and one of the refrigerant outlets 117 and a second circuit corresponds to the other refrigerant inlet 107 and refrigerant outlet 117 . fig4 b shows a cutaway front view of first header 201 . fig4 b shows two refrigerant inlets 107 and two refrigerant outlets 117 . the refrigerant inlets 107 provide refrigerant to inlet chambers 303 . inlet chambers 303 for each of the refrigerant circuits are divided by circuit divider 405 . outlet chambers 305 for each of the refrigerant circuits are divided by circuit divider 405 . circuit divider 405 extends from a first point 407 on the flange portion 401 to a second point 409 on the flange portion 401 and extends circumferentially along the rounded wall portion 403 to form a seal that substantially prevents leakage of refrigerant between the two circuits . fig5 a and 5b show cutaway views of second header 203 for attachment to the opposite end of a chiller heat exchanger as first header 201 by fasteners 116 . fig5 a shows a side view cross - section of second header 203 . like first header 201 , second header 203 includes a flange portion 401 and a rounded wall portion 403 . the rounded wall portion 403 in fig5 a and 5b defines return chamber 307 when attached to a tubesheet 115 ( see fig3 ). fig5 b shows a cutaway front view of second header 203 . fig5 b shows two return chambers 307 , each corresponding to one of the two refrigerant circuits . return chambers 307 for each of the refrigerant circuits are divided by circuit divider 405 . circuit divider 405 extends from a first point 407 on the flange portion 401 to a second point 409 on the flange portion 401 and extends circumferentially along the rounded wall portion 403 to form a seal that substantially prevents leakage of refrigerant between the two circuits . fig6 shows a perspective view of first header 201 according to the present invention . fig6 includes refrigerant inlets 107 , refrigerant outlets 117 , flange portion 401 , diffuser 306 , baffle 313 , and circuit divider 405 , as shown and described in fig3 a and 4 b . the interior spaces of inlet chamber 303 and outlet chamber 305 are shown . inlet chambers 303 and outlet chambers 305 are defined by the surfaces of the first header 201 , rounded wall portion 403 , the circuit divider 405 , baffle 313 and tubesheet 115 ( see fig3 ) when first header 201 is attached to tubesheet 115 by fasteners 116 . a gasket 601 is disposed adjacent to the flange portion 401 , circuit divider 405 and baffle 313 in order to provide a seal when the first header is fastened to tubesheet 115 . the refrigerant inlets 107 and refrigerant outlets 117 extend into the interior spaces of inlets chamber 303 and outlet chambers 305 . the extension of the refrigerant inlets 107 and refrigerant outlets 117 permit refrigerant to flow into or from the tubes 301 with a desirable flow profile and maintain efficient operation of the heat exchanger . fig7 shows a perspective view of second header 203 according to the present invention . fig7 includes flange portion 401 , and circuit divider 405 , as shown and described in fig3 a and 5 b . the interior space of return chamber 307 is shown . return chamber 307 is formed when second header 203 is fastened to tubesheet 115 ( see fig3 ) by fasteners 116 . the return chamber defined by the rounded wall portion 403 , circuit divider 405 and tubesheet 115 when the second header 203 is attached to tubesheet 115 . the geometry of return chamber 307 , including the rounded wall portion 403 , provides efficient flow of refrigerant through the heat exchanger wherein the refrigerant maintains a high velocity . fig8 a and 8b show a cutaway view of an alternate embodiment according to the present invention . fig8 a shows a cutaway side view of first header 201 having inlet chamber 303 , and outlet chamber 305 as shown and described with respect to fig4 a . however , fig8 a further includes a restrictor plate 801 that reduces the volume of the chambers 303 and 305 . restrictor plate 801 is preferably attached to the rounded wall portion 403 and sealed to provide a predetermined volume within the chambers . although fig8 a shows the restrictor plate 801 arranged vertically within the header across refrigerant inlet 107 and refrigerant outlet 117 , restrictor plate 801 may be arranged in any suitable configuration that provides control of the volume within the inlet and outlet chambers 303 and 305 . restrictor plate 801 provides additional control of the velocity of the refrigerant through the chiller heat exchanger . in addition , the restrictor plate 801 provides the refrigerant inlet 107 and refrigerant outlet 117 with greater stability from the additional attachment point to the first header 201 . the restrictor plate 801 also provides a surface to which the diffuser 306 may be attached , providing for easier assembly of the first header 201 . fig8 b shows a cutaway front view of first header 201 having inlet chamber 303 , and outlet chamber 305 as shown and described with respect to fig4 b . fig8 b includes a restrictor plate 801 reducing the volume of the chambers 303 and 305 . as shown in fig8 b , the restrictor plate 801 is circumferentially attached to wall portion 403 . although the restrictor plate is shown as a substantially flat plate , the restrictor plate may be any geometry that reduces the volume in inlet and outlet chambers 303 and 305 . for example , the restrictor plate 801 may also be a curved portion having a smaller radius of curvature than the first and second headers 201 and 203 , forming a chamber including at least one curved surface . further , the restrictor plates 801 may be present in any combination of chambers , including one or more of the inlet chamber 303 , outlet chamber 305 , and return chamber 307 . in addition , refrigerant inlets 107 and refrigerant outlets 117 extend through the restrictor plate 801 and are likewise attached to restrictor plate 801 . the circuit divider 405 and baffle 313 are attached to and extend from the restrictor plate 801 to an extent that allows a seal when first header 201 is attached to a tubesheet 115 ( see fig3 ). although fig8 a and 8b show the baffle and circuit divider 405 extending from the restrictor plate 801 , the baffle 313 and circuit divider may also extend through the restrictor plate 801 to the rounded wall portion 403 . fig9 a and 9b show second header 203 according to an alternate embodiment of the invention . fig9 a shows a cutaway side view of second header 203 having return chamber 307 , as shown and described with respect to fig5 a . fig9 a further includes a restrictor plate 801 that reduces the volume of the return chamber 307 . fig9 b shows a cutaway front view of second header 203 having return chamber 307 , as shown and described with respect to fig5 b . the circuit divider 405 shown in fig9 a and 9b is attached to and extends perpendicularly from the restrictor plate 801 to an extent that allows a seal when second header 203 is attached to a tubesheet 115 ( see fig3 ). fig1 shows a perspective view of first header 201 according to an alternate embodiment of the invention . fig1 shows the arrangement of fig6 further comprising restrictor plate 801 . as shown and describe with respect to fig8 a and 8b , restrictor plate 801 is circumferentially attached to the wall portion 403 , reducing the volume of inlet chambers 303 and outlet chambers 305 when the first header 202 is attached to tubesheet 115 . the interior spaces of inlet chamber 303 and outlet chamber 305 are shown . inlet chambers 303 and outlet chambers 305 are defined by the surfaces of the first header 201 , rounded wall portion 403 , circuit divider 405 , baffle 313 , tubesheet 115 ( see fig3 ) and restrictor plate 801 when first header 201 is attached to tubesheet 115 by fasteners 116 . like shown in fig6 , gasket 601 is disposed adjacent to the flange portion 401 , circuit divider 405 and baffle 313 in order to provide a seal when the first header is fastened to tubesheet 115 . the refrigerant inlets 107 and refrigerant outlets 117 extend into the interior spaces of inlets chamber 303 and outlet chambers 305 and are attached to the restrictor plate 801 . the extension of the refrigerant inlets 107 and refrigerant outlets 117 permit refrigerant to flow into the tubes 301 with a desirable flow profile and maintain efficient operation of the heat exchanger . fig1 shows a perspective view of second header 203 according to an alternate embodiment of the invention . fig1 shows the arrangement of fig7 further comprising restrictor plate 801 . as shown and describe with respect to fig9 a and 9b , restrictor plate 801 is circumferentially attached to the wall portion 403 , reducing the volume of return chamber 307 when the first header 202 is attached to tubesheet 115 . the interior space of return chamber 307 is shown . return chamber 307 is formed when second header 203 is fastened to tubesheet 115 ( see fig3 ) by fasteners 116 . the return chamber defined by the rounded wall portion 403 , circuit divider 405 , tubesheet 115 and restrictor plate 801 when the second header 203 is attached to tubesheet 115 . the geometry of return chamber 307 , including the rounded wall portion 403 , provides efficient flow of refrigerant through the heat exchanger wherein the refrigerant maintains a high velocity . although the invention has been shown and described with respect to two refrigerant circuits , any number of refrigerant circuits may be used . for example , two circuit dividers 405 may be attached to the rounded wall portion 403 to accommodate three circuits . likewise , although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a two - pass system , baffles 313 and tubes 301 may be arranged into three or more passes . while the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof . therefore , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention , but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims .	5
one embodiment of a semiconductor memory device according to the present invention ( referred to as the “ device of the present invention ” occasionally hereinafter ) will be described with reference to the drawings . fig1 is a circuit diagram simply showing a memory cell array structure of the device of the present invention . according to the memory cell array in the device of the present invention , a sub - array 2 is provided such that memory cells 1 are arranged with even numbers in rows and with plural numbers in columns in the shape of an array , and the sub - arrays 2 are arranged with plural numbers in rows and columns . fig1 shows two sub - arrays 2 a and 2 b which are adjacent to each other in the column direction . although the number of columns ( the number of arrangements in the row direction ) of the memory cells of each sub - array 2 shown in fig1 is four , it may be another even number such as eight or sixteen other than four . the memory cell 1 is a non - volatile memory cell comprising a gate electrode ( a first electrode ), a source electrode ( one of second electrodes ) and a drain electrode ( the other of the second electrodes ), and having a mosfet structure in which memory contents can be read out according to a conductive state between the source and the drain electrodes , depending on a potential of the gate electrode . according to this embodiment , it comprises a sidewall memory element 100 shown in fig3 ( a ) which comprises a gate electrode 104 formed on a semiconductor layer 102 through a gate insulation film 103 , a channel region 101 arranged under the gate electrode 104 , diffusion regions 105 and 106 arranged on both sides of the channel region 101 and having a conductivity type opposite to that of the channel region 101 , and memory functioning bodies 107 and 108 formed on both sidewalls of the gate electrode 104 and having a function to maintain electric charges . here , the memory cell 1 can read data stored in each of the two memory functioning bodies m 1 and m 2 shown in fig3 ( b ), depending on plus or minus of a current direction between the source electrode s and the drain electrode d . in each of the sub - array 2 , the gate electrodes of the memory cells 1 in the same row are connected to a common word line , the source electrodes or the drain electrodes are connected to each other between the two adjacent memory cells in the row direction , and the source electrodes or the drain electrodes of the memory cells in the same column are connected to a common sub - bit line lbi ( i = 1 to 5 ). the sub - bit lines lbi comprise odd - numbered first bit lines lbi ( i = 1 , 3 and 5 ) and even - numbered second bit lines lbi ( i = 2 and 4 ). in addition , each sub - array 2 in the same column comprises a common main bit line gba and a common second main bit line gbb . referring to fig1 , in the plurality of the sub - arrays 2 positioned in the same column and connected to the common first main bit line gba and the common second main bit line gbb , the odd - numbered sub - array is a sub - array 2 a and the even - numbered sub - array is a sub - array 2 b . thus , according to this embodiment , in the sub - array 2 a , the three first bit lines lbi ( i = 1 , 3 and 5 ) are connected to the first main bit line gba through selection transistors bk 1 , bk 3 and bk 5 , respectively , and the two second bit lines lbi ( i = 2 and 4 ) are connected to the second main bit line gbb through selection transistors bk 2 and bk 4 , respectively , and in the other sub - array 2 b , the three first bit lines lbi ( i = 1 , 3 and 5 ) are connected to the second main bit line gbb through selection transistors bk 1 , bk 3 and bk 5 , respectively , and the two second bit lines lbi ( i = 2 and 4 ) are connected to the first main bit line gba through selection transistors bk 2 and bk 4 , respectively , as shown in fig1 , the first main bit line gba is connected to the three selection transistors bk 1 , bk 3 and bk 5 , in the odd - numbered sub - array 2 a , and it is connected to the two selection transistors bk 2 and bk 4 in the even - numbered sub - array 2 b . in addition , the second main bit line gbb is connected to the two selection transistors bk 2 and bk 4 in the odd - numbered sub - array 2 a , and it is connected to the three selection transistors bk 1 , bk 3 and bk 5 in the even - numbered sub - array 2 b . therefore , each of the first main bit line gba and the second main bit line gbb is connected to all of the five selection transistors bki ( i = 1 to 5 ) in a couple of the odd - numbered sub - array 2 a and the even - numbered sub - array 2 b and a junction capacity in each main bit line is equal to the other . therefore , totals of the junction capacities of the selection transistors bki ( i = 1 to 5 ) contained in wiring capacities of the first main bit line gba and the second main bit line gbb commonly connected to sub - arrays positioned in the same column are the same , and each wiring capacity becomes equal . as a result , a time delay caused by a difference in wiring capacity between the two main bit lines is not generated between a charging and discharging time of the first main bit line gba at the time of a readout operation by connecting the first main bit line gba to a sense amplifier as a data readout main bit line and connecting the second main bit line gbb to the ground potential , and a charging and discharging time of the second main bit line gbb at the time of readout operation by connecting the second main bit line gbb to the sense amplifier as the data readout main bit line and connecting the first main bit line gba to the ground potential . thus , a readout access time can be prevented from being fluctuated . a description will be made of a voltage condition applied to each part when information stored in the memory functioning body m 1 of the memory cell 1 a in the sub - array 2 a is read out . first , in order to select the memory cell 1 a , the selection transistors bk 1 and bk 2 in the sub - array 2 a are turned on and the other selection transistors bk 3 to bk 5 in the sub - array 2 a and all of the selection transistors in the other sub - array are turned off . then , 3v is applied to a word line wla connected to the gate electrode of the memory cell 1 a , for example , and the first main bit line gba is connected to the ground potential , and the second main bit line gbb is connected to the sense amplifier ( not shown ) and charged to 1 . 2v . since 0v is applied to the first main bit line gba and 1 . 2v is applied to the second main bit line gbb , 1 . 2v is applied to the source electrode or the drain electrode which is the opposite side of the memory functioning body m 1 of the memory cell 1 a through the second bit line lb 2 , and 0v is applied to the source electrode or the drain electrode on the side of the memory functioning body m 1 through the first bit line lb 1 . thus , information stored in the memory functioning body m 1 in the two memory functioning bodies m 1 and m 2 , that is , a current corresponding to an amount of electrons stored in the memory functioning body m 1 flows from the second main bit line gbb to the first main bit line gba as a cell current of the memory functioning body m 1 of the memory cell 1 a . by comparing the current with a reference current of a reference cell ( not shown ) by the sense amplifier ( not shown ), the data of the memory functioning body m 1 is read out . in addition , when information written in the memory functioning body m 2 of the memory cell 1 a is read out , conditions of the two main bit lines gba and gbb are reversed and the second main bit line gbb is connected to the ground potential and the first main bit line gba is connected to the sense amplifier and charged to 1 . 2v here , since the wiring capacity of the first main bit line gba is equal to that of the second main bit line gbb , when the data in the memory functioning body m 1 and the data in the memory functioning body m 2 are read out , if an electron amount stored in the memory functioning body m 1 is the same as that of the memory functioning body m 2 , their access times for data readout become the same . fig2 is a circuit diagram simply showing a memory cell array structure of a device of the present invention according to an embodiment 2 . according to the memory cell array in the device of the present invention , a sub - array 2 is provided such that memory cells 1 are arranged with even numbers in rows and with plural numbers in columns in the shape of an array , and the sub - arrays 2 are arranged with plural numbers in rows and columns . fig2 shows two sub - arrays 2 a and 2 b which are adjacent to each other in the column direction . although the number of columns ( the number of arrangements in the row direction ) of the memory cells of each sub - array 2 shown in fig2 is four , it may be another even number such as eight or sixteen other than four . the memory cell 1 is a non - volatile memory cell comprising a gate electrode ( a first electrode ), a source electrode ( one of second electrodes ) and a drain electrode ( the other of the second electrodes ), and having a mosfet structure in which memory contents can be read according to a conductive state between the source and the drain electrodes , depending on a potential of the gate electrode . according to this embodiment , it comprises a sidewall memory element 200 shown in fig4 ( a ) which comprises a gate electrode 104 formed on a semiconductor layer 102 through a gate insulation film 103 , a channel region 101 arranged under the gate electrode 104 , a diffusion region ( source electrode ) 105 and a diffusion region ( drain electrode ) 106 arranged on both sides of the channel region 101 and having a conductivity type opposite to that of the channel region 101 , and a memory functioning body 107 formed on the source side of the sidewall of the gate electrode 104 and having a function to maintain electric charges . the sidewall memory element 200 in the embodiment 2 is different from the sidewall memory element 100 in the embodiment 1 in that the memory functioning body 107 is formed only on the source side of the sidewall of the gate electrode 104 . although the case where the memory functioning body is formed only on the source side of the sidewall is illustrated in the embodiment 2 , the memory functioning body may be formed only on the drain side of the sidewall . in each of the sub - array 2 , the gate electrodes of the memory cells 1 in the same row are connected to a common word line , one source electrode is connected to the other drain electrode between the two adjacent memory cells in the row direction , and the source electrodes or the drain electrodes of the memory cells in the same column are connected to a common sub - bit line lbi ( i = 1 to 5 ). the sub - bit lines lbi comprise odd - numbered first bit lines lbi ( i = 1 , 3 and 5 ) and even - numbered second bit lines lbi ( i = 2 and 4 ). in addition , each sub - array 2 in the same column comprises a common main bit line gba and a common second main bit line gbb . referring to fig2 , in the plurality of the sub - arrays 2 positioned in the same column and connected to the common first main bit line gba and the common second main bit line gbb , the odd - numbered sub - array is a sub - array 2 a and the even - numbered sub - array is a sub - array 2 b . thus , according to this embodiment , in the sub - array 2 a , the three first bit lines lbi ( i = 1 , 3 and 5 ) are connected to the first main bit line gba through selection transistors bk 1 , bk 3 and bk 5 , respectively , and the two second bit lines lbi ( i = 2 and 4 ) are connected to the second main bit line gbb through selection transistors bk 2 and bk 4 , respectively , and in the other sub - array 2 b , the three first bit lines lbi ( i = 1 , 3 and 5 ) are connected to the second main bit line gbb through selection transistors bk 1 , bk 3 and bk 5 , respectively , and the two second bit lines lbi ( i = 2 and 4 ) are connected to the first main bit line gba through selection transistors bk 2 and bk 4 , respectively , as shown in fig2 , the first main bit line gba is connected to the three selection transistors bk 1 , bk 3 and bk 5 , in the odd - numbered sub - array 2 a , and it is connected to the two selection transistors bk 2 and bk 4 in the even - numbered sub - array 2 b . in addition , the second main bit line gbb is connected to the two selection transistors bk 2 and bk 4 in the odd - numbered sub - array 2 a , and it is connected to the three selection transistors bk 1 , bk 3 and bk 5 in the even - numbered sub - array 2 b . therefore , each of the first main bit line gba and the second main bit line gbb is connected to all of the five selection transistors bki ( i = 1 to 5 ) in a couple of the odd - numbered sub - array 2 a and the even - numbered sub - array 2 b and junction capacity in each main bit line is equal . therefore , totals of the junction capacities of the selection transistors bki ( i = 1 to 5 ) contained in wiring capacities of the first main bit line gba and the second main bit line gbb commonly connected to the sub - arrays positioned in the same column are equal to each other , and each wiring capacity becomes equal . as a result , a time delay caused by a difference in wiring capacity between the two main bit lines is not generated between a charging and discharging time of the first main bit line gba at the time of a readout operation by connecting the first main bit line gba to a sense amplifier as a data readout main bit line and connecting the second main bit line gbb to the ground potential , and a charging and discharging time of the second main bit line gbb at the time of readout operation by connecting the second main bit line gbb to the sense amplifier as the data readout main bit line and connecting the first main bit line gba to the ground potential . thus , a readout access time can be prevented from being fluctuated . a description will be made of a voltage condition applied to each part when information stored in the memory functioning body of the memory cell 1 a in the sub - array 2 a is read out . first , in order to select the memory cell 1 a , the selection transistors bk 1 and bk 2 in the sub - array 2 a are turned on and the other selection transistors bk 3 to bk 5 in the sub - array 2 a and all of the selection transistors in the other sub - array are turned off . then , 3v is applied to a word line wla connected to the gate electrode of the memory cell 1 a , for example , and the first main bit line gba is connected to the ground potential , and the second main bit line gbb is connected to a sense amplifier ( not shown ) and charged to 1 . 2v . since 0v is applied to the first main bit line gba and 1 . 2v is applied to the second main bit line gbb , 1 . 2v is applied to the drain electrode which is on the opposite side of the memory functioning body of the memory cell 1 a through the second bit line lb 2 , and 0v is applied to the source electrode on the side of the memory functioning body through the first bit line lb 1 . thus , information stored in the memory functioning body , that is , a current corresponding to an amount of electrons stored in the memory functioning body flows from the second main bit line gbb to the first main bit line gba as a cell current of the memory cell 1 a . by comparing the current with a reference current of a reference cell ( not shown ) by the sense amplifier ( not shown ), the data of the memory cell 1 a is read out . in addition , when the memory cell 1 b next to the memory cell 1 a in the row direction is read out , in order to select the memory cell 1 b , the selection transistors bk 2 and bk 3 of the sub - array 2 a are turned on , the other selection transistors bk 1 , bk 4 , and bk 5 of the sub - array 2 a and all of the selection transistor of the other sub - array are turned off , 3v is applied to the word line wla connected to the gate electrode of the memory cell 1 a , for example , the second main bit line gbb is connected to the ground potential , and the first main bit line gba is connected to the sense amplifier ( not shown ) and charged to 1 . 2v . since 1 . 2v is applied to the first main bit line gba , and 0v is applied to the second main bit line gbb , 1 . 2v is applied to the drain electrode opposite to the memory functioning body of the memory cell 1 b through the first bit line lb 3 , and 0v is applied to the source electrode on the memory functioning body side through the second bit line lb 2 . thus , information written in the memory functioning body , that is , a current corresponding to an amount of electrons stored in the memory functioning body flows from the first main bit line gba to the second main bit line gbb as a cell current of the memory cell 1 b . by comparing the current with a reference current of a reference cell ( not shown ) by the sense amplifier ( not shown ), the data of the memory cell 1 b is read out . here , since the wiring capacity of the first main bit line gba is equal to that of the second main bit line gbb , when the data in the memory cell 1 a and the memory cell 1 b are read out , if an electron amount stored in the memory functioning body of each memory cell is the same , their access times for data readout become the same . in addition , when the memory functioning body of the memory cell 1 a is formed on the drain side of the sidewall of the gate electrode , the conditions of the two main bit lines gba and gbb are reversed , the second main bit line gbb is connected to the ground potential , and the first main bit line gba is connected to the sense amplifier and charged to 1 . 2v . regarding the memory cell 1 b , conditions of the two main bit lines gba and gbb are similarly reversed .	6
a ) the raw material used is sticks or slabs which are aligned approximately parallel in the longitudinal direction side by side and in superposition and are dressed to give a continuous packet strand of approximately equal width and height , b ) this packet strand is advanced approximately horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the sticks or slabs and at the same time subjected to pressure forces from above , in order to prevent yielding during the subsequent breaking - up , c ) the packet strand is then passed through a breaking - up device in which the individual sticks or slabs are broken up in the longitudinal direction by vertical cutting motions in a short time cycle to give individual long slivers which are mutually separate parallel to the fibers , the packet strand decreasing in height but increasing in width , and d ) these long slivers are then compacted into a web by ramming which acts on them from above . according to the invention , sticks and , if appropriate , slabs are used as the raw material instead of solid wood . whereas previous barking of the raw material is required in conventional processes , this is not necessary according to the invention . the energy - intensive crushing step is replaced according to the invention by a splitting step parallel to the fibers . in contrast to the prior processes , the fiber structure is thus not only loosened according to the invention to give a mat in which the fiber sections are still firmly coherent , but the raw material layered in superposition is split into individual longitudinal slivers which are thus completely separated from one another and the cross - sections of which should preferably be on average 100 mm 2 and at most 200 mm 2 . admittedly , &# 34 ; cutting motions &# 34 ; are mentioned ; however , these should preferably be carried out , in conjunction with the preferably continuous advance of the packet strand , in such a way that a splitting process results in the wood material , that is to say the knife edge is preceded in the wood by an air gap . the sticks or slabs can already be combined into individual bundles in the saw mill , before they are processed , and detached from these bundles to form this continuous packet strand . in this case , it is advantageous if the packet strand is dressed to a height which is considerably smaller than the diameter of a bundle . on their way between the individual cutting steps , the sticks or slabs are subjected from above to pressure forces advancing them , for firm compression of the raw material layered in superposition while it is broken up longitudinally . due to the longitudinal division of the sticks or slabs owing to the repeated longitudinal splitting , internal stresses in the wood are relieved , and a fabric - like mat formed of long slivers lying loosely side by side and in superposition results . this mat - like structure is then compacted to give a web by the ramming provided according to the invention . the pressure of the rams can here be adjusted such that the fiber structure is loosened in a preselectable manner , which is not achievable by means of crush rollers . in order to further enhance the mutual matting of the long slivers during the formation of the fabric , it can be advantageous when the long slivers are guided on paths which cross at acute angles . this further assists the splaying effect which already results from the longitudinal splitting during which the long slivers formed from a stick are slightly deflected on both sides from the original conveying direction by the splitting knife dividing them longitudinally , so that different directions then result . in principle , it is possible to carry out longitudinal splits in a short time cycle by means of splitting knives whose cutting edges are aligned horizontally and parallel to the fibers . however , longitudinal splits which are made by vertically oscillating cutting motions of splitting knives , the cutting edges of which are at least approximately vertical , so that the splitting takes place against the advancing direction of the wood , have proven more advantageous and in particular more energy - saving . a particular advantage of the process according to the invention is that sticks and , if appropriate , slabs are processed , which normally can be layered in several superposed plies , instead of round timber . raw material of any desired length can therefore be used , whereas round timber cut to lengths is required in the state of the art . another advantage is that , in the process according to the invention , controllable advancing and cutting forces can be applied . the bonding of the individual , first produced long slivers to give a transportable coherent web takes place according to the invention exclusively by the application of pressure . any bark is separated off or crumbled during the longitudinal breaking - up of the sticks or slabs and can therefore be removed without problems . if the sticks or slabs are combined into bundles before they are processed , it is advantageous when the packet strand is then dressed to a height which is considerably smaller than the diameter of a bundle . according to the invention , the oscillation of the cutting motions to produce the long slivers can be up to 80 cycles / second . for the subsequent formation of the web , it is advantageous when the ramming acting from above on the long slivers or on the mesh for the compaction thereof exerts a sudden , abrupt action of a large force , stored energy being converted within milliseconds , without large kinetic energies having to be evolved . the web compressed in this way can then be subjected to thickness dressing . the packet strand or the mesh can be advanced continuously at constant speed . this leads , inter alia , to backing - up of material before the discontinuously operating ramming , in conjunction with upsetting of the long slivers which burst open in the manner of the eye of a needle under the action of this force . as a result , the matting is improved , and the said effect is controllable . a ) a conveyor for a continuous packet strand consisting of longitudinally aligned sticks or slabs , b ) a pressing device arranged above this conveyor , extending across the conveying width , acting vertically downwards and rolling on the packet strand , c ) a breaking - up device downstream of the conveyor , consisting of a plurality of rows of knives which are aligned transversely to the direction of conveying and are arranged with an offset behind one another and relative to one another and which are each composed of a plurality of splitting knives which are arranged side by side at a clear distance , are guided to be vertically displaceable and are subject to a drive of short cycle time , and d ) downstream of the breaking - up device , a compacting device is provided in which the previously split long slivers are compacted to give a web . it can here be additionally advantageous if , within the breaking - up device and across the increasing conveying width thereof , guide elements for deflecting the longitudinally split sticks or slabs and / or long slivers are arranged in such a way that guide paths crossing at acute angles are formed for these . upstream of the packet strand conveyor , a metering device can be provided for detaching the sticks or slabs from bundles fed . the pressing device upstream of the breaking - up device can preferably have pressing rolls and / or pressing balls which can be actuated via mutually linked hydraulic cylinders , the pressing rolls preferably having floating mounts . this gives optimized adaptation of the pressing device to the surface contour of the packet strand . in order to improve or ensure the parallel guiding of the sticks or slabs , the pressing device upstream of the breaking - up device can have contact pressure blocks with guide strips . to avoid jamming of the sticks or slabs between the splitting knives , it is advantageous if the distance between the cutting edges of two splitting knives arranged side by side in one row is smaller than that between the rear knife edges . the contact pressure devices provided in the breaking - up device can also comprise freely rotating pressing rolls in floating mounts . to prevent the vertically arranged splitting knives from pulling up the sticks or slabs , being acted upon at the time , with them during their upward motion , it can be advantageous if the splitting knives are arranged with an inclination against the conveying direction and thereby enclose an acute angle with the latter . the compacting device downstream of the breaking - up device can be composed of a plurality of power units which convert the energy stored in them within milliseconds in a rapid time cycle . it is advantageous here if , both for the oscillating drive of the splitting knives and for the drive of the compacting device , power units are used such as are described in german patent specification 2 , 600 , 948 . referring now to the drawings , the unit shown in fig1 starts with a conveyor 1 for a continuous packet strand 2 consisting of longitudinally aligned sticks or slabs . above the conveyor 1 , a pressing device 3 is located which extends across the conveying width and acts vertically downwards on the upper side of the packet strand 2 and rolls on the latter . fig3 shows a contact pressure block 4 of this pressing device 3 , having pressing rolls 5 and / or pressing balls as well as guide strips 6 for improving the parallel guiding of the sticks 7 or slabs . downstream of the pressing device 3 , a breaking - up device 8 is provided which has a plurality of rows of knives 10 which are aligned transversely to the conveying direction 9 and arranged with an offset behind one another and relative to one another and which are each composed of a plurality of splitting knives 11 arranged side by side at a clear distance , with vertical cutting edges 12 directed against the packet strand 2 . the splitting knives 11 are guided to be vertically displaceable and are subjected to an oscillating drive 13 . at least the splitting knives 11 of one row of knives 10 are arranged here in a common frame 14 ( see fig5 ) which frame is subject to the oscillating drive 13 which is not shown in more detail . the conveyor transporting the packet strand 2 through the breaking - up device 8 is formed by driven chains 15 which are taken through between the splitting knives 11 and are in an interleaved arrangement . in the breaking - up device 8 , between the individual rows of knives 10 , contact pressure devices 16 are located which again can have pressing rolls and / or pressing balls and firmly compress the packet strand 2 from above on the way through the breaking - up device 8 . downstream of the breaking - up device 8 , a compacting device 17 is provided in which the previously split long slivers are compacted to give a web 18 . as a conveyor for the web 18 , there is a flat belt 19 downstream of the breaking - up device 8 . a dressing roller 20 is provided downstream of the compacting device 17 . fig2 shows the region of the breaking - up device 8 , the contact pressure devices 16 provided between the rows 10 of knives not being shown to improve clarity . in the region of this breaking - up device 8 ( and downstream in the region of the compacting device 17 and the dressing roller 20 ), the packet strand 2 decreases in height but increases in width . a dressing roll 21 is provided upstream of the breaking - up device 8 , and the compacting device 17 composed of a plurality of power units 17a is provided downstream . within the breaking - up device 8 and across the increasing conveying width thereof , guide elements 22 for deflecting the longitudinally split sticks or slabs and / or long slivers are arranged in such a way that guide paths 23 crossing at acute angles are formed for these . in fig4 it can be seen that the distance ( a ) between the cutting edges 12 of two splitting knives 11 arranged side by side in a row 10 is smaller than the distance ( a &# 39 ;) between the rear knife edges . the thickness of the knives 11 formed with a sharp cutting edge 12 is preferably 2 - 3 mm . the stroke of the knives can be about 200 mm . the sticks or slabs used as the raw material are aligned side by side and in superposition approximately parallel to one another in the longitudinal direction and dressed to give the continuous packet strand 2 of approximately equal width and height . this packet strand conveyed continuously or discontinuously on the conveyor 1 is subjected to the pressing device 3 in order to prevent yielding during the subsequent breaking - up . the packet strand 2 is then transported by the chain conveyor 15 through the breaking - up device 8 in the direction of conveying 9 . the front face of the packet strand 2 thus passes into the action region of the splitting knives 11 which execute vertical oscillating cutting motions and split , by their vertical cutting edges 12 , the sticks or slabs against the advancing direction 9 thereof in the longitudinal direction , the result being long slivers which are separate from one another with the fibers parallel , due to the repeated longitudinal splitting . for further enhancing of the matting thereof , the guide elements 22 indicated in fig2 are provided . the provision of the said guide paths 23 ensures that the long slivers cross on their way through the breaking - up device 8 and thus form a fabric which is then compacted by the downstream compacting device 17 , which exerts a ramming effect from above on the fabric , to give the web 18 in which the long slivers are arranged predominantly in their longitudinal direction .	8
the compact , convenient and solid state personal humidor system of this invention 100 as shown in the drawings wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the several views , there is generally disclosed in fig1 a perspective backside view of the humidor insulated box complete with a thermoelectric chip 200 . fig2 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of humidor insulated box complete with back side thermoelectric chip 200 , a temperature and humidity display and a plurality of cigars . fig3 ( a ) shows a schematic of the thermo electric module / chip 235 and the cold sink 220 . similarly fig3 ( b ) shows a more detailed view of the thermoelectric chip . fig4 shows a block diagram of the humidor system complete with rechargeable direct current power source 230 and thermostat 240 . the solid state electronic thermoelectric &# 34 ; chip &# 34 ; cools a given volume of space without bulky compressors , cfc gases , coils etc . this space age technology uses the power from direct current source and keeps the humidor at the right temperature . by varying the current the inside temperature of the humidor can be accurately varied . an hq circuit 245 senses the temp and with the help of a thermostat 240 it keeps the temperature at a pre - set level . the batteries 230 are rechargeable . the system 100 of this invention comprises a thermo electric assembly module 200 which in turn comprises a solid state thermo electric chip 235 , a heat sink 210 . the system also includes a digital display comprising a digital hygrometer 265 and a digital thermometer 260 . plurality of cigars 300 are also placed in the humidor box 100 which includes an optional lock 125 . in the preferred embodiment the inventor used six d cells for the direct current power source not shown in the drawings . fig3 shows the interface between the thermo electric module &# 39 ; s solid state chip and the cold sink in greater detail . in the preferred embodiment the inventor used melcor model cp . 8 - 71 - o6l as the thermo electric chip 235 . the approximate cooling area of the device is 40 thousand square millimeters or 60 square inches . fig4 shows a block diagram of the humidor system complete with the thermo electric assembly module 200 , ( which in turn comprises a chip 235 and a heat sink 210 , a power source 230 , a digital display comprising digital hygrometer 265 , digital thermometer 260 and a switch 270 . the solid state electronic cooling &# 34 ; thermo electric chip &# 34 ; is the technology of the 21st century . without the bulky compressors , cfc gases and coils , the chip cools . it can cool up to sub - zero temperatures and beyond . they can be designed to various btu capacities . their life is at least 200 , 000 hours , guaranteed . a switch 270 is also provided in the system for conserving power when the box is empty or for extended period of non - use for any other reason . the use and operation of this device by a consumer is simple and even intuitive . the operator after preparing the box as per instructions merely places the cigars in the insulated box , sets the humidifier storage and closes the humidor until a cigar is desired . the temperature is preset from the factory . the inventor has given a non - limiting description of the concept . the simplicity and the elegance of the design of this invention makes it difficult to design around it . nonetheless many changes may be made to this design without deviating from the spirit of this invention . examples of such contemplated variations include the following : 1 . the shape and size materials of the various members and components may be modified . 3 . the color , aesthetics and materials may be enhanced or varied . 5 . a more economical version of the device may be adapted with an informational or advertising message for promotional give aways . 7 . the volume and the cooling capacity may be varied by use of a thermo - electric module of appropriate specifications . other changes such as aesthetics and substitution of newer materials as they become available , which substantially perform the same function in substantially the same manner with substantially the same result without deviating from the spirit of the invention may be made . following is a listing of the components uses in this embodiment arranged in ascending order of the reference numerals for ready reference of the reader . ______________________________________100 = humidor box generally110 = lid or cover for the humidor box125 = optional lock on humidor150 = insulation160 = hinge interface of the humidor box200 = thermoelectric module assembly210 = heat sink230 = direct current power source235 = thermo - electric solid state chip240 = thermostat245 = hq circuit255 = digital display generally260 = digital thermometer265 = digital hygrometer270 = switch300 = cigars______________________________________ a great care has been taken to use words with their conventional dictionary definitions . following definitions are included here for clarification . ______________________________________3d = three dimensionalcfc = chloro floro carbondiy = do it yourselfhq = a high quality circuit forintegrated = combination of two entities to act like oneinterface = junction between two dissimilar entitiesisometric = drawings with equality of measure with the prototype of the inventoroem = original equipment manufacturersymmetrical = the shape of an object of integrated______________________________________ entity which can be divided into two along some axis through the object or the integrated entity such that the two halves form mirror image of each other . thermoelectric = a device to generate a thermal gradient when direct current power is applied . while this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments , this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense . various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments as well as other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to a person of average skill in the art upon reference to this description . it is therefor contemplated that the appended claim ( s ) cover any such modifications , embodiments as fall within the true scope of this invention .	0
the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof . a term “ print ” or “ printing ” ( or “ recording ”), as used throughout the present specification is intended to mean not only an operation for forming intended information including characters and figures , but also a wide range of operations for forming images , patterns , or the like on a print medium , regardless of whether or not the images or patterns are intended and whether or not they are made apparent so as to allow humans to visually perceive them , and operations for processing a print medium . further , the “ print medium ” is intended to mean not only paper used by an ordinary printer , but also a wide range of materials allowing reception of ink , such as cloth , a plastic film , a metal plate , glass , ceramic , wood , or the like . moreover , the “ ink ” ( also referred to as “ liquid ”), should be interpreted in its broad sense , similarly to the above term “ print ”, and is intended to mean a liquid applied onto the print medium so as to form images , patterns , or the like , process the print medium , or be subjected to processing ( such as coagulation or insolubilization of a coloring material contained in the ink applied onto the print medium ) of the ink . first , the basic mechanical construction of an apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig1 through 9 . the apparatus is formed as a camera with a printer . a body a 001 of the apparatus incorporates a printer section ( recorder section ) b 100 arranged on a rear side of a camera section a 100 in a manner integrated with the camera section a 100 . it should be noted that the printer section b 100 may be removable from the camera section a 100 . in this case , the blocks a 100 and b 100 are provided with interactive communication contacts , which can be directly connected to each other when the block b 100 is mounted in the apparatus body a 001 . the printer section b 100 records images by using ink and a print medium supplied from a media pack c 100 . according to the construction of the present embodiment , as is apparent from fig5 showing the apparatus body a 001 with a housing thereof removed , as viewed from the rear , the media pack c 100 is fitted in the right - hand side , as viewed in the figure , of the apparatus body a 001 , and the printer section b 100 is arranged on the left - hand side , as viewed in the figure . to perform recording by the printer section b 100 , the apparatus body a 001 can be set into a recording position in which the apparatus body a 001 is placed with a liquid crystal display section a 105 , referred to hereinafter and a lens a 101 positioned below . when the apparatus body a 001 is in this recording position , a recording head b 120 , referred to hereinafter , of the printer section b 100 is brought into a position for ejecting the ink downward . the recording position , however , is not limited to the position described above , but can be identical to a position in which the apparatus body a 001 is placed for photographing operation by the camera section a 100 . however , it is preferred from the viewpoint of stability of recording operation that the apparatus body a 001 is set into the above recording position allowing the ink to be ejected downward . next , the basic construction of the apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described more in detail with respect to the following separate three sections : a “ camera section ”, b “ media pack ”, and c “ printer section ”. the camera section a 100 basically forms an ordinary digital camera . the camera section a 100 is integrated into the apparatus body a 001 together with the printer section b 100 , described in detail hereinafter , whereby a digital camera incorporating a printer , which has appearances shown in fig1 to 3 , is formed . in these figures , reference numeral a 101 designates the lens , a 102 an optical viewfinder , a 102 a a finder window , a 103 a photographing flashing light - emitting device , a 104 a release button , and a 105 the liquid crystal display section ( external display section ). as described in detail hereinafter , the camera section a 100 processes data representative of an image picked up by an imaging element , such as a ccd or mos , stores the image data in a compact flash memory card ( e . g . a cf card ) a 107 , processes a signal for displaying the image , and performs transmission and reception ( interactive communication ) of various kinds of data to / from the printer section b 100 . reference numeral a 109 designates a discharge port from which a print medium c 104 , referred to hereinafter , printed with an image obtained by photographing is discharged . the discharge port a 109 has a lid , not shown , provided thereon . reference numeral a 108 appearing in fig5 designates a battery serving as a power source for the camera section a 100 and the printer section b 100 . the media pack c 100 is removable from the apparatus body a 001 . in the present embodiment , a lid a 002 ( see fig3 ) covering an insertion section , not shown , of the apparatus body a 001 is opened , and the media pack c 100 is inserted through the insertion section whereby the media pack c 100 is mounted in the apparatus body a 001 as shown in fig1 . the insertion section is closed by the lid a 002 , as shown in fig3 when the media pack c 100 is not mounted in the apparatus body a 001 , and opened only when the media pack c 100 is mounted . fig5 shows the apparatus body a 001 having the media pack c 100 inserted therein , in a state of the housing thereof being removed . the media pack c 100 has a pack body c 101 which has a shutter c 102 mounted thereon in a manner slidable in directions indicated by a double - headed arrow d shown in fig4 . when the media pack c 100 is not mounted in the apparatus body a 001 , the shutter c 102 is biased in a position indicated by two - dot chain lines in fig4 by a spring , not shown , whereas when the media pack c 100 is mounted in the apparatus body a 001 , the shutter c 102 slides into a position indicated by solid lines in fig4 against the urging force of the spring . the pack body c 101 contains ink packs c 103 and a print medium 104 . in fig4 the ink packs c 103 are received below the print medium c 104 . in the embodiment , the number of the ink packs c 103 provided in the pack body c 101 is three , and inks of y ( yellow ), m ( magenta ) and c ( cyan ) are contained separately in the respective ink packs c 103 . further , the print medium c 104 is sheets of paper in the present embodiment , and will be hereinafter also referred to as “ print medium sheets ” where necessary . a stack of approximately twenty print medium sheets c 104 are contained in the pack body c 101 . the inks and the print medium sheets c 104 are selected as an optimal combination for desired image recording and received in the identical media pack c 100 . therefore , various media packs c 100 are provided which contain different combinations of inks and print medium sheets , e . g . media packs for ultrahigh image quality , for normal image quality , for seals ( split seals ), for glossy paper , for recycled paper , for acid - free paper , etc ., to thereby allow users to selectively mount one of the media packs c 100 in the apparatus body a 001 according to the kind of an image to be recorded and the use of the print medium sheets having the image formed thereon . this makes it possible to positively record a desired image by using an optimal combination of inks and print medium sheets . further , the media pack c 100 is provided with a non - volatile memory as a memory , referred to hereinafter , such as an eeprom ( identification ic ). the eeprom stores the kinds and remaining amounts of inks and print medium sheets contained in the media pack , information on the date and time of refilling or production of the inks and the print medium sheets , and history data including detailed error data and date information concerning occurrence of abnormal conditions as well as data of aging change of color characteristics of the inks and the print medium sheets , as described in detail hereinafter . when the media pack c 100 is mounted in the apparatus body a 001 , the ink packs c 103 are each connected to an ink supply system , referred to hereinafter , of the apparatus body a 001 via a corresponding one of three joints c 105 corresponding to the respective inks of the colors y , m and c . on the other hand , the print medium sheets c 104 are each taken out by a sheet feed roller c 110 ( see fig9 ), referred to hereinafter , while being separated one sheet from another by a separating mechanism , not shown , followed by being each fed or advanced in a direction indicated by an arrow c . a driving force for driving the sheet feed roller c 110 is supplied to the same from a feed motor m 002 ( see fig9 ), referred to hereinafter , arranged in the apparatus body a 001 , via a connection section c 110 a . further , the pack body c 101 is provided with a wiper c 106 for wiping the recording head , referred to hereinbelow , of the printer section to clean the same and an ink absorber c 107 for absorbing waste ink discharged from a waste liquid joint , not shown , of the printer section . the recording head of the printer section reciprocates in the main scanning direction indicated by a double - headed arrow a , as described hereinafter . when the media pack c 100 is removed from the apparatus body a 001 , the spring , not shown , urges the shutter c 102 to slide into the position indicated by the two - dot chain lines in fig4 for protection of the joints c 105 , the wiper c 106 and the ink absorber c 107 . the printer section b 100 of the apparatus of the present embodiment is a serial type using an ink jet recording head . the printer section b 100 will be described with respect to the following three separate sections , c - 1 . “ print operation section ”, c - 2 . “ print media feeder system ” and c - 3 . “ ink supply system ”. [ 0110 ] fig6 is a perspective view showing the whole of the printer section b 100 , while fig7 is a perspective view with some portions of the printer section b 100 removed . as shown in fig5 a leading end portion of the media pack c 100 mounted in the apparatus body a 001 is positioned at a predetermined location within the body of the printer section b 100 . a print medium sheet c 104 fed from the media pack c 100 in the direction indicated by the arrow c in fig6 is fed on a platen b 103 in a sub - scanning direction ( direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction a ) indicated by an arrow b in a state sandwiched between an lf roller b 101 and an lf pinch roller b 102 of a print media feeder system described hereinbelow . reference numeral b 104 designates a carriage moved along a guide shaft b 105 and a lead screw b 106 in a reciprocating manner in the main scanning direction a . as shown in fig8 the carriage b 104 is provided with a bearing b 107 for the guide shaft b 105 and a bearing b 108 for the lead screw b 106 . at a predetermined location in the carriage b 104 , there is mounted a screw pin b 109 ( see fig7 ) via a spring b 110 in a manner projecting inward of the bearing b 108 . the screw pin b 109 has an end thereof fitted in a spiral groove formed in the outer peripheral surface of the lead screw b 106 , whereby rotational motion of the lead screw b 106 is converted into reciprocating motion of the carriage b 104 in the directions a . further , mounted on the fig8 carriage b 104 are the ink jet recording head b 120 capable of emitting inks of colors y , m and c and an auxiliary tank , not shown , containing the inks to be supplied to the recording head b 120 . the recording head b 120 is formed with a plurality of ink jet orifices b 121 ( see fig8 ) arranged in a direction intersecting the main scanning direction a ( direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction a in the present embodiment ). the ink jet orifices b 121 each form a nozzle which is capable of emitting ink supplied from the auxiliary tank . means for generating energy for causing emission of ink can be implemented by an electrothermal converter provided for each nozzle . the electrothermal converter is driven for being heated to thereby generate bubbles in ink within the corresponding nozzle , and bubbling energy of the bubbles causes ink droplets to jet from the corresponding ink jet orifice b 121 . the capacity of the auxiliary tank is smaller than the total capacity of the ink packs c 103 held in the media pack c 100 , and the auxiliary tank contains respective amounts of inks of the colors required for recording an amount of image corresponding to at least one print medium sheet c 104 . the auxiliary tank is formed therein with ink reservoirs for storing the respective inks of the colors y , m , c , and each of the ink reservoirs is formed with an ink supply section and a negative pressure - introducing section . the ink supply sections are each connected to a corresponding one of three hollow needles b 122 , while the negative pressure - introducing sections are connected to a common supply air port b 123 . as described in detail hereinafter , the auxiliary tank constructed as above is supplied with ink from each of the ink packs c 103 in the media pack c 100 when the carriage b 104 is brought to its home position shown in fig6 . in fig8 illustrating the carriage b 104 , reference numeral b 124 designates a needle cover . when the needles b 122 and the joints c 105 ( see fig4 ) of the media pack are not connected to each other , the needle cover b 124 is urged downward by the urging force of a spring , not shown , into a position for protecting the needles b 122 , whereas when the needles b 122 and the joints c 105 are connected to each other , the needle cover b 124 is pushed upward against the urging force of the spring to release the needles b 122 from the protected state . a position of the carriage b 104 in the direction a is detected by cooperation of an encoder sensor b 131 arranged in the carriage b 104 and a linear scale b 132 ( see fig6 ) arranged in the body of the printer section b 100 . further , when the carriage b 104 is brought into its home position , this fact is sensed by cooperation of an hp ( home position ) flag b 133 attached to the carriage b 104 and an hp sensor b 134 ( see fig7 ) arranged in the body of the printer section b 100 . in fig7 the guide shaft b 105 has opposite ends thereof each formed with a spindle , not shown , at a location off the central axis of the shaft b 105 . the guide shaft b 105 is pivotally moved about the spindles to adjust the position of the carriage b 104 , whereby the distance between the recording head b 120 and a print medium sheet c 104 on the platen b 103 ( so - called “ head - to - paper distance ”) is adjusted . the lead screw b 106 is driven for rotation by a carriage motor m 001 via a screw gear b 141 , an idler gear b 142 and a motor gear b 143 . reference numeral b 150 designates a flexible cable for electrically connecting between a control system , referred to hereinafter , and the recording head b 120 . the recording head b 120 shown in fig8 jets ink from the ink jet orifices b 121 in response to image signals while moving in the main scanning direction a together with the carriage b 104 , to thereby record a one - line portion of an image on a print medium sheet on the platen b 103 . this one - line recording operation by the recording head b 120 and a feed operation by the print media feeder system , described in detail hereinbelow , for feeding or advancing the print medium sheet by a predetermined amount in the sub - scanning direction b are repeatedly carried out , whereby the image is recorded on the print medium sheet line by line . [ 0119 ] fig9 is a perspective view showing the construction of the print media feeder system in the printer section b 100 . in fig9 reference numeral b 201 designates a pair of sheet discharge rollers . the upper one of the sheet discharge rollers b 201 in the figure is driven by the feed motor m 002 via a sheet discharge roller gear b 202 and a relay gear b 203 . similarly , the lf roller b 101 , referred to hereinbefore , is driven by the feed motor m 002 via an lf roller gear b 204 and the relay gear b 203 . as the feed motor m 002 performs normal rotation , a driving force generated by the normal rotation of the feed motor m 002 causes the sheet discharge roller b 201 and the lf roller b 101 to feed a print medium sheet c 104 in the sub - scanning direction b . on the other hand , when the feed motor m 002 performs reverse rotation , a platen head b 213 and a lock mechanism , not shown , are driven via a switching slider b 211 and a switching cam b 212 , and at the same time a driving force generated by the reverse rotation of the feed motor m 002 is transmitted to the sheet feed roller c 110 of the media pack c 100 . more specifically , when the feed motor m 002 performs reverse rotation , the driving force of the feed motor m 002 causes the platen head b 213 to move through a window c 102 a ( see fig4 ) of the shutter c 102 of the media pack c 100 to press a stack of the print medium sheets c 104 in the media pack c 100 downward as viewed in fig4 . as a result , the lowermost one of the print medium sheets c 104 appearing in fig4 is pressed onto the sheet feed roller c 110 within the media pack c 100 . further , the lock mechanism , not shown , is brought into an operative state by the driving force generated by the reverse rotation of the feed motor m 002 , to lock the media pack c 100 in the apparatus body a 001 , thereby inhibiting removal of the media pack c 100 . at the same time , the driving force generated by the reverse rotation of the feed motor m 002 is transmitted to the sheet feed roller c 110 of the media pack c 100 to cause the same to feed the lowermost print medium sheet c 104 in the direction c . as described above , with reverse rotation of the feed motor m 002 , only one print medium sheet c 104 is fed out from the media pack c 100 in the direction c in fig9 and then when the feed motor m 002 performs normal rotation , the sheet is fed out in the direction b . the joints c 105 of the media pack c 100 mounted in the printer section b 100 are positioned below the needles b 122 ( see fig8 ) of the carriage b 104 shifted to its home position . in the body of the printer section b 100 , there are formed joint forks , not shown , at a location below the joints c 105 . the joint forks move the joints c 105 upward , whereby the joints c 105 are connected to the needles b 122 . thus , ink supply passages are formed between the ink packs c 103 of the media pack c 100 and the ink supply sections of the auxiliary tank in the carriage b 104 . further , the body of the printer section b 100 has a supply joint , not shown , formed at a location below the supply air port b 123 ( see fig8 ) of the carriage b 104 shifted to its home position . the supply joint is connected via a supply tube , not shown , to a pump cylinder of a pump , not shown , which functions as a negative pressure source . the supply joint is moved upward by a joint lifter , not shown , to be connected to the supply air port b 123 of the carriage b 104 , whereby a negative pressure - introducing passage is formed between the negative pressure - introducing section of the auxiliary tank within the carriage b 104 and the pump cylinder . the joint lifter is driven by the the driving force of a joint motor m 003 to move up and down the supply joint and the joint forks together . the negative pressure - introducing section of the auxiliary tank is provided with a thin - film air - liquid separating member , not shown , allowing passage of air and blocking passage of ink . the air - liquid separating member permits passage of air drawn by suction from the auxiliary tank through the negative pressure - introducing passage , whereby the auxiliary tank is replenished with ink from the media pack c 100 . then , when the auxiliary tank is fully filled with ink to such an extent that the ink reaches the air - liquid separating member , the air - liquid separating member blocks passage of the ink , whereby supply of ink is automatically stopped . the air - liquid separating member is provided in the ink supply section of each ink reservoir within the auxiliary tank so as to stop supply of ink automatically on a reservoir - by - reservoir basis . further , the body of the printer section b 100 is provided with a suction cap , not shown , which is capable of capping the recording head b 120 ( see fig8 ) on the carriage b 104 shifted to its home position . the suction cap is capable of sucking ink from the ink jet orifices b 121 of the recording head b 120 ( head recovery process ) by utilizing a negative pressure introduced thereinto from the pump cylinder through a suction tube , not shown . further , the recording head b 120 emits ink non - contributive to image recording into the suction cap as required ( preliminary emission process ). the ink emitted into the suction cap is discharged from the pump cylinder into the ink absorber c 107 within the media pack c 110 through a waste liquid tube , not shown , and a waste liquid joint , not shown . the pump cylinder is cooperatively associated with a pump motor , not shown , for driving the same for reciprocating motion , and other component parts , to form a pump unit . the pump motor also functions as a drive source for vertically moving a wiper lifter , not shown . the wiper lifter moves upward the wiper c 106 of the media pack c 100 mounted in the printer section b 100 , to shift the same to a position for wiping the recording head b 120 . next , the basic construction of a signal processing system of the apparatus including the control system will be described with respect to the following section d “ signal processing system ” with reference to fig1 to 20 . [ 0129 ] fig1 is a schematic block diagram showing the arrangement of the camera section a 100 and that of the printer section b 100 . in the camera section a 100 , reference numeral 101 designates a ccd as an imaging element . needless to say , another type of imaging element ( such as a mos image sensor ) may be employed in place of the ccd . reference numeral 102 designates a microphone for use in voice input , 103 an asic ( application - specific integrated circuit ) for executing hardware processing , 104 a first memory for temporary storage of image data , etc ., 105 a cf card ( corresponding to the “ cf card a 107 ”) as a removable image memory for storing a photographed image , 106 an lcd ( corresponding to the “ liquid crystal display section a 105 ”) for displaying a picked - up or reproduced image , 107 a lens unit ( corresponding to the “ lens a 101 ”), and 108 a shake compensation mechanism for optically compensating for a camera shake which occurs at the time of photographing . in the present embodiment , the shake compensation mechanism is comprised of transparent flat plates arranged in a manner parallel to each other and inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the optical axis , and the inclination angle is changed in a direction in which a camera shake is suppressed , according to the amount and direction of the shake . it should be noted that the shake compensation mechanism may be alternatively implemented by a variable apical angle prism or so - called electronic antivibration ( technique of reducing blur due to a camera shake by temporarily storing a picked - up image signal in an image memory and then shifting a reading area in the memory from which the signal is read , according to the amount of the camera shake ). reference numeral 109 designates an acceleration sensor or the like as a shake - detecting sensor for detecting the amount of a camera shake , 111 a photographing flashing light - emitting device ( corresponding to the “ photographing flashing light - emitting device a 103 ”), reference numeral 112 an sw group of various switches ( including the “ release button a 104 ”), 113 a speaker for generating operation sounds , warning sounds , and so forth , 120 a first cpu controlling the camera section a 100 , and 150 a dc - to - dc converter as a booster circuit for causing the photographing flashing light - emitting device 111 to emit the flashing light . it should be noted that in the present embodiment , part of boosted output voltage of the booster circuit for the photographing flashing light - emitting device 111 is used as a predetermined dc voltage to be supplied to a pumping motor or the recording head in the printer section , for ink pumping operation or for print operation , respectively , which contributes to reduction of the size of the whole apparatus . further , the camera section a 100 includes a clock tm for counting date information to be recorded in association with each photographed image . the asic 103 performs synchronizing control related to various kinds of times and hours both in the camera section and the printer section , based on the counts of the clock tm . in the printer section b 100 , reference numeral 210 designates an interface between the camera section a 100 and the printer section b 100 , 201 an image processing section ( including a binarization processing section for binarizing an image ), 202 a second memory for use in image processing , 203 a band memory control section , 204 a band memory , 205 a mask memory , and 206 a head control section , reference numeral 207 a recording head ( corresponding to the “ recording head b 120 ”). reference numerals 208 , 209 designate an encoder corresponding to the encoder sensor b 131 and an encoder counter , respectively . further , reference numeral 220 designates a second cpu controlling overall operation of the printer section b 100 , 221 a motor driver , 222 a motor ( including the “ motors m 001 , m 002 , m 003 ”), 223 a sensor group ( including the “ hp sensor b 134 ”), 224 an eeprom incorporated in the media pack c 100 , which may be any type insofar as it is a rewritable non - volatile memory , 230 a voice encoder section , and 250 a power source ( corresponding to the “ battery a 108 ”) for supplying electric power to the whole apparatus . [ 0133 ] fig1 is a functional block diagram useful in explaining image signal processing performed by the camera section a 100 . in a photographing mode , an image picked up by the ccd 101 through the lens 107 is subjected to signal processing ( ccd signal processing ) by the asic 103 to be converted to a yuv ( luminance - two color difference ) signal . then , the signal is resized to one with a predetermined resolution and jpeg - compressed , followed by being recorded on a cf card 105 . whenever an image is recorded onto a cf card 105 , date information ( e . g . time , day , month , year ) automatically determined by the clock tm is also recorded in association with the recorded image . voices are inputted through the microphone 102 and recorded onto the cf card 105 via the asic 103 . voices can be recorded simultaneously with photographing or alternatively after photographing by postrecording . in a reproduction mode , a jpeg image is read from the cf card 105 and jpeg - extended by the asic 103 , and then further resized to an image with a resolution suitable for display , followed by being displayed on the lcd 106 . [ 0134 ] fig1 is a functional block diagram useful in explaining image signal processing performed by the printer section b 100 . an image reproduced by the camera section a 100 , i . e . an image read from a cf card 105 is jpeg - extended by the asic 103 , as shown in fig1 , and resized to one with a resolution suitable for printing . then , the resized image data ( yuv ) is sent to the printer section b 100 via the interface 210 appearing in fig1 . as shown in fig1 and 12 , in the printer section b 100 , the image processing section 201 executes image processing of the image data sent from the camera section a 100 , conversion of the image data to an rgb signal , input γ correction according to the characteristics of the camera , color correction and color conversion by using a lookup table ( lut ), and conversion of the rgb signal to a binary signal for printing . the color correction using the lookup table ( lut ) may be performed by the cpu based on color correction data stored in the eeprom 224 within the media pack , as described hereinafter . in the binarization process , the second memory 202 is used as an error memory for execution of an error diffusion ( ed ) process . although in the present embodiment , the binarization processing section of the image processing section 201 carries out the error diffusion process , it is also possible to execute other processing such as binarization processing using dither patterns . the binarized print data is temporarily stored in the band memory 204 via the band memory control section 203 . whenever the carriage b 104 having the recording head 207 and the encoder 208 mounted thereon moves a predetermined distance , an encoder pulse is delivered to the encoder counter 209 of the printer section b 100 from the encoder 208 . in synchronism with inputting of the encoder pulse , the print data is read from the band memory 204 and the mask memory 205 , and the head control section 206 controls the recording head 207 , based on the print data , for recording . the plurality of nozzles of the recording head 207 are arranged in an array such that the density of e . g . 1200 dpi is maintained . in order to enable the recording head 207 to perform recording operation during a single main scanning operation by the carriage in the direction a shown in fig6 to 9 , it is required to prepare recording data in an amount corresponding to the number of the nozzles with respect to the sub - scanning direction ( direction b in fig6 to 9 ) and in an amount corresponding to a recording area ( i . e . corresponding to one scanning operation ) with respect to the main scanning direction . recording data is generated by the image processing section 201 and then temporarily stored in the band memory 204 by the band memory control section 203 . when recording data in the amount corresponding to one scanning operation is stored in the band memory 204 , the carriage is driven in the main scanning direction for scanning . during this main scanning operation of the carriage , encoder pulses inputted from the encoder 208 are counted by the encoder counter 209 . the recording data is read from the band memory 204 according to the encoder pulses , and the recording head 207 jets ink droplets based on the read image data . when a two - way recording method is employed in which image recording is carried out both in the forward scanning operation and return scanning operation of the recording head 207 in the direction a ( i . e . forward path recording and return path recording are performed ), image data is read from the band memory 204 in dependence on the direction of scanning by the recording head 207 . for instance , during a forward path recording operation of the recording head 207 , the address of image data read from the band memory 204 is sequentially incremented , whereas during a return path recording operation of the recording head 207 , the address of image data read from the band memory 204 is sequentially decremented . actually , when image data ( formed of the colors c , m , y ) generated by the image processing section 201 has been written to the band memory 204 to provide one band of image data , scanning by the recording head 207 is permitted . then , the recording head 207 scans , whereby the image data is read from the band memory , and the recording head 207 records an image based on the image data . during the recording operation , image data to be recorded next is prepared by the image processing section 201 and written onto an area of the band memory 204 corresponding to the recording position of the image . as described above , the band memory control is executed while being switched between the operation of writing recording data ( colors c , m , y ) generated by the image processing section 201 into the band memory 204 and the operation of reading the recording data from the same in synchronism with the scanning operation by the carriage so as to send the same to the head control section 206 . next , a description will be given of mask memory control in fig1 . the mask memory control is required when a multi - path recording method is adopted . in this method , a single line of recording image having a width corresponding to the length of a nozzle row is recorded in a plurality of scanning operations by the recording head 207 . more specifically , the amount of a single feed of a print medium sheet , which is fed intermittently in the sub - scanning direction , is set to 1 / n of the length of a nozzle row . as a result , e . g . when n = 2 holds , a single line of a recording image is recorded by two scanning operations each time a corresponding divisional portion thereof is recorded ( two - path recording ), and when n = 4 holds , a single line of a recording image is recorded by four scanning operations each time a corresponding divisional portion thereof is recorded ( four - path recording ). similarly , when n = 8 holds , eight - path recording is performed , and when n = 16 holds , 16 - path recording is performed . thus , in the multi - path recording method , one line of a recording image is recorded by a plurality of scanning operations each time a corresponding divisional portion thereof is recorded by the recording head 207 . actually , the mask memory 205 stores mask data for use in allocating image data to a plurality of scanning operations by the recording head 207 , and based on and data of the mask data and the image data , the recording head 207 ejects ink to record the image . further , as shown in fig1 , voice data stored in a cf card 105 is sent by the asic 103 to the printer section b 100 via the interface 210 , similarly to image data . the voice data sent to the printer section b 100 is encoded by the voice encoder 230 , and then subjected to a predetermined modulation , followed by being embedded in a print image as “ watermark ” information in the form of two - dimensional barcode . when it is not necessary to input voice data into a print image or when an image having no voice data is printed , voice data in the form of two - dimensional barcode is not printed , but only the image is printed . in the present embodiment , there are carried out media pack consumable article management control for coping with degradation of consumable articles ( i . e . ink and print medium sheets ) within a media pack c 100 , antivibration control in the photographing mode and carriage control in a print mode both performed by using the shake - detecting sensor ( acceleration sensor ) 109 , and power supply control for using the boost - type dc - to - dc converter 150 provided for the photographing flashing light - emitting device of the camera section a 100 , as a power supply for printing operation by the recording head 207 of the printer section b 100 or ink pumping operation carried out for the recording head 207 . first , the media pack consumable article management control will be described . fig2 is a flowchart which shows a procedure of replenishing ( refilling ) the media pack c 100 with consumable articles . the media pack c 100 according to the present embodiment can be replenished with ink and print medium sheets as consumable articles . further , the media pack c 100 incorporates the eeprom 224 to which data concerning the consumable articles and the replenishment of the media pack c 100 therewith can be written . the date data of a remaining quantity of the consumable articles and a date of replenishment or production of the media pack c 100 are written in the eeprom 224 and updated whenever the quantity of the consumable articles is reduced or the media pack c 100 is replenished ( refilled ) or produced . the updated data are used for management of the consumable articles within the media pack c 100 . when it is required to replenish the media pack c 100 with consumable articles , the media pack c 100 is brought to a factory or a print shop , where consumable articles are filled into the media pack c 100 manually by workers of the factory or the print shop . in the refilling operation , as shown in fig2 , first at a step s 101 , ink packs c 103 of the respective colors ( y , m , c ) within the media pack c 100 are each refilled with a corresponding ink , and at a step s 102 , print medium sheets c 104 are refilled . then , data of the date ( month and year and / or day and time ) of the replenishment ( refilling ) or reproduction of the consumable articles , data of the characteristics of the refilled inks ( including color characteristic data and data of viscosity ), data of the remaining quantity of ink , data of characteristics of the print medium sheets ( including data concerning the quality of the print medium sheets which can be classified e . g . into glossy paper , acid - free paper , recycled paper , or the like , and data of the ground color of the print medium sheets ), data of the remaining number of the print medium sheets , and degradation characteristic data of the inks ( including lookup table data representing the relationship between elapsed days , months or years and the change of each color as a linear matrix coefficient ) are written in the eepron 224 within the media pack c 100 by a memory writing device at a step s 103 . in this case , the lookup table data itself may not be stored in the eeprom 224 , but a method may be employed in which a plurality of kinds of lookup tables for color correction are stored in advance in the lookup table appearing in fig1 , and data for enabling selection of one of the tables according to the degree of degradation of the consumable articles is stored in the eeprom 224 , a memory within the camera section , or a memory within the printer section . when the replenishment ( refilling ) of the media pack c 100 with the consumable articles is completed by execution of the above steps , the media pack c 100 is sent or directly handed to the user . it should be noted that identical data to the data mentioned above are stored in each media pack c 100 shipped as an article from factories . thus , when a media pack c 100 is in actual use , the data concerning the consumable articles are read from the eeprom 224 , and management of the consumable articles is performed based on the read data . consequently , it is possible to estimate the degree of degradation of the consumable articles , based on the above data , and carry out processing for warning , color correction , and the like , based on the result of the estimation . next , a description will be given of the antivibration control in the photographing mode and the carriage control in the print mode . fig1 is a functional block diagram useful in explaining antivibration control performed by the camera section in the photographing mode and the carriage control in the print mode performed by the same . according to the present embodiment , in the photographing mode , the antivibration control for suppressing blur of an image due to a camera shake is executed based on an output signal from the acceleration sensor 109 . in the antivibration control , the amount and direction of the camera shake are detected based on the output signal from the acceleration sensor 109 , and then the amount of correction by the shake compensation mechanism 108 is controlled based on the detected amount and direction of the camera shake . more specifically , a control variable for changing an incident light path with respect to the lens 107 in such a direction as will suppress the blur of the image due to the camera shake is calculated as a correction amount , and the shake compensation mechanism 108 is operated based on the correction amount . as a result , the blur of the image due to the camera shake is corrected to obtain a clear image data . further , in the print mode , the amount of the camera shake is detected based on the output signal from the identical acceleration sensor 109 , and carriage control for temporarily suspending print operation is carried out in dependence on the detected amount of the camera shake . more specifically , in the carriage control , when the detected amount of the camera shake is larger than a predetermined amount , a command for stopping the carriage 225 at a predetermined position ( main scanning start position or main scanning end position ) is delivered to the printer section b 100 . in the printer section b 100 , when the command is received , a motor driving the carriage 225 is controlled to temporarily stop the carriage 225 at the predetermined position . next , a description will be given of the power supply control for using the boost - type dc - to - dc converter 150 provided for the photographing flashing light - emitting device , as the power supply for printing operation by the recording head 207 of the printer section b 100 or ink pumping operation carried out for the recording head 207 . fig1 is a functional block diagram useful in explaining the power supply control , while fig1 is a timing chart showing timing of generation of drive signals sg 1 to sg 5 by the power supply control . as shown in fig1 , the dc - to - dc converter 150 is comprised of a transformer 151 having a primary side to which is applied a voltage from the power source 250 via a switch ( sw ) 14 , an oscillation circuit 152 , a charging circuit 154 for generating a predetermined voltage to be supplied from a secondary side of the transformer 151 to the photographing flashing light - emitting device 111 and charging the same , and a trigger 155 for applying a predetermined trigger voltage to the photographing flashing light - emitting device 111 . the secondary side of the transformer 151 outputs the voltage to be applied to the charging circuit 154 , a drive voltage to be applied to the recording head 207 of the printer section b 100 , and a drive voltage to be applied to the motor 228 for pumping ink for the recording head via respective output terminals . the drive voltage for driving the recording head 207 is supplied to the recording head 207 via a switch ( sw ) 13 , and the drive voltage for driving the pumping motor 228 is supplied to the motor 228 via a switch ( sw ) 13 ′. the operations of the sw 13 , sw 13 ′ and sw 14 , the charging circuit 154 and the trigger 155 are controlled according to the power supply control by the cpu 120 of the camera section a 100 . more specifically , when a power switch ( sw ) 11 of the camera with a printer is turned on , the drive signal sg 1 is delivered to the sw 14 , whereby the sw 14 is turned on ( see fig1 b ). then , based on an output from a mode switching switch ( sw ) 12 , it is determined whether the present mode is a camera mode or a printer mode . if the sw 12 is in a state switched to a side “ a ”, it is determined that the camera mode is set , while if the sw 12 is in a state switched to a side “ b ”, it is determined that the printer mode is set . in the present embodiment , as shown in fig1 a , when the sw is turned on , the camera mode is set by default . when the camera mode is set , the drive signal sg 2 instructing the charging circuit 154 to start preliminary operation for lighting the photographing flashing light - emitting device 111 is delivered to the charging circuit 154 ( see fig1 c ). then , the drive signal sg 3 for causing the photographing flashing light - emitting device 111 to emit a flashing light is delivered to the trigger 155 in predetermined photographing timing ( see fig1 d ), whereby the photographing flashing light - emitting device 111 emits the flashing light . when the user wants to print out a photographed image , he / she operates the sw 12 to set the printer mode ( see fig1 a ). when the printer mode is set , a drive signal s 4 is delivered to the sw 13 in accordance with the timing of print operation by the recording head 207 ( see fig1 e ). as a result , the sw 13 is turned on , the drive voltage is supplied to the recording head 207 from the dc - to - dc converter 150 . further , when a drive signal s 5 is delivered to the sw 13 ′ for ink pumping operation ( see fig1 f ), the sw 13 ′ is turned on , whereby a drive voltage is supplied to the pumping motor 228 from the dc - to - dc converter 150 . as described above , when the printer mode is set , since the dc - to - dc converter 150 supplies the drive voltage for printing to the recording head 207 or the drive voltage for pumping ink from the recording head 207 to the motor 228 , the printer section b 100 is not required to be additionally provided with a drive voltage supply circuit for printing by the recording head 207 or for pumping ink for the same , which makes it possible to simplify the construction of the printer section b 100 and to largely reduce the size of the apparatus . next , the operation of the present apparatus will be described . fig1 to 19 are flowcharts which show an operating procedure of the camera with a printer . as shown in fig1 , when the camera power source is turned on , first , it is detected at a step s 1 whether or not a media pack is loaded , based on an output from a media pack loading detection switch , not shown . if the presence of the media pack is detected , the program proceeds to a step s 2 , wherein various data stored in the memory ( eeprom m 224 ) within the media pack are read . then , the program proceeds to a step s 3 , wherein it is determined whether or not the reading of the data was successfully performed . if the reading of the data was failed , i . e . if communication with the memory within the media pack failed ( e . g . when the data within the memory could not be properly read due to a faulty mechanical connection between electric contacts of the media pack and electric contacts of the camera body , or when in spite of proper electrical connection , it is determined that communication failed , due to noise introduced into the data from the memory ), the program proceeds to a step s 4 , wherein the present date ( including e . g . day , month , year ( and time , if required )) is stored in the memory within the media pack , and at the same time error information is stored in the same in association with the date data . in this case where the communication failed , occurrence of the communication error is stored as error information . then , the program proceeds to a step s 5 , wherein an error flag is written to the memory within the media pack . at the following step s 6 , the error information is displayed on the lcd 106 in a first display form . in the first display form , predetermined marks , characters , or the like are used to express e . g . error information . then , the program proceeds to a step s 11 in fig1 . if there was no communication error at the step s 3 , the program proceeds to a step s 7 , wherein it is determined whether or not there is any error flag contained in the data read from the memory within the media pack . in the present embodiment , if there occurs at least one of a case where there is no ink , a case where there is no paper as a print medium , a case where a predetermined time period has elapsed since loading of ink and / or paper , and others , an error flag is written to the memory within the media pack together with the error information . if an error flag was detected at the step s 7 , error information corresponding to the error flag is displayed on the lcd 106 in the first display form at a step s 6 , followed by the program proceeding to the step s 1 in fig1 . if no error flag was detected at the step s 7 , it is judged that the data read from the memory within the media pack is normal , and the program proceeds to a step s 8 . at the step s 8 , the date ( e . g . day , month , year ) of refilling the media pack with ink and / or a print medium , such as paper sheets , or the date of production of the ink or print medium is detected , and the date of refilling or production is compared with a date ( e . g . day , month , year ) determined by the clock tm in the camera body . then , at the following step s 9 , it is determined whether or not a result of the comparison ( difference between the two dates ) is larger than a predetermined value ta ( e . g . two years ). if the difference between the two dates is larger than the predetermined value , i . e . if more than two years have passed after refilling the media pack with ink and / or print medium production of the ink or print medium , it is judged that ink as a consumable article and / or a print medium such as paper sheets as consumable articles were deteriorated , and the program proceeds to the step s 4 , wherein error information that the degradation of the ink and / or print medium has occurred is stored in the memory within the media pack , and at the same time the date determined by the clock tm of the camera section is also stored in the same in association with the error information . then , at the step s 5 , an error flag is written to the memory within the media pack , and at the following step s 6 , the error information is displayed in the first display form on the lcd 106 as display means , followed by the program proceeding to the step s 11 in fig1 . if it is determined that the difference is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value ta at the step s 9 , the program proceeds to the step s 11 in fig1 . further , if it is detected at the step s 1 that no media pack is loaded , the fact is displayed on the lcd 106 in the first display form . the notice displayed in the first display form at this step is one at the same warning level as the one displayed in the first display form at the step s 6 . at the step s 11 , it is determined whether or not the present mode is the printer mode . if the present mode is the printer mode , the program proceeds to a step s 12 , wherein it is determined whether or not there is an error flag in the memory within the media pack . if an error flag exists , the program proceeds to a step s 13 , wherein the corresponding error information is displayed on the lcd 106 in a second display form , and at the same time , a warning sound is generated . the second display form is distinguished from the first one in that its warning level is set to be higher than the latter such that the user can notice the warning more easily . for example , when error information is expressed by using the same kind of mark or characters as in the first display form , the mark or characters are displayed in a larger size such that the error information can be recognized more easily , and further , a sound is used to attract an operator &# 39 ; s attention more easily . needless to say , when a sound is used in the first display form , the second display form requires the use of a sound increased in volume , for example , so that the user can notice it more easily . then , the program returns to the step s 11 . on the other hand , if no error flag was detected at the step s 12 , the program skips over the step s 13 to a step s 14 . at the step s 14 , it is determined again whether or not a media pack is loaded . if a media pack is not loaded , the program proceeds to a step s 15 , wherein the fact is displayed in the second display form ( i . e . in the display form using a mark or characters of a larger size and / or a sound for easier recognition ). then , the program returns to the step s 14 , wherein loading of a media pack is awaited . if it was detected at the step s 14 that a media pack is loaded , the program proceeds to a step s 16 , wherein a cap is removed from each ink pack in the media pack , and then a negative pressure nozzle is connected to each of the ink tanks for preliminary print operations including a recovery pumping operation . in the present embodiment , the preliminary operations are carried out after setting the print mode , so that wasteful consumption of electric power and ink can be significantly reduced , compared with a case where operations similar to those performed at the step s 16 are carried out when a media pack is loaded or when the main power source of the camera is turned on . then , the program proceeds to a step s 17 , wherein depression of a print button is awaited . when the button is depressed , the program proceeds to a step s 18 , wherein the sheet feed roller is driven , thereby feeding a single print medium , such as paper sheets , from the media pack . then , the program proceeds to a step s 19 , wherein the number of paper sheets as the print medium stored in the memory within the media pack is decremented by 1 . then , at a step s 20 , linear matrix conversion of print colors is performed by using the coefficient data of the color correction matrix stored in the memory of the media pack . characteristics of changes in respective ink colors ( e . g . yellow , cyan , magenta ) dependent on elapsed time ( months and years ( or days )) after refilling or production of the inks are measured in advance , and linear matrix coefficients ( e . g . 3 × 3 = 9 matrix coefficients for use in matrix operation of data of yellow , cyan , magenta before correction ) for correcting the change characteristics are stored in the memory within the media pack in the form of a lookup table . alternatively , as described hereinbefore , a plurality of lookup tables are stored in the lookup table appearing in fig1 , and data for enabling selection of one of the tables according to the degree of degradation of the inks is stored in the eeprom 224 , the memory within the camera section , or the memory within the printer section . therefore , when the number of the elapsed months or years ( or days ) after refilling of the media pack with the inks is determined at the step s 9 , optimal printing can be performed by using ink colors whose characteristics of change were corrected according to the number of the elapsed months or years ( or days ). although in the above embodiment and an embodiment described hereinafter , the date data information includes information of day , month and year and time information , it goes without saying that the date data information is not necessarily required to include information of time and day , but the date data information may be any time information such as year information alone , month and year information , day , month and year information , or information containing all of month , year , day , hour , minute , and second . then , the program proceeds to a step s 21 , wherein it is determined whether or not the remaining number of paper sheets as the print medium updated at the step s 19 is equal to zero . if the remaining number is equal to zero , the program proceeds to a step s 22 , wherein error information indicative of the fact as error information is written to the memory within the media pack together with an error flag . further , a date ( day , month , year , ( time , if required )) determined by the clock tm within the camera section at this time point is also stored in association with the error information , followed by the program proceeding to a step s 23 in fig1 . on the other hand , if the remaining number of the print medium sheets is not equal to zero , the program skips over the step s 22 to the step s 23 . at the step s 23 , a print operation is started , and at the following step s 24 , it is detected by the acceleration sensor 109 whether or not a camera shake is larger than a predetermined amount . if the camera shake is larger than the predetermined amount , the program proceeds to a step s 25 , wherein the print operation is temporarily suspended . in this case , the printer section b 100 is controlled such that the print operation is temporarily suspended with the carriage 225 in the printer section b 100 being positioned at a main scanning end . the print operation is held in this state until the camera shake is reduced . consequently , when the print operation is resumed after reduction of the camera shake , there occurs no conspicuous printing shift . if the camera shake is equal to or smaller than the predetermined amount at the step s 24 , the program proceeds to a step s 26 , wherein it is determined whether or not the print operation is temporarily halted . if the print operation is in a temporary halt , the print operation is resumed , followed by the program proceeding to a step s 28 , whereas if the print operation is not temporarily halted , the program skips over the step s 27 to the step s 28 . at the step s 28 , it is determined whether or not printing on one sheet has been completed . if the printing has not been completed , the program returns to the step s 24 . if the printing has been completed , the program proceeds to a step s 29 , wherein data of the remaining quantity of ink within the memory in the media pack is updated . more specifically , the data is updated to a value obtained by subtracting an ink jet amount ( which is obtained not by measuring the amount of ink actually ejected , but by calculating the amount of each color ink to be used based on image data , by arithmetic operation ) and the amount of ink sucked into the auxiliary tank within the recording head 207 ( which is set to a substantially fixed amount ) from data of the ink remaining amount stored in the memory within the media pack . next , the program proceeds to a step s 30 , wherein it is determined whether or not any one of the color inks has been used up ( which means not only a state of the remaining amount thereof being reduced to zero , but also a state of the remaining amount being smaller than a predetermined amount ). if any one of the color inks has been used up , the program proceeds to a step s 31 , wherein error information indicative of the fact is written , together with the error flag . at the same time , the date ( day , month , year ( and time , if required )) determined by the clock tm of the camera section at this time point is also stored in association with the error information . at a step s 32 , it is determined whether or not there has occurred any abnormality ( such as a failure caused by abortion of printing e . g . due to a camera shake or a big vibration , an inability to print a specific color e . g . due to clogging of the recording head , or the like ) in the present print operation . if no abnormality has occurred , the program proceeds to a step s 33 , wherein information indicative of success of printing is written to the memory within the media pack , together with the date ( hour ) determined by the clock tm within the camera section at this time point in association with the information . then , the fact that the printing has been normally completed is displayed on the lcd 106 at the following step s 34 , followed by the program returning to the step s 11 . on the other hand , if occurrence of any abnormality in the printing operation was detected at the step s 32 , the program proceeds to a step s 35 , wherein information indicative of the abnormality is written to the memory within the media pack . at the following step s 36 , an error flag is stored in the same , and the date ( day , month , year ( and time )) determined by the clock tm within the camera section at this time point is also stored in association with the error information and error flag . then , at a step s 37 , the error information is displayed on the lcd 106 , followed by the program returning to the step s 11 . as described above , according to the present embodiment , information indicative of a detected one of various kinds of errors is stored in the memory within the media pack in association with a date ( day , month , year , and time ) determined by the clock tm within the camera section . therefore , in the case of recovering the media pack later or in the case of using the same repeatedly , it is possible to carry out repair of the media pack or correction of data properly . moreover , it is also possible to collect information for improvement of a media pack . if it is determined at the step s 11 ( fig1 ) that the present mode is not the printer mode but the camera mode , the program proceeds to a step s 38 in fig1 , wherein a lens barrier , not shown , arranged on the front of the lens 107 is released by a plunger . then , at the following step s 39 , depression of the release button into a first stroke position , which means that the sw 1 is turned on , is awaited . when the sw 1 of the release button is turned on , the program proceeds to a step s 40 , wherein measuring operations , such as a metering operation , a color measuring operation , and a distance measuring operation , are carried out . then , the program proceeds to a step s 41 , wherein depression of the release button into a second stroke position , which means that the sw 2 is turned on , is awaited . when the sw 2 is not turned on , the program returns to the step s 39 , whereas when the sw 2 is turned on , the program proceeds to a step s 42 . at the step s 42 , a shake amount and a shake direction are detected based on the output from the acceleration sensor 109 , and then it is determined whether or not there is a camera shake , dependent on whether the detected shake amount is larger than a predetermined amount . if there is a camera shake , at a step s 43 , the shake compensation mechanism 108 is operated according to the shake amount and the shake direction to thereby correct a shift of the image , and then the program proceeds to a step s 44 . on the other hand , if there is no camera shake , the program skips over the step s 43 to the step s 44 . at the step s 44 , an exposure operation is carried out by controlling an aperture and a shutter , whereby the ccd 101 is exposed to a predetermined amount of light . then , the program proceeds to a step s 45 , wherein image processing operations , such as white - balance calibration , gamma correction , color correction and compression , are performed , and at a step s 46 , the image is stored in the cf card 105 . at the same time , information of a date determined by the clock tm within the camera section at this time point is also stored in association with the image . then , the program proceeds to a step s 47 , wherein it is determined whether or not the present mode is the camera mode . if the present mode is the camera mode , the program returns to the step s 39 , whereas if not , the program returns to the step s 11 after closing the lens barrier at a step s 48 . a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig2 . fig2 is a flowchart which shows an operating procedure of the camera with a printer , according to the second embodiment . the present embodiment is distinguished from the above described embodiment in that in carriage control executed by using the acceleration sensor 109 , the running speed of the carriage 225 and sheet feed are controlled according to the amount of a camera shake in a predetermined direction . more specifically , as shown in fig2 , a print operation is started at a step s 240 ( corresponding to the step s 23 in fig1 ), and at the following step s 250 , a shake amount and a shake direction are detected by the acceleration sensor 109 . then , at a step s 260 , a shake component amount in the main scanning direction is calculated from the detected shake amount and direction , and it is determined whether or not the shake component amount is larger than a predetermined amount . if the shake component amount in the main scanning direction is larger than the predetermined amount , the program proceeds to a step s 270 , wherein the present running speed of the carriage 225 is reduced according to the shake component amount in the main scanning direction . more specifically , a deceleration amount by which the carriage 225 is to be decelerated is set according to the shake component amount in the main scanning direction , and the running speed of the carriage 225 is controlled according to the set deceleration amount . in this case , if the shake component amount is medium , a smaller deceleration amount is set to thereby minimize a decrease in printing efficiency . on the other hand , if the shake component amount is large , a larger deceleration amount is set to limit the influence of the shake on deviation of the scanning speed within a predetermined range , thereby reducing an error in a hitting position of ink ejected onto a paper sheet from the recording head 207 to an amount which is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount . then , the program proceeds to a step s 280 , wherein the present position of the recording head 207 is detected , and it is determined whether or not the recording head is at the main scanning end . if the recording head is not at the main scanning end , the program returns to the step s 250 , wherein a shake amount is detected again . on the other hand , if the recording head is at the main scanning end , the program proceeds to a step s 290 , wherein the carriage 225 is temporarily stopped , and thereby temporarily suspending the main scanning . then , the program proceeds to a step s 310 , wherein a shake component in the sub - scanning direction is determined from a shake amount , and it is determined whether or not the shake component is larger than a predetermined amount . if the shake component in the sub - scanning direction is larger than the predetermined amount at the step , the program proceeds to a step s 330 , wherein sheet feed is stopped . then , the program returns to the step s 250 , wherein a shake amount is detected again . on the other hand , if the shake component in the sub - scanning direction is equal to or smaller than the predetermined amount at the step s 310 , the program proceeds to a step s 320 , wherein the paper sheet is fed by a predetermined amount . then , at the following step s 340 , it is determined whether or not printing on one sheet has been completed according to whether or not the recording position has reached a sub - scanning end . if the recording position has not reached a sub - scanning end , which means that printing has not been completed , the program returns to the step s 250 , wherein a shake amount is detected again . if the shake component amount in the main scanning direction is equal to or smaller than the predetermined amount at the step s 260 , the program proceeds to a step s 300 , wherein the carriage 225 is driven at a normal speed . in other words , the main scanning is carried out at the normal speed . if the running speed of the carriage 225 is being currently decelerated , the running speed is increased again to the normal speed . thereafter , at steps s 310 to 330 , sheet feed is stopped or continued according to the shake amount in the sub - scanning direction . when it is determined at the step s 340 that the printing on one sheet is completed , the program returns to the step s 29 in fig1 , and then the steps s 29 et seq . are repeatedly carried out . although in the above described embodiments , the camera is comprised of the camera section a 100 and the printer section b 100 which are integrated in a one - piece body , this is not limitative , but even when the camera section a 100 and the printer section b 100 are formed in two separate bodies , which are interconnected via the interface 210 , it is possible to realize similar functions to those described above .	1
embodiments of the invention described herein relate to semiconductor manufacturing . more particularly , embodiments of the invention described relate to integrating n - type and p - type metal gate transistors within the same complementary metal - oxide - semiconductor ( cmos ) device or integrated circuit . in order to manufacture cmos devices and integrated circuits that can avoid the effects of gate depletion , embodiments of the invention incorporate n - type and p - type metal gates into the same cmos device or integrated circuits . fig1 illustrates a cross - section of a cmos device containing a p - type transistor and an n - type transistor after depositing ild 0 (“ inter - layer dielectric ”) according to one embodiment . in fig1 , poly - silicon gate transistors 105 , 110 are fabricated using standard cmos processing techniques in order to prevent silicide formation on the poly - silicon gate electrode . the nitride hard masks 115 are to protect the gate structures during silicidation and ild 0 120 is deposited on the structure . the ild 0 is polished back to expose the doped polysilicon gates in fig2 . the ild 0 polishing also removes residual silicide around the nitride masking layer . after the polysilicon gates 205 , 210 are exposed , an ammonium hydroxide etch is used to selectively etch away 305 the n - type polysilicon . the ammonium hydroxide etch is low temperature ( e . g ., & lt ; 40 deg . celsius ), uses sonication , and has a concentration of approximately 2 - 29 %. the result of the polysilicon etch is illustrated in fig3 . removal of the p - type polysilicon above the gate dielectric creates a damascene - like “ trench ” which is filled with an n - type metal 405 , such as hf , zr , ti , ta , or al , as illustrated in fig4 . alternatively , the trench can be filled with an alloy containing an n - type component using pvd (“ physical vapor deposition ”), cvd (“ chemical vapor deposition ”), or ald (“ atomic layer deposition ”). cvd and ald may use an organometallic or halide precursor , and a reducing atmosphere . furthermore , the thickness of the n - type metal or alloy can be such that the trench is only partially filled . for example , the thickness of the n - type metal or alloy can vary from approximately 50 angstroms to approximately 1000 angstroms in various embodiments . if the trenches are not completely filled , they may be filled with an easily polished metal , such as w (“ tungsten ”) or al (“ aluminum ”). the n - type metal is polished back to create the n - type metal gates 505 and to expose the p - type polysilicon gate 510 as illustrated in fig5 . fig6 illustrates the transistors after a selective dry etch is performed to remove the p - type polysilicon without removing the n - type metal gate . the selective dry etch can be performed using a parallel plate or ecr (“ electron cyclotron resonance ”) etcher and sf6 (“ sulfur hexafluoride ”), hbr (“ hydrogen bromide ”), hi (“ hydrogen iodide ”), cl2 (“ chlorine ”), ar (“ argon ”), and / or he (“ helium ”). alternatively , a wet etch , such as approximately 20 - 30 % tmah (“ tetramethylammonium hydroxide ”) at approximately 60 - 90 degrees celsius with or without sonication may also be used to remove the p - type polysilicon gate . a p - type metal , such as ru (“ ruthenium ”), pd (“ palladium ”), pt (“ platinum ”), co (“ cobalt ”), ni (“ nickel ”), tialn (“ titanium aluminum nitride ”), or wcn (“ tungsten carbon nitride ”) can be used to fill the gate trench created by etching the p - type polysilicon gate 605 . alternatively , an alloy using p - type metal can be deposited in the trench using chemical vapor deposition or atomic layer deposition with an organometallic precursor and a reducing atmosphere . furthermore , the thickness of the p - type metal or alloy can be such that the trench is only partially filled . fig7 illustrates the transistors after the p - type metal or alloy has been deposited in the gate trench 710 . the p - type metal or alloy is polished back , as illustrated in fig8 , to create the p - type gate structures 805 , 810 , and ild 0 is again deposited to provide room for the contact layer . contacts 903 are etched and deposited , as illustrated in fig9 , resulting in the final transistor structure . rather than using a dry etch to remove the p - type polysilicon as described above , the p - type polysilicon gate can be converted to n - type in order to allow a gentler wet etch to remove the polysilicon rather than a dry etch . for example , after the p - type polysilicon 1010 has been exposed , rather than using a selective dry etch to remove the polysilicon , an n - type implant 1015 is performed to change the doping of the polysilicon in order to allow an ammonium hydroxide etch to be performed , as illustrated in fig1 . the result of the implant and ash ( if required ) is illustrated in fig1 . an ammonium hydroxide etch removes the remaining polysilicon gate structure 1210 resulting in the structure illustrated in fig1 . a p - type metal or alloy may then be deposited in the trench left by removing the p - type polysilicon gate as described above . while the invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments , this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense . various modifications of the illustrative embodiments , as well as other embodiments , which are apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the invention pertains are deemed to lie within the spirit and scope of the invention .	8
fig1 is a top view of a lens holding frame 11 and a lens barrel 10 in the first embodiment of the present invention . the lens barrel 10 includes a lens holding frame 11 and a lens 12 which are bonded together by an adhesive 13 shown in fig2 . the lens 12 is one of numerous lenses used in the photographic optical system of the camera and is a convex lens in this embodiment . the lens holding frame 11 holds the lens 12 and is provided to mount the lens 12 at a lens main body ( not shown ). the lens holding frame 11 includes a cylindrical portion 11 a which cylindrically encloses and holds the external circumference of the lens 12 , three lens receptacle portions 11 b constituting contact portions where it comes in contact with the lens to position the lens 12 along the direction of the optical axis and provided over equal intervals and injection portions 11 c through which the adhesive 13 is injected , and it may be prepared by injection - molding polycarbonate . fig2 a presents a sectional view through o — o in fig1 and fig2 b presents a sectional view through p — p in fig1 . fig3 is a perspective of an area around a lens receptacle portion 11 b of the lens holding frame 11 in an enlargement . the lens receptacle portions 11 b , which are provided as contact portions where the lens holding frame 11 comes in contact with the lens to determine the position of the lens 12 along the direction of the optical axis , are constituted as three projected portions provided at the inner wall of an end 11 a - 2 of the cylindrical portion 11 a over equal intervals . while it is not absolutely necessary to provide them at three positions set in equal intervals , it is a desirable to set them in equal intervals in view of balance and the ease of dimensional management . the injection portions 11 c are each constituted of an inclined surface through which the adhesive 13 is injected and are located at an end 11 a - 1 of the cylindrical portion 11 a ( on the side where the lens receptacle portions 11 b are allowed to come into contact with the lens ) which is opposite from an end 11 a - 2 of the cylindrical portion 11 a on the side where the lens receptacle portions 11 b are provided . in addition , the injection portion 11 c is set along the inner wall of the lens holding frame 11 excluding the lens receptacle portions 11 b . the cross sectional shape of the injection portions 11 c may be selected freely within ranges 0 & lt ; l ′& lt ; l and θ ≦ 60 ° with l , l ′ and θ defined as shown in fig2 a . in this embodiment , it constitutes a portion of the inner surface of a cone ( a conical shape ). the adhesive 13 is used to bond the lens holding frame 11 and the lens 12 and is constituted of visible light and ultraviolet light setting adhesive . the adhesive 13 is injected into the injection portions 11 c by using a dispenser or the like ( not shown ). the actual bonding process is implemented after a positioning process in which the eccentricity and the inclination of the lens 12 relative to the lens holding frame 11 are adjusted , by placing the tip of the nozzle of the dispenser near the injection portion 11 c and injecting the adhesive 13 into the area to allow it to accumulate . at this time , the nozzle tip should be set at any position within the range of the injection portions 11 c . the adhesive 13 , which has been accumulating at the injection portion 11 c , is allowed to fill and penetrate the gap between the lens holding frame 11 and the lens 12 as well as the gap between the lens receptacle portion 11 b and the lens 12 due to gravity and capillary action . since any excess adhesive 13 remains at the injection portion 11 c , no adhesive spreads out into the range of the effective diameter of the lens 12 . it is to be noted that the optical axis of the lens 12 is set along the direction of gravity during the bonding process . alternatively , the eccentricity and the inclination of the lens 12 may be adjusted after the adhesive 13 fills and penetrates the gaps during the work procedure . when the gaps are completely filled and penetrated with the adhesive 13 , ultraviolet light is irradiated on the adhesive 13 to set the adhesive 13 , thereby securing the lens 12 to the lens holding frame 11 . as described above , since the adhesive injection portions 11 c are provided at the top of the cylindrical portion of 11 a of the lens holding frame 11 in the first embodiment , the work process is facilitated while ensuring that the adhesive is not allowed to spread out into the range of the effective diameter of the lens . fig4 is a top view of a lens holding frame 21 and a lens barrel 20 in the second embodiment of the present invention . fig5 a presents a sectional view through o — o in fig4 and fig5 b presents a sectional view through p — p in fig4 . in fig5 a and 5b , the assembly is mounted on a lens receptacle base 25 . fig6 is a perspective of an area around a lens receptacle portion 21 b of the lens holding frame 21 in an enlargement . it is to be noted that a repeated detailed explanation of portions identical to those in the first embodiment is omitted as appropriate in the following explanation of the subsequent embodiments . the lens receptacle portions 21 b , which constitute contact portions where the lens holding frame 21 comes into contact with a lens 22 to determine the position of the lens 22 along the direction of the optical axis , are identical to those in the first embodiment . injection portions 21 c are each constituted of an inclined surface through which an adhesive 23 is injected and are located at positions reversed from the positions assumed by the injection portions in the first embodiment . in other words , they are located at an end 21 a - 1 ( on the side opposite from the side where the lens receptacle portions 21 b are allowed to come into contact with the lens ) of a cylindrical portion 21 a on the side where the lens receptacle portions 21 b are provided . in addition , they are set along the inner wall of the lens holding frame 21 excluding the lens receptacle portions 21 b . the cross sectional shape that may be assumed by the injection portions 21 c is as explained in reference to the first embodiment . unlike in the first embodiment , the actual bonding process is implemented by setting the lens holding frame 21 on the lens 22 . the lens 22 is placed on the lens receptacle base 25 during this process . subsequently , work steps similar to those in the first embodiment may be implemented . the present invention in the second embodiment , in which the injection portions 21 c are provided at positions reversed from the positions assumed by the injection portions in the first embodiment as described above , may be effectively adopted when the injection portions 21 c cannot be provided along the direction assumed in the first embodiment due to a positional restriction in relation to another lens barrel , a process - related restriction or the like , to facilitate the work process and to ensure that the adhesive is not allowed to spread out into the range of the effective diameter of the lens . in addition , by combining the second embodiment with the first embodiment , an improvement in the assembly process can be achieved . this point is explained below in reference to the third embodiment . fig7 is a top view of a lens holding frame 31 and a lens barrel 30 in the third embodiment of the present invention . fig8 a presents a sectional view through o — o in fig4 and fig8 b presents a sectional view through p — p in fig7 . in fig8 a and 8b , the assembly is mounted on a lens receptacle base 35 . fig9 is a perspective of an area around a lens receptacle portion 31 b of the lens holding frame 31 in an enlargement . in the third embodiment , the first embodiment and the second embodiment are implemented in combination . namely , the second embodiment is adopted for a lower lens 32 - 1 in fig8 ( 31 b , 31 c - 1 , 33 - 1 and 35 ), whereas the first embodiment is adopted for an upper lens 32 - 2 ( 31 b , 31 c - 2 , 33 - 2 ). during the bonding process , the adhesive is charged and is allowed to penetrate first at the lower lens 32 - 1 as in the second embodiment . then , without performing an ultraviolet light irradiation and reversing the lens holding frame 31 , the upper lens 32 - 2 is allowed to drop in immediately , and the adhesive is charged and allowed to penetrate as in the first embodiment . in this state in which the adhesive has not yet set , the upper and lower lenses are allowed to move . consequently , the eccentricity and the inclination can be adjusted by moving the two lenses 32 - 1 and 32 - 2 relative to the lens holding frame 31 . after the adjustments are completed , ultraviolet light is irradiated onto the adhesive 33 - 1 and 33 - 2 to set it . the third embodiment , which allows two different lenses to be bonded and secured after they are adjusted at the same time , is particularly effective when adopted in an optical system in which the relative eccentricity and inclination of the two lenses greatly affect the performance . in addition , even when it is adopted in an application other than such an optical system , the adhesive is prevented from spreading out when holding two lenses and the process of lens mounting through bonding can be implemented without having to reverse the lens holding frame 31 , to facilitate the bonding process itself . the present invention is not limited to the embodiments explained above and allows for numerous variations and modifications which are equally within the scope of the present invention . ( 1 ) while an explanation is given in reference to the embodiments in which the lenses are convex lenses , the present invention is not limited to these particulars and the lenses may be concave lenses , meniscus lenses or the like . in addition , while the shape of a lens projected along the direction of the optical axis is round in the examples explained above , the present invention is not restricted by these details , and the shape of the projected lens may be any other shape such as a rectangle or a barrel shape . ( 2 ) while an example in which the injection portion is provided along the entire circumference excluding the lens receptacle portions in each of the embodiments , the present invention is not limited to this example , and injection portions 41 c may be provided , for instance , only in the vicinity of lens receptacle portions 41 b as in a lens frame 40 shown in fig1 , or they may be provided at areas distanced from the lens receptacle portions . in addition , the cross sectional shape of the injection portions may vary at different locations . ( 3 ) while an explanation is given above in reference to the embodiments on an example in which a visible light and ultraviolet light setting adhesive is used , the present invention is not limited to this example , and the adhesive may instead be a thermal setting adhesive , an anaerobic setting adhesive , a double fluid setting adhesive or an instant adhesive and the basic constituent of the adhesive may be a silicone , an epoxy resin or cyanoacrylate . ( 4 ) while the three lens receptacle portions are provided in equal intervals and have a round shape at their front ends in each of the embodiments explained earlier , the quantity and the shape of the lens receptacle portions in the embodiments represents only an example , and four or more lens receptacle portions may be provided and they may assume a shape with a curved surface conforming to the contour of the lens . ( 5 ) while an explanation is given above in reference to the embodiments on an example in which the adhesive is charged and allowed to penetrate over the entire circumference , the present invention is not limited to this example , and the adhesive may be charged and allowed to penetrate only at specific positions . ( 6 ) while an explanation is given above in reference to the embodiments on an example in which a lens holding frame that allows the eccentricity and the inclination of a lens to be adjusted is utilized , the present invention is not limited to this example , and it may be adopted in conjunction with a lens holding frame that regulates the eccentricity and the inclination by letting the lens be dropped into the lens holding frame and thus , does not require such adjustments . ( 7 ) while an explanation is given above in reference to the embodiments on an example in which the injection portions are each constituted of an inclined surface , the injection portions may assume a structure other than an inclined surface . for instance , the injection portions may adopt a staged structure . in other words , the present invention may be adopted in all types of structures , as long as the port through which the adhesive is injected extends over a wide range to ensure that the gap between the lens and the lens holding frame is filled and penetrated with the adhesive due to gravity and capillary action and any excess adhesive is allowed to remain at the injection portion . ( 8 ) the lens holding frame and the lens barrel in each of the embodiments may be utilized in a telescope , binoculars , a microscope or the like instead of a camera or a video camera . namely , they may be utilized in all types of optical systems that use lenses .	6
reference will now be made in detail to several embodiments of the invention that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , same or similar reference numerals are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts or steps . the drawings are in simplified form and are not to precise scale . for purposes of convenience and clarity only , directional terms , such as top , bottom , up , down , over , above , and below may be used with respect to the drawings . these and similar directional terms should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention in any manner . the words “ connect ,” “ couple ,” and similar terms with their inflectional morphemes do not necessarily denote direct and immediate connections , but also include connections through mediate elements or devices . fig2 shows a vertically exaggerated representation of the effects of a thermal shock on a measuring cell 1 as known from the state of the art . the measuring cell 1 is represented in a simplified way in fig2 , and it is constructed from a base body 3 with a measurement membrane 5 which is connected via a solder ring 16 to the base body 3 . as a result of the thermal shock , for example , a temperature jump from 20 ° c . to 80 ° c . in less than one second , a voltage is introduced into the measuring cell 1 due to the different temperatures of the measurement membrane 5 and the base body 3 , so that the measurement membrane 5 , as represented , arches upward , and thus a slot separation d between the measurement membrane 5 and a top side of the base body 3 , which faces the measurement membrane 5 , is increased . such a temperature shock changes a value of a measuring capacitance c m , which is formed by measuring electrodes 10 , 11 which are not shown in this representation , by the change of the slot separation d , so that a pressure drop is detected , although there is no external pressure change . in this manner , measurement errors are generated , which can be acquired and compensated only by expensive compensation devices , for example , by means of temperature sensors . fig1 a shows a pressure measuring cell 1 according to the invention , which is constructed from a base body 3 , on which , via solder rings 16 , an intermediate membrane 7 and a measurement membrane 5 are arranged in a sandwich like design . when the pressure measuring cell 1 is used , the measurement membrane 5 is directed outward and undergoes deformation , when exposed to pressure , with respect to the intermediate membrane 7 as well as the base body 3 , so that the measuring capacitance c m , which is formed by measuring electrodes 10 , 11 arranged on the measurement membrane 5 as well as on the intermediate membrane 7 , is changed in accordance to the pressure applied . in this way , the pressure acting from the exterior can be detected , and its magnitude can be determined . a pressure applied on the measurement membrane 5 remains without consequence for the intermediate membrane 7 , which can be formed advantageously with perforations , so that a change of the slot separation d between the measurement membrane 5 and the intermediate membrane 7 , and the resulting capacitance change , is representative for the applied pressure . temperature changes which are applied from the exterior to the measurement membrane 5 are transmitted substantially more rapidly to the intermediate membrane 7 , because of its heat capacity which is substantially lower than that of the base body 3 , so that , due to the effect of heat , the measurement membrane 5 and the intermediate membrane 7 undergo a deformation of identical size and identically rapidity compared to the base body 3 , which results in the slot distance d between the measuring electrodes 10 , 11 remaining substantially constant . due to an appropriate adaptation of the heat capacity of the intermediate membrane 7 , that is by an appropriate choice of a thickness z of the intermediate membrane 7 in relation to a thickness m of the measurement membrane 5 , as well as by appropriate dimensioning of the slot separation d , the sensitivity of the pressure measuring cell 1 to a thermal shock can be further reduced . in the case of a pressure measuring cell 1 with a membrane diameter of approximately 28 μm , it was observed that very good compensation results are achieved if the thickness z of the intermediate membrane 7 is 650 μm , which is approximately 1 . 5 times the thickness m of the measurement membrane 5 . the optimal thickness z of the intermediate membrane is a function of the dimensions of the solder ring . the chosen slot separation d , in such a measuring cell , is approximately 16 μm , so that a measuring capacitance of approximately 50 pf can be achieved by appropriately large dimensioning of the measuring electrodes 10 , 11 . fig1 b shows a variant of the pressure measuring cell from fig1 a , where , on the one hand , between the measurement membrane 5 and the intermediate membrane 7 , ring - shaped reference electrodes 14 , 15 are arranged around the measuring electrodes 10 , 11 , and , on the other hand , between the base body 3 and the intermediate membrane 7 , additional measuring electrodes 12 are provided . as a result of the reference electrodes 14 arranged in the marginal area within the solder ring 16 , an additional reference capacitance c r is formed , whose value changes only slightly in the case of both the effect of pressure and the effect of temperature , due to the position of the solder ring 16 . by means of the reference capacitance c r , it is possible to normalize a value of the measuring capacitance c m determined by means of the measuring electrodes 10 , 11 , so that a dimensionless measured value m is obtained . due to the additional electrodes 12 arranged between the intermediate membrane 7 and the base body 3 , a capacitance is formed , for the detection of a thermal shock , referred to below as the thermo - capacitance c t . although a pressure on the measurement membrane 5 remains without consequence for the intermediate membrane 7 , while , however , a temperature effect is determined by the intermediate membrane 7 approximately identically to the measurement membrane 5 , a thermal shock can be detected by the thermo - capacitance c t , and thus taken into account in addition for the compensation by the intermediate membrane 7 and also in the further processing , for example , by means of an additional compensation . in this manner , the measured values m obtained from a measuring cell 1 designed according to the invention can be optimized further . in comparison to fig2 , which has already been described above , fig3 shows the consequences of a thermal shock on a pressure measuring cell 1 designed according to the invention . as can be seen from the representation in fig3 in connection with the diagram from fig6 , the slot separation d between the measurement membrane 5 and the intermediate membrane 7 undergoes only insubstantial change in the case of an optimal selection of the thickness z of the intermediate membrane 7 in relation to the thickness m of the measurement membrane 5 , so that , as shown in fig7 , at the time of a maximum effect of the thermal shock , an improvement of the value of the measuring capacitance c m by up to 80 % is achieved . moreover , as one can also see in fig7 , the value of the reference capacitance c r is also influenced less in the case of a measuring cell 1 according to the invention with intermediate membrane 7 , so that , in total , as one can see in fig9 , an improvement of the measured value m by up to 83 % can be achieved . in fig4 , the change in the temperature θ is shown — for the case of a thermal shock from 20 ° c . to 80 ° c . in the center of the measuring cell 1 — in the characteristic line 41 for the measurement membrane 5 , in the characteristic line 42 for the intermediate membrane 7 , and in the characteristic line 43 for the base body 3 . the measuring cell 1 used for this evaluation was constructed with a measurement membrane 5 having a thickness m = 430 μm and an intermediate membrane 7 having a thickness z = 650 μm . as one can see from the characteristic line 41 in fig4 , the measurement membrane 5 determines a temperature jump from 20 ° c . to 80 ° c . in approximately one second , and then remains at a constant temperature of 80 ° c . in comparison to the relatively slow temperature determination of the base body 3 ( see the characteristic line 43 ), the intermediate membrane 7 reaches a temperature θ of 70 ° c . already after approximately 11 seconds , where , on the other hand , the base body 3 reaches this temperature θ only after a time t of approximately 25 seconds . as a result of this substantially more rapid temperature increase as well as due to the transfer of mechanical stresses from the measurement membrane 5 to the intermediate membrane 7 , the intermediate membrane 7 is deflected upwards approximately identically to the measurement membrane 5 . fig5 shows a comparison of 4 measuring cells which in each case present a measurement membrane having a thickness m = 430 μm and intermediate membranes with thicknesses z in the range of 210 - 650 μm . in the diagrams of fig5 , the deflection a of the membranes 5 , 7 out of a rest position a 0 is shown in the case of the effect of a temperature shock over the time t . it is shown how , in each case , the intermediate membrane 7 is deflected upwards in comparison to the measurement membrane 5 , out of its rest position a 0 , in the case of exposure to the effect a temperature shock . as one can see in fig5 , the best results were achieved with an intermediate membrane 7 having the thickness z = 650 μm . in fig6 , the slot separation d , which is obtained from the difference of the deflections a of the measurement membrane 5 and of the intermediate membrane 7 , is in the same time scale as represented in fig5 , and thus allows a comparison of intermediate membranes presenting different thicknesses z . to allow a comparison with measuring cells 1 as known from the state of the art , in addition to the intermediate membrane thicknesses z compared in fig5 , a measuring cell with an intermediate membrane having a thickness z of 10 , 000 μm is represented , which in its behavior corresponds to the base body 3 of the cell 1 , due to the large thickness z as well as the large heat capacity . in the case of a measuring cell 1 according to the state of the art , the slot separation d changes , as represented in the characteristic line 61 of fig6 , in case of exposure to a thermal shock , from approximately 16 to more than 18 μm , which results in a variation — represented in fig7 — of the measuring capacitance c m from 50 . 6 pf to approximately 45 . 5 pf . the maximum capacitance variation in the case of a standard measuring cell is thus approximately − 5 . 3 pf , i . e ., more than 10 % of the actually measured capacitance value . these variations can be reduced with an intermediate membrane 7 having a thickness z of approximately z = 650 μm , as illustrated in the characteristic line 63 in fig6 , to approximately ± 0 . 4 μm and thus to a maximum capacitance variation of ± 1 pf . in fig7 , the variation of the reference capacitance c r of a measuring cell 1 according to the state of the art as well as a measuring cell 1 with an intermediate membrane 7 having a thickness z = 650 μm is represented . as one can see in fig7 , for the reference capacitance c r , the variations are also reduced considerably by an intermediate membrane 7 . in fig8 , the changes in the measuring capacitance c m as well as the reference capacitance c r are plotted with respect to each other . from the characteristic line 81 according to the state of the art as well as from the characteristic line 82 for a measuring cell 1 according to the invention , it is apparent that a change of the measured value m , which [ sic ] from the ratio of the measuring capacitance c m to the reference capacitance c r for the measuring cell 1 according to the invention with a 650 μm compensation membrane , varies in a substantially smaller range , and presents better linearity in comparison to a standard cell . the effects on the measured values m , which were obtained according to the formula m = 1 − c r / c m , delivered by the measuring cell 1 are represented in fig9 . as one can see from the characteristic lines in fig9 , a 650 - μm intermediate membrane can considerably reduce the measured value variation in case of a thermal shock , so that a greater reliability of the measured values m delivered by the measuring cell 1 can be achieved . as already indicated above , it is moreover also possible , by filling the clearance formed between the measurement membrane 5 and the base body 3 with a fluid which presents an increased heat conductivity in comparison to air , to achieve a much more rapid transfer of thermal effects to the intermediate membrane 7 and the base body 3 , so that the processes represented in fig4 - 9 occur temporally more rapidly due to the more rapid heat transfer . the result is that the effects of the thermal shock are active only within a short time interval on the measured values m delivered by the measuring cell 1 , and thus the risk of measurement errors is further reduced . in the claims , means or step - plus - function clauses are intended to cover the structures described or suggested herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures . thus , for example , although a nail , a screw , and a bolt may not be structural equivalents in that a nail relies on friction between a wooden part and a cylindrical surface , a screw &# 39 ; s helical surface positively engages the wooden part , and a bolt &# 39 ; s head and nut compress opposite sides of a wooden part , in the environment of fastening wooden parts , a nail , a screw , and a bolt may be readily understood by those skilled in the art as equivalent structures . having described at least one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments , and that various changes , modifications , and adaptations may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	6
it is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevant for a clear understanding of the present invention , while eliminating , for purposes of clarity , many other elements which are conventional in this art . those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other elements are desirable for implementing the present invention . however , because such elements are well known in the art , and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention , a discussion of such elements is not provided herein . the present invention will now be described in detail on the basis of exemplary embodiments . fig1 shows a schematic representation of a water heating device according to a first embodiment . the water heating device 100 comprises a thermally insulated metal water storage tank 100 a for receiving potable water which needs to be heated . the storage tank 100 a comprises a hot water outlet 101 , a cold water ( potable water ) inlet 102 and an inlet 103 for a pressure and temperature relief valve (“ p & amp ; t valve ”). a metal tube 104 is welded into the metal water storage tank 100 a . the end of the metal tube 104 which is in contact with potable water is closed with a welded cap . the opposite end of the tube 104 is open to the atmosphere . according to the invention , the metal tube 104 is welded to the side wall 100 b of the tank and comprises an inclination . a heating element 105 is inserted into the tube 104 such that the tube transfers heat to the water . by the inclination of the tube 104 and thus the inclination of the heating element 105 , the water inside the water tank is efficiently heated . because of the pocket design of the welded tube 104 it is possible to service a damaged heat element 105 without draining the water content of the water storage tank 100 a . the inner diameter of the tube 104 is larger than the outer diameter of the heat element 105 in order to incorporate the heat element 105 . thus , the maintenance of the water heating device is significantly improved without risk of leaking water after a service . the water storage tank 100 a may comprise a second tube 106 which is welded into the water tank 100 a . this second tube 106 is a metallic sleeve tube 106 with an open end outside the water tank to insert a temperature sensor 107 . the temperature sensor 107 may be connected to a safety cut out 108 or a thermostat . optionally , the second tube 106 is inclined towards the side wall of the water tank . optionally , the angle of the inclination of the first tube does not correspond to the angle of inclination of the second tube . according to an aspect of the invention , the outer surfaces of the first and second tubes 104 , 106 can be enamelled . in particular , only those portions of the outer surfaces of the first and second tube 104 , 106 which are in contact with water are enamelled . optionally , the water tank 100 a also comprises a sensor and a further temperature sensor unit 109 , which exists of a plurality of temperature sensors vertically arranged like a chain . furthermore , optionally an anode rod 110 is provided to avoid corrosion of the metallic tank . in addition , the anode rod 110 is used for a dry fire prevention sensor . the electronic impressed anode rod 110 is connected to an electronic device 111 which may be arranged at the outside of the water tank 100 a . optionally , the water tank 100 a may comprise further an inlet port and a outlet port 112 , 113 for an add - on heating unit or heat generator to be retrofitted later . this add - on heat generator can be a heat pump . the heat pump can be connected to the electronic unit 111 . in particular , an electrical connection can be provided to the electronic device 111 . fig2 shows a schematic representation of a water heating device according to a second embodiment . the water tank 100 a comprises a hot water outlet 101 , a cold water inlet 102 , an inlet 200 for a p & amp ; t valve . furthermore , a first tube 104 is welded or glued to the side wall of the water tank 100 a . the closed end of the tube 104 which is in contact with potable water can be covered by a welded cap . the opposite end is open to the atmosphere . the first tube 104 is a heat exchanger if a heating element 105 is assembled inside it . the outside diameter of the heating element 105 is smaller than the inside diameter of the first tube 104 . as shown in the first embodiment , the first tube 104 is arranged with an inclination towards the side wall of the water tank . thus , the water in the cold sump section can be heated advantageously . this increases the mix water amount of the usable tank volume . as shown in the first embodiment , a second tube can be provided in which a temperature sensor 107 is inserted . furthermore , a wiring enclosure 120 is connected to the electric heat element 104 via an electrical grid with the wires 122 and 123 . the wire 121 is the ground line for safety reasons . this line 121 needs to be grounded via any metallic part of the tank . in fig2 , convection c is depicted , to illustrate cold water flowing down towards the heating element 105 , where the water is heated and due to the heat convection , the heated water then moving upwards . because of the inclination of the heating element 105 also water of the cold sump of the water tank 100 a is heated . fig3 a - 3c show different views of the heating element according to the invention . in fig3 a , the heating element 105 is a ceramic heat element and may comprise of a number of ceramic elements 114 which are stacked together using a central thread bar . fig3 b shows a single ceramic element and fig3 c shows a schematic cross section of the heating element 105 . the heating element comprises a plurality of ceramic fins 115 which transfers heat from the spiral heating wire to the inner wall of the surface of the tube 104 . the ceramic nature of the fin 115 creates spacing for the high voltages of the hot wire in front of the conductive tube 103 . between the fins , a number of gaps 116 provides enough spacing for the spiral heat wire . in the middle of the heating element 105 , a central bore hole 117 is provided . this central bore hole 117 acts like a gap for the central thread bar . each of the ceramic elements is divided from the following by a heal 118 providing a distance between adjacent ceramic elements . fig4 a shows a schematic representation of a water heating device according to a third embodiment . the water heating device 100 comprises a thermally insulated metal water storage tank 100 a for receiving potable water which needs to be heated . the water storage tank 100 a comprises a shell section or side wall 100 b , a top section 100 d as well as a bottom section 100 c . the top and bottom section 100 d , 100 c is welded to the side wall 100 b . at the lower part of the side wall 100 b a metal tube 104 is welded to the side wall 100 b . the end 104 a of the metal tube 104 is in contact with potable water and closed with a welded cap . preferably , the metal tube 104 is inclined at an angle from 5 ° to 30 ° with respect to a horizontal plane . inside the metal tube 104 a heating element 105 is inserted . fig4 a shows the closed end 104 a of the metal tube 104 . it is arranged in the area of the bottom section 100 c . this arrangement of the metal tube 104 and thus the arrangement heating element 105 is advantageous , because the water which of the bottom section 100 c is also heated . in fig4 a two convection zone c 1 , c 2 are depicted , they are active during times , when the heating element 105 is activated . as declared in fig4 a , especially the second convection current c 2 heats the lower part of the bottom section 100 c . thus , also the water inside the bottom section 100 c is heated as well . in contrast , in fig4 b , where the heating element is arranged horizontally it is visible that the convection currents c 3 , c 4 do not reach into the bottom section 100 c of the water tank . the bottom section remains cold which reduces the amount of usable water of the tank content . fig5 shows a schematic representation of a part of fig4 a . in the lower part of the shell section or the side wall 100 b , the open end of the metal tube 104 is depicted . the open end of the metal tube 104 can be welded to the shell section 100 c for example by means of a welded joint 100 e . furthermore , the bottom region 100 c and the shell section or the side wall 100 b can also be welded together by means of a welded round joint 100 f . according to the invention , the distance between the welded joint 100 e for the metal tube 104 and the welded joint 100 f for the side wall 100 b and the bottom section 100 are arranged not closer than 25 mm from each other . in other words , the minimum distance between the two welded joints is more than 25 mm . the reason for this minimal distance is to avoid any thermal deformation during the welding process and durability according to required pressure lifetime cycle . fig6 shows a schematic representation of a part of a water heating device according to a fourth embodiment . in fig6 , the storage tank 100 a as well as the bottom section 100 c is depicted . furthermore , the inclined metal tube 104 as well the inclined heating element 105 is depicted . preferably , the heating element 105 comprises a section 105 e which is not heated . this section 105 e is preferably arranged at the proximal end of the heating element 105 . fig7 shows a schematic representation of a heating element according to a fifth embodiment . in fig7 , a schematic cross section of the heating element is depicted . the heating element 105 thus comprises two bolts 105 b connected to each heating wire 105 d . the length of the two bolts 105 b will determine the non heated section 105 e of the heating element . the heating element may also comprise high conductive ceramic fins 105 c in order to avoid a short between the single element wire the arrangement of the ceramic fins create a duct for a single heat element and transfers the heat to the surrounding tube wall 105 f . according to the invention , the not - heated section 105 e is provided so that the temperature inside the wiring enclosure 108 does not exceed a threshold value . accordingly , the section 105 e acts like a cooling section . while this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications , and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art . accordingly , the preferred embodiments of the invention as set forth above are intended to be illustrative , not limiting . various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventions as defined in the following claims . in addition , it is noted that citation or identification of any document in this application is not an admission that such document is available as prior art to the present invention . it is also noted that in this disclosure and particularly in the claims and / or paragraphs , terms such as “ comprises ”, “ comprised ”, “ comprising ” and the like can have the meaning attributed to it in u . s . patent law ; e . g ., they can mean “ includes ”, “ included ”, “ including ”, and the like ; and that terms such as “ consisting essentially of ” and “ consists essentially of ” have the meaning ascribed to them in u . s . patent law , e . g ., they allow for elements not explicitly recited , but exclude elements that are found in the prior art or that affect a basic or novel characteristic of the invention . it is further noted that the invention does not intend to encompass within the scope of the invention any previously disclosed product , process of making the product or method of using the product , which meets the written description and enablement requirements of the uspto ( 35 u . s . c . 112 ), such that applicant ( s ) reserve the right to disclaim , and hereby disclose a disclaimer of , any previously described product , method of making the product , or process of using the product .	5
throughout all the figures , same or corresponding elements may generally be indicated by same reference numerals . these depicted embodiments are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way . it should also be understood that the figures are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols , phantom lines , diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views . in certain instances , details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted . turning now to the drawing , and in particular to fig1 , there is shown a setup for performing a circular test according to the prior art in a greatly simplified schematic representation . in this arrangement , a machine part 1 is moved along a circular path by means of suitable drives ( not shown ) and a suitable controller ( not shown ). for this purpose , at least two machine axes are controlled in an interpolation . a pin - shaped object is attached to the machine part 1 , the free end of the object being referred to as the tcp ( tool center point ). the tcp moves in the x - y plane along a circular path k around the center point m of the circle . during the movement , a measuring sensor 2 determines the actual distance of the tcp from the center point m of the circle as a function of the angle that the measuring sensor 2 includes with the x - axis . fig2 illustrates the result of the measurement graphically in a representation that is typical of the circular test . it shows the axes x and y which span the x - y plane . the center point m of the circle lies at the point of intersection of the two axes . also shown is an ideal circle k around the center point m as well as the two auxiliary circles k 1 and k 2 ( indicated by dashed lines ). all of the nominal position values specified by the controller lie on the ( ideal ) circle k . also plotted are measurement points rk ( real circle ) that result from the measurement according to fig1 . because the deviations of the measured actual position values from the specified nominal position values in high - precision machine tools are minutely small in relation to the circle radius , the deviations are represented in a different scale that is greatly magnified with respect to the axes . this is illustrated by means of the material measure 3 . as a result of this representation it is now possible to recognize at a glance at which angle ( in relation to the x - axis ) the machine has a particularly high or a particularly low deviation from the specified nominal position values when performing a circular movement . as a result the person skilled in the art can very quickly gain an overview of the accuracy of the positioning control or , as the case may be , of the mechanics of the machine in question . the modified circular test according to the invention is illustrated next in fig3 to 8 . in this regard , fig3 to 5 depict the checking of the positioning accuracy of a linear axis , and fig6 to 8 the checking of the positioning accuracy of a rotary axis . fig3 shows a machine part 1 which is moved back and forth periodically along the x - axis by means of a controller s and drives d connected thereto . for this purpose , the controller s specifies the corresponding nominal position values ( setpoint positional values ), which may be entered on a human - machine interface ( hmi ) connected to the controller s . a display which may be integrated in the hmi or separate therefrom displays , for example , the results of the circular test to be discussed below with reference to fig5 and 8 . a measuring sensor ms having a material measure 4 measures the exact position of the tcp in relation to the x - axis ( actual position values , also referred to as actual angular positions ) as a function of time . fig4 illustrates the specification of the nominal position values by the controller s in the form of a graph . the x position value ( nominal position value ) is plotted as a function of time t or , as the case may be , as a function of the angle φ referred to the period duration ( one period corresponds to an angle of 360 °). it is apparent from this that the nominal position values x nominal ( t , φ ) are specified in accordance with a sine function . from this results the periodic movement of the machine part 1 back and forth along the one linear axis ( x - axis ). also shown in fig4 is the cosine ( t ) or cosine ( φ ) function ( dashed line ), which leads the sine function by one quarter period . with regard to the embodiment variant of the invention in which , for each coordinate in relation to the first axis ( x - axis ), the associated coordinate in relation to the second axis ( x ′- axis ) orthogonal to the first axis is yielded as a result of the fact that for that purpose reference is made to the actual position value determined one quarter of a period duration previously with respect to the actual position value currently under consideration , this corresponds to a transition from the sine function to the cosine function . fig5 now illustrates the result of the modified circular test according to the invention . in this case the x - axis is plotted a first time , and then a second time orthogonally thereto . in order to differentiate between the two , the latter is designated in the example as the “ x ′- axis ”. also shown , as in the conventional circular test , are an ideal circle k having its center point m at the point of intersection of the two axes , as well as the two auxiliary circles k 1 and k 2 ( indicated by dashed lines ). also depicted here once again in addition is the real circle rk , from which the deviations of the measured actual position values in relation to the specified nominal position values are evident . the deviations of the real circle rk with respect to the ideal circle k are likewise represented in a much greater scale than the radius of the circle k , illustrated by means of the material measure 3 . the real circle rk is yielded in this case also either as a result of the fact that , for an x value specified in accordance with the sine function ( nominal position value ), the actual position value is plotted either at the associated angle φ , or an associated “ x ′ coordinate ” is calculated for each measured x position value and in this way the corresponding points in the x - x ′ plane are determined . the calculation of the x ′ coordinate is preferably carried out by referring to the actual position value trailing by one quarter period duration . if no actual position value trailing by exactly one quarter period duration has been determined due to the angle or time instant lying between two measurement points , then the actual position value is interpolated from at least two actually measured actual position values . it is clear from fig5 that the person skilled in the art can very quickly and clearly form a picture with regard to the accuracy of the machine in question , in particular a machine tool , also in relation to only one linear axis . fig6 shows a machine part 1 which is periodically pivoted about the rotary axis a by means of a controller s and drives connected thereto ( not shown ). the controller s specifies the corresponding nominal position values ( nominal angular positions ) for this purpose . a measuring sensor ms having a material measure 5 measures the exact angle ( actual position value or actual angular position ) of the tcp relative to a zero angle position , illustrated in the drawing by the axis α 0 , as a function of time . fig7 illustrates the specification of the nominal angular positions by the controller s in the form of a graph . the angle α is plotted as a function of time t or as a function of the angle φ , referred to the period duration of the pivoting movement ( one period corresponds to an angle φ of 360 °). it is apparent from this that the nominal angular positions α nominal ( t , φ ) are specified in accordance with a sine function . this results in the periodic pivoting back and forth of the machine part 1 about the rotary axis a between a maximum angle α max and a minimum angle (− α max ) ( referred to the arm or the axis α 0 ). also shown in fig7 is the cosine ( t ) or cosine ( φ ) function ( dashed line ), which leads the sine function by one quarter period . with regard to the embodiment variant of the invention in which , for each coordinate in relation to the first axis ( a - axis ), the associated coordinate in relation to the second axis ( a ′- axis ) orthogonal to the first axis is yielded as a result of the fact that for that purpose reference is made to the actual angular position determined one quarter of a period duration previously with respect to the actual angular position currently under consideration , this corresponds to a transition from the sine function to the cosine function . fig8 now illustrates the result of the modified circular test according to the invention for a rotary axis . in this case the zero angle position ( a - axis ) and an axis orthogonal thereto ( a ′- axis ) are plotted . also shown , as in the conventional circular test , are an ideal circle k having its center point m at the point of intersection of the two axes , as well as the two auxiliary circles k 1 and k 2 ( indicated by dashed lines ). also depicted here once again in addition is the real circle rk , from which the deviations of the measured actual angular positions in relation to the specified nominal angular positions are evident . it should be noted in this regard that the deviation is plotted or represented for the respective angle of the sine function in the radial direction . if the deviation is equal to zero for a specific angle , then the point in question lies on the ideal circle . deviations that are not equal to zero consequently result in a distance from the ideal circle . in the conversion of a specific angular deviation into a corresponding distance , a suitable scale should be chosen so that the deviation will be graphically readily identifiable . this can vary from machine to machine or from axis to axis . an appropriate scale is illustrated by way of example by the material measure 6 . a deviation of the actual angular position α actual ( t , φ ) from the nominal angular position α nominal ( t , φ ) by a specific measure , for example 1 / 100 of a degree , is therefore represented in the circle diagram by a specific change in length in the radial direction , for example 1 mm , at the relevant angle φ of the sine function . the real circle rk is obtained by determining the actual angular positions α actual ( t , φ ) for each nominal angular position α nominal ( t , φ ) specified in accordance with the sine function , converting the same into a corresponding deviation in the radial direction and plotting them at the associated angle φ . it is clear from fig8 that the person skilled in the art can very quickly and clearly form a picture with regard to the accuracy of the machine in question , in particular a machine tool , also in relation to only one rotary axis that is to be checked . while the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail , it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit and scope of the present invention . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by letters patent is set forth in the appended claims and includes equivalents of the elements recited therein :	6
dynamic magnetic resonance imaging ( mri ) captures an object in motion by acquiring a series of images at a high frame rate . conceptually , the straightforward approach would be to acquire the full data for reconstructing each time frame separately . however , this approach is not feasible due to the limited speed of data acquisition . recently , the use of partially parallel imaging methods ( 1 ) has been able to increase the acquisition rate by ( typically ) two - to three - fold , but acquiring high - resolution images at a high frame rate remains technically challenging . since a dynamic object generally exhibits spatial and temporal correlations , it should be feasible to acquire a reduced set of data and still reconstruct the spatiotemporal distribution of the object signal accurately in the least - square sense . the present invention describes a method for exploiting these correlations to improve acceleration speed significantly . in particular , this invention focuses on 3 issues : 1 . how to sample k - t space to acquire the reduced set of data appropriately . 2 . how to determine the spatiotemporal correlations of the data . 3 . how to reconstruct the full resolution images at each time frame from the reduced data . in this invention , a subset of k - space data ( e . g . m data points out of n total ) are acquired at each time frame , thus allowing an acceleration factor of r = n / m . the total number of data points in k - space , n , is determined by the chosen field of view ( fov ) and the desired spatial resolution . the acceleration factor r is integer - valued . in general , a non - integer r is equivalent to choosing a slightly larger fov such that r is the next higher integer value . the sampling pattern shifts from time frame to time frame such that after r frames , all n k - space points are updated . the process then repeats to acquire additional cycles of image frames . from the collected data , a time - averaged image is obtained by temporally averaging all the data collected for each position in k - space . this time - averaged k - space is reconstructed by inverse fourier transform ( ft ) to yield the time - averaged image , which is used at the end of the reconstruction . additionally , the time - averaged k - space is subtracted from all the collected data , such that only the difference data are reconstructed subsequently . the difference data are arranged in a large “ k - t ” multidimensional array , with the k and t axes corresponding to the position ( possibly a vector position ) in k - space and time , respectively . the unacquired positions in this k - t array are filled with 0 &# 39 ; s . applying inverse ft along all axes ( i . e . k and t ) converts the axes into their conjugate dimensions . this conjugate space is referred to as x - f space , where x and f refer to the spatial and temporal frequency axes , respectively . since only a fraction of k - t space is sampled , the signal in x - f space is convolved with a point spread function , which leads to potential aliasing ( fig1 ). the point spread function is determined from the inverse ft of the sampling pattern in k - t space . mathematically , this convolution is represented as : where d alias is the aliased signals in x - f space ( from inverse ft of the undersampled k - t space ) stretched into a vector . d true is a vector , representing the true signals in x - f space without aliasing . c is a convolution matrix , the matrix coefficients of which are determined from the point spread function . c is rank - deficient , so there are generally no unique solutions to eq . ( 1 ). nevertheless , a good estimate of d true can be obtained if the expected relative signal magnitudes of d true are known , as denoted by w . then , the estimate of d true is determined as follows : where w is a diagonal matrix , with the diagonal elements being the vector elements of w . the superscript + denotes a moore - pentrose pseudoinverse . this matrix inversion is typically regularized with any of the known regularization techniques ( 2 ) to reduce potential noise amplification due to poor numerical conditioning . the symbol ˜ denotes that eq . ( 2 ) represents an estimation , not a strict equality . the purpose of using w in eq . ( 2 ) is to reduce the effective degrees of freedom in d true . this is seen most easily in the extreme case if some elements in w have a value of zero , in which case the corresponding elements in d true can be eliminated from eq . ( 2 ), thus reducing the degrees of freedom . when some elements in w are small , but not identical to zero , the effect is that the subspace spanned by the vector d true is shrunken along certain dimensions , thus reducing the effective degrees of freedom . w can be obtained by acquiring a separate series of low - resolution training images at a high frame rate . applying inverse ft in k - space and along time to these training data and taking the absolute value yield an estimate of the object signal magnitude in x - f space . the solution from eq . ( 2 ) represents the estimated object signal in x - f space . applying the ft along f yields the object signal in x - t space , namely a series of dynamic images over time t . finally , adding the time - averaged image to each time frame produces the reconstructed images . when more than one radiofrequency coil are available for signal reception , eq . ( 1 ) has to be modified to include the influence of the coil sensitivities on the signal intensity . for the i th coil , one obtains the following equation : where d alias , i represent the potentially aliased x - f space signal from the i th coil . s i is a matrix containing the coil sensitivity information in x - f space . s i is constructed by first determining the coil sensitivity s ( x , t ) at each time point . this general notation for s ( x , t ) allows for the possibility of time - varying coil sensitivity , such as from subject - induced coil motion . then , the matrix elements of s ( x , t ) are stretched out into a vector , forming the diagonal elements of a matrix s ′ i . s i is related to s ′ i as follows : where f is a unitary matrix representing discrete ft along t . for every coil , one obtains an equation in the form of eq . ( 3 ). if there are n c coils , putting these equations together and solving for d true yields : d ⇀ true ∼ w ⁡ ( [ cs 1 ⁢ cs 2 ⋮ cs n c ] ⁢ w ) + ⁢ [ d ⇀ alias , 1 d ⇀ alias , 2 ⋮ d ⇀ alias , n c ] ( 5 ) it is important to note that compared to eq . ( 2 ), eq . ( 5 ) may no longer be underdetermined due to the additional matrix rows . nevertheless , the conditioning of the linear system may still be poor . as described above , the raw data in k - t space are converted to the reciprocal x - f space by inverse ft . in general , any linear transformation may be used ( although the definition of the reciprocal x and f axes will change accordingly ). in fact , a different linear transformation may be applied to each of the dimensions of k - t space . furthermore , linear transformations that are not decomposable along the different dimensions can be applied as well . the optimal linear transformation is one , where most of the coefficients in the transformed space are zero or close to zero . it is important to note that if the linear transformation is not the inverse ft or the ft , the matrix c in eqs . ( 1 - 3 , 5 ) may not represent a convolution , but it will represent some general linear transformation instead . in eqs . ( 2 and 5 ), the matrix w is chosen to be a diagonal matrix with the diagonal elements containing the expected relative signal magnitudes of d true . in general , additional prior information about d true can be incorporated into this matrix as well , in which case , the w matrix is no longer restricted to be an absolute - valued diagonal matrix . such additional prior information includes the estimated phase of a d true , and second or higher order statistics about the elements of d true . as described above , the diagonal elements of w are determined from separately acquired training data . in general , the training data can also be acquired concurrently with the data being reconstructed . in other words , at each time frame , a small number of additional central k - space lines are acquired to provide the low - resolution training data . a preferred embodiment of this invention is to use a k - t sampling pattern that is periodic over time . if the sampling pattern repeats itself every n t time frames , then the point spread function in the discrete x - f space is significantly sparser . in particular , the point spread function will be mostly zero - valued except along parallel planes that are uniformly spaced at specific positions along the f axis . the distance among these planes is given by the length of the f axis divided by n t . as a result , each set of these aliased voxel planes in x - f space can be reconstructed independently from all other voxels . this simplification of the point spread function holds even if a random k - space trajectory is used at each time frame , as long as the same trajectories are repeated every n t frames . we believe this concept of using a temporally periodic sampling pattern to simplify the inverse problem of k - t space reconstruction may be novel . a preferred embodiment of this invention is to use cartesian sampling of k - space . as a result , the frequency - encoding direction can be reconstructed conventionally by inverse fourier transform , and the data at each frequency - encoding position can then be reconstructed separately . in addition , it is preferred that the sampled phase - encode lines at each time frame are regularly spaced . such a sampling pattern is easily achievable in practice , such as with a segmented epi sequence . the periodicity of the sampling pattern along k ( with k denoting the phase - encoding axis ) will further contribute to the sparseness of the point spread function , in a similar manner as described above in preferred embodiment item 1 . for example , if the sampling pattern acquires one out of every n s phase - encode lines at each time frame and the sampling pattern shifts to acquire a different set of phase - encode lines from frame to frame , then the sampling pattern will repeat itself every n s frames . in that case , it can be shown that the discrete point spread function will have at most n s 2 non - zero points . it is further preferred that the choice of the sampling pattern be restricted such that it forms a regular grid pattern in k - t space . then , the discrete point spread function will have at most n s non - zero points only ( fig2 ). it is important to note that only a subset of k - t space sampling patterns that are periodic in both k and t form a regular grid pattern . as mentioned above , any linear transformation can , in principle , be applied to the raw data in k - t space to yield a conjugate x - f space . in practice , the inverse ft ( or equivalently the ft ) is the preferred transform for three reasons . firstly , it can be implemented efficiently using the fast ft ( fft ) algorithm . secondly , the result of discrete sampling in k - t space has an easily predictable effect on the object signal in x - f space , due to the fourier convolution theorem . thus , one may take advantage of the properties of this theorem to simplify the reconstruction significantly , as described above in preferred embodiment items 1 and 2 . thirdly , if the training data are acquired asynchronously with ( e . g . before or after ) the data to be reconstructed , then the inverse ft or the ft is the preferred transformation , at least for the time dimension , due to the fourier shift theorem . this is because a shift in one dimension ( e . g . time ) only leads to a linear phase shift in the conjugate dimension ( e . g . temporal frequency ), but the magnitude is preserved . therefore , even if the training data are not acquired at exactly the same time frames as the data to be reconstructed , the magnitude of the training data in x - f space remains valid as prior information , despite the temporal mismatch . if multiple coils are used for signal reception , a preferred embodiment of this invention is to fix the position of the coils such that their sensitivities can be considered constant over time . in turn , this allows the matrix s i in eq . ( 3 ) to be a diagonal matrix , which simplifies the solution of eq . ( 3 ) significantly . fig3 shows diagrammatically a magnetic resonance imaging system in which the invention is used . the magnetic resonance imaging system includes a set of main coils 10 whereby the steady , uniform magnetic field is generated . the main coils are constructed , for example in such a manner that they enclose a tunnel - shaped examination space . the patient to be examined is slid into this tunnel - shaped examination space . the magnetic resonance imaging system also includes a number of gradient coils 11 , 12 whereby magnetic fields exhibiting spatial variations , notably in the form of temporary gradients in individual directions , are generated so as to be superposed on the uniform magnetic field . the gradient coils 11 , 12 are connected to a controllable power supply unit 21 . the gradient coils 11 , 12 are energized by application of an electric current by means of the power supply unit 21 . the strength , direction and duration of the gradients are controlled by control of the power supply unit . the magnetic resonance imaging system also includes transmission and receiving coils 13 , 15 for generating the rf excitation pulses and for picking up the magnetic resonance signals , respectively . the transmission coil 13 is preferably constructed as a body coil whereby ( a part of ) the object to be examined can be enclosed . the body coil is usually arranged in the magnetic resonance imaging system in such a manner that the patient 30 to be examined , being arranged in the magnetic resonance imaging system , is enclosed by the body coil 13 . the body coil 13 acts as a transmission aerial for the transmission of the rf excitation pulses and rf refocusing pulses . preferably , the body coil 13 involves a spatially uniform intensity distribution of the transmitted rf pulses . the receiving coils 15 are preferably surface coils 15 which are arranged on or near the body of the patient 30 to be examined . such surface coils 15 have a high sensitivity for the reception of magnetic resonance signals which is also spatially inhomogeneous . this means that individual surface coils 15 are mainly sensitive for magnetic resonance signals originating from separate directions , i . e . from separate parts in space of the body of the patient to be examined . the coil sensitivity profile represents the spatial sensitivity of the set of surface coils . the transmission coils , notably surface coils , are connected to a demodulator 24 and the received magnetic resonance signals ( ms ) are demodulated by means of the demodulator 24 . the demodulated magnetic resonance signals ( dms ) are applied to a reconstruction unit . the reconstruction unit reconstructs the magnetic resonance image from the demodulated magnetic resonance signals ( dms ) and on the basis of the coil sensitivity profile of the set of surface coils . the coil sensitivity profile has been measured in advance and is stored , for example electronically , in a memory unit which is included in the reconstruction unit . the reconstruction unit derives one or more image signals from the demodulated magnetic resonance signals ( dms ), which image signals represent one or more , possibly successive magnetic resonance images . this means that the signal levels of the image signal of such a magnetic resonance image represent the brightness values of the relevant magnetic resonance image . the reconstruction unit 25 in practice is preferably constructed as a digital image processing unit 25 which is programmed so as to reconstruct the magnetic resonance image from the demodulated magnetic resonance signals and on the basis of the coil sensitivity profile . the digital image processing unit 25 is notably programmed so as to execute the reconstruction in conformity with the so - called sense technique or the so - called smash technique . the image signal from the reconstruction unit is applied to a monitor 26 so that the monitor can display the image information of the magnetic resonance image ( images ). it is also possible to store the image signal in a buffer unit 27 while awaiting further processing , for example printing in the form of a hard copy . in order to form a magnetic resonance image or a series of successive magnetic resonance images of the patient to be examined , the body of the patient is exposed to the magnetic field prevailing in the examination space . the steady , uniform magnetic field , i . e . the main field , orients a small excess number of the spins in the body of the patient to be examined in the direction of the main field . this generates a ( small ) net macroscopic magnetization in the body . these spins are , for example nuclear spins such as of the hydrogen nuclei ( protons ), but electron spins may also be concerned . the magnetization is locally influenced by application of the gradient fields . for example , the gradient coils 12 apply a selection gradient in order to select a more or less thin slice of the body . subsequently , the transmission coils apply the rf excitation pulse to the examination space in which the part to be imaged of the patient to be examined is situated . the rf excitation pulse excites the spins in the selected slice , i . e . the net magnetization then performs a precessional motion about the direction of the main field . during this operation those spins are excited which have a larmor frequency within the frequency band of the rf excitation pulse in the main field . however , it is also very well possible to excite the spins in a part of the body which is much larger than such a thin slice ; for example , the spins can be excited in a three - dimensional part which extends substantially in three directions in the body . after the rf excitation , the spins slowly return to their initial state and the macroscopic magnetization returns to its ( thermal ) state of equilibrium . the relaxing spins then emit magnetic resonance signals . because of the application of a read - out gradient and a phase encoding gradient , the magnetic resonance signals have a plurality of frequency components which encode the spatial positions in , for example the selected slice . the k space is scanned by the magnetic resonance signals by application of the read - out gradients and the phase encoding gradients . according to the invention , the application of notably the phase encoding gradients results in the sub - sampling of the k space , relative to a predetermined spatial resolution of the magnetic resonance image . for example , a number of lines which is too small for the predetermined resolution of the magnetic resonance image , for example only half the number of lines , is scanned in the k space . the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments . modifications and alterations may occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description . it is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof .	6
as shown in fig1 a field emission display 40 includes an emitter substrate 42 including several emitter sets 44 arranged in rows and columns . the emitter sets 44 in each column are coupled to common column lines 46 driven by respective driving circuits 48 . the driving circuits 48 are driven in turn by a microstrip transmission line 50 . several parallel conductive extraction grids 52 cover the emitter substrate 42 , where each extraction grid 52 is aligned to a row of emitter sets 44 and thus intersects every column . as is known , the emitter set 44 can be selectively activated by producing a voltage differential between a selected one of the extraction grids 52 and one of the emitter sets 44 . to create the voltage differential , one of the extraction grids 52 is biased to a voltage of about 30 - 120v and one of the column lines 46 is driven to a low voltage , such as ground , by the driving circuit 48 to produce a voltage differential at the intersection of the extraction grid 52 and the column . the voltage differential between the extraction grid 52 and the emitter set 44 produces an electric field extending from the extraction grid 52 corresponding to the emitter set 44 and having sufficient intensity to cause the emitter set 44 to emit electrons . the emitted electrons strike a cathodoluminescent layer of a display screen ( not shown ) causing the cathodoluminescent layer to emit light that is visible to an observer . the intensity of the emitted light is determined in part by the rate at which electrons strike the cathodoluminescent layer . the rate at which electrons are emitted is determined in turn by the voltage differential between the extraction grid 52 and the emitter set 44 . the rate at which electrons are emitted by the emitter set 44 can therefore be determined by the voltage of the column line 46 , because the extraction grid 52 is biased to a fixed voltage . the driving circuit 48 can therefore control the intensity of light emitted from the emitter set 44 by controlling the voltage of the column line 46 . the transmission line 50 supplies signal pulses as shown in fig4 a to the driving circuits 48 . as shown in fig1 and 2 , the transmission line 50 is a microstrip line formed from an upper conductor 72 and base conductor 73 ( fig2 ) on a substrate 62 having a high relative dielectric constant ε r . to provide adequate transmission line length , the upper conductor 72 is formed in a serpentine pattern . while the transmission line 50 is preferably a microstrip line , other transmission line structures , such as strip lines or coaxial lines , may also be within the scope of the invention . the transmission line 50 is tapped by several equally spaced taps 64 at alternating turns of the serpentine pattern . each tap 64 provides a column signal v col to a respective driving circuit 48 . the column signal v col at each tap 64 is a composite signal including a positive pulse 61 and a negative pulse 63 , as shown in fig4 a . generation of the composite signal of fig4 a is best described with reference to fig1 and 4b . the transmission line 50 receives an image signal v im at its left end and a control pulse v cp at its right end . as seen in fig4 b , the image signal v im is a pulse train having equally spaced , variable amplitude , negative - going pulses . as will be explained below , the amplitude of each pulse of the image signal v im represents the brightness of a pixel in a corresponding column . the control pulse v cp is input to the right end of the transmission line 50 and includes a positive portion 66 followed by a negative portion 68 . the negative portion 68 of the control pulse v cp is delayed relative to the positive portion 66 to ease timing control constraints along the transmission line 50 and to allow time for extraction grids 52 ( fig1 ) to go high after clearing , as will be described below . as the control pulse v cp travels from right to left along the transmission line 50 , the control pulse v cp intercepts each successive pulse of the image signal v im . the relative timing of the image signal v im and the control pulse v cp is tightly controlled such that the positive portion 66 arrives alone at each tap 64 and the negative portion 68 and each successive pulse of the image signal v im arrive simultaneously at each successive tap 64 . each control pulse v cp constructively interferes with the pulse of the image signal v im to produce a respective composite signal at each of the taps 64 . the composite signal for the leftmost tap 64 is shown in fig4 a . before the composite signal arrives , the tap 64 is biased at an intermediate voltage v int , by applying a dc voltage to the upper conductor 72 . then , the positive portion 66 of the control pulse arrives at the leftmost tap 64 . the positive portion 66 quickly raises the tap voltage to the pulse voltage v pos at time t 1 . when the positive portion 66 passes the tap 64 , the tap voltage drops to the intermediate voltage v int at time t 2 . later , the negative portion 68 and the last pulse 78 of the image signal v im arrive at the tap 64 at time t 4 . the last pulse 78 and the negative portion 68 constructively interfere to produce a tap voltage v 1 having a negative - going magnitude that is the sum of the voltages v a , v cl of the last pulse 78 and the negative portion 68 . when the last pulse 78 and the negative portion 68 leave the tap 64 , the tap voltage returns to the intermediate voltage v int . one skilled in the art will recognize that each of the taps 64 receives a similar composite signal if each successive pulse of the image signal v im is timed to intercept the control pulse v cp at each successive tap 64 . for example , the second - to - last pulse of the image signal v im arrives at the second tap 64 from the left simultaneously with the negative portion 68 of the control pulse v cp . similarly , the first pulse of the image signal v im arrives at the rightmost tap 64 simultaneously with the negative portion 68 of the control pulse v cp . the constructively interfered image signal pulses and the control pulse v cp thus provide the composite signals to each of the driving circuits 48 . the separation between pulses at subsequent taps 64 is determined by the distance ( along the transmission line 50 ) between successive taps 64 and the propagation velocity v p of pulses along the transmission line 50 . to slow propagation of the control pulse v cp and the image signal v im along the transmission line 50 , the relative dielectric constant ε r of the substrate 62 is very high . the slowed propagation of the signals v im , v cp facilitates timing arrivals of pulses at successive taps 64 by increasing the time between arrivals of successive pulses of the image signal v im at each tap 64 without requiring an excessively long transmission line 50 . to further reduce the propagation velocity v p , high permeability cores 75 are bonded to the substrate 62 to increase the relative permeability μ rext of the regions surrounding the upper conductor 72 , as best seen in fig2 . the relative permeability μ rext of the regions surrounding the upper conductor 72 will be referred to herein as the external relative permeability μ rext . the increased external relative permeability μ rext increases the overall effective permeability μ e of the transmission line 50 , because a portion of the b - field of a signal on the transmission line 50 travels through the region surrounding the upper conductor 72 . as described above , the propagation velocity v p of the transmission line 50 is inversely proportional to the square root of the effective permeability μ e . therefore , increasing the external relative permeability μ rext decreases the propagation velocity v p . in addition to increasing the relative dielectric constant μ r and the external permeability μ rext , the inductance - per - length is further increased by forming the upper conductor 72 from a conductive material having a high relative permeability μ r , typically greater than 10 . for example , conventional iron typically has a permeability greater than 1 , 000 , pure iron may have a relative permeability μ r of about 280 , 000 , permalloy ( 78 . 5 % ni , 21 . 5 % fe ) have been produced with relative permeabilities of about 70 , 000 and supermalloys ( e . g ., 79 % ni , 15 % fe , 0 . 5 % mo , 0 . 5 % mn ) have been shown to have relative permeabilities on the order of 1 , 000 , 000 . the high relative permeability μ r of such materials increases the internal relative permeability μ rint , i . e ., the permeability within the upper conductor 72 . the high internal relative permeability μ rint of the upper conductor 72 in turn increases the overall effective relative permeability μ reff ( and thus the effective permeability μ e ) of the transmission line 50 , because the effective permeability μ reff increases when either the internal permeability μ rint or the external permeability μ rext is increased . consequently , increasing the relative permeability μ r of the upper conductor 72 decreases propagation velocity v p through the transmission line 50 . fig3 shows one suitable driving circuit 48 used in the field emission display 40 of fig1 . the driver circuit 48 includes a discharge circuit 60 coupled between the column input 51 and the column line 46 . the driving circuit 48 also includes a storage capacitor 57 coupled between the column line 46 and ground . the discharge circuit 60 is formed from a pair of opposed diodes 53 , 54 coupled between the input line 51 and the column line 46 . the diodes 53 , 54 are zener diodes having well - defined breakdown voltages v bu , v bl , well - defined forward bias voltages v fb , and rapid recovery times . operation of the display 40 will now be explained with reference to the signal of fig4 a . first , at a time t 1 , the positive portion 61 of the first composite signal pulse having the voltage v pos arrives at the upper diode 53 . the voltage v pos is greater than the breakdown voltage v bu of the upper diode 53 plus the forward bias voltage v fb of the lower diode 54 , so that the positive portion 66 breaks down the upper diode 53 . in response , the capacitor 57 quickly charges to a cleared voltage v cl equal to the voltage of the positive - going portion less the breakdown voltage v bu of the upper diode 53 and the forward bias voltage v fb of the lower diode 54 . the cleared voltage v cl is greater than the emission voltage v em of the emitter sets 44 . therefore , the emitter sets 44 coupled to the capacitor 57 will not emit electrons . at time t 2 , the composite signal returns to the intermediate voltage v int which is between the magnitude v p of the positive - going portion and the capacitor voltage v c . the voltage difference between the column voltage v col and the capacitor voltage v c is less than the breakdown voltages v bu , v bl of the diode 53 , 54 . thus , after the upper diode 53 recovers , current does not flow into the capacitor 57 , because the reverse - biased upper diode 53 forms an open circuit . next , at time t 3 , the grid voltage v row1 on a first of the extraction grids 52 ( fig1 ) goes high to approximately 30 - 120v . the emitter sets 44 at this time are at the capacitor voltage v c , because the emitter sets 44 are electrically connected to the capacitor 57 . because the capacitor voltage v c is relatively high , the emitter set 44 at the intersection of the uppermost extraction grid 52 and the leftmost column is close to the grid voltage v row1 and does not emit electrons . next , the negative portion 63 of the composite signal arrives at a time t 4 with a voltage v 1 , as referenced below the emitter voltage v em . in response to the negative portion 63 , the lower diode 54 breaks down and conducts current , because the difference between the capacitor voltage v c and the voltage v 1 is greater than the breakdown voltage v bl of the lower diode 54 plus the forward bias voltage v fb of the upper diode 53 . the capacitor 57 discharges quickly until the voltage difference between the capacitor voltage v c and the voltage v 1 equals the breakdown voltage v bl of the lower diode 54 plus the forward bias voltage v fb of the upper diode 53 . the composite pulse then returns to the intermediate voltage v int at time t 5 and the diodes 53 , 54 once again form open circuits , trapping the voltage v 1 minus the upper diode breakdown voltage v bu and the lower diode forward bias voltage v fb an on the capacitor 57 . the voltages of the emitter sets 44 equal the capacitor voltage v c and the voltage difference between the first extraction grid 52 and the first emitter set 44 causes the first emitter set 44 to emit electrons . the remaining emitter sets 44 on the column line 46 are unaffected , because only the first extraction grid 52 is at a high voltage . as described above , the emitted electrons cause light emission above the emitter set 44 . as the first emitter set 44 emits electrons , the emitted electrons are replaced by electrons drawn from the capacitor 57 . the capacitor voltage v c rises slightly as the electrons flow from the capacitor 57 to the first emitter set . however , the capacitor 57 is sufficiently large and the total current through the emitter set 44 is sufficiently small that the capacitor voltage v c remains at substantially constant level over the entire time that the first extraction grid 52 is high . the time during which the capacitor 57 provides electrons to the emitter set 44 is substantially longer than the direction of the negative portion 63 of the composite signal . for example , for a typical refresh interval of about 35 μs , each capacitor 57 will be recharged in an interval of about 0 . 02 μs for a 640 column color display or 0 . 055 μs for a monochrome display . consequently , the width of the negative portion 63 of the composite signal can be very short relative to the refresh time of the display . according to aspect of the invention , fig5 shows a coaxial transmission line 80 . the coaxial transmission line 80 is formed from a center conductor 82 surrounded by a dielectric 84 that is , in turn , surrounded by an outer conductor 86 . the dielectric 84 is a conventional dielectric having a high relative dielectric constant ε r . the center conductor 82 and outer conductor 86 each include radially inner and radially outer layers 88 , 90 and 92 , 94 , respectively . the radially inner layer 88 of the center conductor 82 is a highly conductive material having a relative permeability μ r of approximately 1 , i . e ., a permeability equal to the permeability of free space μ o . the radially outer layer 90 of the center conductor 82 is a high permeability conductor having a relative permeability μ r1 greater than 1 . similarly , the radially inner layer 92 of the outer conductor is a high permeability conductive material having a relative permeability μ r2 greater than 1 . the radially outer layer 94 of the outer conductor 86 is a highly conductive material having a relative permeability substantially equal to 1 . the use of two layers 88 , 90 and 92 , 94 for the conductors 82 , 86 allows the conductors to be made more cheaply and with higher conductivity than conductors formed solely from high permeability conductive material . of course , the overall permeability of the center conductor 82 will be lower than the relative permeability μ r1 of the radially outer layer 90 , because the overall permeability of the center conductor is partly a function of the permeability μ o of the radially inner layer 88 . similarly , the overall relative permeability of the outer conductor 86 will be lower than the relative permeability μ r2 of its radially inner layer 92 , because the effective permeability of the outer conductor 86 is , in part , a function of the relative permeability μ o of the radially outer layer 94 . thus , the inductance - per - length of the coaxial transmission line 80 will be lower than a transmission line having similar dimensions where the center and outer conductors 82 , 86 are made completely of high permeability conductors . however , it is well known that the current density of electric signals in a transmission line is determined using skin depth calculations . for a coaxial transmission line , such as the transmission line 80 , the current density will be highest near the outer surface of the center conductor 80 , i . e ., in the , radially outer layer 90 . as the frequency of signals carried by the transmission line 80 increase , current density is increasingly confined to the radially outer layer 90 . consequently , as frequency increases , the reduction in effective permeability due to the low permeability inner layer 88 will diminish . thus , as frequency increases , the effective permeability of the center conductor 82 approaches the relative permeability μ r2 of the high permeability outer layer 90 . the effect on the propagation velocity v p will approximate the propagation velocity of a transmission line having a center conductor and outer conductor formed completely of high permeability conductive material . alternatively , if a particular application makes it desirable to reduce the effect of high permeability conductor at low frequencies , the materials of the coaxial transmission line 80 of fig5 can be reversed so that the outer layer 90 of the center conductor 82 has a relative permeability of 1 and the inner layer 88 has a high relative permeability . thus , as frequency increases , the effective permeability approaches the permeability of free space μ o . one skilled in the art will recognize several variations on the timing of the signals v cp , through v im that are within the scope of the invention . for example , one skilled in the art will recognize several variations in the timing , magnitude , and approach to constructively interfered pulses along tapped transmission lines . also , the driving circuit 48 can be realized with alternative circuit structures , such as the field effect transistor - based structure described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 5 , 898 , 428 , entitled high impedance transmission line tap circuit of zimlich and hall which is commonly assigned with the present application and is incorporated herein by reference . additionally , a variety of other transmission line structures can be realized according to the invention . for example , the two layer , dual - permeability conductor structure described with respect to fig5 can be adapted to the upper conductor 72 and base conductor of the microstrip transmission line 50 of fig1 and 2 , a strip line , a hollow transmission line or to various other transmission line structures . while the present invention has been described by way of an exemplary embodiment various modifications to the embodiment described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the invention . accordingly , the present invention is not limited except as by the appended claims .	7
u . s . pat . no . 6 , 731 , 200 referred to above discloses an invention where the indicator assembly comprises a room number indicating means . we disclose herein a system where the room number sign 10 includes unique room number 10 a and a gateway to all guest room service interactions including but not limited to intercom , status lights or display , asset wireless tag communication , etc . as better described below . [ heading - 0039 ] master switch unit and indicator enhancement # re bar fridge another input port for our master switch unit receives an input every time the bar fridge is opened . the signal is typically generated by a security style magnet switch . the purpose is to make that information ( that the bar fridge has been opened ) available to staff , so as to improve rooms servicing and checkout procedures . where the bar fridge system is capable of conveying itemized withdrawal of content date , such data is collectible as well . therefore , the information will be available to on - floor staff when they activate their enquiry before servicing the room . it will be available on the indicator panel ( room number sign or otherwise ) by blink sequence of one of the leds , lcd readout , as well on the pda and multi - keyfob solution described below . in networked systems , the information will also be available on the computer system . the system according to the present invention makes certain information that originates within the guest room ( either by guest choice and setting , or by technological “ detection ”) available to staff for hotel and guest room management purposes . to the extent this information is provided only via a computer network , the information can be secured as part of the network security system . however , most of this information is required by on - floor staff as they prepare to enter a guest room for service functions . if the information is publicly displayed for all to see , some of it may be used by non - intended recipients for improper or illegal purposes . for example , if information that “ no guest is presently in the room ” were known to a thief , this might encourage the thief to break into that particular room . if , in addition , information were available to that thief that the room was actually rented , then the thief would also know that valuables were likely to be found in the room . therefore , while staff is aided by the same information , it also presents a potential security problem . the present invention is a system that would make all or part of guest room status information available only to staff . one solution is a “ hidden ” switch , that is a switch that is completely unmarked and that presumably only staff would know about . depressing the switch would activate a status enquiry , and an indicator would then display the various information . one problem is that this feature may well become known to non - staff persons . further , since most hotel thefts are “ inside ” or “ near - inside ” jobs , that is , done or aided by the hotel &# 39 ; s staff , staff or their accomplices could use the information about the hidden switch . thus , this “ hidden switch ” might actually aid thieves . in the present invention , the hotel &# 39 ; s staff use an electronic device , which would be in the nature of a single or multibutton electronic communicator such as keyfob 14 , or for example a personal digital assistant “ pda ” 16 , which would communicate by for example ir or rf with the system at an indicator panel 12 to initiate the status enquiry . the electronic communicator device ( herein referred to collectively as a “ communicator ”,) advantageously has several security features . each would have a unique electronic signature , which would identify the unique identity of the communicator used . the software system maintains a transaction history for each room . thus , if the hotel maintains a record to link the electronic signature of each communicator with a specific staff person tag 18 ( permanently assigned or timed to be operational only for the employee &# 39 ; s shift ), then each inquiry may be tracked to a specific staff person , which would discourage misuse . where a communicator is assigned to a particular employee only for that person &# 39 ; s shift , one way to accomplish this would be to have that person &# 39 ; s id authorization expire after a preset time , presumable the length of the person &# 39 ; s shift . this would prevent “ after - hours ” use of the communicator , or use of the communicator after it was lost , stolen or handed to an accomplice . for each shift , staff members would have to re - activate their communicator at a secure location provided by the hotel . the reactivation station may be linked to a computer system , which would link the communicator id to the staff person using it for the shift . thereby , consecutive shift workers may utilize the same communicator , without the need for each staff person having a personal keyfob . furthermore , the duration of the communicator activation may be linked to the length of the shift the staff member signs in for . when staff members want to do a status enquiry at the entrance to a guest room , they would point the communicator at the indicator panel 12 to enable an “ enquire ” button , and then press that button . the indicator panel ( for example the enquire button contained in the room number sign or as a stand - alone panel ), provides status information via its indicator ( for example by turning specific leds on or off , displaying a unique blink sequence , lcd , etc , as the case may be ). alternatively , the status information may be transmitted from the indicator panel to the communicator wirelessly , and the relevant information would then be displayed on the communicator equipped with the necessary indicating means . in order to display the status on the communicator , the communicator would include a receiver as well as a transmitter . applicants have found that hoteliers develop “ needs ” that they were initially unwilling to acknowledge , or to pay to have met . solutions may also later be developed for previously unsolved problems or needs . some of those new solutions may thus be provided by installing new software into the present system . typically new software requires to be downloaded via a hardwired connection , by way of plugging a wire harness into a plug on the back a of master switch unit installed inside the guest room . if the system is already networked , re - programming may typically be achieved via the network . but in non - networked installations in the prior art ( sometimes referred to as standalone ), reprogramming may be very cumbersome . it may involve entering each guest room ( which is difficult to organize in a busy hotel ), dismounting the master unit , plugging in a wire lead from a laptop computer , down - loading the new program and reinstalling the master switch unit . the system of the present invention eliminates the need to enter the guest room and to de - install and re - install the master switch unit or similar third party equipment , if any , for re - programming . the indicator panel ( including room number sign or otherwise ) contains a wireless sending and receiving means ( ir emitter and ir receiver in the preferred embodiment , but it may also be rf for example ). a special wireless communicator ( hereinafter a “ programmer ”) wirelessly communicates with programs embedded in the master switch unit , and / or the indicator panel . the programs and the programmer may include security algorithms that prevent unauthorized or accidental re - programming . a new upgrade program is loaded into the programmer at a master station . the staff member may then approach the indicator panel at each guest room with the programmer , hold the programmer in proximity to the indicator panel in a such a way that the wireless receiver of one device may pick up the wireless emitter signal of the other ( and vice versa ). the staff member would then press the “ program ” button for example ( or other security sequence ) and the new program is then downloaded wirelessly . in the ir embodiment the programmer may be fitted with a shroud ( similar to a rubber lens shade on a photo graphic camera ) so that external light is kept away from the ir receiver and emitters used in reprogramming when the shroud is placed against the indicator panel . this will increase the reliability of this critical stream of data . on - floor hotel staff need to be in communication with other hotel staff and the hotel computer system . some hotels are issuing pda devices to their staff for a variety of functions . some hotels are installing wireless networks in their hotels , which can be used by some pdas for communicating . however , many hotels do not have either the wireless network nor pdas capable of communicating with such wireless network . in the present invention staff members may obtain “ in - room ” information wirelessly from the system into their pda ( as described above in the security communicator section ). the staff members may use the wireless communication between their pda and the indicator panel as a gateway to the hotel computer network , in cases where the system is networked to the hotel computer system . it is a common nuisance in hotels , that patrons , after finishing their room service food put the tray outside the door into the hallway , with the expectation that staff come around to collect such trays . while a phone call to alert staff to the need for pick - up would be simple , such phone calls are seldom , if ever , made . the result is an unsightly mess in the hallway , that also present a real trip hazard to hotel guests and staff . particularly in large hotels , “ cruising for food trays ” is an expensive staff function . more typically , trays are left in the hallway for long periods of time , often until the next day when housekeeping staff comes around . the system of the present invention solves this problem . as indicated above , our indicator panels ( room number sign or otherwise ) are fitted with wireless receivers ( ir in the preferred embodiment ). a tray tracking tag 20 , which may be either permanently affixed to the food trays or be releasably mountable , for example of a clip - on variety , would send out a predetermined electronic data stream , which would identify it as a food tray , intermittently ( for example once every 30 □ 60 seconds ). the tray tracking tag will comprise a small high - density battery , and a small microprocessor circuit with emitter means . a wireless receiver installed in the indicator panel “ seeing ” or detecting such emission , would receive and identify such emission from a tag , and then relay the tray tag id and the receiving indicator panel id via the master microprocessor and the network to the system processor 28 on the hotel computer system . the processor software sifts through the data stream and generates a message to initiate food tray pick - up , which would advantageously be displayed on the computer in the relevant staff department . the message would identify ( from the id data received ) the room number ( s ) in the vicinity of which the tray is located . the processor software may also generate and send a paging message , so that the relevant staff member , who may not be at the computer screen in their department may receive the tray pick - up notification via pager ( or cell phone or pda ) and retrieve the tray most efficiently . receiving such notification by pager or similar device would likely save staff members running back and forth to their computer station to get updated pick - up information . some hotels provide shoeshine service , and provide customers with a tray on which to place their shoes to be shined , with instructions to place the tray in the hallway or in a special closet that can be accessed by staff from the hallway . such shoe trays may be outfitted with an emitter device similar to the one described for food tray tracking , except that its data stream would indicate the different nature of the tray . all other communication and notification facilities would be the same , the extent possible in the circumstances , except that , in the case of the special closet , a receiver device would be mounted in the closet . particularly large hotels and cruise ships encounter difficulties with having some guests □ luggage “ lost ” after the guest ( or the tour bus or whoever ) has deposited the luggage in the hotel □ s luggage receiving area . typically the “ loss ” occurs because the hotel staff ( bellboy ) deliver the luggage to the wrong room . unless the occupant of the room ( if indeed there is one ) notifies the hotel staff of the wrongfully delivered luggage , staff find it virtually impossible to locate such luggage without doing a complete room - to - room search . naturally , this is very embarrassing , costly in terms of staff time , inconvenient to the guest whose luggage is lost and intrusively disturbing to all the guests whose rooms are being “ searched ”. the use of luggage tags 22 according to the present invention alleviates such problems . in the present invention two alternative systems , namely , an “ active tag ” system or a “ passive tag ” system may be provided , to track all luggage in such installations . the active tag would be fashioned very similarly to the food tray tag , but with three primary differences : first , the data stream emitted would indicate a specific id sequence that is correlated to the guest at check - in . the tag would be held up to a corresponding wireless reader at check - in and the data correlated to the guest in the hotel database . second , the attachment means would be in keeping with useful luggage tagging and handling procedures and , in the preferred embodiment would be incorporated into a synthetic strap that can be secured to the luggage handle . third , the battery may be of smaller capacity than the one used for the food or shoe trays , because the required useful life of the luggage tag would be shorter , unless the tag is intended to be re - usable , in which case the battery life may be similar to that of the tray tags . the wireless emissions from the active tag would be received by the system □ s wireless receiving components installed into the indicator panels as discussed above , and similar wireless receiving components included in the master switch unit in each guest room . the master switch unit , via its micro - processor , would send the received luggage tag id and the receiving master switch unites id via the network to the processor software on the hotel computer . the software maintains a history of emitter reads , thereby allowing staff members to track the movement of specific luggage . the id of the last receiver of an emission from any given luggage tag is identified as the last known location of the piece of baggage . this information may be available to the relevant hotel staff via the computer system , from where it may be forwarded to staff communicators , such as keyfobs , pdas , pagers etc . for some pre - determined time the database may also store the identified “ traveling points ” information for that luggage , in case such information may become important for some reason ( e . g . customer complaints of some sort ). this may also be done in either an ir or an rfid embodiment . on check - in , each piece of luggage is fitted with a cheap bar - code tag , which is linked in the database to the guest . a portable luggage checker may be used , which reads bar codes and transmits the data read wirelessly , in the preferred embodiment by ir . ir is well suited for much of this tracking because it is line - of - sight and thus automatically location specific . the id of the receiver thus denotes its location . rfid has a broader area broadcast . after the luggage has been tagged , the bellboy has to sign out the luggage to his id ( his id being the id of his luggage checker ) by reading the barcodes of the luggage to be delivered and pressing the “ pick - up ” button on his luggage checker . in response the luggage checker transmits the data ( luggage id and bellboy id ) to a luggage id receiver . this receiver is located wherever the luggage is picked up by the bellboy for delivery . in a hotel this is usually the lobby by the front desk , for cruise ships usually some kind of luggage distribution facility in the belly of the ship . the data transmission has now linked that bellboy to the particular items of luggage . on delivery to any given room , the bellboy has to sign the luggage into the guest room , by reading the bar code again and pressing the “ delivered ” button on his luggage checker . upon pressing the “ delivered ” button the luggage checker automatically emits the luggage id data ( and bellboy id ). the nearest receiver unit , typically the receiver installed into the master switch unit in the guest room where the luggage is being delivered , would receive the data , and relay it via the network to the computer processor . this data is accompanied by the receiver id , which in turn denotes location . this way the hotel is able to track the delivery location and the bellboy responsible . if delivery notification has not been received by the system within a time frame selected by the hotel ( say 30 minutes from bellboy checking out the luggage downstairs ) the supervisor will be notified both on the computer and optionally on pager , so that the bellboy □ s actions may be traced while memories are recent and still fresh . hotel operators face the constant struggle to supervise the efficiency and progress of staff . this is inherently difficult because employees in a hotel work in a very distributed environment geographically . there are many places to saunter and loaf instead of being focused and efficient . one of the distinguishing feature of effective staff is that they tend to spend their time working in rooms , instead of loitering in the hallways and taking smoke breaks in out of the way places . tracking employee location aids management in the management and supervision of their on - floor staff . in the system of the present invention each staff person would wear a personnel tag 18 similar to the tray tracking tags , with the primary difference being that it would emit a code designating a particular employee , and with a frequency of emission , that is , will emit often enough , so as to be conducive to tracking staff movement . again , the receivers installed into the indicator panels and in the master switch units will receive the periodic emission from the staff worn tags and pass the staff data down the network along with the id of the receiver , which denotes location . the data will be compiled in a database and the software will generate reports on staff movement that will be useful for management in its statistical analysis of employee effectiveness and hotel management . in addition the data can be useful in tracking in - house security breaches . again , the system may be rfid based . [ heading - 0071 ] staff data input via master switch keyboard or keyfob or pda hotel staff are required to transmit a variety of data from the guest room to management . current technology systems require staff to enter data by dialing a sequence of numbers denoting personal id and room numbers , start and end times into the telephone at the guest room , both when they start cleaning a room and when they are finished . in some hotels this is reported to a supervisor on an hourly report form , from which such supervisor goes on inspections tours . bar fridge usage , missing towels etc all have to be reported on manual or semi - manual systems or voice calls , none of which are very efficient . in addition , the manual entering of data on the telephone keypad leads to a large percentage of erroneous and invalid data . the present invention provides a system where some of the basic data may be transmitted with a simple press of a few buttons on the keypad of the master switch unit . for example by depressing and holding both the do not disturb and housekeeping buttons for 2 seconds , the system is set to “ room ready ”, which means the cleaning staff is finished making up the room and management can use the information either to put the room back into the rental pool , or dispatch the supervisor to inspect . notifications can be either on the housekeeping or front desk computer or can be sent directly from the computer system to a pager or pda . the use of discreet ( as in “ separate ” not “ hidden ”) buttons or a combination of discreet buttons on the master switch unit may be expanded to meet the information needs of hotels by adding additional buttons to the master switch unit . alternatively , accurate and efficient data entry may be achieved by utilizing a multi - button keyfob 14 . on starting clean - up the housekeeper would press the “ start ” button while pointing the keyfob at the master switch unit 30 in the guest room . on finishing clean - up , the “ finish ” button would be pressed . if the bar fridge had been used and detected by a detector 24 , this could be indicated by a press of the bar fridge button . to provide more detail the keyfob may contain numeric keys with which to enter data on the number or value of items consumed . the data received by the in - room receiver would be transmitted from the receiver down the network , and would contain the receiver id denoting the room number , the staff id and the action or status . most of the important data collection would be automatic via the push of one button and therefore error - free . in the above example the only data subject to error would be incorrect entry of the items consumed from the bar fridge . if staff were to carry pdas , they could do a variety of data entry tasks from a menu driven pda screen . for example , they would find a menu of bar fridge items on their pda screen , and they would simply tap the items consumed and then send the data either via the wireless receiver at the master switch unit which will then be passed down the network to our software along with the room id . if the hotel operated a wireless network , this could be used for sending data to the processor software as well . the present invention may include a communications protocol and system , which would allow electronic devices in hotel guest rooms to share information , and to pass along information to an wireless - to - wire interface connected to a wired network to the hotel computer system . this wireless communication could be either ir based or rf based . the master switch unit in each guest room would comprise the required communications module . in addition , we propose a wireless communications module that can be fitted to various purpose built devices , ( eg thermostats , hvac system , ems system , in - room safe , bar fridge , occupancy motion detectors 26 , smoke alarm etc . ), with the goal to enable wireless communication between these devices and the wireless - to - wire interface . some of the communication would be for in - room use only ( such as the thermostat directing the actions of the hvac ). other communication would be intended for sending to down the wire from the wireless - to - wire gateway . some communications modules would be intended simply as repeaters for communications originating from other devices . hotel operators are concerned about various instances of fraud . the present invention addresses two such instances with the solution set out below : at times , night - time front desk personal make additional cash by renting rooms for cash , sometimes by the hour , sometimes whole night rentals , and such cash rentals are not put through the till . to the owner this can result in a significant loss of revenue . similarly , some hotels suffer from “ stowaways ”, persons who by some means or another ( often with the complicity of some staff members ) gain entry to a guest room and spend the night without having registered . the solution according to the present invention combines elements of hardware and software . by installing occupancy detection means , such as door switch , heat and motion sensors , connected to , and interpreted by , microprocessor technology , it is possible to determine whether persons are actually in a room . the result of detection is reported to the hotel database via some network interface , which may be a do not disturb network , or other network means . the in - room data transfer may be wired or wireless . the transmission from the room to the computer database may be wired or wireless . the processor software gathers the occupied determination whether generated by a separate detection system or generated by an energy management system , and compares that occupied status against room rental status as shown in the hotel □ s property management system ( pms ) database . any rooms showing in the pms as “ not rented ”, but showing up as occupied by the sensor system will be programmed to generate a report for management or notification of the hotel security staff . such notification would be on the computer system , which may also generate a pager notification to the relevant parties . hotels are under enormous pressure to be ada compliant in matters that are regulated , and to be ada “ friendly ” where there is no specific regulation . ada regulations require , for example , all room number signs to have raised numerals as well as braille translation of the room number . in order to facilitate the navigation by blind persons ( and persons in wheelchairs ) room number sign must now be mounted on the hallway wall close to the door instead of on the door . the use of touch to determine one □ s location in a hotel hallway is still very cumbersome , and tactile signs do not address many of the remaining navigational obstacles . we propose a solution which would allow the blind traveler to obtain the required navigational information audibly . we will refer to the system as audible braille . two alternative solutions are proposed . in both embodiments , the blind person would be issued a special handheld remote control style device when checking into a guest facility . any time the blind traveler seeks to obtain navigational information the traveler pushes the “ seek ” button . audible braille outfitted signs , which comprise a receiver ( ir or rf ), a microprocessor circuit and an emitter , would receive the seek command and the closest sign would respond . (“ closeness ” is determined by seek signal receipt timing . as soon as a unit receives the signal it transmits an “ i □ ve got it response ” so that other units in the vicinity donut respond to the same “ seek ”.) in the active embodiment , the audible braille outfit would comprise , in addition to the hardware set out above , an audio circuit and speaker which would deliver a predetermined message audibly , and thus guide the traveler . in the passive embodiment , the audible braille unit would send a data stream , to the handheld remote , which would cause a predetermined and stored message , which may be predetermined and stored in the handheld remote or in the room number sign , to be played back on the traveler □ s remote control . this handheld remote would comprise an audio circuit and speaker as well as a headset hook - up . in either case the message could be as simple as a room number or as complex as directions to an elevator , the dining room , room numbers located to the left or right of branching corridor , etc . the passive solution has the advantage that the volume of the audible message is generated in the remote control and thus can be adjusted by the traveler to personal preference , and further that the playback could be via headset or earbuds , and thus be more private . the further advantage is that many signs ( not just room numbers ) could be out - fitted with fairly inexpensive transmitters transmitting very short data streams . the disadvantage is that the hotel would put into the hands of the traveler a relatively expensive piece of remote control audio playback equipment that , if not returned , would result in a significant loss . the further disadvantage is that the sound direction would always be from the remote , not from a point in the building . thus a message “ elevator to your right ” would be meaningless coming from a remote . the active solution has the advantage that the traveler would hear where the sound comes from directionally , and be able to use that input for the directions he seeks . if “ room 113 ” were heard from the right , it would be a very different message from hearing “ room 113 ” from the left . also , the remote control device provide by the hotel to the traveler would be a very inexpensive keyfob . the expensive parts would be part of the hotel . on the other hand , each sign would have to be fitted with the audio circuitry , speaker etc and the announcement would not be very private . the present invention includes hybrid system , where hotels may implement both active and passive devices . some signage locations and message would lend themselves better to audio coming from an active sign , other messages may be served as well or better from the relative privacy of the embodiment described as passive . in the long run applicants foresee that the passive solution would be adopted beyond the walls of hotels , and blind person would purchase their own remote control “ navigator ”, which could provide audio directions to guide blind persons through cities , airports etc . in that enlarged system , the message data would be stored in the sign unit and transmitted to the navigator for playback . the “ passive ” solution is easier to weatherproof in exterior locations , it requires less power and thus can more likely be battery and solar powered , and could become truly ubiquitous . for retrofit , tactile braille signs may be made by the use of , for example , dymo □ style / type embossing wheels or rotary lines adapted to translate , by embossing , alphabetic letters into braille letters which are tacticly imprinted or embossed into self - adhesive flexible plastic tape dispersed from a hand - actuated or automated dispenser . as will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure , many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof . accordingly , the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims .	6
fig1 shows , in cross - section , the overall construction of a fully assembled flat fluorescent lamp 100 according to the present invention . the present invention is related to the thick - film integrated flat fluorescent lamp disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 978 , 888 , assigned to the assignee of the present application , which issued dec . 18 , 1990 and is incorporated by reference herein . in fig1 assembled lamp 100 has a flat rear substrate 1 and a flat front substrate 2 . as shown , substrate 1 is above substrate 2 , however , it should be understood that in a typical use , the lamp 100 will be oriented such that substrate 2 is the substrate from which light will emanate . consequently , the inner surface of the rear substrate 1 is coated with a reflective layer 8 . the reflective layer 8 increases the lamp &# 39 ; s efficiency by increasing the amount of light emanating from the front substrate 2 . the reflective layer 8 could be a thick - film or a thin - film multi - layer and should preferably have a reflectance greater than 90 % in the visible light range , and should have reflectance in the ultra - violet light range . examples of preferred thin - film multi - layer combinations exhibiting these properties include titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide , zirconium dioxide and silicon dioxide , or hafnium dioxide and silicon dioxide . a typical spectral reflectance chart for a suitable thin - film multi - layer reflector of titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide is depicted in fig8 . examples of single layer thick - film reflective materials are titanium dioxide or magnesium dioxide . the rear substrate 1 and front substrate 2 are separated by a distance d . a plurality of dielectric isolators 10 ( seen in fig2 ) and a dielectric seal 4 ( seen in fig2 ) maintain the appropriate separation between the substrates 1 and 2 . the dielectric seal 4 comprises a seal spacer frame 3 surrounded by dielectric seal material . as seen in fig2 a central illumination area is defined and bounded by the dielectric seal 4 which is inset from the substrate edges and extends along the perimeter of the substrates . upon assembly , the dielectric seal 4 in conjunction with a thick - film of silver 6 form a vacuum tight seal between the front substrates 2 and the rear substrates 1 . in fig2 the components of lamp 100 are shown prior to completion of assembly to better illustrate the configuration and alignment of various elements of the lamp 100 . fig2 illustrates a plurality of main discharge electrodes comprising thick - film nickel conductors 21 to 30 on front substrate 2 , and thick - film nickel conductors 31 to 40 on rear substrate 1 . these conductors are arranged into two groups of five on each substrate , each group being disposed symmetrically on the left and right side of substrate 1 and substrate 2 . the number of discharge electrodes can be more or less than that shown in fig2 and 3 depending upon the size of the lamp and the intended application . upon assembly , electrode conductor 21 is aligned to face and oppose conductor 31 . in the same manner , the sequence of electrode conductors 22 - 30 face and oppose electrode conductors 32 - 40 , respectively . each conductor of the plurality of thick - film nickel electrode conductors 21 - 30 of substrate 2 is electrically connected under the dielectric seal 4 to a corresponding thick - film silver lead - through conductor 11 - 20 , respectively . similarly , each of the plurality of electrode conductors 31 - 40 of substrate 1 is electrically connected to a thick - film silver lead - through conductor 41 - 50 , respectively . the lamp 100 also includes a right angle prism support spacer 9 ( also shown in fig5 ) which helps prevent substrates 1 and 2 from imploding under atmospheric pressure . implosion may occur after assembly because the internal portion of the lamp is at a pressure considerably lower than atmospheric pressure . the right angle prism 9 has an additional special feature , described in detail below , to minimize the shadow - effect due to its presence during operation of the lamp 100 . the lamp 100 further includes a thick - film phosphor layer 7 on each of the substrates 1 and 2 . the phosphor layer 7 on the rear substrate 1 is preferably deposited on top of the reflective layer 8 . a preferred method of construction of lamp 100 is described below . first , a thin film of multi - layer dielectric mirror 8 is vacuum coated on substrate 1 . next , a thick - film of silver is printed on the substrates 1 and 2 to form leads through conductors 11 - 20 and 41 - 50 . this thick - film of silver is dried at 90 ° c . for 45 minutes . next , a thick - film of nickel is printed on substrates 1 and 2 , which overlaps a narrow area of the silver lead - through conductors and forms the discharge electrodes 21 - 30 and 31 - 40 . this thick - film of nickel is also dried at 90 ° c . for 45 minutes . next , the phosphor layer 7 is either printed or sprayed on substrates 1 and 2 with the lead - through conductors , nickel conductors and locations for light wave - guiding spacers being masked . the masking prevents any phosphor from being deposited in the masked areas . the phosphor layer 7 is then dried at 90 ° c . for 18 minutes . substrates 1 and 2 containing the layers of silver , nickel and phosphor are then heat - treated at 580 ° c . for 18 minutes . a seal spacer frame , such as the seal spacer frame 3 of fig1 is then coated with glass - frit to form a glass - frit coated seal frame 4 &# 39 ;. glass - frit is a paste which when heated will fuse pieces of glass together . the glass - frit coated seal frame 4 &# 39 ; and a plurality of dielectric isolators 10 are then laid on the substrate 2 . the glass - frit coated seal frame 4 &# 39 ; will form the dielectric seal 4 of fig1 upon completion of the assembly process . the prism 9 is affixed with glass - frit in a region on substrates 2 where phosphor has either been removed or left clear by masking during the phosphor deposition process described above . a glass - frit coated evacuation tube ( not shown in the figures ) is laid on substrate 1 at the half - section of an evacuation hole . substrates 1 and 2 with the above assembled members are then pre - glazed at 450 ° c . for 18 minutes . finally , substrates 1 and 2 are placed in alignment and sealed together . sealing occurs by heating the pre - glazed glass - frit layers on the seal frame 3 at 522 ° c . for 72 minutes . while the assembly is being heated , a compression force is applied by placing a massive sealing block over the assembled substrates to press the substrates together . next , silver paste is painted over the flown glass - frit to externally electrically connect each of the plurality of silver lead - through conductors 41 - 50 on substrate 1 to the corresponding one of the plurality of silver lead - through conductors 11 - 20 on substrate 2 . these electrical connections are made such that electrical isolation between each of the conductor pairs is preserved . the completed lamp 100 has a cross - section approximately as shown in fig1 . the interior cavity of lamp 100 is evacuated through an evacuation tube with a bake - out temperature of 400 ° c . for 3 hours . the heating of the lamp during the evacuation process will assist in removing all remaining gases from the interior cavity of the lamp . the cavity is then filled with mercury and inert gas at a pre - determined low pressure , such as a pressure of less than 100 torr . then the evacuation tube is sealed off . the resulting internal cavity pressure is considerably less than atmospheric pressure outside the lamp . fig3 illustrates that the silver lead - through conductors 41 - 45 of rear substrate 1 have extended portions 51 - 55 which wrap around the edge of substrate 1 . these extended portions 51 - 55 and the corresponding portions for conductors 46 - 50 ( not shown in fig3 ) facilitate the electrical connection of lead - through conductors 41 - 50 of substrate 1 to the lead - through conductors 11 - 20 or substrate 2 . with the substrates sealed together these exposed extended portions permit ease of manufacture of the electrical connections between the respective lead - through conductors of the two substrates . the electrical connections between respective lead - through conductors can be made by simply painting the gap between the conductor pairs at the substrate edge with silver paste . these electrical connections effectively connect each of the electrode conductors 21 - 30 of substrate 2 to the respective electrode conductors 31 - 40 of substrate 1 . these conductor connections are collectively illustrated as area 6 in fig1 . fig4 shows in detail the configuration of the resulting thick - film hollow electrodes after substrate 1 and substrate 2 are sealed together . for clarity , portion of the dielectric seal 4 which encloses the end electrodes 56 , 60 , 61 and 65 has been omitted . the hollow electrodes 56 - 60 face the hollow electrodes 61 - 65 , and the main discharge occurs between the electrode pairs 56 and 61 , 57 and 62 , 58 and 63 , 59 and 64 , and 60 and 65 , respectively . the plurality of hollow electrodes 56 - 60 and 61 - 65 are electrically isolated from each other by the plurality of isolators 10 . the electrodes at the ends of each group , electrodes 56 , 60 , 61 and 65 are bounded on their outside edge by the dielectric seal 4 . each hollow electrode comprises upper and lower conductors printed on the rear and front substrates , respectively , illustrated as electrode conductors 21 - 30 and 31 - 40 in fig2 . the conductors that form closed hollow electrode 56 , for example , are the conductors 31 and 21 of fig2 . similarly , electrodes 57 - 65 are formed by conductors 22 - 30 and 32 - 40 , respectively . a substantial advantage of the described electrode arrangement is the resulting improved uniformity of brightness and longer life achieved by this lamp design . two groups of external electrical impedances ( not shown ) of equal value are attached to the lead - through conductors 11 - 20 . one group connects the conductors 11 - 15 depicted on the left side of fig2 and the other group connects the conductors 16 - 20 depicted on the right side of fig2 . when so connected , an equal branching of electrical discharge current occurs between the corresponding electrode pairs 56 and 61 , 57 and 62 , 58 and 63 , 59 and 64 , and 60 and 65 of fig4 . the equal branching of electrical discharge current produces improved uniformity of brightness and extends the life of the lamp . a further advantage of the described arrangement is that a simple and economical method of screen printing the thick - film electrodes and thick - film phosphors can be used . a still further advantage is the resulting compact flat panel structure of the lamp . this structure can be easily adopted for backlighting flat panel information display devices such as liquid crystal displays . fig5 shows a single right angled prism 9 which is used as a light wave - guiding spacer to support the structure of lamp 100 in the central area . this structural support helps prevent the lamp 100 from imploding because of the difference between the internal and external pressures acting on each of the substrates 1 and 2 . the internal pressure of the lamp is considerably lower than the external atmospheric pressure as is described above . the balance of these forces would tend to collapse the substrate inward , i . e ., implosion . the right angle prism 9 adds the structural support necessary to help prevent this implosion . although only one prism is shown , a plurality of prisms could be employed to permit the usage of thinner substrates in flat fluorescent lamps with greater surface area . the right angle prism shown in fig5 is oriented on substrate 2 with the hypotenuse - side ( illustrated by the hatched area ) face up ( as is illustrated in fig2 ). the light rays 72 and 73 entering face 77 and striking the hypotenuse face 76 of the prism will emerge as reflected rays 74 and 75 from face 78 and thereby from substrate 2 to which face 78 is attached . no phosphor coating exists between the prism 9 and substrate 2 . in a preferred embodiment , the face 77 of the prism , where the incident rays 72 and 73 enter , is phosphor coated . in addition , the orientation of right angle prism 9 on substrate 2 , in a preferred embodiment , will be oriented such that the hypotenuse face is substantially parallel to the direction of electrical discharge between the two groups of electrodes . the right angle prism may be made of a variety of materials including soft glass or quartz glass . in addition , the reflective coating on the hypotenuse face of the prism may be an internal or external reflective coating . it should be recognized that a variety of light wave - guiding spacers may be used , and that a right angle prism is not the only configuration which may operate in this manner . for example , a fiber optic wave - guiding spacer may be used . fig6 shows an alternative embodiment of the rear substrate 1 . in this embodiment , the rear substrate is selectively etched to form self - supporting integral spacers 99 and spacer ribs 103 - 112 . thick - film nickel conductors 79 - 88 are laid in the etch pits and are electrically connected to external silver lead - through conductors 89 - 98 disposed at a higher level than the nickel electrode conductors 79 - 88 . fig7 shows the details of a self - supporting integral spacer 99 . the sides of spacer 99 are coated with phosphor 7 . ultra - violet light rays entering the spacer 99 are converted to visible light rays which emerge from the top surface of the spacer as light rays 102 . a prototype of a lamp according to the present invention has been constructed . this lamp employed thick - film closed hollow electrodes with dimensions of 5 mm by 15 mm fabricated with a vertical gap of approximately 1 mm . the horizontal distance between electrodes of each group was 95 mm . the phosphor coated control illumination area was 85 mm by 100 mm , and the diagonal of the lamp 100 measured approximately 130 mm . it will be understood that one skilled in the art could modify the above dimensions , and thus that the above description of the present invention covers such modifications , changes and adaptations . by way of example , while the presently preferred embodiment calls for screen printing of thick - film lead - through conductors 11 - 20 and 41 - 50 out of silver paste and 21 - 40 out of nickel , combinations of conductive paste may be used in a single layer or multilayer construction as desired . to further increase efficiency , a layer of low - work function material such as barium oxide may be coated on the inside surface of thick - film hollow electrodes . further , the phosphor coating on the substrate may be substituted with a thin ultra - violet layer which is transmissive in the visible wavelength light spectrum . an alternative embodiment of the invention may replace the closed hollow electrodes with directly or indirectly heated barium strontium and calcium oxide type cathodes or barium oxide dispenser type cathodes . in addition , an alternative embodiment of the invention may replace the inert gas and mercury vapor and phosphor coating with a gas and substrate coating suitable to produce an improved planar ultra - violet lamp to be used in photolithography or other general applications .	7
the present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which some , but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown . preferred embodiments of the invention may be described , but this invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein . rather , these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete , and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art . the embodiments of the invention are not to be interpreted in any way as limiting the invention . like numbers refer to like elements throughout . as used in the specification and in the appended claims , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ”, and “ the ” include plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . for example , reference to “ a battery ” includes a plurality of such batteries . it will be understood that relative terms , such as “ preceding ” or “ followed by ” or the like , may be used herein to describe one element &# 39 ; s relationship to another element as illustrated in the figures . it will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the elements in addition to the orientation of elements as illustrated in the figures . it will be understood that such terms can be used to describe the relative positions of the element or elements of the invention and are not intended , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise , to be limiting . embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to various perspectives , including perspective views that are schematic representations of idealized embodiments of the present invention . as a person having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs would appreciate , variations from or modifications to the shapes as illustrated in the figures are to be expected in practicing the invention . such variations and / or modifications can be the result of manufacturing techniques , design considerations , and the like , and such variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of the present invention and as further set forth in the claims that follow . the articles of the present invention and their respective components illustrated in the figures are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of the component of an article and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention . although specific terms are employed herein , they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation . all terms , including technical and scientific terms , as used herein , have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs unless a term has been otherwise defined . it will be further understood that terms , such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries , should be interpreted as having a meaning as commonly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . it will be further understood that terms , such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries , should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure . such commonly used terms will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless the disclosure herein expressly so defines otherwise . the invention described herein relates to a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser . the bipolar overvoltage battery pulser is generally comprised of a pulse generator that produces a positive pulsed voltage and a negative pulsed voltage , a pulsed voltage driver that converts the positive pulsed voltage and negative pulsed voltage into a positive pulsed voltage waveform and a negative pulsed voltage waveform , a pulsed voltage distributor that merges the positive pulsed voltage waveform and the negative pulsed voltage waveform into a pulsed voltage waveform that is applied across the terminals of a battery , and , optionally , an amplifier , which may amplify the positive pulsed voltage waveform and the negative pulsed voltage waveform or the pulsed voltage waveform . in an embodiment of the invention , the pulse generator may be configured in a microcontroller . in another embodiment of the invention , the pulse generator comprises a positive pulse generator and a negative pulse generator . in other embodiments of the invention , the pulse generator may comprise an alternating inverter switch that alternately processes a pulsed voltage into the positive pulsed voltage and the negative pulsed voltage . without intending to be limiting , the inventive device is particularly useful for increasing a cycle lifetime of the battery and improving the ability of the battery to retain capacity . if voltage pulses are imposed across the electrodes of a battery cell , a change in potential between the electrochemical solution and the electrodes will be experienced . in all chemical systems , for example , without intending to be limiting , a lead acid battery , there is a tendency to change to the equilibrium state . if an existing equilibrium is disturbed , for example , by imposing a change in the potential at the electrode , then the ratio of the ionic density of the electrochemical solution to ionic density of the surface layer at the electrode will change until a new equilibrium condition is achieved . the relaxation time is defined as the amount of time needed for the system to arrive at a new equilibrium condition . the relaxation time constant , which characterizes the change in ratio of ionic densities versus time , is defined by the specific dielectric constant divided by the specific electrical conductivity , both of which are properties of the electrolytic solution . a positive voltage pulse that is imposed across an electrochemical system , a pulsetype a , is defined by the rise time of the pulse , which refers to the amount of time needed for the starting edge of the voltage pulse to make a transition from about the time when the pulse begins to rise to about the time when the maximum peak of the pulse is reached . if the rise time of pulsetype a is less than the relaxation time of the electrochemical system , then an overvoltage condition is imposed on the electrochemical system , then the ion density ratio will change to a new value over the course of the relaxation time based on the newly imposed potential difference according to the boltzmann distribution law of equation ( 1 ). a positive voltage pulse causing an overvoltage in an electrochemical system will cause the ratio of the ionic density of the electrochemical solution to ionic density of the surface layer at the electrode to increase until such positive voltage pulse is removed , which will allow the electrochemical system to return or relax back to its original equilibrium state . conversely , an overvoltage condition may also be imposed by using a negative voltage pulse , or a pulsetype b , which has an inverse polarity of that of the positive voltage pulse pulsetype a . during the time while pulsetype b is applied , the ratio of ionic ionic densities will decrease , but after the pusletype b is terminated , the ratio of ionic densities will relax back to the value fulfilling the boltzmann distribution according to equation ( 1 ). the rise time for a negative voltage pulse refers to the amount of time needed for the trailing edge of the voltage pulse to make a transition from about the time when the trailing edge of the pulse begins to change to about the time when the pulse is no longer being applied . if the rise time of the trailing edge of the negative voltage pulse is less than the relaxation time of the system , then an overvoltage condition is imposed on the electrochemical system . it has been discovered that if similar positive voltage pulses , or pulsetypes a , at a high frequency are imposed on an electrochemical system , one following the other , then less overvoltage is achieved from the second pulse as a result of the inability of the ratio of the ionic density of the electrochemical solution to the ionic density of the surface layer to return to its equilibrium state . it has been further discovered that this “ memory effect ” may be avoided by including a negative voltage pulse , pulsetype b , between the two positive voltage pulses , pulsetypes a , all of which are alternately applied across the electrodes of a battery . without intending to be bound by theory , application of the pulsetype b functions to “ reset ” the effect caused by the pulsetype a , and vice versa , preventing this “ memory effect ” from being realized . it has also been discovered that through the “ waiting time ” or relaxation time after a pulse is terminated , the frequency of pulsetype a and pulsetype b , except without overlap in the pulses , may be increased also having a favorable affect by lengthening the time the electrochemical system is in a non - equilibrium state . faster rise times of the leading edge of the positive voltage pulse and the trailing edge of the negative voltage pulse will increase the extent of overvoltage that may be applied to the battery . overvoltage applied to the battery will also allow for higher frequency pulses resulting in even more time the electrochemical system experiences a non - equilibrium state . under equilibrium conditions nothing happens — i . e ., there is no net effect of change to the electrochemical system . changes can be invoked on the electrochemical system to interrupt equilibrium by imposing overvoltage pulses between an electrode and the “ cloud ” of ions surrounding the electrode . this results in an overvoltage period with an increased electrical field force acting upon the cloud of ions , which , at an increased number and energy , will be drawn to the electrodes . at the same time , the diffusions force , or the resulting drawing ions away from the electrode is weaker than the electrical force . through higher velocity and energy , ions with attached ions having opposite polarity will lose these attached ions resulting in an increase to their own velocity and energy . high energy ions , for example , a positive hydrogen ion h 2 + from a divided water molecule may penetrate through any crystalline structures which may have developed at the negative electrode . in a non - limiting example , in a lead acid battery , the positive hydrogen ion may penetrate any lead sulfate pbso 4 crystalline layer that may have formed at the negative electrode , and dissolute the crystalline layer by forming sulfuric acid h 2 so 4 thereby replenishing the electrochemical solution while leaving pure lead at the electrode . in another non - limiting example , a negative oxide ion from a divided water molecule will contribute to rebuilding lead dioxide pbo 2 crystals on the positive electrode . without intending to be limited by the theory , less energy is required to build large existing crystals even larger ; therefore , a more homogenous , with a greater number of lead dioxide crystals , will be experienced at the positive electrode . hence , under the circumstances imposed by the invention , the “ birth rate ” of new crystals proportionately increases more relative to the value of overvoltage imposed . fig1 is a graphical representation comparing an overvoltage pulsing cycle imposed across the terminals of a battery to the ratio of ionic densities in an electrochemical cell . the solid line 10 represents the voltage of the battery , the curve 12 represents the ratio of ionic densities , and the overvoltage states 14 , 16 , 18 imposed on the electrochemical cell . the rise times of the positive voltage pulse and negative voltage pulse are represented by t r , while the relaxation time constant is represented by t c . in a lead acid battery , for example , the growth of lead sulfate crystals on the negative electrode and the reduced number of lead dioxide crystals on the positive electrode may result in a reduction in the overall life of the battery . also , it has been further discovered , that a reduction in the memory effect increases the opportunity for overvoltage and the application of amplitude of an overvoltage pulse will also result in increasing the overall life of a battery . by repetitively applying a positive voltage pulse across the electrodes of a battery , which imposes an overvoltage condition on the battery , followed by applying a negative voltage pulse across the electrodes of a battery , which imposes a similar overvoltage condition to counteract the effects of the prior overvoltage condition , the memory effect experienced by the battery is reduced and an increase in cycle lifetime of the battery and an ability of the battery to retain capacity is realized . in certain embodiments of the invention , the lifetime of a battery may be increased by a factor between 1 . 7 and 2 . 2 as shown by the increase in cycle lifetimes in fig7 . for example , in an embodiment of the invention , the method of the present invention such as that implemented through a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser of the present invention increases the cycle lifetime of the battery by as much as about 10 % in comparison to a similar battery where the present invention has not been applied . in a further embodiment , a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser of the present invention increases the life of a battery by as much as about 50 %. in a further embodiment , a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser of the present invention increases the life of a battery by as much as about 70 %. in a further embodiment , a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser of the present invention increases the life of a battery by as much as about 120 %. in a further embodiment , a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser of the present invention increases the life of a battery by as much as about 200 %. in a further embodiment , a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser of the present invention increases the life of a battery by as much as about 250 %. in other embodiments of the invention , the method of the present invention such as that implemented through a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser of the present invention retains capacity of a battery by at least about 10 % greater than the retained capacity of a similar battery where the invention has not been applied . in a further embodiment , a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser of the present invention retains capacity of a battery by at least about 50 % greater than the retained capacity of a similar battery where the invention has not been applied . in a further embodiment , a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser of the present invention retains capacity of a battery by at least about 100 % greater than the retained capacity of a similar battery where the invention has not been applied . in a further embodiment , a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser of the present invention retains capacity of a battery by at least about 150 % greater than the retained capacity of a similar battery where the invention has not been applied . in certain embodiments of the invention , the pulsing cycle for increasing the cycle lifetime of the battery and / or allowing the battery to retain capacity may be invoked by a device or apparatus known herein as a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser . fig2 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser 1 . in this illustrative embodiment of the invention , the bipolar overvoltage battery pulser 1 comprises a pulse generator 20 for producing a positive pulsed voltage and a negative pulsed voltage . in this exemplary embodiment represented by fig2 , the pulse generator 20 is configured in a microcontroller 22 , the microcontroller additionally comprising an analog - to - digital ( ad ) converter 24 , voltage monitoring 26 , and on / off control logic 28 . optionally , a status led 30 may indicate the status of the microcontroller 22 and / or the pulse generator 20 . fig3 a illustrates an electrical circuit diagram representing an embodiment of a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser 1 having a microcontroller 22 that implements the pulse generator 20 . the microcontroller 22 , in this exemplary embodiment , is an 8 - bit microcontroller based on the risc architecture . the microcontroller 22 may include any number of features needed to support the ability to configure and implement the pulse generator 20 including , without limitation , cpu ; working registers ; non - volatile memory segments that may include , but not necessarily be limited to , flash program memory , eeprom , and input / output buffers ; timer / counters ; oscillator ; adc channels ; serial interface ; adc conversion ; and interrupts . the digital supply voltage vcc to the microcontroller 22 is provided by a 5 - volt supply source 100 and supply inductor 102 . the analog - to - digital converter 24 supply voltage to the analog converter adcc is provided by a 5 - volt supply source 104 , which may be the same supply source as the 5 - volt supply source 100 or a different 5 - volt supply source , and secondary inductor 106 . reset input 108 is provided at port c pc 6 . the positive pulsed voltage 110 is output at pb 1 of the microcontroller 22 while the negative pulsed voltage 112 is output at pb 2 of the microcontroller 22 . in another embodiment of the invention , the pulse generator 20 may produce a positive pulsed voltage and a negative pulsed voltage through an electrical circuit arrangement . any electronic circuit arrangement known in the art for producing a pulsed voltage may be used to generate a positive pulsed voltage and a negative pulsed voltage . in yet another embodiment of the invention , a pulse generator generates a pulsed voltage and an alternating inverter switch alternately processes the pulsed voltage into a pass - through pulsed voltage and an inverted pulsed voltage . the pass - through pulsed voltage is either one of the positive pulsed voltage and the negative pulsed voltage , while the inverted pulsed voltage is the other of the positive pulsed voltage and the negative pulsed voltage . as also shown in fig2 , a positive pulsed voltage driver 32 converts the positive pulsed voltage to a positive pulsed voltage waveform 34 . similarly , a negative pulsed voltage driver 36 converts the negative pulsed voltage to a negative pulsed voltage waveform 38 . the positive pulsed voltage waveform 34 and the negative pulsed voltage waveform 38 are generally defined by a pulse cycle frequency , a pulse width , a pulse amplitude , a rise time of the positive pulse starting edge , and a rise time of the negative pulse trailing edge , respectively . in certain embodiments of the invention , the positive pulsed voltage driver 32 and the negative pulsed voltage driver 36 each shape and provide the necessary timing for the positive pulsed voltage waveform 34 and negative pulsed voltage waveform 38 , respectively . in an embodiment of the invention , either or both of the positive pulsed voltage driver 32 and negative pulsed voltage driver 36 comprise a pulse shaper and a timing generator ( not shown ). the pulse shaper and timing generator are configured to convert a pulsed voltage to a pulsed voltage waveform . fig3 b illustrates an electrical circuit diagram representing an embodiment of a pulsed voltage driver 120 of a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser 1 , wherein the positive pulsed voltage driver 32 and the negative pulsed voltage driver 36 are embodied in an integrated circuit 122 . the positive voltage pulse 110 and the negative voltage pulse 112 are respectively input to the high driver logic input hin and lower driver logic input lin of the integrated circuit 122 . the integrated circuit 122 is supplied by a 12 - volt supply source 124 whose current is restricted by resistor 126 . a bootstrap circuit comprising a diode 128 and bootstrap capacitor 130 is used to supply the high voltage section of the integrated circuit 122 . a floating voltage reference 132 is provided by the integrated circuit 122 at output pin out . the positive pulsed voltage waveform 134 and negative pulsed voltage waveform 136 are output from the integrated circuit 22 at the high side driver output hvg and low side driver output lvg , respectively . the rise times of the high and low side driver outputs may be controlled by the load capacitance . according to other embodiments of the invention , the positive pulsed voltage driver and the negative pulsed voltage driver may be embodied in separate configurations , such as , for example , through separate integrated circuits . as further shown in fig2 , the positive pulsed voltage waveform and the negative pulsed voltage waveform may be amplified using a positive voltage amplifier 40 and a negative voltage amplifier 42 , which are supplied by a power supply 44 . for example , the voltage of the power supply must be sufficient to enable the amplitude voltages of the positive pulsed voltage waveform and the inverted negative pulsed voltage waveform to exceed the voltage of the battery . the positive pulsed voltage waveform 46 and the negative pulsed voltage waveform 48 , whose signals have been amplified , are merged into a pulsed voltage waveform 52 via a pulsed voltage distributor 50 or a pulsed voltage distributor circuit . the pulsed voltage distributor 50 applies the pulsed voltage waveform 52 , representing a combination of the positive pulsed voltage waveform 46 and the negative pulsed voltage waveform 48 , across the terminals of a battery 54 . fig3 c illustrates an electrical circuit diagram representing an embodiment of the positive voltage amplifier 40 , negative voltage amplifier 42 , and pulsed voltage distributor 50 of a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser representing an output stage 140 of an exemplary bipolar overvoltage battery pulser . in another embodiment of the invention , instead of amplifying the positive pulsed voltage waveform and the negative pulsed voltage waveform , the pulsed voltage waveform 52 may itself be amplified ( not shown ). in yet another embodiment of the invention , the positive pulsed voltage driver 32 and the negative pulsed voltage driver 36 are configured to provide the necessary voltage amplification of the positive pulsed voltage waveform and the negative pulsed voltage waveform , and additional amplification is not necessary . fig3 d illustrates an electrical circuit diagram representing an embodiment of a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser of the present invention comprising a microcontroller 22 than provides a positive pulsed voltage and a negative pulsed voltage to a pulsed voltage driver 120 . the pulsed voltage driver 120 then provides a positive pulsed voltage waveform and negative pulsed voltage waveform to an output stage 140 of the bipolar overvoltage battery pulser . the amplified and combined pulsed voltage waveforms from the output stage 140 are applied across the terminals of a battery . according to fig1 , the rise times of the positive voltage pulse and negative voltage pulse as applied across the terminals of a battery are represented by t r . the relaxation time constant , which defines the time needed for the ratio of ionic densities to relax back to an equilibrium state , is represented by t c . the pulse width of the pulses of the positive voltage pulse waveform and negative voltage pulse waveform is represented by t . the time between the starting edge of the positive pulse and the starting edge of the negative pulse is defined as t a - b . the period , the reciprocal of pulse cycle frequency , is represented by t a - a . the positive pulsed voltage driver 32 and the negative pulsed voltage driver 36 are configured to produce a positive pulsed voltage waveform 34 and a negative pulsed voltage waveform 38 wherein the rise time of the positive pulse starting edge and the rise time of the negative pulse trailing edge are shorter than the relaxation time constant of the electrochemical cell . in certain embodiments of the invention , the rise time of the starting edge of the positive voltage pulse and the trailing edge of the negative voltage pulse are configured to be at most ¾ of the relaxation time constant . in another embodiment of the invention , the rise time of the starting edge of the positive voltage pulse and the trailing edge of the negative voltage pulse are configured to be at most ½ of the relaxation time constant . in a further embodiment of the invention , the rise time of the starting edge of the positive voltage pulse and the trailing edge of the negative voltage pulse are configured to be at most ⅓ of the relaxation time constant . in certain embodiments of the invention , the rise time of the starting edge of the positive voltage pulse and the trailing edge of the negative voltage pulse are configured to be at most ¼ of the relaxation time constant . in certain embodiments of the invention , the rise time of the starting edge of the positive voltage pulse and the trailing edge of the negative voltage pulse are configured to be at most ⅛ of the relaxation time constant . in certain embodiments of the invention , the rise time of the starting edge of the positive voltage pulse and the trailing edge of the negative voltage pulse are configured to be at most 1 / 10 of the relaxation time constant . in other embodiments of the invention , the rise time of the starting edge of the positive voltage pulse and the trailing edge of the negative voltage pulse are different but each are configured to be less than the relaxation time constant . in other embodiments of the invention , the rise time of the positive pulse starting edge and the rise time of the negative pulse trailing edge are shorter than the relaxation time of the electrochemical cell . in certain embodiments of the invention , the rise time of the starting edge of the positive voltage pulse and the trailing edge of the negative voltage pulse are configured to be at most ½ of the relaxation time . in another embodiment of the invention , the rise time of the starting edge of the positive voltage pulse and the trailing edge of the negative voltage pulse are configured to be at most ⅓ of the relaxation time . in further embodiments of the invention , the rise time of the starting edge of the positive voltage pulse and the trailing edge of the negative voltage pulse are configured to be at most ¼ of the relaxation time . in certain other embodiments of the invention , the rise time of the starting edge of the positive voltage pulse and the trailing edge of the negative voltage pulse are configured to be at most ⅛ of the relaxation time . in still other embodiments of the invention , the rise time of the starting edge of the positive voltage pulse and the trailing edge of the negative voltage pulse are configured to be at most 1 / 10 of the relaxation time . in other embodiments of the invention , the rise time of the starting edge of the positive voltage pulse and the trailing edge of the negative voltage pulse are different but each are configured to be less than the relaxation time . in an embodiment of the invention , the pulse cycle frequency is maximized and yet should not be so high as to allow overlapping of the pulses of the positive pulsed voltage waveform and the negative pulsed voltage waveform . in certain embodiments of the invention , the pulse cycle frequency ranges from about 30 khz to about 100 khz , giving a period from about 10 microseconds to about 35 microseconds . in an embodiment of the invention , the pulse duration exceeds the relaxation time . according to an embodiment of the invention , the pulse duration is at least 5 times the relaxation time . in another embodiment of the invention , the pulse duration is at least 10 times the relaxation time . in yet another embodiment of the invention , the pulse duration is at least 20 times the relaxation time . in still yet another embodiment of the invention , the pulse duration is at least 30 times the relaxation time . in a further embodiment of the invention , the pulse duration is at least 40 times the relaxation time . in a further embodiment of the invention , the pulse duration is at least 50 times the relaxation time . in a further embodiment of the invention , the pulse duration is at least about 100 times the relaxation time . the time between the starting edge of the positive pulse and the starting edge of the negative pulse is some fraction of the period . in an embodiment of the invention , the amount of time between the starting edge of the positive pulse and the starting edge of the negative pulse is selected such that there is no overlap between the pulses of the positive pulsed voltage waveform and the negative pulsed voltage waveform . according to an embodiment of the invention , the time between the starting edge of the positive pulse and the starting edge of the negative pulse is at least ¼ of the period . in another embodiment of the invention , the time between the starting edge of the positive pulse and the starting edge of the negative pulse is at least ⅓ of the period . in yet another embodiment of the invention , the time between the starting edge of the positive pulse and the starting edge of the negative pulse is at least ½ of the period . in still yet another embodiment of the invention , the time between the starting edge of the positive pulse and the starting edge of the negative pulse is at least ¾ of the period . in order to achieve an overvoltage , the pulse amplitudes of the pulses of the positive voltage pulse waveform and the negative voltage pulse waveform should exceed the voltage of the battery . in an embodiment of the invention , the pulse amplitude of the pulses of the positive voltage pulse waveform and the negative voltage pulse waveform is at least about 10 % greater than the voltage of the battery . in another embodiment of the invention , the pulse amplitude of the pulses of the positive voltage pulse waveform and the negative voltage pulse waveform is at least about 20 % greater . in another embodiment of the invention , the pulse amplitude of the pulses of the positive voltage pulse waveform and the negative voltage pulse waveform is at least about 50 % greater . in another embodiment of the invention , the pulse amplitude of the pulses of the positive voltage pulse waveform and the negative voltage pulse waveform is at least about 100 % greater . in another embodiment of the invention , the pulse amplitude of the pulses of the positive voltage pulse waveform and the negative voltage pulse waveform is at least about 150 % greater . in another embodiment of the invention , the pulse amplitude of the pulses of the positive voltage pulse waveform and the negative voltage pulse waveform is at least about 200 % greater . in certain embodiments of the invention , the pulse amplitude of the pulses of the positive voltage pulse waveform and the negative voltage pulse waveform is in a range from about 75 % to about 125 % greater than the voltage of the battery . in another embodiment of the invention , the pulse amplitude of the pulses of the positive voltage pulse waveform and the negative voltage pulse waveform is in a range from about 80 % to about 120 % greater than the voltage of the battery . in another embodiment of the invention , the pulse amplitude of the pulses of the positive voltage pulse waveform and the negative voltage pulse waveform is in a range from about 90 % to about 110 % greater than the voltage of the battery . in yet other embodiments of the invention , the pulse amplitude of the pulses of the positive voltage pulse waveform and the negative voltage pulse waveform is about twice that of the voltage of the battery . in certain embodiments of the invention , the pulse amplitudes of the pulses of the positive voltage pulse waveform and the negative voltage pulse waveform are not the same . in yet other embodiments of the invention , the pulse durations and pulse amplitudes of the positive voltage pulse waveform and the negative voltage pulse waveform are each adjusted allowing for the greatest possible extent of overvoltage to be applied to the battery and / or the greatest increase in the cycle lifetime of the battery . in an embodiment of the invention , a measurement device provides the voltage of the battery and provides the measurement feedback to a controller that is configured to reset the pulse amplitudes of the pulses of the positive voltage pulse waveform and the negative voltage pulse waveform provided by the bipolar overvoltage battery pulser to achieve a desired amount of overvoltage or a desired range of overvoltage . in certain embodiments of the invention , the bipolar overvoltage battery pulser may also include a controller and a measurement device , which provides a measurement of the battery &# 39 ; s voltage . the measurement of the battery &# 39 ; s voltage may be used by the controller to identify and determine a state of the battery . for example , when the voltage of the battery is below a certain value , the controller may be logically configured to identify the battery is in a charging state . if the voltage of the battery exceeds a certain value , the controller may be logically configured to identify the battery is in a full state . other state identifications may be configured based not only on the voltage of the battery but also the direction and / or rate of change of the voltage of the battery . other measurements may also be incorporated in the state determination , such as , for example , a temperature of the battery . the controller may be configured to activate or deactivate the bipolar overvoltage battery pulser based on the state of the battery , as identified by the controller based upon the voltage of the battery and / or other measurements . the bipolar overvoltage battery pulser may be a standalone device that is not directly integrated with a specific battery . in other embodiments of the invention , the bipolar overvoltage battery pulser may be integrated into a battery . fig4 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention showing the bipolar overvoltage battery pulser integrated with a battery . this exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrates a bipolar battery overvoltage pulser 1 that is designed to fit within the structure of a lead acid battery 200 . the bipolar overvoltage battery pulser 1 is isolated from the electrolyte of the lead acid battery 200 , for example , with the use of a barrier such as a plastic alloy . in this exemplary embodiment , the bipolar overvoltage battery pulser connects , internally , with the positive battery terminal 202 and the negative battery terminal 204 . while this exemplary embodiment demonstrates a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser 1 that is integrated with a lead acid battery 200 , the use of the bipolar overvoltage battery pulser is not limited to only this type of battery . rather the bipolar overvoltage battery pulser may be used with and / or may be integrated with other types of rechargeable batteries as well . in an embodiment of the invention the method and device of the invention may treat a lead acid battery . the phenomena upon which the device and method of the invention are based would be useful in treating other types of batteries , other than lead acid batteries , where these batteries are characterized such that they would realize an improvement in the extent of battery capacity they were capable of retaining and an improvement in the overall life of the battery by the application of the device and method of the invention . of course , the pulse specifications as well as other parameters associated with the device and method of the invention for these other types of batteries could be adapted to the properties of the materials that are specific to these other types of batteries . therefore , in another embodiment of the invention , the method and device of the invention may treat other types of batteries ( i . e ., a non - lead acid battery ). non - limiting examples of the types of non - lead acid batteries in which the method and device of the invention may be used include a lithium ion battery , a lithium polymer battery , a lithium sulfate battery , a lithium titanate battery , a lithium iron phosphate battery , a thin film rechargeable lithium battery , a nickel metal hydride battery , a nickel cadmium battery , a nickel zinc battery , a nickel iron battery , a nickel hydrogen battery , a rechargeable alkaline battery , a silver oxide battery , a sodium sulfur battery , a vanadium redox battery , and any other type of rechargeable battery that is now know or later invented for which the invention applies . fig5 is an embodiment of the invention , as illustrated through a block diagram , showing how a plurality of bipolar overvoltage battery pulsers may be integrated with a corresponding number of batteries in a single power supply or battery pack . each of the batteries 320 , 322 , 324 , 326 in the battery pack 310 has a corresponding bipolar overvoltage battery pulser 310 , 312 , 314 , 316 . the batteries 320 , 322 , 324 , 326 in the battery pack 310 are recharged by a charger 330 . the bipolar overvoltage battery pulsers 310 , 312 , 314 , 316 are equipped with a controller 340 . the controller 340 cycles through activating and then deactivating each of the bipolar overvoltage battery pulsers 310 , 312 , 314 , 316 over their operating period of the batteries 320 , 322 , 324 , 326 to ensure that a high terminal voltage is not experienced by having more than one bipolar overvoltage battery pulser 310 , 312 , 314 , 316 in operation at any one time . another aspect of the invention includes a method for increasing a cycle lifetime of a battery and / or allowing the battery to retain capacity . an embodiment of the invention includes a method of treating a battery with the use of the bipolar overvoltage battery pulser of the invention . another embodiment of the invention provides a method for treating a plurality of batteries in a battery pack , each battery having a bipolar overvoltage battery pulser of the invention , comprising controlling the bipolar overvoltage battery pulsers such that not more than one of the bipolar overvoltage battery pulsers is applying an overvoltage at any one time . an embodiment of the invention involves a method that includes providing a positive pulsed voltage waveform and negative pulsed voltage waveform , and applying the positive pulsed voltage waveform and the negative pulsed voltage waveform alternately across terminals of a battery . pursuant to this embodiment , the method additionally includes merging the positive pulsed voltage waveform and the negative pulsed voltage waveform into a pulsed voltage waveform prior to applying the merged waveforms across the terminals of a battery . in certain embodiments of the invention , the positive pulsed voltage waveform has a single positive pulsed voltage and the negative pulsed voltage waveform has a single negative pulsed voltage . in another embodiment of the invention , the method additionally comprises amplifying the positive pulsed voltage waveform and the negative pulsed voltage waveform . in still another embodiment of the invention , the method comprises amplifying the pulsed voltage waveform in addition or as an alternative to amplifying the positive pulsed voltage waveform and the negative pulsed voltage waveform . in another embodiment of the invention , the method additionally comprises producing a pulsed voltage . further pursuant to this embodiment of the invention , a pulsed voltage may comprise any one or a combination of a positive pulsed voltage and a negative pulsed voltage . in another embodiment of the invention , producing a pulsed voltage comprises generating a pulsed voltage and processing the pulsed voltage , alternately , into a pass - through pulsed voltage and an inverted pulsed voltage , wherein the pass - through pulsed voltage is any one of the positive pulsed voltage and the negative pulsed voltage , and the inverted pulsed voltage is the other of the positive pulsed voltage and the negative pulsed voltage . in another embodiment of the invention , producing a pulsed voltage comprises shaping the positive pulsed voltage and the negative pulsed voltage , respectively , into a positive pulsed voltage shape and a negative pulsed voltage shape and timing a distribution of the positive pulsed voltage shape and a distribution of the negative pulsed voltage shape respectively into the positive pulsed voltage waveform and the negative pulsed voltage waveform . fig6 provides a graphical representation showing the time to discharge for a lead acid battery that has been processed according to the methods and / or device of the invention 400 versus the time to discharge for a lead acid battery that has not been so processed 410 . as the graph illustrates , the amount of time for discharging a lead acid battery has been extended by more than about 150 % by using the method and / or device of the invention , effectively resulting in increased battery capacity . fig7 provides a graphical representation of the discharge times versus the number of charge / discharge cycles for a lead acid battery that has been processed according to the method and / or device of the invention 420 compared to the discharge times versus the number of charge / discharge cycles for a lead acid battery that has not been so processed 430 . the graph shows that the overall life of the lead acid battery treated according to the method and / or device of the invention has been extended by a factor between about 1 . 7 and about 2 . 2 in comparison to the lead acid battery that has not been so treated . while these tests show that a device and method of the invention are effective at increasing the cycle lifetime and improving the retention of capacity of a lead acid battery , the theory surrounding the fundamentals of the invention is also applicable to other non - lead acid batteries , non - limiting examples of which have been provided herein . many modifications and other embodiments of the invention set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the descriptions herein and the associated drawings . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof . therefore , it is understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed , but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims .	7
fig1 shows a network 100 for provision of fully interactive television . interactive content intended for integration with the television program and / or broadcast 102 is initially generated by the interactive tv content generator 106 and stored in the interactive content libraries 112 . the interactive content generator 106 will be used prior to the broadcast or playing of a particular program to develop initial interactive content for storage in the libraries 112 , and the generator 106 will also be used to generate content during the broadcast or playing of the television program . there are thus both off - line and real - time aspects to the interactive content generator . for real - time content generation , the television broadcast , which may be received via cable , satellite , off - air , or via packet switched network 114 , will be demodulated by the demodulator 104 if received at radio frequency ( rf ), otherwise it will be received by the content generator 106 via the packet switched network 114 . the interactive content generator uses information contained in the television program , information previously stored in the interactive content libraries , and information from other content providers 108 to develop and synchronize candidate interactive television content to the television program . if the interactive content must be purchased by the viewer , and / or if the interactive content contains opportunities for purchases based on the content , then the transaction management server 109 coordinates the billing and purchases of viewers , and also provides other customer fulfillment functions such as providing coupons , special discounts and promotions to viewers . during actual broadcast or playing of the interactive television program , the interactive content selector 110 uses information from other content providers such as interactive television program sponsors , and viewer preferences , history , and group viewer preferences to select the specific interactive content which is to be associated with the television program . this interactive content can be customized for each viewer based on his or her preferences , selections during the program , or demographics . the interactive content chosen by the content selector is transmitted to the individual viewers via the packet switched network 114 and the customers &# 39 ; choices , preferences , and purchase particulars are also retained in the transaction management server and may be transmitted in part or in whole to interactive content providers 108 for the purpose of customer preference tracking , rewards , and customer fulfillment functions . at the customer premise , the video reception equipment 116 a receives the conventional television program , while the internet equipment 118 a receives the interactive content designed for the television program and customized for each individual viewer . the conventional video and interactive content are then integrated by the interactive tv integrator 120 a for display on the customer &# 39 ; s tv 122 a and for interaction with the customer &# 39 ; s interactive tv remote control 124 . the interactive tv network simultaneously connects thusly to a plentitude of customer premises from one to n , as indicated by the customer premise equipment 116 n through 124 n . thus , the interactive network shown in fig1 simultaneously provides individualized interactive content to a plentitude of viewers that uses both previously developed interactive content as well as content developed during the program broadcast . the network therefore allows current television programming to be transformed into fully interactive and personalized interactive television via the devices shown in fig1 . the television program used for developing and delivering the interactive content may be completely devoid of any interactivity , or may include interactive content developed by other systems . this legacy interactive content will be preserved by the present invention and can be provided to the viewers if they desire . fig2 depicts a block diagram of the interactive tv content generator 106 that develops interactive content streams from the television program either prior to , or during the broadcast of the television program . typical television programs include image or frames , audio tracks , and closed caption text data sent either in the vertical blanking interval ( vbi ) of analog signals , or packetized in mpeg - based or other forms of digital video transmissions . these are the sources of , and pointers to , interactive television content which can be generated for the program . as an example , since closed caption text is timed to occur at specific points in the television program , the closed caption text can be used to coarsely synchronize the television program to interactive content that is related to that closed caption text . closed caption timing information can be derived from the transmitted signal , or determined by stamping the decoded closed caption text with the system time when a television program is received . this timestamp can then be associated with interactive television content that is related to closed caption text with that timestamp , or to other data derived from the television program and timestamped such as the aforementioned speech recognition data , image and optical character recognition data , and so on . thus , the input video and audio are processed to generate keywords with timing information that are then combined with viewer keywords to produce interactive streams that are related to , and synchronized with the television programming by the devices 202 and 208 , and the timing / synch generator 204 . the units 202 and 208 provide data to each other as they process the image and speech portions of the television program in order to correct and correlate the speech and image streams generated by each unit . the resulting streams are then passed to the interactive data stream integrator and packetizer 206 , and are output to a packet switched network 114 via the ethernet interface 210 . the interactive stream generators 202 and 208 will be described in further detail below , however it is noted that the system shown in fig2 provides a method and system for identifying all pertinent information in the television program that could be used for viewer interaction . examples include text of speech delivered in the program , identification of sounds and / or music in the program , identification of objects in the screen such as clothes , household items , cars , and other items typically purchased by viewers , and even actions ongoing in the program such as eating , drinking , running , swimming , and so on . all speech , sounds , screen objects , and actions are potential stimulators of interactive behavior by viewers , and thus are processed and identified by the system shown in fig2 . importantly , the two stream generators provide feedback to each other in order to improve the detection and classification process . this feedback is accomplished via providing initial and corrected object detections from each system to the other . for example , if the image processing system indicates a car is traveling down the road , and in the audio track of the program the word “ ferrarri ” is detected , the system can make an association and develop an interactive stream for that instant of the program that includes ferrarri sports cars . additionally the feedback can be used to correct decisions made by either system . for example , if the closed caption text contains a miss - spelled word such as “ airplxne ” instead of “ airplane ”, if the image system detected the image of an airplane , it would provide that object detection to the audio system and the miss - spelled word can then be corrected . more typically , since image object and action recognition are much more challenging than text or speech recognition , the text and speech recognition outputs are used by the image system to improve the accuracy of image object and action recognition . for example , a coffee cup in the image which might be partially obscured in the image can be correctly classified when the text “ would you like some more coffee ” correlated with the list of possible objects corresponding to the obscured coffee cup image . as will be described below , the system permits context - based recognition and classification of image objects , image movements , speech , and sounds . fig3 shows a block diagram of the image content generation subsystem 202 . the input baseband video is sent to a hybrid partial mpeg4 / mpeg7 encoder 302 that is used to separate the input video into objects such as background and sprites ( moving objects ) within that background . unlike mpeg2 encoding , mpeg4 performs its compression based on arbitrary shapes that represent individual objects in the image . present - day mpeg4 encoders merely isolate the objects for individual encoding . but this capability is inherently suited to the automatic isolation , recognition , and classification of objects in the image for the purposes of interactive television applications . going beyond the mere isolation of objects , the system of the present invention accepts the isolated object shapes output by the hybrid mpeg 4 / 7 encoder 302 and processes the objects in a shape movement generator 304 and a shape outline generator 308 . the shape movements are determined via analysis of the motion compensation and prediction elements of the encoder such as b and p frames , and this analysis is performed in the movement recognition block 306 . likewise , the actual objects in the image such as coffee cups or cars are recognized in the shape recognition block 310 . to supplement the image object and movement recognition , an additional set of processing blocks are provided which use conventional image recognition techniques from digitally captured images . the baseband video is also sent to a periodic image capture system 312 , after which image pattern recognition in performed in block 314 using algorithms specific to image object pattern recognition . the captured image is also sent to a movement / action pattern recognition block 316 where actions such as drinking , running , driving , exercising , and so on are recognized . since the television image often also contains text characters such as news banners which flow across the bottom of the screen , news titles and summaries , signs and labels , corporate logos , and other text , the image capture system also outputs its frames to an optical character recognition system 318 which recognizes the characters , parses them , and provides them to the text and sound interactive generation system 208 as shown in fig2 . likewise , the text and sound interactive generation system 208 provides text and sounds recognized in the television program to the image object and movement interactive generation system for correlation , correction , and association in block 320 . block 320 thus accepts the output of all image objects and actions , as well as recognized text and sounds in the video in order to improve accuracy of image object and action recognition and make associations and additional inferences from the composite data . several algorithms can be used for the detection and recognition processing performed in blocks 306 , 310 , 314 , 316 , and 318 , and for the correlation and correction of objects in each stream and from one stream generation system to the other performed in block 320 . conventional pattern recognition methods can be used for initial image classification , for example : neural network systems using the least means squared method , interval arithmetic method , or feed - forward method ; fuzzy logic networks ; statistical decision theory methods ; successive iterative calculation methods ; linear discriminant analysis methods ; flexible discriminant methods ; tree - structured methods ; baysian belief networks ; deterministic methods such as wavelet transform method and other methods that are scale invariant . for correlating and correction detections across the image and audio systems , contextual methods such as object - based representations of context and a rule based expert system can be applied , where the rules of human behavior with respect to typical purchasable objects is one example of a rule set to be used , with statistical object detection being another method using joint probability distributions of objects within a scene . graph methods can also be used . fig4 depicts a block diagram of a system to generate text -, speech -, and sound - based interactive tv content associated with a television program . the baseband video is input to a vertical blanking interval ( vbi ) decoder 402 , followed by a demultiplexer ( demux ) 404 that separates the vbi data into its component streams cc1 , cc 2 , text1 , text2 , cc3 , cc4 , text3 , text4 , and extended data service ( xds ) packets , when they exist . program rating information for vchip applications can also be decoded in this system . in addition to closed caption text associated with the television program , some current interactive television applications use these data transport streams for sending interactive web links and other interactive information packets . all such legacy interactive information are thus preserved by the system of the present invention . the baseband audio is also input to the system to a sampler 406 and the samples sent to a speech recognition block 408 and a music and other sound recognition block 410 . the speech recognition block 408 permits speech in the television to be detected and packetized in case the closed captioning data is absent or errored . the music and sound recognition block 410 recognizes and classifies the presence of music and other sounds that are not speech in the television program that can be used for interactive television purposes . for example , if music is detected , the interactive system can provide music ordering options to the viewer . for the centralized implementation of the interactive television content generator , the music artist and title can be detected as well . on the other hand , if certain sounds are detected such as explosions or gun shots , the viewer can be provided with options for action / adventure games , or options to suppress violent portions of the television program . the audio information detected from the television program is combined with optical character recognition ( ocr ) text from the image processing block 202 and all sound related interactive information is correlated and corrected in block 412 . the words , sounds , and music detected in the television program are then parsed and encoded in block 414 for interactive stream output and for providing feedback to the image stream generation block 202 . fig5 depicts how interactive content generated by the generator 106 is used with other content in the interactive television libraries 112 by the content ranking and delivery system 110 to deliver interactive content to television viewers . the content 502 generated by the generator 106 is stored in the content libraries 112 along with other interactive content from web sites 504 , other providers 506 , and with content generated off - line from the broadcast by authoring tools 508 . the content libraries contain the content itself , as well as links , tags , and timing information associated with the television programming so that the interactive content may be presented to the viewer at the right time and under the right conditions . for example , interactive content from other content providers 506 such as advertisers is stored along with key words from the advertisement content , the content generator 106 and from the authoring tools 508 so that advertisers &# 39 ; interactive content is provided to viewers when the television programming content or the viewers preferences and selections indicate an association is possible . in this manner , viewers will be presented with advertising when it is most opportunistic to do so , as opposed to current television programming where viewers see only the advertisements that are presented to a large number of viewers during commercial breaks . importantly , the content from advertisers stored in 506 also contains links to purchasing opportunities or other reward , redemption or gratification options that encourage the viewer to purchase the advertisers &# 39 ; products . the method by which interactive content stored in 112 is ranked and selected for viewers is shown in block 110 . individual viewer preferences and past history of interactions are stored in block 510 for purposes such as just described in order to select the optimum advertising content for viewers . these preferences and history data are derived from the interactive television integrator 120 in fig1 . group viewer preferences and history stored are stored in 512 are used for similar purposes as individual viewer preferences and history so that even if an individual viewer has neither a preference or a history for a particular association , if he is similar to other viewers in other ways such that he is part of a particular viewer group , and a majority of viewers in that group do have either a preference or a history that indicates an association between that viewer group and the advertising , then the advertising can be made available to the original viewer without an individual association via the group association . a single viewer will typically be part of many viewer groups . viewer groups are formed for a variety of reasons : similar demographics , or similar interests , or similar recent activities with the interactive television system , and so on . viewer groups can be formed ahead of time , or can be formed in real time as a television program is being broadcast so that new interactive content can be generated or different previously generated interactive content can be provided to viewers when appropriate . finally , the viewer group preferences and history block 512 provides a mechanism for upgrading a particular interactive content source from individualized or group - oriented to viewable by all such as conventional television advertising . when large enough numbers of viewers show an interest in interactive content , the content can be converted from a ‘ pull ’ oriented content to a ‘ push ’ oriented content . on the other hand , interactive content that was previously ‘ push ’ oriented can be downgraded in the same manner if a significant number of viewers are noted to skip the content , or to change channels for example . this capability provides feedback to advertisers and vendors , and also permits interactivity with viewers based on their preferences . for example , if a particular interactive content from a product vendor is about to be downgraded from push to pull , viewers can be given an opportunity to ‘ choose ’ to delete the commercial and either select another one from the same vendor , or to provide specific feedback on why they were uninterested in it . commonly desired actions 514 are also used for ranking and selection of interactive television content , such as ‘ more info ,’ ‘ shop ,’ ‘ surf ,’ ‘ chat ,’, and other actions by viewers when experiencing interactive television . just as the viewer preferences and history are used to rank interactive content for display to viewers , when multiple choices exist for interactive content , the content associated with the most frequent viewer actions such as shopping can be ranked more highly and presented first to viewers . and of course advertiser and / or product vendor goals 516 are also used in order to rank and select interactive content to be presented or made available to viewers . the interactive content ranking processor 518 is the method by which the plentitude of candidate interactive content is ranked and selected for transmission to the user . as with many current systems , an individual viewer can request content , and that request goes into the viewer &# 39 ; s preferences and history block 510 , with an immediate status such that the content is pulled from the library 112 and made available to the viewer . but unlike present interactive systems , the content and ranking processor 518 also provides a predictive capability , as previously described for the viewer who had no preference or history for a particular content , but nonetheless had an association with that content via a viewer group . thus the interactive content ranking processor 518 provides the capability for interactive television viewers to receive both fully individualized content , as well as content that more general , but that is still highly relevant to the individual . as an example of the ranking processor , the viewer profile can be represented as a list of keywords indicating interests of that viewer . these keywords can be selected from a larger list by the viewer himself , or determined by monitoring viewing behaviors of the viewer . as the viewer navigates through the interactive content , he will be choosing content related to specific keywords in his profile ; the more often a particular profile keyword is used , the higher ranking that is given to subsequent interactive content that is related to , or derived from that profile keyword . the highest ranking content can be presented as the default interactive content for a viewer to streamline the presentation of interactive content if desired . the interactive content ranked and selected by the ranking processor is then distributed to viewers via the real time interactive content metadata generator 520 . this generator uses the content ranking and selections of the ranking processor and the interactive content itself stored in the library 112 to package the content for delivery to viewers via their interactive tv integrator 120 . fig6 shows an example interactive tv integrator that includes local versions of the interactive content generator 106 , the interactive content libraries 112 , and the interactive content ranking processor and selector 110 . since these versions are likely to be much smaller in scale and capability , they are renumbered as shown in the figure , but importantly , as the functions of the more capable centralized versions are migrated into the local versions , the interactive television network of the present invention has the capability to migrate from a centralized server architecture to a peer - to - peer network architecture where content can be stored primarily in customer premises , even though backups of the content will no doubt be archived centrally . hence block 612 in the figure corresponds to block 106 previously , block 614 to block 110 , and block 616 to block 112 . the rf video and audio are converted to baseband by the first tuner 602 and the second tuner 604 for passing to the switch 606 . alternately , the baseband video and audio may be input to the system directly and fed to the switch 606 . next time tags are generated from the video and audio by a time tag generator 608 . the time tags are input along with the video and audio to a digital video recorder 610 for recording the television program along with time tags . the recorded digital video is provided to the interactive content generator 612 , the content selector 614 , and the interactive content integrator 622 . the content generator works similarly to block 106 of fig1 , likewise the content selector is similar in function to block 110 of fig1 . the versions in the interactive tv integrator may have reduced functionality , however . and the interactive television content generated by 612 is sent to content libraries 616 which are similar to block 112 of fig1 albeit reduced in scale , and the libraries are also fed by interactive television content received via packet switched network through the ethernet interface 624 . this ethernet interface permits two - way , fully interactive applications to be delivered to the television viewer . for example , viewers may be offered an interactive application from an advertiser which when selected , activates a real time , two - way communications channel between the viewer ( or multiple viewers ) and the advertiser either directly , or via the transaction management server 109 for purposes of customer response and / or fulfillment . this real - time , two - way communications channel may be via conventional point and click , telephone conversation , videoconference , or any combination of the above . this two - way communications channel may also be implemented using conventional downstream and upstream communications channels on cable networks , for example , in which case the ethernet interface 624 may not be necessary . further , the real - time communications channel may be multipoint , as in a chat room , telephone conference call , or videoconference call . the viewer controls the interactive television integrator via the electronic receiver 618 , which may use rf , ir , wifi , or any combination thereof for signaling between the remote control and the interactive television integrator . the interactive television integrator can then process viewer inputs and transmit them back to centrally located transaction management servers , interactive content selectors , and / or other content providers . this two way interactive communication channel can be used for viewer commands , voice or video telecommunications or conferencing , or for setting up viewer preferences and profiles . the processed viewer commands are then sent to a user interface block 620 which controls the digital video recorder , the interactive content selector , and an interactive content integrator 622 . the content integrator is where packet based interactive content generated locally or remotely and selected by the content selector is merged with the television programming and presented to the viewer either via baseband video and audio output , or via video and audio wireless ip streaming to a remote control , or both . fig7 a and 7 b depict algorithms used for the generation of interactive content . these algorithms can be employed either in the centralized content generator , the local generator , or both . fig7 a depicts the algorithms used for generation of interactive content when the entire television program is not yet available . this is likely the first step in generation of interactive content for a television program . the algorithm begins with the selection of a program for which to develop interactive content 702 , following which the pre - developed interactive content is developed without access to the entire television program 704 . the television program material available may be limited at this stage to the title and synopsis only ( as would be available via electronic program guides ), or may include previews , previous episodes , similar programs , and so on . next the interactive content and associations such as tags and links to viewer preferences , commonly desired actions , or advertiser goals are stored in the interactive libraries 706 . while awaiting the actual playing or broadcast of the television program , any changes to viewer preferences , history or other changes received from viewers during use of the system for other television programming can dictate an update to the stored content 708 and associations . in this manner , the viewers &# 39 ; preferences and interests are completely up to date when the television program actually begins , rather than current systems where the viewer preferences and interests used to design the interactive television programming were collected days , weeks or years before . fig7 b depicts the algorithms used for generation of interactive television content when the television program is available , either prior to broadcast , or during broadcast . following selection of the television program 710 , the previously developed interactive content is accessed 712 from the interactive television libraries 112 . next the synchronized interactive content is generated 714 by the interactive television content generator 106 . this content and associations such as links and tags are updated and modified 716 based on new information on viewer preferences , history , advertiser goals , and so on . finally , the updated interactive content and associations are output 718 . fig8 shows details of the algorithm for developing interactive content without access to the entire television program , as done in block 704 of fig7 a . first candidate content sources are identified 802 using a list of interactive tv terms and actions . next , the content is cached , processed and ranked 804 by identifying the content that is common to several sources or matches other previously determined viewer preferences or advertiser goals . next , the candidate content rankings are modified 806 based on updates to viewer preferences , history , importance of the content source , and other ranking modification parameters . after this more detailed ranking is performed , associations to this ranked , interactive content are made 808 using interactive tv terms , actions , and individual or group viewer preferences . note that these preferences are from previous viewer actions , rather than from actions during the television program of interest . fig9 shows details of the algorithms for searching and selection of interactive television content shown in block 802 of fig8 . the interactive television terms and actions are used , along with other data such as the tv program title , main character names , location , and other pertinent tv program keywords , as input 902 to a search engine which employs a variety of different search methods to find content . these methods include term - based searching 904 , link - based searching 906 , crawl - based searching 908 , web data mining 910 , as well as other techniques 912 . since depending on the television program content , different search methods will be optimal for the program of interest , each search result is weighted 914 by weights that can be adapted 922 based on the television program , or by other feedback 920 from interactive content developers . the weights are then combined 916 into a single ranking , for which the top ranked content can be selected 918 for distribution to viewers . fig1 shows details of the algorithms used for generation of interactive tv content using actual television program . as the television program is played or broadcast , the audio generation algorithms ( on the right of fig1 ) look for data in the vertical blanking interval ( vbi ) 1002 and if present , decode and demux it 1004 . in case the vbi data is unavailable , and also to correct or augment it if it is present , the audio is sampled 1006 and speech recognition algorithms are applied to the sampled audio 1008 . also in 1008 , the presence of music or other recognizable sounds in the audio is detected . in parallel with these tasks , the video of the television program is captured 1016 and optical character recognition ( ocr ) is performed 1018 along with more sophisticated motion and action and other image pattern recognition 1022 . if text is identified on the screen image and output by the ocr , it is provided to be parsed and time tags added in block 1010 , along with outputs of the vbi decoding and the speech , music , and sound recognition systems . following this , keywords and / or phrases in the resulting text are identified 1012 when they relate to interactive tv terms and actions . likewise , image objects , motions and / or actions that are related to interactive tv terms and actions are recognized in the tv videos 1024 . finally information on recognized text , music , sounds , image objects , image motions , and image actions are sent to interactive libraries 1014 . 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 . 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
fig4 ( a ) shows an arrangement of the magnetic head on the rotary cylinder 1 an embodiment of the present invention , wherein a 1 and b 1 are the magnetic heads for recording and normal playback having head gaps inclined in different directions and a head width of 30 μm . furthermore , a 2 is installed adjacent to the magnetic head b 2 and comprises a third magnetic head for the reproducing a still image and having its head gap inclined at the same angle as that of magnetic head a 1 . the width of the head a 2 is 30 μm . on recording , a track will be recorded as usual as the recording locus a1 , b1 , a . e . . . of 19 μm width successively and partially overlapped the previously recorded recording locus . furthermore , magnetic heads a 1 and b 1 are used for the usual playback . the magnetic heads a 1 and a 2 will be used when a still image is playback . fig5 ( a )- 8 ( a ) show the relationship between the scanning locus t versus the recording locus on the magnetic tape of the magnetic heads a 1 and a 2 when the magnetic tape has been moved a small distance successively . fig5 ( b )- 8 ( b ) show the envelope of the playback signal and fig5 ( c )- 8 ( c ) show the detecting pulse corresponds to the duration of the playback signal level which drops as low as the prescribed level . fig5 ( d )- 8 ( d ) show the playback signal envelop during contact between the magnetic head b 1 and the magnetic tape . during still image playback , since the magnetic heads a 1 and a 2 are in use , the playback recording locus is a 1 and a 2 respectively as shown in 5 , the magnetic heads a 1 and a 2 transfer recording tracks from a 2 to a 1 at the initial stage of the 1 field ; the output level drops at this point , as shown in fig5 ( b ). similarly , as shown in fig6 and 7 , a drop in the output level occurs in the middle and adjacent part at the end of the 1 field . thus , a good still image is not obtained . however , as shown in fig8 the magnetic heads a 1 and a 2 only reproduce the recording locus a 1 , moreover , a sufficient playback signal level is obtained at the beginning and end portions of the field . accordingly , the optimum still image is obtainable when the magnetic tape is stopped at the situation in fig8 . further , fig4 ( a ) shows an embodiment for the still image playback of one of the magnetic head a 1 for recording and normal playback as well as the third magnetic head a 2 for the still image playback . as shown in fig4 ( b ) when using the magnetic heads a 2 and a 3 installed exclusively for the still image , and having inclinations of their head gaps which are similar to that of magnetic head a 1 , the same situation may be expected . next , an explanation will be given to the method of stopping the magnetic tape automatically as shown in fig8 . when starting the magnetic tape slowly during playback , the scanning loci of the magnetic heads a 1 and a 2 moves successively and regularly in order of fig5 → fig6 → fig7 → fig8 → fig5 . complying with this movement , the duration of the drop in the playback signal level moves successively towards the right direction as shown in fig7 ( c ). accordingly , by detecting the time when the duration of the playback signal level drops location for instance , at the center ( in the middle of a field duration ), of the picture as shown in fig6 and stopping the magnetic tape after having moved by one track pitch ( 19 μm ) from a point of the detection , then the still image can be obtained as shown in fig8 . similarly , as shown in fig7 if the detecting point where the duration of the playback signal drop location , is at one quarter of the picture , the optimum still image may be obtained as shown in fig8 . when the tape has been stopped after having moved by one half track pitch ( 9 . 5 μm ). fig9 shows the block diagram of an embodiment of the inventor which gives the optimum still image and fig1 ( a )-( k ) show timing diagrams thereof . in fig9 terminal 5 is input terminal of the drive signal for the capstan motor during recording and normal playback mode . this drive signal for the capstan motor is during recording and normal playback mode , input to the motor drive circuit 7 as signal b via the first gate circuit b which is in a conductive state , and drives the capstan motor at a prescribed speed . the reference numeral 9 denotes an input terminal for a motor low speed drive signal for effecting a low - speed rotation of the capstan motor 8 , said input terminal being connected to a second gate circuit 11 . indicated at 10 is an input terminal to which a still picture reproduction start signal a of a high level is delivered before the start of still picture reproduction , and as said still picture reproduction start signal a is inputted , said first gate circuit 6 is blocked , i . e .-- inhibited or open circuited , and the second gate circuit 11 which was previously in a blocked state is rendered conductive . therefore , as the still picture reproduction starts signal a is inputted , said motor low - speed drive signal is inputted as a signal c to the motor drive circuit 7 through said second gate circuit 11 and a third gate circuit 13 which is blocked by the output of a flip - flop circuit 12 , whereby the magnetic tape is switched to a low speed mode . the reference numeral 14 represents an input terminal for the known head switching pulse d which is in phase with the turning of the revolving drum 1 and effects a serial switching of the reproduction outputs of two magnetic heads during reproduction . indicated at 15 is a first switching circuit , whereby the output of magnetic head a 2 along is made available at the output thereof during still picture reproduction in response to said still picture reproduction start signal a while normally the output of magnetic head b 1 is made available at said output . the numeral 16 indicates a second switching circuit which effects a serial switching between the output of said first switching circuit 15 and the output of the head a 1 in response to said head switching pulse d , and its output j is outputted to an output terminal 18 as a video signal through a video demodulation circuit 17 and , at the same time , fed to a third gate circuit 19 . this third gate circuit 19 remains blocked during normal reproduction but is rendered conductive when said still picture reproduction start signal a is applied and its output is fed to a noise discrimination circuit 20 . this noise discrimination circuit 20 generates an output i corresponding to the interval during which the reproduction signal j is below a predetermined level where a satisfactory picture signal is not obtained . this output i is fed to a shaping circuit 21 and its output signal h is delivered to one of input terminals of a phase comparator circuit 22 . on the other hand , a portion of said head switching pulse d is processed by monostable multivibrators 23 and 24 into a signal e positioned 6 milliseconds ahead of the rising edge of head switching pulse d and having a width of 4 milliseconds and is fed to the other input terminal of said phase comparator circuit 22 . the circuit is so designed that , as shown in fig1 ( a )-( k ), the output f of said phase comparator circuit 22 provides a signal whose leading edge coincides in time with the and output of said signals e and h and whose trailing edge coincides in time with the trailing edge of said signal 3 . thus , the pulsewidth of output f changes according to the position of said signal h in the high interval of signal e . this output f is fed to a pulse generator 25 , where it is converted to a signal k having a pulsewidth or voltage corresponding to the pulsewidth of output f , said signal k being then applied to the motor drive circuit 7 , whereby the capstan motor 8 is rotated by an amount corresponding to the pulsewidth of said output f to drive the magnetic tape . in addition , a portion of said output f is fed to the flip - flop 12 and when the output f becomes high , the output g of flip - flop 12 is rendered high and the increased output g blocks the third gate circuit 13 to terminate application of the motor low speed drive signal to the motor drive circuit 7 . this output g is also fed to said pulse generator 25 and phase comparator circuit 22 so as to prevent generation of a further output . the pulsewidth or level of the output k of said pulse generator 25 is changed according to the pulsewidth of output h as mentioned hereinbefore but the conversion value has been predetermined by theoretical simulation or experimentally in accordance with the characteristics of the device . thus , the present invention embodiment is so constructed that the position , within the interval determined by signal e , at which the signal h generated during the interval of low reproduction signal level was generated is detected and the amount of subsequent travel of the magnetic tape is controlled according to that position so as to stop the tape in the condition indicated in fig8 . in the above embodiment , the noise discrimination circuit 20 detects the moment when the envelope of the fm - modulated reproduction signal becomes smaller than a predetermined value but the present device can also be so constructed that it demodulates the reproduction signal and determines whether the demodulated signal is within a given level range or a given frequency range . in this arrangement , the demodulation output of a reproduction signal without noise lies within such a given level range or frequency range , whereas the demodulation output of a reproduction signal with noise is above said given level range or outside of said frequency range . in this system , when the head width of the magnetic head during reproduction is sufficiently greater than the width of recording locus , the adjacent recording loci in the same magnetization direction ( for example , a 1 and a 2 ) are simultaneously reproduced so that the envelope of reproduction signal in this interval may show a large value . therefore , this arrangement is advantageous in such cases . moreover , it is also possible to drive the magnetic tape by a given amount by causing a different roller to be abutted against the magnetic tape , instead of driving the capstan motor 8 , utilizing the output k of said pulse generator . moreover , in the above embodiment , the reproduction signals of the magnetic heads a 1 and a 2 used during still picture reproduction are utilized for the detection purpose , too , but it is also possible to use the output of a magnetic head ( for example b 1 ) which is not used during still picture reproduction . since , as shown in fig5 ( d ) through 8 ( d ), the level depression part of the reproduction signal of magnetic head b 1 and the level depression part of the reproduction signals of magnetic heads a 1 and a 2 are in a given phase relationship to each other , the same desired object can be accomplished by utilizing the output of said magnetic head b 1 . fig1 is a block diagram of another embodiment of this invention and fig1 ( a )-( k ) are timing charts thereof . in fig1 , the component elements which are the same as those of fig9 are represented by the same reference symbols . this embodiment is such that , as shown in fig1 ( a )-( k ), a pulse e having a width of 0 . 4 milliseconds is prepared from said head switching pulse d at 2 milliseconds prior to the leading edge of the same pulse d and the phase of this pulse e is compared with that of output b of a shaping circuit 21 by a flip - flop circuit 22a . when these phases are in agreement , the level of output f becomes high . by this output f , a third gate circuit 13 is blocked and the pulse generator 25 is driven to give a pulse k having a predetermined width of 5 milliseconds so as to drive the capstan motor 8 only during the interval of this pulsewidth so as to stop the tape . moreover , the above output f is added to said signal h through a fourth gate circuit 27 which is rendered conductive by a still picture reproduction signal a to give a signal h which is then fed to said flip - flop circuit 22a so that the output of flip - flop circuit 22a is maintained at the high level . compared with the earlier - mentioned embodiment , this embodiment is simpler in construction , for it is sufficient that the pulse generator 25a prepares a pulse having a given width . as described hereinbefore , the rotary head type magnetic video recorder / reproducer device according to this invention repeatedly reproduces a picture signal of one field during still picture reproduction from a magnetic tape carrying records in recording foci such that foci of different magnetization directions are alternating to thereby automatically provide a high - quality field still picture .	6
hereinafter , the present invention will be described by way of an illustrative example . fig1 and 4 show a terminal for an ic card according to the present invention . as shown in fig2 an insertion opening 10 for an ic card 2 is provided on the front side of a terminal 1 . on the back side of the terminal 1 , as shown in fig3 three insertion openings 11 , 12 , and 13 exclusively for rom / ram cards are provided . a rom / ram card a is inserted into the lower level insertion opening 11 . a rom / ram card b is inserted into the middle level insertion opening 12 . a rom / ram card c is inserted into the upper level insertion opening 13 . fig4 shows a state in which the above - mentioned card is inserted into the terminal 1 . when the ic card 2 is inserted into the insertion opening 10 , a connector 14 comes into contact with the tip end of the ic card 2 , whereby the ic card 2 is electrically connected to the terminal 1 . when the rom / ram cards a , b , and c are inserted into the insertion openings 11 , 12 , and 13 on the back side of the terminal 1 , the tip ends of the rom / ram cards a , b , and c come into contact with a connection 15 in the terminal 1 , whereby the respective rom / ram cards a , b , and c are electrically connected to the terminal 1 . in the terminal 1 , a switch for varying the state in which the respective rom / ram cards a , b , and c are used or are not used is provided . next , the rom / ram cards a , b , and c will be described . the rom / ram card a stores a library program and is inserted into the insertion opening 11 if required in terms of a system structure . the rom / ram card b stores a program for controlling various communications and is inserted into the insertion opening 12 if the ic card 2 is required or communications with external terminals are required in terms of a system structure . the rom / ram card c stores an application program and is inserted into the insertion opening 13 if required in terms of a system structure . fig5 shows a structure ( hierarchical structure ) of system programs of the terminal 1 when the rom / ram cards a , b , and c are inserted . in a terminal body , only a program related to a basic system area 20 which is required for a basic function of the terminal 1 is stored . the basic system area 20 includes a monitor portion 200 , a bios portion 201 , and a bdos portion 202 . more specifically , this program is stored in a rom / ram ( not shown ) mounted in the terminal 1 . programs other than the basic system area 20 are stored in the respective rom / ram cards a , b , and c . a library portion 300 containing a library program stored in the rom / ram card a and a program portion 301 for controlling communications containing a program for controlling various communications stored in the rom / ram card b form an application system area 30 . the program portion 301 for controlling communications is composed of a program for controlling ic card communications and a program for controlling communications with external terminals including a device such as an rs - 232c interface cable and a modem . an application program stored in the rom / ram card c forms an application program are 40 . as for the programs in the application system area 30 and the application program area 40 , they are respectively stored in the rom / ram cards a , b , and c in accordance with their categories . plural kinds of operations can be processed by selecting a card which stores a desired program from the rom / ram cards a , b , and c . the application program will be described below . plural kinds of rom / ram cards c 1 , . . . c i , . . . c n are provided and a rom / ram card c i which stores a program c i ( i = 1 to n ) is inserted into the insertion opening 13 , whereby the application of c i can be performed . more specifically , according to this method , plural kinds of applications can be performed only by exchanging the rom / ram cards c , and plural kinds of operations can be coped with . thus , the applicability of the terminal 1 can be substantially improved . moreover , a program for ic card communications will be described . plural kinds of rom / ram cards b 1 , . . . b i , . . . b n are provided and a rom / ram card b i which stores a program b i ( i = 1 to n ) is inserted into the insertion opening 13 , whereby the application of b i can be performed . even in the case where it is not known which ic card should be used , rom / ram cards b are successively exchanged , whereby a suitable ic card can be selected . thus , various kinds of ic cards can be used in one terminal for an ic card , and the applicability of the terminal is improved . next , the working atmosphere of the terminal system of the present invention will be described with reference to fig6 . ( i ) the monitor portion 200 is a control center of the terminal 1 . the monitor portion 200 controls the terminal body and a peripheral hardware 50 equipped with various kinds of input and output ports and resistors as well as administers and monitors various kinds of processing such as initialization processing and interrupt processing . when either type of processing mentioned above is selected in the monitor portion 200 , processing is performed in accordance with a control program stored in the corresponding rom . on this monitor portion 200 , various kinds of upper level systems such as the application program area 40 , the library program portion 300 , and the program portion for controlling communications 301 function . ( ii ) the bios portion 201 executes a process related with various kinds of physical processes and the hardware 50 . however , those processes are monitored by the monitor portion 200 , and the bios portion 201 performs the above - mentioned processing in accordance with control commands from the monitor portion 200 . ( iii ) the bdos portion 202 performs various kinds of arithmetic logic processing . in the case where physical processes and the hardware 50 are required to be controlled , the bios portion 201 controls them by a conversion processing . the monitor portion 200 monitors the processing in the bdos portion 202 . ( iv ) the library program portion 300 and the program portion 301 for controlling communications in the application system area 30 are driven when the application program is required to function . when the application program is not required to function , in some cases , the bdos portion 202 is directly driven . the whole processing operations in the application system area 30 are monitored by the monitor portion 200 . ( v ) the application program area 40 mainly processes the application programs for each operation stored in the ic card 2 . the application program area 40 drives itself as well as a lower level ( the application system area 30 or the basic system area 20 ), thereby performing processing . as to the application program area 40 , the monitor portion 200 monitors the whole processing operation . in the above - mentioned examples , all of the programs related to the basic system area 20 are stored in the rom mounted in the terminal 1 . any programs stored in the rom / ram can be used as long as they are at least related to the monitor portion 200 . as described above , the terminal for an ic card according to the present invention has a system structure in which programs are sorted on the basis of hierarchies , categories or applications , and required programs alone are stored in the rom / ram body and rom / ram cards . thus , programs can be exchanged in accordance with operations so that operations for a number of purposes and of various kinds can readily be coped with . accordingly , the applicability of the terminal for an ic card can substantially be improved . moreover , programs can be developed by hierarchies and categories , so that the efficiency for developing programs can be improved . furthermore , there is an advantage in that the correction , renewal , and exchange of programs can readily be performed by correcting , renewing , and exchanging the contents of the rom / ram card . it is understood that various other modifications will be apparent to and can be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention . accordingly , it is not intended that the scope of the claims appended hereto be limited to description as set forth herein , but rather that the claims be construed as encompassing one or more of the features of patentable novelty that reside in the present invention , including all features that would be treated as equivalents thereof by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains .	6
fig1 shows the general organisation of a line transfer structure , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 430 , 672 . this structure includes a photosensitive zone 1 , a line memory 2 and an analog output shift register 3 . the photosensitive zone 1 receives the luminous image to be scanned and converts it into electrical charges , called signal charges . the term &# 34 ; luminous image &# 34 ;, relates not only to the detection of visible wavelengths , but also the surrounding wavelengths , particularly in the infrared . the photosensitive zone has many elementary zones 15 , which are also called points , arranged in n lines , designated l 1 , l 2 . . . l n and m columns , designated c 1 , c 2 . . . c m and forming a matrix . the photosensitive points of the same line are interconnected and connected to a control device 14 , which enables successive addressing of the lines . this device has e . g . a mos - type shift register . the photosensitive points 15 of the same column are connected to the same connection , subsequently called the column connection towards line memory 2 . thus , in parallel , line memory 2 receives the signal charges produced at each of the photosensitive points 15 of the same line and then transfers them in parallel to register 3 . a device for restoring the level of the column connections ( ran connection in the drawing ) and a device for eliminating parasitic charges ( not shown in fig1 ) are also associated with line memory 2 . register 3 is an analog shift register supplying the information received in parallel in the series mode . this information constitutes the optical image scanning video signal received in photosensitive zone 1 . the register is preferably of the charge transfer or ccd type . the coordination of the different picture integration operations in photosensitive zone 1 , the transfer of lines into line memory 2 and then the transfer of signals into register 3 for the different lines are effected in the following manner . the integration of the image is permanently carried out over the entire photosensitive matrix 1 , except for the line addressed by register 14 . during the line return time , the content of line memory 2 is transferred into shift register 3 , and the input of the line memory is then closed . during the following line time , the content of register 3 is removed in series and the connection between line memory 2 and register 3 is interrupted . during this time , in a first phase there is a level restoring of the reader of points 15 ( ran connection ), connected to line memory 2 ; and in a second phase one of the lines l of zone 1 is transferred to line memory 2 , with the selection ( or addressing ) of a line being insured by register 14 . the following stage corresponds to the line return time during which the content of line memory 2 is discharged into register 3 , the latter having been entirely scanned during the preceding stage . according to another embodiment , the selection of a line , its transfer into the line memory and then into the shift register takes place entirely during the line return time , the line time being reserved for the level restoring of the reader , which improves as it becomes longer , and for the series removal from the shift register . fig2 shows a plane view of a first embodiment of the device according to the invention . the connections coming from the m column c of the photosensitive matrix ( c i - 1 , c i , c i + 1 ), each lead to a receiving diode d 2 , of the signal charges q si coming from the matrix . it is produced , for example , by doping a semiconductor substrate , which is advantageously the same as that on which the photosensitive matrix 1 is formed . thus , the device has m charge transfer columns , delimited by insulating barriers 42 , corresponding respectively to the m column connections of the photosensitive matrix . the diodes d are aligned and are adjacent on the underside to electrode or grid g 1 in strip form , which forms a screen for the charges between diodes d 2 and the remainder of the device shown in fig2 which prevents parasitic charges from being transmitted on column connection c . in charge transfer devices it is particularly important to provide protection against parasitic charges , whose amplitude can vary from one point to another of the circuit as a function of the geometrical variations of the elements , and which limit the dynamics of the signal . to this end , grid g 1 is connected to a constant potential v 1 . following the screen grid g 1 , there is a grid g 2 in the form of a strip parallel to g 1 and raised to a second potential v 2 , this has the function of fixing the potential of the column connections . there is then a grid g 4 , whose function is to store the charges , and is in strip form having e . g . rectangular notches 24 between two columns and every other column . in at least part of each of the notches 24 , there is a diode d 5 having the function of removing the parasitic charges . the diodes d 5 are connected to a periodic potential v d5 . it may be seen on fig3 that grid g 2 is surrounded by two coplanar grids g 1 and g 4 . so the width of grid g 2 is defined in a single photogravure operation by the distance between grids g 1 and g 4 . a better homogeneity is thus obtained on the width of grid g 2 which can greatly be reduced . the parasitics due to a variable penetration of diodes d 2 under the grid g 2 for the different photosensitive points are eliminated . this variable penetration produces variable transfer times for the charge signal of each diode d 2 towards the memory ; moreover , it increases the rapidity of the charge signal transfer from d 1 and d 2 to the memory , because of the small width of g 2 . the device also has a grid g 5 in the form of a strip covering storage grid g 4 with an insulating layer level with notches 24 , so as to be adjacent to above diodes d 5 . grid g 5 receives a periodic potential v 5 and makes it possible to control the access of the charges to diodes d 5 . parallel to grid g 5 and slightly covering the lower part of diodes d 5 there is a grid g 7 to which is applied a periodic potential v 7 making it possible to control the access to shift register 3 . the insulating barriers 42 are interrupted level with the notches 24 or are terminated , if there is no notch , by an extension , e . g . in the form of a triangle 43 . diodes d 5 are surrounded by a u - shaped insulating barrier 44 in such a way that diode d 5 remains accessible to charges coming from the diodes d 2 of each of the columns . in this way , two channels per column are defined : a first channel cl 1 limited by an insulating barrier 42 , its extension 43 and a u - shaped branch 44 on the outside ; and a second channel cl 2 limited by the inside of the same u - shaped branch 44 and the second insulating barrier 42 limiting the column in question . register 3 is a c . c . d . register with two phases φ 1 and φ 2 . it has two series of storage electrodes 31 , 32 and two series of transfer electrodes 33 , 34 , all having a substantially rectangular shape and positioned perpendicular to grids g 1 to g 7 . grids 31 are connected to the periodic potential φ 1 and grids 32 to the periodic potential φ 2 . grids 33 and 34 are respectively placed between the grid pairs 32 , 31 and 31 , 32 in the charge transfer direction on an extra thickness of insulant and are respectively connected to potentials φ 1 and φ 2 . moreover , the electrodes of register 3 are positioned in such a way that electrodes 31 originate on insulating barriers 43 or 44 , electrodes 32 being located in the extension of channel cl 1 . the registers 3 is bounded at the bottom by a horizontal insulating barrier 44 , in the same way as the device is bounded at the top , also by an horizontal insulating barrier 41 . in this embodiment , as in the following embodiments , the various insulating barriers described can be constructed in a known manner , e . g . by overdoping a substrate having the same type of conductivity as the latter , or a localized extra - thickness of the insulating layer ( generally oxide ) covering the substrate . the latter solution is possibly accompanied by an overdoping of the substrate formed beneath the extra - thick insulation . the various electrodes can also be formed in known manner using e . g . metal or polycrystalline silicon . finally , to prevent the formation of interference charges , each diode and part of the adjacent grids is covered with a layer which is opaque to light beams , such as an aluminium layer . fig3 a is a sectional view of the device of fig2 and diagrams 3b to 3h illustrate the surface potential in the semiconductor substrate at different times , the surface potential being represented on these and the following diagrams as increasing in the downward direction . to facilitate the understanding of the operation of the device , the diagram of fig3 a is a section made at different locations . to the left of an axis xx is shown a photosensitive point of matrix 1 . for example , it is constituted by a grid g l formed by an electrode with a photodetecting mos capacitance raised to a periodic potential v gl and which slightly overlaps the following grid g e . this is a screen for the charges , separating the actual photosensitive zone from the column connection and is raised to a constant potential v ge . the screen grid g e is followed by reading diode d l formed in the substrate , which constitutes the starting point for the column connection c i . in a variant not shown , the photosensitive point has a second image detection zone , whose frequency sensitivity is complementary to the mos capacitance realised e . g . by a photodiode . to the right of axis xx is shown a section in the device of fig2 along a line aa passing through diode d 2 , grid g 1 , grid g 4 and the second channel cl 2 . grid g 4 is followed by grid g 5 , which also slightly overlaps it , g 5 is followed by diode d 5 . it can be seen that grid g 2 slightly overlaps the surrounding grids g 1 and g 4 . it is also possible to see the column connections c i connecting diodes d l and d 2 . following diode d 5 , it is possible to see a section in the device of fig2 along a line bb along the first channel cl 1 and separated in fig3 a from what precedes it by an axis yy . the section of the first channel starts level with grid g 4 and continues up to an electrode 32 of register 3 , g 4 and 32 being separated by grid g 7 , which slightly overlaps them . it should be noted that , both in this and the following embodiments , the operation of the device is compatible with a &# 34 ; volume &# 34 ; charge transfer into output register 3 . as is known , the charge transfer in the volume of the semiconductor substrate is faster than the surface transfer and its efficiency is better . volume transfer differs from surface transfer mainly through the higher potentials applied and a doping of that part of the semiconductor substrate where there is a transfer having a conductivity type which is opposite to that of the remainder of the substrate . the drawings show a volume transfer operation and consequently a &# 34 ; hatched &# 34 ; doped area , designated t . v ., extending beneath the electrodes of register 3 up to half of grid g 7 . these different elements are preferably formed on the same semiconductor substrate 21 , covered with a insulating layer which is not shown . the various electrodes are separated , in the case where they overlap , by an insulating layer , which , for reasons of clarity , also is not shown . the various diagrams ( a to e ) of fig4 show the evolution in time of control signals applied to the device of fig3 . fig4 a represents the potential v gl , which is at a constant high level ( v h ), except during a time interval t 4 to t 7 corresponding to the time for the transfer of the charges accumulated in a considered photosensitive point to the line memory and then to register 3 of fig2 and which essentially corresponds to the line return time . fig4 d represents potential v 4 , which is at a constant high level ( v h ), except between times t 3 and t 5 surrounding time t 4 . fig4 c represents the potential v 5 , which is at a high level ( v h ) up to time t 0 , when it passes to an intermediate level ( v i ) and remains there up to a time t 2 , t 0 and t 2 being before time t 3 . as from time t 2 , v 5 remains at a low level v b up to a time t 8 , which is after time t 7 , when it again rises to the high level v h . fig4 d represents potential v d5 , which is at a constant high level ( v h ) , except between time t 0 and a time t 1 between t 0 and t 2 during which it is at a low level ( v b ). fig4 e represents potential v 7 , which is at a constant low level , except between time t 6 , which precedes time t 7 , and t 7 , during which it is at a high level ( v h ). in fig3 b , at a time t o between time t 0 and t 1 , diode d 5 is at low level permitting the injection of charges beneath grid g 4 . this injection is limited by a constant potential v 2 applied to grid g 2 , which implies that the low level of v d5 exceeds potential v 2 . thus , it would appear that grid g 2 fixes the potential level of the column connections c i . moreover , to the left of line xx , a signal charge quantity q si is present beneath grid g l ( hatched area ). the diagram of fig3 c shows the potentials at a time t 1 between t 1 and t 2 . at this time , potential v d5 is at high level and therefore a charge quantity q 0 is isolated beneath grid g 4 ( hatched area ) by potentials v 2 and v 5 respectively applied to grids g 2 and g 5 . this charge quantity q 0 is dependent on the potential v 1 , which is then applied beneath grid g 5 , potential v 2 being assumed lower than v i . at a time t 2 between t 3 and t 4 , voltages v 4 and v 5 are returned to low level , which has the effect of transferring the charge quantity q 0 to diodes d 2 and , via connections c i , to diodes d l . this is represented by an arrow 51 on the part of diagram 3d between lines xx and yy . at a subsequent time t 3 , between t 4 and t 5 , the potential applied to grid g l of the mos capacitance of the photosensitive zone is brought to a low level , which has the effect of transferring charge quantity q si to diodes d l ( arrow 52 in the left - hand part of fig3 d ). diagram 3e represents the situation at a time t 4 , between times t 5 and t 6 . during this time , the potential applied to grid g 4 is raised to a high level , which makes it possible to transfer ( arrow 53 ) charges q 0 + q si beneath grid g 4 in two channels , which is illustrated to the right and left of axis yy . diagram 3f represents the situation at a time t 5 between t 6 and t 7 during which the potentials of channel cl 2 are unchanged , while the potential of grid g 7 placed on channel cl 1 rises enabling the transfer ( arrow 54 ) of the charges q 0 + q si present beneath grid g 4 to shift register 3 , materialised by one of its electrodes 32 . thus , the known charge quantity q 0 is effectively transferred into register 3 at the same time as signal charge q si . generally , it is possible to avoid the transfer of the charge q 0 into register 3 , in which case only signal charge q si is transferred . this makes it possible to eliminate the so - called spatial noise on q 0 from one column to the next , the noise being due to variations in the changes caused by variations in the oxide thickness covering the substrate , variations in the threshold voltages , etc . this can be brought about by raising grid g 7 to an intermediate potential v 1 , represented in diagram 4f and whose amplitude is between v b and v h during times t 6 to t 7 . the value v i of this intermediate potential is advantageously equal to the intermediate potential applied to grid g 5 between times t 0 and t 2 . in this way , an operation described by diagram 3g is obtained , where it is possible to see that the potential applied to grid g 7 is such that only the signal charge q si ( arrow 55 ) can be transferred from grid g 4 to electrode 32 above grid g 7 , charge q 0 remaining beneath grid g 4 . it should be noted that in this variant , the phase corresponding to diagram 3b can be eliminated . this stage is an injection stage of q 0 into the device , which is no longer necessary because this charge is no longer eliminated . it is essential that the charge signal transfer q si from diodes d 2 under grid g 2 then under grid g 4 includes the addition of a charge quantity q o , the capacity of the diodes d 2 being quite important . but the transfer of the charge signal q si to the reading register doesn &# 39 ; t necessitate the addition of the charge quantity q o , the capacity of the grid g 4 being small , of the same dimension as the capacity of the register . at a time t 6 , following time t 8 and at a random point during the line time , the potential applied to grid g 5 being raised to the high level v h , there is an elimination of any parasitic charge ( q b ) from a column connection , by channel cl 2 to diode d 5 . these parasitic charges result e . g . from overilluminated points of the photosensitive matrix . on referring to the variant described by diagrams 4f and 3g , it is necessary that at time t 6 , the potential applied to grid g 5 is equal to the intermediate level v 1 and not to v h in order to ensure that only charge q 0 is beneath grid g 4 and to eliminate possible parasitic charges by d 5 . in this latter variant , the residual spatial noise can only be due to variations of the threshold , doping or insulation thickness between grids g 7 and g 5 , which is minimal in practice , bearing in mind the geometrical proximity of these grids . thus , this structure permits the injection of a predetermined quantity of q 0 , first beneath the storage grid g 4 and then onto diodes d l and d 2 establishing the connection between photosensitive matrix and the line memory , in order to improve the transfer of signal charges q si . this quantity of charges q 0 is consequently injected by using the structure of the line memory and the parasitic charge elimination device , so that no auxiliary device is required . moreover , in this embodiment , each parasitic charge removal diode d 5 is common to both columns making it possible either to increase the storage capacity of the line memory ( more extensive grid g 4 ) or to permit a smaller horizontal spacing and consequently a reduced overall size of the device . fig5 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the invention , where the generation of the charge quantity q 0 is completely free from spatial noise . in fig5 it is possible to see diodes d 2 , grid g 1 , grid g 2 and g 4 , which in this case has a notch 25 level with each of the columns and , as before , each of these notches contains a diode d 5 . grids g 5 and g 7 are arranged parallel to the other grids on either side of diodes d 5 . perpendicular to these , it is possible to see the electrodes 31 to 34 of register 3 . once again , there are vertical insulating barriers 42 between the columns which extend up to electrodes 34 of register 3 . moreover , each of the columns is vertically subdivided by an insulating barrier 45 , defining to its left a first channel cl 1 extending from grid g 4 to an electrode 32 , and to its right a second channel cl 2 containing diode d 5 , which then extends between barriers 45 and 42 , and finally a third channel cl 3 extending from electrode 31 of register 3 to diode d 5 , i . e . opposite to channel cl 2 . to the left of axis zz , fig6 a shows a section along a closed line cc formed as from diode d 5 around the insulating barrier 45 of fig5 ; to the right of axis zz there is a section along a line dd from grid g 4 to diode d 2 , these two sections being joined to make it easier to explain the operation of the device of fig5 . in succession starting from the left , fig6 shows channel cl 2 represented by diode d 5 , grid g 5 slightly overlapping the following grid g 4 , the latter being common to channel cl 2 and cl 1 , then channel cl 1 represented by grid 32 separated from grid g 4 by grid g 7 , which slightly overlaps both of them . grid 31 is separated from grid 32 by grid 33 , which slightly overlaps them and which forms the separation between channels cl 1 and cl 3 , then channel cl 3 constituted by grid g 7 and diode d 5 . to the right of line zz are successively provided grid g 4 , grid g 1 separated from g 4 by grid g 2 which slightly overlaps them , followed by diode d 2 , which receives column connections c i . as before , there is a doping zone extending from grid g 7 to electrodes 31 , 32 and 33 of register 3 corresponding to the volume transfer type of operation of the register . the various diagrams ( a to f ) of fig7 show the evolution in time of the various control signals applied to the device of fig5 . these control signals are periodic potentials , whose amplitude varies between a low level v b for all the diagrams and a high level v h for all the diagrams , but these different potentials are not necessarily equal . diagram 7a represents potential v 5 which is at a high level , except from a time t 2 and up to a time t 8 , the time between t 2 and t 8 being essentially that of the line return . diagram 7b represents potential v d5 which is at a high level , except between times t 1 and t 3 surrounding time t 2 , when it is at a low level . diagram 7c represents potential v 7 which is at a low level up to a time t 4 after time t 3 at which it passes to a high level , up to a subsequent time t 5 when it again passes to a low level , up to a subsequent time t 6 when it again passes to a high level , up to t 8 when it again passes to a low level . diagram 7d represents potential φ 2 , which is a square wave signal of cycle or period t up to a time t 0 preceding time t 1 at which it passes to a high level up to time t 5 . it then passes to a low level , which it maintains up to a time t 6 , when it passes to a high level up to a time t 8 , and then it again becomes a square wave signal of the same period as before . diagram 7e shows potential φ 1 , which is complementary to potential φ 2 . diagram 7f represents potential v 4 which is at a high level up to time t 5 , at which it passes to a low level up to time t 7 between t 6 and t 8 , when it again passes to a high level . fig6 b shows the surface potential in the semiconductor level with fig6 a at a time t 0 between t 1 and t 2 . for reasons of clarity in this and the following diagrams , each of them shows the surface of the semiconductor substrate 22 . at this time t 0 , potential v d5 applied to diode d 5 is at a low level , but potential v 5 applied to grid g 5 is at a high level . as a result , it is possible for the charges to invade the area located beneath grid g 4 , but this invasion ( hatched area ) is limited by grid g 7 raised to potential v 7 , which is at low level . fig6 c shows the surface potential at a time t 1 between t 2 and t 3 . the only change from the preceding drawing is the passage of potential v 5 to low level , which isolates a charge quantity q &# 39 ; 0 beneath grid g 4 . diagram 6d represents the surface potential at a time t 2 between times t 4 and t 5 . the difference from the previous diagram is that potential v 7 applied to grid g 7 passes to a high level , which has the effect of subdividing the charge quantity q &# 39 ; 0 beneath electrode g 4 into a quantity q 0 remaining beneath this grid as a function of the potential level v h of v 7 , and defined by the surface potential beneath g 7 out of the doped zone t . v ., and a residual charge quantity q r , which is transferred beneath grid 32 to which is applied potential φ 2 , which at this instant is at high level . diagram 6e shows the surface potential at time t 3 between times t 5 and t 6 . during this period , potential φ 2 is brought to low level , which has the effect of transferring charge q r beneath electrode 31 , potential φ 1 then being at high level . moreover , as the potential v 4 of grid g 4 is at low level , the charge quantity q 0 is transferred to diode d 2 and to column connections c i , which is shown to the right of axis zz , reference again being made to the fact that potentials v 1 and v 2 are constant and higher than the low level of v 4 . the potential v 7 applied to grid g 7 is at a low level during this time , so that access to register 3 is impossible . moreover , at time t 3 the presence of charges q si are shown on the column connection c i . the transfer of q si from a photosensitive point of column c i takes place in the manner described relative to fig3 d . this transfer can take place at any time before t 5 ( fig6 g ) but it is preferable for q 0 to be transferred before or at the same time as q si on column connection c i . diagram 6f represents the surface potential at a time t 4 between times t 6 and t 7 . during this period , the passage of potential v 7 to a high level makes it possible to remove the charges q r , previously beneath electrode 31 , to diode d 5 via channel 3 . during this same period , φ 2 returns to a high level and φ 1 to low level . diagram 6g represents the surface potential at a time t 5 between t 7 and t 8 . during this period , the potential applied to grid g 4 returns to high level , so that the charge quantity q 0 + q si present on connection c i ( right - hand part of the drawing ) is transferred beneath grid g 4 and then partly beneath electrode 32 , while charge quantity q 0 is held back by the potential barrier beneath grid g 7 in the same way as at time t 2 . in this way , only q si is transferred beneath electrode 32 of output register 3 . diagram 6h represents the surface potential at a time t 6 following time t 8 , potentials φ 1 and φ 2 then being respectively at high level and at low level . during this time , potential v 4 applied to grid g 4 is at high level , which makes it possible to eliminate all the parasitic charges q p present on column connection c i , the charges being transferred over grid g 2 to grid g 4 and from grid g 4 to the parasitic charge elimination diode d 5 , grid g 5 then being raised to a high level potential v 5 . throughout this period , charge q si is transferred beneath the following electrode 31 of output register 3 . this second embodiment described in fig5 and 7 consequently permits the generation of charge q 0 at the line memory in a completely spatial noise - free manner , because it is determined by the potential applied to grid g 7 and then stopped by the same grid during the transfer of the signal charges q si to output register 3 . the residual charges q r or parasitic charges q p are eliminated before any scan by diode d 5 by means of channel cl 2 or channel cl 3 and in this case via register 3 . fig8 shows a third embodiment of the device according to the invention , which also makes it possible to eliminate the spatial noise in the generation of charge q 0 by means of a two - stage line memory structure . here the two functions previously fulfilled by storage grid g 4 are realised by two separate grids . fig8 shows a structure identical to that of fig2 one diode d 2 per column receiving the column connection c i - 1 , c i and c i + 1 , followed by grid g 1 , which is itself followed by grid g 2 , respectively raised to constant potentials v 1 and v 2 . grid g 4 is now replaced by a first grid g 41 in the form of a strip and raised to a periodic potential v 41 . its function is to maintain charge q 0 , whose value is determined by a grid g3 which follows g 41 and raised to a periodic potential v 3 . grid g 3 is followed by a second grid such as g 4 , designated in this case g 42 and having notches 26 identical to the notches 24 of fig2 in which are formed diodes d 5 . it has the function of branching charges between register 3 and the parasitic charge elimination diodes d 5 . g 42 is raised to a periodic potential , v 41 and the diodes d 5 are raised to a constant potential v d5 . the columns are separated from one another , as before , by an insulation barrier 42 and diodes d 5 , surrounded by u - shaped insulation barriers 44 arranged in such a way that one diode d 5 is common to two columns and the flow of charges transferred into a column is divided into two channels cl 1 and cl 2 at grid g 5 , which is adjacent to diodes d 5 , as before . the device also has grid g 7 , raised to potential v 7 , and output register 3 , constructed in the same way as hitherto . insulation barriers 42 either terminate before diodes d 5 or beneath grid g 7 by an e . g . square extension 46 , in such a way that the charges transferred into channel cl 1 can only be transferred towards electrode 32 . fig9 a represents a sectional view of the device of fig8 along with a line ee extending from diode d 2 to diode d 5 , then from diode d 5 to an electrode 32 of the reading register . thus , in fig9 a and starting from the left , it is possible to see diode d 2 receiving column connection c i , grid g 1 , grid g 41 , grid g 2 between grids g 1 and g 41 and slightly overlapping the latter , grid g 42 , grid g 3 placed between grids g 41 and g 42 and slightly overlapping them , grid g 5 slightly overlapping the latter and diode d 5 , then grid g 5 and grid g 42 , and then grid g 7 and grid 32 of the reading register 3 . the various diagrams ( a to d ) of fig1 represent the control signals which can be used in the device of fig8 . these control signals are periodic potentials , whose amplitude varies between a high level and a low level , designated v h and v b respectively for all the diagrams . however , these different potentials are not necessarily equal to one another or equal to the potentials of the previous drawings . diagram 10a shows potentials v 41 and v 42 applied to grids g 41 and g 42 . it is at low level , except at times t 1 , t 2 , t 3 and t 6 , t 7 , t 8 , when it is at high level . diagram 10b represents potentials v 3 and v 2 applied to grids g 3 and g 2 ; it is at high level during times t 2 and t 7 . diagram 10c represents potential v 5 applied to grid g 5 . it is at low level v b , except during times t 1 , t 2 , t 3 and t 4 . diagram 10d represents potential v 7 applied to grid g 7 . it is at low level except during times t 6 , t 7 , t 8 and t 9 , when it is at high level . diagrams 9b to 9i represent the potential on the surface of the semiconductor substrate , at different times and increasing in the downward direction . fig9 b represents the surface potential during time t 1 . grid g 2 is at a low level v b and isolates the photosensitive zone from the remainder of the device . on the columns , there is the training charge quantity q o and a charge quantity q b due to a possible overlighting . fig9 c represents the surface potential during time t 2 . grids g 2 and g 3 are at a high level . the charge quantity q o + q b is transferred in the line memory . charge quantity q o fullfils the potential well beneath grid g 41 and charge quantity q b is transferred under grids g 42 . fig9 d represents the surface potential during time t 3 . grid g 2 is at a low level . the photosensitive zone is isolated from the remainder of the device . grid g 3 is at a low level separating the grids g 41 and g 42 . fig9 e represents the surface potential during time t 4 . grids g 41 and g 42 are at a low level . charge quantity q o is transferred from columns and charge quantity q b is evacuated by drain d 5 . fig9 f represents the surface potential during times t 5 and t 6 . at time t 5 , grid g 5 is at a low level and isolates the line memory from the drain d 5 . moreover a clock signal , not shown on the figure , produces the arrival of the charge quantity q s on the column connections . there is then on the columns connections q o + q s . at time t 6 , grid g 7 and grids g 41 and g 42 are at a high level . fig9 g represents the surface potential during time t 7 . grid g 3 is at a high level and there is communication between grids g 41 and g 42 . grid g 2 is at a high level and there is transfer from charge quantity q o + q s from the column connections in the line memory . the charge quantity q o is blocked under grid g 41 and the signal charge quantity q s is transferred under grid g 42 . fig9 h represents the surface potential during time t 8 . grid g 2 is at a low level ; so is grid g 3 . fig9 i represents the surface potential during time t 9 : grids g 41 and g 42 are at a low level and there is transfer of the signal charge quantity q s in the reading register 32 and transfer of the charge quantity q o on the columns . the transfer of q o on the columns at time t 9 explains that at time t 1 the charge quantity q o + q b is on the columns . in the embodiments of fig5 and 8 , the generation of the charge quantity q o in the line memory is quite independent from the spatial noise because this charge is created then stopped by the same grid receiving the same potential . for fig6 d and g , it is the grid g 7 at the potential v 7 . for fig9 d and g , it is the grid g 3 at potential v 3 . in the embodiment of fig8 the transfer from the columns to the line memory of the signal charge quantity q s and of the charge quantity q b constituted by overlighting charges is made by adding the training charge q o , independent from the spatial noise , to these charge quantities . in the embodiments of fig2 and 5 , it would be also possible to add the charge quantity q o to the charge quantities q s and q b when there is transfer of the charges from the columns to the line memory . in the operating mode of fig8 the grid g 2 is no longer at a constant potential as it was in the operating modes of fig2 and 5 . where g 2 is at a constant potential , after signal charges q s have been transferred from d 2 to g 4 , the surface potential at diode d 2 is equal to that of grid g 2 . new signal charges will arrive under d 2 only at the time of the next line return . during the time interval between these two arrivals of charges , there is a leakage current which , although the mos transistor formed by diode d 2 , grid g 2 and the potential well under g 3 is blocked , evacuates some charges from d 2 to g 4 . this leakage current is known as subthreshold current . the surface potential at d 2 increases slightly from δv compared with that of g 2 . when the signal charges of the following line are transferred on the column , they must first fill the potential &# 34 ; pocket &# 34 ; δv before charge q si can be transferred to g 4 . a quantity of charges q p = c 1 · δv , where c 1 is the column capacity , is blocked on the column and only the difference q si - q p is transferred , so there is a diminution of the useful signal . sometimes , there is even q p & gt ; q si . in the operating mode of fig8 the leakage current is delated by applying to grid g 2 not a continuous voltage v 2 , but a periodic signal v 2 having periodically a high and a low level . so , during the line time , the signal v 2 is at a low level . there is a large potential barrier between the potential at d 2 and the potential under grid g 2 . the leakage current is then negligible . during the line return time when charges have to be transferred from the columns to g 4 , the signal v 2 is at a high level . the potential barrier becomes zero , so the potential at d 2 equals that of grid g 2 . this pulse on g 2 occurs each time there is transfer from the columns to the line memory , of reading signal charges or of overlighting charges q b at the end of the line time , for example . the amplitude of the pulse on g 2 is approximately 1v to efficaciously reduce the leakage current , and it is approximately 10 to 15 volts for the different control signals referred to hereinbefore . grid g 1 is quite important in this mode of operating . it deletes the parasitic coupling between g 2 and d 2 which would have maintained the potential barrier when there is a pulse on g 2 . the diode d 2 , whithout the grid g 1 , whould follow the potential of g 2 because of its coupling capacity with g 2 . in the embodiments of fig2 and 5 , it is also possible to maintain the grid g 1 at a constant potential and to apply to grid g 2 a periodic signal so as to maintain it at a low level , except when there is transfer of charges to the line memory . the above description has been given relative to a non - limitative embodiment . thus , the relative positioning of grids g 1 , g 5 and g 7 of diodes d 2 and d 5 , as well as their dimensions , have no particular function and instead only devolve from the technological construction procedure . in the same way , the shape of the insulation barriers 43 and 46 are of a random nature , which also applies with respect to the shape of notches 24 and 26 .	7
fig2 is a schematic diagram of a shift register circuit 50 according to one embodiment of the present invention . the shift register circuit 50 includes a clock driver circuit 51 receiving a pair of clock signals clk and its quadrature clk 90 , and developing a pair of complementary clock signals clk 0 , { overscore ( clk 0 )} and clk 1 , { overscore ( clk 1 )} in response to the signals clk and clk 90 . the clock driver circuit 51 drives the clock signal clk 0 high only when both the signals clk and clk 90 are high , and drives the clock signal clk 1 low only when both the signals clk and clk 90 are low . only the signals clk 1 and clk 0 will be discussed in describing the operation of the shift register circuit 50 , one skilled in the art understanding the signals { overscore ( clk 0 )} and { overscore ( clk 1 )} are merely the respective complements of these signals . the shift register circuit 50 further includes three shift stage circuits 52 a - c connected in series , each of which receives the clock signals clk 0 and clk 1 . the shift stage circuits 52 a - c operate in combination to sequentially shift an input signal a from one stage circuit to the next stage circuit in response to the clock signals clk 0 and clk 1 , as will be described in more detail below . the shift stage circuit 52 a includes a pair of transfer gates 28 and 30 connected in parallel . the input terminals of the transfer gates 28 and 30 receive the input signal a , and the control terminals of the transfer gates 28 and 30 receive the clock signals clk 1 and clk 0 , respectively . when the clock signal clk 1 is low , the input signal a is coupled through the transfer gate 28 to an input of a latch circuit 32 formed by a pair of cross - coupled inverters 34 and 36 . the latch circuit 32 latches its input at the logic level of the input signal a , and its output at the complementary logic level . the input signal a is coupled to the input of the latch circuit 32 through the transfer gate 30 when the clock signal clk 0 is high . if the clock signals clk 0 and clk 1 are low and high , respectively , the transfer gates 28 and 30 are both deactivated , isolating the input signal a from the latch circuit 32 . the output of the latch circuit 32 is coupled through a balanced transfer gate or balanced switching circuit 54 to an input of a second latch circuit 40 formed by a second pair of cross - coupled inverters 42 and 44 . the latch circuit 40 operates identically to the latch circuit 32 to latch its input at the logic level of a signal applied on the input , and its output b at the complementary logic level . the output b of the latch circuit 40 is a first output of the shift stage circuit 52 a , and is coupled to the input of the shift stage circuit 52 b . the balanced transfer gate circuit 54 includes two series - connected pairs of transfer gates 56 , 60 and 58 , 62 connected in parallel between the output of the latch circuit 32 and the input of the latch circuit 40 . the control terminals of the transfer gates 56 and 58 receive the complementary clock signals clk 1 and { overscore ( clk 1 )}, and the control terminals of the transfer gates 60 and 62 receive the complementary clock signals clk 0 and { overscore ( clk 0 )}. in this configuration , the transfer gates 56 and 58 are either both activated , or both deactivated in response to the clock signal clk 1 , and the transfer gates 60 and 62 are likewise either both activated , or both deactivated in response to the clock signal clk 0 . the shift stage circuits 52 b and 52 c are identical to shift stage circuit 52 a and thus , for the sake of brevity , will not be described in further detail . the outputs of the shift stage circuits 52 b and 52 c are designated c and d , respectively , and provide second and third outputs of the shift register circuit 50 . the operation of the shift register circuit 50 will now be described with reference to the timing diagram of fig3 . at just before a time to , the signals clk 0 , clk , a , b , c , and d are all low , and signals clk 1 and clk 90 are high . the states of the transfer gates 28 , 30 , and 56 - 62 are represented in fig3 with solid lines indicating a respective transfer gate is activated , and no solid line indicating the transfer gate is deactivated . at just before t 0 , the transfer gates 56 - 62 are activated , and transfer gates 28 and 30 are deactivated . at time t 0 , the clock driver circuit 51 drives the clock signal clk 1 low in response to the clock signal clk 90 going low . when the clock signal clk 1 goes low , the transfer gate 28 is activated , and transfer gates 56 and 58 are deactivated . at just after the time t 0 , the input signal a goes high . the high input signal a is coupled through the activated transfer gate 28 to the input of the latch circuit 32 which latches its input high and output low . at this point , notice that the balanced transfer gate circuit 54 isolates the output of the latch circuit 32 from the input of latch circuit 40 because the transfer gates 56 and 58 are deactivated . at a time t 1 , the clock driver circuit 51 drives the clock signal clk 1 high in response to the clock signal clk going high . when the clock signal clk 1 goes high , the transfer gate 28 is deactivated and transfer gates 56 and 58 are activated . when the transfer gates 56 and 58 are activated , the low output of the latch circuit 32 is coupled to the input of the latch circuit 40 through the balanced transfer gate circuit 54 since transfer gates 56 - 62 are now all activated . the latch circuit 40 latches its input low and its output b high at a time t 2 in response to the low output from the latch circuit 32 . the output b does not go high until a delay time t d after the input signal a goes high due to the sequential shifting of the input signal a first to the latch circuit 32 , and then to the latch circuit 40 . in addition , the delay time t d includes the switching times of the latch circuits 32 and 40 as well as the switching time of the balanced transfer gate circuit 54 . when the output b goes high at time t 2 , this high output is the input signal to the shift stage circuit 52 b which now operates identically to the previously described operation of the shift stage circuit 52 a . thus , the shift stage circuit 52 b drives the output signal c high at a time t 3 , which occurs the delay time t d after the output signal b goes high at time t 2 . similarly , the shift stage circuit 52 c drives the output d high at a time t 4 , which is the delay time t d after the output c goes high . at a time t 5 , the input signal a goes low . the low input signal a is coupled through the activated transfer gate 28 to the input of the latch circuit 32 , which latches its input low and output high . at a time t 6 , the clock driver circuit 51 drives the clock signal clk 1 high in response to the clock signal clk going high , activating transfer gates 56 and 58 and deactivating transfer gate 28 . when transfer gates 56 and 58 are activated , the high output of the latch circuit 32 is coupled through the balanced transfer gate circuit 54 to the input of the latch circuit 40 , which drives its input high and the output b low at a time t 7 . the shift stage circuits 52 b and 52 c thereafter drive their respective outputs c and d low at time t 8 and t 9 , respectively . as seen in fig3 each of the outputs b , c , and d has the same pulse width t w . the constant pulse width t w is achieved by the constant switching time of the balanced transfer gate circuits 54 . if only two transfer gates were connected in series between the output of the latch circuit 32 and the input of the latch circuit 40 , as in prior art circuits , the output signals b , c , and d would have different pulse widths depending on the order in which the series connected transfer gates were activated as previously discussed . for example , assume only the transfer gates 56 and 60 are connected between the output of the latch circuit 32 and the input of the latch circuit 40 . at the time t 1 , the transfer gate 60 is activated before the transfer gate 56 , and at just after the time t 2 the transfer gate 56 is activated before the transfer gate 60 . as a result , the delay time between the output b going high and the output c going high may be shorter than the delay time between the input a and the output b going high . this variation in the switching time for the series - connected transfer gates 56 and 60 may result in unequal pulse widths t w for the outputs b , c , and d . the balanced transfer gate circuit 54 achieves a relatively constant switching time by always activating one transfer gate coupled directly to its output such that this transfer gate directly drives the load presented on the output . for example , assume the input is high and the transfer gates 60 and 62 are activated . at this point , the input of the transfer gate 58 is high since the transfer gate 62 is activated . when the transfer gates 56 and 58 are thereafter activated , the transfer gate 58 directly drives the load presented on the output . in contrast , the transfer gate 56 must drive the load presented on the output through the transfer gate 60 , which presents a channel resistance as previously discussed . thus , when the load on the output is largely capacitive , the additional channel resistance of the transfer gate 60 increases the time it takes for the transfer gate 56 to drive the capacitive load high . in the balanced transfer gate circuit 54 , either the transfer gate 60 or 58 directly drives the load on the output to the desired level . the shift register circuit 50 of fig2 may be utilized in a variety of logic circuit applications . one such application is in a command signal generator operable to develop a series of command signals for controlling operation of a dynamic random access memory (“ dram ”). the command signal generator typically generates the command signals in response to a clock signal for synchronous devices , such as synchronous memory devices , and generates the command signals in response to a number of control signals in asynchronous memory devices , as known in the art . fig4 is a block diagram of a synchronous dram (“ sdram ”) 100 containing a command generator 102 including the shift register circuit 50 of fig2 . the command generator 102 utilizes the shift register circuit 50 in developing a number of command signals for controlling operation of the sdram 100 . in the sdram 100 , all operations are referenced to a particular edge of the external clock signal clk , typically the rising edge , as known in the art . the command generator 102 receives a number of command signals on respective external terminals of the sdram 100 . these command signals typically include a chip select signal { overscore ( cs )}, write enable signal { overscore ( we )}, column address strobe signal { overscore ( cas )}, and row address strobe signal { overscore ( ras )}. specific combinations of these signals define particular data transfer commands of the sdram 100 such as active , precharge , read , and write as known in the art . an external circuit , such as a processor or memory controller , generates these data transfer commands in reading data from and writing data to the sdram 100 . the sdram 100 further includes an address register 106 operable to latch an address applied on an address bus 108 and output the latched address to the command generator 102 , a row address multiplexer 112 , and a column address latch 110 . the row address multiplexer 112 outputs a row address to either a row address latch 114 for a first bank of memory , bank 0 , 118 or a row address latch 116 for a second bank of memory , bank 1 , 120 . the row address latches 114 and 116 , when activated , latch the row address from the row multiplexer 112 and output this latched row address to an associated row decoder circuit 122 and 124 , for bank 0 , 118 or bank 1 , 120 , respectively . the row decoder circuits 122 and 124 decode the latched row address and activate a corresponding row of memory cells in the memory banks 118 and 120 , respectively . the memory banks 118 and 120 each include a number of memory cells ( not shown ) arranged in rows and columns , and each memory cell is operable to store a bit of data at an associated row and column address . the column address latch 110 latches a column address output from the address register 106 and , in turn , outputs the column address to a burst counter circuit 126 . the burst counter circuit 126 develops sequential column addresses beginning with the latched column address when the sdram 100 is operating in a burst mode . the burst counter 126 outputs the developed column addresses to a column address buffer 128 , which in turn outputs the developed column address to a column decoder circuit 130 . the column decoder circuit 130 decodes the column address and activates one of a plurality of column select signals 132 corresponding to the decoded column address . the column select signals 132 are output to sense amplifier and i / o gating circuits 134 and 136 associated with the memory banks 118 and 120 , respectively . the sense amplifier and i / o gating circuits 134 and 136 sense and store the data placed on the digit lines 135 and 137 , respectively , by the memory cells in the addressed row , and thereafter couple the digit lines 135 or 137 corresponding to the addressed memory cell to an internal data bus 138 . the internal data bus 138 is coupled to a data bus 140 through either a data input register 142 or a data output register 144 . a data mask signal dqm controls the circuits 134 and 136 to avoid data contention on the data bus 140 when , for example , a read command is followed immediately by a write command , as known in the art . in operation , during a read data transfer operation , an external circuit , such as a processor , applies a bank address ba and a row address on the address bus 108 and provides an active command to the command generator 102 . this applied address and command information is latched by the sdram 100 on the next rising edge of the external clock signal clk , and the command generator 102 thereafter activates the addressed memory bank 118 or 120 . the supplied row address is coupled through the row address multiplexer 112 to the row address latch 114 or 116 associated with the addressed bank . the corresponding row decoder 122 or 124 thereafter decodes this row address and activates the corresponding row of memory cells in the activated memory , bank 118 or 120 . the sense amplifiers in the corresponding sense amplifier and i / o gating circuit 134 or 136 sense and store the data contained in each memory cell in the activated row of the addressed memory bank 118 or 120 . the external circuit thereafter provides a read command to the command generator 102 and a column address on the address bus 108 , both of which are latched on the next rising edge of the external clock signal clk . the latched column address is then routed through the circuits 110 , 126 , and 128 to the column decoder circuit 130 under control of the command generator 102 . the column decoder 130 decodes the latched column address and activates the column select signal 132 corresponding to that decoded column address . in response to the activated column select signal 132 , the sense amplifier and i / o gating circuit 134 or 136 transfers the addressed data onto the internal data bus 138 , and the data is then transferred from the internal data bus 138 through the data output register 144 and onto the data bus 140 where it is read by the external circuit . during a write data transfer operation , after activating the addressed memory bank 118 or 120 and the addressed row within that bank , the external circuit applies a write command to a command decode circuit ( not shown ) including a column address on the address bus 108 , and applies data on the data bus 140 . the write command , column address , and data are latched respectively into the command generator 102 , address register 106 , and data input register 142 on the next rising edge of the external clock signal clk . the data latched in the data input register 142 is placed on the internal data bus 138 , and the latched column address is routed through the circuits 110 , 126 , and 128 to the column decoder circuit 130 under control of the command generator 102 . the column decoder 130 decodes the latched column address and activates the column select signal 132 corresponding to that decoded address . in response to the activated column select signal 132 , the data on the internal data bus 138 is transferred through the sense amplifier and i / o gating circuit 134 or 136 to the digit lines 135 or 137 corresponding to the addressed memory cell . the row containing the addressed memory cell is thereafter deactivated to store the written data in the addressed memory cell . fig5 is a block diagram of a computer system 200 including the sdram 100 of fig4 . the computer system 200 includes computer circuitry 202 , such as a processor , for performing various computing functions , such as executing specific software to perform specific calculations or tasks . in addition , the computer system 200 includes one or more input devices 204 , such as a keyboard or a mouse , coupled to the computer circuitry 202 to allow an operator to interface with the computer system 200 . typically , the computer system 200 also includes one or more output devices 206 coupled to the computer circuitry 202 , such output devices typically being a printer or a video terminal . one or more data storage devices 208 are also typically coupled to the computer circuitry 202 to store data or retrieve data from external storage media ( not shown ). examples of typical data storage devices 208 include hard and floppy disks , tape cassettes , and compact disk read - only memories ( cd - roms ). the computer circuitry 202 is typically coupled to the sdram 100 through a control bus , a data bus , and an address bus to provide for writing data to and reading data from the sdram 100 . a clock circuit ( not shown ) typically develops a clock signal driving the computer circuitry 202 and sdram 100 during such data transfers . fig6 is a schematic diagram of a balanced switching circuit 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention . the balanced switching circuit 300 includes a number of individual switch circuits 302 , each individual switch circuit coupling its input to its output in response to a control or clock signal . the switch circuits 302 are arranged in n rows and n columns with the inputs and outputs of the n switch circuits 302 in each row coupled in series between a first signal terminal 304 and a second signal terminal 306 . each switch circuit 302 receives one of n clock signals clk 1 - clkn , and each clock signal clk 1 - clkn is received by only one switch circuit in each row and one switch circuit in each column . the balanced switching circuit 300 couples the first signal terminal 304 to the second signal terminal 306 in response to the clock signals clk 1 - clkn . it is to be understood that even though various embodiments and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description , the above disclosure is illustrative only , and change may be made in detail , and yet remain within the broad principles of the invention . therefore , the present invention is limited only by the appended claims .	6
in general , the present invention includes an identification or therapeutic device comprising a body portion and an anchoring portion , which is introducible into an intra - body structure ( e . g ., a mass or lesion ) and / or an anatomical space to mark a location of interest ( e . g ., a tissue layer and / or lumen of a body cavity ). the identification device of the present invention may include a power source , either external to the body or internally at or near the body portion or some combination thereof . it is understood that any of the various anchoring portions described below may be used with any of the body portions . it is also understood that the body portions may give off energy , such as light energy ( i . e . glow - in - the - dark materials , leds , incandescent devices , etc . ), thermal energy , radiation , rf energy , acoustic energy , or cryoenergy . furthermore , the various embodiments of the body portions may be constructed of various application - specific materials . for example , the body portions may be loaded with chemicals or dyes that enhance localization . non - limiting examples include : baso4 , bismuth , copper , gold , and platinum . also , the body portions could be loaded with drugs and / or chemotherapy agents for treatment and have features such as controlled elution and diffusion rates . non - limiting examples of these agents include antineoplastics , antiobiotics and others . one embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig1 a , and 2 which illustrate an identification or therapeutic device 10 , including a body portion 12 and anchoring portion 14 . the body portion 12 may be any energy source or simply a marker or a focusing element for rf energy , as described above . if an energy source is used , it is understood that appropriate additional equipment will be used in order to receive and identify the energy being transmitted . the body portion 12 may also comprise a hollow body in the event that the device 10 is implanted in an airway . the anchoring portion 14 is shaped and oriented to render it introducible into or adjacent to an intra - body structure . the anchoring portion 14 , may also include hooks or barbs 15 , to improve the anchoring ability of the anchoring portion 14 . preferably , the barbs 15 are small enough to allow removal with minimal tissue damage . as shown in fig2 , the anchoring portion of the identification or therapeutic device 10 is inserted into an intra - body structure ( e . g ., a tissue layer ) 16 . the anchoring portion 14 leaves the body portion 12 oriented adjacent to the tissue layer 16 , providing fixed , yet removable illumination or therapy . (“ illumination ” is being used in a general sense to include acoustic energy , radioactive energy , electromagnetic energy or other form of energy and should not be construed as being limited to casting visible light on a subject .) in this illustration of the embodiment , the device 10 may be pulled out of the tissue layer and removed from the body or the tissue may be excised with the identification device 10 still affixed thereto . another embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig3 , in which an identification or therapeutic device 20 includes a body portion 12 and at least one anchoring mechanism 24 . the anchoring portion 24 is one or more barbed rings encircling the device 20 . the barbs on the rings may be evenly spaced around the device 20 , thereby providing ease of implantation as orientation - specific deployment is not necessary . preferably , the barbs are strong enough to penetrate tissue yet flexible enough to lay flat in a deployment catheter . if the device 20 is intended to be non - permanent , the barbs should be short and flexible enough to allow removal without excessive tissue damage . fig4 illustrates the device 20 inserted into an adjacent tissue layer 26 via the at least one anchoring mechanism 24 . yet another embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig5 , in which an identification or therapeutic device 30 includes a body portion 12 and an anchoring portion 34 . the anchoring portion 34 includes , for example , a mesh and / or tissue adhesive affixed on at least a portion of the surface of the body portion 12 . the mesh may be bioreactive . the anchoring portion 34 adheres to a tissue layer 36 . the anchoring portion 34 is large enough to connect with the tissue layer 36 , such that it will remain attached until some amount of applied force is used to remove the identification device 30 from the tissue layer 36 . fig6 illustrates the identification device 30 affixed to a tissue layer 36 . another embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig7 and 8 , in which an identification or therapeutic device 40 includes a body portion 12 and an anchoring portion 44 . in this embodiment , the anchoring portion 44 is disposed within a body lumen and may or may not penetrate the surrounding tissue layer 46 . one example of the anchoring portion 44 contemplated for use in this embodiment of the invention would include a coil or stent 44 with a body portion 12 attached to an inside surface of the stent 44 . the anchoring portion 44 expands , either via balloon or self - expanding design , to fit the surrounding tissue layer 46 . the anchoring portion 44 is deliverable by any known or unknown methods . for example , the anchoring portion 44 may be collapsed to fit in or around a delivery catheter ( not shown ) and delivered and expanded in a desire location . another embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig9 and 10 , in which an identification or therapeutic device 50 includes a body portion 12 and an anchoring portion 54 . in this embodiment , the anchoring portion 52 is a staple that connects the device 50 to a tissue layer 56 . removal of the identification device 50 may occur via excision of all or part of the surrounding tissue layer 56 . the identification devices described above may be introduced and placed into the body by various delivery devices and methods . such delivery devices and methods may include , alone or in combination , use of catheters , guiding catheters , guide wires , stents , balloons , needles , bronchoscopy procedures and tools and / or the superdimension localization system , as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 571 , 796 filed on jan . 8 , 2007 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . in particular , such deliveries may be made into branches of the lungs , blood vessels and other points of interest ( body cavities , lumens ). for example , one embodiment of a device 60 of the present invention that is injected into tissue is shown in fig1 and 12 . the identification device 60 includes a body portion 12 that is injected into a tissue layer 64 . the surrounding tissue layer 64 may effectively hold the identification device 60 in place . however , an additional anchoring portion may be added , such as any of the above described anchoring portions or merely a rough surface to prevent migration . fig1 illustrates a needle 66 containing an identification or therapeutic device 60 prior to delivery into a tissue layer 64 . fig1 illustrates the placement of the identification device 60 within the tissue layer 64 , post - injection . fig1 - 15 illustrate an embodiment of a device 70 of the present invention that is specifically designed to be injected into tissue . the device includes a capsule 74 surrounding the body portion 72 to allow the device 70 to be smoothly injected into tissue 78 . once in contact with the tissue , the capsule 74 quickly dissolves , allowing the tissue 78 to close in around the body portion 72 . preferably , the body portion 72 includes one or more anchoring features 76 , such as ridges , spikes , rough surfaces , barbs , or other shapes or mechanisms that would prevent the device 70 from migrating . the capsule 74 is smooth such that minimal tissue trauma occurs during insertion . the capsule may be constructed , for example , of a quickly dissolving material such as many water - soluble polymers . another embodiment of the present invention includes a device that is specifically designed to be injected into the target location for external localization . the entire device may be dissolvable or biodegradable thus eliminating the necessity for removal . the biodegradable material may be impregnated with a material such as metallic particles specifically selected to for image - guidance . the rate of degradation could be dependent on a known therapeutic dose to control or affect the targeted disease tissue . examples of some biodegradable polymers polymers include , but are not limited to : peva poly ( ethyl - vinyl - acetate ), pbma poly ( butyl - methylacrylate ), plga poly ( lactic - glycolic acid ), pla ( polylactide ), plga / pla combination , ha ( hydroxyapetite ), plga - peg ( polyethylene glycol ), tyrosine derivatives , polyanhydrides , polyorthoesters , pbma , dlpla — poly ( dl - lactide ), lpla — poly ( 1 - lactide ), pga — polyglycolide , pdo — poly ( dioxanone ), pga - tmc — poly ( glycolide - co - trimethylene carbonate ), pga - lpla — poly ( 1 - lactide - co - glycolide ), pga - dlpla — poly ( dl - lactide - co - glycolide ), lpla - dlpla — poly ( 1 - lactide - co - dl - lactide ), pdo - pga - tmc — poly ( glycolide - co - trimethylene carbonate - co - dioxanone ). examples of metallic or other image - guidance materials include but are not limited to : radiopaque dyes or contrast agents such as baso4 or ominpaque , metallic particles such as copper or gold particles . although the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and applications , one of ordinary skill in the art , in light of this teaching , can generate additional embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed invention . for example , the above - described needle and syringe or plunger arrangement could be used to deliver an identification or therapeutic device internally , injecting said tool directly into a tissue layer from within the body cavity . alternatively , a needle of sufficient construction both to penetrate the chest cavity ( e . g ., between the ribs of a patient ) and accommodate the dimensions of an identification or therapeutic device such that can be injected from outside a patient &# 39 ; s body into a desired location ( e . g ., directly into surrounding tissues near a body cavity ; into a fibroid or tumor that is intended to be excised from the body ; etc ). the identification device could be delivered via a bronchoscope having a catheter attached therethrough which is advanced through the lungs of a patient to a point of interest . the catheter will be equipped to push the identification device into a lumen of a body cavity near a tissue layer or into a tissue layer . accordingly , it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof .	0
fig1 is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of an interactive advertising system 100 . as shown in fig1 , a satellite 102 transmits data via downlink 106 to an antenna 108 located at head - end 104 . although not illustrated in fig1 , data is transmitted by satellite 102 to multiple head - ends . in addition , multiple different satellites transmit data via downlinks to multiple head - ends , such as head - end 104 . a decoder 110 decodes the data received by antenna 108 and produces an mpeg - 2 data stream 112 that is applied to an internet protocol multicast network 114 . the internet protocol multicast network 114 typically uses a udp protocol for broadcasting the mpeg - 2 data over ethernet connection 116 . analyzing tool 118 is connected to the ethernet network and analyzes and monitors certain portions of the ethernet data . the ethernet data is also transmitted to a quam modulator 120 , which generates an rf signal that is applied to the cable network 122 . a plurality of set top boxes 124 are connected to the cable network 122 . the set top boxes 124 may be located in private residences , commercial establishments , etc . cable network 122 is also connected to a plurality of aggregation servers , such as aggregation servers 126 , 128 via communication connector 130 . aggregation servers 126 , 128 collect and aggregate data transmitted up stream on the cable network 122 by set top boxes 124 . in particular , the aggregation servers 126 , 128 receive and aggregate orders placed by set top box users on set top boxes 124 that are produced in response to interactive advertising that is generated by the set top boxes 124 on users &# 39 ; televisions , as explained in more detail below . numerous different head - ends , such as head - end 104 , are operated by numerous different multiservice operators ( msos ). in general , each mso operates multiple aggregation servers at multiple head - ends , such as head - end 104 . as also shown in fig1 , the aggregation servers 126 , 128 generate two different sets of data . order data 134 comprises one set of data that is transmitted to a fulfillment center , such as axiom fulfillment center 136 . in this instance , each of the orders placed by users and transmitted via set top boxes 124 is fulfilled by the fulfillment center 136 . as one example , coupons 158 may be sent to customers in response to an order placed by a customer . in other examples , information and actual products or services may be provided by the fulfillment center 136 . if coupons are provided , the coupons can be mailed by standard ground mail , or can be emailed as a printable coupon . the other set of data generated by the aggregation servers 126 , 128 is statistical data 132 . statistical data 132 simply provides statistical information as to the number of viewers who viewed a particular advertisement , how many orders were placed in response to the advertisement , and other similar data . the identification of the users is not provided because of privacy reasons . however , the location of the set top box 124 that has placed an order may be provided in the form of a zip code . as also shown in fig1 , the statistical data 132 is transmitted to an advanced advertising system 138 . the advanced advertising system 138 provides statistical data 144 to advertiser 142 and statistical data 141 to advertiser 140 . of course , multiple advertisers can receive statistical data for each advertisement that is run by each of the advertisers . the multiple advertisers 140 , 142 can then view the statistical data . if desired , the advertisers can place additional orders , particularly if statistical data shows positive results . for example , advertiser 140 can place an order 146 that is sent to advanced advertising system 138 . similarly , advertiser 142 can place an order 148 that is sent to advanced advertising system 138 . if the statistical data indicates that a particular advertisement was successful , the advertisers 140 , 142 may place orders for the same ad or similar ads . the advanced advertising system 138 then transmits orders 150 to the multiple various production studios 152 . the production studios 152 then process the orders 150 and transmit the orders to multiple head - ends , such as head - end 104 , via fiber link 159 , or antenna 154 , via uplink 156 to satellite 102 . satellite 102 then uses downlink 106 to transmit the order to antenna 108 , which then transmits the order to decoders , such as decoder 110 , in multiple head - ends , such as head - end 104 . the orders placed by the set top boxes 124 are placed in response to an interactive ad generated by the production studios 152 , which normally takes the form of an interactive overlay that appears on the user &# 39 ; s television screen . for example , if an ad is being run for a particular product , the overlay may allow the user to request a discount coupon for the product , obtain information about a product , or may simply allow the user to order the product at a discounted price . activation of the option provided in the overlay generates a signal from the set top box , which is transmitted upstream to the aggregation servers 126 , 128 , as disclosed above . the analyzing tool 118 , as disclosed above , is connected to the ethernet network and analyzes the mpeg data . the analyzed data 160 is then transmitted to a centralized database 162 . centralized database 162 collects data from a plurality of different analyzing tools located at different head - ends , such as head - end 104 , and other locations , such as production studios 152 . the centralized database 162 stores the analyzed data 160 , and other analyzed data from other analyzing tools , and creates a large database which is monitored to determine if any problems exist with the data . central analyzer 164 analyzes all of the data stored in the centralized database 162 and presents that data on a monitoring screen . in addition , alarms can be set which can provide notification if a problem exists with the data . each of the set top boxes 124 , illustrated in fig1 , includes user agent software that generates the overlay in response to data generated at the production studio and transmitted downstream over the cable network 122 to the set top boxes 124 . a user agent embedded in the set top boxes 124 reads the overlay data and generates the interactive overlay on the user &# 39 ; s display . fig2 is a diagram illustrating an mpeg - 2 section 200 containing data 206 and header information 208 , which is generated by the production studios 152 transmitted downstream to the set top boxes 124 . the mpeg - 2 data section 200 is packetized data that is broken into packets containing 188 bytes . each packet is referred to as a section of the mpeg - 2 data . at the beginning of each mpeg - 2 section 200 , that contains 188 bytes , as illustrated in fig2 , is a start byte , which has a value of hexadecimal 47 . in that regard , the analyzing tool 118 monitors the mpeg - 2 stream data for the start byte having a value of hexadecimal 47 . the analyzing tool 118 then divides the stream into sections of 188 bytes and checks to see that each section starts with a start byte having a value of hexadecimal 47 . the mpeg - 2 section 200 includes headers , which may include a program identification byte ( pid ) 201 and a program allocation table ( pat ) 202 or a program mapping table ( pmt ) 204 . the pid is the program identification byte that identifies the stream of data . the pat 202 is a program allocation table that has a list of all the program mapping tables ( pmts ). the pmts ( program mapping tables ) provide information that identifies the type of data . for example , the data may be video data , audio data , ebif application data , ebif signaling data . ebif application data describes the interactive overlay and interacts with the user agent in the set top box to create the interactive overlay . the ebif eiss - signaling data instructs the user agent to display the ebif data . for example , the ebif eiss - signaling data may include an auto start signal that persists for five seconds , that functions to automatically start the ebif application data . the ebif eiss - signaling data may also include a present command that persists for 20 seconds , for example , that instructs the set top box to display the ebif application data for 20 seconds . further , the ebif eiss - signaling data may include a destroy signal that persists for five seconds , to remove the overlay of the ebif application data from the user screen . the ebif application data includes a dsmcc dii signal that describes how the ebif data is broken into pieces , and instructs the user agent as to how to assemble the data back to its original form . the ebif application data also includes a program enhancement id ( peid ) that is 22 characters long , and is a unique identifier of the ebif application data that describes the overlay to be displayed on the user screen . a peid is assigned to each order that is placed by a production studio , such as production studios 152 , illustrated in fig1 . the peid is included with the data and stays with the data throughout the process illustrated in fig1 . the peid is the identification data that is used by the analyzing tool 118 and the centralizing analyzer 164 to display the analyzed data , as well as provide notifications and alarms . fig3 shows a flow diagram 300 illustrating the operation of the analyzing tool 118 . at step 302 , the analyzing tool joins the ip multicast network and begins reading data from the ethernet connection 116 . the analyzing tool 118 then reads a block of data containing n - bytes at step 304 . the analyzing tool 118 includes a buffer that stores the block of data containing n - bytes . at step 306 , the start byte is located by determining the byte that has a value of hexadecimal 47 . the data stream of n - bytes is then broken up into 188 byte sections at step 308 , which is a standard packet for mpeg - 2 data . the analyzing tool 118 counts 188 bytes from the start byte and then determines that the next byte is a subsequent start byte . at step 310 , the program identification ( pid ) data is located . the pid is the unique identifier located in each section of data that identifies the stream to which that section belongs . at step 312 , the data is checked to determine if the data includes timing information . the timing information is data that constitutes a program clock reference ( pcr ). the pcr assists in feeding the data to a display at a constant rate . if the data includes timing information , an internal clock is set at step 314 . the process then proceeds to step 318 . at step 312 , if the section of data does not include timing information , the process proceeds to step 318 to determine if the pid located at step 310 is to be saved . during configuration of the analyzing tool 118 , the pids to be saved are identified . for example , pids for ebif application data and pids for ebif eiss - signaling data are identified as pids that should be saved by the system . if the pid associated with an mpeg - 2 section of data that is identified as a pid to be saved , the data 206 in the mpeg - 2 section for that pid is added to a list to be saved at step 320 . the list may be stored in high speed ram buffer . the process then proceeds to step 322 . at step 344 of fig3 , a separate offline process is performed . at step 344 , the list of pids to be saved is checked to determine if the list contains data 206 for any pids to be saved . if it does , the data for the listed pids is logged to a database in the analyzing tool 118 , at step 346 . at step 348 , the list is cleared . if the list does not contain any data 206 for pids to be saved , the process waits at 349 for a predetermined period . after the predetermined period has expired , the process at step 344 again checks to see if the list contains any data 206 for pids to be saved . this process continues to monitor the list to determine if data 206 is present for pids to be saved in the list and stores the data 206 from the sections identified by the pids . the process illustrated at step 344 is a separate offline process because of the fact that data is streaming on the ethernet input at a very high rate and the data must be processed offline in order to process the data sufficiently fast so that the buffer in the analyzing tool 118 is not overrun . at step 322 of fig3 , the processor in the analyzing tool 118 determines if the pid is program allocation table data ( pat ). the program allocation table ( pat ) data constitutes a list of the programming mapping tables ( pmts ). as explained above , the programming mapping tables identify the type of data in the program stream , such as whether the data is audio data , video data , ebif application data , ebif eiss - signaling data , etc . if the pid is a pat , the pat table is updated at step 324 . the process then determines if there is additional data left at step 316 . in other words , the next section of data containing 188 bytes is processed to find the pid at step 310 . if there are no additional sections of data left in the buffer , the process returns to step 304 , where the buffer reads another block of data containing n - bytes . if the pid is not a pat , the process proceeds to step 326 to determine if the data is programming mapping table ( pmt ) data . if the data in the section is pmt data , an updated pmt table is created at step 328 . if the data in the section of data is not pmt data , the process proceeds to step 330 to determine if the data is eiss - signaling data . if the data in the section is eiss - signaling data , the eiss data is saved to a list to be logged at step 332 . the process then returns to step 316 , as described above . a separate offline process is performed again to save the eiss data . at step 344 , the list of eiss data is checked to determine if data 206 is present on the list . if data 206 is present , the data 206 is logged to a database at step 346 in the analyzing tool 118 of fig1 . after the data has been logged , the list is cleared at step 348 . if there is no data on the list , the process waits at step 349 and checks the list periodically and continues to monitor the list . again , the process is performed off - line in order to process the data sufficiently fast so that the buffer is not overrun . if the data is not eiss data , as determined at step 330 of fig3 , the analyzing tool 118 checks to see if the data in the section of data being analyzed is ebif application data at step 334 . if it is not , the process proceeds to step 316 . if the data is ebif application data , the data is assembled at step 336 . dii data is read by the analyzing tool 118 , which describes how the ebif data is broken into pieces and indicates how a user agent can put the data together in a dsmcc carousel . once the data is assembled at step 336 , it is determined at step 338 if all the ebif data has been loaded . if not , the process proceeds to step 316 . if all the ebif application data is loaded , as determined at step 338 , the ebif data is parsed at step 340 . at step 342 , the ebif application data is saved to a list to be logged to a database . again , a separate offline process is performed to save the ebif application data . at step 344 , the list of ebif application data is checked to determine if data is present in the list . if data is present in the list , the data is logged to a database at step 346 . after the data has been logged , the list is cleared at step 348 . if there is no data in the list , the process waits at step 349 and checks the list periodically . hence , the analyzing tool illustrated in fig3 identifies the ebif application data and ebif eiss - signaling data and stores this data with a peid identifier . the data can then be displayed with the peid identifier and alarms and notifications can be provided , if desired . the foregoing description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed , and other modifications and variations may be possible in light of the above teachings . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the appended claims be construed to include other alternative embodiments of the invention except insofar as limited by the prior art .	7
studies performed in our laboratories using gases showed that not only does the heat transfer coefficient vary with bulk velocity of the gas , but that there are certain mixtures of hydrogen and helium that , at certain flow regimes , have heat transfer properties as good as or better than pure hydrogen . in general , it was determined that the heat transfer coefficients for gases containing a relatively high concentration of a light gas and the balance a heavier gas are higher than the heat transfer coefficient of the individual gas stream only at a specific range of bulk velocity , referred to herein as the “ critical bulk velocity range .” above or below this critical bulk velocity range , the light gas will have a higher heat transfer coefficient . as used herein the term “ fluid ” means either gas , liquid , or combination of gas and liquid . as used herein the term “ consisting essentially of ” means that the heat transfer fluid mixtures of the invention contain hydrogen and helium , and no other components in substantial concentration which might detract from the heat transfer capabilities of hydrogen and helium mixtures . thus small percentages , up to 5 mole percent ( but preferably less if the situation calls for lower amounts , such as when a dry atmosphere is called for ), of other components are allowed , preferably selected from the group consisting of h 2 o , n 2 , o 2 , f 2 , ne , cl 2 , ar , br 2 , kr , xe , rn , ccl 3 f , ccl 2 f 2 , cclf 3 , cbrf 3 , cf 4 , chcl 2 f , chclf 2 , chf 3 , c 2 cl 4 f 2 , c 2 cl 3 , f 3 , c 2 cl 2 f 4 , c 2 br 2 f 4 , c 2 clf 5 , c 2 f 6 , c 2 h 4 f 2 , c 2 h 2 f 4 , ch 4 , c 2 h 4 , c 2 h 6 , c 3 h 8 , c 3 h 6 , c 4 h 10 , ( ch 3 ) 3 ch , nh 3 , co , co 2 , ccl 4 , ch 3 cl , so 2 , so 3 , no , no 2 , n 2 o , and mixtures thereof . the heat transfer fluid mixtures of the invention may be made by a variety methods , for example mixing commercial grade or electronic grade hydrogen with commercial grade or electronic grade helium , both from cylinders , ton units , tube trailers , and the like . other novel methods of manufacture include mixing synthesis gas ( a mixture of co and hydrogen obtained from the water gas shift reaction of methane with steam ), with a helium stream . flammability limits of gas mixtures containing hydrogen plus one inert gas and air several experiments were performed in our laboratories . these were relatively crude experiments designed to give a rough estimation of the flammability limits that one could expect if these kinds of initially inert gas mixtures came into contact with air . pure hydrogen and one pure inert gas ( helium and then argon ) were combined at the outlet ends of two separate flow meters employed to separately monitor the flow of these gases prior to mixing . the gas pressure within the flow meters was also monitored . these gas mixtures were then passed ( separately ) thorough two round stainless steel ( ss ) tubes ( one ss tube had an internal diameter of about 0 . 16 in . ( 0 . 41 cm ) the other had an internal diameter of about 0 . 40 in . ( 1 . 02 cm ) and both of these tubes were about 10 inches ( 24 . 5 cm ) long ) and then into the ambient air . hydrogen flows rates were initially adjusted at levels high enough to allow the gas mixture , exiting the ss tube into the air , to burn continuously if deliberately ignited . hydrogen gas flow rates were then slowly adjusted downward until the burning gas mixture was self - extinguished . these final flow conditions , of both gases , are listed in table 1 . these tabulated flow rates provide an indication of the maximum hydrogen concentration , in either argon or helium , that can exist within the initial mixture without the possibility of self - sustained combustion if that gas mixture were to leak into air ( under normal ambient conditions ), at the same combined flow rate or tube exit velocity . it should also be evident from this data that the type of gas mixed with hydrogen , as well as the gas mixture leak velocity , has some bearing upon the critical mixture composition that will or will not support a self - sustained combustion reaction in air . therefore , it is not possible to precisely predict this critical mixture composition without also specifying the type of gas that is mixed with hydrogen or the gas mixture exit velocity as it leaks into the ambient air . in accordance with the present invention , and as mentioned previously , the inventors herein have discovered that certain gaseous mixtures consisting essentially of substantially pure hydrogen and substantially pure helium may be employed that have substantially the same heat transfer capability ( cooling or heating ability ) as pure hydrogen , but without the inherent danger of pure hydrogen . in particular , by simply measuring the bulk velocity of the heat transfer fluid mixture , a characteristic temperature difference of the system ( either the mixture or the item being heated or cooled ) and the heating or cooling demand , safety increases may be realized by the operator of the process or equipment utilizing the inventive heat transfer fluid mixtures . while providing lower heat transfer for a given heat transfer area , the heat transfer fluid mixtures of the present invention can reduce the need for expensive safety mechanisms required for pure hydrogen , and may reduce insurance premiums . this may be seen by reviewing fig3 . fig3 contains graphical experimental data that illustrates the relative heat transfer behavior associated with the use of hydrogen , helium , argon and mixtures of helium and argon in a specific heat transfer ( cooling in this case ) application . the data on fig3 was generated using a simple shell and tube laboratory heat exchanger , where coolant ( water at 0 ° c .) flowed through the shell at 20 gal / minute ( 76 liters / minute ) and the gas to be cooled flowed countercurrently to the coolant through a single tube . in separate tests , the hydrogen flow rate was 15 . 6 scfh ; the helium flow rate was 15 . 9 scfh ; the argon flow rate was 15 . 4 scfh ; and the helium / argon mixture flow rate was 9 . 7 scfh helium mixed with 8 . 2 scfh argon . inside the tube was placed a cylindrical heating element which ran the entire length of the tube . the graph in fig3 demonstrates the fact that both hydrogen and helium are substantially better gaseous cooling agents ( and almost equal to each other in “ cooling power ”) than either pure argon or mixtures of helium and argon when these gases or gas mixtures are forced to flow over an initially hot object . all of the gas and gas mixture flow rates tested were nearly the same so these results cannot be due to substantial flow rate differences between the respective pure gases or the gas mixture . these results also indicate that any mixture of hydrogen and helium , under nearly similar conditions , will be just as effective as a gaseous cooling agent as either of the pure gases alone . these experimental findings are an unexpected result because the thermal conductivity of pure helium and pure hydrogen , at 0 ° c . and 1 atmosphere ( 1 . 01 megapascals ) pressure is about 34 . 3 × 10 − 5 and 41 . 9 × 10 − 5 cal /( sec - cm - deg ), respectively . therefore , the difference between the thermal conductivities of pure hydrogen and pure helium are on the order of 22 . 2 percent . this fact alone would tend to lead one with ordinary skill in the art to predict that pure hydrogen would be substantially better than pure helium as a cooling agent . and , in light of these experimental findings , this is not the case . further testing of other tertiary mixtures consisting essentially of hydrogen and helium have revealed similar behavior . however , the choice of the third or more gases to be employed will depend primarily upon the high and low temperatures that the inventive heat transfer fluid mixtures are likely to experience during the heat exchange process , the flow rates ( bulk velocity ), and pressure of the system . preferably , when the heat transfer fluid mixtures of the invention are employed for cooling but not freezing , they are at moderate temperatures cooler than the object to be cooled , for example preferably entering the cooling device or area at no more than ambient temperature ( about 25 ° c . ), and preferably no higher than about 0 ° c . for cooling processes . for freezing processes the entry temperature is preferably no more than about − 20 ° c . when used for heating applications , the inventive heat transfer fluid mixtures preferably enter the heating device , or area where the item to be heated resides , at a temperature well above the demand temperature , but at least higher in temperature than the item or material to be heated to provide a sufficient driving force for heat exchange . in general , the heat transfer fluid mixtures of the invention are beneficial in any system where a moving or non - moving item is intended to be heated or cooled , either through direct contact with the mixture , or indirect contact such as through a heat exchanger tube wall . in the optical fiber drawing art , the fiber typically moves through a heat exchanger and the gas mixture directly contacts the fiber ( see for example fig1 of u . s . pat . no . 6 , 125 , 638 , incorporated herein by reference for its teaching of an optical fiber cooling heat exchanger ). while the heat transfer coefficient of a gas flowing past a stationary cylinder has been defined , for example as discussed in holoboff et al . “ gas quenching with helium ”, advanced materials & amp ; processes , february 1993 , there are uncertainties involved in any particular heat transfer system that make prediction difficult . for example , in the fiber drawing art , the optical fiber is moving through a heat exchanger , being drawn by a spool . in one method , the coolant gas typically enters the exchanger at about the mid - point of the fiber in the exchanger , and then splits , some of the gas traveling co - currently with the fiber , and some traveling counter - currently in relation to fiber flow direction , as depicted in the 638 patent . the following example demonstrates the range of use of the inventive heat transfer fluid mixtures and methods of the invention . production of optical fibers typically employs helium or hydrogen to dry glass preforms during consolidation , for drawing the fiber during heating , and for cooling the drawn fiber , especially if the fiber is to be coated with a resin for toughening the fiber , and making it more resistant to fatigue , abrasion , and the like . u . s . pat . no . 6 , 092 , 391 discloses some details of a consolidation furnace . this patent discloses the use of a sensor ( either composition , pressure , temperature , or flow rate ) on the exhaust stream . another patent , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 284 , 499 , discloses how a glass preform is drawn through a heating element , a diameter measuring device , and a muffle tube . the cooling gas ( helium or argon ) flows into the top of the tube in this arrangement , and is heated as it passes into contact with the fiber , which is typically at a temperature of about 2100 - 2300 ° c . the fiber is typically drawn under tension of about 9 grams , at a draw rate of about 9 meters / second . the gas flow rate is disclosed to be about 3 standard liters per minute ( slpm ). in this patent , it is preferred to keep a boundary layer of gas near the fiber to thus maintain the boundary layer and prevent air currents , which might produce “ bow ” ( fiber bending ) and “ airline ” ( small holes in the fiber ). other patents in the area of optical fiber manufacturing interestingly call for more turbulent flow of the gas to cool the fiber as quickly as possible so that resins may be applied . representative of this is u . s . pat . no . 4 , 437 , 870 . the first mention in u . s patent documents of helium used in optical fiber manufacture as a coolant appears to be u . s . pat . no . 4 , 154 , 592 , where it was recognized that helium apparently reduced thermal gradients de to its higher thermal conductivity compared to oxygen and nitrogen . mixtures of helium / oxygen / nitrogen were discussed . another interesting patent is u . s . pat . no . 5 , 059 , 229 , which discloses the use of helium / hydrogen mixtures , but no mention of the heat transfer effects . the point was to introduce hydrogen into the coolant gas to prevent “ transient hydrogen sensitive attenuation .” there was no recognition in any of these patents of heat transfer fluid mixtures that could be changed in composition and / or flow rate ( bulk velocity ) to achieve both lower cost and effective cooling . the present inventive heat transfer fluid mixtures can be advantageously employed in optical fiber consolidation , drawing , and fiber cooling to decrease costs while achieving almost the same cooling as pure helium . the scope of the claims that follow is not intended to be limited by the description of preferred embodiments . those skilled in the heat transfer art , after reading this disclosure , will recognize that the inventive compositions and methods are useful in a variety of heating and cooling applications .	2
fig1 illustrates a computer system for searching databases . the computer 220 is connected to a display 210 , an input system 205 ( including for example , a keyboard and mouse ) a memory system 230 and a communications link 280 . normally , the communications link is a simple modem . it could also be a higher rate direct connection between computers or another device for interconnecting computer systems . the communications link 280 is in turn connected to a network of m other computers each having their own memory systems . the memory system 230 associated with computer 220 has a memory section 240 that contains a target database and it includes n memory sections that store a series of n auxiliary databases . the target database in memory section 240 stores information that a user is currently interested in searching . the remaining n memory sections store auxiliary databases related to a variety of topics . the m computers attached to communications link 280 each have similar memory sections that store n auxiliary databases . in addition , memory section 250 of memory system 230 stores a list of database addresses and identifiers . in general , the computer system of fig1 operates to display information from a target file or database to a user . in the course of that general display of information , a user will often recognize a specific idea or concept from the displayed information that may or may not be directly relevant to the general information currently being displayed . the user will desire to access or link to information about this specific concept without losing access to the general information currently being displayed . the computer system of fig1 operates to provide links between identified concepts and information contained in multiple databases . the computer system of fig1 provides these links by causing the computer 220 to receive a query and identify databases having information relevant to the query . once the databases are identified computer 220 causes them to be searched such that they return documents or passages of documents relevant to the query . the computer 220 then organizes the returned documents or passages thereof and displays at least a portion of the text associated with those documents . specifically , fig2 illustrates a process for operating the computer system of fig1 according to the present invention . initially , a query is identified in step 10 of fig2 . this can be done by highlighting and selecting ( through a conventional graphical user interface ) a portion of text that the computer is already displaying . the query could also just be an input to the computer 220 made through a keyboard . once the text of the query has been identified , the text is converted into a search request in step 20 of fig2 . converting the identified query text into a search request involves the conventional steps of parsing the query text into terms and then making use of the terms to form a query . the form of the query will depend on the type of search technique that will be used to search the databases . most search techniques use boolean combinations of terms as the query . as a result , these techniques ` and ` the query terms together to form a query . other search techniques make use of vector space analysis . in this case , the list of terms forms a query because the vector space algorithm does not use logical operators to form the query . once a query has been formed , step 30 of fig2 selects the databases that will be searched . the computer system of fig1 includes a memory space 250 that stores information to identify databases ( and the types of information they store ) or general database search engines . since general database search engines , such as the lycos ™ engine on the world wide web have their own resources for selecting the particular databases to search for a given query , step 30 merely transmits a boolean combination of query terms to these search engines ( unless a user opts out of such a selection ). for other databases identified in memory space 250 of fig1 a boolean combination of query terms is compared against the description of the databases listed in memory space 250 . as a result of this comparison , a set of auxiliary databases is selected that will be searched against the query . once the set of auxiliary databases is selected in step 30 of fig2 step 40 begins the search process for the auxiliary databases selected in step 30 . normally the target database will not be searched because the user is , presumably , already searching that database for the concepts of interest . however , the target database could also be selected in step 30 and searched as well . referring to fig1 the search process is started by transmitting a query to each of the selected auxiliary databases that are associated with computer 220 . computer 220 will also transmit instructions and one or more forms of the search query to the m computers through the communications link 280 . the instructions sent by computer 220 could , for example , instruct computer 300 to use the lycos ™ search engine to search databases on the world wide web for documents having a boolean combination of the terms in the search query . the instructions sent by computer 220 could also , for example , instruct computer 400 to use a vector space search technique to search its associated auxiliary database n to retrieve documents related to the list of query terms . the documents retrieved in step 40 from the auxiliary databases associated with the m computers are returned to computer 220 through communication link 280 . once the documents retrieved from the auxiliary databases have been returned , computer 220 processes them in step 50 of fig2 to determine a rank order of the documents for display . the processing of step 50 is completely independent of the processing used to retrieve the documents . the retrieved documents , in effect , form an independent database that is analyzed by the computer 220 . as a result , various search techniques for retrieving documents across computer networks can be utilized , but all the returned documents are analyzed according to an independent process . the processing of step 50 can be as simple as selecting the documents for display that are returned first . alternatively , the processing of step 50 ranks the order of the returned documents according to a hierarchy of the databases in which the documents were located . still another processing alternative for step 50 is to perform a vector space analysis on the returned documents . this analysis will rank the returned documents based on their relevance to the query . in particular , a vector space analysis computes a similarity score between the terms in the query and each of the returned documents can be computed by evaluating the shared and disjoint features of the query terms and a document over an orthogonal space of t terms of the document . the score can be computed by the following formula : ## equ1 ## where q i refers to terms in the query and d j refers to terms in the document . in order to score the retrieved documents , the set of retrieved documents is treated as a database and this database is inverted . the inversion step is a technique for creating a listing of all the terms of the database and the portions of the documents associated with those terms . fig3 illustrates a process for inverting a database . in step 132 , a document from the database is selected . in step 134 , the document is broken into subdocuments . in this process , for example , each subdocument generally corresponds to a paragraph of the document . long paragraphs may consist of multiple subdocuments and several short paragraphs may be included in a single subdocument . the subdocuments all have approximately the same length . in steps 136 and 138 of fig3 respectively , a subdocument is selected and parsed . in this example , the parsing process is a noun phrase parsing process . in this process , linguistic structure is assigned to sequences of words in a sentence . those terms , including noun phrases , that have semantic meaning are listed . this parsing process can be implemented by a variety of techniques known in the art such as the use of lexicons , morphological analyzers or natural language grammar structures . fig4 is an example listing of text passed for noun phrases . as is evident from the list of fig4 the phrases tagged with a ` t ` are noun phrases , words tagged with a ` v ` are verbs , words tagged with an ` x ` are quantities , words tagged with an ` a ` are adverbs and so on . once the subdocument has been parsed , a term list containing noun phrases and their associated subdocument is generated in step 140 . all the subdocuments for each document are processed in this way and the list of terms and subdocuments is updated . finally , all the documents of a database are processed according to steps 132 - 140 . the result of this inversion process is a term list identifying all the terms ( specifically noun phrases in this example ) of a database and their associated subdocuments . once the retrieved document database has been inverted , the subdocuments of that database are scored . fig5 is an illustration of the scoring process . in step 310 , the term list of the inverted database is searched to identify all the subdocuments that are associated with each term of the query that was identified in step 10 of fig2 . for each of the identified subdocuments , step 320 computes a partial similarity score ( according to the general formula discussed above ) for the query term and the subdocument . the computation process repeats for each query term and subdocument . in step 330 , the partial scores for each subdocument are added or otherwise combined . as a result , when all the subdocuments have been scored for all the query terms , a subdocument score list is created in which each subdocument has an accumulated score . after step 330 of fig5 the subdocument score list contains a number of subdocument entries that are not sorted relative to their scores . at this point , the process of step 50 sorts the subdocuments by their score . this sort operation is a modified heap sort on the subdocument score list . a heap sort process is a process in which a heap is first created and then the documents with the highest scores are selected off the top of the heap to make the final sort order . fig6 illustrates a general algorithm for a heap sort process . this process is initialized by setting l =( n / 2 )+ 1 and r = n , where n is the number of subdocuments in the subdocument score list . then , the process of fig6 is operated until l = 1 or r & lt ; n . this process places the n subdocument scores in a heap form . the n subdocument scores are in heap form when the root ( highest or lowest score magnitude on the subdocument score list represented by vector a ( n )) is stored at a ( 1 ), the children of a i ! are a 2i ! and a 2i + 1 ! and the magnitude of a i / 2 !& gt ; a i ! for 1 & lt ; i / 2 & lt ; i & lt ; n . when the subdocument score list is in a heap form , a 1 != max ( a i !) for 1 & lt ; i & lt ; n . that is , the highest subdocument score is in the first position ( a 1 !) of the heap . since subdocuments are ranked by score to quickly select the most relevant subdocuments and since the most relevant subdocument is at the top of the heap , the process of step 50 ( of fig2 ) merely selects this subdocument for further processing by the computer 220 . in step 60 of fig2 the computer 220 then displays the document text associated with this highest ranked subdocument . the computer 220 can also display the text of the entire document associated with this subdocument . while the computer 220 is displaying the text of the highest ranking subdocument , the computer 220 is also processing in the background ( according to step 50 of fig2 ) the remaining entries in the subdocument score list to reheapify them ( i . e ., reorganize them back into a heap form after the highest value subdocument has been removed ). as a result , when the next highest order subdocument is sought by computer 220 , it can be merely selected off the top of the heap and displayed . the remaining entries in the subdocument list would then be reheapified again . according to the process illustrated in fig2 once a user has selected a query ( through highlighting text or otherwise ), the computer system automatically connects the user to text portions of documents that are specifically related to the query . these text portions are retrieved from databases that do not have any particular structure or coded links in them . additionally , these links are provided in spite of the fact that the set of returned documents may have been generated by different search techniques from different sources . moreover , since the returned documents are automatically displayed , the user avoids the necessity of reorganizing the returned documents which may have been retrieved based on a variety of database search techniques . while the invention has been particularly described and illustrated with reference to a preferred embodiment , it will be understood by one of skill in the art that changes in the above description or illustrations may be made with respect to formal detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	8
reference will now be made in detail to one or more embodiments , illustrated in the accompanying drawings , wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout . in this regard , embodiments of the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to embodiments set forth herein , as various changes , modifications , and equivalents of the systems , apparatuses and / or methods described herein will be understood to be included in the invention by those of ordinary skill in the art after embodiments discussed herein are understood . accordingly , embodiments are merely described below , by referring to the figures , to explain aspects of the present invention . fig1 is a perspective view illustrating an outer appearance of a robot cleaner 1 according to one or more embodiments . referring to fig1 , the robot cleaner 1 may include a main body 10 that forms the outer appearance and auxiliary cleaners 100 a and 100 b ( collectively denoted by 100 ) that clean a near - wall portion and a corner portion . various sensors for detecting an obstacle may be coupled to the main body 10 and may include a proximity sensor 61 and / or a vision sensor 62 . for example , when the robot cleaner 1 navigates in an arbitrary direction without a determined path , that is , in a cleaning system with no map , the robot cleaner 1 may detect an obstacle by using the proximity sensor 61 and may navigate a cleaning area . by contrast , when the robot cleaner 1 navigates along a determined path , that is , in a cleaning system requiring a map , the vision sensor 62 that receives position information of the robot cleaner 1 and generates a map may be provided , and other various methods may be used . also , a display unit 70 may be coupled to the main body 10 and may display various states of the robot cleaner 1 . the display unit 70 may display , for example , a battery state of charge , whether a dust - collecting device is full , or a cleaning mode of the robot cleaner 1 . a structure of each auxiliary cleaner 100 will be explained below in detail with reference to fig3 through 6 . fig2 is a cross - sectional view illustrating a structure of a bottom surface of a robot cleaner according to one or more embodiments , such as the robot cleaner 1 of fig1 . referring to fig1 and 2 , the robot cleaner 1 may include a main brush unit 30 , a power supply 50 , driving wheels 41 and 42 , a caster 43 , and the auxiliary cleaners 100 a and 100 b . the main brush unit 30 may be mounted in an opening formed in a rear portion r of the bottom surface of the main body 10 . the main brush unit 30 may sweep dust accumulated on a floor on which the main body 10 is put into a dust inlet 33 . the opening of the bottom surface of the main body 10 in which the main brush unit 30 may be mounted is the dust inlet 33 . the main brush unit 30 may include a roller 31 and a main brush 32 on an outer surface of the roller 31 . as the roller 31 rotates , the main brush 32 may sweep dust accumulated on the floor into the dust inlet 33 . although not shown in fig2 , a ventilation device that generates a suction force may be provided in the dust inlet 33 and may transfer the dust swept into the dust inlet 33 to the dust collecting device . the power supply 50 may supply driving power for driving the main body 10 . the power supply 50 may include various driving devices for driving various parts mounted on the main body 10 and a battery that may be electrically connected to the main body 10 and may supply driving power . the battery may be a rechargeable secondary battery . when a cleaning process is completed and the main body 10 is coupled to a charger or a discharge station , the battery may be supplied with power from the charger or the discharge station to be charged . the driving wheels 41 and 42 may be symmetrically disposed on left and right edges of a central area of the bottom surface of the main body 10 . while the robot cleaner 1 performs the cleaning process , the driving wheels 41 and 42 may navigate forward or backward , or rotate . the caster 43 may be provided on a front edge of the bottom surface of the main body 10 in a navigation direction of the robot cleaner 1 , to help the main body 10 to maintain a stable posture . the driving wheels 41 and 42 and the caster 43 may constitute one assembly and may be detachably mounted on the main body 10 . openings may be formed at both sides of a front portion f of the bottom surface of the main body 10 , and the auxiliary cleaning units 100 a and 100 b may be provided to cover the openings . a structure of the auxiliary cleaner 100 will be explained in detail with reference to fig3 through 6 . the auxiliary cleaner 100 may be mounted to the bottom surface of the robot cleaner 1 to protrude and retract from and to the robot cleaner 1 . the auxiliary cleaner 100 may have any of various structures , and two structures according to one or more embodiments will be explained , but the structure of the auxiliary cleaner 100 is not limited thereto . fig3 is a cross - sectional view illustrating a structure of the auxiliary cleaner 100 that protrudes or retracts , according to one or more embodiments . referring to fig3 , the auxiliary cleaner 100 may include a side arm 102 , a rim cover 103 , and an auxiliary cleaning tool 110 . the side arm 102 may be coupled to a lower portion of a front side of the main body 10 , and an arm motor ( not shown ) that may drive the side arm 102 may be located in an upper portion of the side arm 102 . the arm motor may be connected to a rotating shaft ( not shown ) via a predetermined gear that may transmit a driving force to the side arm 102 , and the rotating shaft may be mounted in a coupling groove 101 formed in one end of the side arm 102 . accordingly , when the arm motor is driven , the rotating shaft may rotate and the side arm 102 may pivot about the coupling groove 101 . in this case , as the side arm 102 pivots to the outside of the main body 10 , the rim cover 103 may no longer cover the opening of the main body 10 and may no longer form a side rim of the main body 10 . a coupling groove 104 to which the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 may be coupled may be formed in the other end of the side arm 102 . a rotary motor ( not shown ) that drives the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 may be located in an upper portion of the other end of the side arm 102 , and the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 may rotate about the coupling groove 104 due to a driving force of the rotary motor . fig4 is a cross - sectional view illustrating a structure of an auxiliary cleaner 100 that protrudes or retracts , according to one or more embodiments . referring to fig4 , the auxiliary cleaner 100 may include a side arm 106 , a rim cover 108 , and the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 . the side arm 106 may be coupled through a coupling groove 105 to a lower portion of a front side of the main body 10 , and an extension arm 107 that may slidably extend to the outside of the side arm 106 may be received in the side arm 106 . the extension arm 107 may move forward and backward in a longitudinal direction of the side arm 106 in the side arm 106 . to this end , a rail may be formed in the side arm 106 , a guide loop ( not shown ) may be formed on the extension arm 107 , and the extension arm 107 may slidably move along the rail while being fixed to the rail . also , another extension arm that may slidably extend to the outside of the extension arm 107 may be received in the extension arm 107 . the other extension arm may move in the same manner , and the number of extension arms is not limited . an arm motor ( not shown ) that drives the extension arm 107 may be received in an upper portion of the side arm 106 . the arm motor may transmit a driving force to the extension arm 107 . when the arm motor is driven , the extension arm 107 may slide to the outside of the side arm 106 and may protrude to the outside of the main body 10 . in this case , the rim cover 108 may no longer cover the opening of the main body 10 and may no longer form a side rim of the main body 10 . a coupling groove 109 to which the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 may be coupled may be formed in an end of the extension arm 107 . a rotary motor ( not shown ) that drives the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 may be received in an upper portion of the end of the extension arm 107 , and the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 may rotate about the coupling groove 109 due to a driving force of the rotary motor . in the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the auxiliary cleaner 100 may protrude by receiving a force from , for example , a spring instead of a motor . also , as described above , a rotating shaft of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 may not be the same as a rotating shaft of the motor and may be connected , for example , by a gear , a belt , or the like . the auxiliary cleaner 100 may include the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 , and the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 may clean a near - wall portion . the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 may include a brush that collects or scatters foreign substances such as dust , a dustcloth that cleans a floor , and an absorber that absorbs foreign substances such as dust . however , the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 is not limited to a specific type . fig5 is a view illustrating a structure of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 , according to one or more embodiments . referring to fig5 , the brush arm 113 may extend outward in a radial direction of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 . an auxiliary brush 112 may be coupled to the brush arm 113 , and a rotating shaft 111 that may protrude from the brush arm 113 may be coupled to the side arm 102 or the extension arm 107 through a coupling groove . when the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 rotates , the auxiliary brush 112 may sweep dust accumulated on a near - wall portion toward the central area of the main body 10 . fig6 is a view illustrating a structure of an auxiliary too , such as the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 , according to one or more embodiments . referring to fig6 , a dustcloth holder 116 may be formed in a radial direction of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 , and an auxiliary dustcloth 115 may be mounted in a radial direction of the dustcloth holder 116 on the dustcloth holder 116 . a rotating shaft 114 that may receive a driving force of the rotary motor and may rotate the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 may protrude from the center of the dustcloth holder 116 , and the rotating shaft 114 may be coupled to the side arm 102 or the extension arm 107 through a coupling groove . when the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 rotates , the auxiliary dustcloth 115 may clean a near - wall portion . when the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 of fig6 is applied to the auxiliary cleaner 100 of fig4 , a cleaning operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 may be performed when the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 rotates and the extension arm 107 repeatedly protrudes and retracts . also , a cleaning operation may be performed when only the extension arm 107 repeatedly protrudes and retracts without any rotation of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 . the auxiliary brush 112 may be formed of any of various elastic materials , and the auxiliary dustcloth 115 may be formed of any of various materials such as , for example , a fibrous material . since a cleaning area may be widened due to the auxiliary cleaner 100 that protrudes to the outside of the main body 10 , the robot cleaner 1 may clean even a near - wall portion or a corner portion of the floor . although two auxiliary cleaning units 100 a and 100 b may be provided on both side portions of the robot cleaner 1 in fig1 through 6 , the present embodiment is not limited thereto and a number and positions of the auxiliary cleaning units 100 are not limited . however , for convenience of explanation , in the following description , it is assumed that two auxiliary cleaning units 100 may be provided on both side portions of the robot cleaner 1 as shown in fig1 through 6 . in the following description , it is assumed that a cleaning process may be basically performed by the main brush unit 30 while the robot cleaner 1 navigates . also , for convenience of explanation , it is assumed that the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 may be a brush type . fig7 is a block diagram illustrating a control structure of a robot cleaner , according to one or more embodiments . referring to fig7 , the robot cleaner 1 may include a first detector 60 that may detect an environment of the robot cleaner 1 , a second detector 300 that may detect an operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 , an input unit 80 that may receive a command related to navigation or a cleaning operation of the robot cleaner 1 from a user , a controller 200 that may control the navigation and / or the cleaning operation of the robot cleaner 1 according to the command input to the input unit 80 or a result of the detection of the first and second detection units 60 and 300 , the main brush unit 30 and the auxiliary cleaner 100 that may perform the cleaning operation of the robot cleaner 1 , and a navigation unit 40 that may be in charge of the navigation of the robot cleaner 1 . the first detector 60 may detect an obstacle . examples of the first detector 60 that detects an obstacle may include , for example , an ultrasonic sensor , a light sensor , or a proximity sensor , etc . when the first detector 60 is an ultrasonic sensor , the first detector 60 may detect an obstacle by transmitting ultrasound waves to a navigation path and receiving reflected ultrasound waves . when the first detector 60 is a light sensor , an infrared light - emitting element may emit infrared rays , and an infrared receiving element may receive reflected infrared rays to detect an obstacle . in addition , the first detector 60 may be , for example , a proximity sensor , a contact sensor , or a vision sensor . as long as the first detector 60 may detect an obstacle , the first detector 60 is not limited to a specific construction . the second detector 300 may detect whether the auxiliary cleaner 100 performs a protrusion operation or a retraction operation . also , the second detector 300 may detect a protrusion degree or a retraction degree of the auxiliary cleaner 100 , and may detect whether the protrusion operation or the retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 is completed . in order to detect a protrusion or retraction state of the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the second detector 300 may include a contact sensor such as a micro - switch , a circuit that detects a counter - electromotive force of an arm motor , a hall sensor that detects a number of times the arm motor rotates , or a photo sensor . a detailed structure of the second detector 300 will be explained below in detail when a structure of detecting an operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 is described . the input unit 80 may receive a command related to a cleaning operation or a navigation of the robot cleaner 1 from the user . basically , a cleaning start command or a cleaning end command may be input by inputting an on / off signal , and a command related to a navigation mode and a cleaning mode may be input . the input unit 80 may be provided on the main body 10 of the robot cleaner 1 as a button type , or may be provided on the display unit 70 as a touch panel type , for example . the controller 200 may detect an error of the auxiliary cleaner 100 and accordingly may control the robot cleaner 1 to clean and navigate . to this end , the controller 200 may include an error detector 210 that may detect an error of the auxiliary cleaner 100 , a cleaning controller 220 that may control the main brush unit 30 and the auxiliary cleaner 100 for a cleaning operation of the robot cleaner 1 , and a navigation controller 230 that may control the navigation unit 40 for a navigation of the robot cleaner 1 . a structure and an operation of the controller 200 will be explained in detail below . the main brush unit 30 may include the roller 31 and the main brush 32 placed into the outer surface of the roller 31 as described above . when the cleaning controller 220 transmits a control signal to a driving motor that drives the roller 31 , the roller 31 may begin to rotate according to the control signal . as the roller 31 rotates , the main brush 32 may sweep dust accumulated on the floor into the dust inlet 33 and a cleaning operation of the main brush unit 30 may be performed . the auxiliary cleaner 100 may clean a corner portion which the main brush unit 30 may not reach . the term ‘ corner portion ’ used herein refers to a portion formed when an obstacle including a wall and a floor contact each other . the auxiliary cleaner 100 may clean a corner portion which the main brush unit 30 may not reach . the auxiliary cleaner 100 may include the side arms 102 and 106 and / or the extension arm 107 which may be in charge of a protrusion operation and a retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 , a rotary motor that may rotate the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 , and an arm motor that may drive the side arms 102 and 106 and / or the extension arm 107 . the navigation unit 40 may include the driving wheels 41 and 42 , the caster 43 , and a driving unit that may drive the driving wheels 41 and 42 and the caster 43 as described above . the navigation controller 230 may transmit a control signal to the driving unit to drive the driving wheels 41 and 42 forward or backward , and thus may move the robot cleaner 1 forward or backward . when the driving wheel 41 as a left driving wheel is moved backward and the driving wheel 42 as a right driving wheel is moved forward , the robot cleaner 1 may rotate leftward . by contrast , when the driving wheel 41 is moved forward and the driving wheel 42 is moved backward , the robot cleaner 1 may rotate rightward . fig8 is a block diagram illustrating a control structure of the controller 200 of a robot cleaner , according to one or more embodiments . the first detector 60 , the second detector 300 , the input unit 80 , the main brush unit 30 , the auxiliary cleaner 100 , and the navigation unit 40 have already been described and thus an explanation thereof will not be given . referring to fig8 , the error detector 210 may determine whether the auxiliary cleaner 100 operates abnormally based on a result of a detection of the second detector 300 . when the cleaning controller 220 transmits a protrusion or retraction command to the auxiliary cleaner 100 but a result of the detection of the second detector 300 indicates that the auxiliary cleaner 100 does not normally protrude or retract , the error detector 210 may determine that an error has occurred in an operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 . the cleaning controller 220 may control the main brush unit 30 and the auxiliary cleaner 100 to perform a cleaning operation according to the user &# 39 ; s input or a program that is previously stored . in detail , the cleaning controller 220 may generate a cleaning command and may control a motor that drives the main brush unit 30 to be driven , and may generate a protrusion command or a retraction command and may control a motor that drives the auxiliary cleaner 100 to be driven . the navigation controller 230 may control a navigation path and a navigation speed of the robot cleaner 1 by controlling the navigation unit 40 according to the user &# 39 ; s input or a program that is previously stored . a protrusion or retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 and a rotation operation of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 in one or more embodiments may be the same as those described with reference to fig3 through 6 . that is , a protrusion or retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 may be performed as the arm motor that drives the side arm 102 or the extension arm 107 rotates , and a rotation operation of the auxiliary cleaning tool 110 may be performed as the rotary motor rotates . a structure of detecting an operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 and a method of detecting an error of the auxiliary cleaner 100 will be explained in detail . in the following description , a driving unit may include an arm motor that drives a side arm or an extension arm of the auxiliary cleaner 100 . fig9 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of detecting an operation of an auxiliary cleaner , such as the auxiliary cleaner 100 , according to one or more embodiments . referring to fig9 , a magnet plate 340 may rotate by being coupled to a rotating shaft of a driving unit 120 . two or more permanent magnets 330 are mounted on the magnet plate 340 . the number of the permanent magnets 330 mounted on the magnet plate 340 may vary according to sizes of the permanent magnets 330 . hall sensors 311 and 312 may be provided on a side of an outer peripheral surface of the driving unit 120 . a plurality of the hall sensors 311 and 312 may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the driving unit 120 with a phase difference of , for example , 120 or 90 degrees . as the magnet plate 340 rotates , a magnetic field generated by the permanent magnets 330 may be detected by the hall sensors 311 and 312 , and the hall sensors 311 and 312 may transmit a square - wave signal to the error detector 210 according to the detected magnetic field . in this case , the magnet plate 340 may rotate forward or backward according to a rotation direction of the driving unit 120 . the error detector 210 may determine the rotation direction of the driving unit 120 according to the magnetic field detected by the plurality of hall sensors 311 and 312 . fig1 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of detecting an operation of an auxiliary cleaner , such as the auxiliary cleaner 100 , according to one or more embodiments . referring to fig1 , a rotary plate 350 in which a plurality of slits may be formed to block or pass light may be coupled to the rotating shaft of the driving unit 120 . a light - emitting unit 360 that emits light toward the rotary plate 350 may be provided , and a light - receiving unit 313 that receives light may be provided on a side of the outer peripheral surface of the driving unit 120 . the light - emitting unit 360 may be , for example , a light - emitting diode ( led ), and the light - receiving unit 313 may be , for example , a photo sensor . as the rotary plate 350 rotates , the light - receiving unit 313 may receive light that has been emitted from the light - emitting unit 360 and has been transmitted through the slits formed in the rotary plate 350 . accordingly , whether the light - receiving unit 313 receives light may be related to whether the driving unit 120 rotates , and a number of times the light - receiving unit 313 receives light may be related to a number of times the driving unit 120 rotates . the light - receiving unit 313 may transmit a square - wave signal to the error detector 210 according to whether light is received . fig1 is a diagram for explaining a method of detecting an error of an auxiliary cleaner according to one or more embodiments , such as the auxiliary cleaner 100 of fig9 or 10 . referring to fig1 , the error detector 210 may receive a square - wave signal from the hall sensors 311 and 312 or the light - receiving unit 313 . the error detector 210 may determine a rotation direction of the driving unit 120 according to from which hall sensor a square - wave signal is first received from among the plurality of hall sensors 311 and 312 . accordingly , the error detector 210 may determine whether the auxiliary cleaner 100 performs a protrusion operation or a retraction operation according to whether the rotation direction of the driving unit 120 is a forward direction or a backward direction . the error detector 210 may calculate a rotation speed of the driving unit 120 according to a cycle of a signal received from the hall sensors 311 and 312 or the light - receiving unit 313 . when a signal is received from the hall sensors 311 and 312 , a cycle of the signal is inversely proportional to a rotation speed of the driving unit 120 and a number of the permanent magnets 330 mounted on the magnet plate 340 . when a signal is received from the light - receiving unit 313 , a cycle of the signal is inversely proportional to a rotation speed of the driving unit 120 and a number of the slits formed in the rotary plate 350 . the error detector 210 may calculate a number of times the driving unit 120 rotates by analyzing a square - wave signal received for a preset period of time , and may determine a protrusion or retraction degree of the auxiliary cleaner 100 based on the number of times the driving unit 120 rotates . for example , the error detector 210 may calculate a number of times the driving unit 120 rotates based on a number of times a low level or a high level of a signal is changed . for example , when a rotation speed of the driving unit 120 is a first speed ( 1 ×) as shown in fig1 , a number of times a low level or a high level of a signal is changed for a preset period of time may be 5 . likewise , when a rotation speed of the driving unit 120 is a second speed ( 2 ×), a number of times a low level or a high level of a signal is changed for a preset period of time may be 10 . for example , when a cycle of a signal is repeated 5 times , the rotating shaft of the driving unit 120 may rotate by 45 °, and when a cycle of a signal is repeated 10 times , the rotating shaft of the driving unit 120 may rotate by 90 °. that is , the error detector 210 may calculate a number of times the driving unit 120 rotates by analyzing a number of times a cycle of a signal is repeated for a preset period of time . when a number of times a cycle of a signal is changed for a preset period of time is less than a critical value , that is , when a number of times a low level or a high level of a signal is changed is less than a critical value , the error detector 210 may determine that an error has occurred in a protrusion or retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 . the preset period of time may be the same as a time taken for the auxiliary cleaner 100 to normally protrude or retract or a value obtained by adding or subtracting a predetermined period of time to or from the time taken for the auxiliary cleaner 100 to normally protrude or retract . the error detector 210 may determine whether a protrusion operation or a retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 is completed based on an accumulated number of times the driving unit 120 rotates . when a square - wave signal is received from the hall sensors 311 and 312 or the receiving unit 313 and a number of times a cycle of a signal is repeated for a preset period of time is greater than a critical value even though there is no protrusion command or retraction command for the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the error detector 210 may determine that the auxiliary cleaner 100 has performed an undesired protrusion operation or retraction operation . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of detecting an operation of an auxiliary cleaner , such as the auxiliary cleaner 100 , according to one or more embodiments . referring to fig1 , a first detection circuit 314 and a second detection circuit 315 may be provided in the driving unit 120 , and each of the first and second detection circuits 314 and 315 may detect a counter - electromotive force generated when the arm motor or the rotary motor rotates . the first detection circuit 314 and the second detection circuit 315 may be provided at different positions in order to distinguish counter - electromotive forces according to a rotation direction of the driving unit 120 . the error detector 210 may determine whether the auxiliary cleaner 100 performs a protrusion operation or a retraction operation according to whether current corresponding to a forward rotation of the driving unit 120 is detected or current corresponding to a backward rotation of the driving unit 120 is detected . fig1 is a graph for explaining a method of detecting an error of an auxiliary cleaner according to one or more embodiments , such as the auxiliary cleaner 100 of fig1 . referring to fig1 , a current may be supplied from a power supply circuit to the driving unit 120 according to a protrusion command or a retraction command for the auxiliary cleaner 100 , and the first detection circuit 314 or the second detection circuit 315 may detect an amount of current generated as the arm motor or the rotary motor supplied with the rotates . current supplied to the arm motor or the rotary motor may be proportional to current detected by the first detection circuit 314 or the second detection circuit 315 . since an amount of current detected by the first detection circuit 314 or the first detection circuit 314 may be proportional to a protrusion degree or a retraction degree of the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the error detector 210 may determine the protrusion degree or the retraction degree by using the amount of current detected by the first detection circuit 314 or the second detection circuit 315 . for example , current values i 1 and i 2 may need to be supplied in order to drive and rotate the arm motor or the rotary motor as shown in fig1 , and amounts of current s 1 and s 2 supplied to the arm motor or the rotary motor may be set according to a desired protrusion degree or a desired retraction degree of the auxiliary cleaner 100 . here , the current values i 1 and i 2 and the amounts of current s 1 and s 2 supplied to the arm motor or the rotary motor may vary according to a type of the arm motor or the rotary motor , and the amounts of current s 1 and s 2 supplied to the arm motor or the rotary motor may correspond to values obtained by integrating current values supplied to the arm motor or the rotary motor for periods of time t 1 and t 2 taken for the auxiliary cleaner 100 to operate normally . when an amount of current detected by the first detection circuit 314 or the second detection circuit 315 for a preset period of time is less than a critical value , the error detector 210 may determine that an error has occurred in a protrusion or retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 . the preset period of time may be the same as a time taken for the auxiliary cleaner 100 to normally protrude or retract or a value obtained by adding or subtracting a predetermined period of time to or from the time taken for the auxiliary cleaner 100 to normally protrude or retract . the error detector 210 may determine whether a protrusion operation or a retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 is completed based on an accumulated amount of current detected by the first detection circuit 314 or the second detection circuit 315 . when current is detected by the first detection circuit 314 or the second detection circuit 315 and an amount of current detected for a preset period of time is greater than a critical value even though there is no protrusion command or retraction command for the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the error detector 210 may determine that the auxiliary cleaner 100 has performed an undesired protrusion operation or retraction operation . fig1 and 15 are diagrams illustrating a structure of detecting an operation of an auxiliary cleaner , such as the auxiliary cleaner 100 , according to one or more embodiments . referring to fig1 and 15 , in order to protrude or retract the auxiliary cleaner 100 , a contact detection sensor such as , for example , a micro - switch or a contact switch may be provided in a path through which a predetermined mechanism moves . examples of a contact detection sensor include a sensor that indirectly detects a contact such as a photo interrupter as well as a sensor that physically detects a contact . when it is assumed that a predetermined mechanism pivots about a predetermined rotating shaft as shown in fig1 , a plurality of contact detection sensors 316 may be provided in a radial direction of a mechanism 370 . when it is assumed that a predetermined mechanism linearly moves in a predetermined direction as shown in fig1 , a plurality of the contact detection sensors 316 may be provided in a movement direction of a mechanism 390 . accordingly , the error detector 210 may indirectly estimate a position of the auxiliary cleaner 100 by using a contact position between a predetermined mechanism and the contact detection sensors 316 . although a micro - switch is used as only an example in the following description for convenience of explanation , the present embodiment is not limited thereto . also , the number of the contact detection sensors 316 may vary according to an accuracy in detecting an operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 , and a resistor 380 may be connected to an end of each of the contact detection sensors 316 . a plurality of micro - switches may be provided to contact a predetermined mechanism in a path through which the predetermined mechanism moves . as the predetermined mechanism moves , a specific micro - switch of the micro - switches may detect a contact , and the error detector 210 may determine whether the auxiliary cleaner 100 performs a protrusion operation or a retract operation based on a position of the specific micro - switch detecting the contact and an order in which contacts are detected . the error detector 210 may calculate an operation speed of the auxiliary cleaner 100 by using a time and a position of a micro - switch detecting a contact , and may determine whether a protrusion operation or a retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 is completed based on a final position of a micro - switch detecting a contact . when a contact between a mechanism and a micro - switch of a predicted position within a preset period of time is not detected , the error detector 210 may determine that an error occurs in a protrusion or retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 . the preset period of time may be the same as a time taken for the auxiliary cleaner 100 to normally protrude or retract or a value obtained by adding or subtracting a predetermined period of time to or from the time taken for the auxiliary cleaner 100 to normally protrude or retract as described above . when a position of the auxiliary cleaner 100 is changed and a contact between a mechanism and a micro - switch of a specific position is detected even though there is no protrusion command or retraction command for the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the error detector 210 may determine that the auxiliary cleaner 100 performs an undesired protrusion operation or retraction operation . a method of controlling the robot cleaner 1 according to the structures of detecting an error of the auxiliary cleaner 100 will be explained . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a robot cleaner in a case where an error occurs when an auxiliary cleaner , such as the auxiliary cleaner 100 , protrudes , according to one or more embodiments . referring to fig1 , in operation 511 , the controller 200 may determine whether a protrusion command for the auxiliary cleaner 100 is generated . when it is determined in operation 511 that there is a protrusion command for the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the method may proceed to operation 512 . in operation 512 , the controller 200 may determine whether an error is detected in a protrusion operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 based on a result obtained when the second detector 300 detects the auxiliary cleaner 100 . when it is determined in operation 512 that an error is detected in a protrusion operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the method may proceed to operation 513 . in operation 513 , the first detector 60 may determine whether an obstacle is detected in the protrusion direction of the auxiliary cleaner 100 . when it is determined in operation 513 that an obstacle is detected in the protrusion direction of the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the method may proceed to operation 514 . in operation 514 , the controller 200 may determine that the error of the auxiliary cleaner 100 is caused by the obstacle ( for example , a state where the auxiliary cleaner 100 fails to protrude due to a collision with the obstacle ). in operation 515 , the controller 200 may perform an operation in response to the obstacle . in this case , the controller 200 may perform a retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 in response to the obstacle . also , the controller 200 may change a navigation direction and a navigation pattern of the robot cleaner 1 in response to the obstacle . when it is determined in operation 513 that an obstacle is not detected in the protrusion direction of the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the method may proceed to operation 516 . in operation 516 , the controller 200 may determine that the error of the auxiliary cleaner 100 is caused by a change in a floor surface ( for example , a state where the floor surface is changed to a floor surface formed of a material with high resistance such as a carpet ). in operation 517 , the controller 200 may perform an operation in response to the change in the floor surface . in this case , the controller 200 may perform a retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 in response to the change in the floor surface . also , the controller 200 may adjust a protrusion strength of the auxiliary cleaner 100 in response to the change in the floor surface . to this end , the controller 200 may adjust current supplied to the arm motor that protrudes the auxiliary cleaner 100 . when it is determined in operation 511 that there is no protrusion command for the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the method may proceed to operation 518 . in operation 518 , the controller 200 may determine whether an error is detected in a protrusion operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 based on a result obtained when the second detector 300 detects the auxiliary cleaner 100 . in this case , the controller 200 may additionally determine whether the robot cleaner 1 is in a navigation mode . when it is determined in operation 518 that an error is detected in a protrusion operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the method may proceed to operation 519 . in operation 519 , the controller 200 may determine that the error of the auxiliary cleaner 100 is caused by an undesired protrusion ( for example , a state where the robot cleaner 1 is lowered by the user and the auxiliary cleaner 100 protrudes downward ). in operation 520 , the controller 200 may determine that the undesired protrusion is caused by an external force applied by the user , and may control the driving unit 120 to resist the external force in order to maintain a previous state . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a robot cleaner in a case where an error occurs when an auxiliary cleaner , such as the auxiliary cleaner 100 retracts , according to one or more embodiments . referring to fig1 , in operation 611 , the controller 200 may determine whether a retraction command for the auxiliary cleaner 100 is generated . when it is determined in operation 611 that there is a retraction command for the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the method may proceed to operation 612 . in operation 612 , the controller 200 may determine whether an error is detected in a retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 based on a result obtained when the second detector 300 detects the auxiliary cleaner 100 . when it is determined in operation 612 that an error is detected in a retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the method may proceed to operation 613 . in operation 613 , the first detector 60 may determine whether an obstacle is detected in the retraction direction of the auxiliary cleaner 100 . when it is determined in operation 613 that an obstacle is detected in the retraction direction of the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the method may proceed to operation 614 . in operation 614 , the controller 200 may determine that the error of the auxiliary cleaner 100 is caused by the obstacle ( for example , a state where the auxiliary cleaner 100 fails to retract due to the obstacle disposed between the auxiliary cleaner 100 and the main body 10 ). in operation 615 , the controller 200 may perform an operation in response to the obstacle . in this case , the controller 200 may maintain a protrusion state of the auxiliary cleaner 100 for a predetermined period of time in response to the obstacle . also , the controller 200 may change a navigation direction and a navigation pattern of the robot cleaner 1 in response to the obstacle . when it is determined in operation 613 that an obstacle is not detected in the retraction direction of the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the method may proceed to operation 616 . in operation 616 , the controller 200 may determine that the error of the auxiliary cleaner 100 is caused by a change in a floor surface ( for example , a state where the floor surface is changed to a floor surface formed of a material with high resistance such as a carpet ). in operation 617 , the controller 200 may perform an operation in response to the change in the floor surface . in this case , the controller 200 may perform a protrusion operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 in response to the change in the floor surface . also , the controller 200 may adjust a retraction strength of the auxiliary cleaner 100 in response to the change in the floor surface . to this end , the controller 200 may adjust current supplied to the arm motor that retracts the auxiliary cleaner 100 . when it is determined in operation 611 that there is no retraction command for the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the method may proceed to operation 618 . in operation 618 , the controller 200 may determine whether an error is detected in a retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 based on a result obtained when the second detector 300 detects the auxiliary cleaner 100 . in this case , the controller 200 may additionally determine whether the robot cleaner 1 is in a navigation mode . when it is determined in operation 618 that an error is detected in a retraction operation of the auxiliary cleaner 100 , the method may proceed to operation 619 . in operation 619 , the controller 200 may determine that the error of the auxiliary cleaner 100 is caused by an undesired retraction ( for example , a state where the user arbitrarily presses down the auxiliary cleaner 100 that is protruding . in operation 620 , the controller 200 may determine that the undesired retraction is caused by an external force applied by the user , and may control the driving unit 120 to resist the external force in order to maintain a previous state . although two auxiliary cleaning units 100 may be provided on both side portions of the robot cleaner 1 in the above - mentioned embodiments , the embodiments are not limited thereto , and a number and positions of the auxiliary cleaning units 100 are not limited . each of the auxiliary cleaning units 100 may protrude or retract , and a method of controlling the robot cleaner 1 which may be performed when an error occurs in an operation of each of the auxiliary cleaning units 100 may be applied to each of the auxiliary cleaning units 100 . in one or more embodiments , any apparatus , system , element , or interpretable unit descriptions herein include one or more hardware devices or hardware processing elements . for example , in one or more embodiments , any described apparatus , system , element , retriever , pre or post - processing elements , tracker , detector , encoder , decoder , etc ., may further include one or more memories and / or processing elements , and any hardware input / output transmission devices , or represent operating portions / aspects of one or more respective processing elements or devices . further , the term apparatus should be considered synonymous with elements of a physical system , not limited to a single device or enclosure or all described elements embodied in single respective enclosures in all embodiments , but rather , depending on embodiment , is open to being embodied together or separately in differing enclosures and / or locations through differing hardware elements . in addition to the above described embodiments , embodiments can also be implemented through computer readable code / instructions in / on a non - transitory medium , e . g ., a computer readable medium , to control at least one processing device , such as a processor or computer , to implement any above described embodiment . the medium can correspond to any defined , measurable , and tangible structure permitting the storing and / or transmission of the computer readable code . the media may also include , e . g ., in combination with the computer readable code , data files , data structures , and the like . one or more embodiments of computer - readable media include : magnetic media such as hard disks , floppy disks , and magnetic tape ; optical media such as cd rom disks and dvds ; magneto - optical media such as optical disks ; and hardware devices that are specially configured to store and perform program instructions , such as read - only memory ( rom ), random access memory ( ram ), flash memory , and the like . computer readable code may include both machine code , such as produced by a compiler , and files containing higher level code that may be executed by the computer using an interpreter , for example . the media may also be any defined , measurable , and tangible distributed network , so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion . still further , as only an example , the processing element could include a processor or a computer processor , and processing elements may be distributed and / or included in a single device . the computer - readable media may also be embodied in at least one application specific integrated circuit ( asic ) or field programmable gate array ( fpga ), as only examples , which execute ( e . g ., processes like a processor ) program instructions . while aspects of the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to differing embodiments thereof , it should be understood that these embodiments should be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation . descriptions of features or aspects within each embodiment should typically be considered as available for other similar features or aspects in the remaining embodiments . suitable results may equally be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order and / or if components in a described system , architecture , device , or circuit are combined in a different manner and / or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents . thus , although a few embodiments have been shown and described , with additional embodiments being equally available , it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention , the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents .	0
referring now to the drawings and more particularly to fig1 . there is shown a beverage container system 10 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention . as above indicated , the present invention is equally applicable to self - heating or self - cooling containers for food or beverage . however , for purposes of clarity and ease of description only a self - cooling beverage container system will be illustrated and described . the beverage container system 10 includes a top 12 and a bottom 14 . secured to the top 12 is a typical opening structure such as a pulltab 16 . a product preferably such as a beverage 18 is contained within the beverage can 20 . a heat exchange unit ( heu ) 22 is secured as by crimping to the bottom 14 of the beverage can 20 . a valve mechanism 24 is secured to the heat exchange unit 22 and contains a valve 24 which when actuated releases or activates a refrigerant contained within the heu 22 allowing it to escape carrying with it heat which has been transferred from the beverage 18 to the refrigerant . if the contents of the container 20 was food or the heu contained an exothermic product , a similar reaction would occur . the valve mechanism 24 is activated by a plunger 26 which is protected by an overcap 28 . the overcap protects the plunger 26 from inadvertent activation and also provides an indicator to the purchasing consumer that the heat exchange unit has not been previously activated . the overcap 28 is secured in place by an appropriate downwardly depending skirt and flange 30 which is secured to the valve mechanism 24 . the heat exchange unit 22 may contain a refrigerant medium which is any known to the art and which functions to conduct the heat contained within the beverage 18 out of the beverage and into the atmosphere as the refrigerant escapes once the heat exchange unit has been activated by depressing the plunger 26 . various types of refrigerants have been disclosed in the prior art patents above referred to . however , the preferred refrigerant medium for the present invention is an adsorbent / desorbent mechanism preferably utilizing materials such as zeolites , cation exchange zeolites , silica gel , activated carbons and carbon molecular sieves and the like as the adsorbent . these adsorbents are capable of adsorbing under pressure a significant quantity of gas for later release . the gas adsorbed therein can be any suitable gas that is inert and is friendly to the atmosphere . preferably the gas in accordance with the present invention comprises carbon dioxide . the carbon dioxide adsorbed in the adsorbent , preferably activated carbon particles , when released to atmospheric pressure will experience a significant drop in temperature thereby chilling the contents of the beverage 18 which comes into contact with the outer surface of the heat exchange unit 22 . a more detailed explanation of the carbon - carbon dioxide adsorbent refrigeration system is contained in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 692 , 381 above referred to and incorporated herein by reference . therefore a further and more detailed explanation of the carbon - carbon dioxide refrigerant system will not be provided herein . in order to provide a more efficient transfer of heat from the beverage 18 to the carbon dioxide gas as it desorbs from the carbon particles , a heat transfer mechanism 32 may be inserted into the interior of the heat exchange unit 22 . preferably the heat transfer mechanism is in the form of a heat sink containing fins such as shown at 34 through 40 which intimately contact the interior surface 42 of the heat exchange unit 22 and converge at a centralized point 44 within the interior of the heat exchange unit . by reference to fig2 a more thorough understanding of the structure as illustrated in fig1 can be obtained . the structure of fig1 is shown in exploded form in fig2 and the parts above described with regard to fig1 are illustrated utilizing the same reference numerals in fig2 . in addition , there is shown a sealing gasket 46 which is interposed between a flange 47 formed in the bottom 14 of the can and the top or cap 48 of the heat exchange unit 22 during the assembly process whereby the heat exchange unit is crimped in place to the bottom 14 of the beverage container 20 as is more specifically shown in fig1 . the sealing gasket 46 precludes any loss of contents of the beverage 18 from the container 20 by providing a more effective seal between the beverage can 20 and the heat exchange unit 22 . the heat exchange unit of fig2 is shown as a two piece device instead of one piece as shown in fig1 . either structure is acceptable and may be used depending upon the particular application . as above discussed , the heat exchange unit 22 includes an outer surface 50 which comes into contact with the beverage 18 ( or food ) which is contained within the beverage can 20 . typically the heat exchange unit is manufactured from a metallic material such as aluminum , steel or the like so that effective and efficient heat transfer of the heat from the beverage 18 to the desorbed carbon dioxide refrigerant gas can be accomplished to thereby rapidly decrease the temperature of the beverage 18 for consumption . in some instances , metallic materials such as aluminum , steel and the like may contain contaminants therein which over the long term have proven to be deleterious to human health . also in some instances , such materials may alter the taste of the food or beverage . it is therefore , a necessity that the outer surface 50 of the heat exchange unit be treated in such a manner as to neutralize any foreign contamination or preclude a taste change which could occur as a result of the beverage 18 coming into contact with the outer surface 50 of the heat exchange unit . by reference now to fig3 a partial cross section of the wall of the heat exchange unit 22 with the outer surface 50 containing a coating is shown . fig3 is taken about the circle 3 as shown in fig2 . as is shown in fig3 the wall 52 of the heat exchange unit 22 contains an outer surface 54 upon which a coating 56 has been placed . the coating 56 must be tenaciously secured to the surface 54 of the wall 52 in such a manner that it can withstand the handling which is required to place the adsorbent material , the heat sink and the valve mechanism into the heu and to crimp and thereby secure the entire heu to the bottom of the can as shown in fig1 . therefore , it will be recognized that the coating 56 must be bonded extremely securely to the outer surface 54 and must be extremely tough to withstand the handling that is required . at the same time the coating 56 must be such that it will not inhibit the transfer of heat from the beverage 18 into the desorbing carbon dioxide during the chilling process or the transfer of heat from the heu to the food or beverage in the container . preferably the coating 56 is an epoxy enamel coating which is of a food grade quality and which is evenly coated over the entire exterior surface 54 of the heat exchange unit 22 so that any portion of the surface 54 which could come into contact with the beverage 18 in the self - cooling beverage container system 10 is completely covered by the coating 56 . it has been found that the coating should be of thickness between 4 and 10 microns and is preferably between 4 . 9 and 5 . 2 microns per square inch . the coating preferably is a water based epoxy spray enamel which is dissolved in a solvent system comprising water , glycolether and alcohol having a viscosity such that the coating can be easily and readily applied to the outer surface 24 of the heat exchange unit 22 . such a coating has been found to be equally effective for systems wherein heat is transferred from the heu to the food or beverage . one method for applying the coating 56 to the outer surface 54 of the heat exchange unit 22 is by airless spraying which is illustrated in fig4 to which reference is hereby made . as is schematically illustrated therein a spraying unit 60 which can be activated by a wall known airless spraying techniques such as by electrical energy is illustrated . when activated , a spray 62 emanates therefrom in extremely fine particles which will attach to surfaces readily when they are contacted by the spray . as is illustrated , a heat exchange unit 64 may be held by a mechanism 66 which is attached to a rotor 68 which will rotate the heat exchange unit 64 as illustrated by the arrow 70 . as the heat exchange unit 64 is rotated the spray contacts the entire outer surface of the heat exchange unit 64 and adheres readily thereto . the epoxy and the enamel are thoroughly inter mixed and bonded together . when this mixture contacts the outer surface of the heu , the epoxy bonds to that surface and in turn , bonds the enamel to the heu surface . although spraying is the preferred manner in which the coating 56 is applied to the heat exchange unit it should also be understood by those skilled in the art that other application techniques such as rolling , dipping , painting and the like may also be utilized . the only criteria which must be adhered to is that the coating 64 must be evenly and throughly applied to cover the entire outer surface of the heat exchange unit so that no uncoated surfaces are permitted to come into contact with the beverage 18 ( or food ) contained in the container . as above indicated , the epoxy food grade enamel is dissolved in glycolether and alcohol . these substances must be removed to render the outer surface of the heat exchange unit food grade insofar as the coating is concerned . this is accomplished by the application of heat as is illustrated in fig5 . as is therein shown an oven or the like 72 is provided within which there is disposed a number of coated heat exchange units as illustrated at 74 through 80 . these units may be resting on or suspended from a belt 82 or the like which moves continuously through the oven 72 as illustrated by the arrow 84 . the oven 72 has heat applied thereto as shown by the arrows 86 to elevate the temperature contained within the interior 88 of the oven to approximately 400 ° fahrenheit . the transit time of the heat exchange units 74 through 80 within the interior 88 of the oven 72 is approximately 2 minutes which at the elevated temperature of approximately 400 ° will adequately drive off all of the undesirable solvents and cure the coating 56 so that it becomes tenaciously affixed to the outer surface 54 of the heat exchange unit 22 . obviously other techniques may also be utilized for curing the coating so that it is appropriately tenaciously attached to the outer surface of the heat exchange unit 52 without departing from the principles or spirit of the present invention . although the present invention is described with reference to the heat exchange unit being a preformed cannister like member , it should be understood that the protective food grade coating may be applied to the surface of a metal sheet which is then appropriately cut and formed into the desired shape for the heat exchange unit .	5
in fig1 centrifuge 10 comprises a frame 12 supporting bearings 14 into which are journaled the ends of a hollow , elongated centrifuge bowl 16 of circular cross - section . bowl 16 rotates about its longitudinal axis within housing 18 . bowl 16 is typically belt driven by a motor ( not shown ), the belt extending around pulley 20 . bowl 16 rotates at speeds capable of generating a centrifugal force up to several thousand times greater than the force of gravity . disposed within bowl 16 , and mounted coaxially therewith , is a helical screw conveyor 22 adapted to rotate at a speed slightly different than that of bowl 16 by suitable means , typically gear box 24 having torque control means ( not shown ) and a spline shaft within the bowl shaft connected to conveyor 22 . helical screw conveyor 22 includes coiled screw flights 26 , the distal edges thereof generally complementing the inside contour of bowl 16 , but spaced a short distance therefrom to provide some clearance therebetween . bowl 16 is provided at its rearward end with a tapered or convergent portion 28 , commonly referred to as the beach area . symmetrically arranged around the beach area 26 is a group of solids discharge openings 30 . the front end of bowl 16 is provided with a hub member 32 supported within main bearing 14 . hub 32 may readily be separated from bowl 16 by simply removing bolts 34 adjacent periphery of the hub . a plurality of spaced openings 36 are provided symmetrically uniformly in hub 32 for discharge of the separated liquids therethrough into a liquids discharge duct or chamber ( not shown ). helical screw conveyor 22 , being hollow , defines an area therewithin designated feed chamber 36 . the process feed stream , or liquids - solids mixture to be separated , is introduced into feed chamber 36 through an axially extending feedpipe 38 . the mixture is next delivered through a plurality of radial passages 40 disposed within helical screw conveyor 22 into a separation chamber 42 exteriorly conveyor 22 and interiorly bowl 16 . by virtue of the controlled differential in the speeds of rotation of conveyor 22 and bowl 16 , the solids are urged up the beach 28 for discharge through openings 30 while simultaneously therewith the liquids are discharged through hub openings 36 . during start - up however , as discussed above , the normal build - up of solids adjacent the solids discharge openings which tend to restrain the liquid phase from passing therethrough is absent due to an insufficient level of solids present in the bowl . to insure that liquid does not outpour from the solids discharge openings during start - up , hub openings 36 coact with improved dam members having variable height weir surfaces allowing lower levels of liquid to flow through hub openings 36 over lower weir surfaces during start - up while yet permitting and controlling separated liquid to flow in a normal manner over the dam &# 39 ; s upper or normal weir surfaces under typical operating conditions or periods of high liquid flow . referring now to fig2 bowl 16 and hub 32 rotate as a unit through hub shaft 44 . each opening 36 cooperates with a dam 46 ( only two shown ) screw mounted to hub 32 , or the dam may be formed integrally with the hub . dam 46 is provided with a rectangularly configured notch 48 ( fig3 a ) centrally disposed over typically curved weir surface 50 which substantially coincides with the level of liquid during rotation of the bowl . dam 52 ( fig3 b ) is provided with a v - notch 54 , while dam 56 ( fig3 c ) includes a circular opening 58 immediately below weir surface 50 , while dam 59 ( fig3 d ) includes an elliptical opening 59 &# 39 ;, although openings 58 and 59 &# 39 ; may be raised to break the continuity of weir surface 50 . the centrally disposed cut - away portion may be semicircular 58 &# 39 ; ( fig3 e ), semi - elliptical 59 &# 34 ; ( fig3 f ), or of any suitable configuration , it being understood that the particular shape or pattern thereof is not intended to be limited to those shown and described . further , the dam may be provided with opposed ears 60 to facilitate threaded attachment to the hub or the ears may be abandoned in favor of a continuous curved surface 50 . spaced bolt holes 62 in the respective dam members permit the dams to be readily secured to the hub 32 in desired cooperating relationship with openings 36 . in the practice of my invention , during start - up , the operator reduces the supply feed rate such that substantially all of the centrate liquid l ( fig4 a ) flows through notch 48 since its depth is at a lower liquid level ( greater radial distance from the bowl axis of rotation ) than the solids discharge ports 30 . within a few minutes of operation , sufficient quantities of solids accumulate against the wall of bowl 16 and up beach 28 to form the normal build - up at the solids discharge area . the feed rate may then be brought up to normal operating range and the pond level raised to the liquid l surfaces . effluent then discharges over normal weir surface 50 ( fig4 b ). the variable height discharge weir dam members of my invention thus prevent liquid from outpouring through the solids discharge ports during start - up by allowing centrate to flow over a lower height discharge weir portion ( notch ) while simultaneously automatically controlling the liquid level within the bowl by permitting centrate to flow over the upper height discharge weir portion ( typically curved weir surface ) during normal centrifuge operations . optionally , hub 32 itself may be provided with a plurality of spaced holes 64 ( fig5 ) in lieu of the notches 48 , 54 , or openings 58 , 59 &# 39 ;, or cut - away portions 58 &# 39 ;, 59 &# 34 ;, previously described , it being understood that holes 64 will be disposed at the same liquid level thereof . the dam members 66 will therefore require no notches , openings or cut - out portions . dam member 66 includes a substantially straight weir surface 68 , as may the other dam members of the present invention , to approximate the shape of the liquid surface .	1
cmc = critical micelle concentration . the concentration of a detergent in an aqueous solution at which the detergent molecules will self - assemble into micelles . below the cmc , detergents arc mostly monomeric ; above the cmc , micelle concentration increases linearly with detergent concentration . cmc is dependent upon many factors and is detergent - specific . salts = as used herein , refers to acid - addition salts , such as chlorides , bromides , citrates , malonates , fumarates , etc . triphenylacetic acid 4 . 0 has a novel amphiphilic geometry and is commercially available . the sodium salt of triphenylacetic acid 4 . 1 was synthesized , and the high solubility ( 210 mm ) and high cmc ( 130 mm ), as measured by orange ot uptake , made the compound very attractive . the triphenylacetic acid moiety was then used to generate detergents for membrane protein solubilization and crystallization . attaching one betaine headgroup to 4 . 1 yielded insoluble products . attempts to functionalize 4 . 1 by adding two betaine groups proved unfruitful , likely due to adverse steric interference . therefore , the one - carbon homologue of 4 . 0 , 3 , 3 , 3 - triphenylpropionic acid , 4 . 6 . was synthesized by heating a neat mixture of malonic acid and triphenylmethanol , 4 . 5 ( patai , s . ; dayagi , s . j . chem . soc . 1962 , 717 ). functionalization of 4 . 6 proved to be very easy . compound 4 . 8 was synthesized by first generating the acyl chloride with thionyl chloride and condensing it with triamine 4 . 7 . amido diamine 4 . 8 provided two sites for further elaboration into water solubilizing groups . instead of the bis - betaine headgroup , bis - n - oxide 4 . 10 was synthesized . bis - n - oxide 4 . 10 was very soluble in water (& gt ; 2 m ). bis - n - oxide 4 . 11 was synthesized in a similar manner ; for tris - n - oxide 4 . 13 , the amide carbonyl of 4 . 8 was reduced and the resulting triamine ( 4 . 12 ) was oxidized : functionalization of 4 . 5 with diethanolamine was also successful via condensation of the amine with acyl chloride . the high aqueous solubility of this first generation of amphiphiles encouraged us to synthesize detergents with even greater hydrophobicity . it was hypothesized that placement of an alkyl group , such as a tert - butyl group , on one or more of the phenyl groups would not only provide more hydrophobic surface area , but would also provide a long axis to the hydrophobic core which might facilitate entry into the lipid bilayer . ester 4 . 16 was treated with 2 equivalents of phenylmagnesium bromide . the resulting alcohol ( 4 . 17 ) was then condensed with neat malonic acid to give acid 4 . 18 , which was treated with thionyl chloride and then with triamine 4 . 7 . the bis - amine was oxidized to bis - n - oxide 4 . 20 : the cmcs of 4 . 20 and 4 . 10 were determined by dye uptake and were found to be about 12 . 5 mm and about 80 mm , respectively . the addition of the t - butyl group accomplished the goal of increasing the hydrophobic surface area , as indicated by the diminished cmc &# 39 ; s . it was then thought that the quaternary center of 3 , 3 , 3 - triphenylpropionic acid ( 4 . 6 ) could serve three purposes : 1 ) the quaternary center would provide an attachment point for hydrophobic groups ; that is , the quaternary center would display the headgroup in one direction and hydrophobic tails in the other three directions ; 2 ) the quaternary center would provide a source of intramolecular rigidity ; and 3 ) the quaternary center would force the detergents to be contrafacial ( i . e ., having the polar headgroup extending essentially perpendicularly from the plane of the hydrophobic domain ). synthesis of quaternary carbon centers can be difficult due to steric congestion . as the substitution of a carbon center increases , the difficulty of bimolecular nucleophilic substitution reactions goes up . a tertiary carbon center can readily form a carbocation intermediate and undergo unimolecular nucleophilic substitution , but as the bulk of the substituents increase , the tendency to undergo elimination reactions also increases . using michael addition methodology , rabjohn et al . ( rabjohn , n . ; phillips , l . v . ; defeo , r . j . j . org . chem . 1959 , 24 : 1964 ) synthesized a series of carboxylic acids with a quaternary center beta to the carbonyl . rabjohn &# 39 ; s route involved a copper mediated grignard addition to a cyano - ethylcarboxyl alkylidene , 4 . 25 . the addition product 4 . 26 was then decarboxylated and the nitrile 4 . 27 was hydrolyzed : rabjohn &# 39 ; s method was modified to provide a modular route to the amphiphiles of the present invention . using malononitrile instead of ethyl cyanoacetate will yield , via condensation , a ketone . the dinitrile is less sterically demanding and allows for greater elaboration . the michael addition to the alkylidene allows the synthesis of quaternary centers with a wide variety of hydrophobic appendages . the resulting dinitrile can be hydrolyzed to the dicarboxylic acid ( 4 . 28 ), hydrolyzed and decarboxylated to the carboxylic acid ( 4 . 29 ) or reduced to the diamine ( 4 . 30 ). these functional groups can then be elaborated to myriad headgroups . the quaternary center provides a tripod appearance ; therefore these detergents are called “ tripods .” the quarternary center of the tripid detergent rigidifies the entire skeleton . a tetra - substituted carbon atom limits the allowable torsion angles of the flanking bonds , and conformational restriction extends out two bonds from the quaternary center . see alder , r . w . ; maunder , c . m . ; orphen , a . g . tetrahedron lett . 1990 , 31 : 6717 - 6720 . alder et al . found that the influence of the quarternary center does not extend to the bond gamma to the quarternary center . incorporation of a quarternary center in the subject detergents therefore provides the desired rigidity without unduly restricting the intramolecular flexibility of the molecules . a class of detergents that will be successful for crystallizing many different membrane proteins should optimally have members with varying rigidity . detergents which are too rigid cannot adequately adapt to fit into the spaces formed when detergent - solubilized membrane proteins come together in a regular lattice . however , the optimum level of rigidity likely differs for each membrane protein . therefore , a successful class of detergents will contain members that systematically vary in their rigidity . the quaternary center of the subject tripod detergents allows control of the rigidity of the first two bonds extending out from the quaternary center . this limited influence of the quaternary center allows for systematic variation of the rigidity by replacing n - alkyl chains with cyclic or branched hydrocarbons . the ends of two legs of the tripod can also be linked to form a ring : the quaternary center of the tripod can strongly bias the conformation of a cyclcohexyl ring . cyclohexyl rings substituted with a t - butyl group strongly favor a chair conformation that places the t - butyl group in an equatorial position to avoid 1 , 3 - diaxial interactions . the following structure illustrates a tripod detergent substituted with a cyclohexane and show the relationship to a t - butyl substituted cyclohexane : by varying the numbers of cyclic legs , the rigidity of the hydrophobic region of the tripod can be controlled . another approach used in the invention to increase the rigidity of a tripod detergent is to use branched chains instead of rings . strategically placed branch points can be used to control the conformation of acyclic hydrocarbon backbones . in this approach , the avoidance of syn - pentane interactions can be employed to generate a mono - conformational linear alkyl chain . branched chains will adopt conformations that avoid syn - pentane type interactions . for example , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 - tetramethylhexane ( tmh ) adopts a single conformation because all other conformations contain syn - pentane interations . this approach allows for the construction of long , rigid alkyl chains . a first series of detergents synthesized using this modular approach are based on the starting material 5 - nonanone . the ketone was condensed with malononitrile , using the modified knovenagel condensation of cope ( cope , a . c . ; hofmann , c . m . ; wyckoff , c . ; hardenbergy , e . j . am . chem . soc . 1941 , 63 : 3452 ). the resulting alkylidiene was reacted with copper ( i ) iodide and n - butyl , n - hexyl or phenyl magnesium bromide . the resulting dinitriles proved to be difficult to hydrolyze . after trying a number of acidic and basic conditions , a method developed by patai and dayagi was employed ( patai , s . ; dayagi , s . j . chem . soc . 1962 : 717 ): the dinitrile was refluxed in ethyleneglycol and potassium hydroxide for three days , yielding the monocarboxylic acids 4 . 34 , 4 . 35 , and 4 . 36 . these carboxylic acids were initially converted to the acyl chlorides using thionyl chloride , but later oxalyl chloride was found to provide cleaner and higher yields . condensation of the acyl chlorides with amine 4 . 7 and subsequent oxidation with methanolic hydrogen peroxide provided detergents 4 . 37 , 4 . 38 , and 4 . 39 . br solubilization can be used as one measure to evaluate the utility of tripod detergents with regard to membrane protein manipulation . solubilization of br was successfully accomplished with detergent 4 . 37 with greater than 90 % efficiency after mixing for approximately 20 hrs . compound 4 . 39 showed approximately 30 % solubilization after 11 days . a second series of detergents synthesized was designed to vary further the size and flexibility of the hydrophobic domain . a cyclooctyl ring was used to replace the dibutyl chains in 4 . 37 . the inclusion of a cyclic group was expected to increase the rigidity of the detergent . compounds 4 . 44 and 4 . 46 were synthesized starting with condensate of cyclooctanone with malononitrile , 4 . 41 . reaction of 4 . 41 with phenylmagnesium bromide and copper ( i ) iodide , however , did not yield the desired product 4 . 42 reproducibly . large amounts of starting material were always recovered ; it appears that deprotonation of the alkylidene was a competing side reaction . employing the higher order cuprate of davis ( davis , a . p . ; orchard , m . g . j . chem . soc . perkins trans . i 1993 : 919 - 924 ), 4 . 42 can be synthesized in good yields ( 60 - 70 %). the dinitrile was hydrolyzed and decarboxylated to provide carboxylic acid 4 . 43 . the aryl ring of 4 . 43 can be hydrogenated to a cyclohexyl ring in the presence of rhodium on carbon to provide the cyclohexyl - cyclooctyl carboxylic acid 4 . 45 . the acids 4 . 43 and 4 . 45 were further elaborated to bis - n - oxides 4 . 44 and 4 . 46 , respectively , as previously described . compounds with two phenyl rings attached to the quaternary center were synthesized using 1 , 1 - cyano - 2 , 2 - diphenylethylene . it is preferred that 1 , 1 - cyano - 2 , 2 - diphenylethylene be prepared by the method of campaigne et al . ( campaigne , e . ; mais , d . ; yokley , e . m . syn . comm . 1974 , 4 : 379 ). benzonitrile is reacted with phenylmagnesium bromide , and the intermediate imine is rapidly quenched with malononitrile . this alkylidiene was then reacted with n - butyl -, or n - hexylmagnesium bromide and copper ( i ) bromide . the dinitrile products were hydrolyzed and decarboxylated to provide carboxylic acids 4 . 50 and 4 . 51 , which were hydrogenated with rhodium on carbon to yield the dicyclohexyl acids 4 . 52 and 4 . 53 . all four acids were converted to their acyl chlorides , reacted with 4 . 7 , and oxidized with methanolic hydrogen peroxide . tris - biphenylmethylacetic acid and tri - t - butylphenylmethylacetic acid derivatives complete this second series of detergents . these syntheses began by condensing the corresponding triarylmethanols with neat malonic acid , and proceeded as previously described to provide bis - n - oxides 4 . 59 and 4 . 62 . both 4 . 59 and 4 . 62 were insoluble in water . however , when small amounts of ethanol or ethyl acetate were added to aqueous suspensions , the solubility of these amphiphiles greatly increased . the second series of tripod detergents synthesized by the modular approach clearly demonstrates the myriad hydrophobic moeities accessible using this methodology . two detergents from this series , 4 . 55 and 4 . 56 , readily solubilize br . using the above protocol , different amines can be condensed to produce other detergents having mono - and bis - n - oxides in the hydrophilic domain . in the course of a detailed investigation of 4 . 37 , a second batch of material was prepared . this second batch provided much lower solubilization yields (& lt ; 50 %) than the original batch . the composition of each batch was analyzed by hplc . the two batches that solubilized br to varying degrees showed varying amounts of an impurity . the first batch , which solubilized br to & gt ; 90 %, had approximately twice as much impurity compared to the second batch that solubilized the br with only 50 % efficiency . scrutiny of the 1 h - nmr spectrum of the first batch of 4 . 37 revealed a small set of resonances in the vinyl region . alumina chromatography of the mixture of 4 . 37 and the impurity provided an impure sample that was enriched in the material with the vinyl resonances . a mass spectrum revealed a m (+ h ) peak at 375 . 30 , indicating that the impurity was 4 . 63 , which presumably results from a cope elimination of one of the n - oxide headgroups : a saturated analog of 4 . 63 , 4 . 65 , was synthesized by condensing commercially available 4 . 64 with the acyl chloride of 4 . 34 : the resulting tertiary amide was oxidized with mcpba instead of methanolic hydrogen peroxide to provide the mono - n - oxide 4 . 65 . mcpba reacted faster , provided an easier work - up and yielded cleaner product . compound 4 . 65 was shown to be & gt ; 99 % pure by hplc and solubilized br to greater than 90 %. these results lead to a series of n - oxides based on the acid 4 . 34 to investigate the influence the headgroup has on br solubilization . compounds 4 . 67 and 4 . 68 are isomers of 4 . 65 . the secondary amide 4 . 68 cannot undergo a cope elimination because there are no protons on the carbon adjacent to the amide . the one - carbon homologue of 4 . 68 , 4 . 70 , was also synthesized . the secondary amide 4 . 66 was synthesized along with 4 . 71 to investigate the difference in solubilizing ability between the mono - n - oxide versus a bis - n - oxide . detergent 4 . 69 is the simplest n - oxide accessible , and 4 . 72 was prepared to test the effect of removing the ethyl chain from 4 . 65 . compound 4 . 66 readily solubilize br . the headgroup was then altered to yield detergents 4 . 73 , 4 . 74 , 4 . 75 , and 4 . 77 : removal of br from the purple membrane ( the native two - dimensional lattice ) is the difficult step in solubilization of br , and only three detergents , triton x - 100 , nonyl glucoside ( ng ) and og , have been reported to successfully remove br from its native environment . some detergents can maintain br in a stable solubility after being exchanged with triton x - 100 , ng , or og . the exchange can occur via dilution , ion - exchange , and size exclusion chromatography , as is known in the art . often the detergents that can solubilize a protein from a lipid environment are more denaturing than detergents that can maintain protein solubility through exchange . this implies that tripods that cannot solubilize br from the purple membrane may be able , upon exchange , to maintain the solubility of br . exchanging triton x - 100 or some other detergent , for the tripod detergents of the present invention that cannot solubilize br from the purple membrane provides a route to increase the number of tripods that can be screened for proclivity to crystallize membrane proteins . the cmcs of detergents 4 . 65 - 4 . 72 were determined by monitoring the uptake of a fluorescent dye ( 1 , 6 - diphenylhexatriene ) with increasing detergent concentration ( table 1 , cmc &# 39 ; s determined by dye uptake versus concentration monitored by fluorescence spectroscopy ). the cmcs of n - oxide isomers 4 . 65 , 4 . 67 , and 4 . 68 are very similar : 3 mm , 3 mm , and 1 . 2 mm , respectively . table 1 also reveals that the hydrochloride salts tend to have cmcs twice as large as the cmcs measured for the corresponding n - oxides . the only instance where this trend breaks down is for detergents 4 . 65 and 4 . 66 , two detergents that can solubilize br . the cmcs for the n - oxides 4 . 65 and 4 . 66 are twice the cmcs of the corresponding hydrochloride salts ( 4 . 78 and 4 . 79 ). the hydrochloride salts were formed from the amine precursors to the n - oxides . most cationic detergents have cmcs that are much higher than non - ionic or zwitterionic analogs . for example , dodecylammonium bromide has a cmc of 15 mm which is & gt ; 7 times larger than the cmc of the n - oxide analog ( ldao , cmc = 2 mm ). considering the difference of cmc between 4 . 68 and homologue 4 . 70 one would expect the addition of one carbon to decrease the cmc by a factor of three . surprisingly , 4 . 70 has a cmc that is six times larger than that of 4 . 68 . the headgroup of 4 . 70 has both greater flexibility and is one methylene longer than 4 . 68 . this increase in length and flexibility may allow the secondary amide of 4 . 70 to be more solvent - exposed than the more sterically encumbered secondary amide of 4 . 68 . the greater solvent exposure would increase the solubility while at the same time increasing the cmc of 4 . 70 relative to 4 . 68 . the aggregate structure of a detergent , and hence its ability to solubilize proteins , can be strongly influenced by salt concentration , ph , temperature , and organic additives ; therefore , attempting to solubilize br using the detergents of the present invention under varied salt , ph and temperatures may provide different results . using the acids described above , a series of bis - hydrochloride salt tripod detergents were synthesized . see table 2 . the surface area of the tripod tails was calculated using the mm3 force field with 1 . 4 å probe . the 1 . 4 å probe represents a sphere with a diameter equal to the van der waals radius of an oxygen atom in a water molecule . the 1 . 4 å probe , when computationally rolled across the surface of a molecule , defines the water - exposed surface area . the surface areas were plotted against the measured cmc of each detergent in table 2 . if the data are divided into detergents with and without aromatic groups , a linear correlation between surface area and cmc is observed ( r 2 = 0 . 82 with aromatic “ legs ”; r 2 = 0 . 80 without aromatic “ legs ”). the relationship between cmc and surface area indicates that there is a distinct difference in tripods that contain aromatic groups and those that do not . however , within the two divisions , aromatic and non - aromatic , the nature of the tripod leg seems to matter very little and the cmc is governed by surface area . the greater the surface area the smaller the cmc , which is consistent for a series of straight chain detergents with varying lengths . for example the cmcs for ldao and ddao are 1 . 1 mm and 10 . 4 mm respectively . an aromatic ring is more polar than a saturated hydrocarbon and the difference in polarity may account for why the surface areas only correlate well when the tripod detergents are divided into an aromatic group and non - aromatic group . isomers of 4 . 65 were synthesized to evaluate the influence of topology on aggregation in aqueous solution , and on solubilization of br . isomer 4 . 100 was synthesized by an efficient three step route beginning with a pd ( ii ) coupling of decylmagnesium bromide to 1 , 4 - dibromobenzene by the method of bumagin et al . ( bumagin , n . a . ; luzikova , e . v . ; beletskaya , i . p . russian j . org . chem . 1996 , 31 : 1480 - 1486 ). the alkyarylbromide was then lithiated with t - butyl lithium and quenched with dry carbon dioxide . the resulting acid was coupled to amine 4 . 64 via the acylchloride . the amine was then oxidized with mcpba . the synthesis of the second isomer of 4 . 65 was performed by a reaction of 5 - nonanone with methyl lithium to provide 4 . 101 . the resulting alcohol was coupled to toluene with titanium tetrachloride . the aryl methyl group was oxidized with molecular oxygen under catalysis by hydroxyphthalimide and cobalt ( ii ) acetoacetonate . the acid was then reacted with oxalyl chloride , condensed with amine 4 . 64 and finally oxidized with mcpba to provide 4 . 104 . the cmcs of 4 . 100 and 4 . 104 were determined by the uptake of the fluorescent dye 1 , 6 - diphenylhexatriene . the cmcs are 0 . 125 mm and 0 . 700 mm respectively . these values are substantially lower than the cmc of 4 . 65 , which was determined to be 3 mm . the cmcs of 4 . 100 and 4 . 104 are much lower than that of ldao ( 2 . 1 mm ), indicating the hydrophobic surfaces of 4 . 100 and 4 . 104 are larger than that displayed by ldao or by 4 . 65 . based on these data , we conclude that the topology of n - oxide isomers 4 . 65 , 4 . 100 and 4 . 104 profoundly impacts the concentration at which these detergents self - associate . the headgroup of the amphiphiles of the present invention can also be non - ionic groups such as polyethylene ( glycol ) ( peg ), glucosyl , or maltosyl . the synthesis of these tripod amphiphiles is straightforward via established procedures . for example , the maltoside a . 2 . 5 was synthesized from the corresponding acid 4 . 33 . the acid 4 . 33 was reduced with lah in refluxing thf . the alcohol a . 2 . 1 was then reacted with the trichloracetimidate of peractylated maltose . the resulting alkyl maltoside was deprotected with methanolic sodium methoxide , resulting in the desired product a . 2 . 5 . the maltoside a . 2 . 5 is sparingly soluble in water . a . 2 . 5 solubilize approximately 50 % of br from the purple membrane . a very important aspect of the tripod family of the present invention is their variable rigidity . this family of related detergents provides membrane protein crystallographers with a set of tools that can be used to solubilize and crystallize a wide variety of membrane proteins . the following examples are included solely as an aid to provide a complete understanding of the invention . the examples do not limit the scope of the invention described and claimed herein in any fashion . reagents were purchased from aldrich chemical company , ( milwaukee , wis ., u . s . a .) unless otherwise noted . ether was distilled from benzophenone - sodium ketyl under nitrogen . nmr spectra were acquired on bruker am - 250 or am - 300 spectrometers in deuterated chloroform with tetramethylsilane ( tms ) as the internal standard . for all other organic solvents , the residual solvent peak served as the standard . for aqueous solutions , an external reference of sodium 3 -( trimethylsilyl )- d 4 - propionate ( tsp ) was used . the solvent and field strengths employed are provided with each spectral listing . for proton nmr spectra , signals are reported as : δ xx ( multiplicity , # h , coupling constants , assigned h ). multiplicities are abbreviated as : s = singlet , d = doublet , t = triplet , dd = doublet of doublets , dt = doublet of triplets , q = quartet , ddd = doublet of doublet of doublets , td = triplet of doublets . tt = triplet of triplets , m = multiplet , br = broad , app = apparent . ab quartets , aa ′ bb ′, and abx patterns are listed as such . carbon resonances are assigned substitution based on dept - 135 experiments , as reported in parentheses after each chemical shift entry . infrared ( ir ) spectra were obtained on either a mattson polaris instrument or a nicolet 740 infrared spectrometer . absorbance intensities are reported as st = strong , m = medium , w = weak , br = broad . high - resolution mass spectra were recorded on a kratos ms - 25 . fast atom bombardment mass spectra ( fabms ) were obtained on a vg analytical zab - 2f spectrometer . melting points were determined on a thomas hoover apparatus and are uncorrected . uv spectra were obtained on a hewlett - packard 8452 diode array spectrophotometer . triphenylacetic acid sodium salt ( 4 . 1 ). triphenylacetic acid was dissolved in an aqueous naoh solution containing 2 - 5 % molar excess of semi - conductor grade naoh . once the acid had completely dissolved , the solution was filtered through a 0 . 22 mm syringe filter , lyophilized , and further dried in a drying pistol charged with p 2 o 5 under vacuum for 2 days . a solution of the lyophilized solid was always slightly basic ( ph 9 ). preparation of 4 . 3 . triphenylacetic acid ( 1 . 0 g , 3 . 5 mmol ) was refluxed in thionyl chloride ( 9 ml , 123 mmol ) for 3 hours at which time the solution was cooled to room temperature and the excess thionyl chloride was removed by vacuum . the resulting oil was dissolved in dry ether and cooled to 4 ° c . in an ice bath . n , n - dimethylethylenediamine ( 7 . 62 ml , 7 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the reaction was allowed to stir overnight and was then washed with 1 n naoh ( 50 ml ) three times . the organic layers were dried with mgso 4 , gravity filtered , and concentrated on a rotary evaporator . the resulting oil was dissolved in 10 ml of freshly distilled ether and the amine was precipitated as the hcl salt with 4n hcl in dioxane ( 8 . 75 ml , 3 . 5 mmol ). the precipitate which was crystalline was filtered , washed with dry ether , and placed on a vacuum line to afford 1 . 38 g ( 100 %) of a white solid . the white solid was crystallized from water providing x - ray quality crystals . ir ( kbr ): 3373 ( n — h ), 2817 - 2767 ( br ), 1664 ( c ═ o ), 1491 . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): δ 2 . 08 ( s , 6h ); 2 . 32 ( t , j = 6 hz , 2h ); 3 . 38 ( dt , j = 6 . 5 hz , 2h ); 6 . 36 ( t , j = 5 hz , 1 h ); 7 . 2 - 7 . 3 ( m , 15h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz ): δ 173 . 3 ( c ), 143 ( c ), 130 . 5 ( ch ), 127 . 8 ( ch ), 126 . 8 ( ch ), 67 . 7 ( c ), 57 . 3 ( ch 2 ), 44 . 9 ( ch 3 ), 37 . 6 ( ch 2 ). el - ms m / z ( m + h + ) calcd for c 24 h 27 n 2 o 359 . 2045 , obsd 359 . 2101 . preparation of 4 . 2 . the free base of amido amine 4 . 3 ( 1 g , 2 . 79 mmol ) was dissolved in 25 ml of meoh . bromoacetic acid ( 388 mg , 2 . 78 mmol ) and then pentamethylpiperidine ( 5 . 05 ml , 2 . 79 mmol ) were added and the solution was refluxed for two days . once the solution cooled to room temperature the meoh was rotary evaporated . the resulting solid was dissolved in methylene chloride with 10 % meoh and two scupulas of silica gel were added . the solvent was removed leaving the product preabsorbed to silica gel . the gel was loaded onto a silica gel column pre - equilibrated with methylene chloride with 10 % meoh . the fractions containing product were collected and concentrated ; the off - white solid was recrystallized from water which resulted in x - ray quality crystals . ir ( kbr ): 3353 ( n — h ), 2774 ( br ), 1648 ( c ═ o ), 1491 . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / dmso - d6 , 300 mhz ): δ 3 . 01 ( s , 6h ); 3 . 656 ( br , s 6h ); 7 . 2 - 7 . 3 ( m , 15h ); 7 . 62 ( t , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 / dmso - d6 , 75 . 4 mhz ): δ 172 . 6 ( c ), 164 . 1 ( c ), 142 . 6 ( c ), 129 . 6 ( ch ), 127 . 0 ( ch ), 125 . 9 ( ch ), 66 . 7 ( ch 2 ), 64 . 1 ( ch 2 ), 61 . 4 ( c ), 49 . 9 ( ch 3 ). ei - ms m / z ( m + h + ) calcd for c 26 h 28 n 2 o 3 316 . 2100 , obsd 316 . 2080 . preparation of 4 . 4 . triphenylacetic acid ( 2 g , 6 . 94 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled oxalyl chloride ( 3 ml , 34 . 7 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the resulting oil was dissolved in 25 ml of thf and the round bottom flask was fitted with an addition funnel . the solution was cooled and a solution of taurine ( 1 . 3 g , 11 . 6 mmol ) in 13 ml of 1 n naoh was mixed with 12 ml of thf and the solution was placed into the addition funnel and added dropwise . the reaction was stirred overnight and the thf was removed by rotary evaporation . the resulting solid was collected and washed with water . the material was then recrystallized from water providing 2 . 5 g ( 90 %) of light yellow plates . ir ( kbr ): 3439 ( n — h ), 2763 ( br ), 1655 ( c ═ o ), 1218 . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / dmso - d6 , 300 mhz ): δ 2 . 58 ( t , j = 22 , 1h ); 2 . 75 ( t , j = 22 hz , 6h ); 2 . 92 ( dt , j = 18 , 22 , 1 h ); 3 . 48 ( s , 6h ); 3 . 562 ( dt , j = 22 , 18 hz , 1h ); 7 . 17 - 7 . 30 ( m , 16h ); 7 . 42 ( t , j = 18 hz , 0 . 5h )); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 / dmso - d6 , 75 . 4 mhz ): δ 172 . 0 ( c ), 143 . 5 ( c ), 130 . 2 ( ch ), 127 . 5 ( ch ), 126 . 4 ( ch ), 67 . 3 ( c ), 52 ( ch 2 ), 49 . 8 ( ch 2 ), 37 . 67 ( ch 2 ), 36 . 3 ( ch 2 ). preparation of 3 , 3 , 3 - triphenylpropionic acid , 4 . 6 . triphenylmethanol ( 20 g , 77 mmol ) was combined with malonic acid ( 13 g , 125 mmol ) in a mortar and ground together well with a pestle . the finely ground mixture was placed into a pear - shaped 100 ml flask and heated to 140 - 170 ° c . the solid slowly melted to form a bright red mixture which bubbled vigorously . the reaction was heated until the solution stopped bubbling and was allowed to cool to room temperature . the resulting white solid was recrystallized from ethanol providing 9 . 99 g ( 43 %, 1st crop ) x - ray quality crystals that were submitted for analysis . ir ( kbr ): 2829 ( br ), 1710 ( c ═ o ), 1232 . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 3 . 69 ( s , 2h ); 7 . 1 - 7 . 3 ( m , 15h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 176 . 4 ( c ), 146 . 2 ( c ), 129 . 4 ( ch ), 127 . 8 ( ch ), 126 . 2 ( ch ), 55 . 3 ( c ), 45 . 8 ( ch ,); ei - ms m / z ( m + h + ) calcd for c 21 h 18 o 2 : 302 . 1306 , obsd 302 . 1272 . preparation of 4 . 8 . the acid 4 . 6 ( 4 . 73 g , 15 . 6 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled , the oxalyl chloride ( 3 ml , 34 . 7 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 100 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 4 . 7 ( n = 1 ) ( 6 . 02 ml , 33 . 2 mmol ) in ether ( 50 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . ( triamine 4 . 7 was made by the procedure of luitjes , h . ; schakel , m . ; klumpp , g . w . syn . comm . 1994 , 24 , 2257 - 2261 .) the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the layers were separated and the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 4 . 5 g ( 69 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 30 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 5 . 6 ml ) diluted in 30 ml of ether . the light yellow solid was washed with dry ether and recrystallized with ethanol . the recrystallization resulted in x - ray quality crystals which were submitted for analysis . ir ( kbr ): 3436 ( n — h ), 2939 - 2701 ( br ), 1658 ( c ═ o ), 703 . 1 h nmr ( dmso - d6 ): δ 2 . 73 ( dd , 6h ); 2 . 95 ( br , m 2h ); 3 . 14 ( br , m , 2h ); 3 . 51 ( br , m , 2h ); 3 . 72 ( br , m , 2h ); 3 . 91 ( s , 2h ); 7 . 1 - 7 . 3 ( m , 15h ); 7 . 62 ( t , 1 h ); 13 c nmr ( dmso - d6 , 75 . 4 ): δ 170 . 6 ( c ), 147 . 2 ( c ), 129 . 4 ( ch ), 127 . 6 ( ch ), 125 . 8 ( ch ), 66 . 7 ( ch 2 ), 56 . 2 ( ch 2 ), 55 . 9 ( c ), 53 . 1 ( ch 2 ), 42 . 2 ( ch 3 ), 41 . 2 ( ch 2 ); maldi tof ( m + na ) calcd for c 29 h 37 n 3 ona 466 , obsd 466 ( m + cs ) 575 , obsd 575 . preparation of 4 . 9 . the acid 4 . 6 ( 1 g , 3 . 3 mmol ) was dissolved in 30 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled the oxalyl chloride ( 1 . 44 ml , 16 . 5 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 25 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 3 , 3 ′- iminobis ( n , n - dimethylpropylamine ) ( 4 . 7 , n = 2 ) ( 1 . 47 ml , 6 . 6 mmol ) in ether ( 25 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated , yielding 550 mg ( 37 . 5 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 30 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 5 . 6 ml ) diluted in 30 ml of ether . the light yellow solid was washed with dry ether and recrystallized with ethanol . ir ( kbr ): 3413 ( n — h ), 3056 - 2769 ( br ), 2242 ( n — h ), 1641 ( c ═ o ), 1459 . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 84 ( br , dt , j = 4 , 7 2h ); 2 . 05 ( br , m , 2h ); 2 . 70 ( d , j = 5 , 6h ); 2 . 76 ( br , m , 2h ); 2 . 83 ( d , j = 5 hz , 6h ), 3 . 04 ( br , m , 2h ), 3 . 19 ( t , j = 7 hz , 2h ), 3 . 37 ( t , j = 7 , 2h ), 3 . 71 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 17 - 7 . 30 ( m , 15h ); 11 . 65 ( br , m , 1h ) 12 . 00 ( br , m , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 170 . 5 ( c ), 146 . 3 ( c ), 129 . 0 ( ch ), 127 . 6 ( ch ), 125 . 9 ( ch ), 56 . 2 ( c ), 55 . 6 ( ch 2 ), 54 . 7 ( ch 2 ), 45 . 7 ( ch 2 ), 43 . 6 ( ch 2 ), 42 . 9 ( ch 3 ), 42 . 8 ( ch 3 ), 42 . 2 ( ch 2 ), 24 . 2 ( ch 2 ), 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 31 h 41 n 3 o : 471 . 3250 , obsd 471 . 3254 . preparation of 3 - p - tert - butylphenyl - 3 , 3 - diphenylpropionic acid ( 4 . 17 ). the alcohol 1 - p - tert - butylpheny - 1 , 1 - diphenylmethanol ( 9 . 42 g , 29 . 8 mmol ) was combined with malonic acid ( 4 . 96 g , 47 . 7 mmol ) in a mortar and ground together well with a pestle . the finely ground mixture was placed into a pear - shaped 100 ml round bottom flask and heated to 140 - 170 ° c . the solid slowly melted to form a bright red mixture which bubbled vigorously . the reaction was heated until the solution stopped bubbling and was allowed to cool to room temperature . the resulting white solid was recrystallized from ethanol providing 4 . 48 g ( 42 %) of a white crystalline solid after recrystallization from ethyl acetate / hexanes . ir ( kbr ): 2964 - 2724 ( br ), 1718 ( c ═ o ), 1413 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 28 ( s , 9h ); 3 . 69 ( s 2h ); 7 . 08 - 7 . 25 ( m , 15h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 176 ( c ), 148 . 4 ( c ), 146 . 2 ( c ), 142 . 2 ( c ), 128 . 6 ( ch ), 128 . 3 ( ch ), 127 . 4 ( ch ), 125 . 8 ( ch ), 124 . 4 ( ch ), 54 . 7 ( c ), 45 . 5 ( ch 2 ), 34 . 2 ( c ), 31 . 0 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 25 h 26 o 2 : 358 . 1932 , obsd 358 . 1931 . preparation of 1 , 1 - dicyano - 2 , 2 - dibutylethylene 4 . 32 . 5 - nonanone ( 12 . 1 ml , 70 . 3 mmol ) was dissolved in benzene ( 25 ml ) containing acetic acid ( 3 . 21 ml , 56 . 4 mmol ) and ammonium acetate ( 1 . 08 g , 14 . 1 mmol ). the mixture was allowed to stir while malononitrile was added ( 4 . 43 ml , 70 . 3 mmol ). the round bottom flask holding the mixture was fitted with a dean - stark trap which was filled with benzene and fitted with a reflux condenser . the solution was then refluxed until no more water was being collected by the dean - stark trap ( 4 - 6 hours ). the mixture was cooled and 50 ml of 1 n naoh was added . the organic layer was separated and washed with 1 n naoh until no more color was observed in the aqueous layer . the organic layer was dried with mgso 4 and concentrated by rotary evaporation providing 13 . 38 g ( 100 %) of a yellow oil . ir ( kbr ): 3424 ( br ), 2960 ( s ), 2229 ( cn ), 1598 ( s ), 1467 . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 961 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 421 ( m , 4h ); 1 . 543 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 57 ( t , 4h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 186 . 5 ( c ), 111 . 7 ( c ), 85 . 3 ( c ), 35 . 3 ( ch 2 ), 29 . 8 ( ch 2 ), 22 . 4 ( ch 2 ), 13 . 4 ( ch 3 ): ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 12 h 18 n 2 : 190 . 1470 , obsd 190 . 1467 . preparation of 4 . 33a . method a ( see rabjohn , n . ; phillips , l . v . ; defeo , r . j . j . org . chem . 1959 , 24 , 1964 ): 1 , 1 - dicyano - 2 , 2 - dibutylethylene ( 13 . 87 g , 73 mmol ) was dissolved in dry ether ( 100 ml ) and a catalytic amount of copper ( i ) iodide ( 364 mg , 5 g / mol ) was added . the reaction was cooled to 0 ° c . and phenylmagnesium bromide was added ( 48 . 5 ml , 3 m in ether ) dropwise . after approximately 5 ml of phenylmagnesium bromide the reaction turned black . the reaction was allowed to warm to room temperature after addition was complete and the reaction was stirred overnight . the next day the reaction was quenched by pouring the black solution over an ice / sat . ammonium acetate solution . the biphasic solution was allowed to stir until both layers were homogeneous and the aqueous layer was bright blue . the organic layer was collected and washed with three 50 ml portions of sat . ammonium acetate . the organic layer was dried with mgso 4 , concentrated , and applied to a silica gel column . the product was eluted with 9 : 1 hexanes : ethyl acetate yielding 8 . 02 g ( 41 %) of a light yellow oil . method b ( a modification of davis , a . p . ; orchard , m . g . j . chem . soc . perkins trans . i 1993 , 919 - 924 : phenylmagnesium bromide ( 107 . 6 ml , 3 m in ether ) was cannulated into a flame dried round bottom flask and then diluted with 50 ml of thf . copper ( i ) cyanide was added and the heterogeneous mixture was allowed to stir until the solution became a black homogeneous solution . a solution of 4 . 32 ( 11 . 01 g , 63 mmol ) in thf ( 100 ml ) was added dropwise . the addition of 4 . 32 resulted in the formation of a thick white precipitate that caused stirring to cease . the flask was agitated by hand during the remainder of the addition . the reaction was quenched by adding 75 ml of sat . ammonium chloride . the mixture was filtered through a celite pad eluting with ether . the filtrate was separated and the ether layer was washed with three 50 ml portions of sat . ammonium chloride . the organic layer was dried with mgso 4 , concentrated , and preabsorbed onto silica gel . the material was then chromatographed on a silica gel column eluting with 9 . 5 : 1 . 5 ethyl acetate : hexanes . the fractions containing product were pooled and concentrated yielding 11 g (˜ 65 %) of a slightly impure yellow oil . ir ( kbr ): 2985 - 2873 ( br ), 2252 ( cn ), 1467 ( s ); 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 930 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 226 ( m , 4h ); 1 . 377 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 03 ( m , 4h ); 3 . 90 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 34 - 7 . 44 ( m , 5h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 139 . 1 ( c ), 128 . 7 ( ch ), 127 . 8 ( ch ), 126 . 3 ( ch ), 111 . 7 ( c ), 46 . 7 ( c ), 32 . 9 ( ch 2 ), 33 . 8 ( ch ), 25 . 6 ( ch 2 ), 22 . 4 ( ch 2 ), 13 . 7 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 18 h 24 n 2 : 268 . 1939 , obsd 268 . 1933 . preparation of 4 . 33b . the alkylidene , 1 , 1 - dicyano - 2 , 2 - dibutylethylene ( 4 . 32 ) ( 13 . 65 g , 72 mmol ) was dissolved in dry ether ( 36 ml ) and a catalytic amount of copper ( i ) iodide ( 360 mg , 5 g / mol ) was added . the reaction was cooled to 0 ° c . and n - butylmagnesium bromide was added ( 53 . 7 ml , 2 m in ether ) dropwise . after approximately 5 ml of n - butylmagnesium bromide the reaction turned black . the reaction was allowed to warm to room temperature after addition was complete and the reaction was stirred overnight . the next day the reaction was quenched by pouring the black solution over an ice / sat . ammonium acetate solution . the biphasic solution was allowed to stir until both layers were homogeneous and the aqueous layer was bright blue . the organic layer was collected and washed with three 50 ml portions of sat . ammonium acetate . the organic layer was dried with mgso 4 , concentrated , and applied to a silica gel column . the product was eluted with 19 : 1 hexanes : ethyl acetate yielding 10 . 02 g ( 59 %) of a light yellow oil . ir ( kbr ): 2958 - 2871 ( br ), 2250 ( cn ), 1467 ( s ); 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 942 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 312 ( m , 1211 ); 1 . 528 ( m , 6h ); 3 . 61 ( s , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 112 . 1 ( c ), 42 . 7 ( c ), 35 . 4 ( ch 2 ), 31 . 2 ( ch ), 25 . 3 ( ch 2 ), 22 . 9 ( ch 2 ), 13 . 7 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + h − ) calcd for c 16 h 27 n 2 : 247 . 2252 , obsd 247 . 2179 . preparation of 4 . 33c . the alkylidene , 1 , 1 - dicyano - 2 , 2 - dibutylethylene , ( 4 . 32 ) ( 14 g , 7 mmol ) was dissolved in dry ether ( 50 ml ) and a catalytic amount of copper ( i ) iodide ( 350 mg , 5 g / mol ) was added . the reaction was cooled to 0 ° c . and n - hexylmagnesium bromide was added ( 26 ml , 4 m in ether ) dropwise . after approximately 5 ml of n - hexylmagnesium bromide the reaction turned black . the reaction was allowed to warm to room temperature after addition was complete and the reaction was stirred overnight . the next day the reaction was quenched by pouring the black solution over an ice / sat . ammonium acetate solution . the biphasic solution was allowed to stir until both layers were homogeneous and the aqueous layer was bright blue . the organic layer was collected and washed with three 50 ml portions of sat . ammonium acetate . the organic layer was dried with mgso 4 , concentrated , and applied to a silica gel column . the product was eluted with 19 : 1 hexanes : ethyl acetate yielding 18 . 02 g ( 95 . 7 %) of a light yellow oil . ir ( kbr ): 2944 - 2736 ( br ), 2250 ( cn ), 1465 ( s ); 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 897 - 0 . 964 ( m , 9h ); 1 . 261 - 1 . 557 ( m , 30h ); 3 . 61 ( s , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 112 . 1 ( c ), 42 . 7 ( c ), 35 . 7 ( ch 2 ), 35 . 4 ( ch 2 ), 31 . 2 ( ch ), 31 . 1 ( ch 2 ), 29 . 6 ( ch 2 ), 25 . 3 ( ch 2 ), 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ), 23 . 0 ( ch 2 ), 22 . 4 ( ch 2 ), 13 . 8 ( ch 3 ), 13 . 7 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + h − ) calcd for c 18 h 31 n 2 : 275 . 2485 , obsd 275 . 2507 . preparation of 4 . 34 . the dinitrile 4 . 33a ( 8 g , 29 . 8 mmol ) was mixed with ethylene glycol ( 75 ml ) and potassium hydroxide ( 9 g , 160 . 7 mmol ). the mixture was refluxed for 3 days . after 24 hours the reaction foamed , indicating the formation of a surface active species . the reaction was allowed to cool and diluted with 75 ml of water . the solution was poured over ice containing excess concentrated hcl . upon acidification the product precipitated . the off - white precipitate was then extracted with four 50 ml portions of ether . the organic layers were combined , dried with mgso 4 , and concentrated by rotary evaporation . the resulting solid could be recrystallized from ethanol , acetic acid or hexanes . in the above case , ethanol was used and 7 g ( 90 %) of a crystalline product was obtained . ir ( kbr ): 2948 - 2865 ( br ), 1702 ( s , c ═ o ), 1319 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 825 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 0 . 963 - 1 . 275 ( m , 6h ); 1 . 78 ( dt , j = 2 , 7 , 2h ); 2 . 743 ( s , 2h ); 7 . 18 - 7 . 33 ( m , 5h ) 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 178 . 0 ( c ), 145 . 6 ( c ), 127 . 9 ( ch ), 125 . 9 ( ch ), 125 . 5 ( ch ), 43 . 0 ( c ), 40 . 7 ( ch 2 ), 38 . 2 ( ch 2 ), 25 . 6 ( ch 2 ), 23 . 0 ( ch 2 ), 13 . 8 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + h − ) calcd for c 17 h 28 o 2 : 262 . 1933 , obsd 262 . 1941 . preparation of 4 . 35 . the dinitrile 4 . 33b ( 16 . 10 g , 64 . 9 mmol ) was mixed with ethylene glycol ( 50 ml ) and potassium hydroxide ( 10 g , 179 mmol ). the mixture was refluxed for 3 days . after 24 hours the reaction foamed , indicating the formation of a surface active species . the reaction was allowed to cool and diluted with 75 ml of water . the solution was poured over ice containing excess concentrated hcl . upon acidification the product precipitated . the off - white precipitate was then extracted with four 50 ml portions of ether . the organic layers were combined , dried with mgso 4 , and concentrated by rotary evaporation . the resulting solid could be recrystallized from ethanol , acetic acid or hexanes . in the above case , ethanol was used and 17 . 4 g ( 90 %) of a crystalline product was obtained . ir ( kbr ): 2935 - 2858 ( br ), 1702 ( s , c ═ o ), 1467 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 902 ( t , j = 7 , 9h ); 1 . 156 - 1 . 330 ( m , 18h ); 2 . 226 ( s , 2h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 179 . 0 ( c ), 41 . 1 ( ch 2 ), 38 . 1 ( c ), 36 . 2 ( ch 2 ), 25 . 1 ( ch 2 ), 23 . 0 ( ch 2 ), 13 . 9 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 15 h 30 o 2 : 242 . 2245 , obsd 242 . 2236 . preparation of 4 . 36 . the dinitrile 4 . 33c ( 18 . 50 g , 67 mmol ) was mixed with ethylene glycol ( 75 ml ) and potassium hydroxide ( 15 g , 268 mmol ). the mixture was refluxed for 3 days . after 24 hours the reaction foamed , indicating the formation of a surface active species . the reaction was allowed to cool and diluted with 75 ml of water . the solution was poured over ice containing excess concentrated hcl . upon acidification the product precipitated . the off - white precipitate was then extracted with four 50 ml portions of ether . the organic layers were combined , dried with mgso 4 , and concentrated by rotary evaporation . the oil was determined by 1 h nmr to be a mixture of product and partially hydrolyzed starting material . a new set of conditions was applied to the mixture in which the oil was refluxed in a 1 : 1 mixture of acoh and concentrated hcl . after refluxing the solution for 24 hours the solution was diluted carefully with water and extracted with ether yielding approx . 7 g ( 30 %) of a clear oil . ir ( kbr ): 2881 - 2730 ( br ), 1704 ( s , c ═ o ), 1465 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 902 ( m , 9h ); 1 . 181 - 1 . 311 ( m , 22h ); 2 . 225 ( s , 2h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 178 . 6 ( c ), 41 . 0 ( ch 2 ), 38 . 1 ( c ), 36 . 5 ( ch 2 ), 36 . 2 ( ch 2 ), 31 . 6 ( ch 2 ), 36 . 2 ( ch 2 ), 29 . 8 ( ch 2 ), 25 . 1 ( ch 2 ), 23 . 2 ( ch 2 ), 22 . 7 ( ch 2 ), 22 . 5 ( ch 2 ), 13 . 9 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 17 h 34 o 2 : 270 . 2558 , obsd 242 . 2639 . preparation of 4 . 41 . cyclooctanone , ( 10 ml , 79 . 2 mmol ) was dissolved in benzene ( 25 ml ) containing acetic acid ( 3 . 63 ml , 63 . 6 mmol ) and ammonium acetate ( 1 . 22 g 15 . 9 mmol ). the reaction was allowed to stir while malononitrile was added ( 4 . 99 ml , 79 . 2 mmol ). the round bottom flask holding the mixture was fitted with a dean - stark trap which was filled with benzene and fitted with a reflux condenser . the solution was then refluxed until no more water was being collected by the dean - stark trap ( 4 - 6 hours ). the mixture was cooled and 50 ml of 1 n naoh was added . the organic layer was separated and washed with 1 n naoh until no more color was observed in the aqueous layer . the organic layer was dried with mgso 4 and concentrated by rotary evaporation providing 13 . 38 g ( 100 %) of a yellow oil . ir ( kbr ): 2861 - 2697 ( br ), 2227 ( s , cn ), 1579 ); 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 381 ( m , 2h ); 1 . 543 ( m , 4h ); 1 . 933 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 726 ( m , 4h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 191 . 2 ( c ), 111 . 8 ( c ), 84 . 3 ( c ), 35 . 1 ( ch 2 ), 26 . 5 ( ch 2 ), 26 . 2 ( ch 2 ), 25 . 1 ( ch 2 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 11 h 14 n 2 : 174 . 1156 , obsd 174 . 1155 . preparation of 4 . 42 . phenylmagnesium bromide ( 107 . 6 ml , 3 m in ether ) was cannulated into a flame dried round bottom flask and then diluted with 50 ml of thf . copper ( i ) cyanide was added and the heterogeneous mixture was allowed to stir until the solution became a black homogeneous solution . a solution of 4 . 41 ( 11 . 01 g , 63 mmol ) in thf ( 100 ml ) was added dropwise . the addition of 4 . 41 resulted in the formation of a thick white precipitate that caused stirring to cease . the flask was agitated by hand during the remainder of the addition . the reaction was quenched by adding 75 ml of sat . ammonium chloride . the mixture was filtered through a celite pad eluting with ether . the filtrate was separated and the ether layer was washed with sat . ammonium chloride three times with 50 ml portions . the organic layer was dried with mgso 4 , concentrated , and preabsorbed onto silica gel . the material was then chromatographed on a silica gel column eluting with 5 : 4 toluene : hexanes . the fraction containing product was pooled and concentrated yielding 10 g ( 65 %) of a slightly impure yellow oil . ir ( kbr ): 2923 - 2757 ( br ), 2250 ( w , cn ); 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 452 - 1 . 713 ( m , 12h ); 2 . 131 - 2 . 214 ( m , 2h ); 2 . 421 - 2 . 501 ( m , 2h ); 3 . 739 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 233 - 7 . 492 ( m , 5h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 138 . 5 ( c ), 128 . 8 ( ch ), 128 . 1 ( ch ), 127 . 3 ( ch ), 111 . 7 ( c ), 47 . 9 ( c ), 37 . 2 ( ch ), 31 . 2 ( ch 2 ), 27 . 7 ( ch 2 ), 24 . 0 ( ch 2 ), 22 . 4 ( ch 2 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + h − ) calcd for c 17 h 19 n 2 : 251 . 1546 , obsd 251 . 1561 . preparation of 4 . 43 . the dinitrile 4 . 42 ( 10 . 33 g , 41 mmol ) was mixed with ethylene glycol ( 70 ml ) and potassium hydroxide ( 13 g , 232 mmol ). the mixture was refluxed for 3 days . after 24 hours the reaction foamed , indicating the formation of a surface active species . the reaction was allowed to cool and diluted with 75 ml of water . the solution was poured over ice containing excess concentrated hcl . upon acidification the product precipitated . the off - white precipitate was then extracted with four 50 ml portions of ether . the organic layers were combined , dried with mgso 4 , and concentrated by rotary evaporation . the resulting solid could be recrystallized from ethanol , acetic acid or hexanes . hexanes worked very well and are easily removed . in the above case , ethanol was used and 8 . 3 g ( 80 %) of a crystalline product was obtained . ir ( kbr ): 3396 ( br ); 2921 - 2817 ( br ), 1689 ( w , c ═ o ); 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 461 - 1 . 543 ( m , 10h ); 1 . 943 - 2 . 167 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 539 ( s , 2h ); 7 . 168 - 7 . 342 ( m , 5h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 177 . 6 ( c ), 145 . 9 ( ch ), 128 . 0 ( ch ), 126 . 7 ( ch ) 125 . 8 ( c ), 47 . 1 ( ch 2 ), 43 . 8 ( c ), 33 . 3 ( ch 2 ), 28 . 4 ( ch 2 ), 25 . 1 ( ch 2 ), 22 . 9 ( ch 2 ), ei - ms m / z ( m + h − ) calcd for c 16 h 22 o 2 : 246 . 1618 , obsd 246 . 1634 . preparation of 4 . 45 . the acid 4 . 43 ( 1 g , 4 mmol ) was dissolved in 10 ml of acetic acid and 5 % rhodium on carbon ( 300 mg ) was added along with a stir bar . the reaction mixture which was in a glass sleeve was placed in a small reaction bomb and the bomb was sealed . hydrogen pressure of 1700 psi was charged into the bomb and the bomb was heated to 150 ° c . for 36 hours . the bomb was cooled and the solution was filtered over celite to remove the catalyst eluting with ethyl acetate . the solution was concentrated and the residue was recrystallized from ethanol / water yielding 857 mg ( 85 %) of a slightly pink solid . ir ( kbr ): 2925 - 2786 ( br ), 1695 ( w , c ═ o ); 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 122 - 1 . 782 ( m , 25h ); 2 . 176 ( s , 2h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 179 . 6 ( c ), 45 . 7 ( ch ), 41 . 5 ( ch 2 ), 32 . 1 ( ch 2 ), 28 . 6 ( ch 2 ), 27 . 1 ( ch 2 ), 26 . 6 ( ch 2 ), 25 . 8 ( ch 2 ), 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ch 3 co 2 − ) calcd for c 14 h 24 : 192 . 346 , obsd 192 . 190 . preparation of 4 . 48 . benzonitrile 4 . 47 ( 5 . 1 ml , 50 mmol ) was dissolved in 100 ml of dry ether and reacted with phenylmagnesium bromide ( 15 . 8 ml , 3 m in ether , 47 . 4 mmol ). addition of the grignard reagent caused a precipitate to form and the solution became difficult to stir . the solution was allowed to stir for 30 minutes after which the reaction was quenched with ethereal malononitrile ( 4 . 72 ml , 75 mmol , in 100 ml ether ). the reaction was allowed to stir for an hour more . the solution was washed once with 1 n hcl , three times with 1 n naoh , and dried with mgso 4 . the concentration of the solution yielded 8 . 06 g ( 70 %) of pure off - white solid product . ir ( kbr ): 2784 ( br ), 2221 ( s , cn ), 1531 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 7 . 254 - 7 . 612 ( m , 10h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 174 . 8 ( c ), 135 . 8 ( c ), 132 . 4 ( ch ) 130 . 4 ( ch ), 130 . 2 ( ch ), 128 . 7 ( ch ), 113 . 7 ( c ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 16 h 10 n 2 : 230 . 0844 , obsd 230 . 0853 . preparation of 4 . 49a . the alkylidene , 1 , 1 - dicyano - 2 , 2 - diphenylethylene , ( 4 . 48 ) ( 1 g , 4 . 3 mmol ) was dissolved in dry ether ( 25 ml ) and a catalytic amount of copper ( i ) iodide ( 21 mg , 5 g / mol ) was added . the reaction was cooled to 0 ° c . and n - butylmagnesium bromide was added ( 4 . 3 ml , 2 m in ether , 8 . 86 mmol ) dropwise . after approximately 1 ml of n - butylmagnesium bromide the reaction turned black . the reaction was allowed to warm to room temperature after addition was complete and the reaction was stirred overnight . the next day the reaction was quenched by pouring the black solution over an ice / sat . ammonium acetate solution . the biphasic solution was allowed to stir until both layers were homogeneous and the aqueous layer was bright blue . the organic layer was collected and washed with three 50 ml portions of sat . ammonium acetate . the organic layer was dried with mgso 4 , concentrated , and applied to a silica gel column . the product was eluted with 19 : 1 i hexanes : ethyl acetate yielding 512 mg ( 41 %) of a light yellow oil . ir ( kbr ): 3062 - 2740 ( br ), 2254 ( w , cn ), 1444 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 8287 ( t , j = 7 hz , 3h ); 0 . 969 - 1 . 042 ( m , 2h ); 1 . 287 ( h , j = 7 , hz , 2h ); 2 . 334 - 2 . 390 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 245 - 7 . 422 ( m , 10h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 140 . 4 ( c ), 128 . 3 ( ch ), 128 . 0 ( ch ), 127 . 9 ( ch ), 111 . 8 ( c ), 53 . 3 ( c ); 38 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 33 . 4 ( ch ); 26 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 22 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 5 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 20 h 20 n 2 : 288 . 1626 , obsd 288 . 1639 . preparation of 4 . 49b . the alkylidene , 1 , 1 - dicyano - 2 , 2 - diphenylethylene , ( 4 . 48 ) ( 3 . 14 g , 13 . 6 mmol ) was dissolved in dry ether ( 25 ml ) and a catalytic amount of copper ( i ) iodide ( 68 mg , 5 g / mol ) was added . the reaction was cooled to 0 ° c . and n - hexylmagnesium bromide was added ( 13 . 6 ml , 2 m in ether , 27 . 2 mmol ) dropwise . after approximately 3 ml of n - hexylmagnesium bromide the reaction turned black . the reaction was allowed to warm to room temperature after addition was complete and the reaction was stirred overnight . the next day the reaction was quenched by pouring the black solution over an ice / sat . ammonium acetate solution . the biphasic solution was allowed to stir until both layers were homogeneous and the aqueous layer was bright blue . the organic layer was collected and washed with three 50 ml portions of sat . ammonium acetate . the organic layer was dried with mgso 4 , concentrated , and applied to a silica gel column . the product was eluted with 19 : 1 hexanes : ethyl acetate yielding 2 . 15 g ( 50 %) of a light yellow oil . ir ( kbr ): 3062 - 2740 ( br ), 2254 ( w , cn ), 1444 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 826 ( t , j = 7 hz , 3h ); 0 . 883 - 1 . 269 ( m , 8h ); 3 . 350 ( m , 2h ); 4 . 60 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 243 - 7 . 41 ( m , 10h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 140 . 4 ( c ), 128 . 3 ( ch ), 128 . 0 ( ch ), 127 . 9 ( ch ), 111 . 8 ( c ), 53 . 3 ( c ); 38 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 33 . 4 ( ch ); 31 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 29 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 22 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 7 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + h + ) calcd for c 22 h 24 n 2 : 317 . 2019 , obsd 317 . 2033 . preparation of 4 . 50 . the dinitrile 4 . 49a ( 3 . 20 g , 11 mmol ) was mixed with ethylene glycol ( 75 ml ) and potassium hydroxide ( 10 g , 178 mmol ). the mixture was refluxed for 3 days . after 24 hours the reaction foamed , indicating the formation of a surface active species . the reaction was allowed to cool and diluted with 75 ml of water . the solution was poured over ice containing excess concentrated hcl . upon acidification the product precipitated . the off - white precipitate was then extracted with four 50 ml portions of ether . the organic layers were combined , dried with mgso 4 , and concentrated by rotary evaporation . the product was recrystallized from ethanol and x - ray quality crystals obtained . the reaction yielded 2 . 88 g ( 93 %). ir ( kbr ): 2927 ( v . br ), 1704 ( s , c ═ o ); 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 808 ( t , j = 7 hz , 3h ); 0 . 955 - 1 . 035 ( m , 2h ); 1 . 250 ( h , j = 7 2h ); 2 . 293 ( m , 2h ); 3 . 129 ( s , 2h ) 7 . 106 - 7 . 274 ( m , 10h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 172 . 1 ( c ), 147 . 1 ( c ), 127 . 7 ( ch ), 127 . 4 ( ch ), 125 . 9 ( ch ), 48 . 3 ( c ); 42 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 37 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 26 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 0 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 8 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 19 h 22 o 2 : 282 . 1620 , obsd 282 . 1612 . preparation of 4 . 51 . the dinitrile 4 . 49b ( 2 . 92 g , 9 . 2 mmol ) was mixed with ethylene glycol ( 50 ml ) and potassium hydroxide ( 10 g , 178 mmol ). the mixture was refluxed for 3 days . after 24 hours the reactions foamed , indicating the formation of a surface active species . the reaction was allowed to cool and diluted with 75 ml of water . the solution was poured over ice containing excess concentrated hcl . upon acidification the product precipitated . the off - white precipitate was then extracted with four 50 ml portions of ether . the organic layers were combined , dried with mgso 4 , and concentrated by rotary evaporation . the resulting oil slowly crystallized after sitting for many weeks . the reaction yielded 2 g ( 70 %) of the desired product . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 824 ( t , j = 7 hz , 3h ); 1 . 014 - 1 . 260 ( m , 8h ); 2 . 290 ( m , 2h ); 3 . 136 ( s , 2h ) 7 . 122 - 7 . 279 ( m , 10h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 176 . 2 ( c ), 147 . 0 ( c ), 127 . 7 ( ch ), 127 . 4 ( ch ), 125 . 8 ( ch ), 48 . 3 ( c ); 42 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 37 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 31 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 29 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 22 . 4 ( ch 2 ), 13 . 8 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 21 h 26 o 2 : 310 . 1933 , obsd 310 . 1954 . preparation of 4 . 52 . the acid 4 . 50 ( 3 . 37 g , 12 mmol ) was dissolved in 15 ml of acetic acid and 5 % rhodium on carbon ( 300 mg ) was added along with a stir bar . the reaction mixture which was in a glass sleeve was placed in a small reaction bomb and the bomb was sealed . hydrogen pressure of 2000 psi was charged into the bomb and the bomb was heated to 150 ° c . for 24 hours . the bomb was cooled and the solution was filtered over celite to remove the catalyst eluting with ethyl acetate . the solution was concentrated and chromatographed on a silica gel column eluting with 19 : 1 hexanes : ethyl acetate . the fractions containing product were pooled and concentrated yielding 2 . 9 g ( 50 %) of a crystalline product which was recrystallized from ethanol . ir ( kbr ): 2925 - 2726 ( br ), 1700 ( s , c ═ o ); 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 866 - 1 . 751 ( m , 28h ); 2 . 450 ( s , 2h ); 11 ( br , s , 1h ) 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 180 ( c ), 48 . 8 ( c ); 43 . 2 ( ch ); 39 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 33 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 28 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 28 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 26 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 26 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 8 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + 2h − ) calcd for c 19 h 34 o 2 : 292 . 2399 , obsd 292 . 2390 . preparation of 4 . 53 . the acid 4 . 51 ( 3 . 2 g , 11 mmol ) was dissolved in 15 ml of acetic acid and 5 % rhodium on carbon ( 300 mg ) was added along with a stir bar . the reaction mixture which was in a glass sleeve was placed in a small reaction bomb and the bomb was sealed . hydrogen pressure of 2000 psi was charged into the bomb and the bomb was heated to 150 ° c . for 96 hours . the bomb was cooled and the solution was filtered over celite to remove the catalyst eluting with ethyl acetate . the solution was concentrated and chromatographed on a silica gel column eluting with 19 : 1 hexanes : ethyl acetate . the fractions containing product were pooled and concentrated yielding 1 . 67 g ( 47 %) of a clear oil . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 907 ( t , j = 7 hz , 3h ); 1 . 117 - 1 . 749 ( m , 32h ); 2 . 262 ( s , 2h ) 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): d 179 . 8 ( c ), 43 . 8 ( c ); 43 . 2 ( ch ); 39 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 34 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 31 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 30 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 28 . 35 ( ch 2 ); 28 . 29 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 26 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 24 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 22 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 8 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + h + ) calcd for c 21 h 39 o 2 : 323 . 2952 , obsd 323 . 2959 . preparation of 4 . 76 . the acid 4 . 34 ( 6 . 8 g , 25 . 9 mmol ) was dissolved in 15 ml of acetic acid and 5 % rhodium on carbon ( 600 mg ) was added along with a stir bar . the reaction mixture which was in a glass sleeve was placed in a small reaction bomb and the bomb was sealed . hydrogen pressure of 2000 psi was charged into the bomb and the bomb was heated to 150 ° c . for 4 days . the bomb was cooled and the solution was filtered over celite to remove the catalyst eluting with ethyl acetate . the solution was concentrated and chromatographed on a silica gel column eluting with 19 : 1 hexanes : ethyl acetate . the fractions containing product were pooled and concentrated yielding 4 g ( 58 %) of a clear oil . ir ( kbr ): 2929 - 2726 ( br ), 1702 ( s , c ═ o ); 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 902 ( t , j = 7 hz , 6h ); 1 . 029 - 1 . 786 ( m , 23h ); 2 . 240 ( s , 2h ); 11 ( br , s 1 h ), 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 179 . 5 ( c ), 44 . 9 ( ch ); 40 . 8 ( c ); 39 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 35 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 26 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 9 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 17 h 32 o 2 : 222 . 416 , obsd 223 . 238 . preparation of 3 , 3 , 3 - tri - p - tert - butylphenylacetic acid ( 4 . 58 ). alcohol tris - t - butylphenylmethanol ( 3 . 8 g , 8 . 9 mmol ) was ground together with malonic acid ( 9 . 23 g , 89 mmol ) and the mixture was heated to 170 ° c . at approximately 150 ° c ., the solids began to melt together and form a red syrup . the reaction bubbled vigorously for about 1 . 5 hours and then ceased to bubble . once bubbling stopped the reaction was cooled . upon cooling the syrup solidified to an off - white solid which was recrystallized from ethanol yielding 3 g ( 72 %). ir ( kbr ): 3031 - 2748 ( br ), 1700 ( s , c ═ o ), 1508 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 288 ( s , 27h ); 3 . 684 ( s , 2h ); 7 . 087 ( d , j = 9 , 6h ); 7 . 243 ( d , j = 9 , 6h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 175 ( c ), 148 . 4 ( c ); 143 . 2 ( c ); 128 . 3 ( ch ); 124 . 2 ( ch ), 45 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 33 . 9 ( c ); 30 . 9 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 33 h 42 o 2 : 470 . 3185 , obsd 470 . 3197 . preparation of 4 . 61 . the alcohol 4 . 60 ( see org . syn . iii , 831 ) ( 2 . 62 g , 5 . 4 mmol ) was ground together with malonic acid ( 5 . 58 g , 54 mmol ) and the mixture was heated to 170 ° c . at approximately 150 ° c ., the solids began to melt together and form a red syrup . the reaction bubbled vigorously for about 1 . 5 hours and then ceased to bubble . once bubbling stopped the reaction was cooled . upon cooling the syrup solidified to a off - white solid which was recrystallized from ethanol yielding 2 . 12 g ( 74 %). ir ( kbr ): 3025 - 2846 ( br ), 1716 ( s , c ═ o ), 1484 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 3 . 86 ( s , 2h ); 7 . 321 - 7 . 615 ( m , 27h ); 9 . 0 ( s , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 ): δ 177 . 5 ( c ), 145 . 1 ( c ); 140 . 3 ( c ); 138 . 8 ( c ); 129 . 3 ( ch ), 128 . 6 ( ch ); 128 . 1 ( ch ); 127 . 0 ( ch ); 126 . 8 ( ch ); 126 . 3 ( ch ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 39 h 30 o 2 : 530 . 2246 , obsd 530 . 2239 . preparation of 4 . 78 . the acid 4 . 34 ( 2 . 43 g , 9 . 3 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled the oxalyl chloride ( 4 . 04 ml , 46 . 5 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 50 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and amine 4 . 64 ( 2 . 92 ml , 18 . 6 mmol ) in ether ( 50 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the layers were separated and the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 3 . 35 g ( 100 %) of a light yellow solution . the oil was dissolved in 30 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 2 . 3 ml ) diluted in 30 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr free amine ): 2954 - 2769 ( br ), 1637 ( s , c ═ o ), 1457 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , free amine ): δ 0 . 89 ( dt , j = 3 . 5 , 7 , 6h ); 0 . 967 ( dt , j = 7 , 18 , 3h ); 1 . 046 - 1 . 364 ( m , 8h ); 1 . 844 - 2 . 025 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 285 ( s , 3h ); 2 . 218 ( s , 3h ); 2 . 20 - 2 . 271 ( m , 2h ); 2 . 518 ( s , 1h ); 2 . 547 ( s , 1h ); 2 . 812 ( m , 1h ); 2 . 941 ( ab , j = 7 , 1h ); 3 . 219 ( ab , j = 7 , 1h ); 3 . 291 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 138 - 7 . 358 ( m , 5h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 . hcl salt ): δ 171 . 5 ( c ), 146 . 2 ( c ); 127 . 8 ( ch ); 126 . 1 ( ch ), 125 . 6 ( ch ); 54 . 0 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 1 ( c ); 42 . 7 ( ch 3 ); 40 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 40 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 36 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 9 ( ch 3 ); maldi - tof ( m + h + ) calcd for c 23 h 41 n 2 o 361 . 59 , obsd 361 . 32 ; ( m + na + ) calcd for c 23 h 40 n 2 ona : 384 . 59 , obsd 384 . 26 . preparation of 4 . 79 . the acid 4 . 30 ( 300 mg , 1 . 1 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled the oxalyl chloride ( 0 . 499 ml , 5 . 72 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 15 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and n , n - dimethylpropylenediamine ( 0 . 288 ml , 2 . 2 mmol ) in ether ( 15 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the layers were separated and the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 394 mg ( 100 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 10 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 0 . 285 ml ) diluted in 10 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr hcl salt ): 3309 ( br ), 2954 - 2769 ( s , c ═ o ), 2240 ( n — h ), 1644 ( c ═ o ), 1540 , 1465 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , free amine ): δ 0 . 863 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 022 - 1 . 318 ( m , 8h ); 1 . 375 ( p , j = 7 , 2h ); 1 . 740 - 1 . 844 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 078 - 2 . 124 ( m , 2h ); 2 . 136 ( s , 6h ); 2 . 491 ( s , 2h ); 3 . 062 ( app . q , j = 6 , 3h ); 5 . 530 ( t , j = 6 , 1h ); 7 . 169 - 7 . 340 ( m , 5h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 , free amine ): δ 170 . 6 ( c ), 146 . 6 ( c ); 128 . 1 ( ch ); 126 . 2 ( ch ), 125 . 6 ( ch ); 57 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 46 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 45 . 2 ( ch 3 ); 43 . 0 ( c ); 38 . 0 ( ch 2 ); 36 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 8 ( ch 3 ). preparation of 4 . 80 . the acid 4 . 33 ( 211 mg , 0 . 8 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled the oxalyl chloride ( 0 . 351 ml , 4 . 0 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 15 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and n , n , n ′- trimethylpropylene - diamine ( 0 . 236 ml , 1 . 6 mmol ) in ether ( 15 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 300 mg ( 99 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 10 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 0 . 200 ml ) diluted in 10 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr hcl salt ): 3442 ( br ), 2954 - 2709 ( br ), 1635 ( s , c ═ o ), 1467 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , hcl salt ): δ 0 . 863 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 022 - 1 . 4 ( m , 10h ); 1 . 740 - 1 . 844 ( m , 6h ); 2 . 62 ( s , 3h ); 2 . 68 - 2 . 81 ( m , 10h ); 3 . 26 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 13 - 7 . 38 ( m , 5h ); 11 . 9 ( br , m , 1h ) 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 , hcl salt ): δ 171 . 6 ( c ), 146 . 6 ( c ); 127 . 7 ( ch ); 126 . 1 ( ch ), 125 . 4 ( ch ); 55 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 44 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 42 . 9 ( c ); 42 . 7 ( ch 3 ); 40 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 36 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 35 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 22 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 9 ( ch 3 ); maldi - tof ( m + 2h + ) calcd for c 23 h 42 n 2 o : 362 . 59 , obsd 362 . 40 . preparation of 4 . 81 . the acid 4 . 33 ( 500 mg , 1 . 91 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled the oxalyl chloride ( 0 . 832 ml , 9 . 55 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 20 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 1 - dimethylaminomethyl - 2 - aminopropane ( 0 . 442 ml , 3 . 8 mmol ) in ether ( 20 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 630 mg ( 89 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 10 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 0 . 478 ml ) diluted in 10 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr hcl salt ): 3435 ( br ), 2934 , 2868 , 2731 ( br ), 1666 ( s , c ═ o ); 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , hcl salt ): δ 0 . 877 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 0 . 991 - 1 . 141 ( m , 2h ); 1 . 166 ( s , 6h ); 1 . 207 - 1 . 338 ( m , 4h ); 1 . 745 - 1 . 852 ( m , 6h ); 2 . 623 ( s , 2h ); 2 . 732 ( d , j = 5 , 6h ); 3 . 368 ( d , j = 3 . 5 , 2h ); 7 . 165 - 7 . 421 ( m , 5h ); 11 . 2 ( br , m , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 , hcl salt ): δ 173 . 2 ( c ), 147 ( c ); 128 . 2 ( ch ); 126 . 5 ( ch ), 125 . 4 ( ch ); 65 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 52 ( c ); 46 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 46 . 7 ( ch 3 ); 36 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 4 ( ch 3 ); 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 9 ( ch 3 ); maldi - tof ( m + 2h + ) calcd for c 23 h 42 n 2 o : 362 . 59 , obsd 362 . 35 . preparation of4 . 82 . the acid 4 . 33 ( 500 mg , 1 . 91 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled the oxalyl chloride ( 0 . 832 ml , 9 . 55 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the oil was dissolved in dry thf ( 20 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and hnme 2 ( 20 ml , 40 % solution in water ) was added . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added along with 75 ml of ether . the organic solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh and two 25 ml portions of 1 n hcl . the organic layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried organic solution was concentrated yielding 500 mg ( 91 %) of a light yellow solid . the solid was dissolved in 20 ml of thf and lithium aluminum hydride ( 182 mg 4 . 8 mmol ) was added . the suspension was refluxed for 4 hours and then cooled to room temperature . the excess lithium aluminum hydride was quenched with a freshly made sat . solution na 2 so 4 . the addition of na 2 so 4 caused a granular precipitate to form which was easily removed by filtration through a celite plug . the filtrate was concentrated yielding 476 mg ( 100 %) of a clear oil . the amine was dissolved in ether ( 10 ml ) and precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 0 . 432 ml ) diluted in 10 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr hcl salt ): 2954 , 2934 , 2869 , 2649 ( br ), 2474 ( br , n — h ), 1467 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , hcl salt ): δ 0 . 877 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 0 . 989 - 1 . 166 ( m , 3h ); 1 . 271 ( p , j = 8 , 4h ); 1 . 663 - 1 . 744 ( m , 5h ); 2 . 133 - 2 . 189 ( m , 2h ); 2 . 608 - 2 . 667 ( m , 8h ); 7 . 221 - 7 . 376 ( m , 5h ); 12 . 4 ( br , m , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 , hcl salt ): δ 145 . 1 ( c ); 128 . 6 ( ch ); 126 . 3 ( ch ), 126 . 1 ( ch ); 54 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 42 . 6 ( ch 3 ); 42 . 2 ( c ); 36 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 32 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 14 . 1 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + hcl − ) calcd for c 19 h 33 n : 275 . 48 obsd 275 . 26 . maldi - tof ( m + ) calcd for c 19 h 34 n : 276 . 49 , obsd 276 . 22 . preparation of 4 . 83 . the acid 4 . 33 ( 500 mg , 1 . 91 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled the oxalyl chloride ( 0 . 831 ml , 9 . 53 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 20 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and n , n , 2 , 2 - tetramethyl - 1 , 3 - propanediamine ( 0 . 607 ml , 3 . 8 mmol ) in ether ( 20 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 783 mg ( 100 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 10 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 478 ml ) diluted in 10 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr hcl salt ): 3244 ( n — h ), 2786 ( br ), 1656 ( c ═ o ); 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , hcl salt ): δ 0 . 873 ( t , j = 7 hz , 6h ); 0 . 923 ( s , 6h ); 0 . 962 - 1 . 345 ( m , 8h ); 1 . 720 - 1 . 910 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 447 ( s , 2h ); 2 . 656 ( s , 2h ); 2 . 748 ( s , 2h ); 3022 ( d , j = 6 . 5 , 2h ); 6 . 635 ( t , j = 6 . 5 , 1h ); 7 . 175 - 7 . 450 ( m , 5h ), 11 . 2 ( br , m , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz , hcl salt ): δ 173 . 1 ( c ); 174 . 2 ( c ), 127 . 6 ( ch ); 126 . 1 ( ch ), 125 . 4 ( ch ); 45 . 8 ( ch 3 ); 45 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 42 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 36 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 24 . 3 ( ch 3 ); 22 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 7 ( ch 3 ); maldi - tof ( m + h + ) calcd for c 24 h 49 n 2 o : 376 . 63 , obsd 376 . 34 . preparation of 4 . 84 . the acid 4 . 33 ( 1 g , 3 . 8 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled , the oxalyl chloride ( 1 . 66 ml , 19 . 0 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the oil was dissolved in dry ether ( 25 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 3 , 3 ′- iminobis ( n , n - dimethylpropylamine ) ( 1 . 86 ml , 7 . 6 mmol ) in ether ( 25 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the layers were separated and the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 1 . 54 g ( 94 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 15 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 0 . 950 ml ) diluted in 15 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr hcl salt ): 3399 ( n — h ) ( br ), 2952 , 2859 , 2765 , 2240 ( n — h ), 1635 ( n — h ), 1459 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , free amine ): δ 0 . 868 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 046 - 1 . 186 ( m , 4h ); 1 . 291 ( h , j = 7 , 4h ); 1 . 488 - 1 . 570 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 133 - 2 . 189 ( dp , j = 5 , 6 4h ); 2 . 103 - 2 . 216 ( m , 16h ); 2 . 916 ( t , j = 7 , 2h ); 3 . 191 ( t , j = 7 , 2h ); 7 . 150 - 7 . 340 ( m , 5h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 , hcl salt ): δ 170 . 6 ( c ); 146 . 7 ( c ); 127 . 7 ( ch ); 126 . 2 ( ch ), 125 . 3 ( ch ); 56 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 56 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 45 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 45 . 2 ( ch 3 ); 43 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 2 ( c ); 40 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 35 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 26 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 9 ( ch 3 ); maldi - tof ( m + ) calcd for c 27 h 51 n 3 o : 433 . 725 , obsd 433 . 13 . preparation of 4 . 85 . the acid 4 . 43 ( 1 g , 4 . 1 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled the oxalyl chloride ( 1 . 77 ml , 20 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 25 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 3 , 3 ′- iminobis ( n , n - dimethylpropylamine ) ( 1 . 81 ml , 8 mmol ) in ether ( 25 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 1 . 3 g ( 77 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 15 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 1 . 9 ml ) diluted in 15 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr hcl salt ): 3403 ( n — h ) ( br ), 2958 , 2927 , 2867 , 2721 ( n — h ), 1625 ( n — h ), 1467 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , free amine ): δ 1 . 449 - 1 . 488 ( m , 10h ); 1 . 839 - 1 . 890 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 136 - 2 . 195 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 535 ( s , 2h ); 2 . 764 ( s , 6h ); 2 . 848 ( s , 6h ); 2 . 803 - 3 . 001 ( m , 8h ); 3 . 315 ( t , j = 7 , 2h ); 5 . 00 ( br , 2h ); 7 . 176 - 7 . 392 ( m , 5h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 , hcl salt ): δ 172 . 4 ( c ); 146 . 1 ( c ); 127 . 9 ( ch ); 126 . 8 ( ch ), 125 . 3 ( ch ); 56 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 56 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 45 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 2 ( c ); 42 . 9 ( ch 3 ); 33 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 28 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 26 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 24 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 22 . 6 ( ch 2 ); maldi - tof ( m + ) calcd for c 26 h 47 n 3 o : 417 . 68 , obsd 417 . 30 . preparation of 4 . 86 . the acid 4 . 50 ( 1 g , 3 . 54 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled the oxalyl chloride ( 1 . 54 ml , 17 . 7 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 25 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 3 , 3 ′- iminobis ( n , n - dimethylpropylamine ) ( 1 . 54 ml , 7 . 1 mmol ) in ether ( 25 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 1 . 45 g ( 94 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 15 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 1 . 77 ml ) diluted in 15 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr hcl salt ): 3364 ( n — h ) ( br ), 2955 , 2931 , 2860 , 2732 ( n — h ), 1634 ( c ═ o ), 1467 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , hcl salt ): δ 0 . 804 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 0 . 976 - 1 . 101 ( m , 2h ); 1 . 21 - 1 . 306 ( m , 2h ); 1 . 744 - 1 . 814 ( m , 2h ); 2 . 369 - 2 . 422 ( m , 2h ); 2 . 710 - 2 . 863 ( m , 24h ); 3 . 34 ( t , j = 7 , 2h ); 7 . 173 - 7 . 298 ( m , 5h ); 11 . 49 ( m , 1h ); 11 . 81 ( m , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , hcl salt ): δ 171 . 2 ( c ); 147 . 5 ( c ); 127 . 9 ( ch ); 127 . 6 ( ch ), 125 . 8 ( ch ); 55 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 54 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 49 . 6 ( c ); 42 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 42 . 8 ( ch 3 ); 38 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 38 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 24 . 0 ( ch 2 ); 22 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 9 ( ch 3 ); maldi - tof ( m + ) calcd for c 29 h 47 n 3 o : 453 . 72 , obsd 453 . 08 . preparation of 4 . 87 . the acid 4 . 51 ( 500 mg , 1 . 6 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled the oxalyl chloride ( 717 ml , 8 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the oil was dissolved in dry ether ( 25 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 3 , 3 ′- iminobis ( n , n - dimethylpropylamine ) ( 0 . 717 ml , 7 . 1 mmol ) in ether ( 25 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 651 mg ( 85 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 15 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 0 . 800 ml ) diluted in 15 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr hcl salt ): 3391 ( n — h ) ( br ), 2955 , 2928 , 2868 , 2709 ( n — h ), 1627 ( c ═ o ); 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , hcl salt ): δ 0 . 804 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 0 . 976 - 1 . 101 ( m , 8h ); 1 . 75 - 2 . 08 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 34 - 2 . 45 ( m , 2h ); 2 . 74 ( s , 6h ); 2 . 85 ( s , 6h ); 2 . 78 - 3 . 06 ( m , 4h ); 3 . 10 ( s , 2h ); 3 . 36 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 15 - 7 . 4 ( m , 10h ); 11 . 49 ( m , 1h ); 11 . 81 ( m , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 , hcl salt ): δ 171 . 4 ( c ); 147 . 7 ( c ); 128 . 0 ( ch ); 127 . 8 ( ch ), 125 . 9 ( ch ); 55 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 54 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 49 . 7 ( c ); 45 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 0 ( ch 2 ); 42 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 39 . 0 ( ch 2 ); 38 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 31 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 29 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 24 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 24 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 22 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 22 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 9 ( ch 3 ); maldi - tof ( m + ) calcd for c 29 h 47 n 3 o : 481 . 39 , obsd 481 . 18 . preparation of 4 . 89 . the acid 4 . 18 ( 1 g , 2 . 79 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled the oxalyl chloride ( 1 . 22 ml , 13 . 9 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 25 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 3 , 3 ′- iminobis ( n , n - dimethylpropylamine ) ( 1 . 24 ml , 5 . 6 mmol ) in ether ( 25 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 1 . 0 g ( 68 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 15 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 1 . 40 ml ) diluted in 15 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr hcl salt ): 3399 ( n — h ) ( br ), 2962 , 2705 ( n — h ), 2478 , 2240 ( n — h ), 1634 ( c ═ o ), 1473 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz hcl salt ): δ 1 . 30 ( s , 9h ); 1 . 821 - 1 . 901 ( m , 2h ); 2 . 05 - 2 . 13 ( m , 2h ); 2 . 72 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ); 2 . 78 - 2 . 88 ( m , 2h ); 2 . 85 ( d , j = 8 hz , 24h ); 3 . 04 - 3 . 12 ( m , 2h ); 3 . 20 ( t , j = 6 . 5 , 2h ); 3 . 35 ( t , j = 6 . 5 , 2h ); 3 . 69 ( s , 2h ); 7 . 13 - 7 . 33 ( m , 14h ); 11 . 58 ( m , 1h ); 11 . 95 ( m , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz hcl salt ): δ 170 . 7 ( c ); 148 . 5 ( c ); 146 . 5 ( c ); 143 . 3 ( c ); 127 . 5 ( ch ), 125 . 8 ( ch ); 124 . 5 ( ch ); 55 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 55 . 6 ( c ); 54 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 45 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 42 . 9 ( ch 3 ); 42 . 8 ( ch 3 ); 42 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 34 . 1 ( c ); 31 . 1 ( ch 3 ); 24 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ); maldi - tof ( m + ) calcd for c 35 h 51 n 3 o : 529 . 47 , obsd 529 . 19 . preparation of 4 . 90 . the acid 4 . 62 ( 1 g , 2 . 79 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled the oxalyl chloride ( 1 . 22 ml , 13 . 9 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 25 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 3 , 3 ′- iminobis ( n , n - dimethylpropylamine ) ( 1 . 24 ml , 5 . 6 mmol ) in ether ( 25 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 1 . 0 g ( 68 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 15 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 1 . 40 ml ) diluted in 15 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr hcl salt ): 3399 ( n — h ) ( br ), 3027 , 2966 , 2711 ( n — h ), 2478 , 1635 ( c ═ o ), 1484 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz hcl salt ): δ 1 . 74 - 1 . 85 ( m , 2h ); 2 . 10 - 2 . 23 ( m , 2h ); 2 . 52 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ); 2 . 65 - 2 . 73 ( m , 2h ); 2 . 83 ( d , j = 8 hz , 24h ); 3 . 04 - 3 . 14 ( m , 2h ); 3 . 29 - 3 . 4 ( m , 4h ); 3 . 69 ( s , 2h ); 7 . 25 - 7 . 63 ( m , 27h ); 11 . 58 ( m , 1h ); 11 . 95 ( m , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz hcl salt ): δ 170 . 7 ( c ); 145 . 5 ( c ); 140 . 2 ( c ); 138 . 6 ( c ); 129 . 6 ( ch ), 128 . 7 ( ch ); 127 . 2 ( ch ); 126 . 7 ( ch ); 126 . 3 ( ch ); 55 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 55 . 4 ( c ); 54 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 44 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 42 . 9 ( ch 3 ); 42 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 24 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ); maldi - tof ( m + ) calcd for c 49 h 55 n 3 o : 701 . 99 , obsd 701 . 95 . preparation of 4 . 91 . the acid 4 . 58 ( 890 mg , 1 . 89 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled , oxalyl chloride ( 0 . 825 ml , 9 . 45 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 25 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 3 , 3 ′- iminobis ( n , n - dimethylpropylamine ) ( 8 . 41 ml , 3 . 78 mmol ) in ether ( 25 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 931 mg ( 77 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 15 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 0 . 945 ml ) diluted in 15 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr hcl salt ): 3442 ( n — h ) ( br ), 2957 , 2928 , 2857 , 1635 ( c ═ o ), 1456 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz hcl salt ): δ 1 . 25 ( s , 27h ); 1 . 72 - 1 . 89 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 57 ( s , 6h ); 2 . 62 ( s , 6h ); 2 . 66 - 2 . 78 ( m , 4h ); 3 . 05 - 3 . 14 ( m , 2h ); 3 . 29 - 3 . 4 ( m , 4h ); 3 . 67 ( s , 2h ); 7 . 14 - 7 . 33 ( m , 12h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz hcl salt ): δ 171 . 2 ( c ); 148 . 3 ( c ); 143 . 7 ( c ); 128 . 6 ( ch ), 125 . 2 ( ch ); 55 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 55 . 2 ( c ); 54 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 46 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 1 ( ch 3 ); 42 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 34 . 1 ( c ); 31 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 29 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ); maldi - tof ( m + h + ) calcd for c 43 h 68 n 3 o : 643 . 037 , obsd 643 . 17 . preparation of 4 . 92 . the acid 4 . 36 ( 1 g , 3 . 7 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled the oxalyl chloride ( 1 . 61 ml , 18 . 5 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 25 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 3 , 3 ′- iminobis ( n , n - dimethylpropylamine ) ( 1 . 65 ml , 7 . 4 mmol ) in ether ( 25 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 1 . 622 g ( 100 %) of a light yellow solution . the oil was dissolved in 15 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 1 . 85 ml ) diluted in 15 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr hcl salt ): 3430 ( n — h ) ( br ), 2957 , 2928 , 2869 , 2697 ( n — h ), 1635 ( c ═ o ), 1456 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz hcl salt ): δ 0 . 869 - 0 . 925 ( m , 9h ); 1 . 28 - 1 . 395 ( m , 20h ); 2 . 105 - 2 . 213 ( m , 6h ); 2 . 856 ( s , 6h ); 2 . 929 ( s , 6h ); 3 . 092 ( t , j = 7 hz , 2h ); 3 . 195 ( t , j = 7 , 2h ); 3 . 55 ( m , 4h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz hcl salt ): δ 172 . 1 ( c ); 55 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 54 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 46 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 5 ( ch 3 ); 43 . 0 ( ch 3 ); 42 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 38 . 4 ( c ); 37 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 36 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 31 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 29 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 24 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 22 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 14 . 0 ( ch 3 ); maldi - tof ( m + h + ) calcd for c 27 h 59 n 3 o : 441 . 79 , obsd 441 . 18 . preparation of 4 . 93 . the acid 4 . 35 ( 1 g , 4 . 1 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled the oxalyl chloride ( 1 . 8 ml , 21 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 25 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 3 , 3 ′- iminobis ( n , n - dimethylpropylamine ) ( 1 . 84 ml , 8 . 2 mmol ) in ether ( 25 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 1 . 7 g ( 100 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 15 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 2 ml ) diluted in 15 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr hcl salt ): 3399 ( n — h ) ( br ), 2954 , 2929 , 2861 , 2707 ( n — h ), 1627 ( c ═ o ), 1467 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz hcl salt ): δ 0 . 900 ( t , j = 7 , 9h ); 1 . 055 - 1 . 42 ( m , 16h ); 2 . 08 - 2 . 27 ( s , 6h ); 2 . 85 ( d , j = 4 . 5 , 6h ); 2 . 96 ( t , j = 4 . 5 , 6h ); 3 . 08 ( q , j = 7 , 2h ); 3 . 18 - 3 . 22 ( m , 2h ); 3 . 57 ( t , j = 6 , 4h ); 11 . 92 ( m , 1h ); 12 . 15 ( m , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz hcl salt ): δ 172 . 2 ( c ); 55 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 55 . 0 ( ch 2 ); 46 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 0 ( ch 3 ); 42 . 9 ( ch 3 ); 38 . 5 ( c ); 37 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 36 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 24 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 14 . 1 ( ch 3 ); maldi - tof ( m + h + ) calcd for c 25 h 55 n 3 o : 413 . 73 , obsd 413 . 36 . preparation of 4 . 94 . the acid 4 . 52 ( 1 g , 3 . 4 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled the oxalyl chloride ( 1 . 48 ml , 17 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 25 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 3 , 3 ′- iminobis ( n , n - dimethylpropylamine ) ( 1 . 51 ml , 8 . 2 mmol ) in ether ( 25 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 1 . 26 g ( 80 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 15 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 1 . 7 ml ) diluted in 15 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr hcl salt ): 3399 ( n — h ) ( br ), 2928 , 2850 , 2709 ( n — h ), 1625 ( c ═ o ), 1467 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz hcl salt ): δ 0 . 904 ( t , j = 7 , 3h ); 1 . 027 - 1 . 26 ( m , 16h ); 1 . 499 - 1 . 80 ( m , 16h ); 2 . 11 - 2 . 27 ( m , 6h ); 2 . 84 ( d , j = 5 , 6h ); 2 . 939 ( d , j = 5 , 6h ); 3 . 08 ( q , j = 6 , 2h ); 3 . 18 - 3 . 22 ( m , 2h ); 3 . 59 ( p , j = 7 , 4h ); 11 . 9 ( m , 1h ); 12 . 1 ( m , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz hcl salt ): δ 173 . 2 ( c ); 55 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 54 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 46 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 44 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 7 ( c ); 43 . 5 ( ch 3 ); 43 . 0 ( ch 3 ); 42 . 9 ( ch 3 ); 35 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 34 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 28 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 0 ( ch 2 ); 26 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 24 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 14 . 1 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ): calcd for c 29 h 57 n 3 o : 463 . 4501 , obsd 463 . 4506 maldi - tof ( m + ) calcd for c 29 h 57 n 3 o 463 . 45 , obsd 463 . 29 . preparation of 4 . 95 . the acid 4 . 45 ( 500 mg , 2 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled , oxalyl chloride ( 0 . 864 ml , 10 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 25 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 3 , 3 ′- iminobis ( n , n - dimethylpropylamine ) ( 0 . 888 ml , 4 mmol ) in ether ( 25 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 833 mg ( 100 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 15 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 1 ml ) diluted in 15 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr hcl salt ): 3399 ( n — h ) ( br ), 2923 , 2850 , 2692 ( n — h ), 1623 ( c ═ o ), 1473 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz hcl salt ): δ 0 . 895 - 2 . 011 ( m , 21h ); 1 . 027 - 1 . 26 ( m , 16h ); 1 . 499 - 1 . 80 ( m , 16h ); 2 . 11 - 2 . 27 ( m , 6h ); 2 . 84 ( d , j = 5 , 6h ); 2 . 15 ( s , 2h ) 2 . 16 - 2 . 35 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 84 ( d , j = 8 , 6h ); 2 . 94 ( d , j = 8 , 6h ); 3 . 005 - 3 . 201 ( m , 4h ); 3 . 62 ( m , 4h ); 12 . 15 ( m , 1h ); 12 . 28 ( m , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz hcl salt ): δ 173 . 2 ( c ); 55 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 54 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 46 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 44 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 7 ( c ); 43 . 5 ( ch 3 ); 43 . 0 ( ch 3 ); 42 . 9 ( ch 3 ); 35 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 34 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 28 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 0 ( ch 2 ); 26 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 24 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 14 . 1 ( ch 3 ); maldi - tof ( m + ) calcd for c 26 h 51 n 3 o : 421 . 98 , obsd 421 . 93 . preparation of 4 . 96 . the acid 4 . 76 ( 300 mg , 1 . 1 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled , oxalyl chloride ( 0 . 487 ml , 5 . 5 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the oil was dissolved in dry ether ( 25 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 3 , 3 ′- iminobis ( n , n - dimethlylpropylamine ) ( 0 . 498 ml , 2 . 2 mmol ) in ether ( 25 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 490 mg ( 100 %) of a light yellow solution . the oil was dissolved in 15 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 0 . 550 ml ) diluted in 15 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . ir ( kbr free amine ): 3442 , 3405 ( br , n — h ), 2927 , 2858 , 2672 ( br , n — h ), 1635 ( c ═ o ), 1469 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz hcl salt ): δ 0 . 897 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 0 . 980 - 1 . 783 ( m , 9h ); 2 . 117 - 2 . 252 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 843 ( s , 6h ); 2 . 927 ( s , 6h ); 3 . 072 ( t , j = 7 , 2h ); 3 . 16 - 3 . 212 ( m , 2h ); 3 . 577 ( q , j = 7 . 5 , 2h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz hcl salt ): δ 172 . 9 ( c ); 56 . 0 ( ch 2 ); 55 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 46 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 44 . 9 ( ch ); 43 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 1 ( ch 3 ); 43 . 0 ( ch 3 ); 41 . 2 ( c ); 36 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 35 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 26 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 26 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 24 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 14 . 1 ( ch 3 ); maldi - tof ( m + ) calcd for c 27 h 57 n 3 o : 439 . 773 , obsd 439 . 347 . preparation of 4 . 65 . the hydrochloride salt 4 . 78 ( 3 . 43 g , 8 . 69 mmol ) was dissolved in 1 n naoh causing a white precipitate to form . the free amine was extracted with chloroform ( 20 ml ) three times . the organic layers were combined , dried with mgso 4 , and concentrated to a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in chloroform ( 5 ml ), cooled to − 10 ° c ., and mcpba ( 6 g , 34 . 8 mmol ) was added as a solid . the reaction was allowed to stir for 3 hours and then poured onto an alumina column pre - equilibrated with chloroform . the column was eluted first with chloroform ( 1 bed volume ) to remove impurities and then with 10 % methanol in chloroform ( enough to remove all of the product ). the fractions containing product were combined and concentrated . the resulting oil which contained some alumina was dissolved in water which formed a milky solution . upon filtration through 0 . 22 mm syringe filter the solution clarified to a colorless solution which was lyophilized . the material was first isolated as an oil . the oil upon sitting formed 2 . 45 g ( 75 %) of waxy yellow crystals . ir ( kbr ): 3377 , 2955 , 2930 , 2870 ( br , n — h ), 1634 ( c ═ o ), 1456 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): δ 0 . 897 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 08 ( t , j = 7 , 3h ); 1 . 08 - 1 . 398 ( m , 4h ); 1 . 580 - 2 . 05 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 55 ( s , 2h ); 3 . 002 - 3 . 105 ( m , 10h ); 3 . 65 - 3 . 72 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 102 - 7 . 34 ( m , 5h ); 13 c nmr ( meoh , 75 . 4 mhz ): δ 171 . 9 ( c ); 146 . 0 ( c ); 127 . 7 ( ch ); 126 . 0 ( ch ); 125 . 5 ( ch ); 65 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 59 . 1 ( ch 3 ); 43 . 1 ( c ); 42 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 40 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 36 . 0 ( ch 3 ); 25 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 22 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 5 ( ch 3 ); 13 . 4 ( ch 3 ); fab - ms m / z ( m + h + ) calcd for c 23 h 41 n 2 o 2 : 377 . 6 , obsc 377 . 3 . preparation of 4 . 66 . the hydrochloride salt 4 . 79 ( 6 . 15 g , 16 . 9 mmol ) was dissolved in 1 n naoh causing a white precipitate to form . the free amine was extracted with chloroform ( 20 ml ) three times . the organic layers were combined , dried with mgso 4 , and concentrated to a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in chloroform ( 5 ml ), cooled to − 10 ° c ., and mcpba ( 14 . 6 g , 84 . 5 mmol ) was added as a solid . the reaction was allowed to stir for 3 hours and then poured onto an alumina column pre - equilibrated with chloroform . the column was eluted first with chloroform ( 1 bed volume ) to remove impurities and then with 10 % methanol in chloroform ( enough to remove all of the product ). the fractions containing product were combined and concentrated . the resulting oil which contained some alumina was dissolved in water which formed a milky solution . upon filtration through 0 . 22 mm syringe filter the solution clarified to a colorless solution which was lyophilized . the material was first isolated as an oil . the oil upon sitting formed 5 . 0 g ( 85 %) of a waxy solid which could be suspended in dry ether to form crystalline plates . ir ( kbr ): 3309 , 3076 , 2927 , 2861 , 1634 ( c ═ o ), 1549 , 1456 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): δ 0 . 860 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 08 - 1 . 398 ( m , 8h ); 1 . 750 - 1 . 91 ( m , 6h ); 2 . 48 ( s , 2h ); 3 . 082 - 3 . 185 ( m , 10h ); 6 . 55 ( t , j = 4 , 1h ); 7 . 102 - 7 . 34 ( m , 5h ); 13 c nmr ( meoh , 75 . 4 mhz ): d 171 . 1 ( c ); 146 . 5 ( c ); 127 . 8 ( ch ); 126 . 1 ( ch ); 125 . 3 ( ch ); 68 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 58 . 5 ( ch 3 ); 45 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 42 . 8 ( c ); 36 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 22 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 7 ( ch 3 ); 13 . 4 ( ch 3 ); fab - ms m / z 363 . 3 ( m + h + ). preparation of 4 . 67 . the hydrochloride salt 4 . 80 ( 340 mg , 0 . 796 mmol ) was dissolved in 1 n naoh causing a white precipitate to form . the free amine was extracted with chloroform ( 20 ml ) three times . the organic layers were combined , dried with mgso 4 , and concentrated to a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in chloroform ( 10 ml ), cooled to − 10 ° c ., and mcpba ( 687 mg , 3 . 98 mmol ) was added as a solid . the reaction was allowed to stir for 3 hours and then poured onto an alumina column pre - equilibrated with chloroform . the column was eluted first with chloroform ( 1 bed volume ) to remove impurities and then with 10 % methanol in chloroform ( enough to remove all of the product ). the fractions containing product were combined and concentrated . the resulting oil which contained some alumina was dissolved in water which formed a milky solution . upon filtration through 0 . 22 mm syringe filter the solution clarified to a clear colorless solution which was lyophilized . the material was isolated as 297 mg ( 95 %) of a clear yellow oil . ir ( kbr ): 3382 , 2953 , 2870 , 1634 ( c ═ o ); 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): δ 0 . 882 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 052 - 1 . 3428 ( m , 6h ); 1 . 834 - 2 . 003 ( m , 6h ); 2 . 592 ( s , 2h ); 2 . 663 ( s , 3h ); 3 . 085 - 3 . 307 ( m , 10 ); 7 . 168 - 7 . 34 ( m , 5h ); 13 c nmr ( meoh , 75 . 4 mhz ): δ 171 . 3 ( c ); 146 . 5 ( c ); 127 . 8 ( ch ); 126 . 2 ( ch ); 125 . 5 ( ch ); 67 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 58 . 1 ( ch 3 ); 44 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 42 . 9 ( c ); 41 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 36 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 35 . 6 ( ch 3 ); 25 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 21 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 9 ( ch 3 ); fab - ms m / z ( m + h + ) calcd for c 23 h 41 n 2 o 2 377 . 5 , obsd 377 . 3 . preparation of 4 . 68 . the hydrochloride salt 4 . 81 ( 630 mg , 1 . 7 mmol ) was dissolved in 1 n naoh causing a white precipitate to form . the free amine was extracted with chloroform ( 20 ml ) three times . the organic layers were combined , dried with mgso 4 , and concentrated to a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in chloroform ( 10 ml ), cooled to − 10 ° c ., and mcpba ( 1 . 58 g , 8 . 5 mmol ) was added as a solid . the reaction was allowed to stir for 3 hours and then poured onto an alumina column pre - equilibrated with chloroform . the column was eluted first with chloroform ( 1 bed volume ) to remove impurities and then with 10 % methanol in chloroform ( enough to remove all of the product ). the fractions containing product were combined and concentrated . the resulting oil which contained some alumina was dissolved in water which formed a milky solution . upon filtration through 0 . 22 mm syringe filter the solution clarified to a clear colorless solution which was lyophilized . the material was isolated as 605 mg ( 92 %) of a clear yellow oil . ir ( kbr ): 2954 , 2930 , 2860 , 1662 ( c ═ o ), 1539 , 1445 , 1373 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): δ 0 . 865 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 088 - 1 . 335 ( m , 8h ); 1 . 357 ( s , 6h ); 1 . 813 - 1 . 905 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 431 ( s , 2h ); 3 . 13 ( s , 6 ); 3 . 144 ( s , 2h ); 7 . 14 - 7 . 39 ( m , 5h ); 9 . 866 ( br . s , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( meoh , 75 . 4 mhz ): δ 170 . 9 ( c ); 146 . 7 ( c ); 127 . 9 ( ch ); 126 . 7 ( ch ); 125 . 3 ( ch ); 75 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 60 . 8 ( ch 3 ); 53 . 2 ( c ); 46 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 3 ( c ); 36 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 26 . 9 ( ch 3 ); 25 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 14 . 1 ( ch 3 ); fab - ms m / z ( m + h + ) calcd for c 23 h 41 n 2 o 2 377 . 5 , obsd 377 . 3 ; calcd for c 23 h 40 n 2 o 2 na 399 . 4 , obsd 399 . 3 ( m + na + ). preparation of 4 . 69 . the hydrochloride salt 4 . 82 ( 598 mg , 1 . 92 mmol ) was dissolved in 1 n naoh causing a white precipitate to form . the free amine was extracted with chloroform ( 20 ml ) three times . the organic layers were combined , dried with mgso 4 , and concentrated to a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in chloroform ( 10 ml ), cooled to − 10 ° c ., and m mcpba ( 398 mg , 2 . 3 mmol ) was added as a solid . the reaction was allowed to stir for 3 hours and then poured onto an alumina column pre - equilibrated with chloroform . the column was eluted first with chloroform ( 1 bed volume ) to remove impurities and then with 10 % methanol in chloroform ( enough to remove all of the product ). the fractions containing product were combined and concentrated . the resulting oil which contained some alumina was dissolved in water which formed a milky solution . upon filtration through 0 . 22 mm syringe filter the solution clarified to a colorless solution which was lyophilized . the material was isolated as 397 mg ( 71 %) of a clear yellow oil . ir ( kbr ): 3316 , 2957 , 2929 , 2865 , 1467 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): δ 0 . 870 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 008 - 1 . 319 ( m , 8h ); 1 . 624 - 1 . 718 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 141 - 2 . 197 ( m , 2h ); 2 . 932 - 2 . 988 ( m , 2h ); 3 . 072 ( s , 6h ); 7 . 184 - 7 . 34 ( m , 5h ); 13 c nmr ( meoh , 75 . 4 mhz ): δ 145 . 7 ( c ); 128 . 1 ( ch ); 125 . 9 ( ch ); 125 . 8 ( ch ); 67 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 58 . 1 ( ch 3 ); 41 . 9 ( c ); 36 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 32 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 0 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 8 ( ch 3 ); fab - ms m / z 292 . 3 ( m + h + ) calcd for c 19 h 34 no 292 . 5 , obsd 292 . 3 ( 2m + ) 583 . 6 . preparation of 4 . 70 . the hydrochloride salt 4 . 83 ( 517 mg , 1 . 26 mmol ) was dissolved in 1 n naoh causing a white precipitate to form . the free amine was extracted with chloroform ( 20 ml ) three times . the organic layers were combined , dried with mgso 4 , and concentrated to a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in chloroform ( 10 ml ), cooled to − 10 ° c ., and mcpba ( 260 mg , 1 . 5 mmol ) was added as a solid . the reaction was allowed to stir for 3 hours and then poured onto an alumina column pre - equilibrated with chloroform . the column was eluted first with chloroform ( 1 bed volume ) to remove impurities and then with 10 % methanol in chloroform ( enough to remove all of the product ). the fractions containing product were combined and concentrated . the resulting oil which contained some alumina was dissolved in water which formed a milky solution . upon filtration through 0 . 22 mm syringe filter the solution clarified to a colorless solution which was lyophilized . the material was isolated as 471 mg ( 87 %) of a white solid . ir ( kbr ): 3345 ( br ), 2955 , 2930 , 2870 , 1648 ( c ═ o ); 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): δ 0 . 869 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 017 - 1 . 340 ( m , 8h ); 1 . 771 - 1 . 970 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 514 ( s , 2h ); 2 . 889 ( s , 2h ); 3 . 164 ( s , 6h ); 3 . 246 ( d , j = 6 , 2h ); 7 . 127 ( t , j = 7 , 1 h ); 7 . 258 - 7 . 389 ( m , 4h ); 8 . 57 ( t , j = 6 , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( meoh , 75 . 4 mhz ) δ 170 . 8 ( c ); 146 . 9 ( c ); 127 . 7 ( ch ); 126 . 6 ( ch ); 125 . 0 ( ch ); 78 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 61 . 3 ( ch 3 ); 46 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 45 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 0 ( c ); 36 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 36 . 5 ( c ); 26 . 7 ( ch 3 ); 25 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 9 ( ch 3 ); fab - ms m / z ( m + h + ) calcd for c 24 h 43 n 2 o 2 391 . 6 , obsd 391 . 4 ; ( m + na + ) calcd for c 24 h 42 n 2 o 2 na 413 . 6 , obsd 413 . 4 . preparation of 4 . 71 . the hydrochloride salt 4 . 84 ( 1 . 93 , 4 . 28 mmol ) was dissolved in 1 n naoh causing a white precipitate to form . the free amine was extracted with chloroform ( 20 ml ) three times . the organic layers were combined , dried with mgso 4 , and concentrated to a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in chloroform ( 10 ml ), cooled to − 10 ° c ., and mcpba ( 1 . 1 g , 12 . 8 mmol ) was added as a solid . the reaction was allowed to stir for 3 hours and then poured onto an alumina column pre - equilibrated with chloroform . the column was eluted first with chloroform ( 1 bed volume ) to remove impurities and then with 30 % methanol in chloroform ( enough to remove all of the product ). the fractions containing product were combined and concentrated . a large group of the column fractions contained both product and presumably m - chlorobenzoic acid . the 30 % methanol elutes a large portion of both materials . attempts to run columns on bis - n - oxides using less than 30 % methanol would not elute the bis - n - oxides . the mcpba oxidation does not provide bis - n - oxides in good yields ; therefore it is preferred that the hydrogen peroxide method be used for bis - n - oxides . the resulting oil which contained some alumina was dissolved in water which formed a milky solution . upon filtration through 0 . 22 mm syringe filter the solution clarified to a colorless solution which was lyophilized . the material was isolated as 922 mg ( 50 %) of a clear yellow oil . ir ( kbr ): 3396 ( br ), 2954 , 2871 , 1622 ( c ═ o ), 1466 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): δ 0 . 889 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 007 - 1 . 380 ( m , 8h ); 1 . 771 - 2 . 09 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 2 ( s , 2h ); 3 . 001 - 3 . 39 ( m , 6h ); 3 . 09 ( s , 6h ); 3 . 164 ( s , 6h ); 7 . 147 ( t , j = 7 , 1 h ); 7 . 258 - 7 . 389 ( m , 4h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz ): d 171 . 0 ( c ); 146 . 9 ( c ); 127 . 8 ( ch ); 126 . 2 ( ch ); 125 . 5 ( ch ); 67 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 67 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 58 . 6 ( ch 3 ); 58 . 4 ( ch 3 ); 46 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 43 . 0 ( c ); 40 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 36 . 0 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 21 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 9 ( ch 3 ); fab - ms m / z 463 . 7 ( m + h + ). preparation of 4 . 75 . the acid 4 . 45 ( 143 mg , 0 . 56 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled the oxalyl chloride ( 0 . 247 ml , 2 . 8 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the oil was dissolved in dry ether ( 10 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and n , n - dimethylethylenediamine ( 0 . 142 ml , 1 . 12 mmol ) in ether ( 10 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 15 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 15 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated and dissolved in chloroform ( 5 ml ), cooled to − 10 ° gc ., and mcpba ( 0 . 974 g , 5 . 6 mmol ) was added as a solid . the reaction was allowed to stir for 3 hours and then poured onto an alumina column pre - equilibrated with chloroform . the column was eluted first with chloroform ( 1 bed volume ) to remove impurities and then with 10 % methanol in chloroform ( enough to remove all of the product ). the fractions containing product were combined and concentrated . the resulting oil which contained some alumina was dissolved in water which formed a milky solution . upon filtration through 0 . 22 mm syringe filter the solution clarified to a colorless solution which was lyophilized . the material was isolated as 163 mg ( 82 %) of an oil that crystallized upon standing . ir ( kbr ): 3386 ( br ), 3259 ( br ), 2915 , 1647 ( c ═ o ), 1550 , 1488 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): δ 0 . 910 - 1 . 853 ( m , 27h ); 2 . 016 ( s , 2h ); 3 . 219 ( s , 6h ); 3 . 329 - 3 . 415 ( m , 4h ); 7 . 564 - 7 . 581 ( m , 1h ) 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz ): δ 173 . 0 ( c ); 68 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 58 . 6 ( ch 3 ); 45 . 4 ( ch 3 ); 44 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 40 . 9 ( c ); 36 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 33 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 28 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 0 ( ch 2 ); 26 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 25 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 2 ( ch 2 ). preparation of 4 . 106 . the acid 4 . 6 ( 1 g , 3 . 3 mmol ) was dissolved in 20 ml of acetic acid and 5 % rhodium on carbon ( 230 mg ) was added along with a stir bar . the reaction mixture which was in a glass sleeve was placed in a small reaction bomb and the bomb was sealed . hydrogen pressure of 1500 psi was charged into the bomb and the bomb was heated to 150 ° c . for 24 hours . the bomb was cooled and the solution was filtered over celite to remove the catalyst eluting with ethyl acetate . the solution was concentrated and chromatographed on a silica gel column eluting with 9 : 1 hexanes : ethyl acetate . the fractions containing product were pooled and concentrated yielding 104 mg ( 10 %) of a crystalline solid . the crystals were x - ray quality and were submitted for crystallographic analysis . ir ( kbr ): 2935 , 2848 , 1700 ( c ═ o ), 698 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): δ 0 . 750 - 2 . 275 ( m , 22h ); 2 . 878 ( s , 2h ); 7 . 120 - 7 . 326 ( m , 5h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz ): δ 179 . 8 ( c ); 142 . 3 ( c ); 127 . 5 ( ch ); 127 . 0 ( ch ); 125 . 4 ( ch ); 50 . 6 ( c ); 41 . 8 ( ch ); 36 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 27 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 26 . 5 ( ch 2 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 21 h 30 o 2 : 314 . 2246 , obsd 314 . 2240 . preparation of 4 . 98 . the dibromobenzene 4 . 97 ( 10 g , 42 . 2 mmol ) was combined with the pd ( ii ) catalyst ( 350 mg , 4 . 24 mmol ) in dry thf . to the solution was added decylmagnesium bromide ( 30 ml , 1 . 1 m in ether ). initially upon addition of the grignard reagent , the solution turned orange and then turned to purple after addition of 2 ml of the grignard reagent . the solution was allowed to stir for 1 hour at which time the reaction was cooled to 0 ° c . and quenched with methanol ( 2 ml ) in hexanes ( 90 ml ). the solution was filtered through a plug of silica gel eluting with hexanes . the filtrate was concentrated and the resulting oil was vacuum distilled ( bp @ 155 ° c ./ 2 torr ). the reaction yielded 7 g ( 56 %) of a clear colorless liquid . the material was taken on without characterization . preparation of 4 . 99 . the bromide 4 . 98 was dissolved in dry ether and the solution was cooled to − 78 ° c . the bromide was reacted with t - butyl lithium to affect a lithium - halogen exchange . the reaction was allowed to stir for 30 minutes . the lithium species was quenched with dry carbon dioxide . dry carbon dioxide was prepared by adding dry ice to a flask which was fitted with a drying tube filled with fresh dryrite . a syringe needle was connected to the drying tube and the carbon dioxide was bubbled into the reaction for 1 hour , while allowing the reaction to warm . the solution was poured over a ice / conc . hcl slurry and the precipitate was extracted with ether . the organic layers were combined and dried with mgso 4 . the dried solution was concentrated and the orange solid was chromatographed on silica eluting with 1 . 5 : 8 . 5 ethyl acetate : hexanes . the fractions containing product were concentrated and recrystallized with hexanes resulting in 3 g ( 47 %) of white needles . ir ( kbr ): 2921 , 2848 , 1783 ( c ═ o ), 698 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): δ 0 . 879 ( t , j = 7 , 3h ); 1 . 260 - 1 . 317 ( m , 14h ); 1 . 636 ( p , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h ); 2 . 675 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h ); 7 . 278 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ); 8 . 029 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz ): d 172 . 1 ( c ); 149 . 4 ( c ); 130 . 1 ( ch ); 128 . 3 ( ch ); 126 . 6 ( ch ); 36 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 31 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 30 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 29 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 29 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 29 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 29 . 0 ( ch 2 ); 22 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 9 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 17 h 27 o 2 : 263 . 2011 , obsd 263 . 1952 . preparation of 4 . 100 . the acid 4 . 99 ( 300 mg , 1 . 141 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled , oxalyl chloride ( 0 . 500 ml , 5 . 7 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 15 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 4 . 64 ( 360 ml , 2 . 2 mmol ) in ether ( 15 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 453 mg ( 100 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 5 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 0 . 285 ml ) diluted in 5 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . the hydrochloride salt ( 100 mg , 0 . 250 mmol ) was dissolved in chloroform ( 5 ml ) and cooled to 0 ° c . mcpba ( 218 mg , 1 . 25 mmol ) was added and the reaction was allowed to stir before being chromatographed on an alumina column eluting first with chloroform ( 250 ml ) and then with 10 % methanol in chloroform . the fractions containing product were combined and concentrated . the concentrated material was dissolved in water and filtered through a 0 . 22 mm filter to remove any alumina . the filtered solution was lyophilized yielding 94 mg ( 99 %) of an off - white solid . ir ( kbr ): 3432 , 2922 , 2853 , 1623 ( c ═ o ), 1467 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): δ 0 . 880 ( t , j = 7 , 3h ); 1 . 176 - 1 . 290 ( m , 17h ); 1 . 609 ( p , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h ); 2 . 624 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h ); 3 . 249 - 3 . 413 ( m , 8h ); 3 . 641 ( m , 2h ); 4 . 035 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 197 - 7 . 296 ( m , 4h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz ); δ 172 . 1 ( c ); 144 . 7 ( c ); 138 . 2 ( ch ); 126 . 1 ( ch ); 66 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 58 . 9 ( ch 3 ); 45 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 40 . 5 ( ch 2 ); 35 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 31 . 6 ( ch 2 ); 30 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 29 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 29 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 28 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 22 . 3 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 9 ( ch 3 ); 13 . 8 ( ch 3 ); fab - ms m / z ( m + h + ) calcd for c 23 h 41 n 2 o 2 377 . 5 , obsd 377 . 3 . preparation of 4 . 101 . ketone 4 . 31 ( 12 . 1 ml , 70 . 3 mmol ) was placed into a flame dried round bottom flask which was then charged with ether ( 100 ml ). the solution was cooled to 0 ° c . and meli ( 100 ml , 1 . 4 m , 140 mmol ) was added dropwise . the material was allowed to stir for 1 h and was poured over ice water . the organic layer was washed with water twice . the organic layer was dried with mgso 4 , concentrated , and chromatographed on silica eluting with 9 : 1 hexanes : ethyl acetate . the reaction yielded 10 g ( 91 %) of a clear colorless oil . ir ( kbr ): 3383 ( o — h ), 2956 , 2932 , 2861 , 1467 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): δ 0 . 916 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 152 ( s , 3h ); 1 . 274 - 1 . 466 ( m , 12h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz ): δ 72 . 6 ( c ); 41 . 4 ( ch 2 ); 26 . 8 ( ch 3 ); 25 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 9 ( ch 3 ). preparation of 4 . 102 . the alcohol 4 . 101 ( 5 g , 32 mmol ) was dissolved in toluene ( 8 ml ) in a flamed dried round bottom flask fitted with a condenser . the solution was allowed to stir as titanium tetrachloride ( 3 . 51 ml , 32 mmol ) was added slowly . an orange - white precipitate was formed immediately after addition of the titanium tetrachloride along with the evolution of heat . the reaction was cooled with an ice bath if boiling became too violent . the reaction was allowed to stir for 1 hr . dilute hcl was cautiously added to quench the reaction . the organic layer was separated and washed twice with dilute hcl and twice with water . the organic layer was dried with mgso 4 , concentrated and chromatographed on silica eluting with hexanes . the product was a clear colorless oil ( 6 g , 81 %). ir ( kbr ): 2956 , 2871 , 1466 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): δ 0 . 916 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 004 - 1 . 466 ( m , 15h ); 2 . 344 ( s , 3h ); 7 . 081 - 7 . 177 ( m , 4h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz ): δ 145 . 2 ( c ); 134 . 2 ( c ); 128 . 4 ( ch ); 126 . 0 ( ch ); 42 . 9 ( ch 2 ); 40 . 8 ( c ); 26 . 7 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 9 ( ch 3 ); 23 . 2 ( ch 2 ); 20 . 6 ( ch 3 ); 13 . 9 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ) calcd for c 17 h 28 : 232 . 2191 , obsd 232 . 2198 . preparation of 4 . 103 . the co ( acac ) 2 ( 11 mg , 0 . 0427 mmol ) was placed into a flask containing acetic acid ( 17 ml ), resulting in the formation of a light pink solution . the hydrophthalimide ( 7 mg , 0 . 0427 mmol ) was added to the solution which was then heated in a steam bath for two minutes . an oxygen filled balloon was placed on the reaction and the solution turned violet . hydrocarbon 4 . 102 ( 2 g , 8 mmol ) was then added and the solution was refluxed for 17 hrs . the reaction was then removed from the steam bath and allowed to cool before extracting with hexanes four times ( 25 ml ). the combined hexanes layers were then extracted with 1 n naoh ( 15 ml ) three times . the basic aqueous solution was acidified to ph 1 and extracted with ether ( 50 ml ) three times . the organic layers were combined , dried with mgso 4 , and concentrated resulting in an off - white solid which was recrystallized from ethanol / water . the reaction yielded 687 mg ( 32 %, 1st crop ) of off - white needles . ir ( kbr ): 2957 , 2858 , 1683 ( c ═ o ), 1466 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): δ 0 . 909 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 064 - 1 . 278 ( m , 4h ); 1 . 306 ( s , 3h ); 1 . 534 - 1 . 759 ( m , 4h ); 7 . 389 ( d , j = 7 , 2h ); 8 . 055 ( d , j = 7 , 2h ); 10 . 12 ( br . s , 1h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz ): δ 172 . 2 ( c ); 154 . 9 ( c ); 129 . 6 ( ch ); 126 . 3 ( ch ); 126 . 0 ( ch ); 42 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 41 . 1 ( c ); 26 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 4 ( ch 3 ); 23 . 0 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 7 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + h + ) calcd for c 17 h 26 o 2 : 263 . 2011 , obsd 263 . 2012 . preparation of 4 . 104 . the acid 4 . 103 ( 300 mg , 1 . 141 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml of benzene in a round bottom flask . one drop of dmf was added as a catalyst and the solution was cooled with an ice bath . once the solution had cooled , oxalyl chloride ( 0 . 500 ml , 5 . 7 mmol ) was added dropwise resulting in a vigorously bubbling solution . the reaction was allowed to stir 3 hours and the volatiles were removed under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in dry ether ( 15 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., and 4 . 64 ( 360 ml , 2 . 2 mmol ) in ether ( 15 ml ) was added dropwise resulting in a white precipitate . the solution was allowed to stir overnight . the next day 1 n naoh ( 25 ml ) was added and the precipitate dissolved . the ether solution was then washed twice more with 25 ml portions of 1 n naoh . the ether layer was dried by first washing with saturated nacl solution and then dried with either na 2 so 4 or mgso 4 . the dried ether solution was concentrated yielding 453 mg ( 100 %) of a light yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 5 ml of ether and the amine was precipitated by adding 4 n hcl in dioxane ( 0 . 285 ml ) diluted in 5 ml of ether . the off - white solid was recrystallized from methylene chloride / hexanes . the hydrochloride salt ( 100 mg , 0 . 250 mmol ) was dissolved in chloroform ( 5 ml ) and cooled to 0 ° c . mcpba ( 218 mg , 1 . 25 mmol ) was added and the reaction was allowed to stir before being chromatographed on an alumina column eluting first with chloroform ( 250 ml ) and then with 10 % methanol in chloroform . the fractions containing product were combined and concentrated . the concentrated material was dissolved in water and filtered through a 0 . 22 mm filter to remove any alumina . the filtered solution was lyophilized yielding 83 mg ( 87 %) of a yellow oil . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): δ 0 . 805 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 064 - 1 . 31 ( m , 11h ); 1 . 42 - 1 . 75 ( m , 4h ); ( m , 4h ); 3 . 29 ( s , 6h ); 3 . 25 - 3 . 68 ( m , 4h ); 4 . 05 - 4 . 15 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 3 ( s , 4h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 75 . 4 mhz ): δ 172 . 2 ( c ); 154 . 9 ( c ); 129 . 6 ( ch ); 126 . 3 ( ch ); 126 . 0 ( ch ); 42 . 8 ( ch 2 ); 41 . 1 ( c ); 26 . 1 ( ch 2 ); 23 . 4 ( ch 3 ); 23 . 0 ( ch 2 ); 13 . 7 ( ch 3 ); ei - ms m / z ( m + ch 3 ) calcd for c 23 h 40 n 2 o 2 377 . 4 , obsd 377 . 3 . preparation of a . 2 . 1 . acid 4 . 34 ( 705 mg , 2 . 68 mmol ) was dissolved in freshly distilled thf ( 50 ml ). lithium aluminum hydride was added cautiously to the stirring solution . the suspension was refluxed for 3 hours . the reaction was cooled to room temperature and slowly quenched with a freshly prepared saturated aqueous solution of na 2 so 4 ( 1 ml ). the resulting white preciptate was removed by filtration and the filtrate was concentrated , resulting in a quantitative yield of pure product as a white solid . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ): 0 . 855 ( t , j = 7 , 6h ); 1 . 038 - 1 . 078 ( m , 4h ); 1 . 246 ( p , j = 7 , 4h ); 1 . 295 ( br . s ., 1h ); 1 . 622 - 1 . 677 ( m , 4h ); 1 . 974 ( t , j = 8 , 2h ); 3 , 472 ( app . t , j = 8 , 2h ); 7 . 260 - 7 . 324 ( m , 5h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 74 . 5 m hz ); 146 . 9 ( c ), 127 . 7 ( ch ), 125 . 9 ( ch ), 125 . 1 ( ch ), 59 . 1 ( ch 2 ), 41 . 6 ( c ), 40 . 4 ( ch 2 ), 36 . 9 ( ch 2 ), 25 . 2 ( ch 2 ), 23 . 0 ( ch 2 ), 13 . 7 ( ch 3 ). preparation of a . 2 . 2 . o - peractylated maltose ( 5 g , 6 . 86 mmol ) was dissolved in n - methylpyrrolidinone ( 10 ml ). hydrazine acetate ( 948 mg , 10 . 2 mmol ) was added and the solution was heated to 50 ° c . for 10 minutes . the solution was cooled and the material was placed onto a silica column and eluted with 1 : 1 hexanes : ethyl acetate . the fractions containing product were concentrated and the resulting clear oil ( 3 . 88 g , 5 . 69 mmol ) was dissolved in dry methylene chloride ( 35 ml ). cesium carbonate ( 463 mg , 1 . 4 mmol ) was added along with 10 crushed molecular sieves and the solution was stirred while trichloroacetonitrile ( 2 . 85 g , 28 mmol ) was added . the resulting reaction was stirred overnight . the next day the sieves were filtered off using a celite plug . the filtrate was concentrated to an oil which was applied to a silica column which was eluted with 1 : 1 ethyl acetate : hexanes . the product fractions were concentrated to a clear oil which was taken on without characterization . preparation of a . 2 . 3 . the alcohol a . 2 . 1 ( 680 mg , 2 . 76 mmol ) and the trichloroacetimidate a . 2 . 2 . ( 2 g , 3 . 97 mmol ) were combined in a round bottom flask . benzene was added and evaporated off several times to azeotrope any residual water . the mixture was then evacuated overnight and the next day the mixture was dissolved in dry methylene chloride ( 25 ml ). the solution was cooled to 4 ° c . and a solution of trifluorosulfonic acid ( tfoh ) ( 882 μl , 1 . 985 mmol ) was added . the reaction was allowed to stir for 2 . 5 hours and was then quenched with a saturated aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate . the organic layers were dried with mgso 4 , concentrated , and chromatographed on a silica column ( eluting with 3 : 7 ethyl acetate : hexanes ) yielding 653 mg ( 26 %) of the product as a white solid . the material was carried on without characterization . preparation of a . 2 . 4 . the o - peractylated maltoside a . 2 . 3 ( 660 mg , 0 . 724 mmol ) was dissolved in dry methanol . a small chunk of freshly cut sodium was added and the reaction was allowed to stir at room temperature for 5 hours . the solution was neutralized with the acidic ion - exchange resin amberlite ir 120 . the resin was filtered off and the solution was concentrated to provide pure product ( 414 mg , 100 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / d 3 - meod , 300 mhz ): 0 . 8 ( m , 6h ); 1 . 038 - 1 . 078 ( m , 4h ); 1 . 208 - 1 . 205 ( m , 4h ); 1 . 208 - 1 . 205 ( m , 4h ); 1 . 602 - 1 . 655 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 05 ( m , 2h ); 3 . 25 - 3 . 8 ( m , 14h ); 4 . 2 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 5 ( br s , 7h ), 5 . 15 ( br s , 1h ); 7 . 260 - 7 . 324 ( m , 5h ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 74 . 5 m hz ); 146 . 6 ( c ), 127 . 4 ( ch ), 125 . 4 ( ch ), 124 . 9 ( ch ), 102 . 5 ( ch ), 101 . 2 ( ch ), 79 . 5 ( ch ), 77 . 4 ( ch ), 76 . 9 ( ch ), 76 . 5 ( ch ), 75 . 8 ( ch ), 74 . 5 ( ch ), 73 . 2 ( ch ), 72 . 7 ( ch ), 72 . 1 ( ch ), 69 . 7 ( ch ), 60 . 1 ( ch 2 ), 41 . 3 ( c ), 37 . 1 ( ch 2 ), 36 . 6 ( ch 2 ), 36 . 4 ( ch 2 ), 25 . 0 ( ch 2 ), 22 . 8 ( ch 2 ), 13 . 7 ( ch 3 ). fab - ms m / z ( m +, na +), 595 . 2 . the cmc of a detergent can be determined experimentally by measuring the solubilization of a water - insoluble dye or fluorophore while varying the concentration of detergent . cmc may also be determined by measuring the diminution of the surface tension of an aqueous solution as a function of detergent concentration . ( cmc &# 39 ; s determined by either method correlate with each other .) the cmc is determined by extrapolating the plot of solubilization vs . concentration ( or surface tension vs . concentration ) in the two linear regions above and below the cmc . where the two lines intersect is the cmc . in this example , cmc &# 39 ; s were determined by the method of nugebauer , j . m . ( 1990 ), methods in enzymology , 182 : 239 - 253 : tripod solutions in aqueous solutions containing 25 mm sodium phosphate ph 6 . 9 were prepared and transferred to screw - capped vials , and 1 ml of a 1 , 6 - diphenylhexatriene solution ( dph , 3 . 125 mm dph in thf ) was added . the solutions were vortexed at room temperature for 30 seconds . the solutions were placed into a 3 mm × 3mm quartz cell and the fluorescence spectrum was obtained ( excitation 358 nm , emission 430 nm , excitation slit width = 1 mm , emission slit width = 20 nm , pmt voltage = 700 ). the fluorescence intensity of each sample was plotted against amphiphile concentration . the cmc was determined by the intersection of the lines formed by linear regressions calculated for the concentrations that did not show fluorescence and those that did . the data points immediately surrounding the cmc were not considered due to non - linear behavior . see tables 1 and 2 , above , for the results . br is a membrane protein produced by halophilic archea from the genus halobacterium . br is highly expressed under anaerobic conditions and uses light energy to pump protons from inside the cell to outside the cell . the protein gradient generated by br is used to synthesize adenosine triphosphate ( atp ). br consists of seven transmembrane helices that bundle together to form a center pore that contains the chromophore retinal . br resides in a two - dimensional lattice composed of trimers of br arranged in a hexagonal pattern . the lattice is referred to as the purple membrane ( pm ) and can be seen by electron microscopy to form crystalline patches on the surface of the h . salinerium cell . the purple color results from the bound retinal chromophore . the retinal provides a useful spectral handle for monitoring the protein &# 39 ; s solubility and stability in the presence of a detergent . in the pm , the bound retinal absorbs 570 nm light . triton x - 100 - solubilized br has a 10 nm blue shifted retinal absorbance . we used br solubilization from the pm to evaluate tripod detergents synthesized using the modular synthetic approach described above . the retinal chromophore of br allowed us to quantify solubilized material by uv . solubilized br is defined as the intact protein left in the supernatant after a sample is centrifuged for 30 minutes at 300 , 000 g . the percent br solubilized is determined by dividing the absorbance of the supernatant by the absorbance of the solution before centrifugation . solubilization experiments were conducted by making a series of solutions with constant concentration of pm and varying the concentration of detergent . the samples were mixed on a nutating table ( used to gently mix a sample ) for 24 hours in the dark . the absorbance at the λ max ( between 540 nm and 570 nm ) was then measured , and immediately afterward the samples were centrifuged for 30 minutes at 300 , 000 g . the supernatant was carefully removed so as not to disturb pelleted material . absorbance measurements were made again , and the ratio of the supernatant absorbance to the absorbance before centrifugation provided the percent solubilization . tripod detergents 4 . 65 and 4 . 66 were tested in this fashion and shown to solubilize br from the pm quite rapidly . to measure whether the solublized br was present in a monomeric state , cd spectra of the supernatants were taken . when suspended within the native pm , br yields a distinct sigmoidal cd spectrum due to exciton coupling between adjacent retinal chromophores . it has been shown that the strength of the exciton coupling is directly proportional to the concentration of retinal chromophore in the pm . because the exciton coupling requires retinals to be held in a fixed geometry ( as when suspended in the pm ), the solubilization of br can be measured in terms of the loss of exciton coupling . for compounds 4 . 65 and 4 . 66 , the rate of solubilization of br at room temperature was too rapid to monitor the loss of exciton coupling . exciton coupling was completely gone after less than 10 minutes for samples solubilized by 4 . 65 and 4 . 66 , a time period which is faster than the time required to obtain a cd spectrum . in comparison , triton x - 100 is effective at solubilizing br , but takes 24 hours to so do at ph 6 . 9 , and 49 hours at ph 5 . it is understood that the invention is not confined to the particular reagents , reactions , and protocols illustrated and described hereinabove , but embraces all modified and equivalent forms thereof as fall within the scope of the attached claims .	2
referring to fig2 a and 2b , a preferred method for producing siding pieces according to the present invention begins with the production of a laminated siding workpiece 110 in which a first display material piece 112 and a second display material piece 113 , which are joined together by finger joint 116 , are laminated between two bevelled support pieces 114 , preferably made of a material such as pine or fir wood . display material pieces 112 and 113 are most typically clear cedar . bevelled support pieces 114 are offset in position and orientation from each other , as shown , so that laminated siding workpiece 110 is rectangular in cross - section . alternatively , display support pieces 112 and 113 could be held together by being adhered to support piece 114 rather than with finger joint 116 . in another alternative , a unitary piece of cedar could be used in place of joined display material pieces 112 and 113 . pieces 112 and 113 are flat , in the sense that word is used in this application , meaning that they are not bevelled as are pieces 114 , but are generally of uniform thickness . referring to fig2 c , laminated siding workpiece 110 is cut in two through display material pieces 112 and 113 to form two identically shaped siding pieces 120 having cut display material pieces 112 &# 39 ; and 113 &# 39 ;. referring to fig5 the seam 122 , formed on the display face 124 of each siding piece 120 at the location of finger joint 116 , is straight rather than crooked , as in prior art siding pieces 20 . the fact that seam 122 is straight is an advantage to the present invention . because seam 22 from the prior art was unsightly enough to preclude the use of prior art siding pieces 20 as display pieces , there was little effort among those producing siding pieces 20 to match up cedar pieces 10 and 12 so that there would be a reasonable continuity of coloration and grain across seam 22 . in the present invention , however , if pieces 112 and 113 are well matched , seam 122 is unobtrusive enough to permit pieces 120 to be used as a natural display of cedar . as a result , it is possible , using the process of the present invention , to economically produce uniform sixteen - foot siding pieces that are suitable for display ( to remain unpainted ) on a house . a first advantage of the preferred method described above is that display material pieces 112 and 113 are protected by support pieces 114 as laminated siding workpiece 110 is handled during the production process . moreover , the sawing of pieces 112 and 113 imparts a desirable smoothness to resultant display face 124 . a second advantage is that laminated siding workpiece 110 is rectangular in cross - section , which makes it more easily handled by the standard equipment found in many sawmills , which is typically adapted for handling boards that are rectangular in cross - section . in fig3 a - 3c features which are alike to the features of fig2 a - 2c are referenced with numerals which are alike but which have been incremented by 100 . similar to fig2 a - 2c , fig3 a - 3c show a preferred method for producing siding pieces according to the present invention . this process begins with the production of a laminated siding workpiece 210 , in which a first display material piece 212 and a second display material piece 213 , which are interconnected with each other by a finger joint 216 , are adhesively laminated between two bevelled support pieces 214 , preferably made of a material such as pine or fir wood . laminated siding workpiece 210 is cut in two through display material pieces 212 and 213 to form two identically shaped siding pieces 220 having cut display material pieces 212 &# 39 ; and 213 &# 39 ;. display material pieces 212 and 213 are most typically clear cedar . bevelled support pieces 214 are offset from each other in position and orientation so that laminated siding workpiece 210 is trapezoidal . referring specifically to fig3 a , display material piece 212 may be made of two or more constituent pieces that are joined by finger joints 216 . laminated siding workpiece 110 or 210 may be made by laminating already bevelled support pieces 114 or 214 to display material piece 112 and 113 or 212 and 213 or by laminating flat support material pieces to display material pieces 112 and 113 or 212 and 213 and then cutting the flat support material pieces diagonally to create bevelled support pieces 114 or 214 . referring to fig4 a - 4c , it is possible to form an intermediate laminate 310 by adhering a single flat support material piece 314 between two flat display material pieces 312 and then cutting support material piece 314 diagonally to create two bevelled siding pieces 320 . this method has the drawback that display material pieces 312 may be damaged both in the laminating process and in being handled before and during the cutting process . therefore , the surface of the display material should be cut or shaved away after siding pieces 320 are otherwise formed to reveal a new , freshly cut surface . as shown in fig4 a , display material piece 312 may each comprise two constituent pieces held together by a finger joint 316 . bevelled support pieces 114 , 214 or 314 are typically made of pine , fir , douglas fir , larch or hemlock , but may also be of any inexpensive , structurally sound wood . also , wood products and cellulose fiber products such as parallel strand lumber , particle board or wood chip board may be used for pieces 114 , 214 of 314 although care must be taken to avoid water exposure damage for this type of material . in addition , composite material could be used for pieces 114 , 214 or 314 . one popular type of composite material is made of cellulose fiber and portland cement and is sold under the name of hardie plank ®. if both display pieces and support material pieces are made of wood , the process of lamination may be performed according to the well known art of laminating wood pieces together with any commonly available wood glue . if the support material pieces are not made of wood the lamination process is also well known , through the use of an all - purpose glue , such as epoxy glue . support pieces 114 , 214 or 314 are typically about 3 / 8 inch thick at their thickest and about 1 / 16 inch thick at their thinnest . display material pieces 112 , 113 , 212 and 213 are typically about 1 / 4 inch thick , so that cut display pieces 112 &# 39 ;, 113 &# 39 ;, 212 &# 39 ;, 213 &# 39 ; and pieces 312 are typically slightly less than 1 / 8 inch thick because some material is lost to the sawblade . the sawing process is done according to standard well - known techniques with an effort made to minimize the loss of valuable cedar to the saw blade . this thinness permits considerably more siding pieces to produced from the same quantity of display material . although cedar , due to its pleasant appearance and excellent ability to withstand weathering , is generally the most sought after siding material , display material pieces 112 , 113 , 212 , 213 and 312 could be made of any material with similar properties , such as redwood . the method of the present invention makes practical the production of siding pieces in a broad range of dimensions , ranging in width from 4 inches to 16 inches and in length from 2 feet to 16 feet or more . this also makes practical the use of producing the siding pieces in custom dimensions for a builders particular job . for example , in the case of a 40 foot exterior wall a builder could order two 16 foot pieces and one 8 foot piece for each complete siding strip . there may be a problem with delamination when using a display material with a different temperature coefficient of expansion or moisture content coefficient of expansion from the support piece material coefficient of expansion . for this reason it is generally advisable to pick materials with similar coefficients of expansion . for example , depending on the environment , it may be advisable to pick materials with coefficients of expansion that are within ± 5 %, ± 10 %, ± 15 % or ± 20 % of each other . along these lines the use of high grade wood of a particular species as the display material and low grade wood of the same species as the support piece material offers one method of matching coefficients of expansion . the terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation , and there is no intention , in the use of such terms and expressions , of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof , it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow .	8
preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to fig4 - 10 , wherein like reference numerals designate like elements fig4 depicts a first preferred embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is referred to herein as &# 34 ; scan - register with master - load ,&# 34 ; and comprises master - latch 12a , slave - latch 12b , scan - latch 10a and nor gate 13 . the operation of the embodiments of fig4 and 6 will now be summarized . reference is made to fig4 but the operation of the embodiment of fig6 is virtually identical . ( any differences will be readily apparent from the description of fig6 .) there are two modes of operation . the first mode of operation is selected in accordance with a first predefined sequence of predefined states of particular clock signals . the clock signals are essentially control signals , since they control the operation of the device . in this first mode of operation data is sequentially shifted from the &# 34 ; sys -- data &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; scan -- in &# 34 ; data input ports , through master latch 12a and slave latch 12b to the output data port ( i . e ., &# 34 ; q -- out &# 34 ;) while different data is stored in scan - latch 10a . according to the first mode of operation , data is shifted from the sys -- data input port to the q -- out output port in response to sequential occurrences of rising edges of the sys -- clk signal . data is shifted from the scan -- in input port to the q -- out output port in response to a high going pulse of the m -- load signal followed by a high going pulse of the sys -- clk signal . the second mode of operation is selected in accordance with a second predefined sequence of predefined states of the control signals . according to this mode of operation , data is sequentially shifted from the scan -- in data input port , through scan - latch 10a and slave latch 12b to the scan -- out data port while different data is stored in master latch 12a . during this second mode of operation , data is shifted from the scan -- in input port , directly through only scan - latch 10a and slave latch 12b to the scan -- out output port in response to a high going pulse of the clk -- b signal followed by a high going pulse of the clk -- a signal . the circuit of fig4 will now be described in detail . master - latch 12a and slave - latch 12b are each a gated - latch with dual ports circuit , and scan - latch 10a is a gated - latch , each of which is described above in the background of the invention section . when the three signals m -- load , d -- strb and sys -- clk are all low , master - latch 12a &# 39 ; s output q follows the sys -- data input . the q output of master - latch 12a moves to the q output of slave - latch 12b ( which is also the q -- out output of the overall scan - register with master - load circuit 14 ) by keeping clk -- a low while sys -- clk is changed from low to high . this causes the master - latch / slave - latch pair to behave like the master - slave register circuit depicted in , and described above with reference to , fig3 . scan - latch 10a can be operated separately such that when clk -- b is set high , the scan - latch output q follows scan -- in . when clk -- b is changed to low , the most recent value of the scan - latch 10a output q is preserved , even if scan -- in changes . the value from the q output of scan - latch 10a can be transferred to the q output of slave - latch 12b by keeping clk -- b low while the clk -- a signal to slave latch 12b is high , provided that sys -- clk is low . m -- load is used as the gate signal for the second port of master - latch 12a . with either sys -- clk or d -- strb set high , the master latch 12a output q will follow the scan -- in value when m -- load is set high . d -- strb is used as a disable signal for the sys -- clk signal going into master - latch 12a . when d -- strb is set high , the gate signal clk on the first port of master - latch 12a will be low , and master - latch 12a will be immune to changes to sys -- data and sys -- clk . noteworthy features of scan - register with master - load circuit 14 include : firstly , the ability to prevent master - latch 12a &# 39 ; s q output from changing prior to slave - latch 12b being loaded from master - latch 12a when sys -- clk changes from low to high . this is accomplished by keeping d -- strb high . secondly , the ability to set master - latch 12a &# 39 ; s q output from a data input source ( i . e ., scan -- in ) which is different from the system data input ( sys -- data ). these two features make it possible to cause a transition at the q -- out output to any desired value ( which includes the complement of its present value ), with the changing of sys -- clk from low to high , by loading the desired value into master - latch 12a &# 39 ; s q output , using the scan -- in and m -- load signals , and holding d -- strb high . without the d -- strb signal , the value loaded into master - latch 12a &# 39 ; s q output would be subject to change if sys -- data were to change before sys -- clk is set high . scan - registers 14 of the type just described would typically be used in a digital system for implementing that system &# 39 ; s internal state variables . in addition , the individual scan - registers 14 would be connected to each other in such a way that the scan -- out output signal from scan - register &# 34 ; i &# 34 ; would be connected to the scan -- in input of scan - register &# 34 ; i + 1 &# 34 ;, thereby forming a chain of scan - registers collectively referred to as a &# 34 ; scan - path &# 34 ;. referring now to fig5 scan -- in for first scan - register 14a ( scan - register with the lowest ordinal number &# 34 ; i &# 34 ;) and scan -- out from the last scan - register 14c ( scan - register with the highest ordinal number &# 34 ; i &# 34 ;) along the chain would be connected to separate scan -- input and scan -- output pins of the overall integrated circuit in which the scan path is implemented . all scan - registers would share the clk -- a , clk -- b , d -- strb and the m -- load signals . in this way , master - latch sections 12a of individual scan - register circuits 14a , 14b , etc . can be set to predetermined values by setting d -- strb and m -- load high , sys -- clk low , and using alternate ( non - overlapping ) clk -- a and clk -- b signals in concert with the scan -- in signal to the overall integrated circuit . the desired values are presented on the scan -- in terminal in the same order as the destination scan - registers are interconnected along the scan - path . the serial shifting - in of the predetermined values into scan - registers 14a , 14b , 14c , etc ., is referred to as the &# 34 ; scan in &# 34 ; action . once this is done , the m -- load signal would be set low , and while d -- strb is kept high another round of scan in would be performed to set the respective slave - latches 12b . during the second scan in , the master - latch 12a sections of scan - registers 14a , 14b , etc . would not be changed since m -- load is low and d -- strb is high . at this stage , two successive sys -- clk pulses would be applied to the entire circuit and d -- strb would be changed to logic low in between the two sys -- clk low to high transitions . this can be achieved by using a separate latch or pair of latches to provide the d -- strb signal such that this latch ( or pair of latches ) is reset ( that is d -- strb is set to low ) following the rising edge of sys -- clk . for correct operation the new value of d -- strb following the first rising edge of sys -- clk should be available to all scan register circuits before the second sys -- clk pulse . furthermore , the d - strb register should not be along the scan path since otherwise its value would be subject to change during scan operations , and this would cause the master latch circuit to lose its data . fig1 b illustrates how d -- strb may be implemented using a flip - flop circuit . in this way , the first sys -- clk pulse allows the slave - latch 12b sections of scan - registers 14a , 14b , 14c , etc ., to be updated from the predetermined values present in their respective master - latch sections 12a . the setting of d -- strb to logic low before the second sys -- clk pulse permits the register to be updated with its normal system input sys -- data on the second rising edge of sys -- clk . it is possible to repeat a given experiment several times by gradually reducing the time between the first and second sys -- clk pulses until these become so closely spaced that the digital system &# 39 ; s combinational logic does not have sufficient time , before the second sys -- clk pulse arrives , to respond properly to the values set at the slave - latch 12b circuit outputs q -- out with the first sys -- clk pulse . the failure point provides a measurement of the propagational delay through the combinational circuit . fig6 depicts an alternative embodiment 16 of the scan - register with master - load circuit 14 . this embodiment is referred to as &# 34 ; scan - register with master - load and double inversion .&# 34 ; in the circuit of fig6 the inverting output qn of latch circuits 12a &# 39 ; and 12b &# 39 ; is used in place of the non inverting q output and the scan - register 16 output scan -- out is obtained from the q output of slave - latch 12b &# 39 ;. the effect of this interchange of signals is that every data transfer from master - latch 12a &# 39 ; or scan - latch 10a &# 39 ; to slave - latch 12b &# 39 ;, as well as from the scan - register 16 input sys -- data or scan - in to the master latch 12a &# 39 ; results in inversion of data polarity . this does not affect data transfers from the scan register 16 input sys -- data to scan register 16 output q - out since it involves an even number of inversions , which cancel each other out . scan register 16 output scan -- out always stores the complement of scan register 16 output q -- out . data transfers from the scan register 16 input scan -- in to the scan register 16 output scan -- out involves inversion of data polarity only if the said transfer is achieved by going through master - latch 12a &# 39 ;. the circuit of fig6 has an important feature not present in the circuit of fig4 since data which is latched into master - latch 12a &# 39 ; of fig6 ( and saved there by setting d -- strb high ) is inverted when it is later moved into slave - latch 12b &# 39 ;. it is possible to initially set the master - latch 12a &# 39 ; and slave - latch 12b &# 39 ; q outputs to the same value . it is seen that q -- out is initially set to the q value , and then changes to the complement of the q value when sys -- clk transitions from low to high . therefore , if scan in is performed with d - strb and m - load set high , all scan - registers would be set to contain the same value in their master - latch 12a &# 39 ; as in their slave - latch 12b &# 39 ; such that dropping m -- load to low and then applying two consecutive sys -- clk pulses and allowing d -- strb to change between rising edges would force all of the q -- out signals to change to the opposite state . in many instances , this would be the desired effect as it allows creating signal transitions whose effects on the combinational circuitry of the chip can be captured by a subsequent sys -- clk pulse . delay path testing could be performed without the need for a second scan in action before the two sys -- clk pulses are applied . fig7 and 8 show additional alternative embodiments of the invention that operate in a manner similar to the circuits of fig4 and 6 , respectively . the embodiments of fig7 and 8 differ from their counterparts depicted in fig4 and 6 by the interconnections among master - latch 12a &# 34 ;, slave - latch 12b &# 34 ;, and the scan - latch 10a &# 34 ;. in fig7 the master - latch / slave - latch pair is interconnected in a similar fashion to the ordinary master - slave register depicted in fig4 . a separate scan - latch 10a &# 34 ; is driven from the slave - latch 12b &# 34 ; q terminal . the circuit of fig8 is similar to the circuit of fig7 with the exception that the inverting output qn of each latch 12a &# 39 ;&# 34 ;, 12b &# 39 ;&# 34 ;, 10a &# 34 ;&# 34 ; is used in place of its non - inverting q output . this produces the same effect as discussed above with reference to the circuit of fig6 . the operation of the embodiments of fig7 and 8 will now be summarized with reference to fig7 . ( as with fig4 and 6 , any differences between the operations of the embodiments of fig7 and 8 will be readily apparent .) again , there are two modes of operation . the first mode of operation is selected in accordance with a first predefined sequence of the predefined states of the control signals sys -- clk and m -- load . data is sequentially shifted from either the sys -- data or scan -- in input ports , through master latch 12a &# 34 ; and slave latch 12b &# 34 ; to the q -- out data output port . this data is also available to scan latch 10a &# 34 ; for storage and presentation at the scan -- out data output port . according to the first mode of operation , data is shifted from the sys -- data input port to the q -- out output port in response to sequential occurrences of rising edges of the sys -- clk signal . in addition , data is shifted from the scan -- in port to the q -- out port in response to a high going pulse of the m -- load signal followed by a high going pulse of the sys -- clk signal . the second mode of operation is selected in accordance with a second predefined sequence of the predefined states of the control signals . according to this mode , data is shifted from the scan -- in port , directly through only slave latch 12b &# 34 ; and scan - latch 10a &# 34 ; to the q -- out and scan -- out output ports in response to a high going pulse of the clk -- b signal followed by a high going pulse of the clk -- a signal . it should be noted that the nor gate associated with the master latch 12 , 12a &# 39 ;, 12a &# 34 ; in the various embodiments may be considered as part of the master latch in the invention defined by the appended claims , but the claims are by no means limited in scope to use of a master latch having the illustrated nor gate or nor function , except as may be expressly set forth in the claims . fig9 depicts timing diagrams for the test signals clk -- a , clk -- b , m -- load and d -- strb . q1 represents the value that was scanned into slave - latch 12b &# 39 ;&# 34 ;, q2 the value that was scanned into master - latch 12a &# 39 ;&# 34 ;, and q3 the system input data captured into the register 20 . fig1 shows a particular cmos implementation of the scan - register with master - load and double inversion 20 which also incorporates an enable function . fig1 a , 10b , 10c and 10d illustrate how the various control signals used in fig1 are derived . the table of fig1 presents a tabular description of the behavior of the register depicted in fig8 . many changes , modifications and variations of the preferred embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification and accompanying drawings . all such changes , modifications and variations within the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention , which is limited only by the following claims .	6
the golf club head of the present invention includes a material , located in or around the bottom portion of the face where it meets the sole , having a higher density than that of the material used to form the remainder of the club head . this high density material is attached to the club head via welding , press fit , mechanical entrapment , bonding , fastening , or the like . a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig1 and 2 . the iron - type golf club head 10 of the present invention has a face 20 , a sole 30 extending rearwardly from a lower portion 22 of the face 20 , and a recess 40 located in region 45 spanning at least part of the lower portion 22 of the face 20 and extending into at least part of the sole 30 . this region 45 is commonly known as the leading edge or the “ chin ” of the golf club iron head . an insert 50 is affixed to the head 10 within the recess 40 via welding , press fit , mechanical entrapment , bonding , fastening , or the like . as shown in fig2 , the recess 40 has a convex bottom portion 42 and the insert 50 has a concave back portion 52 that mates with the convex bottom portion 42 and provides additional surface area for welding , bonding , and / or fastening procedures . another embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig3 . in this embodiment , the recess 40 has a longer , convex bottom portion 42 and the insert 50 has a longer concave back portion 52 for mating with the convex bottom portion 42 . a third embodiment , shown in fig4 , has a recess 40 without a convex bottom portion . instead , the recess 40 has a flat bottom surface 44 , and the insert 50 has a flat mating back surface 54 that lines up with and can be affixed to the flat surface 44 of the recess 40 . the insert 50 of the present invention is composed of a material having a density higher than that of the material of the club head 10 . the density of the material used to make the insert 50 may range from 7 g / cm 3 to 20 g / cm 3 , and preferably is 18 g / cm 3 . the head 10 preferably is made of a type of steel material , such as carbon or stainless steel , and the insert 50 preferably is made of a tungsten alloy . the recess 40 may take up the entire chin or leading edge region 45 of the golf club head 10 , extending all the way from the toe 12 of the golf club head to the heel 14 , or , as shown in fig1 , the recess 40 may extend only part of the way between the toe 12 and the heel 14 . the greater the recess 40 size is , the greater the size of the high density insert 50 , so a golfer desiring a iron having an extremely heavy chin weight would select a iron head with a recess 40 , and thus an insert 50 , extending from the furthest reaches of the toe 12 to the furthest reaches of the heel 14 within the chin region 45 . the irons of the present invention have high density leading edges and thus extremely low , forward centers of gravity and moderate loft / de - loft moments of inertia ( iyy ). the graph 100 in fig5 shows the center of gravity locations , mapped according to height and depth of the iron head frames , of 6 - irons of the present invention and 6 - irons currently available on the market . the circled region 110 in the graph indicates the center of gravity locations of irons designed according to the present invention , while the small circles represent callaway irons and the small dashes represent non - callaway irons . center of gravity locations are generally obtainable by referring to the leading edge weights of the irons . the irons of the present invention may be composed of any number of materials known in the art , including metal alloys and composites . the irons of the present invention may also take any shape or general structure known in the art , including , but not limited to , the shapes and structures disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 626 , 530 , 5 , 749 , 795 , 6 , 769 , 998 , 7 , 083 , 531 , 7 , 338 , 387 , 7 , 338 , 389 , and 8 , 043 , 165 , the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein . from the foregoing it is believed that those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize the meritorious advancement of this invention and will readily understand that while the present invention has been described in association with a preferred embodiment thereof , and other embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings , numerous changes , modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is intended to be unlimited by the foregoing except as may appear in the following appended claims . therefore , the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined in the following appended claims .	0
the razor illustrated in fig1 to 11 has a handle 1 on which a blade unit 2 is mounted . as shown , the handle 1 has a fixed support platform 3 to which the blade unit 2 is securely fastened , but the blade unit could equally well be releasably connected to the handle 1 to allow replacement of the blade unit 2 , the blade unit 2 comprises a support structure 4 on which a blade assembly 5 is carried . in the illustrated embodiment , the support structure 4 consists of a unitary moulding of rubber or a material having similar resiliently flexible properties to materials having appropriate characteristics include ( i ) kraton g2705 having a hardness of 55 on the shore a scale manufactured by the shell corporation , ( ii ) evoprene # 966 having a shore a hardness value of 27 and distributed by gary chemical corporation of leominster , mass ., ( iii ) santoprene 271 - 55 having a shore a hardness value of 55 and manufactured by advanced elastomerics corporation , and ( iv ) santoprene 271 - 73 having a shore a hardness value of 73 and also manufactured by advanced elastomerics corporation . the support structure 4 includes a blade platform structure formed by an upper frame 6 on the upper face of which the blade assembly 5 is positioned , a sub - frame 7 which has the form of a substantially planar sheet , and a base 8 which can also have the form of a substantially planar sheet . the upper frame 6 is hingedly connected to the sub - frame 7 at the front of the support structure 4 , and in particular the upper frame 6 and sub - frame 7 are integral and are connected by a living hinge 9 at their forward edges . the upper frame 6 and the sub - frame 7 lie in first and second planes respectively , and are relatively positioned normally to diverge from each other rearwardly away from the hinge 9 . the sub - frame 7 and the base 8 are hingedly connected at the rear of the support structure 4 , and more especially the sub - frame 7 and base 8 are integrally connected by a living hinge 10 at their rear edges . the sub - frame 7 and base 8 are normally disposed to diverge from each other in the direction forwardly away from the hinge 10 . with this configuration , the upper frame 6 , sub - frame 7 and base 8 , as viewed in end elevation ( fig3 ), or transverse cross - section ( fig4 ), define a z shape , but with the angle a subtended between the upper frame 6 and the sub - frame 7 being greater than the angle p subtended between the sub - frame 7 and the base 8 so that the upper frame 6 is normally set at an appropriate angle with respect to the stem of the handle 1 and to ensure the desired deformation characteristics of the support structure as explained below . several spring elements in the form of flexible webs of the handle 1 and to ensure the desired deformation characteristics of the support structure as explained below . several spring elements in the form of flexible webs 12 are distributed along the blade unit 2 . the flexible webs 12 extend between and are integrally interconnected with the upper frame 6 and the sub - frame 7 , the flexible webs 12 being uniformly spaced apart along the support structure 4 . as shown , there are six spring webs 12 although more or less than this number may be employed . the spring webs 12 normally lie in respective parallel planes perpendicular to the planes of the upper frame 6 and the sub - frame 7 . the spring webs 12 constitute respective spring elements and each web 12 is capable of deforming by buckling , to allow the portion of the upper frame 6 in the region of that web 12 to be displaced towards the sub - frame 7 with the deformed or buckled web 12 exerting a substantially constant restoring force independent of the degree of buckling and hence the downward displacement of the upper frame 6 . since the spring webs 12 act independently of each other , different portions of the upper frame 6 along the length thereof may be readily displaced by different amounts towards the sub - frame 7 . the sub - frame 7 is similarly supported with respect to the base 8 by several suspension springs 14 distributed along the blade unit 2 between the sub - frame 7 and the base 8 . these suspension springs are also formed by resiliently flexible webs integral with the sub - frame 7 and the base , there being six springs webs 14 uniformly spaced apart along the blade unit 2 in the illustrated embodiment . the spring webs 14 lie in respective planes perpendicular to the length of the blade unit 2 and , conveniently , the webs 14 are aligned and coplanar with the webs spring 12 . the spring webs 14 , which can also deform by buckling , serve as independent spring elements acting between the sub - frame 7 and the base 8 , and they allow local displacement of the sub - frame 7 towards the base 8 and hence the handle 1 , while exerting a substantially constant restoring force resisting such displacement . the resiliently flexible nature of the support structure with the springs webs 12 , 14 is such that localized portions of the upper frame 6 and the blade assembly 5 carried thereon can be deflected towards the razor handle 1 in order to adapt to the skin contours without necessarily influencing the , dispositions of other portions thereof , and the upper frame 6 and the blade assembly 5 can , as a consequence , contort to comply with the undulations of the skin area over which they are moving . thus , the blade unit 2 is resiliently compliant to ensure close contact with the skin over the full area spanned by the blades . thus , fig8 and 9 illustrate the blade unit 2 with the upper frame 6 and blade assembly 5 deformed into a concave form , their medial portions m being displaced towards the handle 1 by a greater amount than their end portions e with the spring webs 12 , 14 towards the centre m of the blade unit 2 being buckled to a greater extent than those webs 12 , 14 located nearer the ends of the blade unit 2 . fig1 and 11 on the other hand show the blade unit 2 deformed into a convex configuration , the blade assembly 5 and upper frame 6 being displaced downwardly towards the handle 1 by a greater amount at the ends e of the blade unit 2 than at the central portion m of the blade unit 2 , and , in this case , the spring webs 12 , 14 towards the ends of the blade unit being buckled more than those webs closer to the centre of the blade unit . although both sets of webs 12 , 14 are shown buckled in fig8 to 11 , this is not inevitable or essential . it is possible , for example as a result of downward shaving force applied towards the rear r of the blade unit , for the spring webs 12 to buckle so that the upper frame 6 and blade assembly 5 are displaced downwardly adjacent the rear edge r without the suspension spring webs 14 buckling and without any displacement of the upper frame 6 and the blade assembly 5 at their front edge f . also a force applied near the front edge f can cause downward displacement of the upper frame 6 and blade assembly 5 at their front edge due to the suspension spring webs 14 buckling without the spring webs 12 becoming buckled . as a consequence , the upper frame 6 and blade assembly 5 are compliant both in the direction longitudinally of the blade unit 2 and in the direction perpendicular thereto in order to adapt to conform closely the contours of a skin area being shaved . because the angle a subtended between the upper frame 6 and the sub - frame 7 is greater than the angle p subtended between the sub - frame 7 and the base 8 , the spring webs 12 are somewhat longer and correspondingly weaker than the spring webs 14 , whereby the spring webs 14 exert a greater resistance to downward displacement of the upper frame 6 and the blade assembly 5 at their front edge f than the resistance to downward displacement exerted by the spring webs 12 at the rear edge r of the upper frame 6 and blade assembly 5 , which characteristic is considered desirable as during shaving greater forces are generally imparted to a blade unit in the region of the guard than those exerted in the region of the cap . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 to 11 , the blade assembly 5 comprises a guard member 15 and a plurality of elongate blades 16 , the guard member 15 and the blades 16 being formed by flexible strips of metal . the blades 16 have parallel forwardly facing sharpened edges 17 . the guard member 15 and the blades 16 are interconnected by transverse strips 18 such as steel as used for the manufacture of blade in conventional blade units , which may be made of the same material as the blades 16 , e . g . steel , and which attached to the undersides of the blades and guard member . maximum flexibility of the blade unit is ensured by the blades 16 and transverse connecting strips 18 being coplanar in the normal , undeformed condition of the blade assembly and the blade unit . the guard member 15 is also substantially coplanar with the blades 16 and connecting strips 18 although as shown in fig6 and 7 , the guard member has an upwardly inclined rear portion , and slits 19 are spaced along the length of this portion of the guard member 15 for enhanced flexibility of this member 15 . including the guard member 15 in the blade assembly 5 can be advantageous in reliably defining the shaving geometry of the blades , and the first blade in particular . the strips 18 have turned - down t - shaped ends which are engaged with notches 20 , 21 moulded in the front and rear edges of the upper frame 6 in order to secure the blade assembly 5 to the support structure 4 . the upper frame 6 includes longitudinal front and rear frame members 22 and a series of transverse frame members 23 spaced along the blade unit 2 and substantially perpendicular to the length of the blade unit 2 . the transverse frame members 23 are acted upon by respective spring elements and the upper edges of the spring webs 12 are attached to the respective frame members 23 . in the assembled blade unit 2 , the strips 18 of the blade assembly 5 extend above respective frame members 23 . the cap 24 of the blade unit 2 includes a flexible lubricating strip 25 which sits in a groove extending along the rear longitudinal member 22 of the upper frame 6 and is held in place by the transverse strips 18 of the blade assembly 5 . the support structure 4 , at the front of the upper frame 6 in the region of its hinged connection to the sub - frame 7 , forms a guard 26 which has longitudinal ribs 27 moulded thereon although protrusions of other configurations could be provided . also , if preferred , a separate flexible guard element could be mounted on the support structure 4 and have a desired guard surface configuration . the modified safety razor blade unit shown in fig1 a , 12 b and 13 is for the most part the same as that described above with reference to fig1 to 11 . however , in this embodiment , the sub - frame 7 a has the form of a corrugated sheet rather than a substantially planar sheet . the corrugations which are only shallow and have their ridges 7 b and valleys 7 c directed parallel to the planes of the spring webs 12 , 14 , serve to increase the flexibility of the sub - frame in the longitudinal direction of the blade unit 2 . another difference is that , in place of the notches 21 for securing the trailing ends of the blade carrying strips 18 , through holes 21 a are provided in the rear longitudinal frame member 22 , the ends of the strips 18 being inserted through the respective holes 21 a to ensure a secure connection between the blade assembly 5 and the unitary support structure 4 . in fig1 to 18 , there is illustrated an embodiment in which the safety razor has a blade unit 102 mounted on a handle 101 , the blade unit 102 including a flexible blade assembly 105 carried by a compliant support structure 104 . the blade assembly 105 includes flexible strip blades 116 interconnected by transverse strips 118 attached to the undersides of the blades 116 , as well as a flexible guard bar 126 and a flexible cap bar 125 respectively carried on the transverse strips 18 in front of and behind the blades 116 . the support structure 104 has a base frame 108 shown u - shaped in cross - section with upper and lower platforms 130 , 132 . a series of upwardly extending support members in the form of posts 134 are spaced apart along the base frame 108 and are slidably guided for up and down movement in holes formed in the upper and lower platforms . the posts 134 project above the upper platform 130 and have enlargements or abutments 135 which engage the underside of the upper platform 130 to limit their upward displacement . mounted pivotally on the upper ends of the support posts 134 , for pivotal movement about an axis a directed longitudinally of the blade unit 102 , are respective upper frame members 123 , these frame members 123 being normally arranged to extend upwardly and rearwardly from their forward ends 123 a which are connected to the support posts 134 . the down - turned ends of the transverse strips 118 of the blade assembly are engaged with the respective upper frame members 123 . the forward 123 a end of each upper frame member 123 is bent through nearly 180 ′ and extended to form a rearwardly directed arm 136 , and a pin 138 , which like the posts 134 is guided in holes in the upper and lower platforms 130 , 132 of the base frame 108 , bears against the arm 136 to urge the upper frame member 123 to an upper pivotal position . each of the pins 138 is pushed upwardly by a coil spring 112 which surrounds the pin 138 between the lower platform 132 and an abutment flange 139 on the pin 138 . the abutment flange 139 also serves to limit the upward movement of the pin 138 by engaging the underside of the upper platform 130 . the springs 112 also act to bias the support posts 134 to their uppermost positions so that the normal position of the support structure 104 and blade assembly 105 is as illustrated in the drawings . however , the upper frame members 123 are moveable independently of each other , as are their respective support posts 134 , and this , in conjunction with the flexibility of the blade assembly 105 , means that the blade unit 102 , is resiliently compliant to enable close conformity with the skin contours during shaving . to further enhance the compliant characteristic of the blade unit 102 the upper frame members 123 can themselves be resiliently flexible . the arrangement of the restoring springs 112 to resist the deformation of blade unit under shaving forces is such that there is a substantially uniform force exerted by the blade unit against the skin irrespective of the degree of blade unit deformation over the area of contact with the skin . the embodiment of the razor illustrated in fig1 and 20 is basically similar to that of fig1 to 16 . the blade unit 202 , which is mounted on the razor handle 201 , includes a blade assembly 205 carried on a support structure 204 including a base frame 208 and upwardly projecting support posts 234 guided for up and down sliding movement relative to the base frame 208 . upper frame members 223 are , in this case , constituted by the transverse strips 218 which interconnect the blades 216 and support the flexible guard and cap bars 226 , 225 , although separate frame members could be provided . the upper frame members 223 have their forward ends pivoted on the upper ends of the post 234 . respective spring elements in the form of leaf springs 212 are mounted on the base frame 208 adjacent the rear edge and extend forwardly and upwardly for the free ends of the springs 212 to act on the upper frame members 223 . as demonstrated by fig2 a and 20b which depict one of the springs 212 in an unstressed and a stressed condition , respectively , the springs 212 are arcuate in cross - section . the effect of this spring configuration is that the spring tends 212 to flatten as it is deformed due to downward pivotal movement and / or displacement of the associated upper frame member 223 , and , in this way , the spring 212 exerts a substantially constant return force irrespective of the deformation of the blade unit 202 during shaving . the razor illustrated in fig2 to 25 is generally similar to that of fig1 and 20 , but differs in that in place of the support posts 234 , pivotal support arms 334 with lower rear ends pivotally connected to the base frame 308 are provided to mount the upper frame members 323 on which is carried the blade assembly 305 including the parallel blades 316 , the flexible guard bar 326 and the flexible cap bars 325 . first spring elements consisting of leaf springs 312 are mounted on the support arms 334 and act on extension fingers 336 of the upper frame members 323 to bias the upper frame members 323 to an uppermost pivotal position , and second spring elements 314 , which are formed by respective leaf spring arms 314 of a common comb - shaped leaf spring 315 mounted on the base frame 308 , act with their free ends against the undersides of the support arms 334 . the leaf spring elements 314 are strongly pre - tensioned so that the forces exerted on the respective support arms 334 do not increase significantly as the support arms are pivoted downwardly by shaving forces imparted against the upper face of the blade unit in use of the razor , the upward pivotal movement of the arms 323 being limited by fingers 324 thereon abutting against the base structure 308 as may be seen in fig2 . the upward pivotal movement of the anus 323 is similarly limited by the fingers 336 abutting the arms 334 . as in the previous embodiments , the blades 316 and the blade assembly 305 as a whole are flexible , so that , with independently supported upper frame members 323 , the blade unit 302 is resiliently compliant over the full area of its contact with the skin during shaving . other support structure arrangements and modifications to the specifically described embodiments are possible without departing from the principles of the invention and will occur to those skilled in the art . merely by way of example , it is mentioned that the pivotal mountings and associated leaf springs 312 , 314 between the pivotal support arms 334 and the base frame 308 and / or between the pivotal support arms 334 and the upper frame members 323 in the embodiment shown in fig2 to 25 could be replaced by living hinges . it is to be understood , therefore , that the embodiments specifically described above are given by way of non - limiting example only and it is the intention that the scope of the invention should be limited only by the claims which follow .	1
the present invention will be described with reference to the drawing figures wherein like numerals represent like elements throughout . a first embodiment of the present invention is directed to cac with only common measurements available . referring to fig1 , the basic assignment procedure 10 for cac in the uplink is shown . the procedure 10 commences with the first code in the code set ( step 12 ). the load of an uplink time slot in cell i is defined as the load generated by the codes assigned in the same time slot in this cell and in first tier cells and second tier cells , since the load generated from cells beyond second tier is negligible . preferably the load from neighboring cells is measured using the uplink time slot iscp . uplink time slot interference signal code power ( iscp ) contains inter - cell interference only . for the target cell , the load after admission can be calculated as follows : the load from its own cell is called the intra - cell load load ul — intra ( i ) and is given by : load ul_intra ⁡ ( i ) = α ul · ∑ h ∈ ω ⁡ ( i ) ⁢ s ⁢ ⁢ i ⁢ ⁢ r h equation ⁢ ⁢ 1 where ω ( i ) is the set of codes assigned in this time slot in the cell i . since the load is defined based on noise rise , then intra - cell interference i intra may be given by : intra ⁢ - ⁢ cell ⁢ ⁢ noise ⁢ ⁢ rise = i intra n 0 = 1 1 - load ul_intra ⁡ ( i ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 2 i intra = n 0 1 - load ul_intra ⁡ ( i ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 3 total ⁢ ⁢ noise ⁢ ⁢ rise = i intra + iscp n 0 = 1 1 - load ul ⁡ ( i ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 4 load ul ⁡ ( i ) = 1 - 1 total ⁢ ⁢ noise ⁢ ⁢ rise = 1 - n 0 i intra + iscp equation ⁢ ⁢ 5 for neighboring cells , ( tier one or tier two cells only ), the load after admission can be calculated as follows : the load of a time slot in cell j before admission is calculated using equations 1 - 5 , and denoted by load ul — before ( j ). if sir t is the required sir target of the code to be assigned in this time slot in the target cell i , the load of a time slot in cell j after admission , denoted by load ul ( j ), is given by : load ul ⁡ ( j ) = { load ul_before ⁡ ( j ) + β ul · sir t if ⁢ ⁢ j ∈ tier ⁢ ⁢ one ⁡ ( i ) load ul_before ⁡ ( j ) + σ ul · sir t if ⁢ ⁢ j ∈ tier ⁢ ⁢ two ⁡ ( i ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 6 where tier one ( i ) is the set of codes assigned in this time slot in tier - one neighboring cells of the cell i , and tier two ( i ) is the set of codes assigned in this time slot in tier - two neighboring cells of the cell i . for cac , a code will be admitted into a time slot in cell i only if , after admission , the following conditions can be satisfied in this time slot : load ul ( i )≦ cac — target — load — thres — ul equation 7 load ul ( j )≦ cac — neighbor — load — thres — ul , ∀ jεtier one ( i )∪ tier two ( i ) equation 8 where cac_target_load_thres_ul is the admission threshold of load in the target cell , and cac_neighbor_load_thres_ul is the admission threshold of load in the neighboring cells . a measure of the quality after admission is the average load , { overscore ( load ul )}, which is defined as the average load of target cell and neighboring cells . it is given by : load ul _ = 1 n ⁢ ∑ j = 1 n ⁢ load ul ⁡ ( j ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 9 an alternative measure is the weighted average load in the uplink , { overscore ( load ul — weighted )}, which is similar to equation 9 , but gives priority to the target cell load by using a weight factor w ( w & gt ; 1 ) for the target cell . it is given by : load ul_weighted _ = 1 n ⁢ ( ∑ j = 1 ⁢ j ≠ 1 n ⁢ load ul ⁡ ( j ) + w · load ul ⁡ ( i ) ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 10 suppose that the new cctrch seeking admission has m codes in its code set to be assigned . these m codes are arranged in the order of increasing spreading factor , ( decreasing required sir target ). the slot selection follows the procedures below : 1 . start with the first code in the code set ( step 12 — fig1 ). 2 . for each uplink time slot , compute the load of target cell and neighboring cells in this time slot using equation 1 as if this code is assigned into this time slot ( step 14 ). 3 . for each uplink time slot , judge if this code can be assigned to this time slot by checking if load of target cell and neighboring cells in this time slot after assignment satisfies conditions in equations 7 and 8 ( steps 16 , 17 ). a . if yes , this time slot will be considered as possible time slot for assignment in step 22 ( step 18 ). b . otherwise , this time slot will not be considered as possible time slot for assignment in step 22 ( step 20 ). 4 . check if there are any possible time slots for assignment ( step 22 ). a . if there is at least one possible time slot for assignment , among all possible time slots , select the time slot that yields the lowest average load as defined in equation 9 or the lowest weighted average load as defined in equation 10 ( step 24 ). this code will be assigned to this selected time slot . go to step 28 . b . otherwise , this code cannot be assigned in the target cell ( step 26 ). it also means the cctrch with this code set cannot be accommodated in the target cell . the slot selection procedure ends ( step 33 ). 5 . check if there are any more codes to be assigned ( step 28 ). a . if yes , select the next code in the code set ( step 30 ) and go to step 14 . b . otherwise , the assignment of the cctrch is done ( step 32 ). the slot selection procedure ends ( step 33 ). let capwr ( i ) denote the carrier power of a downlink time slot in the cell i . let sir t denote the required sir target of the code to be assigned in this time slot in the target cell i . let pl ( k ) denote the pathloss of this ue between bs of cell k , k = 1 , 2 , . . . , n . the code tx power for this new code , denoted by tx code , is given by : tx code = sir t · pl ( i )· i total equation 11 i total = α dl · capwr ⁡ ( i ) / pl ⁡ ( i ) + ∑ j ∈ tier - one ⁡ ( i ) ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( j ) / pl ⁡ ( j ) + ∑ j ∈ tier - two ⁡ ( j ) ⁢ capwr ⁢ ( j ) / pl ⁡ ( j ) + n 0 equation ⁢ ⁢ 12 when the system is at moderate or high load , ( where call admission control is really put in use ), background noise n 0 is negligible . therefore , equation 11 is rewritten as : tx code = sir t · ( α dl · capwr ⁡ ( i ) + ∑ j ∈ tierone ⁡ ( i ) ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( j ) · pl ⁡ ( i ) / pl ⁡ ( j ) + ∑ j ∈ tiertwo ⁡ ( j ) ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( j ) · pl ⁡ ( i ) / pl ⁡ ( j ) ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 13 x = ∑ j ∈ tierone ⁡ ( i ) ⁢ ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( j ) · pl ⁡ ( i ) / pl ⁡ ( j ) , for ue at different locations , ( which implies different pathloss to bs ), x is a random variable . define ω dl as : ω dl = arg min ⁢ { ω dl : pr ⁡ ( x ≤ ω dl · ∑ j ∈ tierone ⁡ ( i ) ⁢ ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( j ) ) & gt ; θ } equation ⁢ ⁢ 14 y = ∑ j ∈ tiertwo ⁡ ( i ) ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( j ) · pl ⁡ ( i ) / pl ⁡ ( j ) , for ue at different locations , ( which implies different pathloss to bs ), y is a random variable . define ξ dl as ξ dl = arg min ⁢ { ξ dl : pr ( y ≤ ξ dl · ∑ j ∈ tiertwo ⁡ ( i ) ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( j ) ) & gt ; θ } ⁢ equation ⁢ ⁢ 15 tx code = sir t · ( α dl · capwr ⁡ ( i ) + ω dl · ∑ j ∈ tier - one ⁡ ( i ) ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( j ) + ξ dl · ∑ j ∈ tier - two ⁡ ( j ) ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( j ) ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 16 after the new code is added , the sum of code transmit power of existing codes will increase by δtx ( i ). the value of δtx ( i ) is estimated to be : δ ⁢ ⁢ tx ⁡ ( i ) = α dl · tx code α dl · capwr ⁡ ( i ) + ω dl · ∑ j ∈ tier - one ⁡ ( i ) ⁢ capwr ⁢ ( j ) + ξ dl · ∑ j ∈ tier - two ⁡ ( i ) ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( j ) ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( i ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 17 therefore , the carrier power of cell i after admission is estimated to be : capwr ( i )= capwr ( i )+ tx code + δtx ( i )+ margin target cell equation 18 where margin target cell is the margin used for call admission control in the target cell . the increase to the carrier power of cell j ( if jεtier one ( i )) after admission , δtx ( j ), is estimated to be : δ ⁢ ⁢ tx ⁡ ( j ) = ( ω dl · ( tx code + δ ⁢ ⁢ tx ⁡ ( i ) ) α dl · capwr ⁡ ( j ) + ω dl · ⁢ ∑ j ∈ tier - one ⁡ ( j ) ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( k ) + ξ dl · ∑ k ∈ tier - two ⁡ ( j ) ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ c ⁢ ⁢ apwr ⁡ ( i ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 19 the increase to the carrier power of cell j ( if jεtier two ( i )) after admission , δtx ( j ), is estimated to be : δ ⁢ ⁢ tx ⁡ ( j ) = ξ dl · ( tx code + δ ⁢ ⁢ t ⁢ ⁢ x ⁡ ( i ) ) α dl · capwr ⁡ ( j ) + ω dl · ⁢ ∑ k ∈ tier - one ⁡ ( j ) ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( k ) + ξ dl · ⁢ ∑ k ∈ tier - two ⁡ ( j ) ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( j ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 20 therefore , the carrier power of cell j after admission is estimated to be : capwr ( j )′= capwr ( j )+ δ tx ( j )+ margin neighbor cell equation 21 where margin neighbor cell is the margin used for call admission control in neighboring cells . at call admission control , a code will be admitted into a time slot in cell i only if after admission the following conditions can be satisfied in this time slot : where capwr maximum is the maximum allowed carrier power at node - b . a measure of the quality after admission is the average carrier power , { overscore ( capwr )}, which is defined as the average carrier power of target cell and neighboring cells . it is given by capwr _ = 1 n ⁢ ∑ j = 1 n ⁢ ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( j ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 24 an alternative measure is the weighted average load in the uplink , { overscore ( capwr weighted )}, which is similar to the definition in equation 24 , but gives priority to the target cell &# 39 ; s carrier power by using a weight factor w ( w & gt ; 1 ) for the target cell . it is given by capwr weighted _ = 1 n ⁢ ( ∑ j = 1 , j ≠ i n ⁢ ⁢ capwr ⁡ ( j ) + w · capwr ⁡ ( i ) ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 25 the flowchart of the slot selection procedure in the downlink is the same as in the uplink ( shown in fig1 ), except that call admission control in the downlink tries to minimize the average carrier power instead of average load . suppose that the new cctrch seeking admission has m codes in its code set to be assigned . since the direction is downlink , the m codes have the same spreading factors 16 or 1 . therefore , the order of assignment for codes does not matter in the downlink . the slot selection follows the procedures below : 1 . start with the first code in the code set ( step 12 ). 2 . for each downlink time slot , estimate the carrier power of target cell and neighboring cells in this time slot using equations 16 - 21 as if this code is assigned into this time slot ( step 14 ). 3 . for each downlink time slot , judge if this code can be assigned to this time slot by checking if carrier power of target cell and neighboring cells in this time slot after assignment satisfies conditions in equations 22 and 23 ( steps 16 m 17 ). a . if yes , this time slot will be considered as a possible time slot for assignment in step 22 ( step 20 ). b . otherwise , this time slot will not be considered as a possible time slot for assignment in step 22 ( step 20 ). 4 . check if there are any possible time slots for assignment ( step 22 ). a . if there is at least one possible time slot for assignment , among all possible time slots , select the time slot that yields the lowest average carrier power as defined in equation 24 or the lowest weighted average carrier power as defined in equation 25 ( step 24 ). this code will be assigned to this selected time slot . go to step 28 . b . otherwise , this code cannot be assigned in the target cell ( step 26 ). it also means the cctrch with this code set cannot be accommodated in the target cell . the slot selection procedure ends ( step 33 ). 5 . check if there is any more code to be assigned ( step 28 ). a . if yes , select the next code in the code set ( step 30 ), and go to step 14 . b . otherwise , the assignment of the cctrch is done ( step 32 ). the slot selection procedure ends ( step 33 ). the second embodiment of the present invention is directed to call admission control in the absence of measurements . the load of an uplink time slot in a cell is defined as the load generated by the codes assigned in the same time slot in this cell and in first tier cells and second tier cells ( load generated from cells beyond second tier is negligible ). then , the load in a cell k is : load ul ⁡ ( k ) = α ul · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ ω ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h + β ul · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ tier ⁢ ⁢ one ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h + σ ul · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ tier ⁢ ⁢ two ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h , ⁢ k = 1 , 2 , … ⁢ , n equation ⁢ ⁢ 26 where α ul is the average mud residual factor in the uplink , β ul is the weight factor for codes in the tier - one cells in the uplink , σ ul is the weight factor for codes in the tier - two cells in the uplink , ω ( k ) is the set of codes assigned in this time slot in the cell k , tier one ( k ) is the set of codes assigned in this time slot in tier - one neighboring cells of the cell k , tier two ( k ) is the set of codes assigned in this time slot in tier - two neighboring cells of the cell k . at call admission control , a code will be admitted into a time slot in cell i only if after admission the following conditions can be satisfied in this time slot : load ul ( i )≦ cac — target — load — thres — ul equation 27 load ul ( j )≦ cac — neighbor — load — thres — ul , ∀ jεtier one ( i )∪ tier two ( i ) equation 28 where cac_target_load_thres_ul is the admission threshold of load in the target cell , and cac_neighbor_load_thres_ul is the admission threshold of load in the neighboring cells . a measure of the quality after admission is the average load in the uplink , { overscore ( load ul )}, which is defined as the average load of the target cell and neighboring cells . it is given by : load ul _ = 1 n ⁢ ∑ j = 1 n ⁢ load ul ⁡ ( j ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 29 an alternative measure is the weighted average load in the uplink , { overscore ( load ul — weighted )}, which is similar to the definition in equation 29 , but gives priority to the target cell load by using a weight factor w ( w & gt ; 1 ) for the target cell . it is given by : load ul_weighted _ = 1 n ⁢ ( ∑ j = 1 , j ≠ i n ⁢ load ul ⁡ ( j ) + w · load ul ⁡ ( i ) ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 30 the flowchart of the slot selection procedure in the uplink is shown in fig2 . suppose that the new cctrch seeking admission has m codes in its code set to be assigned . these m codes are arranged in the order of increasing spreading factor ( decreasing required sir target ). the slot selection follows the procedures below : 1 . start with the first code in the code set ( step 12 ′). 2 . for each uplink time slot , compute the load of target cell and neighboring cells in this time slot using equation 26 as if this code is assigned into this time slot ( step 14 ′). 3 . for each uplink time slot , judge if this code can be assigned to this time slot by checking if load of target cell and neighboring cells in this time slot after assignment satisfies conditions in equations 27 and 28 ( steps 16 ′, 17 ′). c . if yes , this time slot will be considered as possible time slot for assignment in step 22 ′ ( step 18 ′). d . otherwise , this time slot will not be considered as possible time slot for assignment in step 22 ′ ( step 20 ′). 4 . check if there are any possible time slots for assignment ( step 22 ′). e . if there is at least one possible time slot for assignment , among all possible time slots , select the time slot that yields the lowest average load as defined in equation 29 or the lowest weighted average load as defined in equation 30 ( step 24 ′). this code will be assigned to this selected time slot . go to step 28 ′. f . otherwise , this code cannot be assigned in the target cell ( step 26 ′). it also means the cctrch with this code set cannot be accommodated in the target cell . the slot selection procedure ends ( step 33 ′). 6 . check if there are any more code to be assigned ( step 28 ′). a . if yes , select the next code in the code set , and go to step 14 ′ ( step 30 ′). b . otherwise , the assignment of the cctrch is done ( step 32 ′). the slot selection procedure ends ( step 33 ′). the load of a downlink time slot in cell i is defined as the load generated by the codes assigned in the same time slot in this cell and in first tier cells and second tier cells ( load generated from cells beyond second tier is negligible ). therefore , the load in the downlink is similar to the load in the uplink . however , there is a difference between them . in the uplink , there is only one receiver , the bs . in the downlink , there are several receivers , ues , scattered in the cell . to compensate for this difference , a scale factor is added into the load calculation . then , the load is given by : load dl ⁡ ( k ) = scale · ( α dl · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ ω ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h + β dl · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ tier ⁢ ⁢ one ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h + σ dl · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ tier ⁢ ⁢ two ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h ) , ⁢ k = 1 , 2 , … ⁢ , n equation ⁢ ⁢ 31 where α dl is the average mud residual factor in the downlink , β dl is the weight factor for codes in the tier - one cells in the downlink , σ dl is the weight factor for codes in the tier - two cells in the downlink , ω ( k ) is the set of codes assigned in this time slot in the cell k , tier one ( k ) is the set of codes assigned in this time slot in tier - one neighboring cells of the cell k , tier two ( k ) is the set of codes assigned in this time slot in tier - two neighboring cells of the cell k . at call admission control , a code will be admitted into a time slot in cell i only if after admission the following conditions can be satisfied in this time slot : load dl ( i )≦ cac — target — load — thres — dl equation 32 load dl ( j )≦ cac — neighbor — load — thres — dl , ∀ jεtier - one ( i )∪ tier - two ( i ) equation 33 where cac_target_load_thres_dl is the admission threshold of load in the target cell , and cac_neighbor_load_thres_dl is the admission threshold of load in the neighboring cells . a measure of the quality after admission is the average load in the downlink , { overscore ( load dl )}, which is defined as the average load of target cell and neighboring cells . it is given by : load dl _ = 1 n ⁢ ∑ j = 1 n ⁢ load dl ⁡ ( j ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 34 an alternative measure is the weighted average load in the uplink , { overscore ( load dl — weighted )}, which is similar to the definition in equation 34 , but gives priority to the target cell load by using a weight factor w ( w & gt ; 1 ) for the target cell . it is given by : load dl_weighted _ = 1 n ⁢ ( ∑ j = 1 , j ≠ i n ⁢ load dl ⁡ ( j ) + w · load dl ⁡ ( i ) ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 35 the flowchart of slot selection procedure is the same as in fig2 . suppose that the new cctrch seeking admission has m codes in its code set to be assigned . since the direction is downlink , the m codes have the same spreading factors 16 or 1 . therefore , the order of assignment for codes does not matter in the downlink . the slot selection follows the procedures below : 1 . start with the first code in the code set ( step 12 ′). 2 . for each downlink time slot , compute the load of target cell and neighboring cells in this time slot using equation 31 as if this code is assigned into this time slot ( step 14 ′). 3 . for each downlink time slot , judge if this code can be assigned to this time slot by checking if load of target cell and neighboring cells in this time slot after assignment satisfies conditions in equations 32 and 33 ( steps 16 ′, 17 ′). a . if yes , this time slot will be considered as possible time slot for assignment in step 22 ( step 18 ′). b . otherwise , this time slot will not be considered as possible time slot for assignment in step 22 ( step 20 ′). 4 . check if there are any possible time slots for assignment ( step 22 ′). a . if there is at least one possible time slot for assignment , among all possible time slots , select the time slot that yields the lowest average load as defined in equation 34 or the lowest weighted average load as defined in equation 35 ( step 24 ′). this code will be assigned to this selected time slot . go to step 28 ′. b . otherwise , this code cannot be assigned in the target cell ( step 26 ′). it also means the cctrch with this code set cannot be accommodated in the target cell . the slot selection procedure ends ( step 33 ′). 5 . check if there are any more codes to be assigned ( step 28 ′). a . if yes , select the next code in the code set , and go to step 14 ′ ( step 30 ′). b . otherwise , the assignment of the cctrch is done ( step 32 ′). the slot selection procedure ends ( step 33 ′). the third embodiment of the present invention is directed to call admission control based on outage probabilities definition of outage probability for call admission control in the uplink the load of an uplink time slot in a cell is defined as the load generated by the users assigned in the same time slot in this cell and in first tier cells and second tier cells ( load generated from cells beyond second tier is negligible ). in most technical literature , the load from neighboring cells is assumed to be a fixed ratio of the load from its own cell based on the assumption of homogeneous system . however , in a heterogeneous system , the load cannot be modeled in such a way . we compute the load from neighboring cells based its actual traffic . then , the load in a cell k is given by : load ul ⁡ ( k ) = α ul · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ ω ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h + β ul · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ tier ⁢ ⁢ one ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h + σ ul · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ tier ⁢ ⁢ two ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h , ⁢ k = 1 , 2 , … ⁢ , n equation ⁢ ⁢ 36 where α ul is the average mud residual factor in the uplink , β ul is the weight factor for users in the tier - one cells in the uplink , σ ul is the weight factor for users in the tier - two cells in the uplink , ω ( k ) is the set of users assigned in this time slot in the cell k , tier one ( k ) is the set of users assigned in this time slot in tier - one neighboring cells of the cell k , tier two ( k ) is the set of users assigned in this time slot in tier - two neighboring cells of the cell k . since the load is defined based on noise rise , we have : noise ⁢ ⁢ rise = i total n 0 = 1 1 - load ul ⁡ ( k ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 37 because of the dynamic range limitation and for the purpose of power control stability , the noise rise at the bs should be limited a maximum value of nr max . then , we have : i total n 0 ≤ nr max equation ⁢ ⁢ 38 load ul ⁡ ( k ) ≤ 1 - 1 nr max ⁢ ⁢ or equation ⁢ ⁢ 39 α ul · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ ω ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h + β ul · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ tier ⁢ ⁢ one ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h + σ ul · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ tier ⁢ ⁢ two ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h ≤ 1 - 1 nr max equation ⁢ ⁢ 40 the probability of outage in a tdd time slot i , denoted by p out , is defined as the probability that inequality in equation 40 does not hold . it is given by p out = pr ⁢ { α ul · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ ω ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h + β ul · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ tier ⁢ ⁢ one ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h + σ ul · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ tier ⁢ ⁢ two ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h & gt ; 1 - 1 nr max } equation ⁢ ⁢ 41 because of fading and imperfect power control , the value of sir h is a random variable that follows a lognormal distribution . therefore , sir h can be expressed as : p out = pr ⁢ { ∑ h = 1 n ⁢ sir h · a h & gt ; ψ } equation ⁢ ⁢ 43 a h = { α ul h ∈ ω ⁡ ( k ) β ul h ∈ tierone ⁡ ( k ) σ ul h ∈ tiertwo ⁡ ( k ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 44 sir h · a h = 10 ( μ h , σ h 2 )· 10 loga h = 10 n ( μ h + loga h , σ h 2 ) equation 45 let x h denote sir h · a h , then x h is still a lognormal random variable . its mean μ x h and variance σ x h 2 are given by : μ x h = 10 μ h + loga h · 10 ln10σ h 2 / 2 equation 46 σ x h 2 = 10 2 ( μ h + loga h ) · 10 ln10σ h 2 ·( 10 ln10σ h 2 − 1 ) equation 47 p out = pr ⁢ { ∑ h = 1 n ⁢ x h & gt ; ψ } equation ⁢ ⁢ 48 even though the distribution of x h is known , the computation of p out in equation 48 is still very complex , and cannot be done in real time . at moderate or high system load , value of n in equation 48 is large . therefore , the gaussian approximation will have both good approximation result and low computation complexity . here , we choose the gaussian approximation approach to allow the radio network controller ( rnc ) to compute the outage probability and make a decision of resource allocation in real time . where { x h } are n independent identical random variables , each with mean μ x h , and variance σ x h 2 . then : μ y = ∑ h = 1 n ⁢ μ x h equation ⁢ ⁢ 49 σ y 2 = ∑ h = 1 n ⁢ σ x h 2 ⁢ ⁢ and : equation ⁢ ⁢ 50 p out = pr ⁢ { y & gt ; ψ } = q ⁡ ( ψ - μ y σ y ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 51 let p out ( i ) denote the outage probability of time slot i . if a user is allocated to use l slots ( l = 1 , 2 , . . . , l ), the total outage probability of the allocation , denoted by p out — total , is defined as the probability that outage occurs in at least one time slot . it is given by : p out_total = 1 - ∏ l = 1 l ⁢ ( 1 - p out ⁡ ( l ) ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 52 the call admission control function will try to minimize the total outage probability of the cctrch while making sure that the outage probability of assigned timeslots in neighboring cells also meets the requirements . the flowchart of the call admission control algorithm is shown in fig3 . suppose that the new cctrch seeking admission in the target cell k has m codes in its code set to be assigned . these m codes are arranged in the order of increasing spreading factor ( decreasing required sir target ). the slot selection follows the procedures below : 1 . start with the first code in the code set , ( step 36 ). 2 . compute the current outage probability of each time slot in the target cell ( step 38 ). also compute the outage probability of each time slot in the neighboring cells as if this code is assigned into the time slot ( step 38 ). a . if the outage probability of all neighboring cells are less than the maximum allowed outage probability , say τr , then this time slot can be considered for assignment . b . otherwise , this time slot cannot be considered for assignment . 3 . among possible time slots for assignment , start with time slot with the lowest outage probability , say time slot i ( step 40 ). 4 . assign the code into the time slot i and compute the updated outage probability of the time slot ( step 42 ). 5 . check if there are still more codes not assigned for the user ( step 44 ). a . if no , all codes are already assigned . go to step 46 . b . otherwise , continue to step 52 to assign the next code in the code set . 6 . branching at step 44 b , compute the outage probability of each time slot in the neighboring cells as if this code is assigned into the time slot ( step 52 ). check if time slot i is still among those possible time slots ( step 54 ). a . if no , find the time slot with the lowest outage probability among those possible time slots , say slot j . set i = j ( step 56 ), and go to step 42 . b . otherwise , check if the outage probability of time slot i is still the lowest among those possible time slots ( step 58 ). i . if yes , go to step 42 . ii . otherwise , compute if it is worthy to assign the next code into the time slot with the lowest outage probability , say slot j ( step 60 ). this is done by comparing the contribution to the total outage probability by those codes already assigned to time slot i and this code . the contribution to total outage probability if this code is put into slot j , denoted by p contribution is given by : p contribution = 1 −( 1 − p out ( i ))·( 1 − p out ( j )) the contribution to total outage probability if this ru is still assigned into slot i , denoted by p ′ contribution , is same as the outage probability in slot i . that is , p ′ contribution = p out ( i )′. check if p contribution ≧ p ′ contribution ( 62 ). 1 . if no , go to step 40 . 2 . otherwise , set i = j ( step 64 ), and go to step 42 . 7 . compute the total outage probability of the allocation ( step 46 ), p out — total , as in equation 52 . check if p out — total ≦ θ ( step 48 ). a . if yes , the user will be admitted ( step 50 ). b . otherwise , the user will be rejected ( step 51 ). the call admission control function in the downlink is similar to uplink . however , there are some differences in load definition and its physical meaning . in the uplink , there is only one receiver , the bs . in the downlink , there are several receivers , ues , scattered in the cell . to compensate this difference , a scale factor is added into the load calculation . then , the load is given by : load dl ⁡ ( k ) = scale · ( α dl · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ ω ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h + β dl · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ tier ⁢ ⁢ one ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h + σ dl · ∑ h ⁢ ∈ ⁢ tier ⁢ ⁢ two ⁡ ( k ) ⁢ sir h ) , ⁢ k = 1 , 2 , … ⁢ , n equation ⁢ ⁢ 53 in the uplink , the load is defined based on total noise rise at the bs , the common receiver . in the downlink , multiple receivers are scattered in the cell . therefore , the downlink load is defined based on average downlink noise rise , we have : noise ⁢ ⁢ rise = i dl _ n 0 = 1 1 - load dl ⁡ ( k ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 54 other than the difference in load definition and physical meaning , outage probability computation and slot selection in the downlink are the same as in the uplink as shown in fig3 .	7
the root watering system is disclosed herein with respect to exemplary embodiments . the embodiments are disclosed for illustration of the root watering system and are not limiting except as defined in the appended claims . fig1 and 2 illustrate an embodiment of a water sock 100 . the water sock comprises an outer cover 110 that is generally formed as an elongated tubular body 112 having a first end 114 ( referred to herein as the upper end ) and a second end 116 ( referred to herein as the lower end ). the outer cover comprises a sturdy filtration material that allows water to seep through the covering but which prevents soil , insects and other unwanted material from passing through the covering . for example , in the illustrated embodiment , the outer cover comprises a geotextile material such as mirafi ® 140n , which is commercially available from ten cate geosynthetics north america , 365 south holland drive , pendergrass , ga . 30567 . as described by the manufacturer , the geotextile material comprises high - tenacity monofilament polypropylene yarns that are woven into a stable network such that the yarns retain their relative positions . the geotextile is inert to biological degradation and resists naturally encountered chemicals , alkalis and acids . similar materials from the same manufacturer or from other manufacturers may also be used . as further shown in fig1 and 2 , in the illustrated embodiment , the tubular body 112 of the outer cover 110 is formed from a generally rectangular sheet 120 of the geotextile material with the long edges attached ( e . g ., by sewing ) along a longitudinal seam 122 to form a generally cylindrical shape . the upper end 114 comprises a generally circular sheet 124 ( shown in fig2 ) of the geotextile material having a diameter sufficiently larger than the diameter of the tubular body . the circular sheet is attached to the generally circular perimeter formed by a short edge of the geotextile material to close the tubular body along a circumferential seam 126 . in the illustrated embodiment , the seams are formed by stitching the geotextile material with polyester thread or a similar long lasting thread . preferably , the stitching or other attachment of the edges of the rectangular sheet and the attachment of the circular sheet to the circular perimeter are performed with the outer covering turned inside out . the outer covering is then inverted to the configuration shown in fig1 and 2 so that the two seams are on the inside . thus , the stitches or other attachment is protected from abrasion . in the illustrated embodiment , the lower end 116 of the outer covering is closed with a suitable crimping device 130 , such as , for example , a metallic band similar to the leg bands used to identify birds . alternatively , a plastic tie wrap or similar device can be used to close the lower end 116 to provide a tight seal . in fig2 , the tubular body 112 of the outer cover 110 of the water sock 100 is partially broken away to show a plurality of internal supporting structures 140 , which are enclosed within the outer cover . in the illustrated embodiment , the internal supporting structures comprise hollow spheres , which preferably comprise polypropylene or other suitable plastic material formed as a thin outer shell with a relatively large inner cavity . the thin outer shell of each sphere is perforated with a plurality of holes 142 so that the inner cavity of the sphere is exposed . in the illustrated embodiments , the perforated spherical shape of the internal supporting structures 140 is similar to the shape of conventional plastic training balls used in various sports . such training balls can be used for the supporting structures ; however , the aerodynamic characteristics of the internal supporting structures are not pertinent to the supporting function . accordingly , the sizes , shapes and number of holes 142 may be selected to reduce the volume of the plastic material and thereby reduce the weight of the supporting structures . preferably , the holes that perforate the spherical outer shell are distributed over the surface of the sphere so that the orientation of a supporting structure within the outer cover is not critical to the function of the water sock . in particular , a sufficient number of holes are included so that when the water sock is installed in the soil , as described below , at least one hole of each supporting structure is oriented generally downward regardless of the angular orientation of the supporting structure . thus , as the water sock delivers water to the root system of tree or shrub , the internal supporting structures trap very little water within their respective cavities . fig3 a , 3 b , 3 c and 3 d illustrate the steps of adding the internal supporting structures 140 to the water sock 100 of fig1 and sealing the completed water sock . in fig3 a - 3d , the water sock is oriented such that the outer cover 110 is inverted with the closed first ( upper ) end 114 shown at the bottom and the second ( lower ) end 116 shown at the top . in each of fig3 a - 3d , the tubular body 112 of the outer cover is partially broken away to show the cavity formed by the tubular body . fig3 a illustrates the water sock 100 after the material of the tubular body 112 and the disk 124 are sewn or otherwise attached to create the outer cover 110 with the closed first end 114 . in fig3 a , the second end 116 is open and is ready to receive the first internal supporting structure 140 . in fig3 b , three of the internal supporting structures have been inserted into the water sock and a fourth supporting structure is being added . in fig3 c the water sock is filled with the desired number ( e . g ., 8 ) of the supporting structures , and the outer cover proximate to the second end is scrunched ( e . g ., folded or pleated ) to reduce the cross - sectional area so that the crimping device 130 can be attached . as discussed above , one suitable crimping device is a generally circular metallic band such as a leg band used to identify a bird . such leg bands are available , for example , from l & amp ; m bird leg bands , inc ., of san bernardino , calif ., and are available in different sizes . as shown in fig3 c , the crimping device is a split band , which is initially open so that the scrunched second end of the outer cover can be easily inserted . in fig3 d , the crimping device is secured to the scrunched material close to the uppermost ( as viewed in fig3 a - 3d ) supporting structure by applying pressure to close the open ends of the crimping device . for example , the pressure to close the band is advantageously applied using a pliers ( not shown ) adapted to close the gap in the band . such pliers in sizes corresponding to the sizes of the leg bands are also available from l & amp ; m bird leg bands , inc . preferably , excess material extending past the crimping device is removed ( e . g ., by cutting ). in certain embodiments of the water sock 100 , prior to closing the second end 116 , a fertilizer tablet 200 ( shown in fig3 c and 3d and in fig2 ) is added to the interior along with the internal supporting structures 140 . in particular , the fertilizer tablet is a slow release tablet that dissolves slowly over an extended period ( e . g ., many months ) so that fertilizer is released into the soil proximate the root system of the plant when the water sock is installed as described below . the diameters of the supporting structures 140 and the diameter of the outer cover 110 are matched so that the supporting structures fit within the outer cover . for example , as shown in fig4 a , a first embodiment 150 of the water sock has internal supporting structures 152 with diameters similar to the diameter of a conventional softball ( e . g ., approximately 4 . 5 inches ). the outer cover has a slightly larger inner diameter to accommodate the internal supporting structures . in the illustrated embodiment , the tubular body 112 has a length slightly larger than approximately 36 inches to accommodate the accumulative diameters of 8 internal supporting structures . the length of the tubular body and the number of internal supporting structures can be adjusted to create a water sock having a longer length or shorter length as desired . as described below , the larger first embodiment is suitable for use with a transplanted tree having a root ball with a depth of 2 - 3 feet . the first embodiment of the water sock has an internal volume of approximately 570 cubic inches , which is reduced by the relatively small volume displaced by the non - perforated portions of the outer shells of the internal supporting structures . as shown in fig4 b , a second embodiment 160 of the water sock has internal supporting structures 162 with diameters similar to the diameter of a conventional baseball ( e . g ., approximately 2 . 75 inches ). the outer cover 110 has a slightly larger inner diameter to accommodate the internal supporting structures . in the illustrated embodiment , the tubular body 112 of the second embodiment has a length slightly larger than approximately 22 inches to accommodate the accumulative diameters of 8 internal supporting structures . the length of the tubular body and the number of internal supporting structures can be adjusted to create a water sock having a longer length or shorter length as desired . as described below , the mid - sized second embodiment is suitable for use with smaller transplanted trees and larger shrubs having root balls less than approximately 2 feet in depth . in particular , the second embodiment of the water sock has an internal volume of approximately 130 cubic inches , which is reduced by the relatively small volume displaced by the non - perforated portions of the outer shells of the internal supporting structures . as shown in fig4 c , a third embodiment 170 of the water sock has internal supporting structures 172 with diameters similar to the diameter of a conventional golf ball ( e . g ., approximately 1 . 68 inches ). the outer cover 110 has a slightly larger inner diameter to accommodate the internal supporting structures . in the illustrated embodiment , the tubular body 112 of the third embodiment has a length slightly larger than approximately 13 . 5 inches to accommodate the accumulative diameters of 8 internal supporting structures . the length of the tubular body and the number of internal supporting structures can be adjusted to create a water sock having a longer length or shorter length as desired . as described below , the small - sized third embodiment is suitable for use with small transplanted trees and shrubs having root balls approximately a foot in depth . in particular , the third embodiment of the water sock has an internal volume of approximately 30 cubic inches , which is reduced by the relatively small volume displaced by the non - perforated portions of the outer shells of the internal supporting structures . other sizes of water socks can be constructed using internal supporting structures with different diameters and supporting structures that have different shapes ; however , the foregoing sizes of spheres are particularly advantageous because of the commercial availability of the perforated spherical balls widely used in sporting activities . fig5 illustrates an embodiment of a kit 200 comprising a plurality ( e . g ., 3 in the illustrated embodiment ) of water socks 100 and an auger 210 for creating holes to enable the water socks to be inserted in the ground proximate a shrub or tree . the auger has a shaft 212 coupled to a helical cutting member 214 that is sized to create a bore hole in the soil that is slightly larger than a water sock . the water socks in the kit are sized in accordance with one of the embodiments described in fig4 a , fig4 b or fig4 c , respectively . for example , for a kit comprising the smaller water sock 170 of fig4 c having the golf ball sized internal supporting structures , the helical cutting member has a diameter of approximately 1 . 75 inches to 2 inches . the mid - sized water sock 160 of fig4 b can be positioned in a bore hole created by an auger having a cutting member with a diameter of approximately 3 inches . the larger water sock 150 of fig4 a can be positioned in a bore hole created by an auger having a cutting member with a diameter of approximately 4 . 75 inches to 5 inches . as discussed below , the auger is advantageously driven by a power drill or other rotational source . fig6 a , 6 b and 6 c illustrate exemplary steps for installing the water socks 100 in the kit 200 of fig5 proximate to an existing shrub or small tree 250 . the existing shrub or small tree has a trunk 252 that supports foliage 254 . the shrub or small tree is anchored to the soil via a root system 256 . the auger 210 is coupled to a drill 260 or other source of rotating power and is positioned on the surface of the soil beneath the drip line of the tree or shrub as shown in fig6 a . the drill is operated to produce a generally vertical bore hole 270 that extends downward into the soil by a desired depth . for example , if only a single water sock 170 in accordance with the smallest embodiment is to be inserted , the depth of the bore is selected to be approximately 13 . 5 inches so that the when the second end 116 of the water sock is resting at the bottom of the bore hole , the first end 114 of the water sock is at the level of the original ground surface . the first end of the water sock may be slightly above or slightly below the ground surface and be effective for providing water to the root system of the tree or shrub . the bore hole may be extended or may be partially filled with soil to achieve the desired depth and resulting positioning of the first end of the water sock . if the root system 256 of the tree or shrub 250 is particularly deep , the bore hole 270 may be bored to a depth sufficient to accommodate two water socks 170 . the first water sock is inserted into the bore hole and the second water sock is positioned in the bore hole on top of the first water sock . after creating a sufficient number of bore holes 270 for the number of water socks 170 to be installed , the water socks are inserted into the bore holes with the first ( upper ) ends 114 proximate the surface of the ground as shown in fig6 b . if the water socks are loose in the bore holes , dirt may be added around the outsides of the water socks . as illustrated in fig6 c , after installing the water socks 170 , a small berm 280 is created around the tree or shrub 250 outside the drip line so that the bore holes 270 with the water socks are within the boundaries of the berm . the berm 280 forms a shallow pond around the base of the tree or shrub 250 . when the tree or shrub is irrigated , the water collects in the pond and filters into the interiors of the water socks 170 . thus , when a sufficient amount of water is applied to fill the pond , an additional volume of water is stored in the water socks within the bore holes . this accomplishes a dual purpose . the added volume of the water socks increases the amount of water that can be applied during an irrigation cycle . the water socks also serve as conduits to deliver water to the lower levels of the root system 256 of the tree or shrub instead of relying on the water applied to the ground surface to filter through the soil . thus , unlike conventional surface watering which may result in a shallow root system , the watering system utilizing the water socks causes the root system to develop at a greater depth , thus creating a stronger anchor for the tree or shrub and also causing the root system to be positioned to absorb water available at greater depths . the structure of the water sock 100 is particularly advantageous for deep watering of the roots . unlike pipes or other systems for applying water below the ground surface , which have exposed perforations that may clog up and become nonfunctional , the water sock has a continuous outer surface that allows the water to seep out of the interior of the water sock and into the surrounding soil . furthermore , the cylindrical structure of the geotextile outer cover 110 of the water sock is maintained by the internal supporting structures 140 , which prevent the water sock from collapsing from the pressure of the surrounding soil . the simple structure allows the water sock be manufactured easily and inexpensively from commercially available parts . the relatively thin shells of the internal support structures and the surrounding geotextile material allows the water sock to have a very light weight and yet be sufficiently rigid to allow the water sock to be easily inserted into a bore hole 270 . the water socks installed in the foregoing manner may include the slow - release fertilizer tablets 200 described above . fig7 a , 7 b and 7 c illustrate exemplary steps for installing the water socks when planting a new shrub or tree in an open hole . as illustrated in fig7 a , the root ball 300 of a tree or shrub 302 is positioned on a mound 310 of undisturbed original soil at the bottom of an excavated planting pit 312 in a conventional manner . as illustrated in fig7 b , a plurality of water socks 100 are positioned in the planting pit next to the root ball with the second ( lower ) ends 116 of the water socks positioned slightly below the lowest level of the root ball and with the first ( upper ) ends 114 of the water socks positioned proximate the original ground level surrounding the planting pit . the water socks are held in place while the planting pit is backfilled with soil as shown in fig7 c . as discussed above , a berm 320 is formed around the planting pit generally at the drip line of the tree or shrub . although installed in a different manner , the water socks installed in accordance with fig7 a - 7c provide the same deep watering benefits as described above with respect to fig6 a - 6c . the water socks installed in the foregoing manner may include the slow - release fertilizer tablets 200 described above . fig8 illustrates the planting of a new tree 400 on relatively level ground . the tree is planted in a planting pit 410 with the root ball 412 of the tree resting on a mound 414 at the bottom of the planting pit . a plurality of the water socks 100 ( preferably the larger water socks 150 of fig4 a ) are positioned in the planting pit at the outer boundary of the pit with the respective second ( lower ) ends 116 of the water socks extended below the level of the root ball . the respective first ( upper ) ends 114 of the water socks are positioned approximately at the surface of the ground surrounding the planting pit . after positioning the water socks , the planting pit is backfilled ( not shown ) and a berm 420 is created around the tree so that the tops of the water socks are within the surface encircled by the berm . the positions of the water socks 100 in the embodiment of fig8 is advantageous because at least a portion of the water is delivered to soil that is spaced apart from the root ball and that is at a lower depth than the root ball . accordingly , the root system of the new tree is encouraged to spread outwardly and downwardly to seek water . fig9 illustrates the installation of a new tree 500 on sloped ground . a planting pit 502 is formed in a portion of the ground that is leveled to accommodate the planting pit . the root ball 504 of the tree rests on a mound 506 in the planting pit . a plurality of water socks 100 are positioned around the outer boundary of the planting pit and the planting pit is backfilled ( not shown ). a berm 520 is formed around the planting pit . in certain installations of a new tree , the root ball may not be installed at a sufficient depth to accommodate the full length of a water sock . fig1 illustrates the installation of a plurality of water socks 100 proximate to the root ball 602 of a transplanted tree 600 with the water socks positioned on a mound 612 in a planting pit 610 at an angle ( e . g ., approximately 45 degrees ) with respect to perpendicular . the angled positions of the water socks provide the benefit of the full water storage and distribution capacity of the water sock while providing the water to the roots in the root ball from the surface down to the lowest level of the roots . the internal structure of the water sock allows the water sock to bend so that the water sock can form a downward spiral around the outer surface of the root ball or around the inner surface of the planting pit . as before , after installing the water socks and backfilling the planting pit , a berm 620 is created around the tree to encompass the tops of the water socks . the water socks installed in accordance with fig8 , fig9 or fig1 may include the slow - release fertilizer tablets 200 described above . the embodiments of the water sock described herein provide an economical , light weight , easy to install and long lasting system for providing water to the root systems of shrubs and trees . the materials used do not degrade significantly over many years of use . the water permeable geotextile material allows water to flow in and out of the water socks yet keeps soil , insects and other materials out of the water socks so that the water socks will remain free of debris and continue to transport water to the root systems for many years . as various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all the matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense .	0
referring more particularly to the drawing , there may be seen illustrated a conventional spinning machine in many respects . specifically , the drawings illustrate bobbin 10 with yarn 12 being wound thereon . the yarn extends through traveler 14 upon ring 16 from thread guide 18 and draw works 20 . the bobbin 10 is mounted upon spindle 22 which is driven by band 24 . the spindle is mounted upon spindle rail 26 . the ring 16 is mounted upon ring rail 28 . the attachment 30 , which we have previously patented , includes rectangular base 32 having provisions for screws to attach it to the ring rail 28 . for manufacturing reasons and , also , weight reasons , the base 32 is made of aluminum , plastic , or any light material . thus , the total weight of the ring rail 28 with all that is attached to it is not substantially changed . therefore , the attachment may be added to existing machines without substantially changing the balance of the ring rail , which can be easily adjusted . ring bearing 36 is secured within a central aperture of the base 32 . the securing of ring bearing 36 within the base 32 is not described except that it is noted that the base 32 is split and has screw 34 holding it together to readily clamp a portion of the bearing 36 into place . ring 16 is journaled within the ring bearing 36 . peripheral flange or band 38 upon ring bearing 36 drives the ring 16 . the ring 16 is driven by being attached onto the bearing which is driven by the frictional band 40 upon drive disc 42 . the drive disc 42 is mounted upon pivot block 46 . it may be readily seen that as the pivot block 46 is moved toward or away from the band 38 , the ring 16 will be driven or not driven . those skilled in the art will understand that it is highly desirable to disengage the drive to the ring 16 upon certain occasions , not the least of which is to piece - up a down end . the pivot block 46 with the disc 42 is pulled away from the band 38 by the tension in the elastic drive cord or drive belt 48 which extends back to drive pulley 50 , all as described in our previous patent referred to above . in addition , spring 51 between the block 46 and the base 32 urges the block and base apart . steel plate 52 is attached to the front of base 32 by screw 54 . the base 32 has a groove 56 of rectangular cross section extending along one side . pitman 58 has a rectangular cross section which fits within the groove 56 and forms a sliding fit therein . the pitman has a circular end 60 on the forward end which extends through hole 62 in the plate 52 . cam lever 64 is attached to the circular end 60 by pin 66 . the cam lever 64 is also constructed of aluminum , plastic , or other light material . the back end 68 of the pitman 58 is of circular cross section and is threaded at 70 upon the extreme end to receive locking nut 72 . the spring 51 surrounds the round end 68 of the pitman . the end 68 extends through circular hole 74 in a leg upon the pivot block 46 . the hole 74 extends through the leg which extends outward from the main portion of the block 46 so the hole 74 is in alignment with the groove 56 . the disc 42 is mounted upon a bearing 44 and is attached to the block 46 by bolt 76 extending through the bearing 44 . the pivot block 46 , itself , is pivoted by countersunk screw 78 to ear 80 attached to the back of the base 32 . therefore , it may be seen that the tension by which the friction band 40 bears against the flange 38 is readily adjustable by adjusting the nut 72 upon the end of the pitman 58 . to make this adjustment , the rotation of the pitman 58 is not necessary . also , when the cam lever 64 is up in the horizontal position , the tension of the belt 48 and the spring 51 will pull pivot block 46 so the mechanism is not engaged , but when the lever is in the down position , as illustrated in fig2 it will pull elements into tight driving contact . further , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the continual working of the toggle lever 64 upon the steel plate 52 will not result in galling , but will continue to work freely even though it is free of lubrication . also , those skilled in the art will understand that the lock nuts 72 have fibrous elements within them so the vibration does not change positions . the embodiment shown and described above is only exemplary . we do not claim to have invented all the parts , elements or steps described . various modifications can be made in the construction , material , arrangement , and operation , and still be within the scope our invention . the limits of the invention and the bounds of the patent protection are measured by and defined in the following claims . the restrictive description and drawing of the specific example above do not point out what an infringement of this patent would be , but are to enable the reader to make and use the invention .	3
while this invention is susceptible 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 . in the description below , like reference numerals are used to describe the same , similar or corresponding parts in the several views of the drawings . referring now to fig7 a flowchart of an error detection and recovery module 700 for a digital video decoder is illustrated . the error detection and recovery module 700 operates on the bitstream 600 illustrated in fig6 in order to make a determination as to whether any portion of the overhead of the digital video has been received in error . this overhead includes , but need not be limited to the picture start code , picture header , and the timestamp information . in the preferred embodiment , the timestamp information is contained in the picture header . however , the timestamp could be placed in a separate field within the bitstream without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . referring again to fig7 in block 710 a decoder receives a slice or gob of bitstream 600 . at block 715 picture start code algorithm is applied to the slice to determine if a picture start code ( psc ) has been overrun . the picture start code algorithm computes a statistical measure reflecting the expected number of bits contained in a slice , and uses this information combined with the macroblock location of the next slice to determine whether the psc as been overrun . the picture start code algorithm of block 715 is described in more detail in fig9 . if the psc is received without error , as determined at decision block 720 , the error detection and recovery module 700 then applies a picture header algorithm at block 725 to determine if the header information is correct . the picture header algorithm at block 725 checks for one or more errors in the header of the current slice ; more details about the picture header algorithm are described in conjunction with fig1 . if header errors are detected , the current header is replaced with the header of a previous slice . if the header was received correctly , as determined at decision block 730 , then a timestamp algorithm is applied at block 735 to reconstruct the absolute timestamp information . the timestamp algorithm of block 735 , described further in conjunction with fig8 determines whether the received timestamp is correct by using prior timestamp information in addition to a threshold based upon the current timestamp and previous timestamp . upon the completion of the timestamp algorithm at block 735 , the flow returns to block 710 so that the process of error detection and recovery 700 is repeated for each slice or gob of bitstream 600 . it is noted here that while in the preferred embodiment the ordering of the picture start code , picture header , and timestamp algorithms are as shown in fig7 the algorithms could be executed in a different order than that illustrated in fig7 . it should further be noted that one or two of the picture start code algorithm at block 715 , picture header algorithm at block 725 , and timestamp algorithm at block 735 need not be present in order for the remaining aspects of the present invention to work correctly . for example , it may be desirable in certain applications to perform timestamp checking and reconstruction but not perform the picture header algorithm 725 or the picture start code algorithm 715 . this situation could occur if frame synchronization is required , but the frame information is not utilized . additionally , further decoder functionality may be placed between the blocks 715 , block 725 , and block 735 without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . referring now to fig8 a flow chart describing in further detail the operation of the timestamp algorithm shown in block 735 of the present invention is shown generally as 800 . bit errors introduced in the communication channel may corrupt the encoded timestamp information for a frame , tr . an erroneous tr for a frame ultimately results in incorrect reconstruction of the absolute timestamp information for the frame , currtr . an incorrect currtr value may result in introducing delay in displaying the video frame , possibly causing video and audio to be objectionably unsynchronized . the pseudocode shown below , which provides more detail in accordance with the flowchart of fig8 represents an adaptive method for detecting erroneous currtr , and concealing the currtr information to minimize any potential delay that is introduced resulting from corrupted tr . it is recognized that the pseudocode illustrates one particular implementation or embodiment of many for practicing the methodology of this aspect of the present invention . without limiting the scope of the invention , in this example the mpeg - 4 timestamps are assumed to be scaled such that a value of 30 . 0 represents one second . it should also be recognized that η , μ , c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , and c 4 may be interpreted as variable quantities without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . after initialization ( block 810 ), the first part of the pseudo code computes currtr ( block 815 ). the next step is to estimate the elapsed time ( estimatedeltatr ) between the previously decoded frame and the current frame based on the history of bits per frame and history of inter - frame time intervals ( block 820 ). in the preferred embodiment , one example of deriving the expected elapsed time is calculated as the averagedeltatr times the previousframesize divided by averageframesize . next , thresholds are computed for detecting timestamp errors and timestamp wrap - around . the wrapping around is done to undo the mathematical modulo operation that was used by the encoder to compute tr . for some signaling formats , such as mpeg - 4 , only the fractional part of a second is signaled , and the wrap - around at the next second boundary is explicitly signaled as a separate parameter ( modulo_time_base ). in this case , currtr is calculated independently of lasttr . errors could be present in both tr and modulo_time_base . both of these types of errors need to be handled . one method for detecting timestamp wrap - around and timestamp errors utilizes a negativethreshold and a positivethreshold . the method wraps around currtr only if currtr is less than lasttr by at least negativethreshold . the timestamp is deemed correct if it lies in the interval (− negativethreshold , positivethreshold ), else it is deemed to be in error . the interval for correctness (− negativethreshold , positivethreshold ) is increased if timestamp errors were concealed in the previous frames . the parameter threshextension governs the increase in the threshold interval . the parameter threshextension is reset to zero if the timestamp of the previous frame is correct . this was done to improve recovery and prevent divergence between the actual and concealed timestamp values . the value of negativethreshold is set depending upon previous timestamp errors ( block 825 ). if there was a previous timestamp error , the negativethreshold is computed ( block 830 ) from the estimated change in timestamp between the current frame and the previous frame and the value of the threshold extension . if there was not a timestamp error in the previous frame , then the negativethreshold is set to zero ( block 835 ). the value of positivethreshold is then computed ( block 840 ). as shown in the pseudocode , the positivethreshold is also computed from the estimated change in timestamp between the current slice and the previous slice and the value of the threshold extension . the current absolute timestamp , currtr , is then reconstructed ( block 845 ). as shown in the pseudocode , this reconstruction uses the last reconstructed timestamp and adds a constant to the timestamp depending upon the signaling used . once currtr for the current frame is reconstructed , the result must be compared to the absolute reconstructed timestamp of the previous frame , lasttr , to help detect errors in currtr . as such , a mathematical difference is computed between currtr and lasttr to give the change in timestamp information between the current frame and the previous frame , deltatr ( block 850 ). if the deltatr is within the interval (− negativethreshold , positivethreshold ), the currtr is assumed correct ( block 855 ) and the average delta tr is updated ( block 865 ). if the deltatr is not within the interval (− negativethreshold , positivethreshold ), then the currtr is in error . the currtr is then concealed by setting currtr to ( lasttr + estimateddeltatr ) which is the expected timestamp value based on the statistics of the time increments as well as the number of bits used to encode the previous frame ( block 860 ). this takes advantage of the correlation that exists between the timestamp differences and the size ( in number of bits ) of a compressed frame and enables the concealed timestamp values to resemble the actual timestamp values more closely . the effect of this concealment method is to display the current frame immediately , thus allowing the possibility for recovering absolute timestamp information in subsequent frames . without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention , it is also possible to set the estimateddeltatr to one . the average frame size is then computed at the end of frame decoding for use on the next frame ( block 870 ). those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the timestamp algorithm has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments . one skilled in the art will also recognize that while the form and logical structure of the pseudocode is novel , the pseudocode contains constant values that may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . referring now to fig9 the picture start code ( psc ) algorithm 900 of block 715 is shown in more detail . the preferred embodiment uses the macroblock address contained within a gob or slice header in conjunction with an adaptive bit threshold to determine a psc overrun due to bit errors . define mb curr to be the macroblock address of the current slice in frame k . in conventional decoding , the decoder continues to decode the current slice or gob until a new resync marker or psc is encountered . if bit errors cause a psc to be corrupted , the psc will not be recognized and overrun . thus the next slice or gob header the decoder will decode is the second gob or slice of the following frame , k + 1 . define the address of this slice or gob to be mb next . in the preferred embodiment , the detection technique first receives the next slice or gob header ( block 910 ). the algorithm then compares the addresses of the two slices ( block 915 ). if mb next is equal to or less than mb curr , the technique then checks the number of bits that were received from the beginning of the current slice to the start of the next slice or gob , defined as bitsreceived ( block 920 ). the psc is then suspected to have been overrun ( block 935 ) if bitsreceived exceeds the threshold for the average number of bits expected between the two slices ( block 925 ). if the bitsreceived does not exceed the threshold , then an error is assumed in the macroblock address ( block 930 ). the adaptive threshold , bitthreshold , is a weighted average of the number of bits that are expected to have been received by the decoder between mb curr and mb next . mathematically it is defined as where avgbitspermbprevframe represents the average number of bits per macroblock received in the previous frame , α is a weighting factor , and nummb is the number of macroblocks that lie between mb curr and mb next . in an alternative embodiment , the avgbitspermbprevframe may be calculated using the average number of bits per macroblock received in the current frame , or using more than one prior frame for the calculation . the number of macroblocks , nummb , between mb curr and mb next , when mb curr is numerically greater than mb next , can be calculated using a modulo operation or as if a psc overrun is suspected , all data beyond the first slice of the following frame , k + 1 , can potentially be recovered by decoding the data into a new frame ( block 940 ). in the preferred embodiment , the picture header information for frame k + 1 is copied from the header of frame k with the timestamp incremented by the estimated increase in timestamp ( block 945 ). this will lead to a reduction in the overall distortion compared to the case when the psc is not checked and data for the entire frame is lost . the decoder then continues its decoding process ( block 950 ). the disclosed invention allows the decoder to operate more efficiently , especially in low bit rate scenarios where the frame rate is normally low and the importance of each frame is greater . referring now to fig1 , a flowchart of a picture header error detection and recovery module , introduced at block 725 of fig7 is shown generally as 1000 . in the preferred embodiment , the detection of errors and the one or more header fields are used to determine if the picture header may be corrupted and can be replaced with information from a previous frame . an error in the first slice or gob may be an indication that the decoder is operating based upon modes that have been activated or deactivated erroneously . the disclosed invention attempts to suspect and correct errors in the header by using this information and the header field values in the current and previous frames . based upon the header field values it can recover the majority of the picture header from the previous frame , correcting the erroneous header fields . in h . 263 , the group of block frame id ( gfid ) is one of the header fields used . in other signaling schemes like mpeg - 4 , the gfid is absent . in this case , another set of criteria is used to confirm or reject a suspected error in the picture header . in conventional decoding , a slice is received and checked for errors ( block 1010 ). if the block is without error ( block 1015 ), the current header information is left intact ( block 1020 ), the header information is stored ( block 1025 ), and the next slice is checked for error ( block 1010 ). following an error in the first slice or gob ( block 1015 ), the decoder searches for the next gob , slice , or picture start code marker from which to resume decoding ( block 1030 ). in the preferred embodiment , the decoder stores the header field contained within the next slice or gob header ( block 1040 ) and compares the value of the field to the corresponding header field value from the previous frame ( block 1045 ). if the header field value in the second slice is equal to the majority of the header field values of the slices or gobs in the previous frame , then this verifies that this header field related picture header information has not changed . in the preferred embodiment , the decoder then copies over the header field related picture header information from the previous frame and uses it as the header information for the current frame ( block 1055 ). if the header field values of the two frames are not the same , indicating that coding information has changed from the previous frame to the current , then the header information is not replaced . in this case the decoder assumes that the header is not in error but that the slice or gob data itself is corrupted ( block 1050 ). the pseudo code for the picture header algorithm is given as : if ( header field of next slice == majority of corresponding header field values from previous frame ){ it is recognized that the pseudocode illustrates one particular implementation or embodiment of many for practicing the methodology of this aspect of the present invention . in particular , more than one header field may be used in the comparison without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . this invention allows for a majority of picture data and picture header information to be recovered if the mode information has not changed while still accounting for the fact that the data itself may be in error . using the disclosed invention , the decoder can operate more efficiently , especially in low bit rate scenarios where the frame rate is normally low and the importance of each frame is greater . in signaling schemes such as h . 263 , the gfid header field is present and may be used for detecting changes between the current frame and previous frames . for signaling schemes like mpeg - 4 , the gfid header field is not present . in these cases , the most important mode , stored in a header field , is the coding type ( vop_coding_type ) of the frame , which can be “ intra ” or “ predictive ”. to detect an error in the coding type , the suspicion criteria used are listed below : 1 . the header field vop_fcode_forward has changed from the previous frame . 2 . the header field intra_dc_vlc_threshold has changed from the previous frame . 4 . the number of bits decoded is inconsistent with the expected number of bits based on previous history . if an error is detected in the first slice and the suspicion criteria , each weighed by a weighting factor , exceed a pre - set threshold , an error in the vop_coding_type is detected and corrective action is taken . in the preferred embodiment , vop_coding_type is changed to “ predictive ” if it was decoded as “ intra ” and vice versa . the approaches used for signaling schemes mpeg - 4 and h . 263 are particular examples of a mechanism for mode change detection . h . 263 uses the gfid field for picture header error detection , while mpeg - 4 utilizes the parameters stored in the header fields in conjunction with a measure of the bits decoded to make a similar determination . these approaches can be considered specific instances of a change detection mechanism that may be used to determine picture header errors . this mechanism allows recovery from erroneously decoded picture coding types . the preceding discussion regarding fig8 , and 10 describe the operation of the picture start code algorithm of block 715 , the picture header algorithm of block 725 , and the timestamp algorithm of block 735 . it should be noted that while the block flow diagrams if fig7 , 9 and 10 indicate a software - based solution , the functionality of the picture start code algorithm of block 715 , the picture header algorithm of block 725 , and the timestamp algorithm of block 735 can also be implemented in hardware , or in embedded software on a hardware based system without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . referring again to fig2 the simplified block diagram of a decoder is shown . the functionality of the picture start code algorithm of block 715 , the picture header algorithm of block 725 , and the timestamp algorithm of block 735 can be incorporated in the error correction block 215 and the frame store of block 218 . this functionality could also be incorporated as a separate block within the decoder of fig2 without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . in the preferred embodiment , the error correction block 215 contains an error detection component and an error mitigation component , while block - to - raster scan 217 contains a frame memory component . the error detection component , error mitigation component , and frame memory component are operable to handle the error detection , error mitigation and framing related decisions of the three algorithms . in an alternative embodiment , the error detection component , error mitigation component , and frame memory component may be placed in a block preceding the block 202 inverse variable - length coder . this may be possible since these three algorithms are operable to operate solely upon the overhead information , and the overhead information may be processed separately from the frame data . while the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications , permutations and variations will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the foregoing description . accordingly , it is intended that the present invention embrace all such alternatives , modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims .	7
some specific embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in detail by reference to the drawings . fig1 is a cross - sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention . the apparatus of the present embodiment comprises four sets of electrophotographic laser beam printer mechanisms contained as a plurality of sets of image forming mechanisms . in fig1 reference numeral 1 designates the body housing of the apparatus , and reference numerals i , ii , iii and iv denote first to fourth laser beam printer mechanisms ( hereinafter simply referred to as the printer mechanisms ) disposed in succession from right to left in the body housing 1 as viewed in fig1 . reference numerals 3 and 4 designate belt driving rollers disposed rightwardly obliquely downwardly of the first printer mechanism i and leftwardly obliquely downwardly of the fourth printer mechanism iv , respectively . the belt driving rollers 3 and 4 are rotatively driven by a drive source , not shown . an insulative screen belt 2 is passed over the belt driving rollers 3 and 4 . this screen belt 2 is formed of meshes of tetoron fibers and is moved counterclockwise , as indicated by the arrow , by the driving roller 4 . reference numeral 5 designates a paper supply mechanism disposed on the right side of the apparatus frame , reference numeral 6 denotes an image fixing device disposed on the left end side of the apparatus frame , and reference numeral 7 designates a discharge port for completed prints . the printer mechanisms i - iv are substantially identical in construction . that is , each printer mechanism comprises a drum type electrophotographic photosensitive medium 9 ( hereinafter simply referred to as the drum ) having an electrically conductive base member and a photoconductive layer as a toner image bearing member rotatively driven in the clockwise direction of arrow about a shaft 8 , and a charger 10 , a developing device 11 , a transfer discharger 12 and a cleaning device 13 which are successively disposed around the drum 9 in the direction of rotation of the drum , and a laser beam scanner 14 disposed above the drum 9 . the laser beam scanner 14 comprises a well - known semiconductor laser , a polygon mirror , an f - θ lens , a light - intercepting plate , etc . and receives as an input a time - sequential electrical digital picture element signal s put out from an image reading apparatus or an electronic computer , not shown , and oscillates a laser beam l modulated correspondingly to that signal . the laser beam scanner 14 scans the beam l along the drum surface portion between the charger 10 and the developing device 11 in the direction of the bus line of the drum to thereby form on the surface of the drum a latent image corresponding to the signal s . the developing device 11 of the first printer mechanism i contains yellow ( y ) developing toner therein , the second developing device contains magenta ( m ) developing toner therein , the third developing device contains cyan ( c ) developing toner therein , and the fourth developing device contains black ( bk ) developing toner therein , also , a picture element signal s ( y ) corresponding to the yellow component image of a color image is input to the laser beam scanner 14 of the first printer mechanism i , a signal s ( m ) corresponding to the magenta component image is input to the laser beam scanner of the second printer mechanism ii , a signal s ( c ) corresponding to the cyan component image is input to the laser beam scanner of the third printer mechanism iii , and a signal s ( bk ) corresponding to the black component image is input to the laser beam scanner of the fourth printer mechanism iv . when the main switch of the apparatus is closed , the supply of power to for rotative driving of the laser beam scanners 14 of the printer mechanisms i - iv and other necessary process devices takes place and also the supply of power to the heater of the fixing device 6 takes place and thus , the apparatus effects its warming - up operation . when the laser is turned on and each scanner reaches its predetermined number of revolutions and the fixing roller reaches its predetermined temperature , the printer apparatus becomes ready for color image formation . when cut - sheet - like transfer paper p as an image receiving member is inserted onto the paper supply guide 51 of the paper supply mechanism 5 , the leading end edge of the transfer paper is detected by a first photointerrupter 52 and a start signal ( a print sequence start signal ) is produced . by this start signal , the drums 9 of the printer mechanisms i - iv start to rotate . simultaneously therewith , the driving rollers 3 and 4 are driven and the screen belt 2 for conveying the transfer paper p thereon also begins to move in the direction of the arrow . the transfer paper p is supplied onto the screen belt 2 through a pair of registers 53 , a paper supply guide 55 , a pair of registers 56 and a paper supply guide 57 . the transfer paper p on the screen belt 2 is subjected to corona discharge by an adsorbing charger 59 and is reliably absorbed to the screen belt 2 . this charger 59 is provided with an electrically conductive guide 58 as an opposed electrode , and this opposed electrode 58 will be particularly effective if grounded . further , when the leading end edge of the transfer paper p intercepts the photointerrupters 60y , 60m , 60c and 60bk on the downstream side thereof , image formation on the rotating drums 9 of the printer mechanisms i - iv is started by the signals . that is , a yellow image as a color component of the color image is formed on the surface of the drum 9 of the first printer mechanism i , a magenta image is formed on the surface of the drum 9 of the second printer mechanism ii , a cyan image is formed on the surface of the drum 9 of the third printer mechanism iii , and a black image is formed on the surface of the drum 9 of the printer mechanism iv . the principles of latent image formation and development in each printer mechanism are well known as the carlson process and therefore need not be described . the transfer paper p is conveyed toward the fixing device 6 successively through the lower portions of the first to fourth printer mechanisms i - iv by movement of the screen belt 2 , and in the process of the passage of the transfer paper through the respective mechanisms , the image by the yellow toner formed on the surface of the drum 9 of the first printer mechanism i , the image by the magenta toner formed on the surface of the drum 9 of the second printer mechanism ii , the image by the cyan toner formed on the surface of the drum 9 of the third printer mechanism iii and the image by the black toner formed on the surface of the drum 9 of the fourth printer mechanism iv are successively transferred onto the surface of the transfer paper in superposed relationship by the transfer dischargers 12 of the respective mechanisms , whereby a color image is formed on the surface of the transfer paper . when the transfer paper p passes through the fourth printer mechanism iv , it is electrically discharged by a discharger 61 supplied with an ac voltage and is separated from the screen belt 2 without producing any discharge pattern . the transfer paper p then rides onto a separating pawl 61a and enters the fixing device 6 and the image by the color toners formed thereon is fixed , whereafter the transfer paper p is discharged as a color image print out of the apparatus through the outlet 7 . when the transfer paper p has been discharged out of the apparatus , rotation of all devices except the fixing device is stopped and thus , a series of printing cycles are completed . the photointerrupters 60y , 60m , 60c and 60bk as detector means disposed upstream of the respective transfer stations to detect the leading end edge of the transfer paper p are disposed between the respective mechanisms on the route of the screen belt 2 to the first to fourth printer mechanisms i - iv and serve to detect the passage of the transfer paper p through each mechanism portion and determine the image formation starting timing of each mechanism . designated by 62 and 63 are tension rollers for imparting tension to the screen belt 2 . the tension roller 62 is rotatable but its position is fixed to the body . on the other hand , the tension roller 63 is rotatable and rockable in the direction of the arrow and absorbs slack in the belt 2 . now , in the present embodiment , the screen belt 2 is driven due to the friction force by the driving roller 4 . this driving roller 4 is designed so that the peripheral length thereof is equal to the spacing between the respective transfer stations ( the distance of the screen belt between the respective transfer stations ) h . that is , if the diameter of the driving roller 4 is d , the driving roller 4 is designed to have the relation that πd = h . when the driving roller 4 has some eccentricity resulting from the working or assembly thereof , the peripheral speed of the roller 4 may be high and low at a position whereat the belt 2 is in contact with the roller 4 and thus , the movement speed of the screen belt 2 does not become constant but varies in a sine - like fashion as shown in fig2 . however , according to the construction of the present embodiment , even if the period t 1 of the sine wave is produced , the time of this period t 1 is coincident with the time during which the transfer paper p on the screen belt 2 moves from one transfer station to the next transfer station . accordingly , if the amount of expansion or contraction of the toner image then transferred onto the transfer paper in two different transfer stations ( the second and third printer mechanisms ii and iii ), in the direction of conveyance of the transfer paper , is plotted , it is such as shown in fig3 . that is , even if , as compared with the ideal transfer condition in which no expansion or contraction is created in the transferred toner image , the transfer condition of the toner image varies in a sine - like fashion as described above , the phase angle of eccentricity of the driving roller 4 at each color transfer starting position is always constant and therefore , the phases of the sine wave of the transferred image also are always coincident with each other . therefore , no relative color misregistration between the various colors occurs in the toner image on the transfer paper . another embodiment of the present invention will now be described . fig4 shows a cross - sectional view of the essential portions of the present embodiment . in fig4 members functionally similar to those in the first embodiment are given similar reference numerals and need not be described . in the present embodiment , the driving roller 4 of the first embodiment is a rotatable follower roller and instead , the roller 63 is the driving roller and the screen belt 2 is nipped by and between the roller 63 and a pinch roller 64 . at this time , the rollers 3 , 4 , 62 and 64 are rotated by the screen belt 2 . also , the driving roller 63 is designed such that twice the peripheral length thereof is coincident with the distance between the respective transfer stations ( the distance of the screen belt 2 between the respective transfer stations ) h . that is , if the diameter of the driving roller 63 is d , 2πd = h . the then speed of the screen belt 2 is a sine wave of period t 2 as previously described and as shown in fig5 . here , a time twice as long as the period t 2 is coincident with the time until the transfer paper on the screen belt moves to the next transfer station . if the amount of expansion or contraction of the then transferred image in the direction of conveyance is plotted , it is such as shown in fig6 and again , the phases of the sine wave of the image are coincident with each other and therefore , no relative misregistration between the various colors on the image occurs . what has been described about the driving roller in the first embodiment shown in fig1 also applies to the gear train for driving the driving roller 63 in the second embodiment shown in fig4 . fig7 shows an example of the gear train for driving the driving roller 4 . the gear train is comprised of a combination of forty teeth to twenty teeth so as to provide a reduction gear ratio of 2 : 1 . that is , it is effective that the reduction gear ratio is an integer . therefore , even if the gears have eccentricity , the phase angle of eccentricity of each gear is always constant when the transfer paper passes through each transfer station and thus , as shown in fig3 and 6 , it is possible to prevent any relative color misregistration from occurring . in the above - described embodiments , the transfer paper which is the image receiving member is in the form of a cut sheet , but the present invention also functions effectively in the case of a long or continuous sheet . when an image receiving member in the form of a long sheet is to be conveyed , use may be made of the above - described endlessly moving holding member for image receiving members and in addition , as shown in fig8 the image receiving member itself in the form of a long sheet may be directly driven and the present invention can be applied to the rotative driving means for this driving the sheet . in fig8 reference numeral 65 designates a rolled image receiving member , and the image receiving member between the respective image processing stations is driven by a driving roller 66 to which the present invention in applied . after a predetermined multiplex image transfer has been completed , the image receiving member is cut by a cutter 67 and discharged out of the apparatus through the fixing device 6 . as regards the driving of such a long sheet , the long sheet is conveyed with the images at the opposite ends thereof being sufficiently nipped between a pair of rollers or with a tractor wheel being brought into mesh engagement with apertures formed at predetermined intervals in the opposite ends of the image receiving member . also , the timing at which the laser beam is written into the photosensitive mediums can be set by detecting a mark , a slit or the like formed in the image receiving member 65 by the detector means 60y , 60m , 60c , 60bk . in the above - described embodiments , a case where four color toners are used has been shown by way of example , but of cource , the present invention is also effective for an apparatus which does not include a printer mechanism using black toner or a multiplex image forming apparatus which uses a color toner different from the black toner . the present invention is also applicable to copying apparatus for forming copy images on the basis of originals other than the above described printer and , in this case , an original supporting table will be provided instead of the laser light source of fig1 .	6
an exemplary embodiment of the rotational speed sensor 10 is shown in a top view in fig1 . the speed sensor 10 comprises a ring or disc 11 , which may be attached to a rotating element , e . g . a bearing ring . the direction of rotation is indicated in fig1 by the arrow . the ring 11 comprises k magnetic dipoles 12 , in the configuration shown k = 12 . it will be clear that a smaller or larger number of magnetic dipoles 12 may be present . each magnetic dipole 12 comprises a south pole 13 and a north pole 14 . the magnetic dipole orientation is such that at the circumference of the disc 11 , the south pole and north pole alternate . each magnetic dipole 12 subtends an angle α of the disc 11 . ideally , this angle α would be the same for each magnetic dipole 12 of the speed sensor 10 . also , the dimension of south pole 13 and north pole 14 would be identical . however , in practice , the dimensions of the south pole 13 and north pole 14 , and of the magnetic dipoles 12 mutually will be slightly different , mainly due to fabrication tolerances . this will cause variations in the magnetic field at a predetermined position at the circumference of the disc 11 , an effect also indicated by the term jitter . also , when using only a single magnetic sensor to detect the magnetic field at the predetermined position , variations in the distance between sensor and disc will cause anomalies in the detected signal . external magnetic fields will also negatively influence the sensor signal . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , the speed sensor 10 comprises 5 magnetic sensors 15 – 19 at the circumference of the disc 11 . the magnetic sensors 15 – 19 may be attached to a fixed part , e . g . a fixed ring of a bearing . the magnetic sensors 15 – 19 may then be used to detect the rotational speed of the disc 11 relative to the magnetic sensors 15 – 19 . a first pair of magnetic sensors is formed by the sensors 15 and 16 . these sensors are positioned exactly opposite each other ( π radians ) and sense the same polarization of oppositely positioned magnetic dipoles 12 . the sensors 15 and 16 each provide a sinusoidal shaped signal . in more generalized terms , the sensors 15 , 16 of the first magnetic sensor pair must look at the some polarization , or they must be positioned at an angle of 2πl / k radians apart , in which k is the number of magnetic dipoles 12 of the sensor 10 , and l is an integer between 1 and k − 1 . a rotational speed sensor 10 equipped with only the first pair of magnetic sensors 15 , 16 will show an improved jitter behavior . the signals from the first pair of magnetic sensors 15 , 16 may be added , providing a sinusoidal signal with double the amplitude as compared to a single sensor . also , small errors caused by jitter will be smoothed , thus leading to a jitter - improved signal . when the magnetic sensors 15 , 16 of the first pair are positioned exactly at π radians from each other , the speed sensor 10 will also be more resistant to movement of the disc 11 along the line between the two magnetic sensors 15 , 16 . when the disc 11 moves towards the sensor 15 , the signal delivered by that sensor 15 will become larger , but at the same time , the signal delivered by the other sensor 16 will become smaller . by adding the two signals , the resulting signal will show no or less anomalies . further first pairs of magnetic sensors may be added at multiple angles of the angle α ( or at positions equal to 2π * 1 / k , 1 being equal to a value between 1 and k − 1 ), in which the magnetic sensors of the further first pair are also positioned at π radians from each other , to provide further axes along which the sensitivity to radial motion of the disc 11 is reduced . to further improve the behavior of the rotational speed sensor 10 , a further pair of sensors 17 , 18 may be added , which ‘ look ’ at the other pole of the magnetic dipoles 12 . in the top view shown in fig1 , the magnetic sensors 17 , 18 of the second pair look at a transition from a south pole to a north pole , while the magnetic sensors 15 , 16 look at a transition from a north pole to a south pole , i . e . the first pair and second pair are in anti - phase . the signals from the second pair 17 , 18 may also be added ( as for the first pair ), and the resulting signals ( which already provide a better jitter resistance ) may be subtracted from each other to provide an even better jitter resistant signal . also , the susceptibility to radial movement of the disc 11 is improved in the same manner as in the embodiment described above . as the resulting sine wave is of a better quality , it will be possible to obtain a more accurate interpolation of the signal . in fig2 , a schematic block diagram is shown of processing means that may be connected to the rotational speed sensor 10 for providing a speed signal . the processing means comprise a first addition element 20 , for adding the signals a and b from the magnetic sensors 15 and 16 of the first pair . furthermore , the processing means comprise a second addition element 21 for adding the signals c and d from the magnetic sensors 17 , 18 from the second pair . the resulting signals are subtracted from each other in subtraction element 22 . at the output of the subtraction element 22 , a signal vout is present , which has an amplitude which is the quadruple of a single magnetic sensor . furthermore , the signal has a reduced sensitivity against jitter and radial movement of the disc 11 . in more general terms , the second pair of magnetic sensors 17 , 18 should be positioned at an angular distance of ( 2π / k )(( 2n − 1 )/ 2 ) radians , n being an integer greater than one . as in the first pair , the magnetic sensors 17 and 18 of the second pair should be positioned relative to each other at an angular distance of 2πm / k , in which m is an integer between one and k − 1 . a further advantage of the present rotational speed sensor 10 is that an external magnetic field has the same influence on the signal of the first pair of magnetic sensors 15 , 16 as on the second pair of magnetic sensors 17 , 18 . however , as the signals from these sensors are subtracted from each other , the external influence contribution cancels out . thus , the present rotational speed sensor 10 has a better resistance against external magnetic field disturbances than prior art sensors , both in static and dynamic conditions . the rotational speed sensor 10 can easily be modified to allow detection of the direction of rotation of the disc 11 . to this end , the speed sensor 10 is further provided with an additional magnetic sensor 19 , which is positioned relative to the other magnetic sensors 15 – 18 with a multiple of π / 2 radians . in more general terms , the additional sensor 19 should be positioned at an angular distance of ( 2π / k )(( 2m − 1 )/ 4 ) radians from the first or second pair of magnetic sensors , m being an integer greater than one . the signal from the additional sensor 19 , or rather the phase of the signal , can than be compared with the signal from one of the magnetic sensors 15 – 18 . depending on the relative position of the one sensor and the additional sensor 19 , the direction of rotation may be determined . also , the signal from the additional sensor 19 may be compared with the sensor speed output signal vout . a plurality of first and second pairs of magnetic sensors 15 – 18 may be provided to even further reduce the sensitivity to external magnetic fields , jitter and radial movements . fig3 shows a block diagram of a further element of the processing means associated with the speed sensor 10 . a phase comparator 23 compares the phase of the signal of the additional sensor 19 ( indicated with e ) and a signal of the first magnetic sensor 16 ( indicated with a ). it will be clear that the signal a can also be replaced with the signal vout which is output by the subtraction element 22 . when the magnetic sensors 15 – 19 are provided as hall sensors , the speed sensor 10 is able to operate at high operating temperatures , which may be advantageous in many applications . also , in the differential measurement variant discussed above , temperature compensation of the hall effect sensors 15 – 19 will automatically occur . the speed sensor 10 may be applied in many applications for measurement of rotational speed , e . g . in application where bearings are used . the disc 11 is then affixed to one of the rotating parts , while the magnetic sensors 15 – 18 are affixed to the other rotating part ( or static part ). the processing means 20 – 23 are advantageously integrated with the speed sensor 10 . the resulting short signal leads will even further improve the resistance against external electromagnetic fields .	6
the aforementioned illustrations and following detailed descriptions are exemplary for the purpose of further explaining the scope of the present invention . other objectives and advantages related to the present invention will be illustrated in the subsequent descriptions and appended drawings . please refer to fig1 , fig1 is the flow diagram of the embodiment of the present invention which provides a streaming data downloading method . the embodiment of the present invention can be used for the video device to download video file from the server through the internet . the video player device can accept the instructions of the users , and send a downloading request ( s 101 ) to the server via the internet . the video server will establish a downloading channel with the video player in response to the downloading request , and transmit the content of the video file from the beginning of the video file back to the video player . and the data will be stored by the video player temporarily . when the video player receive the video data from the beginning , based on the data amount of the video file , the transmitting rate and bandwidth of the internet , it will also calculate the amount of the buffering data which needs to be preloaded and the downloading time to download the buffering data ( s 103 ) when downloading the video data according to the playing orders through a single channel . please refer to the diagram of the video file downloading time axis in the fig2 . the length of the time axis of the fig2 represents the total length of the time of the video file 2 . the above mentioned buffering data 20 is the data which should be received between the time the video player starts to download the video file 2 until it starts to play the video file 2 . please refer to fig3 , for the previous method , the video will be played from the beginning of the video file 2 when the video player has downloaded sufficient buffering data 20 of the video file . the index 21 indicates the playing position of the video file , and the section 24 represents the video data which has already been played . when playing the video , the video player will continue to download the video data 22 other than the buffering data in order to make the video file be played successfully until the end . take fig3 for an example , after the video player preloading the buffering data 20 , the video player has also downloaded another portion of the video data 22 ( section 26 ) when the video has been played from the beginning to the index 21 ( section 24 ). in this embodiment , to shorten the waiting time from beginning to download the data to starting to play the video , the video player will divide the buffering data 20 into multiple time sections ( s 105 ), which are 201 to 205 in this embodiment , as shown in fig4 a . the beginning part of the video file is the first section ( section 201 ) of the above mentioned time sections . based on the predetermined number of channels and the order of the time sections , the video player will select one or multiple continuous time sections after the first section , section 201 , as the downloading section . the video player will also send a downloading request to the video server according to the starting time of each chosen time section to establish one or multiple downloading channels outside the first section , so that the number of the downloading channels established between the video player and the video server is equal to that of the predetermined ones ( s 107 ). the number of the predetermined channels is 3 in this embodiment . thus , the video player further select the two time sections , 202 and 203 , succeeding after the section 201 , and send a request to the server to download the data of the section 202 and 203 . after the video player setting up the downloading channel , it can determine if there is sufficient bandwidth for the above mentioned time sections to download simultaneously based on the web traffic and the amount of the data required to be downloaded . if the bandwidth is not sufficient for all the channels to download the data , the later time section will enter the waiting mode temporarily ( s 111 ) according to the orders of the time sections , and continue to download when there is sufficient bandwidth . when the bandwidth is sufficient , the video server can respond with the new one or multiple downloading requests and start to provide the packets according to the starting time which the downloading request indicated . thus , the video player can not only start to send requests to the video server to download the first time section , 201 , but also download the data of one or multiple time sections ( time section 202 and 203 in this embodiment ) after the first time section of the buffering data . namely , the video player will establish multiple downloading channels with the video server , and download the different data in different time sections of the buffering data through the above mentioned channels ( s 113 ). the time the video player downloads the whole buffering data and users wait for downloading the buffering data can be shorten by simultaneously downloading the data of multiple time sections . please refer to fig4 a which indicates the time axis of the video player downloading the data . fig4 a displays the data downloading condition one second after the video player starts to download the data . the video player can download the data from the beginning of the video file when it sends a downloading request to the video server . the mentioned beginning part is also the beginning part of the buffering data , namely the data of the first second in the video file . thus , when the video player divides the downloading time of the buffering data into multiple time sections , the data of the first time section ( time section 201 ) is the beginning part of the downloading data . in this embodiment , the length of multiple time sections is exponentially increasing . take an exponential function which take two as the base number for an example , the length of the time sections 201 to 205 are respectively 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 , and 16 seconds . that is to say , the data from the beginning of the first time section ( section 201 ) to the end of the time section 205 comprises the data of the first 31 seconds in the video file . in this embodiment , other than the data of the first section 201 which has been downloaded in the beginning , according to the number of the channels the video player can send one or multiple requests to the server and simultaneously download the data of multiple time sections . there are three channels in this embodiment , the video player can select the second section ( section 202 ) and third section ( section 203 ) as the downloading section , and send a request to the server to download the data of the second and third time section according to the starting time of the second and third section , which is the first and fourth second . the video player will establish two downloading channels for downloading the data of the second and third time section after the video server responds . the video player can then simultaneously download the buffering data from the first section to the third section from the video server through the multiple channels ( there are three channels in this embodiment ). in detail , the video player will download the data of the first , second and fourth second in the video file simultaneously ; namely , the video player has acquired the data of the first , second , and fourth second in the video file when the video player has downloaded the data for one second as shown in fig4 a . compared to sending only one downloading request to download the data of the first to the third section in order through only one channel , simultaneously downloading the data of multiple sections in this embodiment can save more time . please refer to fig1 again , the video player can determine if there is any data downloading of the downloading section has been accomplished ( s 115 ). if there is not any downloading has been accomplished , the video player will keep downloading the data from multiple time sections simultaneously ( back to step s 113 ). when any of the downloading via the multiple downloading channels has been accomplished , the video player will determine if the time section after the downloading section will last over the downloading time of the buffering data ( s 117 ) in order to determine whether the video player has not sent a downloading request to the server for other time section &# 39 ; s data . when the downloading of the first section has been accomplished ( after the first second ), the video player can estimate the starting time of the fourth section ( the eighth second ) just after the third section according to the starting time and the length of the third section . the video player can understand if there is some data downloading request in the time section has not been sent to the server by comparing the starting time of the fourth section ( 204 ) with the total downloading time of the buffering data 20 . if the downloading time for the buffering data 20 in this embodiment is 16 seconds , then the starting time of the fourth section ( 204 ) is not over the downloading period . if there is some data downloading requests in the time section has not been sent to the server , the video player can select the time section after the section which has already been downloaded ( the fourth section , 204 , in the above example ), and send a new downloading request ( s 119 ) to the video server according to the starting time of the chosen time section . the video player will maintain the same downloading channels so that the data of the chosen fourth section ( 204 ) and the downloading second ( 202 ) and third ( 203 ) section can be downloaded simultaneously . after the video player send a new downloading request to the server according to the new chosen downloading section , the server can determine if there is enough bandwidth to download the data of new downloading section according to the step s 109 . if the bandwidth is not sufficient at that time , the video player will maintain the downloading channel with the server and wait for the bandwidth become sufficient ( s 111 ). please refer to fig4 b , when the bandwidth is sufficient for downloading the data of the new downloading section , the video player will download the data of the new downloading section ( the fourth section , 204 ) ( s 113 ) from the video server , so that the video player can also receive the data of the other downloading section which has not been accomplished ( the second section , 202 , and the third section , 203 , in the embodiment ). thus , the video player has also downloaded one second &# 39 ; s data of the second section ( 202 ), the third section ( 203 ), and the new fourth section ( 201 ) when the 2 nd second is over according to fig4 b . furthermore , the downloading of the data of the second section ( 202 ) whose length is two seconds has also been accomplished at that time . the video player can estimate the starting time of the fifth section ( 205 ) ( the 16 th second ) according to the length of the fourth section ( 204 ) when the downloading of the two second &# 39 ; s data has been accomplished in the second section . the video player will determine if the starting time of the fifth section ( 205 ) will be over the downloading period to determine if there is some data downloading request in the time section has not been sent to the server . if the starting time of the fifth section ( 205 ) is not over the downloading period , the video player will send a downloading request to the video server according to the starting time of the fifth section in order to let the data of the fifth section and the data of the third and fourth section be downloaded simultaneously . the starting time of the fifth section ( 205 ) is the 16 th second , and the downloading time is twenty seconds in the embodiment ; thus , the video player understands that the starting time of the fifth section ( 205 ) is not over the downloading period and will send a request to the server to download the data of the fifth section ( 205 ). please refer to the fig4 c which shows the diagram at the end of 3 rd second , another data with the length of one second in the third and fifth section has also been downloaded . inversely , if the video player determines that the starting time of the section after the section that has last been requested to download is over the downloading period , the video player will stop sending request to the video server to download the buffering data ( s 121 ), because the video player has already sent a request to the video server to download the whole buffering data . the video player only needs to wait the data of the section that has already been requested to be downloaded and then can acquire the whole buffering data . as shown in fig4 d , the data with the length of four seconds in the third section has all been downloaded , and another data with the length of one second in the fourth and fifth section has also been downloaded respectively at the time that the downloading has lasted four seconds . through the above methods , the video player can download the required buffering data continuously and quickly so that the video file can be played smoothly . when the buffering data has all been downloaded from the server ( step s 123 ), the video player will send another request to the video server to download the video data other than the buffering data in the video file ( s 125 ). the video player can download the mentioned video data through a single downloading channel ( as shown in fig5 a , section 22 ), because the video player has already acquired the buffering data which can let the video be played smoothly until the end . the above methods can let the video server download the buffering data quickly , and also relieve the burden of the video player &# 39 ; s processing unit and the needs for the bandwidth when it has acquired the buffering data . that is to say , the video player can play the data from the first section ( 201 ), when the data of the first section ( 201 ) has been downloaded . the video player will download the data of multiple sections simultaneously in this embodiment ; thus , the increasing rate of the data due to the downloading is three times as the decreasing rate of the data due to the playing if the rate of the downloading is equal to that of the playing . the video player can play the video file as soon as the data of the first section has been downloaded instead of waiting the whole buffering data to be downloaded through the methods shown in this embodiment . furthermore , please refer to fig4 a to fig4 d again . the data of the first section ( 201 ) has been downloaded when the first second is over because the length of the data of the first section is one second as shown in fig4 a . the video player can start to play the data of the video file in the 2 nd second . besides the accomplishment of the downloading of second and third second of the second section ( 202 ), the downloading data of the first section ( 201 ) has also been played when the 2 nd second is over , which is the time the index 21 indicated , as shown in fig4 b . thus , the video player can play the 2 nd to 3 rd second of the video file at the time between 3 rd and 4 th second ( according to fig4 c and fig4 d ). as shown in fig4 d , when the 4 th second is over , besides the fact that the data of the 2 nd and 3 rd second has been played , the data with a length of four seconds in the third section ( 203 ) has also been downloaded . thus , the mentioned methods in the embodiment can provide the effect that the downloading of data in the next section has been accomplished when the downloading data in each section has been played . thus , when the video player starts to play the video file , the video file can definitely be played smoothly until the end . furthermore , when the downloading of the data with a length of one second in the first section has been accomplished , the data in the second section has been downloaded half ( one second ) as shown in fig4 a to fig4 d . and when the downloading of the data with a length of two seconds in the second section has been accomplished , the data in the third section has been downloaded half ( two seconds ). thus , the mentioned methods in the embodiment can provide the effects that when the data of every section has been downloaded , the data of the next section has also been downloaded half . the data thus can be downloaded smoothly . plus , the length of every section in the embodiment can also be set equally according to the pre - determined preloading time rather than the increasing exponential form . for instance , the length of each time section is three seconds . but the above method is just an example , the present invention is not limited thereto . please refer to fig5 b , when downloading the remaining video data in the video file ( step s 123 ), the video player can keep the original multiple downloading channels ( three channels in the above example ) and divide the required time to download the video data other than the buffering data into multiple sections according to the number of the downloading channels as the section 221 , 222 , and 223 shown in fig5 b . the video player will send a downloading request to the server to download the data other than the buffering data according to the starting time of the section 221 , 222 , and 223 . through the above method , the video player can download the buffering data by downloading the data of multiple sections and also shorten the time to download the whole video file by downloading the remaining data in each section separately . please refer to fig6 , the flow diagram of another embodiment of the streaming data downloading method is shown in fig6 . the method in this embodiment can also be used for the video player to download the video file from the video server via the internet . the video player can generate instructions by receiving user &# 39 ; s choice for the video file , and send a downloading request ( s 601 ) to the video server to download the chosen video file through the internet . the video server can establish a downloading channel with the video player by responding to the received downloading request . the video player can transmit the content of the video file to the video player through the internet from the beginning of the video file for the video player to temporarily store . the video player will also calculate the data amount of the buffering data which requires preloading , the time of downloading the buffering data and the time of downloading the whole video file ( s 603 ) according to the data amount of the whole video file and the transmission rate and bandwidth of the internet when the video player starts to download the video file . please refer to fig7 , the difference with the previous embodiment is that the video player will divide the time of downloading the whole video file into multiple sections ( s 605 ) according to the downloading time in this embodiment . the video file is divided into seven sections , 20 ′, 224 to 229 in the embodiment in the fig7 . the downloaded buffering data of the beginning of the video file is the first section 20 ′, of the mentioned time sections . the video player will select one or multiple sections after the section 20 ′ as the downloading section according to the order of the time sections . the video player will send a downloading request to the server separately and establish one or multiple downloading channels ( s 607 ) besides the first section according to the starting time of the chosen time section . after setting up the downloading channel , the video player will determine if there is sufficient bandwidth to download the data of multiple sections simultaneously ( s 609 ). if the bandwidth is not sufficient for the video player to download the data of all the channels simultaneously , the time sections in the later part will enter the waiting mode temporarily ( s 611 ), until the bandwidth becoming sufficient . when the bandwidth is sufficient , the video server will respond to the new downloading request , and provide data according to the starting time of each time section indicated by the downloading request . the video server can thus not only download the buffering data of the first section 20 ′, but also download the data of one or more time sections after the buffering data simultaneously ( s 613 ). the second section , 225 , and the third section , 226 , in the fig7 are the downloading sections , and the video player will download the data of these sections as it download the buffering data of the first section 20 ′. the video player can keep determining if the downloading of any section has been accomplished ( s 615 ). the video player will keep downloading the data of the mentioned multiple sections , if not any downloading has been accomplished ( back to step s 613 ). if any of the downloading through the multiple downloading channels has been accomplished , the video player will determine if there is any data of the other time sections has not been requested to download ( s 617 ). the video player will select another time section which has not been requested to download as the new downloading section , if there is any section in the video file has not been requested to download . the video player will send a downloading request to the server according to the starting time of the new downloading time section ( s 619 ). as shown in fig7 , when the downloading of the section 20 ′ has been accomplished , the video player can estimate the starting time of the fourth section 226 after the third section 225 through the starting time and the length of the third section 225 , which is the last downloading section in the of the sections which have been requested to download . the video player can determine if the starting time of the fourth section 226 , is over the video file to know if there is still time sections which have not been requested to download . if the time section after the downloading section is not over the whole video file , which represents there is still time section which has not been requested to download ( section 226 to section 229 in fig7 ), the video player will select one of the time sections after each downloading section as the new downloading section ( section 226 in the embodiment ). through the above methods , when the downloading of the buffering data in the first section , 20 , has been accomplished and if the bandwidth is sufficient , the video player can the download the data of the second section , the third section , and the fourth section ( section 224 , 225 , 226 ) simultaneously . ( as shown in fig7 ) relatively , if one downloading of the downloading time sections has been accomplished , the video player will stop sending downloading request to the server if it determine every time section in the video file has been requested to download . the video player then only needs to wait the downloading of one or multiple sections to be accomplished in order to get the whole data of the video file ( s 621 ). when the downloading of the buffering data of the first section , 20 , the video player will play the video file from the first section , 20 , in order . the length of each mentioned time section can be divided equally according to the downloading time of the buffering data . for instance , the length of each time section is equal to the downloading time . the length of each time section can be divided according to the exponential form . for instance , the downloading time of the buffering data is one second , taking three as the base number , the length of the first section is one second , the length of the second section is three seconds , and the length of the third section is nine seconds . but the above method is just an example , the present invention is not limited thereto . please refer to the previous embodiment for the common features with this embodiment , they will not be restated in this embodiment . please refer to fig8 , a block diagram of the video player is shown in fig8 . the video player 3 in this embodiment comprises job management module 30 , storage unit 31 , temporarily storage controlling unit 32 , decoder 33 , image temporarily storage unit 34 , and display unit 35 . the mentioned display device 3 can be connected to the server 5 via the internet 4 , and carry out the streaming data downloading methods in fig1 and 6 to get and play the video file chosen by the user . the job management module 30 is used to control the time and number of the downloading requests to the video server 5 . the job management module 30 can send a downloading request to the video server 5 , calculate the buffering data and it &# 39 ; s downloading time by the response of the server 5 , and send multiple downloading requests to the video server 5 by the number of the predetermined channels and the starting time of each section . the video player 3 can then download the data of multiple time sections simultaneously . the data of video file downloaded from the video server 5 via the internet 4 is stored temporarily in the storage unit 31 , and is arranged by the temporarily storage controlling unit 32 according to the time of the data and the time section it belongs to . when the downloading of the data of the first section has been accomplished , the temporarily storage controlling unit 32 will send the data of the first section to the decoder 33 to be decoded and rearranged . the data then will be stored in the image temporarily storage unit 34 in order to be output to the display unit 35 . users can then watch the image of the video file from the display unit 35 . according to the embodiment of the present invention , with the above mentioned streaming data downloading methods and downloading the buffering data of multiple sections simultaneously , the video player can download the buffering data from the server to the display device quickly , and thus the waiting time for the uses can be greatly reduced . furthermore , according to the embodiment of the present invention , with the above mentioned streaming data downloading methods and downloading the whole video data of multiple sections simultaneously , the data in the later part of the video file can be stored in the video player in advance . by this , the content of the whole video file can be downloaded to the video player quickly , and the video player can also play the video smoothly . plus , according to the embodiment of the present invention , with the mentioned streaming data downloading methods and the video player device , the video player can download the buffering data of multiple sections simultaneously . the video player will download the remaining video data of each section simultaneously , when the video player has acquired the whole buffering data . with the above methods , when the users want to fast forward to watch the later part of the video file , the waiting time for downloading the data can also be shorten due to the preloading of the portion of the data in the later part . thus , through the methods in the present invention , the waiting time for the users to wait for the playing of the video can be effectively shorten . the video player will download the video data of each section other than the buffering data when playing the video file . thus , the video player can respond to the users &# 39 ; demand of fast forwarding the video file . with the above mentioned methods , in order to attain the above mentioned effects , the video player only needs to calculate and allocate the time sections and send multiple downloading requests to the video server . the operation or providing data methods of the video server have not been changed , thus , the users can still select different video files on different video servers to watch arbitrarily . by this , the customs of the users will not be altered and the waiting time of the users can also be shortened . this method can provide a great user experience . the descriptions illustrated supra set forth simply the preferred embodiments of the present invention ; however , the characteristics of the present invention are by no means restricted thereto . all changes , alternations , or modifications conveniently considered by those skilled in the art are deemed to be encompassed within the scope of the present invention delineated by the following claims	7
fig1 illustrates a refrigerant circuit 11 which is preferably operated with co 2 . this refrigerant circuit 11 is used , for example , as a vehicle air - conditioning system . a compressor 12 feeds the compressed refrigerant on the high - pressure side to an outside heat exchanger 14 . the latter is connected to the surroundings and outputs heat outwards . connected downstream of the latter is an inside heat exchanger 15 which feeds the refrigerant to an expansion valve 16 via a feed line 17 . upstream of the expansion valve 16 on the high - pressure side there is an input pressure which , for example in summer , can be 120 bar . the refrigerant flows through the expansion valve 16 and passes to the low - pressure side . on the output side , the expansion valve 16 has pressures of between 35 and 45 bar under stationary conditions . the refrigerant , which is cooled by the relaxation of the pressure , passes via a removal line 18 into the inside heat exchanger 21 and will remove heat from the surroundings , as a result of which the cooling , for example of a vehicle interior , is obtained . a collector 22 is connected downstream in the heat exchanger . the refrigerant , which is in vapour form , flows through the inside heat exchanger 15 and passes to the compressor 12 . to operate this refrigerant circuit 11 , a differential - pressure expansion valve 16 is provided which is described in more detail in de 10 2004 010 997 b3 and to which full reference is made . on the basis of operation described there for the expansion valve 16 , fig2 , in which a cooling curve in the vehicle is depicted at a high ambient temperature , is described in more detail below . the vehicle has not been operated , for example , for a long time at high ambient temperature , and high ambient temperatures of more than 40 ° c . prevail . when the vehicle is inoperative ( i ), there is usually an equilibrium of the pressure at circa 80 bar on the high - pressure and low - pressure sides of the refrigerant circuit 11 . directly after the start ( ii - 1 ) of the refrigerant circuit 11 , the refrigerant pressure on the high - pressure side rises within a few seconds , on account of the power of the compressor , on the high - pressure side to the maximum permissible value of up to , for example , 133 bar . by contrast , on the low - pressure side , the pressure only drops slowly ( lower curve ). during further operation in the starting phase ( ii - 1 ), the low pressure drops only with a small gradient . as a result , only a small change in pressure is provided which causes a slow cooling in the interior of the vehicle to take place in the starting phase ( ii - 1 ). the response characteristic of the air - conditioning system is delayed . during the driving mode ( ii - 2 ), a stationary state arises which is essentially depicted by the horizontal sections of the upper and lower curves . the third phase ( iii ) depicts the high pressure upstream of the expansion valve 16 ( upper curve ) and lower pressure downstream of the expansion valve 16 ( lower curve ) in the idling mode . so that an improved response characteristic is provided in the starting phase ( ii - 1 ) and the duration of the starting phase is shortened , it is proposed according to the invention to increase the opening of the valve under these conditions in order to bring about a relatively large mass flow of refrigerant while the pressure differentials are still comparatively average . for this purpose , it is proposed that this takes place by means of a displacement of the opening characteristic of an expansion component controlled by differential pressure towards a lower opening pressure , with the activation taking place via the rising low pressure or the rising evaporation temperature of the refrigerant or of the ambient temperature . as an alternative to the displacement of the opening characteristic of the valve - closing member in the expansion valve , it is proposed that a bypass valve which is activated on the low - pressure side is provided and , in turn , opens as a function of the temperature or the pressure . the abovementioned exemplary embodiments are based on the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant and the evaporation pressure . these activating means according to the invention are illustrated in more detail in fig3 to 8 . fig3 depicts a schematic sectional illustration of a first expansion valve 16 according to the invention . a feed opening 32 which is connected via a passage opening 34 to a removal opening 36 is provided in a valve housing 31 . a valve - closing member 37 is provided in the passage opening 34 . when there is pressure equalization , said valve - closing member 37 is held on the high - pressure side in a closed position in a valve seat 41 via a resetting device 39 which is preferably designed as a spring element . an adjusting element 42 which comprises an expansion bellows or bellows 44 with an inert gas filling 46 is provided in the removal opening 3 - 6 . at one end , the bellows 44 is supported on a housing wall 47 . on the opposite side , the bellows 44 activates , as a function of the low pressure , at least one actuating element 48 , in particular tappets which extend into the feed opening 32 . these tappets 48 engage on a displacement element 49 which serves to set the prestressing force of the resetting device 39 . in order to limit the stroke movement of the adjusting element 42 , a stop 43 is provided so that the end position of the adjusting element 42 is defined . as soon as the low pressure in the removal opening 36 rises , the bellows 44 is compressed on account of the rising pressure and executes a stroke movement . at the same time , a unidirectional stroke movement of the tappets 48 takes place in order to reduce the prestressing force of the resetting device 39 such that the valve - closing member 37 opens even when there is a relatively small pressure differential , and a refrigerant passes earlier in the starting phase from the high - pressure side to the low - pressure side . as a result , a pressure - dependent displacement of the operating characteristic can be obtained for the expansion valve 16 . fig4 illustrates an alternative embodiment to fig3 . the construction of the expansion valve 16 corresponds to that in fig3 . in a departure from this , a temperature - dependent adjusting element 42 is provided instead of an adjusting element 42 dependent on low pressure or evaporation pressure . this temperature - dependent adjusting element 42 comprises , for example , a spring 52 which is produced from a shape memory alloy . at least one actuating element 48 is provided on the adjusting element 42 and acts on the resetting device 39 and reduces the closing force . as soon as the temperature on the low - pressure side has exceeded a certain desired value , a shortening of the spring 52 made from a shape memory alloy takes place . as a result , the pressure acting on the resetting device 39 is reduced , thus permitting opening of the passage opening 34 . furthermore , in order to activate the adjusting element 42 , wax expansion elements , bimetals or other two - material elements can be provided as the temperature sensors . alternatively , the adjusting element 42 can also act directly on the valve - closing member . fig5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of fig3 . this embodiment differs in that the resetting device 39 and the valve - closing member 37 are arranged on the low - pressure side . to guide the valve - closing member 37 on the low - pressure side , a holding and guiding element 55 is provided which guides a valve - closing element 37 displaceably within it . furthermore , the holding and guiding element 55 receives the valve - closing member 37 on the low - pressure side and closes off the bellows 44 . as a result , the holding and guiding element 55 has more than one function . furthermore , it serves as an actuating element 48 , in particular as a tappet , which joins a stop 43 in order to obtain a limitation of the closing force of the valve - closing member 37 , which closing force acts on the passage opening 34 . when the low pressure increases , the bellows 44 is pressurized and moves to the right , according to the exemplary embodiment . this reduces the prestressing force of the resetting device 39 such that a premature opening of the passage opening 34 takes place . this improves the response characteristic of the refrigerant circuit 11 . otherwise , the functions are the same as in the embodiment according to fig3 . fig6 illustrates an alternative embodiment to fig4 . in this embodiment , the resetting device 39 and the valve - closing member 37 are likewise arranged on the low - pressure side . instead of the actuating element 48 according to the embodiment in fig4 , in a functionally identical manner an actuating element 48 is provided which is designed as an annular element and increases or reduces the prestressing force of the resetting device 39 on the valve - closing member 37 as a function of the change in travel of the spring 52 made from a shape memory alloy . the annular element moves between two end positions or stops 43 which restrict the displacement of the characteristics . fig7 depicts a schematic illustration of a further alternative embodiment of an expansion valve 16 . this embodiment has a basic construction in accordance with the differential - pressure expansion valve described in de 10 2004 010 997 b3 . in addition , parallel to the passage opening 34 there is a parallel passage 61 which is closed by an adjusting element 42 which is arranged on the low - pressure side and , together with the passage 61 , forms a bypass valve 62 . according to the embodiment in fig7 , this bypass valve 62 is activated on the low - pressure side as a function of evaporation pressure . for this purpose , for example , the bellows 44 is provided which is filled with an inert gas or the inside of which is connected to the atmosphere while the closing force is carried out by means of a compression spring . at an end of the bellows 44 that faces the passage 61 there is a closing member 63 which closes the passage 61 when there are low - pressure values in the refrigerant system 11 that correspond to normal operation and are , for example , below 45 bar . fig8 illustrates an alternative embodiment of fig7 . instead of a bypass valve 62 which can be activated as a function of the evaporation pressure , a bypass valve 62 which can be activated as a function of temperature is provided . a control medium 66 is provided in the adjusting element 62 , which is designed as a bellows , and undergoes a change in volume as a function of the temperature . the closing member 63 is actuated by an actuating element 48 , for example in the form of a tappet , which is arranged on the bellows , and is preferably provided on the high - pressure side of the passage 61 and is held in a closed position via a closing member 68 , in particular a spring element . the filling enclosed in the interior of the bellows has such a pressure and temperature characteristic that , as the temperature of the co 2 refrigerant rises on the low - pressure side , a higher rise in pressure takes place than on the outside of the bellows . as a result , as the temperature rises on the low - pressure side , a bypass opening can be achieved . all of the features described above are each essential in themselves for the invention and can be combined with one another as desired .	5
fig1 is a block diagram for illustrating the rough construction of a known on - line data communication system to which the present invention may be applied . in fig1 a central computer 1 which is installed at the center and a plurality of terminal units 5 ( represented by stations a , b and c for convenience ) which are installed at remote positions are connected to a single communication line 3 at multipoints via modem units 2 and branch units 4 . the communication line 3 is composed of a receive data line ( called an rd line ) for transmitting a control signal and data from the central computer 1 to the terminal units 5 and a send data line ( called a sd line ) for transmitting the information from the terminal units 5 to the central computer 1 . each of terminal units 5 has one or more devices such as display devices or printers ( not illustrated in fig1 ). a distinct address is given to each terminal unit or each device . data communication between the central computer 1 and the terminal units 5 is carried out according to , for example , the known synchronous transmission control procedure . by using the control procedure , a synchronization signal syn is detected to establish the send / receive synchronization . that is to say , the central computer 1 issues a transmission character string composed of syn , syn , sa , sa , ua , ua and enq onto the rd as a service request to the terminal unit 5 . here , syn ( synchronous idle ) and enq ( enquiry character ) are known fixed characters for transmission control . the sa is a character for specifying the station address of a terminal unit and the ua is a character for specifying the unit address of a device such as a display device or a printer which is installed within a terminal unit . depending upon the bit composition in the sa and ua , service requests are classified into a receive request which means that the central computer is ready to receive data from the terminal unit and a send request which means that the central computer is ready to send data to the terminal unit . the former request is called &# 34 ; polling &# 34 ; and the latter request is called &# 34 ; selection &# 34 ;. if the central computer 1 issues a polling request onto the rd line and a terminal unit 5 with a station address specified by the sa character has data to be sent to the central computer 1 , that terminal unit sends the data onto the sd line . when the terminal unit 5 has completed the data sending or it has not any data to be sent out , the terminal unit 5 sends out an eot ( end of transmission ) character . upon receiving the eot , the central computer 1 finishes the processing for the terminal unit concerned and then issues a polling request to another terminal unit . the order of terminal units to which pollings are issued is prescribed in the system by the on - line program in the central computer . for instance , if the online program uses a polling table and the polling table defines the order of stations a , b , a and c , the order of issued pollings is repeated as a → b → a → c → a → b → a → c →--- . when the central computer 1 is to send a result of processing toward the terminal unit concerned , the central computer 1 issues a selection request toward the terminal unit concerned and then sends the processed result . upon finishing the data transmission , the central computer 1 sends an eot character . for the terminal unit , reception of the polling or selection request is called data link establishment , and sending or reception of the eot is called data link completion . fig2 shows a block diagram of a terminal unit which is an embodiment of the present invention . in fig2 the terminal unit 5 is composed of a communication line control 51 , a terminal control 52 , a plurality of i / o devices 53 such as display devices and printer devices including keyboards 531 , and a status detector 54 . the status detector 54 is especially significant according to the present invention . to the terminal control 52 , a plurality of i / o devices 53 are connected through a coaxial cable . this terminal control 52 issues an operation instruction called a command toward the i / o device 53 to control it for data display , printing and data reading . there are commands for internal polling , program storing , data display , data reading , print control , operator message display and so on . usually , the terminal control 52 successively issues internal pollings to i / o devices 53 having unit addresses ua = 0 to n and manages the states of the i / o devices 53 depending upon the status codes returned from the i / o devices 53 . assuming now that the operator depresses the send key on the keyboard 531 of the i / o device 53 having the unit address ua = 0 , for example , the i / o device 53 with ua = 0 returns the status code which indicates that the send key is being depressed in reply to internal polling to the address of ua = 0 . thereby , the terminal control 52 regards the i / o device 53 with ua = 0 as waiting for sending . if in this state the communication line control 51 receives a polling from the central computer 1 , the terminal control 52 issues the data read command to the i / o device 53 with ua = 0 and stores the data returned from the i / o device 53 into a temporary buffer ( not illustrated ). the data is edited by adding a control code stx indicating the beginning of the data , station address sa , unit address ua , and a control code etx indicating the end of the data . the edited data is sent to the central computer 1 via the communication line 3 by the communication line control 51 . the status detector 54 takes in the data transmitted over the communication line through the communication line control 51 . if the data link for its own station is not obtained within the prescribed time resulting in time - out , the status detector 54 discriminates whether the time - out is caused by a line - down failure or by communication of another station and outputs a status signal 55 . the terminal control 52 executes processing corresponding to the status signal 55 and at the same time displays the status indication on the display device in the i / o device 53 . the display device in the i / o device 53 has an operator message area composed of , for example , a line of 80 characters at the lowest line position of the display picture . on this operator message area , the terminal control 52 displays the status indication of the terminal unit such as the data link status or an error message in order to interact with the operator . fig3 shows an example of a practical circuit of the status detector 54 illustrated in fig2 . prior to describing the circuit , definitions of signals syn , syn , clock 1 , sync release , t1 time - out and clock 2 will be described . some of these signals are already well known as the synchronous transmission control procedure and their definitions are based upon the procedure . the syn signal is a synchronization signal provided at the top of the data and control signal which is transmitted over the communication line . the syn signal turns logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; when the syn character has been received , and the syn signal turns logical &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; when a character other than syn has been received . the syn signal turns logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; when a character other than syn has been received , and the syn signal turns logical &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; when the syn character has been received . the clock 1 is a pulse signal having a cycle time which is as long as the duration of a character composed of one byte . the syn release signal turns &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; for a prescribed time period when a character such as enq or eot which is defined in the system as the sync release condition has been received . in this embodiment , the sync release signal turns &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; for a prescribed time when the enq has been received . since characters are treated in units of 2 bytes according to the known synchronous transmission control procedure , a dummy character pad of one byte is added preceding the enq for the purpose of providing a synchronization guard as shown in fig4 . the t1 time - out signal turns logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; for a prescribed time when the data link for the station is not established within the time t1 . the time - out may be incurred from the causes ( 1 ) to ( 6 ) as described before . under the proposition as described above , the circuit illustrated in fig3 will be described . the status detector 54 is provided in each terminal unit 5 . as described before , the communication line 3 is composed of the receive data ( rd ) line for transmitting the control signal and data from the central computer 1 to each terminal unit 5 and the send data ( sd ) line for transmitting the information from each terminal unit 5 to the central computer 1 . the information transmitted through the rd line , especially the signals syn , syn and enq within the control signal are effective in this status detector 54 . if a terminal unit 5 , for instance , the terminal unit 5 of station a receives a polling or a selection request and a data link is established , the terminal unit 5 of station a monopolizes the rd line and the sd line . when data is exchanged through the rd line and the sd line between the terminal unit 5 of station a and the central computer 1 , the text is transmitted with the above described control signals added thereto without fail . in addition , once a data link between the central computer 1 and the terminal unit 5 of station a has been established , exchange of the text between them is executed at least two or more times . especially , the text and control signals transmitted over the rd line also reaches all terminal units 5 of other stations in addition to station a . the present invention utilizes control signals such as syn , syn and enq transmitted over the rd line . in other words , it is discriminated from these control signals whether the line is busy due to a terminal unit 5 of some other station . referring now to fig3 the synchronization signal syn is fed to a data terminal d of a flip - flop ( hereafter referred to as ff ) 31 and an and gate 301 . the signal syn is fed to a reset terminal r of the ff 31 . the clock 1 signal described before is fed to trigger terminals t of the ff 31 and a ff 32 . that is to say , the ff 31 is a flip - flop for detecting the syn signal and syn signal . a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; side output q1 of the ff 31 is fed to the ff 32 via the and gate 301 . to a reset terminal r of the ff 32 , the sync release signal obtained from the enq is fed . the ff 32 detects the width of the synchronization establishment . the &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; side output q2 of the ff 32 is fed to a set terminal s of the ff 33 and a set terminal set of a counter 34 . the &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; side output q2 of the ff 32 is fed to dwn terminal of the counter 34 . the clock 2 signal having a predetermined repetition period is also fed to an and gate 302 . the counter 34 counts the time duration during which nothing exists on the rd line . the counter 34 counts down every time q2 is fed thereto at the repetition period of the clock 2 . when the signal q2 is fed , i . e ., when a signal is detected on the rd line , the counter 34 is set to its initial value . the initial value of the counter 34 is preset by a switch 35 . the initial value may also be set to be a value which is programmable . if the counter 34 counts down repeatedly to reach the value &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, in other words , if a signal is not detected on the rd line during the time period set by the switch 35 , the t2 time - out signal is fed from the counter 34 to a reset terminal r of the ff 33 via an and gate 303 . the &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; side q3 of the ff 33 is also fed to the and gate 303 . it can be said that the ff 33 determines whether the t1 time - out is made effective or not . the &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; side output q3 of the ff 33 is fed to an and gate 304 , and the &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; side output q3 of the ff 33 is fed to an and gate 305 . the t1 time - out signal is also fed to and gates 304 and 305 . the output of the and gate 304 becomes the time - out 2 signal and the output of the and gate 305 becomes the time - out 1 signal . the t1 time - out is brought about by the causes ( 1 ) to ( 6 ) as described before . when the ff 33 is set , in other words , when the terminal unit 5 of another station monopolizes the communication line and especially when a control signal exists on the rd line , the time - out 2 signal is obtained . therefore , the time - out 2 signal is brought about mainly by the cause ( 5 ) or ( 6 ) described before . if the t1 time - out signal is generated and in addition nothing exists on the rd line during the counting time t2 of the counter 34 , the ff 33 is reset to send out the time - out 1 signal . this result may be roughly assumed to be brought about by a cause included in causes ( 1 ) to ( 4 ). and it is assumed that a line - down failure has occurred . referring to the time chart of fig4 as well , the operation of the circuit illustrated in fig3 will now be described . assuming now that the data link for the terminal unit 5 of the station a , for example , has been established and data exchange through the communication line 3 is under way , the text with control signals including syn and enq appended is being transmitted over the rd line . these control signals are fed to the status controllers 54 within terminal units 5 of stations b and c which is different from the station a . by a positive going edge of the clock 1 signal after the syn signal has turned logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, the ff 31 is set . as a result , the q1 output turns logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. when the syn signal has turned logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, the q1 signal turns logical &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. if the syn signal is logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; while the q1 signal is logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, the ff 32 is set by a next positive going edge of the clock 1 signal and thereby the q2 output signal of the ff 32 turns logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. the q2 output signal turns logical &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; when the sync release signal has turned logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. that is to say , from the time when two consecutive syn characters were received until the time when the sync release character is received , the q2 signal remains logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. when the q2 signal turns logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, the initial count value preset by the switch 35 is fed to terminals d o to d n of the counter 34 to be set into the counter 34 . after the sync release character is received and thereby the q2 signal turns logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, pulses of the clock 2 signal are fed to the dwn terminal of the counter 34 to decrease the counted value of the counter 34 by one . when the counted value has reached &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, the t2 time - out signal which is the output of the counter 34 turns logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. when the q2 signal turns logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, the q3 output signal of the ff 33 also turns logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. this q3 output signal turns logical &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; when the t2 time - out signal turns logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. that is to say , while the central computer 1 is sending a communication text to the terminal unit 5 of station a through the rd line with an interval which is shorter than t2 , the q3 signal is held at logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. if the central computer 1 sends a last communication text to the terminal unit 5 of station a through the rd line and thereafter no next communication text has been sent before the count value of the counter 34 reaches &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, i . e ., before the time period t2 elapses , the t2 time - out signal is fed to the r terminal of the ff 33 , the q3 signal turning logical &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. the time period t2 is defined by the initial value in the counter 34 which is preset by the switch 35 . it is desirable to preset the time period t2 nearly equal to the time period of the t1 time - out defined in the system , say , 30 to 60 seconds . because it is often useless to preset the t2 time excessively longer than the t1 time - out time . if the q3 signal is logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; when the t1 time - out signal turns logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, the output of the and gate 304 or the time - out 2 signal turns logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. if the q3 signal is logical &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; when the t1 time - out signal turns logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, the timeout 1 signal turns logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. in case the time - out 1 has appeared , it may be determined that the station concerned as well as other stations are not communicating with the central computer 1 . at this time , the status detector 54 displays the operator message &# 34 ; line down &# 34 ; on the display device through the terminal control 52 . since in this case the cause of t1 time - out is assumed to belong to , e . g ., causes ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) described before , the operator is informed of the disposition to be executed . in case the time - out 2 signal has appeared , it may be determined that the central computer 1 is communicating with another station . at this time , the operator message &# 34 ; time - out &# 34 ; is displayed on the display device . since in this case the cause of t2 time - out is assumed to belong to causes ( 5 ) and ( 6 ) described before , the operator is informed of the disposition to be executed . fig5 shows time charts for facilitating comparison between the operation of the data communication system using the prior art and that in the embodiment of the present invention . fig5 ( a ) is a time chart for the prior art and fig5 ( b ) is a time chart for the embodiment of the present invention . in either case , the station concerned is the station a and the establishment of its data link brings about the on - line display . should t1 time - out happen due to some of the aforementioned causes ( 1 ) to ( 6 ) in the prior art , the line - down indication is always displayed . even though t1 time - out happens in this embodiment , only the timeout indication is displayed if the central computer 1 is communicating with another station and thereby the q3 signal is logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. only when t1 time - out happens after the q3 signal turns logical &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; due to elapse of time t2 , the line - down indication is displayed . in the same way as the prior art , the on - line indication is displayed on the occasion of data link establishment . according to the embodiment as heretofore described , it may be determined whether the terminal unit of another station is communicating with the central computer via the communication line . when another station is in communication and the aforementioned cause ( 5 ) or ( 6 ) exists , it is not necessary to cancel the sending wait condition or the like and carry out maintenance or investigation in consideration of the communication path failure . and the scope of the maintenance and investigation on the occasion of a failure may be restricted to the aforementioned causes ( 1 ) to ( 4 ). it is possible to provide an on - line system with a high rate of operation . in addition , the present invention is not restricted to the preferred embodiment described above and various modifications may be made therein . for instance , the counter 34 may be a count up counter instead of a count down counter . in this case , the t2 time - out signal is sent out when the counter has counted up as far as a prescribed value . it is desirable to start the counting operation in the counter 34 by using the sync release signal generated when there are substantially neither data nor control signals on the rd line . however , the syn signal may also be used to start the counting operation . the interval between the syn signal and the enq may vary according to the text length . in this case , therefore , it is necessary to select a larger initial value for the counter 34 considering the text length . as another modification of the embodiment , it is also possible to replace the operation of not only the counter 34 but also the status detector 54 by a program .	7
hereinafter , some exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the exemplary drawings . when reference numerals refer to components of each drawing , it is to be noted that although the same components are illustrated in different drawings , the same components are referred to by the same reference numerals as possible . in describing the exemplary embodiments of the present invention , when it is determined that the detailed description of the known configuration or function related to the present invention may obscure the understanding the exemplary embodiments of the present invention , the detailed description thereof will be omitted . terms such as first , second , a , b , ( a ), ( b ), and the like may be used in describing the components of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention . the terms are only used to distinguish an element from another element , but nature or an order of the element is not limited by the terms . further , if it is not contrarily defined , all terms used herein including technological or scientific terms have the same meaning as those generally understood by a person with ordinary skill in the art . terms which are defined in a generally used dictionary should be interpreted to have the same meaning as the meaning in the context of the related art , and are not interpreted as an ideally or excessively formal meaning unless clearly defined in the present invention . the present invention relates to a method for an lte system to efficiently share a resource with a heterogeneous or another lte system operated by another provider and proposes a frame structure for sharing a resource among asynchronous cells and an associated signal and proposes a procedure for sharing a frequency based thereon . moreover , a hybrid auto repeat request ( harq ) timing associated with retransmission among the asynchronous cells is defined . “ asynchronous cell ” specified in the present invention means a case in which frame synchronization among multiple cells operated by one base station ( nb ) does not match under a carrier aggregation environment and a case in which when different base stations ( nb ) operate cells at the same frequency , respectively , the frame synchronization among the cells does not match . radio resources considered in the present invention are divided into three categories of a licensed band which is a band allocated to each mobile communication system ( public land mobile network ( plmn )), an unlicensed band which is a band in which a wifi ( wireless lan ) system operates , and a limited licensed band ( licensed shared access ( lsa )/ authorized shared access ( ass )) which is a band which is preferentially allocated to the existing specific system such as a radar , but not regionally used and may be shared by licensed mobile communication providers . a carrier in which a service is provided in each band is defined as a cell . further , a cell in which a terminal ( ue ) first accesses a network in the licensed band is defined as a primary cell ( pcell ) and additionally , a cell allocated ( activated ) by the base station ( nb ) is defined as a secondary cell ( scell ). in addition , a carrier in the unlicensed band is defined as an unlicensed cell ( ucell ) and a carrier in the limited licensed band ( licensed shared access ( lsa )/ authorized shared access ( ass )) is defined as an authorized cell ( acell ). hereinafter , a data frame structure and an operation method and an operation apparatus thereof in a wireless communication system , which are used to share a frequency among asynchronous cells according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 to 6 . fig1 is a diagram illustrating a basic structure of a frame of a wireless communication system for sharing a frequency among asynchronous cells according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . in a ca scenario of 3gpp rel .- 11 / 12 , a base station ( nb ) synchronizes with a pcell to operate a scell . a terminal ( ue ) also applies a dl synchronization result acquired by pss / ss to the pcell to the scell and applies a result of acquiring ul timing advance ( ta ) by transmitting a physical random access channel ( prach ) to the scell . as a result , radio frames and subframes of all of the pcells and the scells may be operated by synchronizing with each other . however , in the case of a ucell and an acell , since a dl / ul transmission timing is determined according to a situation in which another heterogeneous or homogeneous system accesses a resource , it is difficult to accurately match the subframe of the pcell and a start timing with each other . therefore , the present invention proposes a frame structure including a coexistence synchronization signal ( css ) for synchronization in the ucell and the acell in the wireless communication system , which is used to share the frequency among the asynchronous cells . referring to fig1 , a frame structure ( alternatively , a structure body ) of communication data loaded on a signal or a packet , which may be used in the wireless communication system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is constituted by a plurality of arranged subframes and each of the subframes may be constituted by an uplink subframe zone ( ul zone ) and a downlink subframe zone ( dl zone ). the frame is configured to include the coexistence synchronization signal ( css ) before a first transmitted subframe and include a coexistence signal resource ( cosr ) for transferring the coexistence signal ( cos ). in this case , a position of the coexistence signal resource ( cosr ) may vary for each provider , or the like . that is , a carrier sensing process is required , which senses whether the base station ( nb ) and / or terminal ( ue ) occupies the resource in association with a function additionally required to share the ucell and the acell . an automatic gain control operates to suit a situation ( signal level ) of a radio channel according to a carrier sensing result . therefore , the coexistence synchronization signal ( css ) for the agc and time synchronization is required before a set of consecutive subframes configured and transmitted in the ucell / acell . even when the frame is configured by sensing only the base station ( nb ) to be initially transmitted , since the terminal ( ue ) may not know when a downlink is to be transmitted , the terminal ( ue ) receives a signal through a reception path ( rx path ). therefore , the coexistence synchronization signal ( css ) is similarly configured at a head of the subframe set transmitted each time as illustrated in fig1 . the coexistence synchronization signal ( css ) is constituted by sequence 1 seq 1 , sequence 2 seq 2 , and sequence 3 seq 3 . the sequence 1 seq 1 which is used for basic synchronization includes a synchronization signal for the agc and time / frequency synchronization . the sequence 1 may be configured for each provider and transferred to the terminal ( ue ) through an rrc message of the pcell and the terminals ( ue ) may detect whether a corresponding frame is a frame transmitted from a connected base station ( nb ) through the sequence 1 . further , the terminals ( ue ) connected to the pcell may detect only the sequence 1 without the need of detecting the sequence 2 or the sequence 3 . the sequence 2 seq 2 represents the number of consecutive subframes included in the frame and the sequence 3 seq 3 includes a position of a subframe which may transmit a signal for frequency coexistence . that is , the coexistence request signal ( cos ) which the base station ( nb ) or the terminal ( ue ) of another provider transmits for coexistence is transmitted through the subframe designated by the sequence 3 . the resource is allocated to a signal transmitted to another subcarrier such as a prach signal of lte to minimize an ici . in the present invention , it is assumed that a subframe unit of current lte is used as a basic unit of synchronization among cells as an exemplary embodiment . however , the basic unit may be a smaller unit or a larger unit than the subframe . the coexistence synchronization signal ( css ) is transmitted by a time division multiplex scheme or a frequency division multiplex scheme and hereinafter , a transmission scheme of the coexistence synchronization signal will be described in detail with reference to fig2 and 3 . fig2 is a diagram for describing an example of transmitting the frame of the wireless communication system for sharing the frequency among the asynchronous cells in a time division multiplex ( tdm ) scheme according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig2 , the frame is transmitted with an entire signal bandwidth by the tdm scheme and the sequence 1 is deployed on the head and the sequence 2 and the sequence 3 are integrated into one to be transmitted or the sequence 2 and / or the sequence 3 may be arranged and transmitted in sequence . fig3 is a diagram for describing an example of transmitting the frame of the wireless communication system for sharing the frequency among the asynchronous cells in a frequency division multiplex ( fdm ) scheme according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig3 , when a signal bandwidth ( bw ) is sufficient , the sequence 1 is transmitted to the center of the signal bandwidth and the sequence 2 and / or the sequence 3 may be multiplexed and transmitted to a residual band . a transmission scheme of the coexistence synchronization signal and a configuration thereof may vary depending on a bandwidth of a carrier which may be used as the ucell / acell and notified to an rrc connected terminal ( ue ) through the rrc message of the pcell . in the case of another plmn , a configuration format of the coexistence synchronization signal may be detected by a simple correlation scheme and may also be detected according to a configuration method of transmitting the sequence 1 . as an exemplary embodiment , a method that allocates the sequence 1 to the subcarrier may be divided into a method using a low subcarrier and a method using a high subcarrier and may be based on a method that transmits the sequence 1 by the fdm scheme and since the time synchronization with the agc may be performed by only the sequence 1 of the terminal ( ue ) connected to the base station ( nb ) that transmits data to the current ucell / acell , the number of ofdm symbols used to transmit the residual sequences 2 and 3 other than the sequence 1 may be decreased , thereby increasing overall resource usage efficiency . fig4 is a diagram for describing a method for sharing a frequency among asynchronous cells according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig4 , when the terminal ( ue ) that is using a plmn # a pcell intends to use a resource of the ucell or acell , the terminal ( ue ) transmits the coexistence request signal ( cos ) through the coexistence request signal source ( cosr ) of the frame transmitted to the ucell or acell . in this case , when the number of subframes constituting the frame transmitted to the ucell or acell is a specific number or less , the coexistence request signal source ( cosr ) may not be allocated . in the present invention , the coexistence request signal source ( cosr ) may be configured by a predefined prb and symbol . in this case , the base station ( nb ) and the terminal ( ue ) of another provider may transmit the coexistence request signal only by detecting a subframe index . the coexistence request signal source ( cosr ) is configured by considering a time required for another provider to detect the sequence 3 and a time for a provider which operates currently to determine whether to transmit or yield a subsequent frame by detecting the coexistence request signal . therefore , when the frame is constituted by subframes of a predetermined number or less , the sequence 3 may not be transmitted and the coexistence request signal source may not be allocated . when the number of subframes is small as described above , since the plmn using the current ucell / acell means that resources to be transmitted to the ucell / acell are not so a lot , the resource may be transmitted after a minimum transmission pause length defined after transmitting the frame . in this case , when another plmn first detects a pause interval and first transmits the interval , resource occupation is handed over to another plmn . sequences included in the coexistence request signal transmitted to the coexistence request signal source ( cosr ) may be allocated differently for respective providers and the sequence 1 transmitted in each plmn may be reused . further , a provider that requests sharing may notify the number of subframes to be used in a subsequent frame . in the case of the information , an additional sequence may be included in the coexistence request signal and transmitted or cyclic shifted and transmitted . in transmitting a usable sequence , when different plmns simultaneously request sharing to the coexistence request signal source , the plmn that uses the current resource may notify the plmn that requests a small number of resources to a plmn that intends to use a small number of subframes to other plmns that simultaneously transmit the coexistence request signal . the coexistence request signal is additionally transmitted after a last subframe of a current frame to be notified to the plmns that simultaneously transmit the coexistence request signal to the coexistence request signal source . the assumption is used to first grant a priority to the plmn that requests a small number of frames and thereafter , in the case of the resource occupation , the plmn may sequentially occupy the resources according to a coexistence collision scenario . fig5 is a diagram for describing subframe synchronization in a pcell and a ucell / acell according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention . when the subframe is asynchronized , the subframe index of the ucell / acell which is cross - scheduled may be unclear . further , a processing time for downlink subframe ( dl )/ uplink subframe ( ul ) harq may be insufficient and an accurate index of n + 4 may be unclear . in particular , since the dl harq is defined in a ca operation mode so as to be transmitted to only the pcell , accurate pcell ul designation for dl of the ucell / acell is required . therefore , the present invention presents logical subframe synchronization . as an exemplary embodiment , as illustrated in fig5 , a pcell subframe index at a position at which a start position of the ucell / acell subframe starts is assumed as the subframe index of the ucell / acell . in this case , the subframe index is accurately clarified in the ucell / acell subframe to be transmitted from the base station ( nb ) and / or the terminal ( ue ). alternatively , the subframe index is not transmitted , but the base station ( nb )/ the terminal ( ue ) may match the subframe indexes each other assumptively and tacitly . fig6 is a diagram for describing the subframe synchronization and hybrid auto repeat request ( harq ) in the pcell and a ucell / acell according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention . a harq timing is based on n + 5 by considering asynchronization and a data decoding time of the subframe based on the synchronization of the logical subframe . a basic harq timing of ack / nac for ul / dl of the ucell and the acell transmitted to the dl / ul of the pcell may be determined as n + 5 . the technical spirit of the present invention has been just exemplarily described in the above description , and various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from intrinsic characteristics of the present invention . accordingly , the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are intended not to limit but to describe the technical spirit of the present invention , and the scope of the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments . the scope of the present invention should be interpreted by the appended claims , and all the technical spirit in the equivalent range should be interpreted to be embraced in the scope of the present invention .	7
turning to the drawings , the preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described . referring initially to fig1 the display device according to the present invention is indicated generally by reference numeral 10 . at the base of the display device 10 is a glass substrate 12 , which is preferably formed of passivated soda - lime glass preferably to a thickness of 0 . 4 to 1 . 1 mm . as those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate , other transparent materials , including borosilicate and other glasses or amorphous or polysilicon structures , could be used as the base layer . in addition , non - transparent materials , including a processed silicon substrate , could also be used as the base layer provided that the cathode layer was a transparent material . a conductive layer 14 , preferably formed of indium tin oxide ( ito ), is deposited over the glass substrate 12 . the conductive layer 14 may be formed by vacuum depositing the ito onto the surface of the glass substrate 12 . as those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate , other deposition techniques well known in the art may be employed . once the ito material is deposited over the entire surface of the glass substrate 12 , the conductive layer 14 is then etched , using , for example , a photo - etch process , to form an array of parallel strips , which form anodes 16 , as shown in fig2 . the conductive layer 14 is preferably 2000 - 3000 angstroms in thickness in order to minimize the resistance of the anode conductors . as those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate , other transparent conductive materials could be used to form the anode layer 14 . next , a hole transport layer 18 is deposited over the conductive anode layer 14 , as shown in fig1 . the hole transport layer 18 is preferably formed of pedt — pss , and is deposited to a thickness of approximately 200 to 400 angstroms . the hole transport layer 18 is preferably deposited over the entire structure by spin coating a solution of pedt — pss onto the surface of conductive layer 14 . however , as pointed out above , vacuum deposition or other deposition techniques known in the art may also be used . next , a multi - color light emitting layer 20 is deposited over the hole transport layer 18 . the multi - color light emitting layer 20 is preferably formed as follows . first , an organic light emitting material 22 ( shown in fig3 ), which when activated emits a particular color , is deposited over a portion of the hole transport layer 18 . preferably , the organic light emitting material 22 is a polymer selected from the group consisting of doped - poly - phenylene vinylene ( doped - ppv ), poly - arylenes or poly - fluorenes . although , as those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate , other polymer or non - polymer organic materials may be used . the organic light emitting material 22 is preferably deposited over a portion of the hole transport layer 18 using a flexographic mat 24 , which contains relief areas 26 corresponding to the region over the hole transport layer 18 where it is desired to deposit the organic light emitting material 22 , as shown in fig4 . in particular , the organic light - emitting material 22 is applied to the flexographic mat 24 , which in turn , is pressed over the surface of the hole transport layer 18 . after the organic light emitting material 22 is deposited over the desired portion of the hole transport layer 18 , the material is heated . more specifically , the entire structure is placed in a convection oven and heated to 100 to 150 degrees centigrade for a period of 30 - 90 minutes so as to dry bake the organic light - emitting material 22 onto the surface of the hole transport layer 18 . next , another organic light emitting material 28 ( shown in fig3 ) is deposited over another portion of the hole transport layer 18 different from the portion covered by the first organic light - emitting material 22 . the organic light emitting material 28 emits a different color than the organic light - emitting material 22 . preferably , the organic light emitting material 28 is also a polymer selected from the group consisting of doped - ppv , poly - arylenes or poly - fluorenes . again , however , as those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate , other polymer or non - polymer organic materials may be used . the organic light emitting material 28 is preferably deposited over a portion of the hole transport layer 18 using a different flexographic mat 30 , which contains a different relief area 32 corresponding to the region over the hole transport layer 18 where it is desired to deposit the organic light emitting material 28 , as shown in fig4 . the organic light emitting material 28 is applied to the flexographic mat 30 , which in turn , is pressed over the surface of the hole transport layer 18 . after the organic light emitting material 28 is deposited over the desired portion of the hole transport layer 18 , the material is heated . more specifically , the entire structure is placed in a convection oven and heated to 100 to 150 degrees centigrade for a period of 30 - 90 minutes so as to dry bake the organic light emitting material 28 onto the surface of the hole transport layer 18 . although only two light emitting materials are shown in fig3 as those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate , other light - emitting materials may be used to cover different portions of the display device . 10 . regardless of how many different light emitting materials are ultimately deposited , all such materials are deposited so as to be in coplanar relationship with one another , as shown in fig3 . the result is a single multi - color light emitting layer 20 , which is preferably 200 to 400 angstroms in thickness . next , an electron transport layer 34 is deposited over the multi - color light emitting layer 20 , as shown in fig1 . the electron transport layer 34 is preferably formed of a cyano - ppv and is deposited to a thickness of approximately 200 to 400 angstroms . the electron transport layer 34 is preferably deposited over the entire structure by spin coating a solution of poly ( cyano tere - phthalylidene ) onto the surface of the multi - color light emitting layer 20 . however , as pointed out above vacuum deposition , or other deposition techniques known in the art may also be used . next , a conductive metal layer 36 is deposited over the electron transport layer 34 , as shown in fig1 . the conductive metal layer 36 is preferably formed of a very thin film of lithium fluoride ( 0 . 5 - 1 . 0 nm ) overcoated with a thick film ( approx . 200 nm ) of aluminum , although other similar materials can be used . the metal conductive layer 36 is preferably deposited to a thickness of approximately 2000 angstroms . the conductive metal layer 36 is preferably deposited over the entire structure by vacuum deposition onto the surface of the electron transport layer 34 , however , as pointed out above spin coating a solution of lithium fluoride or aluminum , or other deposition techniques known in the art may be used . once conductive metal layer 36 is deposited over the entire surface of the electron transport layer 34 , the conductive metal layer 36 is then etched , using , for example , a plasma or a photo - etch process , to form an array of parallel strips , which form cathodes 38 , as shown in fig5 . alternatively , the cathode may be vacuum deposited via a patterned shadow mask . another alternative would be to deposit onto the anode structure an array of separator ribs that would define the gaps between cathodes . the array of cathodes 38 is disposed in a different plane than the array of anodes 16 . the array of cathodes 38 are also disposed in perpendicular relationship to the array of anodes 16 , so as to form a matrix or grid . the matrix or grid formed by said array of anodes and array of cathodes in turn forms a matrix of pixels , having for example an approximate size of 300 microns by 300 microns . a particular pixel is activated by activating the anode row and cathode column that defines the pixel . what is displayed on the display screen is a dot or microsquare of the color given off by the particular light emitting material disposed between the portion of the anode and cathode defining the pixel . anode rows and cathode columns are activated ( selected ) using addressing techniques well known in the art . finally , a layer of protective material 40 , preferably formed of a metal can containing an oxygen getter , is deposited over the conductive metal layer 36 to a thickness of approximately 0 . 2 mm . the layer of protective material 40 is preferably attached to the coated glass substrate by using an adhesive . however , other protective layers may also be used such as a polymer multi - layer or an inorganic hard - coat or a glass sheet . as those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate , the present invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms . for example , in one alternate embodiment , an inverted structure is used where the cathode is the first layer deposited on the substrate and the anode is the final layer . furthermore , additional process steps may be used in constructing a completed display device in accordance with the present invention . it should be understood also that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed , but on the contrary , the intention is to cover all modifications , equivalents , and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	7
the mounting means described hereafter is particularly suited for mounting a full wave acoustical tool with rigid nodal mounts and a cantilevered weld zone . in a typical industrial apparatus the frequency is in the ultrasonic range , and the apparatus includes a stack of three members , namely a converter , booster , and horn . the booster and horn may be connected at an interface by various means , or a “ booster horn ” in which the booster and horn are fused together may be employed to transfer vibrations to a weld tip . see e . g . u . s . pat . no . 7 , 786 , 383 to stegelmann , incorporated herein by reference . often , in addition to functioning as a mechanical impedance transformer , the booster horn serves as a means for mounting the stack in a stationary housing . the following description describes the mounting means in connection with a booster horn , although the invention is applicable to other vibration members . referring now to the drawing figures and in particular fig1 , there is shown an ultrasonic welder 32 with mounting means common in the prior art . welder 32 is an acoustical tool that comprises a horn 10 , a weld tip 11 , a booster 12 for amplifying and subsequently inducing vibrations into the acoustical tool , and a converter 13 for converting electrical impulses to mechanical oscillations via a piezo electric assembly . the combination of horn 10 , booster 12 , and converter 13 is also referred to as the “ stack .” the mounting of welder system 32 is along the plane of maximum amplitude where the stack is fastened to a mounting shell 15 via a frontal diaphragm spring 16 and a rear diaphragm spring 14 . the springs 14 and 16 isolate the vibrations . however , horn 10 may deflect when weld force is applied to tip 11 , causing the interface between the horn 10 and an anvil ( not pictured ) to hinge open , resulting is a loss of energy transmission from the stack to the object to be welder . positional accuracy of the tip 11 is also compromised . referring to fig2 , 6 and 7 , an ultrasonic welder 33 in accordance with the invention is depicted . welder 33 comprises a booster horn 17 , nodal mounts 18 for mounting the booster horn 17 and dampening vibrations , a weld tip 21 , and nut 22 which helps secure the weld tip 21 to the booster horn 17 . the booster horn 17 contains an upper keyway 19 and lower keyway 20 that assist in positioning the booster horn 17 in a stationary housing . the use of a booster horn 17 is preferred since there is greater efficiency of transmitting ultrasonic energy along the axis of the acoustical tool from a converter ( not pictured ) to the weld tip due to the elimination of the interface between the horn and booster . thus , no hinge separation of the interface is observed when radial weld force is applied reducing the efficiency energy transmission and eventually damaging the interface . the welder may have multiple nodal mounts 18 . a node is a point or region on an ultrasonic horn where the displacement is negligible or zero . preferably , the nodal mounts are positioned at λ / 4 and 3λ / 4 of a full wave acoustical tool . the mounts 18 a and 18 b radially resist deflection . moreover , the mounts 18 a and 18 b force the stack components to oppose each other axially and help prevent the housing from moving . mounts 18 a and 18 b are depicted as frusto - conical , but may be of any shape so that they may be coupled to the surface of the booster horn 17 . coupled means that the respective elements are linked or connected together , but not necessarily in direct physical contact . the mounts 18 contain a slanted face or tapered bearing . they may be constructed of various materials such as flexible metal , elastomeric polymers , or rigid metal , all discussed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 590 , 866 to cunningham , incorporated herein by reference . mounts constructed of a semi - rigid material are preferred . for example , glass filled nylon is used because it may achieve intimate contact with the tool 17 and a tapered bearing is easily cut into it . in fig1 , the stack is mounted at 0 and λ / 2 , the points of maximum amplitude by diaphragm springs 14 and 16 . these springs require an axially flexible seating . however , the welder of the present invention provides mounts 18 at λ4 and 3λ / 4 , the points of zero amplitude . thus , maximum amplitude can be applied to the weld in the present invention . moreover , the occurring radial and axial forces , as well as bending moments , and possibly torsion moments , caused by welding can be absorbed . further , mounts 18 of fig2 are of much different shape and construction than those of fig1 . fig1 depicts springs 14 and 16 that are typically statically stiff , contain multiple components , and resonate at the frequency of the horn . the mounts 18 of fig2 are one piece and are coupled to and often intimately contact the welder . the mounts 18 force components opposite each other and help resist deflection . the mounts 18 also help prevent housing from moving , as opposed to allowing the tool to move , as in welder 32 of fig1 . in welder 33 , an embodiment of the present invention , there is a slanted face of the mount ( better depicted in fig6 ) that helps to achieve intimate contact with a housing member and helps secure the tool 17 in multiple directions at multiple points . referring to fig6 , booster horn 17 is surrounded by housing 28 , which accommodates and secures the acoustical tool . the housing may be constructed of any durable material suitable to secure the acoustical tool . the housing 28 contains one or more housing keys 36 . the key 36 is meant to fit into the keyway 19 to align the tool in the housing . it is preferable to have at least a second keyway 20 in the acoustical tool . the housing may also have a surface 29 that matches the taper of the nodal mounts . the housing applies axial force to the acoustical tool through this surface 29 in order to secure the tool 17 within the housing 28 . because the taper in the housing surface 29 matches that of the mount 18 , in can intimately contact the nodal mount 18 converting some of the axial force to radial forces . bushing 27 is used to secure the housing assembly 28 . fig3 depicts a threaded insert that fixes the bushing to the housing 28 ; however the type of bushing 27 may be of any type and material commonly used in the art . the bushing 27 is preferably screwed into the housing 28 creating high clamping forces in the axial direction . further , the bushing 27 has a surface 35 that abuts and exerts force on the slanted face of the nodal mount 18 . the longitudinal force created by screwing the bushing 27 to the housing 28 is exerted onto booster horn 17 by abutting the bushing to a surface of the tool . preferably , the bushing abuts the nodal mount 18 . thus , some of the axial force is converted into radial force by contact of the bushing with the tapered face of the mount , further securing the tool . the longitudinal or axial forces created by the bushing 27 on the rear nodal mount 18 b are opposite to the forces applied by the housing surface 29 to the nodal mount 18 a . the opposing application of axial force ensures minimal longitudinal displacement of the booster horn 17 . referring now to fig3 , 4 and 5 , the weld tip 21 is secured to the booster horn 17 by a nut 22 . the weld tip 21 has a tip center 30 that is adaptable to the booster horn 17 . the tip 21 may contain multiple weld surfaces such as a medium knurl 26 and a course knurl 25 . the weld surface utilized is positioned by way of one or more tip key ( s ) 24 . the tip keys 24 fit into corresponding keyways 34 of the key channel 31 located in the booster horn 17 . the tool depicted has two tip keys and tip keyways , however less or more may be utilized . by fitting snuggly in the keyways 34 , the keys 24 help to align the tool and prevent tip displacement . this is especially important in applications such as wire splicing and wire termination , where the position of the weld tip must be maintained within three microns . the tool of the present invention was able to maintain this accuracy under full load . in addition to the tip key 24 and keyway 34 , the tip 21 is secured by a nut 22 . the booster horn may contain a threading in the tip center 30 . securing means are not limited to nut 22 and other means of securing the weld tip 21 , such as an external screw or bolt that may fit into tip center 30 , are contemplated by the invention . although the invention has been described with reference to a particular arrangement of parts , features and the like , these are not intended to exhaust all possible arrangements or features , and indeed many other modifications and variations will be ascertainable to those of skill in the art .	1
turning now to the drawings and more particularly to fig1 an apparatus for cleaning raw cotton is illustrated generally at 10 and is formed in and around the basic structure of an upstanding frame 12 . the frame 12 is typically made of steel channel material and includes a series of interconnected horizontally oriented cross members 14 and vertically oriented members 16 , with the vertically oriented members 16 serving as legs . the frame 12 includes a primary frame 13 which is formed as a generally skeletal box . an extended frame 20 projects therefrom and includes a horizontally oriented cross member 22 extending from one end of the primary frame 13 and , along with floor - standing vertically oriented support members 24 , forms a generally rectangular , skeletal extended frame 20 . the primary frame 13 houses a rotatable drum 46 which is supported by a pair of wheels 48 disposed at approximately four o &# 39 ; clock and eight o &# 39 ; clock position as seen in fig2 . the support wheels 48 are rotatably mounted to the primary frame 13 and formed of rubber so that they will cushion the drum and rotate therewith as the drum is separately driven . the drum is supported in a lateral direction by horizontal stabilizer wheels 50 which are formed of rubber and mounted to the frame 12 using a bracket 52 at an orientation wherein the axis of rotation of the stabilizer wheels 50 is orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the drum 46 . although the stabilizer wheels 50 and the support wheels 48 are shown on one side of the frame 12 in fig1 and 2 , it should be understood that a similar support structure is provided on the opposite side of the frame . the drum is driven by a motor 56 attached to an endless drive belt 58 , through a frame - mounted journaled shaft 57 , the belt 58 being trained around the drum so that the drum will rotate responsive to the rotation of the motor armature . as seen in fig4 the drum 46 is formed with a cotton collection surface 47 spaced a radial distance away from the axis of rotation of the drum and having a series of perforations 49 formed through the drum . the perforations 49 are sufficiently large so that trash and other debris will pass therethrough while there simultaneously sufficiently small that cotton tufts cannot pass therethrough . cotton , in the raw form of tufts and balls , is caused to circulate through the apparatus by two separate suction assemblies . the first suction assembly generates a cotton delivery airstream , causes trash and debris removal from the cotton , and removes the trash and debris from the apparatus . the second suction assembly generates an airstream for removing cleaned cotton from the apparatus . with regard to the first suction assembly , raw , uncleaned cotton 19 is supplied from a source ( not shown ) for cleaning and is delivered to the apparatus through a cotton inlet conduit 40 . the cotton inlet conduit 40 is formed with a generally rectangular cross section having a widthwise dimension which is substantially greater than a vertical dimension thereof to provide a short and wide delivery conduit for enhanced velocity of cotton delivery . the cotton inlet conduit 40 is mounted to the extended frame 20 and directed toward the drum 46 , and includes a flared outlet 41 directed to the drum 46 . the airstream is created within the first suction assembly by a fan 26 which is driven by a motor 29 through an endless belt 31 . the fan 26 is mounted adjacent the extended frame 20 on its own frame 27 which mounts the fan to the floor . the first suction assembly and its fan 26 provides the airstream for delivery of cotton and trash withdrawal . a trash withdrawal manifold 44 is mounted to the frame 12 and is formed as a generally rectangular elongate box disposed within the drum 46 , parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum 46 . a trash removal outlet 45 is formed as a flared opening from the manifold 44 with panels forming the contaminant inlet 43 extending from the manifold 44 in a flared manner to the drum 46 . a lower surface of the contaminant inlet 45 is formed as a baffle 62 . since the drum 46 is open to atmosphere , atmospheric air exists in an area surrounding the manifold 44 . the contaminant inlet 45 is aligned with the output of the cotton delivery outlet 41 with the rotatable drum 46 disposed therebetween . as seen in fig4 and as is a key feature of the present invention , and as will be explained in greater detail hereinafter , the upper surface of the contaminant inlet 45 is aligned with an upper surface of the cotton delivery outlet 41 while the baffle 62 is disposed a predetermined distance below the lower surface of the cotton delivery outlet 41 . the region between the upper surface of the cotton delivery outlet 41 which is aligned across the drum 46 with the upper surface of the contaminant inlet 45 and the lower surface of the cotton delivery outlet 41 defines a cotton impingement zone 67 while the region between the lower surface of the cotton delivery outlet 41 and baffle 62 defines a cotton retention zone 63 , as seen in fig4 . as previously stated , the second suction assembly is provided for the removal of clean cotton from the cotton collection surface and delivering the cotton to a clean cotton reservoir 36 disposed a predetermined distance away from the apparatus 10 and connected therethrough using conventional piping 34 . this relationship is illustrated generally in fig1 . the second suction assembly creates a second airstream containing only clean cotton therein . the cotton is drawn away from the drum 46 through a cotton removal conduit 43 having a contoured cotton collection inlet 54 which if formed with a curvature similar to the curvature of the drum to provide a closely adjacent relationship between the drum 46 and the cotton collection inlet 54 . the cotton collection inlet 54 tapers into a cotton collection conduit 43 , which is formed as a generally rectangular conduit , in generally parallel alignment with the cotton delivery conduit 40 for a predetermined distance away from the drum 46 . there , the cotton collection conduit 43 is caused to make a 180 ° turn and thereafter travel under the drum 46 and away from the apparatus 10 . the 180 ° turn of the cotton removal conduit 42 allows the parallel positioning of the cotton delivery conduit 40 and the cotton removal conduit 42 . this relationship is best seen in fig3 . in operation , raw cotton 17 containing trash and other contaminants is drawn from the supply ( not shown ) through the cotton inlet conduit 40 as best seen in fig3 and 4 . the dirty cotton 17 is drawn to the cotton cleaning surface 47 by the airstream created through the cotton delivery conduit 40 , the manifold 44 , and the contaminant conduit 28 by the fan 26 . all the while , any given position on the drum 46 is being rotated through the cotton impingement zone 67 , the cotton retention zone 62 and the cotton release zone 69 . the clean cotton 19 is retained on the cotton cleaning surface 47 while the trash 18 is drawn through the perforations 49 into the manifold 44 and is delivered through the aforesaid conduit system to the contaminant reservoir 30 for later removal . due to rotation of the drum 46 , the clean cotton 19 is rotated away from the cotton impingement zone 67 to create room for more contaminated cotton 17 . the clean cotton 19 then travels through the cotton retention zone 62 where it remains held in place by the first suction assembly &# 39 ; s airstream . since the first suction assembly &# 39 ; s airstream is somewhat stronger than the second suction assembly airstream , the cotton is retained on the cotton collection surface 47 against the flow of the second suction airstream until the cotton reaches the cotton release zone 69 . there , the airstream created by the second suction assembly draws atmospheric air a through the perforations 49 and the clean cotton 19 is rapidly removed from the rotating cotton collection surface 47 for delivery through the cotton removal conduit 42 to a clean cotton collection reservoir 36 . the contoured inlets and outlets , and their positioning relative to one another , create three distinct pressure zones within the cleaning apparatus 10 for efficient , effective and rapid cotton cleaning . by the above , the present invention provides an apparatus for cleaning raw cotton which offers a rapid method to clean a large quantity of cotton traveling in an airstream . it will therefore be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of a broad utility and application . many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those herein described , as well as many variations , modifications and equivalent arrangements , will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing description thereof , without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention . accordingly , while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to its preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention . the foregoing disclosure is not intended or to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude any such other embodiments , adaptations , variations , modifications and equivalent arrangements , the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof .	3
fig1 schematically shows an apparatus v for bending winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 of a winding support wt ( see fig4 a - 4d ), for example a stator , of an electrical machine , not illustrated in the figure . the apparatus v includes a holding device he designed to firmly hold a winding support wt together with winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 arranged in the winding support wt . in some examples , the apparatus v further includes a first main bending device hb 1 , a first partial bending device pb 1 , a second main bending device hb 2 and a second partial bending device pb 2 . the first and the second main bending devices hb 1 , hb 2 are designed such that they may be bidirectionally rotated in relation to the holding device he and about a rotation axis as ( see fig2 ), as illustrated in fig1 by a double - headed arrow dp . the first and the second partial bending devices pb 1 , pb 2 may be designed such that they can be unidirectionally rotated in relation to the holding device he and about the rotation axis as , as illustrated in fig1 by a single - headed arrow ep . therefore , the two main bending devices hb 1 , hb 2 are also designed such that they can be bidirectionally rotated in relation to the two partial bending devices pb 1 , pb 2 . similarly , the two partial bending devices pb 1 , pb 2 are designed such that they can be unidirectionally rotated in relation to the two main bending devices hb 1 , hb 2 . in addition , in some implementations , the main bending devices hb 1 , hb 2 and the partial bending devices pb 1 , pb 2 are designed such that they can be moved independently of one another and in relation to the holding device he in the direction of the rotation axis as . the apparatus v may additionally include a rotary drive device da designed to rotate the two main bending devices hb 1 , hb 2 and also the two partial bending devices pb 1 , pb 2 independently of one another about the rotation axis as and therefore bidirectionally and , respectively , unidirectionally in relation to the holding device he . in some examples , the apparatus v includes a first transmission device ge 1 that mechanically connects the rotary drive device da selectively to one or more of the two main and of the two partial bending devices hb 1 , hb 2 , pb 1 , pb 2 for transmitting kinetic energy . during operation of the apparatus v , the rotary drive device da generates kinetic energy by means of first drive actuators , not illustrated in the figure . the kinetic energy is transmitted to the respective main and partial bending devices hb 1 , hb 2 , pb 1 , pb 2 by means of the first transmission device ge 1 and prompting the respective main and partial bending devices hb 1 , hb 2 , pb 1 , pb 2 to rotate in a bidirectional and , respectively , unidirectional manner . in some implementations , the apparatus v includes a linear drive device la designed to move the two main bending devices hb 1 , hb 2 and the two partial bending devices pb 1 , pb 2 independently of one another in the direction of the rotation axis as and therefore in relation to the holding device he . the apparatus v may include a second transmission device ge 2 that mechanically connects the linear drive device la selectively to one or more of the two main and of the two partial bending devices hb 1 , hb 2 , pb 1 , pb 2 for transmitting kinetic energy . during operation of the apparatus v , the linear drive device la generates kinetic energy by means of second drive actuators , not illustrated in the figure . the kinetic energy is transmitted to the respective main and partial bending devices hb 1 , hb 2 , pb 1 , pb 2 by means of the second transmission device ge 2 and prompting the respective main and partial bending devices hb 1 , hb 2 , pb 1 , pb 2 to move axially in the direction of the rotation axis as . the apparatus v may further include a control device se that is electrically connected at the output end to the rotary drive device da via a first signal line sl 1 and to the linear drive device la via a second signal line sl 2 . in some implementations , during operation of the apparatus v , the control device se sends a control signal to the rotary drive device da via the first signal line sl 1 and prompts and rotary drive device da to rotate the respective main and partial bending devices hb 1 , hb 2 , pb 1 , pb 2 . during operation of the apparatus v , the control device se may send a control signal to the linear drive device la via the second signal line sl 2 and prompts the linear drive device la to move the respective main and partial bending devices hb 1 , hb 2 , pb 1 , pb 2 axially . since the apparatus v has been roughly described with reference to fig1 , the two main bending devices hb 1 , hb 2 and the two partial bending devices pb 1 , pb 2 will be described in further detail below with reference to fig2 . fig2 shows a bottom view of the main and partial bending devices hb 1 , hb 2 , pb 1 , pb 2 . the first main bending device hb 1 includes three main bending sections hs 1 . the three main bending sections hs 1 are composed of , for example , a metal or a metal alloy . here , the main bending sections hs 1 form three sections of a first “ virtual ” hollow cylinder and are arranged along three first sections ab 11 of a first circular “ virtual ” circumferential line ul 1 as viewed in the direction of the rotation axis as . in some examples , the first main bending sections hs 1 are connected to one another by means of connecting elements , not illustrated in the figure . for example , the first main bending sections can be bidirectionally rotated in relation to one another synchronously about the rotation axis as in a manner driven by the rotary drive device da and can be moved in a linear manner in relation to one another synchronously in the direction of the rotation axis as in a manner driven by the linear drive device la . the first partial bending device pb 1 includes three partial bending sections ps 1 that are composed of , for example , a metal or a metal alloy . here , the partial bending sections ps 1 form three sections of a first hollow cylinder and are arranged along three second sections ab 12 of the first circumferential line ul 1 as viewed in the direction of the rotation axis as . in some examples , the first partial bending sections ps 1 are likewise connected to one another by means of connecting elements , not illustrated in the figure . for example , the first partial bending sections can be unidirectionally rotated in relation to one another synchronously about the rotation axis as in a manner driven by the rotary drive device da and can be moved in a linear manner in relation to one another synchronously in the direction of the rotation axis as in a manner driven by the linear drive device la . in some implementations , the three main bending sections hs 1 and the three partial bending sections ps 1 are arranged alternately in relation to one another in the direction of the first circumferential line ul 1 . in some examples , the number of main and partial bending sections hs 1 , ps 1 is determined by the number of current phases of the winding support wt , or of the stator , this number generally being three . in general , in each case one winding is provided for each of the three current phases . in order to form each individual winding , a main and a partial bending section hs 1 , ps 1 are needed in each case . when there are three current phases and therefore three windings , there are therefore three main and partial bending sections hs 1 , ps 1 . if two or more windings are provided for each of the three current phases , six or 3 * n ( that is to say a multiple of three ) main and partial bending sections hs 1 , ps 1 are needed . this also applies in a similar way for main and partial bending sections hs 2 , ps 2 which will be described below . the first main bending device hb 1 may include a large number of main locking elements ha 1 that are in the form of recesses formed on respective surfaces of 11 of the main bending sections hs 1 . the respective surfaces of 11 face the holding device he . for example , three of the main locking elements ha 1 are illustrated in figure . in some examples , the main locking elements ha 1 are arranged at a distance from one another along the first circumferential line ul 1 and in accordance with the lateral distances between the pole slots of a winding support wt which will be described below . furthermore , the main locking elements ha 1 may be designed in such a way that end sections ea 1 of first winding segments ws 1 , which will be described below , can be inserted into the respective corresponding main locking elements ha 1 such that they fit and can be firmly held by the respective main locking elements ha 1 . similarly , in some examples , the first partial bending device pb 1 includes a large number of partial locking elements pa 1 which are likewise in the form of recesses that are formed on respective surfaces of 12 of the partial bending sections ps 1 . the respective surfaces of 12 face the holding device he . for example , fig2 illustrates three of the partial locking elements pa 1 . as shown , the partial locking elements pa 1 are arranged at a distance from one another along the first circumferential line ul 1 and in accordance with the lateral distances between the pole slots of the winding support wt . furthermore , the partial locking elements pa 1 may be designed in such a way that end sections ea 2 of second winding segments ws 2 , which are to be described below , can be inserted into the respective corresponding partial locking elements pa 1 such that they fit and can be firmly held by the respective partial locking elements pa 1 . the second main bending device hb 2 may likewise include three main bending sections hs 2 which are composed of , for example , a metal or a metal alloy . here , the main bending sections hs 2 form three sections of a second “ virtual ” hollow cylinder , which is coaxial with the first hollow cylinder , and are arranged along three first sections ab 21 of a second circular “ virtual ” circumferential line ul 2 as viewed in the direction of the rotation axis as . these main bending sections hs 2 are connected to one another by means of connecting elements , not illustrated in the figure , such that the main bending sections may be bidirectionally rotated in relation to one another synchronously about the rotation axis as in a manner driven by the rotary drive device da and can be moved in a linear manner in relation to one another synchronously in the direction of the rotation axis as in a manner driven by the linear drive device la . the second partial bending device pb 2 may likewise include three partial bending sections ps 2 which are composed of , for example , a metal or a metal alloy . here , the partial bending sections ps 2 form three sections of the second hollow cylinder and are arranged along three second sections ab 22 of the second circumferential line ul 2 as viewed in the direction of the rotation axis as . these partial bending sections ps 2 are likewise connected to one another by means of connecting elements , not illustrated in the figure , such that said partial bending sections may be unidirectionally rotated in relation to one another synchronously about the rotation axis as in a manner driven by the rotary drive device da and may be moved in a linear manner in relation to one another synchronously in the direction of the rotation axis as in a manner driven by the linear drive device la . in some examples , as shown , the three main bending sections hs 2 and the three partial bending sections ps 2 are arranged alternately in relation to one another in the direction of the second circumferential line ul 2 . the second main bending device hb 2 includes a large number of main locking elements ha 2 that are in the form of recesses that are formed on respective surfaces of 21 , which face the holding device he , of the main bending sections hs 2 ( three of the main locking elements ha 2 are illustrated in fig2 by way of example ). in some examples , the main locking elements ha 2 may be arranged at a distance from one another along the second circumferential line ul 2 and in accordance with the lateral distances between the pole slots of the winding support wt . furthermore , the main locking elements ha 2 may be designed in such a way that end sections of winding segments , which are to be described below , may be inserted into the respective corresponding main locking elements ha 2 such that they fit and can be firmly held by the respective main locking elements ha 2 . similarly , the second partial bending device pb 2 may include a large number of partial locking elements pa 2 which are likewise in the form of recesses which are formed on respective surfaces of 22 , which face the holding device he , of the partial bending sections ps 2 ( three of the partial locking elements pa 2 are illustrated in fig2 by way of example ). here , the partial locking elements pa 2 are arranged at a distance from one another along the second circumferential line ul 2 and in accordance with the lateral distances between the pole slots of the winding support wt . furthermore , the partial locking elements pa 2 are designed in such a way that end sections of winding segments , which are to be described below , can be inserted into the respective corresponding partial locking elements pa 2 such that they fit and can be firmly held by the respective partial locking elements pa 2 . since the apparatus v for bending winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 has been described in detail with reference to fig1 and 2 , a corresponding method for bending winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 will be described in greater detail below with reference to fig3 and 4a to 4d . fig3 shows the sequence of the method using a schematic flowchart . fig4 a to 4d are each schematic illustrations of sections of the main bending device hb 1 and of the partial bending device pb 1 of the apparatus v and three of the first and three of the second winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 before , during and after respective method steps of said method . in order to produce windings of the winding support wt , a large number of winding pins are inserted into corresponding pole slots , which are provided for them , of a hollow - cylindrical laminated core . the winding pins are of hairpin - shaped design and each have two bar - like limbs . the two limbs of the respective winding pins are interleaved and interlocked by a spreading step by means of a winding step of the winding support and inserted into the corresponding pole slots in accordance with the winding step of the winding support wt , wherein a region of the respective winding segments , together with an exposed end section , protrudes out of the laminated core in each case . these limbs serve for forming windings and are therefore called winding segments in the text which follows . as an alternative to the winding pins which are in the shape of hairpins , bar or i - like winding bars may also be used for forming windings , the winding bars then serving as winding segments for forming windings . as viewed from the cylinder axis of the laminated core in the radial direction , a winding segment of a winding pin and a winding segment of a further winding pin are therefore arranged radially one behind the other in each of the pole slots . here , the two winding segments are electrically insulated from one another and from the laminated core by an insulation means , such as an insulating paper for example . those winding segments of the respective two winding segments in the respective pole slots which are situated at a further distance from the cylinder axis lie on a first “ virtual ” circle around the cylinder axis as viewed in the direction of the cylinder axis , wherein the first circle and the abovementioned first circumferential line ul 1 have the same shape . these winding segments are called outer winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 in the text which follows . a first group of outer winding segments , which form a large number of the outer winding segments and serve exclusively for forming windings , are called first winding segments ws 1 in the text which follows . a second group of outer winding segments , which form a small number of the outer winding segments and , in addition to forming windings , further serve for establishing electrical connections to external current lines , are called second winding segments ws 2 in the text which follows . in some examples , those winding segments of the respective two winding segments in the respective pole slots which are situated at a closer to the cylinder axis lie on a second “ virtual ” circle , which is concentric in relation to the first circle , around the cylinder axis as viewed in the direction of the cylinder axis , wherein the second circle and the abovementioned second circumferential line ul 2 have the same shape . these winding segments are called inner winding segments in the text which follows . a first group of inner winding segments , which form a large number of the inner winding segments and serve exclusively for forming windings , are called third winding segments in the text which follows . a second group of inner winding segments , which form a small number of the inner winding segments and , in addition to forming windings , further serve for establishing electrical connections to external current lines , are called fourth winding segments in the text which follows . after the winding segments are inserted into the corresponding pole slots , the respective regions which protrude out of the laminated core form respective bending regions of the winding segments together with the respective exposed end sections . in order to form windings , the bending regions bb 1 , bb 2 of the outer winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 are bent along the first circumferential line ul 1 , which corresponds to the first “ virtual ” circle , in a bending direction br 2 in a manner which will be described below . accordingly , the bending regions of the inner winding segments are bent in a similar way to the bending regions bb 1 , bb 2 of the outer winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 along the second circumferential line ul 2 , which corresponds to the second “ virtual ” circle , in a bending direction which is opposite to the bending direction of the outer winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 . to this end , the winding support wt , together with the winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 , is initially held in a stationary manner by the holding device he concentrically in relation to the holding device he . the first exposed end sections ea 1 of the first winding segments ws 1 are then locked in line with method step s 100 . to this end , the control device se outputs a first control signal to the linear drive device la and prompts said linear drive device to move the main bending device hb 1 axially in relation to the holding device he in direction sr . owing to the axial movement of the main bending device hb 1 , the first main locking elements ha 1 , which are in the form of recesses , are lowered onto the end sections ea 1 . in the process , the main bending device hb 1 receives the corresponding end sections ea 1 and firmly holds said end sections ( compare with fig4 a ). while the end sections ea 1 are firmly held by the main locking elements ha 1 , the first winding segments ws 1 are bent at the respective bending regions bb 1 in a first bending direction br 1 along the circumferential line ul 1 in line with a further method step s 200 . to this end , the control device se outputs a second control signal to the rotary drive device da and prompts said rotary drive device to rotate the main bending device hb 1 about the rotation axis as in relation to the holding device he . owing to the rotary movement of the main bending device hb 1 , the winding segments ws 1 are bent at the respective bending regions bb 1 ( compare with fig4 b ). the end sections ea 2 of the second winding segments ws 2 are then locked in line with a further method step s 300 , while the end sections ea 1 of the first winding segments ws 1 continue to be firmly held . to this end , the control device se outputs a third control signal to the linear drive device la and prompts said linear drive device to move the partial bending device pb 1 axially in relation to the holding device he in direction sr . owing to the axial movement of the partial bending device pb 1 , the first partial locking elements pa 1 , which are likewise in the form of recesses , are lowered onto the end sections ea 2 of the second winding segments ws 2 . in the process , the partial locking elements pa 1 receive the corresponding end sections ea 2 of the second winding segments ws 2 and firmly hold said end sections ( compare with fig4 c ). while the end sections ea 1 , ea 2 are firmly held by the respective corresponding main and partial locking elements ha 1 , pa 1 , the first and the second winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 are bent at the respective bending regions bb 1 , bb 2 in a second bending direction br 2 , which is opposite to the first bending direction br 1 , along the circumferential line ul 1 in line with a further method step s 400 . to this end , the control device se outputs a fourth control signal to the rotary drive device da and prompts said rotary drive device to rotate the main and partial bending device hb 1 , pb 1 about the rotation axis as in relation to the holding device he . owing to the rotary movement of the main and partial bending device hb 1 , pb 1 , the winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 are bent at the respective bending regions bb 1 ( compare with fig4 d ). owing to the bending of the first winding segments ws 1 in the first bending direction br 1 and owing to the subsequent further bending of the first and the second winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 in the opposite bending direction br 2 , the first and the second winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 are bent with different bending lengths bl 1 , bl 2 but by the same ultimate bending angle bw ( compare fig4 d ). as a result , the winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 may be bent further than winding segments which are all bent only in one bending direction in a single bending process . the winding support wt with winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 which are bent further in such a way therefore has a winding head with a low winding head height . in some examples , the inner winding segments are likewise bent with different bending lengths but by the same ultimate bending angle . in some implementations , a first group of inner winding segments , which , like the first outer winding segments ws 1 , serve exclusively for forming windings , are firmly held by the main locking elements ha 2 of the second main bending device hb 2 in line with method step s 100 and bent at the respective bending regions in line with method step s 200 . in the process , the first inner winding segments are bent in a bending direction that is opposite to the first bending direction br 1 of the first outer winding segments ws 1 . a second group of inner winding segments , which , like the second outer winding segments ws 2 , in addition to forming windings , may further serve for establishing electrical connections to the external current lines , is firmly held by the partial locking elements pa 2 of the second partial bending device pb 2 in line with method step s 300 . subsequently , the first and the second inner winding segments are bent in a bending direction that is opposite to the second bending direction br 2 of the outer winding segments ws 1 , ws 2 , in line with method step s 400 . after the bending process , the end sections ea 1 of the first outer winding segments ws 1 are electrically connected to the end sections of the respective first inner winding segments , which are arranged at a distance from the respective first outer winding segments ws 1 in line with the winding step , by soldering or welding connection . the end sections ea 2 of the second outer winding segments ws 2 and the end sections of the second inner winding segments are electrically connected to the external current lines by soldering or welding connection . a number of implementations have been described . nevertheless , it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure . accordingly , other implementations are within the scope of the following claims .	7
the following will describe preferred embodiments of a display element , portable equipment , and an imaging device of the present invention in accordance with the accompanying drawings . first , a number of flexible displays ( e . g ., organic el displays ) including flexible display elements have been proposed in which a resin , and so on , is used as a base material instead of a glass of the related art . fig1 is an outside drawing showing a display device ( portable equipment ) 12 including such a flexible display element 10 according to a first embodiment . in fig1 , the strip - like display element 10 is pulled out of a cylindrical main body 14 . fig2 shows the internal configuration of the main body 14 and a developed state of a roll - up shaft 16 for rolling up the display element 10 and the unrolled display element 10 . fig3 also shows the roll - up shaft 16 and the display element 10 having been completely rolled around the roll - up shaft 16 . as shown in fig4 , the main body 14 of fig1 is made up of a cylindrical body 14 a having open ends , and caps 14 b for closing the open ends of the cylindrical body 14 a . the roll - up shaft 16 is disposed between the caps 14 b so as to rotate via a bearing portion 14 c , and is urged in a rolling direction by a roll - up spring 18 ( see fig7 ). further , the state of the unrolled display element 10 is kept by a stopper ( not shown ). as shown in fig5 a , the display element is shaped like a thin plate in cross section . portions b on the longitudinal ends of the display element 10 include the bent portions 20 substantially bent into u - shapes . on the back side of the display element 10 , a back plate 22 having a free shape ( when an external force is removed ) of fig6 is attached . the back plate 22 is formed by , as shown in fig5 b , connecting flat portions 24 of portions c on the longitudinal ends of the display element via a curved portion 26 . by connecting the two flat portions 24 to the curved portion 26 , the flexibility of the flat portions 24 is restricted and the surfaces of the flat portions 24 are kept in parallel with each other . the flat portions 24 are fit into and combined with the bent portions 20 of the display element 10 shown in fig5 a , so that a cross - sectional shape in fig5 c is obtained . at this moment , the flat portions 24 are pressed to the back side of the display element 10 by the bent portions 20 and the flat portions 24 are kept in parallel with each other as described above . thus the overall display element 10 is kept flat and the display element 10 pulled out of the main body 14 independently keeps the flatness as shown in fig1 or 2 . in this state , even when an attempt is made to bend the display element 10 to the direction along arrows a of fig2 ( or in the opposite directions : in such a direction that the display element 10 is bent along the width ), the display element 10 cannot be easily bent because a force of the back plate 22 is applied to keep the flatness . therefore , the display device 12 can be used by holding the main body 14 only with one hand , without holding the display element 10 . the following is an operation of rolling up the display element 10 . when the display element 10 is rolled up , the back plate 22 is flattened at portions a of fig2 by the roll - up shaft 16 and the curved shape is corrected to a flat shape in cross section as shown in fig5 d . thus the two flat portions 24 are connected via a plane and the force keeping the flatness of the display element 10 is not applied . therefore , the display element 10 can be easily bent to the direction along the arrows a ( or in the opposite directions ) of fig2 and can be easily rolled up around the roll - up shaft 16 . the display element 10 rolled thus is stored in the main body 14 as shown in fig4 . according to the first embodiment , the flexible display element 10 can be used after being unrolled ( pulled out ) from the main body 14 . the unrolled display element 10 keeps its flat shape with the flatness retaining action of the back plate 22 . when the display device 12 is carried , the display element 10 can be stored in the main body 14 as described above . fig8 is an outside drawing showing a display device ( portable equipment ) 112 including a flexible display element 110 according to a second embodiment . the fig8 shows the state that the display element 110 is unrolled . fig9 shows the single unit configuration of the display element 110 . over the opposite side of a display surface 110 a , convex beam members 126 are bonded as shown in fig1 . with this configuration , the flexible display element 110 alone can be bent in direction d ( and in the opposite direction ) of fig9 but cannot be bent in direction e ( and in the opposite direction ). as shown in fig1 , a main body 114 is made up of a cylindrical body 114 a having open ends , and caps 114 b for closing the open ends of the cylindrical body 114 a . a roll - up shaft 116 is disposed between the caps 114 b so as to rotate via a bearing portion 114 c and is urged in a rolling direction by a roll - up spring 118 . further , the state of the unrolled display element 110 is kept by a stopper ( not shown ). a back plate 122 combined with the display element 110 has a free shape ( when an external force is removed ) of fig1 a , and bent portions 124 are formed on both longitudinal ends of the display element . when the bent portions 124 are used to combine the back plate 122 with the display element 110 of fig9 , the back plate 122 has a curved shape in cross section as shown in fig1 b . at this moment , from the state of fig1 a , the back plate 122 is extended and combined with the display element , so that lateral pressures indicated by arrows b of fig1 b are applied from the back plate 122 in the width direction of the display element 110 . the lateral pressures are received by the beam members 126 bonded on the back side of the display element 110 , so that the display element 110 keeps the cross - sectional shape of fig1 b . thus a force for keeping the flat shape is generated on the flexible display element 110 having been pulled out of the main body 114 of fig8 . in this way , the display element 110 pulled out of the main body 114 independently keeps its flatness . also , one of the bent portions 124 of the back plate 122 may be fixed on the back side of the display element 110 . in this state , even when an attempt is made to bend the display element 110 to the direction along the arrows d and e of fig9 ( or in the opposite directions ), the display element 110 cannot be easily bent because a force of the back plate 122 is applied to keep the flatness . therefore , the display device 112 can be used by holding the main body 114 only with one hand , without holding the display element 110 . the following is an operation of rolling up the display element 110 . as in the first embodiment , when the display element 110 is rolled up , the back plate 122 is flattened by the roll - up shaft 116 because the display element 110 is rolled up around the roll - up shaft 116 , and the curved shape of the back plate 122 is corrected to a flat shape . when the back plate 122 is flattened thus , the lateral pressures applied to the flexible display element 110 are released . thus the display element 110 can be bent along the arrow d ( or in the opposite direction ). therefore , the display element 110 is smoothly rolled up around the roll - up shaft 116 . the display element 110 rolled thus is stored in the main body 114 as shown in fig1 . as described above , according to the second embodiment of the present invention , the flexible display element 110 is used after being pulled out from the main body 114 and the unrolled ( pulled - out ) display element 110 keeps its flat shape alone . when carried , the display element 110 can be rolled up and thus can be stored in the main body 114 . fig1 a shows a display device 212 including a flexible display element 210 according to a third embodiment . fig3 is a sectional view showing a back plate 222 combined with the display element 210 . fig1 b is a sectional view showing the rolled display element 210 . on the longitudinal ends of the back side of the display element 210 , protruding pins 228 are disposed at a predetermined spacing along the longitudinal direction . further , on the longitudinal ends of the back plate 222 , long holes 230 are formed at the same spacing as the pins 228 . the long holes 230 are formed along a direction ( width direction ) orthogonal to the longitudinal direction . when the back plate 222 is attached to the display element 210 by fitting the pins 228 over the long holes 230 , the long holes 230 press the pins 228 in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction in the state of fig1 a where an external force is not applied to the back plate 222 . thus lateral pressures are applied to the display element 210 . on the other hand , in fig1 b where the back plate 222 is flattened , the pressing forces are eliminated and thus the lateral pressures are released , so that the display element 210 can be rolled up . fig1 c is a rear view showing the display element 210 of the display device 212 . in fig1 c , lateral pressures are applied to the display element 210 . in this way , the display element 210 is integrated with the back plate 222 by applying lateral pressures from the longitudinal ends in the width direction , and a raised part is formed at the center of the back plate 222 . thus the overall display device 212 has stereoscopic shape and is not easily bent even by a bending force , so that the display element 210 keeps the flat shape . fig1 is an outside drawing showing a display device 312 including a flexible display element 310 according to a fourth embodiment . the display element 310 is unrolled . fig1 shows the single unit configuration of the display element 310 . in fig1 , on the back side of the display element 310 , a back plate 322 indicated by broken lines is bonded on a bonding portion 330 shaded by diagonal broken lines . as shown in fig1 , a roll - up shaft 316 also acts as a main body having an operation part 332 and a power switch 334 . the back plate 322 to be combined with the display element 310 is substantially v - shaped in its free shape ( when an external force is removed ). when the back plate 322 is combined with the display element 310 , the back plate 322 is extended from the v - shape as shown in fig1 and 15 . at this moment , the back plate 322 is combined while being extended . thus a folded end 336 on the opposite side from the bonding portion 330 applies a lateral pressure to the display element 310 and the lateral pressure is accepted by the stiffness of the display element 310 , so that the flatness of the display element 310 is kept and a force for keeping the flat shape is generated on a part unrolled from the roll - up shaft 316 of fig1 . with this configuration , the display element 310 unrolled from the roll - up shaft 316 independently keeps its flatness . in this state , even when an attempt is made to bend the display element 310 , the display element 310 cannot be easily bent because a force of the back plate 322 is applied to keep the flatness . therefore , the display device 312 can be used by holding the roll - up shaft 316 only with one hand , without holding the display element 310 . the following is an operation of rolling up the display element 310 . when the display element 310 is rolled up , rolling is performed from the side of the roll - up shaft 316 ( main body ) as shown in fig1 . thus the back plate 322 is flattened by the roll - up shaft 316 and the curved shaped is corrected to a flat shape as in the first embodiment . the back plate 322 flattened thus releases the lateral pressure applied to the display element 310 and thus the display element 310 can be bent and smoothly rolled up around the roll - up shaft 316 . the display element 310 rolled thus is rolled up around the roll - up shaft 316 as shown in fig1 . as described above , according to the fourth embodiment , the flexible display element 310 is used after being unrolled from the roll - up shaft 316 . the display element 310 can keep its flat shape alone and when carried , the display element 310 can be stored while being rolled up around the roll - up shaft 316 . thus the display device 312 can have high portability and operability . reference numeral 338 denotes a pull for unrolling the display element 310 . when the display element 310 is rolled up , the pull 338 acts as a holding portion that is pressed to the arc - shaped back plate 322 to keep the shape of the back plate 322 . fig1 is an outside drawing showing a display device 412 including a flexible display element 410 according to a fifth embodiment . in fig1 , the display element 410 is unrolled ( pulled out ) from a main body 414 . fig1 shows the single unit configuration of the display element 410 . fig1 shows the back side of the display element 410 . fig2 is a sectional view of a back plate 422 . in fig1 and 19 , the display element 410 has a predetermined thickness . the back plate 422 has a plurality of notches 442 formed to prevent convex portions 440 formed on both end portions for applying lateral pressures from causing resistances when the display element 410 is rolled up . in the configuration of the display element 410 , it is needless to say that as long as beam members 126 are bonded over the opposite side of a display surface as shown in fig9 , it is possible to prevent the display element 410 from being bent even by lateral pressures applied by the back plate 422 as shown in fig2 . moreover , the configuration is not particularly limited as long as the display element 410 is designed to have strength against a bend to be resistant to the lateral pressures of the back plate 422 , thus the display element may have a flat shape . fig2 is an outside drawing showing the display element 410 rolled up around a roll - up shaft 416 of the main body 414 . fig2 and 24 are developments for explaining the state of the display element 410 and the back plate 422 in the main body 414 at this moment . since the display element 410 is rolled up around the roll - up shaft 416 of the main body 414 , the back plate 422 is crushed and flattened . thus the lateral pressures for keeping the flatness of the display element 410 are not applied to the display element 410 . the cross - sectional shape at this moment is illustrated in fig2 . since the folded portions 440 of the back plate 422 are separated from both ends of the display element 410 , the lateral pressures are released . fig2 and 24 show virtual shapes . when the display element 410 is unrolled as shown in fig2 and 24 , the back plate 422 is bent and the lateral pressures are applied to the display element 410 ( see fig1 and 19 ). fig2 is a front perspective view in which the same configuration as the display device of the present invention is applied to an imaging device ( digital camera ) 500 . fig2 is a rear perspective view of the imaging device 500 . a main body 502 is substantially shaped like a partially cut square pole . in the rear view , a pull - out slot of the display element is formed on the left ( the pull - out slot is closed by a lid 504 fixed on an end of the display element and thus is not shown in fig2 and 27 ). the lid 504 has a pull 506 formed to pull out the display element . a retractable flash 508 capable of protruding and retracting is provided on the top surface of a main body 502 , a taking lens 510 is provided at the front of the upper part of the main body 502 , a grip 512 is formed under the taking lens 510 , and a release button 514 is disposed near the upper end of the grip 512 . further , a zoom lever 515 is disposed on the upper part of the back of the main body 502 , a direction key 518 is disposed under the zoom lever 515 , selecting buttons 520 , 522 and 524 are provided near the pull - out slot ( not shown ), and indications showing operations and functions corresponding to these buttons 520 to 524 are engraved beside the buttons . the buttons 520 , 522 and 524 have a plurality of functions . when the display element is pulled out , the names of the functions ( e . g ., on and off in fig3 ) are displayed on the display element so as to be close to the buttons . by pressing the selecting buttons 520 , 522 and 524 at this moment , the functions displayed on the display element are performed instead of the engraved functions . although the display element 110 of fig8 is illustrated in the following explanation , the display elements of fig1 to 25 are all applicable to the imaging device . fig2 is an assembly drawing showing the internal configuration of the imaging device 500 . the display element ( flexible display ) 110 is rolled up around a roll - up shaft 516 disposed in the lower part of the main body 502 , and a lens unit 526 is disposed in a space above the roll - up shaft 516 . on the lens unit 526 , a retractable flash unit 528 is disposed . a main substrate 530 is disposed on the back side of the imaging device and a battery ( not shown ) is stored in an expanded part at the front of the grip . the rolled flexible display 110 is shaped like a cylinder as shown in fig3 . when the flexible display 110 is unrolled as shown in fig2 , the flat shape is kept by the actions of lateral pressures applied by the back plate . when the imaging device 500 is used , as shown in fig3 , a user holds the pull 506 with the left hand and pulls out the display element 110 while holding the main body 502 with the right hand . the roll - up shaft 516 of the display element 110 is urged in the rolling direction by the roll - up spring 18 shown in fig7 . when the display element 110 is unrolled to a predetermined position , the roll - up shaft 516 is locked by a roll - up shaft locking mechanism 531 ( see fig3 ) made up of a known latching / unlatching mechanism , and the imaging device 500 enters a state of fig3 and 33 . in this state , the display element 110 is not rolled back even when the user moves the left hand off the pull 506 . when a rolling detecting sw 533 ( see fig3 ) for detecting the rotation of the roll - up shaft 516 detects that the display element 110 has been completely pulled out of the main body 502 , power is supplied to an imaging circuit by the action of a rolling detecting circuit 535 ( see fig3 ) of the main substrate 530 , and then the taking lens 510 protrudes from a retraction position to a shooting position shown in fig3 . power is supplied thus when the display element 110 is completely pulled out , thereby increasing immediacy for the imaging device 500 applied to a camera . further , the retractable flash 508 pops up concurrently with the operation of the taking lens 510 and a light emitting portion 509 is exposed as shown in fig3 . next , when the imaging circuit is activated and a live - view image is outputted , the live - view image of a subject is displayed on the display surface of the display element 110 as shown in fig3 , enabling framing and other operations for photo shooting . at this moment , the flat shape of the display element 110 is kept by the back plate 122 and the pull - out slot of the main body 502 restricts the positional relationship relative to the main body 502 . thus the display element 110 can be independently stabilized in a state in which the main body 502 is held with one hand as shown in fig3 , and the positional relationship and the flat shape of fig3 can be kept even when an external force is applied . therefore , the operations of the imaging device , i . e ., shooting , reproduction , edition and so on can be performed with one hand having held the main body 502 without holding the display element 110 , so that operability improves when the imaging device 500 is applied to a camera . when the display element 110 is stored in the main body 502 , in response to the pull 506 strongly pulled in a pulling direction from the state of fig3 , the roll - up shaft 516 having been locked by the roll - up shaft locking mechanism 531 is unlocked and the display element 110 is rolled up around the roll - up shaft 516 . when the rolling detecting switch 533 for detecting the rotation of the roll - up shaft 516 detects that the display element 110 has been completely rolled up around the roll - up shaft 516 , the operation of the imaging circuit is stopped by the action of the control circuit of the main substrate 530 , the taking lens 510 is moved from the shooting position to the retraction position , the image device enters the state of fig2 ( protected by a barrier ), and then the power is turned off . further , the flash 508 is also stored in the main body 502 concurrently with the retracting operation of the taking lens 510 . in this way , the power is turned off concurrently with the rolling movement of the display element 110 , so that an operation for turning off the power can be omitted and thus the inconvenience can be eliminated . moreover , portability remarkably increases when the imaging device 500 is applied to a camera . fig3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the imaging device 500 . a diaphragm device 532 is disposed behind the taking lens 510 of the imaging device 500 , and a ccd 534 is disposed on the image forming position of the taking lens 510 . the overall operation of the imaging device 500 is controlled by a cpu 536 . the cpu 536 acts as a system controlling circuit which controls a camera system according to a predetermined program and also acts as an arithmetic device which performs various operations such as autoexposure ( ae ) operation , autofocus ( af ) operation , and white balance ( wb ) adjustment operation . a program run by the cpu 536 , kinds of data required for control , and so on are stored in a rom 538 connected to the cpu 536 . ccd pixel defect information , kinds of constant / information about camera operations , and so on are stored in an eeprom 540 . a memory 544 connected to the cpu 536 via a bus 542 is used as the expansion area of the program and the arithmetic area of the cpu 536 and also used as a temporary storage area of image data and audio data . a storage part 546 is a temporary memory only for image data . the release button 514 is an operation button for inputting an instruction to start shooting and is a two - step stroke switch which is made up of an s 1 switch turned on by a half press and an s 2 switch turned on by a full press . the display element 110 is driven as an electronic view finder for displaying through images during shooting and is also driven as an image production monitor for displaying still images and moving images during reproduction . further , the display element 110 is also used as a display screen for a user interface . menu information and information about selected items and setting contents are displayed on the display element 110 when necessary . moreover , image data stored in the storage part 546 is reduced and displayed as thumbnail images on the display element 110 . the main body 502 has a medium socket 548 in which a recording medium 550 is loaded . the type of recording medium 550 is not particularly limited . various media including xd - picturecard , a semiconductor memory card typified by smartmedia ( trademark ), a portable and compact hard disk , a magnetic disk , an optical disk , and a magneto - optical disk can be used . the media controller 552 performs necessary signal conversion to pass input / output signals suitably for the recording medium 550 loaded in the medium socket 548 . further , the imaging device 500 includes a communication circuit 556 for connection to a personal computer and other peripheral equipment via a connector or an antenna 554 . reference numeral 558 denotes a switch for turning on / off an image displayed on the display element 110 , and reference numeral 560 denotes a display element driving circuit for driving the display element 110 . reference numeral 562 denotes a power supply circuit through which power is supplied to the cpu 536 from a power supply device 564 such as a battery and so on . the following will discuss the camera function of the imaging device 500 . zoom control , focus control , and iris control are performed on the taking lens 510 and the diaphragm device 532 by an exposure control circuit 566 , a distance - measurement control circuit 568 , a zoom / retraction control circuit 570 , and a lens extension / retraction confirming circuit 572 which are controlled by the cpu 536 . light having passed through the taking lens 510 forms an image on the light - receiving surface of the ccd 534 . a number of photodiodes ( light receiving elements ) are arranged in a two - dimensional manner on the light receiving surface of the ccd 534 , and primary - color filters of red ( r ), green ( g ), and blue ( b ) are so disposed as to correspond to the photodiodes in a predetermined arrangement . further , the ccd 534 has an electronic shutter function of controlling the charge storage time ( shutter speed ) of each photodiode . the cpu 536 controls the charge storage time in the ccd 534 through a timing generator 574 . imaging elements of other types such as a mos may be used instead of the ccd 534 . a subject image formed on the light receiving surface of the ccd 534 is converted into signal charge by the photodiodes according to an amount of incident light . the signal charge having been accumulated in the photodiodes is read sequentially as voltage signals ( image signals ) corresponding to the signal charge based on a driving pulse applied from the timing generator 574 in response to an instruction of the cpu 536 . signals outputted from the ccd 534 are transmitted to an analog processing section , in which rgb signals of each pixel are sampled and held ( correlated double sampling ) before being amplified . after that , the signals are applied to an ad converter 576 . the rgb signals having been converted into digital signals by the ad converter 576 in a dot sequential manner are stored in an image display memory 580 through a memory control section 578 . the rgb signals having been stored in the image display memory 580 are processed by an image processing circuit 582 according to an instruction of the cpu 536 . in other words , the image processing circuit 582 acts as an image processing device which includes a synchronization circuit ( a processing circuit which interpolates a spatial displacement of a color signal in a color filter arrangement of a single - panel ccd and simultaneously converts the color signal ), a white balance correction circuit , a gamma correction circuit , an edge correction circuit , and a luminance / color signal difference generation circuit . the image processing circuit 582 performs predetermined signal processing according to a command from the cpu 536 while using the image display memory 580 . rgb image data inputted to the image processing circuit 582 is converted into a luminance signal and a color difference signal in the image processing circuit 582 and is subjected to predetermined processing such as gamma correction and so on . the image data having been processed in the image processing circuit 582 is stored in the storage part 546 . when a photographed / reproduced image is outputted to the display element 110 , the image data is read from the storage part 546 and is transmitted to the display element driving circuit 560 through the bus 542 . the display element driving circuit 560 converts the inputted image data into a signal of a predetermined system for display ( for example , an ntsc color combined video signal ) ( ntsc : national television system committee ) and outputs the signal to the display element 110 . further , a through image during shooting is displayed on the display element 110 from the image processing circuit 582 through the bus 542 and the display element driving circuit 560 . fig3 is a flowchart showing the control of a series of operations of the imaging device 500 . when the rolling detecting switch 533 detects that the display element 110 has been completely pulled out ( s 100 ), the display element driving circuit 560 is turned on ( s 110 ). after that , the image display on / off switch 558 is turned on ( s 120 ) and a mode dial ( e . g ., the selecting buttons 520 , 522 and 524 ) is operated to select reproduction ( s 130 ). at this moment , images recorded on the memory 544 and the storage part 546 are read and displayed on the display element 110 ( s 140 ). when the mode dial is operated to select recording ( s 130 ), an output image from the image processing circuit 582 is displayed on the display element 110 ( s 150 ). thereafter , at the completion of the operation of the imaging device 500 , the display element 110 is rolled back into the main body 502 . when the rolling detecting switch 533 detects that the display element 110 has been completely rolled up ( s 160 ), the display element driving circuit 560 is turned off ( s 70 ). the sequence of the imaging device 500 is completed thus . as described above , when the imaging device 500 is applied to a camera , the configuration of fig3 eliminates the need for supporting the display element 110 with one hand while holding the main body 502 with the other hand , enabling one - hand shooting . a user can freely use the other hand ( left hand in the present embodiment ) for operations on the screen , the operations of a taking lens , and so on . thus it is possible to achieve a camera having high operability without causing inconvenience . further , as shown in fig3 , by holding the main body 502 with one hand and pulling out the display element 110 with the other hand , the imaging device 500 can enter a shooting state . at this moment , the power is turned on and switching to a shooting mode is performed in synchronization with the rolling detecting switch 533 , shown in fig3 , for detecting rolling and a pulling - out detecting switch ( not shown ) for detecting the pulling out of the display element 110 , so that the imaging device 500 can enter the shooting state without the need for operating the power supply or switching modes . it is therefore possible to achieve a camera enabling excellent snapshots . fig3 is an outside drawing showing a display device 612 including a flexible display element 610 according to a sixth embodiment . fig3 shows a state in which a display element 610 is stored in a main body 614 , and fig3 shows a state in which the display element 610 is pulled out of the main body 614 . the present embodiment illustrates an example of an image player capable of displaying , on the display element 610 , image data stored in a built - in memory . fig3 shows the main part of the internal configuration of the image player . a rotating shaft 619 of a motor 618 is connected to a roll - up shaft 616 , and the display element 610 is pulled out and rolled up by electricity . reference numeral 620 is a pull attached to an end of the display element 610 and also acts as a lid for closing a pull - out slot 615 of the main body 614 . a series of operations of the display device 612 will now be described in accordance with the flowchart of fig4 and the block diagram of fig4 showing the image player . when a power switch 622 is slid to the left ( to the left when viewed from the display surface ) in fig3 ( s 200 ), it is detected that the power switch has been turned on , and an image display circuit 626 is turned on by a system controller 624 ( s 210 ). simultaneously , a driving circuit 628 is controlled to rotate the motor 618 of fig3 in a counterclockwise direction , and the display element 610 extends out along the arrow of fig3 ( s 220 ). thus the display screen can be observed and a menu screen stored in a built - in memory 630 is displayed on the display screen to receive various operations from operation buttons 632 ( s 230 ). next , when the power switch is turned off ( s 240 ), the motor 618 is rotated clockwise by the system controller 624 , and the display element 610 is rolled up around the roll - up shaft 616 ( s 250 ). simultaneously , the image display circuit is turned off ( s 260 ) and the power switch waits for an input . the sequence is completed thus . in fig4 , reference numeral 634 denotes a connector connected to the system controller 624 via an input / output circuit 636 . the connector 634 is connected to external communication equipment , so that information is passed between the image player and the external communication equipment . fig4 is a block diagram showing an imaging device in which the display element 610 is rolled up by the rolling motor 618 by electricity . the configuration of the imaging device is substantially similar to that of the imaging device 500 shown in fig3 , except for the motor 618 and the driving circuit 628 . thus the similar parts are indicated by the same reference numerals and the explanation thereof is omitted . further , the series of operations in reproduction mode conforms to the sequence of fig4 . as shown in fig3 , when the display element 610 and a back plate ( not shown ) are pulled out , the cross - sectional shape of the back plate is restricted by the shape of the pull - out slot 615 at the base of the main body 614 . fig4 a shows an example in which a pull - out slot 615 a is formed to have a shape which is substantially identical to the cross - sectional shape of the unrolled back plate . the pull - out slot 615 a formed thus can strongly keep the flatness of the unrolled display element 610 , so that the flatness can be more easily kept . on the front side of the display element 610 , only the outer periphery of the display element 610 and the edge of the pull - out slot 615 a come into contact with each other and the central portion of the display element 610 does not make contact with the pull - out slot 615 a because of a clearance . thus the display surface is not rubbed and scratches can be prevented . fig4 b shows an example in which a pull - out slot 615 b is formed to have a shape which is flatter than the cross - sectional shape of the unrolled back plate in some small measure . although the pull - out slot 615 b formed thus keeps the flatness of the unrolled display element 610 less than the pull - out slot 615 a of fig4 a , a resistance upon rolling is low , so that the display element 610 can be easily stored . fig4 c shows an example in which a pull - out slot 615 c is formed to have a shape which is further flatter than the cross - sectional shape of the unrolled back plate . the pull - out slot 615 c formed thus reduces a force required for storing the display element 610 , so that the display element 610 can be frequently pulled out and stored with high operability . on the front side of the display element 610 , fig4 c is similar to fig4 a in that only the outer periphery of the display element 610 and the edge of the pull - out slot 615 c come into contact with each other . however , since the clearance increases toward the central portion , the display surface is not rubbed and scratches can be prevented even when the display element 610 is somewhat bent . fig4 d shows a pull - out slot 615 d formed by combining the restricted back plate shape of fig4 a with the shape having the clearance of fig4 c . since the back plate and the edge of the display element 610 are held through the pull - out slot 615 d , the base of the display element 610 is positioned relative to the main body 614 and the display element 610 keeps its protruding shape in a certain direction while keeping its flatness as shown in fig3 . with this configuration , without the need for holding the display element 610 , the display device 612 can be used as a display device or an imaging device by holding the main body 614 with one hand . fig4 is an outside drawing showing a display element and a back plate which are applied to the display devices of fig1 , 8 and 15 and the imaging device of fig2 . as shown in fig4 , the display device of the present embodiment includes a flat display element 700 and a back plate 722 that is attached to the back side of the display element 700 and has a curved shape in cross section . the display element 700 has one end connected to a roll - up shaft 716 and the other end connected to a rod 718 , and thus the display element 700 is hardly bent by a force curving in the direction of an arrow 1 ( or in the opposite direction ). on the other hand , the display element 700 is easily bent by a force curving in the direction of an arrow 2 ( or in the opposite direction ), and thus the display element 700 can be rolled up around the roll - up shaft 716 and stored . the back plate 722 is curved and has a cross - sectional shape of fig4 a when unfurled . in this case , a clearance is generated between the display element 700 and the back plate 722 and increases toward the center . the display element 700 is a flexible lcd . since transmitted light is necessary for viewing displayed images , as shown in fig4 , a plurality of leds 720 for backlighting are arranged around the center of the back plate 722 to transmit light at a distance from the back side of the display element 700 . a flexible printed board ( flexible printed board for backlighting ) 724 having the leds 720 is bonded to the back plate 722 and has one end connected to a backlight driving circuit 726 of fig4 ( not shown in fig4 ) through the end of the back plate 722 . the light beams of the leds 720 are radially emitted as shown in fig4 a . the back plate 722 has a reflective surface on which light beams emitted in respective directions are reflected to the display element 700 as shown in fig4 a . thus the leds 720 can be used as backlights . after rolled up , the display element 700 and the back plate 722 have a cross - sectional shape shown in fig4 b . since the back plate 722 substantially becomes flat in cross section , the display element 700 and the back plate 722 can be rolled up and stored in a small space . fig4 is a block diagram showing the case where the display element is applied to an imaging device . the configuration of the imaging device is substantially similar to that of the imaging device 500 shown in fig3 , except for the backlight leds 720 and the backlight driving circuit 726 . thus the similar parts are indicated by the same reference numerals and the explanation thereof is omitted . fig4 is an outside drawing showing a display element 810 and a back plate 822 according to another embodiment in which light emitting elements are provided in two rows . in a display device of the present embodiment , the display element 810 has one end connected to a roll - up shaft 816 and the other end attached to a rod 818 , so that the display element 810 is hardly bent in one direction and is easily bent in the other direction . further , the display element 810 can be rolled up around the roll - up shaft 816 and stored . the back plate 822 is curved with two ridges 826 as shown in fig4 a and has a cross - sectional shape of fig4 a when unfurled . moreover , a plurality of backlight leds 820 are arranged in two rows around the center of the back plate 822 to obtain more evenly transmitted light . a flexible printed board ( flexible printed board for backlighting ) 824 having the leds 820 is bonded to the back plate 822 and has one end connected to the backlight driving circuit 726 of fig4 through the end of the back plate 822 . the bend absorbing portions of the flexible printed board are bent in an unfurled state of fig4 . when the display element is rolled up and stored , the back plate 822 becomes flat and the spacing between the leds 820 is increased as shown in fig4 b , so that dimensional changes are absorbed by the bent portions . the light beams of the leds 820 are radially emitted as shown in fig4 a . the back plate 822 has a reflective surface on which the light beams emitted in respective directions are reflected to the display element 810 that is a flexible lcd as shown in fig4 a , so that the leds are caused to act as backlights . after rolled up , the display element 810 and the back plate 822 have a cross - sectional shape shown in fig4 b . the back plate 822 substantially becomes flat in cross section . thus the display element 810 and the back plate 822 can be rolled up and stored in a small space . fig4 is an outside drawing showing a display element 910 and a back plate 922 according to another embodiment in which light emitting elements are arranged to emit light to the back side . as shown in fig5 a , the back plate 922 of the present embodiment is so bent as to have a second expanded portion 923 at the center of the back plate 922 . further , backlight leds 920 are arranged around the center of the back plate 922 to emit light to the back plate 922 . a flexible printed board ( flexible printed board for backlighting ) 924 having the leds 920 is bonded to the back plate 922 with four bonded portions 924 a and has one end connected to the backlight driving circuit 726 of fig4 through the end of the back plate 922 . the flexible printed board 924 is bent with the leds 920 disposed at the intermediate position as shown in fig5 a , and reflected light is emitted to the back side of the display element 910 through a reflective surface as shown 50 a . when unfurled , the back plate 922 is bent as shown in fig4 . when rolled up , the back plate 922 is flattened and is reduced in thickness as shown in fig5 b , so that the display element 910 and the back plate 922 can be rolled up and stored in a small space . at this moment , the convex portions of the leds 920 facing the back side are stored in the second expanded portion 923 at the center of the back plate , so that the back plate 922 is not deformed . the flexible printed board 924 does not always have to keep the shape of the display element 910 . any configuration may be used as long as the flexible printed board 924 is bent and separated from the display element 910 when used and the flexible printed board 924 , when stored , comes into contact with or comes closer to the display element 910 than when used . fig5 a to 51d show a back plate according to another embodiment . a back plate 1022 of fig5 a to 51c has two high ridges 1026 . a back plate 1122 of fig5 d to 51f has two ridges 1126 bent to be lower than the ridges 1026 . for convenience , reference numeral 10 denotes a display element . fig5 a and 52b show a back plate according to still another embodiment . a back plate 1222 of fig5 a and 52b does not have any ridges or is not substantially v - shaped but substantially has a recessed shape in cross section . fig5 a shows the cross - sectional shape of the unrolled display element and the unrolled back plate of fig5 a and 52b . fig5 b shows the cross - sectional shape of the rolled display element and the rolled back plate of fig5 a and 52b .	6
referring now to the drawings and fig1 in particular , a valve 100 of the present invention is shown in a partially - sectioned perspective view . the valve 100 is a pressure protection valve configured to be placed inline with a compressed - fluid system . the valve 100 includes an inlet 110 for receiving pressurized fluid into an antechamber 115 and an outlet 120 for exhausting the pressurized fluid from an outflow path 125 . the combination of the antechamber 115 and the outflow path 125 constitutes a fluid flow path from the inlet 110 to the outlet 120 . the size and shape of the inlet 110 and outlet 120 can vary depending on application to allow for connection inline with a pressurized fluid system . the valve 100 has a housing 130 , which extends in a longitudinal direction between the inlet 110 and the outlet 120 . the valve 100 includes an annular piston 140 , which serves as a valve element between the antechamber 115 and the outflow path 125 , for moving in the longitudinal direction within the housing 130 to open and close the valve 100 . a spring 150 serves as a resilient member for biasing the annular piston 140 towards a first position , which is a closed - valve position as shown in fig1 . the spring 150 is located in a spring - guide chamber 160 , and is held in place by being fixed at one end ( i . e ., upper end as oriented in fig1 ) to the housing 130 and fixed at an opposite end ( i . e ., lower end as oriented in fig1 ) to the annular piston 140 . when fluid pressure at the inlet 110 increases beyond a certain predetermined threshold level , it overcomes the bias of the spring 150 causing the annular piston 140 to move towards a second position , which is an open - valve position as shown in fig2 . note that the valve 100 includes a grooved plate 170 , which serves as an apertured member , and a blocking plate 180 , which serves as a blocking member . when the annular piston 140 is in the closed - valve position , the blocking plate 180 and the annular piston 140 block fluid flow between the antechamber 115 and the outflow path 125 , thereby preventing fluid from flowing from the inlet 110 to the outlet 120 . on the other hand , when the annular piston 140 is in the open - valve position , radial grooves in the grooved plate 170 provide for fluid communication between the antechamber 115 and the outflow path 125 , thereby allowing fluid - flow from the inlet 110 to the outlet 120 . it is contemplated that the grooved plate 170 can be provided in alternate forms , as long as a fluid path is provided between the antechamber 115 and the outflow path 125 . for example , the grooved plate 170 can be replaced with a drilled plate 170 ′, which is shown in fig3 . the drilled plate 170 ′ is an example of an alternate form of an apertured member of the present invention . the drilled plate 170 ′ has a central aperture 220 that is in fluid communication with the outflow path 125 . the drilled plate 170 ′ also includes one or more radial apertures 230 , each in fluid communication with the central aperture 220 and the antechamber 115 . when the annular piston 140 is in the open - valve position , the radial apertures 230 in combination with the central aperture 220 provide for fluid communication between the antechamber 115 and the outflow path 125 , thereby allowing for fluid communication between the inlet 110 and the outlet 120 . on the other hand , when the annular piston 140 is in the closed - valve position , the annular piston 140 blocks the radial apertures 230 , thereby preventing fluid - flow between the antechamber 115 and the outflow path 125 . in addition , it is further contemplated that if the central aperture 220 is formed such that it does not extend all the way through the drilled plate 170 ′, then it is possible to use the drilled plate 170 ′ in place of the combination of the grooved plate 170 and the blocking plate 180 . referring again to fig1 and 2 , an inner bore 190 , which is a portion of the outflow path 125 , is defined by an inner side of a partition 200 . the spring - guide chamber 160 is a space formed between an outer side of the partition 200 and an inner side of the housing 130 . the spring - guide chamber 160 is bound at one end ( upper end as oriented in fig1 and 2 ) by a bridge portion 205 , which extends between the housing 130 and the partition 200 . the spring - guide chamber 160 is bound at another end ( lower end as oriented in fig1 and 2 ) by the annular piston 140 . the annular piston 140 is fitted between the inner side of the housing 130 and the outer side of the partition 200 . it is desirable to fluidly seal the spring - guide chamber 160 from fluid in the fluid flow path between the inlet 110 and the outlet 120 . it is contemplated that there are numerous ways of ensuring an adequate seal . in the present embodiment , inner and outer o - ring seals 142 and 144 are used . as shown in fig1 and 2 , the inner o - ring seal 142 is provided between an inner side of the annular piston 140 and the outer side of the partition 200 , and the outer o - ring seal 144 is provided between an outer side of the annular piston 140 and the inner side of the housing 130 . the seals 142 and 144 combined with the annular piston 140 fluidly seal the spring - guide chamber 160 from the fluid flow path between the inlet 110 and the outlet 120 , including the antechamber 115 and the outflow path 125 . while the spring - guide chamber 160 is fluidly isolated from the fluid flow path within the valve 100 , it is desirable to allow fluid to enter and escape from the spring - guide chamber 160 as the size of the spring - guide chamber 160 changes with the movement of the annular piston 140 . for example , when the valve 100 opens , the annular piston 140 compresses the spring 150 causing a reduction in the amount of space within the spring - guide chamber 160 ( note the spring - guide chamber 160 shown in fig2 is smaller than the spring - guide chamber 160 shown in fig1 ). therefore , if there is no way for a fluid in the spring - guide chamber 160 to escape while the spring 150 is compressing , then the fluid in the spring - guide chamber 160 would also need to be compressed to allow for movement of the annular piston 140 . similarly , if there is no way for fluid to enter the spring - guide chamber 160 , the fluid in the spring - guide chamber 160 would have to expand as the spring 150 is decompressing . so , in order to avoid this situation , a vent 210 is provided in the housing 130 for allowing fluid to flow between the spring - guide chamber 160 and the outside of the valve 100 . on the other hand , it is contemplated that the vent 210 could be eliminated if the effect of the fluid trapped in the spring - guide chamber 160 is considered in the design of the valve 100 , for example if the spring 150 is selected with consideration given to the force necessary for compression of the fluid trapped in the spring - guide chamber 160 . the operation of the valve 100 will now be described . when the valve is closed as shown in fig1 and a fluid is forced into the antechamber 115 through the inlet 110 , pressure is applied to the annular piston 140 . when this pressure exceeds a certain threshold amount , for example 70 psi , the force caused by this pressure on the annular piston 140 begins to overcome the opposing force on the annular piston 140 from the spring 150 . at this point , the annular piston 140 begins to compress the spring 150 and move towards the open - valve position shown in fig2 . as the fluid pressure in the antechamber 115 continues to increase , the annular piston 140 continues to move towards the open - valve position , gradually uncovering the grooved plate 170 . once the fluid pressure in the antechamber 115 reaches a second threshold level , for example 120 psi , the force resulting from the fluid pressure is sufficient to move the annular piston 140 all the way to the open - valve position . at the open - valve position , valve 100 is fully open and the fluid conduits , i . e ., grooves , in the groove - plate 170 are most completely uncovered by the annular piston 140 . if , while the valve 100 is open , fluid pressure in the antechamber 115 is reduced — for example , below 120 psi staying with the above example — then the force of the spring 150 acting on the annular piston 140 begins to overcome the opposing force caused by the fluid pressure in the antechamber 115 . in this situation , the annular piston 140 begins to gradually move from the open - valve position shown in fig2 towards the closed - valve position shown in fig1 . while the annular piston 140 moves towards the closed - valve position , the annular piston 140 gradually covers and blocks the fluid conduits , i . e ., grooves , in the grooved plate 170 . at some point , if the fluid pressure in the antechamber 115 is sufficiently reduced — for example , below 70 psi still staying with the above example — then the annular piston 140 is moved under the force of the spring 150 to the closed - valve position and the valve 100 is fully closed . thus , unless the fluid pressure in the antechamber 115 is sufficient to generate a force on the annular piston 140 such that the force can overcome the opposing force on the annular piston 140 from the spring 150 , the flow of fluid from the inlet 110 to the outlet 120 is blocked and the valve 100 is closed . it is particularly worth noting that the valve 100 according to the present invention is less sensitive than prior valves to downstream pressure , i . e ., pressure at the outlet 120 of the valve . this is because the pressure at the outlet 120 and within the outflow path 125 does not act on the annular piston 140 . instead , as described above , the annular piston 140 moves according to a force applied from pressure within the antechamber 115 , i . e ., inlet pressure , and an opposing force from the spring 150 . since the spring 150 is fluidly sealed from the fluid flow path between the inlet 110 and the outlet 120 , including the outflow path 125 , the pressure within the outflow path 125 does not contribute to the opposing force from the spring 150 on the annular piston 140 . thus , it will be appreciated that the valve 100 operates to open and close according to variations in the inlet pressure rather than changes in the differential pressure between the outlet 120 and the inlet 110 . fig4 shows a schematic block diagram of a compressed air system incorporating the valve 100 . the compressed air system includes a compressor 250 for compressing air into a reservoir 260 . the compressor 250 can be controlled by a governor ( not shown ) for monitoring the pressure of the air stored in the reservoir 260 . the reservoir 260 serves as a source of compressed air for a primary load 270 and an auxiliary load 280 . as an example , the compressed air system shown in fig4 can be embodied as a vehicle compressed air system where the primary load 270 is an air brake that uses the compressed air from the reservoir 260 for slowing and stopping the rotation of the wheels of the vehicle , while the auxiliary load 280 is an air - ride seat where air is supplied to a driver &# 39 ; s seat for height adjustment . in such a system , it is desirable to isolate the loads so that a leak in the auxiliary load 280 does not affect the function of the primary load 270 . otherwise , an air leak in the auxiliary load 280 could result in an over - depletion of compressed air from the reservoir 260 , an overworking of the compressor 250 trying to bring the air pressure in the reservoir 260 up to a necessary level , and / or failure of the primary load 270 to function due to inadequate air pressure supplied from the reservoir 260 . the valve 100 is used as a protective measure in the compressed air system shown in fig4 as follows . the air pressure in the reservoir 260 is reflected in the air pressure within the air supply lines from the reservoir 260 to the loads 270 and 280 . thus , the air pressure in the reservoir 260 is detected at the valve 100 , disposed inline with the air supply line from the reservoir 260 to the auxiliary load 280 . if the amount of pressure at the inlet 110 of the valve 100 is above a predetermined amount , the pressure of the air overcomes the opposing force of the spring 150 within the valve 100 acting on the valve &# 39 ; s annular piston 140 and the valve 100 is open , allowing the flow of air therethrough to the auxiliary load 280 . on the other hand , if an air leak or over - usage occurs in the auxiliary load 280 , the air pressure within the reservoir 260 and the air supply lines from the reservoir 260 to the loads 270 and 280 will begin to drop as air escapes . as the pressure drops and approaches the predetermined amount , the valve 100 will begin to close as the force of the valve &# 39 ; s spring 150 on the annular piston 140 overcomes the diminishing opposing force of the air pressure . upon reduction of the air pressure to the predetermined amount , the valve 100 will be closed , effectively stopping any further loss of air from the reservoir 260 . ideally , the predetermined pressure at which the valve 100 closes will be higher than the minimum amount of pressure necessary for proper function of the primary load 270 . this would allow the primary load 270 to continue normal function despite failure or over - use of the auxiliary load 280 . although the present invention has been fully described by way of preferred embodiments , one skilled in the art will appreciate that other embodiments and methods are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention .	8
referring to fig1 there is shown in block form a device for analyzing a golf club swing including a single colored golf club head , two television cameras , synchronizing means , processing means and a display unit . a student golfer holding a golf club having a head colored with a single color shown at 10 is positioned between cameras shown 12 and 14 and these cameras are focused on club head 10 . the two cameras 12 and 14 are positioned at right angles to each other so as to receive the front and side images of the club head 10 . each camera is rendered responsive to a single color , the particular color of the golf club head 10 . these cameras are typically closed circuit color television cameras of the type generally available which have been adjusted to respond only to a single color . each camera includes video circuits that generate repeated scanning lines and circuits that detect single colored images corresponding to the colored golf club head 10 that are received during each scanning interval . upon detection of such single colored images , video circuits responsive to such images produce a pulse corresponding to each single colored image . fig2 illustrates a drawing of the screen of a video monitor 16 displaying pulses 18 , 18a , 18b and 18c corresponding to the images of a golf club head 10 carrying one color during repeated scanning intervals . synchronizing means shown at 20 generate synchronizing information comprised of horizontal and vertical sweep triggering pulses and transmit these horizontal and vertical pulses to cameras 12 and 14 along horizontal pulse lines 22 and 24 and vertical pulse lines 26 and 28 , respectively . the horizontal pulses are generated at a horizontal sweep rate of 15 , 750 hertz . the vertical pulses are generated at a rate corresponding to one pulse for every 262 . 5 lines . synchronizing means 20 typically comprise a closed circuit video sync commercially available . processing means shown at 30 are interconnected to synchronizing means 20 and receive synchronizing information along horizontal pulse information line 32 and vertical pulse information line 33 . processing means 30 also receive video information from cameras 12 and 14 along lines 34 and 36 , respectively . processing means 30 include a fixed logic program for determining the displacement of pulses generated by cameras 12 and 14 which pulses correspond to the images of the club head 10 that each camera receives . from the determination of the displacement of pulses and synchronizing information corresponding to the scanning interval , the fixed logic program calculates the velocity of the pulses , which corresponds to the velocity of the club head 10 in each plane . typically processing means 30 include a microprocessor and associated peripheral hardware such as a commercially available radio shack trs - 80 microcomputer . a signal corresponding to the resultant velocity of the club head in each plane is transmitted along line 38 to display unit 40 . this signal will be transmitted either in analog or digital mode depending on the type of display unit selected . typically , display unit 36 includes a strip chart recorder . to use the device , the golfer , gripping the gold club , is placed in the intersecting planes of cameras 12 and 14 . the golf club head 10 is colored red , for example , if the cameras have been adjusted to respond to primarily that color . suitable optical filters may be interposed between the camera lenses and the object to enhance the single desired color . video circuits within each camera generate scanning lines represented by lines 42 , 44 , 46 and 48 for scanning the field of view . if an object of the particular color chosen such as a colored golf club head 10 is detected during the scanning interval , a video pulse 18 is generated corresponding to the image of such single colored object within each camera . if the club head 10 is displaced within the field of view of cameras 12 and 14 , the respective corresponding pulse 18 generated by each camera will be similarly displaced . this is illustrated in fig2 where pulse 18a generated during scan line 25 as shown by line 44 is displaced from pulse 18 generated during scan line 1 as shown by line 42 . pulses generated by camera 12 and 14 together are transmitted to processing means 30 along lines 34 and 36 , respectively . processing means 30 also receive synchronizing information comprised of horizontal and vertical pulses along lines 32 and 33 from synchronizing means 20 . from the pulse and synchronizing information so received , the processing means transform the pulse data received from camera 12 and 14 into a respective cartesian coordinate system for each plane in timed relation to the synchronizing pulses . each pulse is then assigned a specific x , y coordinate . the x coordinate being the time elapsed after the beginning of a horizontal sweep and the y coordinate being the number of scan lines after the beginning of a new frame . for example , the x and y coordinates of pulse 18a , shown in fig3 a are respectively 20 , 000 microseconds and 100 scan lines . displacement of each pulse is determined by reference to the change in the respective x and y coordinates of the pulse during repeated scanning intervals . processing means 30 then calculate the velocity of pulse 18 , having previously determined the pulse displacement , by reference to the time interval between scanning lines . the resultant velocity of each pulse corresponds exactly to the velocity of the colored images of the golf club head 10 in each plane . a signal representing the value of the velocity of the pulse is transmitted to a display unit . a sample calculation as performed in processing means 30 from data corresponding to the pulse displacement as shown in fig3 a , b , c and d is illustrative of this method . each television camera being directed on the golfer gripping the colored golf club head 10 , will detect images in a 16 &# 39 ;× 20 &# 39 ; field of view and generate pulses corresponding to such images . the relative position of the pulses within the cartesian coordinate system developed within processing means 30 may be referenced to the actual position of the images of the club head 10 within the 16 &# 39 ;× 20 &# 39 ; field of view by suitable x and y dimensional multipliers . the x dimension multiplier k 2 can be calculated as follows : xd = is the x dimension field of view distance observed by the camera in feet . an example of the application of this formula is given below when xd = 20 &# 39 ; and xt the time interval during horizontal scanning is the reciprocal of 15 , 750 hertz . in the same manner , k 1 the y coordinate multiplier may be calculated . k 1 is the y coordinate multiplier in feet / scan line an example of the application formula is given below where yd = 16 &# 39 ; and the yt = 252 . 5 scan lines / sec . ## equ1 ## by use of the previously calculated k 1 and k 2 coordinate multipliers , the displacement of the single color images cooresponding to the displacement of the pulses 18a and 18b , as shown in fig3 is determined . the general formula for determining displacement between two cartesian coordinates is given by where d is the total displacement between coordinates ( x 1 - x 2 ) being the displacement between coordinates x 1 and x 2 , respectively , and ( y 1 - y 2 ) being the displacement between coordinates y 1 and y 2 , respectively . an application of this formula for the data illustrated in fig3 a and 3b corresponding to the displacement of a single colored image in the field of view scanned by camera 12 is given below where ( x . sub . 1 - x 2 ) equals 0 . 600 user and where ( y 1 - y 2 )= 3 scan lines . applying the previously calculated multipliers k 1 and k 2 to reference the pulse displacement to the displacement of the image of the colored golf club head 10 in the 16 &# 39 ;× 20 &# 39 ; field of view , the displacement of the colored image of the golf club head 10 becomes d . sub . 1 =√[ k . sub . 2 ( x . sub . 1 - x . sub . 2 )]. sup . 2 +[ k . sub . 1 ( y . sub . 1 - y . sub . 2 )]. sup . 2 ( 6 ) d 1 = the displacement of the single color image of the colored golf club head 10 in the field of view scanned by camera 12 . ( x 1 - x 2 ) being the x coordinate displacement of the pulse ( y 1 - y 2 ) being the y coordinate displacement of the pulse the elapsed time of the displacement of the image of colored club head 10 from first x , y coordinates in the first frame to second x , y coordinates in a succeeding frame may be computed by reference to the general formula t = the elapsed time of displacement of the image of colored club head 10 between a first frame and a succeeding frame , a being the time period for one scan line = 63 . 4921 usec , 2625 · a being the time interval for one complete field = 16 , 666 . 6667 usec , x 1 being the x coordinate of the image of club head 10 in the first frame , x 2 being the x coordinate of the image of colored club head 10 in the succeeding frame , y 1 being the y coordinate of the image of the colored club head 10 in the first frame , y 2 being the y coordinate of the image of the colored club head 10 in the succeeding frame . t 1 , the elapsed time of the displacement of the image of the colored club head 10 in the field of view scanned by camera 12 now becomes the displacement , d 2 , of the image of the single colored club head 10 in the field of view of scanned by camera 14 may be calculated from the sample data shown in fig3 c and 3d in a similar manner by use of formula 6 . d . sub . 2 =√[ k . sub . 2 ( x . sub . 1 - x . sub . 2 )]. sup . 2 +[ k . sub . 1 ( y . sub . 1 - y . sub . 2 )]. sup . 2 ( 12 ) d 2 = displacement of the single color image of the colored golf club head 10 in the field of view scanned by camera 14 , ( x 1 - x 2 ) being the x coordinate displacement of the image of the single colored golf club head 10 in the field of view scanned by camera 14 . ( y 1 - y 2 ) being the y coordinate displacement of the image of the single colored golf club head 10 in the field of view scanned by camera 14 . using the previously developed formula ( 9 ) for time elapsed during the displacement of the image of single colored club head 10 , t 2 , the elapsed time interval during displacement of the image in the field of view scanned by camera 14 now becomes t . sub . 2 = 262 . 5 · 63 . 4921 usec - 100 · 63 . 4921 usec - 30 . 0 usec + 103 · 63 . 4921 usec + 30 . 2 usec ( 15 ) the total combined displacement , d t , of the image in the fields of view of cameras 12 and 14 may be calculated by reference to the general formula , d t = the total combined displacement of the image of colored club head 10 in the fields of view of cameras 12 and 14 , d 1 being displacement of the image of colored club head 10 in the field of view scanned by camera 12 . d 2 being the displacement of the image of the colored club head 10 in the field of view scanned by camera 14 . similarly the total combined time interval elapsed between the displacement of the images in the respective fields of view scanned by cameras 12 and 14 may be calculated by reference to the general formula . t t = the total combined time interval elapsed between the displacement of the images of the single colored golf club head 10 in the respective fields of view of cameras 12 and 14 respectively , t 1 being the time interval between the displacement of the image of the single colored golf club head 10 in the field of view scanned by camera 12 , t 2 being the time interval between displacement of the image of the single colored golf club head 10 in the field of view scanned by camera 14 . having calculated the total combined displacement d t of the image of the colored golf club head 10 and the total combined time interval t t elapsed during such displacement , the velocity v corresponding to velocity the image of the colored golf club head 10 may be calculated by reference to the general formula v = the velocity corresponding to the image of the single colored golf club head 10 , d t is the total combined displacement of the images of the single colored golf club head 10 in the fields of view scanned by cameras 12 and 14 , respectively , and t t being the total time elapsed during the displacement of the image of the single colored golf club head 10 in the fields of view scanned by cameras 12 and 14 , respectively . it is believed that the invention in all of its phases has been fully described and it is desired to point out that the scope of this invention is believed to encompass many variations . these variations comprise the use of one or more cameras , and the readout of calculated velocity from each camera . it is therefore desired that the only limitations to the same be as set forth in the claims hereto appended .	0
european patent application 09305533 . 3 discloses a rfid tag intended for use on a rotatable support , advantageously a dvd , cd - rom , bluray disc , or the like . the rfid tag comprises a switch that , in one embodiment , can make sure that the rfid tag does not communicate unless the support rotates at a minimum speed at least . an exemplary use of the prior art rfid tag is to ensure that only a rfid tag of a support that is used responds to requests from the rfid reader ; not rfid tags on or in supports that just lie in the vicinity . fig1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of this rfid tag . the tag 110 is fixed to a rotating support 100 , i . e . a support that may rotate . the tag 110 comprises a power source 112 , a rotational switch 114 and a component 116 that preferably has processor and memory capabilities . located between the power source 112 and the component 116 is a rotational switch 114 that is arranged to cut the electric contact between the power source 112 and the component 116 unless it is subject to sufficient rotational speed . the component 116 is thus not powered if the rotating support does not rotate quickly enough . when the component 116 is powered , it functions as a powered component of a prior art tag would do , notably communicating with a rfid reader . a main idea of the present invention is to add a temporal limitation to the usage of the electronic module , by disabling the rotation switch functionality when the time limit is reached . however , the present invention differs from us 2008 / 0157974 a1 in that where the prior art uses an ‘ absolute ’ time , the present invention is adapted to limit the active use of the rfid tag . to illustrate the difference , the prior art solution may limit use to 24 consecutive hours counted from the time of rental , while the present invention for example can limit use to 4 hours spread out over an practically unlimited time . fig2 schematically illustrates a time limited rotation - activated rfid tag according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the rfid tag 210 is fixed to or incorporated in a rotatable support 200 . the rfid tag 210 comprises a power source 212 , for example a battery or an antenna that converts radio waves to electrical energy . the rfid tag 210 further comprises a rotational switch 214 , a component 216 , for example a processor , and a time usage limiter 218 . the rotational switch 214 is adapted to provide electrical power to the component 216 and the time usage limiter 218 when sufficient rotational speed is applied to it . the time usage limiter 218 comprises a countdown timer that decrements from a predefined value . when the countdown timer reaches zero , the time usage limiter 218 disables the rfid tag 210 . however , as the time usage limiter 218 is powered only at sufficient rotational speed , the countdown timer decrements only when this is the case . it will be appreciated that it is very unlikely for this to happen when the support is not rotating and the use will thus be at the very least close to the intended value . the time usage limiter 218 preferably disables the rfid tag 210 through a physical action that permanently disables the power supply for the electronic module , but it is also possible to disable the rfid tag 210 logically . in the former case , the action may be the permanent burning of a fuse ; in the latter case , the action may be sending a command to the component to enter a non - working state from which no return is possible . in any case , the rfid does not respond when the countdown timer has expired . in a preferred embodiment , the time usage limiter is embedded in either the rotational switch or the component ; preferably , the three are embedded in one physical component . the embedding makes it more difficult to bypass the disabling . fig3 illustrates an implementation of a rfid tag 310 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the rfid tag 310 comprises a component 316 , a power source embodied by an antenna 312 , and a rotational switch 314 . the antenna 312 is adapted for rf communication , i . e . transmission and reception of rf signals , and as a power supply by transforming rf signal energy to electrical energy . the rotational switch 314 comprises a first part that is movable so as to break the shortcut connection when subject to sufficient rotational energy and to establish the connection when it is not , i . e . electrical energy is provided when the rotational energy is sufficient . the skilled person will appreciate that the use of a shortcut connection is preferably only used when the power source is an antenna , but not when it is a battery . the rfid tag 310 further comprises a time usage limiter 318 adapted to count down from a predetermined value . when it reaches zero , it takes action to disable the rfid tag 310 . a couple of disabling solutions have already been described hereinbefore ; the exemplary time usage limiter 318 of fig3 preferably disables the rfid tag 310 by breaking the circuit so that the output of the component 316 never reaches the antenna 312 . naturally , the time usage limiter 318 may equally well be put before the component 316 so that any input fails to reach the latter when the rfid tag 310 is disabled . the skilled person will appreciate that it is also possible to arrange the antenna 312 , the rotational switch 314 and the component 316 in series ( something that holds true for any suitable embodiment ). fig4 a and 4 b illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a rotational switch . the exemplary preferred embodiment does not power a tag in the absence of rotational energy . the rotational switch 414 comprises a housing 410 . a first and a second electrode 430 , 440 enter the housing 410 but are arranged at a distance from one another . the space between the first and the second electrode 430 , 440 can be bridged by a movable conducting connector 450 , which is arranged on a spring 460 . a weight 420 is arranged on the connector 450 , but this weight 420 may naturally be an integral part of the connector 450 . fig4 a shows the situation where no or insufficient rotational speed is imparted on the rotational switch 414 . in this case , the connector 450 connects the first and second electrodes 430 , 440 thereby causing a short circuit , which in turn means that a component arranged in parallel is not powered . in other words , when the rotational switch 414 does not rotate sufficiently , the component is inoperative . fig4 b shows the situation where sufficient rotational speed 470 is applied to the rotational switch 414 . the rotational force imparted by the rotation on the weight 420 and the connector 450 is now greater than the opposite force provided by the spring 460 . this breaks the contact between the first and second electrodes 430 , 440 , which means that the short circuit is no longer working . the energy provided by a power source then reaches the component , thereby powering the same . fig5 a , 5 b and 5 c illustrate a medium 500 , e . g . a dvd , equipped with a rfid tag 510 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the medium 500 is within communication range of an antenna 520 of an external device , such as a reader for the medium 500 , e . g . a dvd player . in fig5 a , it is illustrated how the antenna 520 sends rf energy 522 towards the antenna ( not shown ) of the rfid tag 510 . however , as the medium does not rotate sufficiently to power the component ( not shown ) of the rfid tag 510 , the rfid tag 510 does not respond . fig5 b , on the other hand , illustrates the case when the medium 500 and its rfid tag 510 are subject to sufficient rotational energy 530 for the rotational switch ( not shown ) to engage so as to power the component . in this case , when the antenna 520 sends a rf signal 524 to the rfid tag 510 , the latter is able to process the information in the signal 524 and send a response 526 . in addition , as power is provided also to the time usage limiter , the timer is counted down . finally , fig5 c illustrates the case when the countdown timer has reached zero and the rfid tag is disabled . even though sufficient rotational energy 530 is applied to the rotational switch , no response is provided to the signal 524 , as the time usage limiter ( not shown ) has disabled the rfid tag 510 . the skilled person will appreciate that the information provided by the tag 510 can enable use — possibly enhanced or improved — of the content on the medium 500 . to obtain this information , the reader sends a rf signal to the tag that returns the required information . for example , the information may be a decryption key , the result of a computation performed by the tag &# 39 ; s component ( i . e . its processor ), information related to the rendering of the content on the medium ( such as volume , language , subtitles ), or , in the case of a computer game , information about the current state of the game ( such as character equipment and characteristics , available cars and race tracks , player high scores , . . . ). it will be appreciated that the present invention can ensure a time limit for the use of a rfid tag on or in a rotating support . it will be appreciated that a tag is a convenient and economic way of manufacturing the module , as it may then be affixed to any suitable support . it is however also possible to include the tag as a part of a bigger structure intended to be rotated during use , e . g . by including it in the support . each feature disclosed in the description and ( where appropriate ) the claims and drawings may be provided independently or in any appropriate combination . reference numerals appearing in the claims are by way of illustration only and shall have no limiting effect on the scope of the claims .	6
referring now to appended fig1 , there is illustrated a bag - in - container ( 2 ) comprising an inner bag ( 21 ) filled with a fluid ( 10 ) and an outer container ( 22 ) joined at least at the level of the neck region ( 6 ) by an interface ( not shown in the figure ). the space ( 24 ) of volume ( v s , i ) between the inner bag and outer container ( 21 ) and ( 22 ) is in fluid communication with at least one vent ( 3 ) and is filled with a certain amount of pre - pressurizing gas at a pressure ( p i ) stored in the initial space volume ( v s , i ) which will be defined below . said vent is separated from the atmosphere by closing means ( 4 ) suitable for controlling the gas flow across the vent ( 3 ). a closing means is herein considered as controlling the flow across vent ( 3 ) if it can alternate at least once from a closed position preventing any gas flow , to an open position allowing gas flow across vent ( 3 ). a simple stopper or cap usually found in pressurized bag - in - containers is not considered as controlling the flow since its sole function is to seal the pressurized space from the atmosphere . similarly , a hole in a bag - in - container used to compensate the pressure in the space with the atmosphere as the inner bag collapses by suction of the fluid contained therein , cannot be considered as controlling the flow since it is meant to remain open . closing means ( 4 ) may be a valve which can be operated either manually , or automatically as a function of the pressure inside the space ( 24 ). alternatively , the closing means ( 4 ) may be punctured open upon mounting the bag - in - container in its corresponding dispensing appliance . in this embodiment , closing means ( 4 ) may be a simple cap made of an elastomeric material like rubber . the elastomeric cap or stopper may comprise a thinner section to either facilitate puncturing thereof , or to break open when the pressure difference between the space ( 24 ) and the gas source ( 103 ) reaches a preset value . preferably , the vents ( 3 ) and corresponding closing means ( 4 ) are located adjacent to , and oriented coaxially with mouth ( 5 ), in order to simplify the mounting of the bag - in - container onto the dispensing appliance ( cf . fig3 ). the bag - in - containers according to the present invention may be manufactured by any method known in the art . a particularly preferred manufacturing technique , however , is to integrally blowmould a two layered perform or two interlocked prefroms in a single process step , resulting in a two layer container , wherein the inner and outer layers are separated by an interface , yielding a space volume substantially nil ( v s = 0 ) before the injection of pre - pressurizing gas ( cf . u . s . ser . no . 11 / 785748 — inbev ). the injection of pre - pressurizing gas at a pressure ( p i ) through the vent ( 3 ) initiates the separation of the interface between the inner bag and the outer container ensuring a smoother and more controlled collapse of the inner bag upon use and therefore yielding a more reliable product . integrally blowmoulded bag - in - containers were produced yielding a delamination pressure of about 0 . 5 ± 0 . 1 bar overpressure and showing little trace of cohesive fracture between the inner and outer layers , showing that injection of pre - pressurizing gas at a pressure ( p i ) greater than 0 . 5 bar through the interface of integrally blowmoulded bag - in - containers could effectively serve to initiate the separation of the interface . the interface may be further weakened by applying a release agent on either or both surfaces of the inner and outer preforms , which are to form the interface of the bag - in - container . any release agents available on the market and best adapted to the material used for the preform and resisting the blowing temperatures , like silicon - or ptfe - based release agents ( e . g ., freekote ) may be used . the release agent may be applied just prior to loading the preforms into the blowmoulding unit , or the preforms may be supplied pretreated . alternatively , or additionally to the application of a release agent , the interface may be weakened upon blowmoulding the bag - in - container , also when preforms with no air gap between inner and outer preforms are used , by blowing a fraction of the pressurized fluid used between the two preforms to prevent intimate contact between the inner and outer layers and thus preventing the formation of a strong interface between the two layers . the fraction of pressurized fluid injected between the two preforms must be carefully metered such that sufficient fluid is injected to form a thin fluid cushion between the two layers , but any excess leading to a poor blowing of the inner bag should be avoided . the proper ratio can easily be assessed with a series of tuning tests . preferred materials for the bag - in - container of the present invention are polyesters like pet , pen , ptt , ptn ; polyamides like pa6 , pa66 , pa11 , pa12 ; polyolefins like pe , pp ; evoh ; biodegradable polymers like polyglycol acetate ( pgac ), polylactic acid ( pla ); and copolymers and blends thereof . in case different materials are used for the inner and outer layers , their optimal blow - moulding temperatures should not differ from one another by more than about 70 ° c ., preferably 40 ° c ., most preferably 10 ° c ., and ideally should have the same blow - moulding temperature . the layer &# 39 ; s temperatures may be determined by ir - measurement . for integrally blowmoulded bag - in - containers , the at least one vent ( 3 ) preferably is in the shape of a wedge with the broad side at the level of the opening thereof , where the closing means ( 4 ) is located , and getting thinner as it penetrates deeper into the vessel , until the two layers meet to form an interface ( 24 ) at least at the level of the neck region . the container may comprise one or several vents evenly distributed around the lip of the bag - in - container &# 39 ; s mouth . several vents are advantageous as they permit the interface of the inner and outer layers ( 21 ) and ( 22 ) of the bag - in - container ( 2 ) to release more evenly upon blowing pressurized gas through said vents . preferably , the preform comprises two vents opening at the vessel &# 39 ; s mouth lip at diametrically opposed positions . more preferably , three , and most preferably , at least four vents open at regular intervals of the mouth lip . a fluid compressive force may be applied to the inner bag of a bag - in - container to literally “ squeeze ” the fluid out of the bag , either : ( a ) by injecting a pressurized gas into the space between the inner bag and outer container when dispensing ; in this technique the initial pressure ( p i ) in the space ( 24 ) is substantially nil and so can be the initial volume ( v s , i ) thereof ; the source of pressurized gas may be a pump or compressor , or in particular for home appliances , a gas - cartridges may be used ( e . g ., liquefied co 2 cartridges ); or ( b ) by storing a pressurized gas in the space between the inner bag and outer container , said space being thereafter sealed : in this technique the initial pressure ( p i ) and volume ( v s , i ) must be sufficient to drive out of the bag substantially all the fluid contained therein . as explained in the section entitled “ background of the invention ”, cartridges of pressurized ( or liquefied ) gas are rather expensive and prolonging their service life would certainly be to the benefit of the end - user . similarly , down - sizing the pump or compressor required to drive the dispensing of the fluid , is advantageous in terms of cost , noise , and bulkiness of the appliance . technique ( b ) solves all these problems , since neither a cartridge nor a compressor are required for its functioning . on the other hand , the initial pressure ( p i ) of the pressurizing gas contained in the space ( 24 ) must be high to ensure that sufficient driving force is available to squeeze out substantially all the fluid contained in the bag . it is considered that there is no more driving force available to squeeze the fluid out of the bag , when the pressure ( p ) in the bag is equal to or lower than the pressure ( p 0 ) required to deform the bag and to lift the fluid to be dispensed up to the highest point of the dispensing duct . it is clear that the pressure ( p ) in the space ( 24 ) of pressurized bag - in - containers decreases as the volume of the bag ( v b = v c − v s ) decreases as it collapses . for perfect gases , p =( p i × v s , i )/ v s , wherein the subscript i refers to the pressure and volume of the space ( 24 ) before use , and b , c , s refer to bag ( 21 ), container ( 22 ), and space ( 24 ), respectively . dividing both terms of this expression by the container volume ( v c ), and rearranging yields the expression : p =( p ×( v s , i / v c ))/( v s / v c ) ( 1 ) which is represented graphically in fig2 as the pressure ( p ) as a function of the relative space volume ( v s / v c ). the initial volume of the space before any beverage was dispensed is characterized by v s , i / v c ; and the the minimal pressure required to compress the bag and drive the fluid out of the bag is represented by p 0 , with corresponding volume of the space , v s , 0 / v c . the volume of fluid which cannot be dispensed for insufficient pressure in the space ( 24 ) is simply 1 − v s , 0 / v c . in the example represented in fig2 , the initial pressure ( p i ) and volume ( v s , i ) of pre - pressurizing gas stored in the space ( 24 ) is sufficient to dispense 40 % only of the fluid initially contained in the inner bag , thus leaving ( 1 − v s , 0 / v c )= 60 % of the liquid in the bag , according to the present invention . this result would be unacceptable for any pressurized bag - in - container using technique ( b ) as defined above wherein the pressurized gas is sealed in space ( 24 ). the manufacturer faced with such situation should either increase the initial volume ( v s , i ) of space ( 24 ), thus increasing the size of the container or increase the initial pressure ( p i ) of the gas stored in the space ( 24 ) thus requiring a substantially more resistant outer container to resist deformation from such pressurization . the present invention takes profit of the advantages of each of techniques ( a ) and ( b ) as defined above , whilst it skips their respective disadvantages . indeed , the space ( 24 ) of bag - in - containers of the present invention is pre - pressurized with a gas stored therein in a volume ( v s , i ) and at a pressure ( p i ), which is insufficient to drive out of the inner bag all the fluid contained therein . according to the present invention , the initial volume ( v s , i ) and pressure ( p i ) of the pre - pressurizing gas stored in space ( 24 ) are such that not more than 80 % of the fluid initially contained in the inner bag can be driven out of the bag by compression thereof ( i . e ., □ v s / v c =(( v s , i − v s , 0 )/ v c )≦ 0 . 8 ), preferably between 10 % and 70 % and most preferably , between 25 and 50 %. the missing pressure to drive out of the bag the remaining content of the inner bag ( 1 − v s , 0 / v c ) is supplied by an external source ( 103 ) of pressurized gas connected to the vents ( 3 ) and in coordination with the closing means ( 4 ) which control the gas flow through the vents . the external source ( 103 ) of pressurized gas may be a pump or compressor , or a pressurized gas cartridge ( e . g ., liquefied co 2 cartridge ). the advantages of this solution are unexpectedly great . in case the initial gas content characterized by ( v s , i and p i ), is sufficient to drive , say , 50 % of the initial fluid content of the inner bag , and the remaining fluid is driven out of the bag by an external source of pressurized gas , like a cartridge , the service life of the cartridge is multiplied by two with respect to the same system without pre - pressurization of the space ( 24 ), with corresponding savings for the end - users . compared with a fully pressurized bag - in - container , the mechanical resistance of the outer container is proportional to the cubic of the initial pressure ( p i ) yielding considerably cheaper containers , with corresponding savings for the end - users . ideally the initial volume ( v s , i ) in which the pre - pressurizing gas is stored should be kept as small as possible in order to reduce the overall size of the container for a given capacity of the inner bag . preferably it should be restricted to less than 10 %, preferably , less than 5 %, most preferably , less than 1 % of the total container volume ( v c ). the ideal initial pressure ( p i ) depends on a number of parameters , like the initial relative space volume ( v s , i / v c ), the minimal driving pressure ( p 0 ) of the system , and the mechanical resistance of the outer container . generally speaking , the initial pressure ( p i ) is comprised between 0 . 1 and 6 . 0 bar above atmospheric , preferably between 0 . 5 and 4 . 0 bar , most preferably between 1 . 0 and 3 . 0 bar . to produce a bag - in - container according to the present invention , an empty bag - in - container must first be produced in any way known in the art ( e . g ., producing separately a container and a bag , and inserting the latter into the container or , most preferably , by co - blowmoulding the inner bag and outer container in a single blowmoulding operation as discussed above ). the fluid ( 10 ) to be dispensed and the pre - pressurizing gas must then be introduced into the inner bag ( 21 ) and the space ( 24 ), which are the respectively sealed . these two operations may be carried out in any order : either , the bag ( 21 ) is filled first with fluid ( 10 ) and thereafter the space ( 24 ) is pressurized by injecting a gas through the vents ( 3 ) until the desired initial pressure ( p i ) and volume ( v i ) are reached ; each of the mouth ( 5 ) and vent ( 3 ) being sealed or closed at the appropriate time with sealing means ( 1 ) and closing means ( 4 ), respectively , or the space is filled with a given amount of gas first , followed by filling the inner bag ( 21 ) with the fluid to be dispensed , thus compressing the gas in space ( 24 ) until it reaches the desired initial pressure ( p i ) and volume ( v i ), or both the inner bag ( 21 ) and the space ( 24 ) are filled together with the fluid to be dispensed and the pre - pressurizing gas , respectively . to dispense the fluid ( 10 ) contained in the inner bag ( 21 ), the bag - in - container of the present invention is to be mounted onto a dispensing appliance ( 100 ) as illustrated in fig3 . in its mounted position , a dispensing duct ( 105 ) opening to the atmosphere at ( 107 ), is brought in fluid communication with the interior of the inner bag ( 21 ) through the mouth ( 5 ) of the bag - in - container , while a source of pressurized gas ( 103 ) is brought in fluid communication with the space ( 24 ) through vents ( 3 ) in cooperation with closing means ( 4 ) ( in fig3 , only one connection to vent ( 3 ) is shown for sake of clarity ). both connections are held tight with fastening means ( 109 ) which could advantageously be a nut . pressurized gas source ( 103 ) may be a cartridge of pressurized or liquefied gas , such as co 2 or n 2 , as represented in fig3 , or it may be a pump or compressor ( not shown ). the dispensing duct ( 105 ) may be provided with a sharp end able to rip open sealing means ( 1 ) separating the interior of the inner bag ( 21 ) from the atmosphere as the mouth ( 5 ) is brought into contact with said end of the dispensing duct ( 105 ) to create a fluid connection therebetween . similarly , the closing means ( 4 ) may be punctured open by a sharpened end of the duct ( 101 ) to create a fluid communication between the space ( 24 ) and the gas source ( 103 ). alternatively , closing means ( 4 ) may be a valve connectable to the end of dict ( 101 ). control valves ( 113 , 115 ) may be provided on both the dispensing duct ( 105 ) and gas duct ( 101 ), respectively , to control , either manually or automatically , the flow of fluid and gas , respectively , when required . upon use , the initial pressure ( p i ) of the pre - pressurizing gas stored in space ( 24 ) is sufficient to dispense a given amount of the fluid ( 10 ) contained in the inner bag ( 21 ) ( not more than 80 % of the initial fluid content (=□ v s / v c )). as the pressure ( p ) in the space ( 24 ) decreases as shown in fig2 , additional pressurized gas is injected from gas source ( 103 ) into space ( 24 ) through duct ( 101 ) and vent ( 3 ). the control of gas flow from the gas source to the space ( 24 ) may be provided by the closing means ( 4 ) themselves or , alternatively , by control means such as a pressure valve ( 115 ) disposed between the gas source ( 103 ) and the closing means ( 4 ), which must then be opened , e . g ., by puncturing it . in the former case , closing means ( 4 ) may be adapted to open when the pressure in the space ( 24 ) falls below a given value , such as p / p 0 & lt ; 1 . 2 . alternatively , it may be adapted to open when the external pressure is higher by a given value than the pressure in the space ( 24 ). the same rules may be applied to control valve ( 115 ) in case closing means ( 4 ) is puncture opened .	1
in one embodiment , the present invention includes a method and apparatus for aligning the measurements of a fleet of color measurement instruments to a master ( or “ industry standard ”) color measurement instrument outside of the fleet . the method includes four main sub - processes : ( 1 ) a process for generating initial profiles for the color measurement instruments in the fleet using an initial set of color tiles ; ( 2 ) a process for generating new profiles for the color measurement instruments in the fleet based on the initial set of color tiles ; ( 3 ) a process for generating a profile for a new device that is similar to ( i . e ., has the same specimen - illumination pattern and specimen - viewing geometry as ) the color measurement instruments in the fleet ; and ( 4 ) a process for generating new profiles for a new group of similar color measurement instruments based on a new set of color tiles . in one embodiment , sub - processes ( 2 )-( 4 ) are considered optional and may be performed in any combination and / or order once sub - process ( 1 ) is performed . however , a given color measurement instrument must be subjected to either sub - process ( 2 ) ( if the color measurement instrument is a member of the fleet ) or sub - process ( 3 ) ( if the color measurement instrument is not a member of the fleet ) if the color measurement instrument is to be able to measure color accurately . moreover , if the initial set of color tiles is unavailable , a new color measurement device ( not a member of the fleet ) must be subjected to sub - process ( 4 ) in order to be able to measure color accurately . in practice , a certain type of color measurement instrument developed by a certain manufacturer may have systematic differences compared to some commonly used industry standard instrument . furthermore , systematic differences may exist among instruments in a fleet of similar color measurement instruments , and thus the inter - instrument agreement among the fleet may be poor . for example , table 1 shows the commission internationale de l &# 39 ; eclairage ( cie ) 1976 ( l , a , b *) color space ( cielab ) color difference δe ( under illuminant d65 ) when using different instruments to measure the same set of color standards ( in this case , reflecting tiles c1 , . . . , c12 ). for each color standard , the color difference is calculated between the measured color from one instrument and the average of the same measured color ( reflectance data ) from all the instruments . as illustrated , δe ranges from 0 . 01 to 0 . 75 . to reduce the systematic differences between a fleet of color measurement instruments and a widely accepted industry standard , and to improve the inter - instrument agreement performance among the fleet of color measurement instruments , the industry standard instrument can be used to measure the same set of color standards , to generate a profile for a given instrument in the fleet based on the difference between the given instrument and the industry standard , and to apply the profile to the given instrument . after each instrument in the fleet is profiled in this way , subsequent measurements by each instrument are corrected ( or correlated ) by using the respective profile . compared to the uncorrected instruments ( i . e ., the instruments prior to application of the respective profiles ), the corrected instruments perform more like the industry standard , and the inter - instrument agreement among the instruments in the fleet will be much tighter . fig1 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method 100 for generating initial profiles for the color measurement instruments in a fleet of color measurement instruments , according to the present invention . thus , the method 100 corresponds to sub - process ( 1 ) discussed above . the method 100 may be performed , for example , by a centralized processor that communicates with the fleet of color measurement instruments . the method 100 begins in step 102 . in step 104 , an initial set of color standards ( e . g ., color tiles ) is obtained . in step 106 , measurements are received from each instrument in the fleet of color measurement instruments . the measurements received in step 106 comprise a first set of spectral data measured from the initial set of color standards . in step 108 , measurements are received from an industry standard color measurement instrument , which is not a member of the fleet of color measurement instruments . the measurements received in step 108 comprise a second set of spectral data measured from the initial set of color standards . in step 110 , an initial profile is generated for each color measurement instrument in the fleet of color measurement instruments . a given color measurement instrument &# 39 ; s initial profile is based on a comparison of the portion of the first set of spectral data that is received from the given color measurement instrument to the second set of spectral data ( e . g ., via an equation such as eqn . 1 ). in step 112 , a third set of spectral data is generated by applying the initial profiles to the respective color measurement instruments in the fleet . application of the initial profiles in accordance with step 112 involves using the initial profile for a given color measurement instrument to mathematically correct the portion of the first set of spectral data that was measured by the given color measurement instrument . when the initial profiles have been applied in this way to each of the respective color measurement instruments in the fleet ( i . e ., such that all portions of the first set of spectral data have been mathematically corrected accordingly ), the third set of spectral data is produced . the method 100 then ends in step 114 . the method 100 thus produces a “ corrected ” fleet of color measurement instruments . in other words , the initial profiles correct the measurements of the color measurement instruments in the fleet so that they are closer to what the industry standard color measurement instrument would have measured . table 2 shows the cielab color difference when using different instruments in the corrected fleet to measure the same set of color standards . as illustrated , δe ranges from 0 . 01 to 0 . 2 , which is much tighter when compared to the ranges in table 1 for an “ uncorrected ” fleet . fig2 is a diagram further illustrating the improvement on color measurement performance according to the method 100 illustrated in fig1 . for ease of illustration , the multi - dimensional color space ( three dimensions of color × twelve color tiles ) is represented as a plane . as can be seen in fig2 , after being corrected to the industry standard , not only do the individual color measurement instruments in the corrected fleet exhibit smaller differences from the industry standard color measurement instrument , but the color measurement instruments in the fleet also exhibit smaller differences among themselves ( i . e ., inter - instrument agreement among the fleet is improved ). after being corrected to the industry standard color measurement instrument , the fleet of color measurement instruments as a whole shifts closer to the industry standard color measurement instrument , and the clustering is much tighter than that of the original , uncorrected fleet . once a large enough population is obtained in the corrected fleet , the center of the fleet will be stable . any color measurement instrument that is either part of the original fleet or is not part of the original fleet but is similar to the color measurement instruments in the original fleet ( such as any color measurement instrument coming from the production line of the original fleet ) can then be corrected to the virtual center of the corrected fleet . fig3 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method 300 for generating new profiles for the color measurement instruments in the fleet based on the initial set of color standards , according to the present invention . thus , the method 300 corresponds to sub - process ( 2 ) discussed above . like the method 100 , the method 300 may be performed , for example , by a centralized processor that communicates with the fleet of color measurement instruments . the method 300 begins in step 302 . in step 304 , the mean of the third set of spectral data ( i . e ., the measurements taken by the fleet of color measurement instruments that are mathematically corrected using the initial profiles ) is calculated . as used herein , the term “ mean ” refers to the mean of a set of measurements taken by the fleet of color measurement instruments , rather than the mean of a set of measurements taken by a single color measurement instrument . the mean of the third set of spectral data represents the “ virtual center ” for the fleet of color measurement instruments . in step 306 , a new profile is generated for each color measurement instrument in the fleet . a given color measurement instrument &# 39 ; s new profile is based on a comparison of the portion of the first set of spectral data that is received from the given color measurement instrument ( i . e ., the spectral data measured by the given color measurement instrument before application of the initial profile ) to the virtual center ( e . g ., via an equation such as eqn . 1 ). in step 308 , the new profiles are applied to the respective color measurement instruments in the fleet . application of the new profiles in accordance with step 308 involves using the new profile for a given color measurement instrument to mathematically correct subsequent measurements of spectral data by the given color measurement instrument . the method 300 then ends in step 310 . the method 300 thus refines the initial profiles generated for the fleet of color measurement instruments using the initial set of color tiles . after application of the new profiles , the inter - instrument agreement of the fleet of color measurement instruments is further improved , without using the industry standard color measurement instrument . to illustrate , table 3 shows the cielab color difference when the original fleet of color measurement instruments is corrected to the virtual center directly , without using the industry standard color measurement instrument . the color difference is measured between the corrected color measurement instrument and the virtual center . as illustrated , most δe are below 0 . 1 , with only a few exceptions going up to 0 . 19 . fig4 is a diagram further illustrating the improvement of color measurement performances by application of the method 300 illustrated in fig3 to correct a fleet of instruments to the pre - determined virtual center . for ease of illustration , the multi - dimensional color space ( three dimensions of color × twelve color tiles ) is represented as a plane . as can be seen in fig4 , after being corrected to the virtual center directly , not only do the individual color measurement instruments in the corrected fleet exhibit smaller differences from the industry standard color measurement instrument , but the color measurement instruments in the fleet also exhibit smaller differences among themselves ( i . e ., inter - instrument agreement among the fleet is improved . after being corrected to the virtual center , the fleet of color measurement instruments as a whole shifts closer to the industry standard color measurement instrument , and the clustering is much tighter than that of the original , uncorrected fleet . moreover , the clustering is tighter even than that of the fleet that has been corrected using the initial profiles ( as illustrated in fig2 ). fig5 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method 500 for generating a profile for a new color measurement instrument . the new color measurement instrument is a color measurement instrument that is not part of the original fleet but is similar to the color measurement instruments in the original fleet ( such as any color measurement instrument coming from the production line of the original fleet ) thus , the method 500 corresponds to sub - process ( 3 ) discussed above . the method 500 may be performed , for example , by a centralized processor that communicates with the fleet of color measurement instruments . the method 500 begins in step 502 . in step 504 , measurements from the new color measurement instrument are received . the measurements received in step 504 comprise a fourth set of spectral data measured from the initial set of color standards . in step 506 , a profile is generated for the new color measurement instrument . the new color measurement instrument &# 39 ; s profile is based on a comparison of the fourth set of spectral data to the virtual center of the fleet of color measurement instruments . in step 508 , the profile is applied to the new color measurement instrument . application of the profile in accordance with step 508 involves using the profile to mathematically correct subsequent measurements of spectral data by the new color measurement instrument . the method 500 then ends in step 510 . thus , the method 500 creates a profile for a new color measurement instrument that is similar to the instruments in the fleet of color measurement instruments , using the virtual center and the initial set of color standards . at some point , it may be necessary to utilize a new set of color standards ( e . g ., due to unavailability of the initial set of color standards ). in this case , the previously calculated virtual center of the fleet is no longer useful , since it is associated with the initial set of color standards . thus , for similar instruments that are in current need of profiling ( whether or not the similar instruments come from the original fleet ) it will be necessary to generate new profiles using the new set of color standards . fig6 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method 600 for generating new profiles for the fleet of color measurement instruments based on a new set of color standards , according to the present invention . thus , the method 600 correlates to sub - process ( 4 ) discussed above . the method 600 may be performed , for example , by a centralized processor that communicates with the fleet of color measurement instruments . the method 600 begins in step 602 . in step 604 , a new set of color standards ( e . g ., color tiles ) is obtained . in step 606 , a secondary “ master ” color measurement instrument is selected either from the fleet of color measurement instruments or from a larger set of optically similar instruments . in one embodiment , the secondary master color measurement instrument is a color measurement instrument in this set whose measurements of the initial set of color standards are close to the virtual center . in step 608 , measurements are received from each instrument in the fleet of color measurement instruments . the measurements received in step 608 comprise a first set of spectral data measured from the new set of color standards . in step 610 , measurements are received from the secondary master color measurement instrument . the measurements received in step 610 comprise a second set of spectral data measured from the new set of color standards . in step 612 , a new profile is generated for each color measurement instrument in the fleet of color measurement instruments , relative to the new set of color standards . a given color measurement instrument &# 39 ; s new profile is based on a comparison of the portion of the first set of spectral data that is received from the given color measurement instrument to the second set of spectral data ( e . g ., via an equation such as eqn . 1 ). in step 614 , the new profiles are applied to the respective color measurement instruments in the fleet . application of the new profiles in accordance with step 614 involves using the new profile for a given color measurement instrument to mathematically correct the portion of the first set of spectral data that was measured by the given color measurement instrument . the method 100 then ends in step 616 . thus , the method 600 is similar to the method 100 , except that the method 600 uses the new set of color standards in place of the initial set of color standards and uses the secondary master color measurement instrument in place of the industry standard color measurement instrument . in the case of the method 600 , the fleet is a set of color measurement instruments that are similar ( but not necessarily identical ) to the fleet of color measurement instruments deployed in accordance with the method 100 . a new set of profiles is then generated for the fleet of color measurement instruments , based on the new set of color standards . the method 600 ends in step 610 . thus , the secondary master instrument is used , along with the new color standards , to generate new profiles for a newly defined fleet of color measurement instruments according to the process described above in connection with fig1 . fig7 is a high - level block diagram of the profiling method that is implemented using a general purpose computing device 700 . in one embodiment , a general purpose computing device 700 comprises a processor 702 , a memory 704 , a profiling module 705 and various input / output ( i / o ) devices 706 such as a display , a keyboard , a mouse , a stylus , a wireless network access card , an ethernet interface , and the like . in one embodiment , at least one i / o device is a storage device ( e . g ., a disk drive , an optical disk drive , a floppy disk drive ). it should be understood that the profiling module 705 can be implemented as a physical device or subsystem that is coupled to a processor through a communication channel . alternatively , the profiling module 705 can be represented by one or more software applications ( or even a combination of software and hardware , e . g ., using application specific integrated circuits ( asic )), where the software is loaded from a storage medium ( e . g ., i / o devices 706 ) and operated by the processor 702 in the memory 704 of the general purpose computing device 700 . thus , in one embodiment , the profiling module 705 for aligning the measurements of a fleet of color measurement instruments to a master ( or “ industry standard ”) color measurement instrument outside of the fleet , as described herein with reference to the preceding figures , can be stored on a tangible or physical computer readable storage medium ( e . g ., ram , magnetic or optical drive or diskette , and the like ). it should be noted that although not explicitly specified , one or more steps of the methods described herein may include a storing , displaying and / or outputting step as required for a particular application . in other words , any data , records , fields , and / or intermediate results discussed in the methods can be stored , displayed , and / or outputted to another device as required for a particular application . furthermore , steps or blocks in the accompanying figures that recite a determining operation or involve a decision , do not necessarily require that both branches of the determining operation be practiced . in other words , one of the branches of the determining operation can be deemed as an optional step . while the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention , other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof . various embodiments presented herein , or portions thereof , may be combined to create further embodiments . furthermore , terms such as top , side , bottom , front , back , and the like are relative or positional terms and are used with respect to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures , and as such these terms may be interchangeable .	6
fig1 - 5 show a mounting bracket 1 comprising a mounting plate 4 and a base plate 3 . slat connectors 5 are mounted on the base plate 3 and a bearing stub 2 that is insertable into a recess that is provided on the frame of the slatted base ( not shown ) is provided on the mounting plate 4 . when the mounting bracket 1 is fitted onto the slatted base frame , the base plate 3 then lies on the top surface of the base frame . it is understood that the construction of the mounting bracket 1 may have to be adapted to the slatted base frame , depending on the particular construction of the slatted base frame . so , for example , instead of the bearing stub 2 that is shown in the figures , differently constructed fastening means may be provided . it may also be possible to eliminate the connecting plate 4 , if , for example , the mounting bracket 1 is to be fastened directly to the top side of the base frame . in that case , a bearing stub constructed similarly to the bearing stub 2 may be provided on the underside of the base plate 3 , so that it extends downward from the base plate 3 . two plugs 5 are arranged on the base plate 3 . these plugs 5 extend upward from respective plug bases 6 that are mounted or formed on the base plate 3 . the plug bases 6 serve to optimally support the plug 5 against shear forces . a rib 7 is provided on an upper area of the plug 5 , on the long side , so that the plug 5 has a comparatively wide head region , to provide a forced fit in the spring slat , to secure it against forces working to lift the slat off the plug . the material for the plug 5 has a certain elasticity , which enables it to be insertable through a plug opening in the spring slat that is narrower than the head region on the plug . in the shown embodiment , the mounting bracket 1 is as a single injection - molded plastic piece . thus , the head region with the ribs 7 , the entire plug 5 including the socket 6 , and the entire mounting bracket 1 are made of the same material . alternatively , however , the mounting bracket 1 may be produced in a well - known manner using the so - called two - component or multi - component injection molding . in this case , the mounting bracket 1 may have rigid and flexible regions made of two or more different materials , so that the head region with the ribs 7 , for example , may be made to be more flexible than the socket 6 . the plugs 5 may also be constructed in a way that deviates from the shown embodiment . for example , the plug 5 may have a round cross section instead of an oblong one , and two or more plugs may be arranged in a row , that is , one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the spring slat that is to be secured . fig2 and 3 are top and bottom views , respectively , that show a spring slat 8 fastened to the mounting bracket 1 . the two plugs 5 extend into two oblong plug openings 9 of the spring slat 8 that are constructed as slots 10 . the bottom view shows that the plug openings 9 on the bottom side of the spring slat 8 widen into a larger cross section that is adapted to the measurements of the sockets 6 , so that the sockets 6 are received into these wider cross - sectional areas . one also sees that the two plug openings 9 , including the expanded cross - sectional areas , extend beyond the plugs 5 in the direction of the end of the spring slat 8 . this allows a relative movability between the spring slat 8 and the mounting bracket 1 , so that it is possible to guide the end of the spring slat 8 closer to the mounting bracket 1 . further movement of the spring slat 8 in relation to the mounting bracket 1 is not possible , however , in the opposite direction . the expanded lower cross sections of the plug openings 9 are limited in length and are shorter than the aforementioned slots 10 , so that they create a stop that limits further movement plug bases 6 when the spring slat 8 is moved relative to the mounting bracket 1 in such a direction that the gap between the end of the spring slat 8 that is visible in the drawings and the mounting bracket 1 increases . these ends of the expanded cross - sectional areas of the plug openings 9 , which form the stop , are hidden from view in fig3 by the mounting bracket 1 . fig4 shows that the plug openings 9 are constructed as a part of longer ventilation slots 10 and that the plug bases 6 have a rounded contour on the side that faces the end of the spring slat 8 , and a straight contour on the opposite end that faces toward the middle of the spring slat 8 . fig5 is a bottom plan view that shows the contours of the plug openings 9 that are expanded on the bottom side , these openings 9 being adapted to the dimensions of the sockets 6 .	0
the present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying figures , in which embodiments of the invention are shown . this invention may , however , be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein . accordingly , while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms , specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail . it should be understood , however , that there is no intent to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed , but on the contrary , the invention is to cover all modifications , equivalents , and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims . like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description of the figures . the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention . as used herein , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms “ comprises ” and / or “ comprising ,” when used in this specification , specify the presence of stated selectivity features , integers , steps , operations , elements , and / or components , but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other selectivity features , integers , steps , operations , elements , components , and / or groups thereof . as used herein the twin “ and / or ” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items . unless otherwise defined , all terms ( including technical and scientific terms ) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . it will be further understood that terms , such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries , should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein . the present invention is described below with reference to block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations of methods , systems , devices and / or computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it is understood that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations , and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations , can be implemented by computer program instructions . these computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , and / or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer and / or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the block diagrams and / or flowchart block or blocks . these computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer - readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner , such that the instructions stored in the computer - readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function / act specified in the block diagrams and / or flowchart block or blocks . the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer - implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions / acts specified in the block diagrams and / or flowchart block or blocks . accordingly , the present invention may be embodied in hardware and / or in software ( including firmware , resident software , micro - code , etc .). furthermore , the present invention may take the form of a computer program product comprising a computer - usable or computer - readable storage medium having computer - usable or computer - readable program code embodied in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system . in the context of this document , a computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be any medium that can contain , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be , for example but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , device , or propagation medium . more specific examples ( a non - exhaustive list ) of the computer - readable medium would include the following : an electrical connection having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), an optical fiber , and a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cd - rom ). note that the computer - usable or computer - readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed , as the program can be electronically captured , via , for instance , optical scanning of the paper or other medium , then compiled , interpreted , or otherwise processed in a suitable manner , if necessary , and then stored in a computer memory . it should also be noted that in some alternate implementations , the functions / acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the flowcharts . for example , two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order , depending upon the functionality / acts involved . as discussed above , improved methods of asset management may be desired . embodiments of the present invention that will be discussed with respect to fig1 a through 13 , provide methods , systems , devices and computer program products for providing location information associated with a mobile device . as used herein , “ location information ” can refer to a single response indicating the presence of a mobile device within a certain perimeter or a more in depth response including coordinates and signal strength . “ presence information ” may specifically refer to a response indicating the presence of a mobile device within a certain perimeter of a reader according to some embodiments of the present invention . as further used herein , a “ mobile device ” refers to a device or resource capable of being moved from one place to another . in some embodiments of the present invention , the mobile device may be a high value mobile asset such as a defibrillator or a laptop computer . however , it will be understood that mobile devices according to some embodiments of the present invention may include library books , files and other lesser value resources without departing from the scope of the present invention . as discussed herein , methods , systems , devices and computer program products according to some embodiments of the present invention may address many of the short falls of conventional methods of asset management . devices according to some embodiments of the present invention may be used in the context the radarfind real - time location system ( rtls ). rtls is a synchronous , real - time tracking system for the location and status of capital assets . it is predominantly used in the healthcare industry , namely for tracking medical equipment and patients in hospitals , however , embodiments of the present invention are not limited to tracking medical equipment . intrinsic to the system are tags , for example , rotatable tags or transponders , that interact with other system devices and elements to create a signature of location . other devices working in conjunction with these precisely timed transponders allow a database to collect information in order to calculate relevant position based on a complex series of precisely timed events as discussed herein . the tags maintain local clocks synchronized to other system devices and therefore are able to deliver more complex data to the rtls as will be discussed further below . referring now to fig1 a , a system according to some embodiments of the present invention will be discussed . as illustrated in fig1 a , the system 100 includes a mobile device / resource 110 , a reader 140 , a hub / head end 150 and a computing device / server 160 . mobile devices 110 may be , for example , high - value , portable hospital equipment , such as a hospital bed , an infusion pump , an scd , an electrocardiogram ( ekg ) device , a pulse oximeter , a vital signs monitor , a hypothermia machine , a kangaroo pump , a neonatal ventilator or the like . it will be understood that although embodiments of the present invention will be discussed with respect to hospital equipment and hospital environments , embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these environments . for example , some embodiments of the present invention may be used in , for example , school or corporate environments , to monitor the status and location of portable computers , books , files and the like without departing from the scope of the present invention . as further illustrated in fig1 a , the mobile device 110 includes a rotatable tag 120 , which is configured to communicate with the reader 140 over a radio frequency rf link 105 . it will be understood that although link 105 is discussed herein as an rf link , embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this configuration . the link 105 may be any type of communications link known to those having skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention . the rotatable tag 120 is associated with a mobile device 110 and , in some embodiments of the present invention , the rotatable tag 120 is affixed to the mobile device 110 as illustrated in fig1 a and 13 . the rotatable tag 120 may be , for example , an identification tag that may use radio frequencies to communicate . details with respect to the radio frequency communications are known to those having skill in the art and , thus , only details specific to embodiments of the present invention will be discussed in detail herein . however , as will be understood by those having skill in the art , embodiments of the rotatable tag 120 are not limited to identification tags using radio frequencies to communicate . in some embodiments , the rotatable tag 120 is configured to receive signals from the reader 140 and transmit signals to the reader 140 over the rf link 105 . the rotatable tag 120 is configured to transmit information responsive to a request from the reader 140 . it will be understood that in some embodiments of the present invention , the rotatable tag may just transmit or may transmit and receive ( transponder ) without departing from the scope of the present invention . furthermore , the rotatable tag 220 can transmit autonomously , responsively or synchronously without departing from the scope of the present invention . in some embodiments of the present invention , the rotatable tag 120 is battery powered . to conserve battery life , the rotatable tag 120 ( tag ) is in a sleep mode most of the time . thus , the battery used in rotatable tags 120 according to some embodiments of the present invention may last significantly longer than those of conventional tags . for example , the battery life of a battery in a rotatable tag 120 according to embodiments of the present invention may be about 6 years or more . accordingly , the cost of affixing rotatable tags 120 to mobile devices 110 may be reduced as well as battery replacement costs . in particular , the rotatable tag 120 is configured to periodically wake up from the sleep mode and listen for a request ( beacon signal ), for example , a request for presence information , from the reader 140 . if the rotatable tag 120 receives the request when it is awake , the rotatable tag 140 is configured to transmit the requested presence information to the reader 140 . in some embodiments of the present invention , the rotatable tag 120 may be configured to have different levels of “ awake ” and “ sleep .” in these embodiments of the present invention , the rotatable tag 120 may be configured to fully awake before responding to the request from the reader 140 . if , on the other hand , the rotatable tag 120 does not receive the request within a predetermined period of time , the rotatable tag 120 may return to sleep mode . the reader 140 , which will be discussed further below , may be configured to transmit the request multiple times to ensure that the rotatable tag 120 will receive the request when it is awake . as further illustrated in fig1 a , the rotatable tag 120 may include a timer 127 . the timer may be , for example , a back - off timer which is configured to indicate how long the rotatable tag 120 can stay awake before going back to sleep . the timer 127 may be set to one or more microseconds so as not to consume a lot of the battery life . the timer 127 may also be used for collision avoidance between similarly located rotatable tags 120 . for example , if a first rotatable tag has a back - off tinier set to 2 microseconds ( μs ) and another rotatable tag may have a back - off timer of 4 μs , the likelihood that the information they are transmitting to the reader 140 will intersect may be reduced . the timer 127 may also be used to indicate when the rotatable tag 120 should wake up . it will be understood that more than one tinier may be provided without departing from the present invention . in other words , rotatable tags 120 may have more than one sleep mode . the rotatable tag 120 may be configured to detect that it has not received a request from the reader 140 in a significant period of time , for example , ten minutes or more . this may occur when a mobile device 110 having the rotatable tag 120 affixed thereto is transported in an ambulance with a patient and is no longer within range of a reader . once the rotatable tag 120 realizes it has not received a request in a significant period of time , a value of the wake up timer may be increased so that the rotatable tag wakes up more infrequently , for example , every 3 minutes . this feature may enable the battery life to be further increased . according to some embodiments of the present invention , the time at which the rotatable tag 120 will wake up may be determined randomly using , for example , time and frequency division multiplex control by prime coefficients for pseudo arbitrary channel efficiency or determined at specific times , by use of a disciplined oscillator and time - slot assignments . using this method may increase the likelihood that the rotatable tag 120 and the request ( beacon ) from the reader 140 will not be out of synch ; i . e ., decrease the likelihood that every time the rotatable tag wakes up , the request has just come or is going to come after it goes to sleep . thus , according to some embodiments of the present invention , the rotatable tag wakes up randomly and , therefore , the likelihood of the rotatable tag and the request being unsynchronized may be reduced . as further illustrated in fig1 a , the rotatable tag 120 may further include indicia 121 to indicate a state of the mobile device 110 . in some embodiments of the present invention , the indicia 121 may be color - coded , which may allow detection of the state of the device from across the room , which may be useful when searching for an available device . in some embodiments of the present invention , the rotatable tag may have a cylindrical shape as illustrated in fig1 b . in some embodiments , the indicia 121 may include three portions , a red portion 122 may be red , which may indicate that the mobile device 110 is out of service , a blue portion 123 , which may indicate that the mobile device 110 is in use and a green portion 125 , which may indicate that the mobile device 110 is available or not in use . these colors may be visible from across the room and , therefore , returning to the console to determine the state of the mobile device 110 may not be necessary . it will be understood that although the indicia illustrated in fig1 a includes three states , embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this configuration . zero to two or four or more states may be indicated without departing from the scope of the present invention . in some embodiments of the present invention , the rotatable tag 120 may be configured to operate on multiple frequencies . in other words , the rotatable tag 120 is preloaded with different channel banks , a , b , c and so on . if the hospital happens to be using one frequency for another operation , then the frequency on which the rotatable tag 120 receives and / or transmits can be changed so as not to interfere with current hospital frequency use . this feature may allow embodiments of the present invention to adapt to the hospitals &# 39 ; existing frequency and not to cause any disruption in the current operations thereof . referring now to fig1 b , some embodiments of the present invention are directed to the cylindrical housing and rotatable exterior component of the tag 220 . although embodiments of the rotatable tag 220 discussed herein have a cylindrical housing , embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this configuration . some embodiments of the present invention provide a tag 220 having an external portion made of , for example , plastic , generally in multiple , snap - together pieces . the tag 220 may include , but is not limited to , a battery - powered electronic apparatus , a radio transceiver , and micro circuitry . a tag 220 in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention is affixed to a capital asset or object that is generally movable . the tag 220 can be affixed to the movable object using any method known to those having skill in the art . as illustrated in fig1 , an exemplary view of an environment in which the tags 220 can be used , by affixing the tags 1320 to assets 1346 , and then tracking the tag locations , the assets 1346 can be located within the rtls using communications between the tags 1320 and the reader 1340 . referring again to fig1 b , in some embodiments of the present invention , the tag 220 may be configured to indicate the use state of the object to which the tag 220 is affixed , generally through a switch or switches , which may be activated by pushing , turning , twisting or sliding one or more pieces of the tag housing to reveal different - colored / patterned indicia . colors , form , and meaning of the indicia are subjective to each use case . for example , the different patterns / colors on the tag 220 may indicate that the object to which the tag 220 is affixed is in use , available , needs cleaning , needs service or the like . in certain embodiments of the present invention , the tag 220 may be configured to transmit information about itself and its surroundings . in these embodiments , the tag 220 may include sensors ( 128 fig1 ), such as temperature sensors , motion sensors , humidity sensors , gas sensors , carbon monoxide sensors , accelerometers , gyroscopes and the like . thus , a tag in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention may be placed in the helmet of a fireman and may be used to detect a position of the fireman when he enters a fire scene . for example , the sensors in the tag may be used to indicate if the fireman is standing up or lying down inside the fire scene . if it is determined that the fireman is in distress , the tag 220 may be further used to locate the fireman in the fire scene . fig1 b is a three - dimensional visualization illustrating a rotatable tag housing with a three - state indicator in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention . although the rotatable tag of fig1 b illustrates three states , embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this configuration . the rotatable tags in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention may indicate any number of states without departing from the scope of the present invention , the number of which is only limited by how small a sliver can be made on the tag . this may be an advantage over conventional , for example , rectangular tags , on which there may be a practical limitation of to the number of states that can be shown . fig1 is a diagram illustrating a tag with a window 1190 in place in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention . fig1 is a cross - section illustrating an inner cylinder 1291 versus the outer cylinder 1292 of a tag as if the indicia window was removed in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention . as illustrated in fig1 b and 11 through 12 , the tag 220 , 1120 and 1220 may have a cylindrical shape , which may allow both local ( visual ) and remote ( electronic ) indication of the state of the attached device . in other words , the rotatable tag 220 , 1120 and 1220 is further configured to indicate at least one state of the attached device such that the at least one state of the attached device is discernable from a distance . as illustrated , for example , in fig2 , the housing of the tag 220 may include first and second portions . the first portion 234 may include at least two different patterns a and b . as used herein , “ patterns ” refer to patterns , colors or anything that can be used such that a difference between the slivers can be discerned by the eye . the second portion 235 is configured to be placed on top of the first portion 234 and has a translucent or transparent portion ( 1190 fig1 ). the second portion 235 is configured to rotate and reveal one of the at least two different patterns through the translucent portion 1190 of the second portion 235 . in some embodiments , each of the at least two patterns is indicative of a state of the object discussed above . it will be understood that although fig1 illustrates the second portion 235 being a contiguous piece having a translucent portion 1190 , embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this configuration . for example , as illustrated in fig1 , the second portion 235 may be configured to have a wedged portion removed and to reveal the different patterns through the wedged portion without departing from the scope of the present invention . the cylindrical shape of the tags 220 , 1120 and 1220 illustrated in fig1 b , 11 and 12 may also allow the interior volume for the electronics package to be increased , i . e ., the form of the housing may provide an increased volume . as used herein , an “ increased volume ” refers to more volume than a conventional tag having a conventional form factor and thus allowing more electronics to be included in the tag relative to conventional tags . furthermore , the contact area between the tag and the attached device may be reduced , i . e ., the housing may occupy a relatively small amount of surface area on the attached device . as used herein , “ relatively small amount of surface area ” refers to less surface area than a conventional tag having a conventional form factor . the cylindrical shape may also provide the rotating capability to change and reveal indicia as discussed above . rotatable tags 220 , 1120 and 1220 are intrinsically safe such that they can be used in an oxygen rich environment . thus the tags 220 do not have any exposed electrical contacts and , therefore , will not spark . furthermore , the oxygen in the air will not ruin the tag or the tag contact . as discussed above , some embodiments of the present invention provide a packaging innovation for a tag that incorporates a cylindrical rotating component 235 and a fixed component 234 . the rotating component shares an axis with the fixed component , and the rotating component may include a feature 1190 that reveals a plurality of indicia . as discussed above , the indicia may be colored or patterned panels , or lights , or some combination thereof without departing from the scope of the present invention . the cylindrical packaging according to some embodiments of the present invention may allow an interior container volume to be increased , while reducing the surface area of the object to which the tag is attached . increased interior volume enables more room for electronic circuitry , for power source or sources , antenna or antennas and the like relative to conventional form factors . these internal electronics communicate via at least radio signals , and communications include at least data indicating a plurality of states that correspond to the rotational position of the packaging . internal electronics also co - correspond to the plurality of indicia on the package , or to the lack of and / or the indeterminate state of any rotational position information and / or indicia . some embodiments of the present invention provide data about the device to which it is connected or the vicinity in which the device is located . such data may pertain to the use state of the attached device or vicinity . conventional tags may take up too much physical area on the attached device because they are configured in inadequate geometric shapes and aspect ratios . for example , tags having a rectangular shape can be an inefficient use of space as it is not ideal for the volume of interior tag components . the form factor of the rotatable tag in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention may allow the volume of the tag to be increased or possibly maximized , while reducing or possibly minimizing the amount of space the tag occupies on the device . other related devices have been miniaturized in various ways by constraining the internal volume of space . such form factors limit the capabilities of internal electronics , constrain usability by people based on the fixed minimum size of human fingers , and reduce the ability to show indicia without consuming electrical power . furthermore , the form factors and construction of related devices may inadvertently collect residual chemical and biological contaminants . tags according to some embodiments of the present invention may provide a cylindrical form factor that reduces the possible contact area with the item to which it is attached . geometrically , a cylindrical shape may achieve an increased volume above a surface . devices in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention rotate in order to change or reveal the indicia . although the outside shape of the tag might not appear to be a cylinder , the interior volume would appear as a cylinder , therefore the device rotates about its vertical axis . furthermore , the ability to clean devices in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention from residual chemical and biological contaminants may also be increased , as the tag may include a cylindrical solid and therefore may be relatively easy to wipe off . use of tags in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention may enable the adopter to receive and utilize statistics on the use of the device to which the tag is attached . this statistical data may be highly valuable because it allows the adopter to discern the value of the assets to which the present invention is attached , and whether , for example , to buy more or fewer of the devices based on usage and device - state patterns . the data generated by some embodiments of the present invention and system components may also ensure improved utilization of capital assets because the assets are in the right place at the right time and in suitable condition for use . adding efficiency to the delivery of health care has both economic and social implications . hospital staff is better focused on improved patient care and mission critical services . costs for the rental , purchase , and maintenance of hospital equipment are greatly reduced and money is saved . use of embodiments of the present invention and its location and status tracking system may be a tremendous asset to determine the utilization of equipment and capital assets . by tracking the location and status of medical devices , users may know exactly when each medical device is being used , or if and why it is not being used . users could possibly employ a smaller number of like devices and use them more frequently or more thoroughly , thus receiving a greater return on investment based on using capital assets more efficiently . some embodiments of the rtls include the following attributes or features : non - disruptive installation , coverage for entire facility , status tags , longest battery life for tags , tamper - resistant base with multiple mounting options , telemetry monitoring , no interference with existing wifi networks , relatively easy to use , easily scalable , low hospital it impact , no interference with other systems in the hospital , display of real - time device status and location , interacts with existing databases and low total cost of ownership . referring again to fig1 , as discussed above , the rotatable tag 120 communicates with the reader 140 ( transcoder ) over an rf link 105 . in some embodiments of the present invention , the reader 140 may transmit to the rotatable tag 120 using auto - synchronous on / off keying . this type of communication signal typically requires very little processing and power and , therefore , may further conserve the battery life of the rotatable tag 140 . furthermore , in some embodiments of the present invention , the rotatable tag 120 may communicate with the reader 140 using frequency shift keying . as discussed above , the reader 140 may be configured to transmit a request for presence information to the rotatable tag 120 multiple times to ensure the reception of the request at the rotatable tag 120 when the rotatable tag 120 is awake . as illustrated in fig1 a , readers 140 according to embodiments of the present invention are integrated with the existing infrastructure of the hospital . for example , the reader 140 of fig1 a is integrated with a non - critical outlet 130 already present in the hospital . thus , readers 140 according to embodiments of the present invention may use the power lines 107 already present in the hospital and do not require a complicated installation procedure . in other words , the housing , wiring and the like are already present in the hospital . the use of existing infrastructure may significantly decrease the cost of implementing asset management according to some embodiments of the present invention , which is typically very important to the customer . it will be understood that although embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as being integrated with power outlets , embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this configuration . for example , a reader 140 may be integrated in an exit sign or any device having access to the power lines or other resilient power source without departing from the scope of the present invention . as further illustrated in fig1 a , the reader 140 may include a transmitter 141 , a receiver 143 , a memory 145 and an antenna 147 . the reader 140 is configured to communicate with the hub 150 over the power lines 107 . thus , the reader 140 according to some embodiments of the present invention is configured to communicate with the rotatable tag 120 over an rf link 105 and with the hub 150 over the power line 107 . in some embodiments of the present invention , the reader 140 is a layer 2 processor , i . e . it may not be configured to process any information received from the rotatable tag 120 . thus , the transmitter 141 of the reader 140 is configured to transmit a request for presence information ( beacon signal ) to the rotatable tag 120 and the receiver 143 of the reader 140 is configured to receive the presence information from the rotatable tag 120 and store the information received in the memory 145 . the memory 145 may be a first in first out ( fifo ). the receiver 143 of the reader 140 may be further configured to receive a request for the stored information from the hub 150 over the power line 107 and the transmitter 141 of the reader 140 may be further configured to transmit the stored information to the hub 150 over the power line 107 responsive to the request . in some embodiments of the present invention , the presence information may be stored in the memory 145 with a time stamp . the time stamped information can be erased at will , which may aid in compliance with health insurance portability and accountability act ( hipaa ) regulations . thus , the information can be deleted and the actual time of deletion may be recorded . the reader 140 may only transmit information to the hub 150 in some embodiments upon request , for example , responsive to a poll from the hub 150 . in further embodiments the hub 150 communicates with the reader ( s ) 140 via a radio frequency communications link . in some embodiments of the present invention , the information provided to the hub 150 responsive to the poll may include a name of the reader , the temperature at the reader , a current time , and a dump of all the information stored in the memory 145 ( fifo ). the temperature may be provided as a precautionary measure to possibly avoid , for example , long term circuit damage or a fire . for example , if the temperature at the reader 140 is elevated , it may indicate a problem with the circuitry and , thus , may be addressed before a larger problem arises . in some embodiments of the present invention , a reader 140 may be coupled to a light source 149 , for example , a light emitting diode , as illustrated in fig1 a . the light source 149 may be mounted outside the outlet so as to be visible to hospital personnel . these particular readers 140 may be mounted near ingress / egress points in the hospital to provide an added level of security against , for example , theft of a mobile device . in other words , these readers 140 may operate similar to security tags provided on items sold in retail stores . for example , the reader 140 may be installed in an outlet and the light source 149 may be mounted in a visible location outside the outlet . accordingly , if someone tries to remove a mobile device 110 having an rotatable tag 120 affixed thereto from the hospital , the light source 149 may be configured to flash to indicate that a mobile device 110 was being removed from the hospital . in some embodiments , an audible alarm may also be configured to sound . it will be understood that the light source 149 is an optional feature of readers 140 according to embodiments of the present invention . however , all readers 140 may be capable of operating in conjunction with a light source 149 discussed above . a perspective view of readers 140 integrated with an outlet 130 according to some embodiments of the present invention is illustrated in fig1 c . as further illustrated in fig1 a , the reader 140 further includes an antenna 147 . as discussed in the background of the invention , conventional tags use infrared signals to pinpoint a location of the mobile device 110 . however , this method may be very unreliable . antennas 147 according to embodiments of the present invention may allow the specific location of the mobile device 110 to be pinpointed based on signal strength , which may be much more reliable than infrared as signal strength does not depend on a clear line of sight . in particular , as illustrated in fig4 , readers 140 may be positioned in multiple hospital rooms 410 through 490 on a single hallway 400 . a mobile device 110 having an rotatable tag 120 according to some embodiments of the present invention may be positioned in a hospital room 480 but may be closer to the reader 140 in hospital room 470 . using an antenna according to embodiments of the present invention having a defined range , when the readers 140 send out requests ( beacon signals ) to the rotatable tag ( s ) 120 and the rotatable tag ( s ) 120 respond , the signal strength of the response will appear stronger to the reader 140 in hospital room 480 in which the device sits than to the reader 140 in hospital room 470 . as used herein , a “ defined range ” refers to a controlled range so as to allow the discovery of a mobile device within the defined range to indicate a location / presence of the mobile device within a certain distance of the reader 140 . thus , according to some embodiments of the present invention signal strength may be used to pinpoint the location of the mobile device 110 , which may be more reliable than the use of infrared as discussed above . signal processing is known to those having skill in the art and , therefore , the details of the signal processing will not be discussed further herein . referring again to fig1 a , as discussed above , the hub 150 communicates with the reader ( s ) 140 over the power lines 107 . the hub 150 may be positioned in an electrical closet at the hospital . the hub 150 is configured to obtain stored information from the reader ( s ) 140 . thus , the server transmits a request for stored information to the reader ( s ) 140 and receives the stored information from each of the readers 140 . as discussed above , the hub 150 may further receive a name of the reader 140 in which the information was stored , a temperature around the reader and a current time . the hub 150 may store the received information in a database 165 . although the database 165 is illustrated as being a part of the computing device / server 160 in fig1 a , embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this configuration . as illustrated in fig2 and will be understood by those having skill in the art , a power line 107 typically has three phases − 120 ° ( 107 ′), 0 ° ( 107 ″) and 120 ° ( 107 ′″). thus , outlets 130 and , therefore , readers 140 integrated therewith , may be coupled to any one of the three phases 107 ′, 107 ″ and 107 ′″ of the power line 107 . the lines of each phase are isolated from starting loads on the other lines . as illustrated in fig2 , according to some embodiments of the present invention , a power line modem 270 , 273 and 275 is placed on each of the three phases 107 ′, 107 ″ and 107 ′″ of the power line 107 . a request for stored information is transmitted from each of the power line modems 270 , 273 and 275 at the simultaneously , which may significantly reduce the crosstalk between the lines . it will be understood that transmission from each of the power lines “ simultaneously ” refers to transmission at the same time plus or minus one or more phase differences . furthermore , all of the readers 140 may transmit a response to the request at the same time . as illustrated in fig2 , some of the lines have more readers 140 attached thereto than others . in particular , a first phase 170 ′ has a single reader 140 attached thereto , a second phase 170 ″ has two readers 140 attached thereto and the third phase 170 ′″ has four readers attached thereto . thus , the lines having a smaller number of readers attached thereto have to wait until the line with the most readers attached thereto has received its last response before the process can be repeated . as further illustrated in fig2 , the information from each of the readers 140 may be stored in a database at the server 160 or at a computing device separate from the server 160 . in some embodiments of the present invention , the server 160 is attached to the network clock so as to allow accurate timing of events . finally , as further illustrated in fig1 a , a computing device / server 160 includes a user interface 163 and the database 165 . although the computer device and server are illustrated as one unit in fig1 a , embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this configuration , these may be separate units without departing from the scope of the present invention . the database 165 may be customized according to customer preferences . as further illustrated in fig1 a , the computing device / server 160 is configured to communicate with the hub 150 using , for example , an ethernet connection . the user interface 163 may include , for example , a graphical user interface ( gui ). this gut may be used to locate the mobile device 110 that is needed by the hospital personnel . for example , the gui may contain a list of all the mobile devices 110 having rotatable tags 120 affixed thereto . the type of device needed may be clicked on , which may then begin the process according to embodiments of the present invention for location of the needed mobile device 110 . in particular , the hub 150 may be asked to poll the readers 140 to determine the location of the mobile device 110 . as discussed above , the stored information received from the reader ( s ) 140 may be stored in the database 165 which may reside at the computing device / server 160 . it will be understood that although fig1 a includes a single mobile device 110 having an rotatable tag 120 affixed thereto , a single reader 140 integrated with an outlet 130 , a single a hub / head end 150 and a single computing device / server 160 , embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this configuration . one or more of each of these elements may be included in the system 100 without departing from the scope of the present invention . as illustrated in fig1 a , the system 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention includes four elements , a database 165 , a hub 150 ( head end ), a reader 140 ( transcoder ) integrated with an outlet 130 , and an rotatable tag 120 ( identification tag ) affixed to a mobile device 110 . thus , systems according to some embodiments of the present invention combine ethernet , power line , and rf communications . some embodiments of the present invention may use a voice xml session that interacts with the xml text to implement various functionalities of embodiments of the present invention . for example , hospital personnel trying to locate a mobile device 110 can call a device configured according to embodiments of the present invention . when the device receives the call , the x , y and z coordinates of the hospital personnel may be received as well as the extension from which they are calling . thus , the positional information provided for the mobile device 110 located for the hospital personnel will not only be where the mobile device is , but will be the closest available mobile device relative to the hospital personnel &# 39 ; s current position . in some embodiments of the present invention , the rotatable tag may only be configured to transmit presence information , i . e ., in these embodiments of the present invention , the rotatable tag may not receive requests from the readers . rotatable tags according to these embodiments of the present invention may be configured to keep track of , for example , a baby born at the hospital to reduce the likelihood that the baby will be stolen from the neonatal unit . accordingly , rotatable tags according to these embodiments of the present invention may include three frequency banks : “ a ” for the beacon ( request ), “ b ” for the beacon response ( presence information ), and “ c ” for the real time information with respect to patients and babies . it will be understood that rotatable tags according to these embodiments of the present invention may used in conjunction with other objects and resources , for example , books in a library . embodiments of the present invention may be configured to look for a particular tag ( rotatable tag ) and if the rotatable tag is located an alert may be transmitted . although embodiments of the present invention are discussed herein as having readers 140 integrated with outlets 130 , embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this configuration . for example , some embodiments of the present invention may be implemented without the rotatable tag . in particular , the radio in the transcoder ( reader ) may be replaced with different sensors , for example , microphones , spy chips , humidity sensors , temperature sensors , and the like . a spy chip may be used to locate electronic bugs in government buildings and the device may be configured to transmit an alert whenever a bug , a bluetooth transceiver or a cell phone that shouldn &# 39 ; t be there is found . these embodiments of the present invention may also be configured to locate when and where the unwanted activity is happening so that it can possibly be stopped . fig3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a data processing system 330 , which may be included in devices , for example , computing device 160 and hub 150 , in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention . the data processing system 330 may include a user interface 344 , including , for example , input device ( s ) such as a keyboard or keypad , a display , a speaker and / or microphone , and a memory 336 that communicate with a processor 338 . the data processing system 330 may further include an i / o data port ( s ) 346 that also communicates with the processor 338 . the i / o data ports 346 can be used to transfer information between the data processing system 330 and another computer system or a network using , for example , an internet protocol ( ip ) connection . these components may be conventional components such as those used in many conventional data processing systems , which may be configured to operate as described herein . the processor 338 can be any commercially available or custom enterprise , application , personal , pervasive and / or embedded microprocessor , microcontroller , digital signal processor or the like . the memory 336 may include any memory devices containing the software and data used to implement the functionality of the data processing system 330 . the memory 336 can include , but is not limited to , the following types of devices : rom , prom , eprom , eeprom , flash memory , sram , and dram . furthermore , the memory 336 may include several categories of software and data used in the system , for example , an operating system ; application programs ; input / output ( i / o ) device drivers ; and data . as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art , the operating system may be any operating system suitable for use with a data processing system , such as os / 2 , aix or zos from international business machines corporation , armonk , n . y ., windows95 , windows98 , windows2000 or windowsxp , or windows ce from microsoft corporation , redmond , wash ., palm os , symbian os , cisco ios , vxworks , unix or linux . the i / o device drivers typically include software routines accessed through the operating system by the application programs to communicate with devices such as the i / o data port ( s ) 346 and certain memory 336 components . the application programs are illustrative of the programs that implement the various features of the system and preferably include at least one application that supports operations according to embodiments of the present invention . finally , the data may represent the static and dynamic data used by the application programs , the operating system , the i / o device drivers , and other software programs that may reside in the memory 336 . operations according to various embodiments of the present invention will now be further described with reference to the flowchart illustrations of fig5 through 10 . referring first to fig5 , methods for providing location information associated with a mobile device according to some embodiments of the present invention will be discussed . operations begin at block 505 by receiving a request for presence information at an rotatable tag associated with the mobile device . the request may be received over an rf link . the rotatable tag may be , for example , an identification tag and the “ presence information ” may be a response indicating the presence of the rotatable tag . it will be understood that in some embodiments of the present invention , the request may be for “ location information ”, which may be a more detailed response including location coordinates . the request or beacon signal may be received from a reader , for example , a transcoder , within a predetermined proximity of the rotatable tag . the reader may be integrated with the power outlets and communicate over the existing power lines . the requested presence information may be provided to the reader responsive to the request for presence information ( block 530 ). the requested information may be provided over the rf link . referring now to fig6 , methods for providing location information associated with a mobile device according to some embodiments of the present invention will be discussed . operations begin at block 600 by selecting a frequency on which an rotatable tag according to embodiments of the present invention will transmit and / or receive . the rotatable tag may wake up from a sleep mode so as to allow the rotatable tag to receive a request ( block 605 ). once the rotatable tag is awake , the rotatable tag may listen for the request for presence information ( block 610 ). it is determined if a request for presence information has been received from the reader at the rotatable tag within a predetermined period of time when the rotatable tag was awake ( block 615 ). in some embodiments of the present invention , the predetermined period of time may be randomly determined and tracked by a timer included in the rotatable tag . it will be understood that in some embodiments of the present invention the predetermined period of time may be increased if the request for presence information is not received within a second predetermined period of time , greater than the first predetermined period of time . if is it determined that a request has not been received ( block 615 ), the rotatable tag returns to the sleep mode ( block 620 ) and operations return to block 605 and repeat until a request is received while the rotatable tag is awake . if it is determined that the request has been received ( block 615 ), the requested information may be provided to the reader ( block 630 ). once the requested information has been provided ( block 630 ), the rotatable tag is returned to sleep mode ( block 620 ) and operations return to block 605 and repeat until another request is received at the rotatable tag . referring now to fig7 , methods for providing location information associated with a mobile device according to further embodiments of the present invention will be discussed . operations begin at block 705 by transmitting a request for presence information associated with the mobile device from a reader to an rotatable tag associated with the mobile device . the reader may be integrated with an existing outlet and the rotatable tag may be affixed to the mobile device . the requested presence information is received at the reader responsive to the transmitted request from the rotatable tag affixed to the mobile device ( block 715 ). referring now to fig8 , methods for providing location information associated with a mobile device according to some embodiments of the present invention will be discussed . operations begin at block 805 by transmitting a request for presence information associated with the mobile device from a reader to an rotatable tag associated with the mobile device . in some embodiments of the present invention , the request for presence information may be transmitted multiple times so as to allow receipt at the rotatable tag when the rotatable tag is awake . the requested presence information is received at the reader responsive to the transmitted request from the rotatable tag affixed to the mobile device ( block 815 ). in some embodiments of the present invention , the reader may receive presence information from more than one rotatable tag responsive to the request . in these embodiments of the present invention , signal strength may be used to determine the relevant rotatable tag from among the plurality of rotatable tags as discussed above . the received presence information may be stored at the reader ( block 820 ). in some embodiments of the present invention , the presence information may be stored in a fifo and a time stamp may be affixed to each entry in the fifo ( block 830 ). a request may be received , from a server , at the reader for the stored presence information ( block 840 ). the request may be received at the reader over the power lines . the stored presence information may be transmitted to the server from the reader responsive to the received request ( block 850 ). the transmitted information may further include a name of the reader providing the stored information , a temperature of the environment in which the location sits and a current time . referring now to fig9 , methods for providing location information associated with a mobile device according to further embodiments of the present invention will be discussed . operations begin at block 905 by transmitting , from a server , a request for location information stored at one or more readers on one of three phases of a power line . in some embodiments of the present invention a power line modem is provided on each of three phases of a power line . each of the modems may be configured to transmit a request for stored location information simultaneously as discussed in detail with respect to fig2 . the stored location information may be received at the server on each of the three phases of the power line responsive to the transmitted request ( block 915 ). referring now to fig1 , methods for providing location information associated with a mobile device according to still further embodiments of the present invention will be discussed . operations begin at block 1005 by receiving at an rotatable tag a request for presence information associated with the mobile device from a reader . the requested presence information is received at the reader responsive to the request from the rotatable tag affixed to the mobile device ( block 1015 ). in some embodiments of the present invention , the reader may receive presence information from more than one rotatable tag responsive to the request . in these embodiments of the present invention , signal strength may be used to determine the relevant rotatable tag from among the plurality of rotatable tags as discussed above . the received presence information may be stored at the reader ( block 1020 ). in some embodiments of the present invention , the presence information may be stored in a fifo and a time stamp may be affixed to each entry in the fifo ( block 1030 ). a request may be received , from a server , at the reader for the stored location / presence information ( block 1040 ). the request may be received at the reader over the power lines . the stored location information may be transmitted to the server from the reader responsive to the received request ( block 1050 ). the transmitted information may further include a name of the reader providing the stored information , a temperature of the environment in which the location sits and a current time . as discussed briefly above with respect to fig1 a through 10 , methods , systems , devices and computer program products according to some embodiments of the present invention may provide improved asset management capabilities . in the drawings and specification , there have been disclosed embodiments of the invention and , although specific terms are employed , they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation , the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims .	6
a method and apparatus for electronic license distribution is described . in the following description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough description of the present invention . it will be apparent , however , to one skilled in the art , that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known features have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the invention . the present invention employs a scheme for creating , extracting , transferring , enforcing , and managing electronic licenses as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 192 , 166 , filed on feb . 4 , 1994 , entitled &# 34 ; method and apparatus for electronic licensing &# 34 ; and assigned to the assignee of the present invention . the licenses created using this scheme consist of a clear text portion and an encrypted portion . fig5 illustrates an overview of the distribution process of the present invention . after an electronic license has been created and a portion of the license encrypted , the present invention disables the license for distribution . a license is disabled ( i . e ., doubly - encrypted ) using a special encryption algorithm that is applied to the encrypted portion of a license . an enabler key is created during the encryption process . the enabler key may comprise a serial number , number of connections ( i . e ., number of network connections allowed at one time ), major and minor product version identifiers , ten random numbers , and three checksum values . the enabler key is stored in a enabler key database that is shipped to a fulfillment agent ( e . g ., an extractor or other member of the distribution chain ). during disablement , a checksum is generated based on information in the license and the enabler key . further , the doubly - encrypted portion of a license is again encrypted using an extractor &# 39 ; s password . an extractor &# 39 ; s password is a unique value assigned to an extractor ( e . g ., manufacturer , original equipment manufacturer or another reseller ). disabled licenses are shipped to the extraction agent . using its extractor &# 39 ; s password , an extractor can decrypt the extractor encryption from the license . the result of this process is a disabled ( i . e ., doubly - encrypted ) license . disabled licenses are packaged with the product ( s ) and license ( s ) and shipped to an installer ( i . e ., enduser or other installer ). an installer can select the product and licensing combination ( s ). using this selection , the installer obtains the enabler key from the fulfillment agent . the installer uses the enabler key to enable the desired product licensing selection . the product and license can then be installed on an enduser &# 39 ; s system . alternatively , the license may distributed without disablement when it is not necessary to do so . a license ( containing enabling information ) may be distributed without disabling it when all licenses can be communicated by a fulfilling entity , e . g ., by a voice operator . thus , for example , the license may be distributed without disablement when it is not too large for a voice operator to fulfill ( communicate ) it in its entirety at once in a short time and in a manner that is simple for the enduser to receive and understand . the present invention can be used to provide the ability to distribute one or more product and licensing combinations on a single distribution media ( e . g ., compact disc - read only memory , &# 34 ; cd - rom &# 34 ;). fig7 is a diagram illustrating the licensing scheme of the present invention that provides flexible distribution . the diagram illustrates software ( i . e ., executable ) 620 and license 720 . the valuable , complete license 720 may comprise incomplete license 710 that has no value . an enable key 712 that has no value may be procured electronically or by voice operator . because licenses are disabled and cannot be enabled with an enabler key , the products supplied on a cd - rom are protectable . a product becomes operable only when a enabler key is obtained from a fulfillment entity . thus , the present invention provides the ability to reduce the costs of distribution by allowing multiple product distribution with a single distribution . another application for the present invention involves the distribution of demonstration versions of a product . before , a demonstration distribution contained only a demonstration version of a product . using the present invention , a demonstration distribution may contain both demonstration and production versions of products . initially , a demonstration version is enabled , and a production version is disabled . after assessing the product using the demonstration version , an enduser may purchase the production version , obtain an enabler key , and ( using an enablement routine ) enable the production version . thus , only one distribution was needed . fig1 illustrates a licensedistribution overview flow . at block 102 , disablelicensesets is invoked to disable one or more sets of electronic licenses . at block 104 , license set extraction files are provided to an extractor . at block 106 , setstodistributionmedia is invoked to receive , extract and transfer electronic licenses to a final distribution media ( e . g ., cd - rom ). further , a decryption process is performed using an extractor &# 39 ; s password . at block 108 , licenseenablement is invoked to decrypt the disabled portions of the license . at block 110 , the enabled license is copied to a secure directory of a computer system on which the license is to be used . at block 112 , processing ends . once license sets ( i . e ., one or more licenses ) are created , the present invention provides the ability to disable the licenses to further protect the licenses . in the present invention , disablement includes the generation of a random number using a random number generator . in the preferred embodiment , a random number generator provided in borland inc .&# 39 ; s application program interface ( api ) library is used . however , any random number generator may be used with the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention . the random number generated identifies an offset within an encrypted portion of a license . for example , a license having 320 positions comprises 160 positions for the clear text portion and the remaining 160 positions for the encrypted portion . the encrypted value found at the offset within the encrypted area is encrypted a second time using the random number as the encryption key . the random number is appended to an enabler key and added to a checksum . this process can be repeated multiple times . for example , if this double - encryption technique is performed ten times , ten locations within the encrypted portion of a license can be doubly - encrypted . after a license is disabled using this double - encryption technique , the encrypted portion of the license is again encrypted using an extractor &# 39 ; s ( e . g ., reseller &# 39 ; s ) password and rsa &# 39 ; s bsafe rc2 secret key encryption algorithm . this can be used to protect the licenses while in transit to the extracting agent . the final checksum comprised of information from the license and the random numbers generated during disablement is broken up into byte - size pieces and stored at multiple locations in the enabler key . the checksum can be broken down to any number of byte - size pieces and stored in the same number of locations within the enabler . further , the enabler key and license information ( e . g ., serial number , number of connections , major product version , and minor product version ) are stored as a record in an enabler key database . an enabler key database comprising enabler keys is supplied to a fulfillment agent . given licensing information , a fulfillment agent can supply an enabler key to an enduser or installation agent for use in the enablement process ; the licensing information may comprise product numbers and the number of connections , for example . that is , a fulfillment agent can access the enabler key database using the licensing information supplied by the installation agent or enduser and extract the enabler key associated with the desired license . once the fulfillment agent supplies the enabler key , the customer can execute an enablement procedure on the installation computer system and , using the enabler key , enable the desired license . the double - encryption process can be performed on each license in a license set . a license set can contain multiple licenses , each licensing some number of connections for a given product or version of a product . as each license in a set is disabled using the above technique , it can be put in a buffer . once all of the licenses in the set have been processed , the license set can be appended to a license inventory extraction database file . each inventory extraction database file is given a unique name that identifies the different versions of license sets contained in a particular database file . license inventory extraction database files are distributed to an extractor ( i . e ., reseller or manufacturer ). statistical information associated with the license set creation session can be appended to a sessions database . such information includes a session identifier , a starting serial number , a number of licenses created , a last serial number , a manufacturer identifier , license flags , and an extractor password . any value may be used to identify a session . for example , the session identifier can be initialized to a time that a session is begun . this value can be represented by the total number of seconds since 1980 . any other value can be used to identify a session . the first serial number used on the first license set is retained in the starting serial number field . the number of licenses created indicates the total number of license sets created in the session , or batch . the last serial number used in the last set of licenses created in the session is retained in the last serial number field . a manufacturer identifier value indicates the identification number of the extracting agent for whom the license sets were created . license flags indicate the license flags that were set in each license in set . license flags can be used to provide licensing information such as type of license and required , associated licenses . the password used with the rc2 encryption on the encrypted area of the server connection license is stored in the extractor password field . fig2 illustrates a disablelicensesets process flow . in block 202 , an electronic license , i . e ., a server connection license , is obtained from storage . in block 204 , a checksum is generated using a serial number , number of connections , i . e ., network connections , and product version number values . in block 206 , a random number is generated , which is added to the checksum generated in block 204 . the checksum includes of the number of connections allowed by a license , the serial number of the license , and the major and minor product version numbers . for example , a version number &# 34 ; 3 . 01 &# 34 ; comprises a major product number &# 34 ; 3 &# 34 ; and a minor product number &# 34 ; 01 &# 34 ;. the serial number is the same for every license in each license set within each product or product version . the number of connections can vary based on the product , version of the product , and / or the manufacturer &# 39 ; s licensing policy . further , a series of random numbers are included in the final checksum value for a license . at blocks 208 and 210 , a value in the encryption area of the electronic license and at the position indicated by the random number is encrypted . at decision block 212 ( i . e ., &# 34 ; locations encrypted ?&# 34 ;), when all locations ( e . g ., ten positions ) have not been disabled , processing continues at block 206 to disable the remaining positions . when all locations are disabled , processing continues at block 214 . at block 214 , the checksum is split into byte - size pieces , and each byte is placed at different locations within an enabler key . an enabler key is used to enable a disabled license . an enabler key includes the serial number , number of connections , and major and minor product version numbers associated with a license . further , the enabler key includes the randomly generated number ( s ) that identify the disabled locations within the encrypted portion of the license . at block 216 , the enabler key , serial number , number of connections and product version number ( i . e ., major and minor version numbers ) are retained in memory . at block 218 , the doubly - encrypted portion of the license is encrypted using an extractor &# 39 ; s password . at block 220 , the license is written to a license set area in memory ( e . g ., random access memory , ram ). at decision block 222 ( i . e ., &# 34 ; more stratifications in set ?&# 34 ;), when there are additional licenses in the license set ( e . g ., licenses allowing a different number of connections ), processing continues at block 202 to get the next license in the license set . when all of the licenses in a set have been processed , processing continues at block 224 to copy the license set stored in memory to an extraction database file . at block 226 , the enabler key ( s ) associated with the license ( s ) in the license set are written to an enabler key database file . at block 228 , information related to this session can be written to a sessions database . at decision block 230 ( i . e ., &# 34 ; more stratifications in set ?&# 34 ;), when additional license sets are to be created , processing continues at block 202 to get a next license . when additional license sets are not created , processing ends at block 232 . inventory extraction database files are transferred to an extracting agent . the extracting agent can incorporate the inventory extraction database files to extracting agent &# 39 ; s inventory extraction database . licenses can be extracted from the extracting agent &# 39 ; s inventory extraction database to a final distribution media for transmittal to a purchaser . the number of different types or versions of license sets and the format ( e . g ., multiple types of licenses on the same distribution media ) used in placing them on the final distribution media ( e . g ., floppy diskette and cd - rom ). during extraction , a license is read into memory . the license &# 39 ; s encrypted area is decrypted using bsafe &# 39 ; s rc2 secret key decryption algorithm . the license is stored in a file on the distribution media . the name of the file indicates the number of connections allowed by the license . subdirectories can further be used to segregate multiple types or version of a product &# 39 ; s licenses placed on the same distribution media . the subdirectory names can be used to represent license set &# 39 ; s types and versions . a license set type can reflect a product or a product version . disabled licenses can be shipped to an extraction agent ( e . g ., reseller or manufacturer ). an extractor can extract and transfer license sets to a final distribution media for shipment ( e . g ., to an enduser or installation agent ). fig3 illustrates a setstodistributionmedia process flow . at block 302 , the disabled licenses shipped to an extraction agent are added to the extraction agent &# 39 ; s license extraction database file . at block 304 , a final distribution . media format can be determined based on the extraction agent &# 39 ; s identification value in a license in a license set . at decision block 306 ( i . e ., &# 34 ; multiple versions or types of server connection licenses on same media ?&# 34 ;), when multiple versions or types of licenses are included on the same distribution media , processing continues at block 308 to create subdirectories to store the multiple licenses . processing continues at block 310 . when multiple versions or types of licenses are not included , processing continues at block 310 . at block 310 , licenses are extracted from the license extraction database , and the extractor &# 39 ; s encryption is stripped off each license in a set using a decryption algorithm and the extractor &# 39 ; s password . at block 312 , the license set is written to the final distribution media . at decision block 314 ( i . e ., &# 34 ; more sets ?&# 34 ;), when additional license sets are intended on the same distribution media , processing continues at decision block 306 to process the remaining license sets . when additional license sets are not intended on the same distribution media , processing ends at block 316 . a licensing final distribution media is packaged with the product ( s ) for which it is associated and shipped to an installer . the licenses contained in the final distribution media must be enabled and installed to license a product for use . thus , an enabling procedure must be executed to enable a license . the enabling procedure requires the enabler key to decrypt the encrypted portion of the license . the enabler key is available to the installer from a fulfillment agent upon payment of the purchase price of a product . an enablement process executing on the system which the license is to be installed prompts an installer to select a product type and version and the desired features , etc . ( e . g ., one for a single - user system or multiple connections for a network environment ). the version or product name , serial number , and the selected number of connections is displayed for verification . the product type , serial number , and number of connections are communicated by the installer to a fulfillment agent . a fulfillment agent accesses the enabler key database using the product type , serial number , and number of connections information . once the enabler key associated with this combination of information is extracted from the enabler key database by the fulfillment agent , and communicated to the installer . the installer inputs the enabler key information to the enabling process . the enabling process performs a checksum using the enabler key to verify that the correct enabler key was given . the checksum further verifies that the correct enabler key values were entered by the installer in the correct order . upon verification , the license is enabled using the offsets contained in the enabler key to decrypt the license . the enabled license can be copied to some media for later installation or be installed . fig4 illustrates a licenseenable process flow . at block 402 , license selection information is obtained . at block 404 , an enabler key obtained from a fulfillment agent is obtained . at block 406 , a checksum is generated using license information . at decision block 408 ( i . e ., &# 34 ; checksums match ?&# 34 ;), when the checksum in the enabler key does not match the newly - calculated checksum , processing continues at decision block 412 . at decision block 412 ( i . e ., &# 34 ; try again ?&# 34 ;), when another attempt to validate an invalidated license is warranted ( e . g ., when a license was invalidated on the first attempt and multiple attempts are desired ) processing continues at block 404 to prompt for the reentry of the enabler key . when another attempt to validate the license is not warranted ., processing ends at block 414 . when , at decision block 408 , the checksums match , processing continues at block 410 to enable the selected license using the random number value contained in the enabler key . processing ends at block 414 . thus , the present invention provides secure fulfillment , i . e ., it provides the ability to distribute product and license packages such that a product and associated license are disabled from unauthorized use . multiple packages can be distributed on a single distribution media thereby reducing the cost of distribution . the ability to distribute multiple packages on a single distribution media further provides the ability to utilize distribution media with increased capacity ( i . e ., cd - rom ). selection of a product and corresponding license can be delayed until immediately prior to installation on an enduser &# 39 ; s computer system . one or more products and associated licenses can be selected and an enabler key obtained . enablement of a license and product requires the use of a process ( i . e ., an enablement process ) executing on a computer system . the enablement process uses the enabler key to enable the license . thus , a method and apparatus for electronic license distribution has been provided .	6
current book guides may consist of for example , a brass bar . the brass bar may be ½ inches square and have a bent leading edge for guiding printed products , such as sheets or books , on a gathering conveyor . in high speed gathering devices , for example , high speed saddle stitchers , corners of books or sheet material fold up on the gathering conveyor and get caught in the book guides . in the printing industry , this is known as “ dog ears .” fig1 a and 1b shows a gathering device , for example , saddle stitcher 10 , according to an embodiment of the present invention . saddle stitcher 10 transports printed products , for example , books 20 , in a direction x . saddle stitcher 10 includes a hopper 40 , a comb 12 and a gathering conveyor , for example , gathering chain 30 . comb 12 is located aside a gathering chain 30 . comb 12 is mounted to an end of a book guide 14 . comb 12 may be , for example , a formed piece of sheet metal . comb 2 may be made of rigidtex sheet metal , from rigidized metals corp ., or other textured or engraved sheet metal . other suitable materials may also be used . as shown in fig2 , comb 12 is curved in shape and fixed to a pivot 16 which permits comb 12 to be rotated an angle a from 0 to 90 degrees . the comb can also be adjusted up or down and in or out with respect to gathering chain 30 , i . e . in or out of the page in fig2 . dog ears in books 20 can be combed out to ensure the entire book 20 goes under book guides 14 and down gathering chain 30 . combs 12 may be mounted at other areas upstream , such as before a book guide 14 ′ ( fig1 b ). combs may also be located at transition areas along gathering chain 30 . furthermore , combs 12 may also include holes that allow nylon guide line to be attached . thus , comb 12 reduces paper jams , improves book quality and provides better mounting and control for nylon guide lines . in the preceding specification , the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments and examples thereof . it will , however , be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of invention as set forth in the claims that follow . the specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative manner rather than a restrictive sense .	1
to better understand the description of this invention , refer to fig6 , and 8 . fig6 shows an embodiment of the system capable of determining the azimuth and elevation of an emitter of rf signal . as shown , 5 antennas are used , each connected to a radio frequency receiver . an embodiment of a typical rf receiver is shown in fig7 . the signal received by the antenna ( 100 ), is aplified by the amplifier ( 101 ), and then filtered by a bandpass filter ( 102 ). the bandpass filter guarantees that onlt signals at frequencies within the operational limits of the system are passed down to the system . the bandpass filter ( 102 ) is followed by another amplification stage ( 103 ). the output of the second amplification stage ( 103 ) connects to a power splitter ( 104 ) which splits the output of the amplifier ( 103 ) into two signals identical to the output of the amplifier ( 103 ) in all respects except for the power , which is divided , one half ( 111 ), and the other half ( 112 ), which are connected to the rf mixers ( 105 ) and ( 106 ) respectively . each of the mixers ( 105 , 106 ) has three ports , an input ( rf ) port , a local oscillator ( lo ) port , and an output ( if ) port . the function of the mixers is to multiply the signal on its input port with the signal on its lo port , to generate an output signal at two frequencies , one equals the frequency difference between the two inputs to the mixer , and the other that equals the sum of the two input frequencies . the input ports of the mixers are connected to the outputs of the power splitter ( 104 ). a local oscillator ( 108 ) generates a signal at a high frequency , such that when this signal is subtracted from the signal at the outputs of the splitter ( 104 ), will produce an output ( if ) signal from the mixers , at a frequency smaller than half the clock frequency . the output of the local oscillator ( 108 ) is connected to the input of a hybrid coupler ( 107 ). the hybrid coupler is similar in it function to that of a power splitter , in dividing the power of a signal at its input between two lower power outputs . the hybrid coupler differs from the power splitter in having the phase of one of its outputs shifted by 90 ° with respect to phase of the other output . the outputs ( 113 , 114 ) of the hybrid coupler ( 107 ) are connected to the lo ports of the mixers ( 105 , 106 ), respectively . the mixers which receive input signals on their lo inputs that are phase shifted by 90 ° from each other , poduce two low frequency outputs that are also phased 900 from each other , otherwise known in the trade of rf as a quadrature condition . the output of each mixer ( 105 , or 106 ) is connected to a lowpass filter ( 109 , or 110 ) respectively . the lowpass filters are selected such that they attenuate and eliminate any signal at a frequency higher than half the system clock frequency . the outputs ( 115 , 116 ) of these lowpass filters ( 109 , 110 ) are the baseband signals applied to the phase digitizer . [ 0039 ] fig8 shows a block diagram of a phase digitizer . as shown , the digitizer is comprised of two blocks , the quantizing block , and the code conversion block . an embodiment of the quantizer block is shown in fig9 . the quantizer recieves two inputs , an i input ( 50 ), and a q input ( 51 ), which are identical copies of each other , but are phase shifted by 90 ° from each other . these two inputs feed a network of resistors ( 52 ), which combine different ratios of the signals from the inputs ( 50 , 51 ), to produce n signals , all of the same frequency , but phase shifted from one to another by radians . the signals generated by the resistor network ( 52 ) are applied to the inputs on n comparators ( 53 ), which in turn generate n streams of phase ( time ) shifted squarewaves , which are applied to the d inputs of n master - slave type flip - flops ( 54 ). fig1 , shows the waveforms at the outputs of the comparators . the flip - flops ( 54 ) capture the waveforms generated by the comparators ( 53 ), on the transition of the clock , and each flip - flop ( k ) provides two complementary outputs p k , and p k \, which are in a linear code fasion , and need to be converted to a binary code . the conversion of the linear code to a binary code is done in this embodiment , using a two steps process . in the first step , the linear code is translated into a grey code using exclusive or functions as shown by an example for a digitizer where n = 16 : g0 = p1 ⊕ p3 ⊕ p5 ⊕ p7 , g1 = p2 ⊕ p6 , g2 = p0 , and g3 = p4 , as demonstrated in fig1 . the second step also utilizes exor functions , to convert the grey code to a binary code , as follows : b0 = g0 ⊕ g1 ⊕ g2 ⊕ g3 , b1 = g1 ⊕ g2 ⊕ g3 , b2 = g2 ⊕ g3 , and b3 = g3 . this conversion is demonstrated in fig1 .	6
wherein x and / or y 1 and / or y 2 are independently h , cyano , nitro , trifluoromethoxy , trifluoromethyl , alkoxy , or alkyl and r is h or alkyl is carried out either a ) ( in the case where r ═ h ) by metallo - dehalogenation followed by carboxylation of a compound of formula ( 12 ) wherein x , y 1 and y 2 are as defined above , and hal is br , i or cl or b ) ( in the case where r ═ h or alkyl ) by palladium mediated carbonylation of a compound of formula ( 12 ) with the proviso that the compound 1 - iodo - 3 - cyano - 2 - methoxynaphthalene is excluded , followed by solvolysis . metallo - dehalogenation and carboxylation may be carried out by treatment of compound ( 12 ) with alkyl - lithium reagent , e . g . “ buli , in thf alone or in admixture with solvents like hexane at a temperature below − 10 ° c ., and preferably between − 30 ° c . and − 75 ° c ., followed by reaction of the lithiated intermediate with co 2 and subsequent acidification with e . g . hcl . the halo - cyano - naphthalene ( 12 ) may be reacted with carbon monoxide under elevated pressure , for example between 5 bar and 100 bar , in a solvent such as methanol with an organic base such as triethylamine catalysed by palladium with or without additional phosphine ligand such as triphenyl phosphine or bis - diphenylphosphino propane . the active palladium catalyst can be generated in situ from palladium salts such as palladium ( ii ) chloride or palladium bis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( in ) chloride . the product ( 1 ) may be isolated by first of all removing solid residues by filtration and then extracting into aqueous and back into organic with ph control , followed by crystallisation from toluene . the product ( 6 ) may be isolated by removing solid residues by filtration followed by crystallisation from solvent . the process for preparing the compound of formula ( 12 . y 1 ═ y 2 ═ x ═ h ) ( a ) treating malic acid ( 7 ) with oleum or alternative strongly acid dehydrating media to give coumalic acid ( 8 ); ( b ) esterifying coumalic acid ( 8 ) to give a pyrone ester ( 9 ); ( c ) brominating the pyrone ester ( 9 ) to give a 3 - bromo coumalic ester ( 10 ); ( d ) reacting the 3 - bromo coumalic ester ( 10 ) with in situ generated benzyne followed by decarboxylation to give a bromonaphthoate ( 11 ); and ( e ) converting / transforming the bromonaphthoate ( 11 ) to 1 - bromo - 3 - cyano naphthalene ( 12 , y 1 ═ y 2 ═ x ═ h ) ( a ) treating malic acid ( 7 ) with oleum or alternative strongly acid dehydrating media to give coumalic acid ( 8 ); ( b ) converting coumalic acid ( 8 ) into coumalonitrile ( 25 ) and subsequently brominating to give 3 - bromo - 5 - coumalonitrile ( 27 ); and then ( c ) converting 3 - bromo - 5 - coumalonitrile ( 27 ) into 1 - bromo - 3 - cyano naphthalene ( 12 , y 1 ═ y 2 ═ x ═ h ) 1a ) cyanation of 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene followed by bromination to give the compound of formula ( 63 ) 1b ) bromination of 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene followed by cyanodebromination , followed by bromination to give the compound of formula ( 63 ); or 1c ) bromination of 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene followed by metallation and carboxylation followed by conversion to the 6 - cyano - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene followed by bromination to give the compound of formula ( 63 ); 2 ) oxidative aromatization of the compound of formula ( 63 ) into 1 - bromo - 3 - cyano naphthalene ( 12 , y 1 ═ y 2 ═ x ═ h ); oleum or alternative strongly acid dehydrating media is added to a suspension of malic acid in a strong acid e . g . h 2 so 4 at about 50 ° c . to 90 ° c ., preferably at 75 ° c . to 85 ° c . then the mixture is cooled and the product coumalic acid is filtered off . diisopropylethylamine or other non - nucleophilic base ( e . g . dbu ) is added to a suspension of coumalic acid in nmp , dimethylsulphate ( or else mebr or mei ) and a non - nucleophilic base , e . g . dbu or i pr 2 net , are added , and the reaction stirred at between 20 ° c . and 30 ° c . the reaction mass is diluted , e . g . with toluene , and drowned out into water followed by washing of the organic phase with aqueous bicarbonate and finally water . the solvent is removed by evaporation in vacuo and the crude product pyrone ester is purified by filtration isolation from the residual mother liquors . pyrone ester is brominated , e . g . with pyridinium bromide perbromide ( pyridinium tribromide ) or br 2 in glacial acetic acid to give 3 - bromo coumalic acid . isoamyl nitrite and a solution of anthranilic acid in e . g . ethylene glycol dimethyl ether are is added to a refluxing solution of a 3 - bromo coumalic ester in e . g . ethylene glycol dimethyl ether in the presence of an acid , e . g . catalytic trichloroacetic acid . benzene - 2 - diazonium carboxylate is formed by anthranilic acid diazotisation followed by in situ decomposition to give benzyne . the reactive benzyne undergoes [ 4 + 2 ] cycloaddition with the 3 - bromo coumalic ester to give an intermediate ( 15 ), which then extrudes carbon dioxide to give the desired bromonaphthoate . heating under reflux is continued , the reaction mass is then cooled to about 50 ° c ., a solvent , e . g . toluene is added and the mixture then cooled to ambient . the solution is washed with dilute sodium hydroxide solution , sodium bisulphite solution , water , hydrochloric acid and water again . the solution is then concentrated in vacuo to give the crude bromonaphthoate product . bromonaphthoate ( 11 ) is heated with ammonia in the presence of a solvent , e . g . toluene ; and a catalyst , e . g . ki , at a high temperature to give bromoamide ( 18 ) this is followed by dehydration by heating the bromoamide in a large excess of a dehydrating agent , e . g . socl 2 , to give the compound of formula ( 12 ). preparation of hydroxamic acid ( 20 ) is achieved by reaction of a bromonaphthoate ( 11 ) with hydroxylamine , or a salt thereof , e . g . hydrochloride plus added base . conversion of the hydroxamic acid ( 20 ) to 1 - bromo - 3 - cyano naphthalene ( 12 ) is effected by dehydration , e . g . by treatment with pbr 3 . method 3 : direct conversion of bromonaphthoate ( 11 ) to 1 - bromo - 3 - cyano naphthalene ( 12 , x ═ y 1 ═ y 2 ═ h ) with me 2 alnh 2 ( 21 ) the reagent for this transformation , dimethylaluminium amide , is prepared under strictly anhydrous conditions in an inert atmosphere by condensing anhydrous nh 3 into a solution of alme 3 at low temperature . a solution of me 2 alnh 2 solution is added to a solution of a bromonaphthoate in a high - boiling solvent , e . g . m - xylene , and the mixture is heated to reflux . rapid conversion to the 1 - bromo - 3 - cyano naphthalene ( 12 ) occurs and the product is isolated . coumalic acid ( 8 ) is converted to the corresponding nitrile ( 25 ) by conversion to the acid chloride ( 28 ) by reaction with a chlorinating agent , e . g . thionyl chloride , followed by reaction with sulfamide ( h 2 nso 2 nh 2 ). coumalonitrile ( 25 ) is brominated using a brominating agent , e . g . pyridinium bromide perbromide ( pbpb ) in a high - boiling solvent to give bromocoumalonitrile ( 27 ). the product is isolated from unreacted starting material by crystallisation . compound ( 27 ) is converted into compound ( 12 ) by cycloaddition of in situ generated benzyne , followed by subsequent decarboxylation e . g . by heating . the presence of a cyano — rather than an ester group at the 5 - position of pyrone ring does not affect the progress of the cycloaddition . 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene ( also known as tetralin ®) is cyanated to give cyanotetrahydronaphthalene ( 70 ), either directly by reaction with cyanogen bromide with aluminium chloride as catalyst in carbon disulphide , or via bromotetrahydronaphthalene ( 68 ), the resulting cyano tetrahydronaphthalene ( 70 ) is brominated to give bromocyanotetrahydronaphthalene ( 63 ) which is converted to bromocyanonaphthalene ( 12 ) by oxidative aromatisation . thus , tetrahydronaphthalene ( 59 ) is reacted with bromine , with added iodine as catalyst , the 6 - bromo - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene ( plus regioisomers ) is either a ) cyanated by reaction with copper ( i ) cyanide in nmp at 130 ° c . for 48 h to give 6 - cyano - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene ( 70 ) or b ) is lithiated by reaction with n - butyl lithium in thf at − 78 ° c . followed by reaction with carbon dioxide and then dilute hydrochloric acid to furnish 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 69 ) along with its regioisomer from which tetrahydronaphthalene acid ( 69 ) is purified by repeated recrystallisation . this acid is converted to cyanonaphthalene ( 70 ) by conversion to acid chloride by reaction with thionyl chloride with a small amount of nmp as catalyst , followed by conversion to amide by reaction with ammonia , followed by amide dehydration , for example with pbr 3 . 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 2 - carbonitrile ( 70 ) is brominated by reaction with bromine with catalytic ferric bromide in carbon tetrachloride to give bromonitrile ( 63 ). the aromatisation of the compound of formula ( 63 ) into the compound of formula ( 12 ) is carried out by heating the compound of formula ( 63 ) at a high temperature in the presence of a metal catalyst , e . g . pd / c . alternatively , the aromatisation may be carried out for example by stirring with elemental sulphur in a solvent at ambient temperature . conversion of malic acid to coumalic acid oleum ( 287 g ) is added dropwise over 2 h to a suspension of malic acid ( 200 g ) in concentrated h 2 so 4 ( 313 g ) at 75 ° c . and the resulting solution stirred for a further 4 h , maintaining temperature at 75 ° c . throughout . the mixture is cooled and then drowned out into ice - cold water over 1 h . after stirring for 15 min and standing overnight , the mixture is cooled to below 10 ° c . and the product is isolated by filtration to give coumalic acid ( 71 g , 95 % purity , 65 % yield ) after washing and drying . conversion of coumalic acid to coumalic acid , methyl ester diisopropylethylamine is added to a suspension of coumalic acid ( 115 . 5 g ) in n - methylpyrrolidone ( 600 ml ) at 25 ° c ., dimethylsulphate ( 100 . 9 g ) is added over 1 h and the reaction stirred at 25 ° c . for 2 h . the reaction mass is diluted with toluene , and extracted with water then bicarbonate and finally water . the toluene is removed in vacuo and the crude product pyrone ester is purified either by short path distillation or by crystallisation and trituration to give ( after removal of residual solvent by evaporation in vacuo ) the coumalic acid methyl ester ( 78 . 8 g , 99 % purity , 64 % yield ). conversion of coumalic acid , methyl ester to 3 - bromocoumalic acid , methyl ester a solution of pyrone ester ( 39 g , 95 % purity ) in acetic acid is added over 3 . 5 hr to a refluxing solution of pyridinium tribromide ( 105 g ) in glacial acetic acid ( 233 g ). the mixture is held at reflux ( 85 ° c .-& gt ; 107 ° c .) for 3 hr then cooled to ambient . water is added and the crude product is isolated by filtration then washed with water . the crude product is purified by recrystallisation from toluene and iso - hexane to give 3 - bromocoumalic acid , methyl ester ( 46 g , 82 % yield ). conversion of 3 - bromocoumalic acid , methyl ester to methyl 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthoate isoamyl nitrite ( 24 . 2 g ) and a solution of anthranilic acid ( 28 . 0 g ) in ethylene glycol dimethyl ether ( 90 g ) are added over 3 h to a refluxing solution of 3 - bromo coumalic acid , methyl ester ( 23 . 3 g ) in ethylene glycol dimethyl ether ( 135 . 8 g ) in the presence of catalytic trichloroacetic acid ( 0 . 165 g ). the reaction is refluxed for a further 1 hr after the end of addition to ensure complete reaction . the reaction mass is cooled to 50 ° c ., toluene ( 279 g ) is added and the mixture then cooled to ambient . the toluene solution is washed with sodium hydroxide solution ( 75 ml , 2m ), sodium bisulphite solution ( 75 ml , 5 %), water ( 75 ml ), hydrochloric acid and water again . the toluene solution is then concentrated in vacuo to give methyl 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthoate ( 30 g , 85 % purity , 93 % yield ). conversion of methyl 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthoate to 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthonitrile dimethylaluminium amide is prepared by the reaction of a solution of trimethylaluminium in toluene ( 150 ml , 2m ) with excess anhydrous ammonia ( 25 . 5 g ) at − 78 ° c . excess ammonia is removed by evaporation at 110 ° c . and the dimethylaluminium amide solution is then charged to a solution of the bromonaphthoate ( 39 . 8 g ) in m - xylene ( 321 . 7 g ) at 110 ° c . over 1 hour . the reaction is held at 110 ° c . for a further hour and then rapidly cooled to room temperature in ice . the reaction mass is drowned out into aqueous hcl ( 750 , ml , 2m ) over 1 . 5 hours at 5 - 10 ° c . the m - xylene solution is concentrated in vacuo to give the crude product , which is recrystallised from toluene / iso - hexane to give 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthonitrile ( 18 . 9 g , 54 % yield ). conversion of methyl 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthoate to 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthonitrile via 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthamide to a carius tube equipped with small magnetic flea and protective outer metal casing is charged methyl 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthoate ( 1 . 18 g ), aqueous ammonia ( 9 ml ), potassium iodide ( 0 . 075 g ) and methanol ( 2 ml ). the apparatus is assembled , and lowered into an oil bath at 130 ° c . the pressure rises to 4 . 25 bar . the mixture is heated with stirring under these conditions for 66 h , after which time the assembly is removed from the oil bath and allowed to cool to ambient temperature / pressure . the mixture is cooled to 0 ° c . to complete crystallisation , and filtered to remove the product . the product is dissolved in etoac ( 50 ml ) and washed with 10 % w / v aqueous na 2 co 3 ( 2 × 10 ml ). the organic layer is separated , dried mgo 4 ) and the solvent removed in vacuo to give the product 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthamide as colourless prisms ( 0 . 38 g , 94 % str by gc area , 33 % yield ,). to a 10 ml 1 - necked round - bottomed flask equipped with magnetic stirrer , condenser and inert atmosphere is charged 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthamide ( 0 . 093 g ) and thionyl chloride ( 2 ml ). the mixture is heated under reflux for 18 h , and the excess thionyl chloride is removed in vacuo to afford the crude product 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthonitrile as a yellow solid . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): 8 . 15 ( s , 1h , arh ), 8 . 24 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 4 hz , arh ), 7 . 90 - 7 . 62 ( m , 4h , arh ). to a 100 ml 2 - necked round - bottomed flask equipped with magnetic stirrer , graduated pressure equalised dropping funnel and inert atmosphere is charged bromonaphthoate ( 2 . 69 g ), hydroxylamine hydrochloride ( 2 . 78 g ) and methanol ( 16 ml ). 5 m methanolic koh ( 10 ml .) is added dropwise over 40 min to the vigorously stirred suspension at room temperature . an exotherm and an orange colouration is noted on each addition . the reaction mixture ( beige suspension ) is stirred at room temperature for 17 h after addition of base . the reaction mixture is concentrated to ca . half volume in vacuo ( water bath & lt ; 45 ° c .) and a 1 : 1 mixture of water / glacial acetic acid ( 50 ml ) added with vigorous stirring . stirring is continued for 40 min . and a further portion of 1 . 1 water / glacial acetic acid 20 ml ) added when the suspension becomes too thick to stir . stirring is continued for 1 h , and the product filtered off under reduced pressure and washed with cold water ( 3 × 15 ml ). the product hydroxamic acid is dried in the vacuum oven at 70 ° c . to give 4 - bromo - n - hydroxy - 2 - naphthamide as a beige powder ( 2 . 2 g , 76 % str . by lc area , 76 % yield ,). to an oven dried 250 ml 2 - necked round - bottomed flask equipped with magnetic stirrer , condenser , septum and inert atmosphere is charged 4 - bromo - n - hydroxy - 2 - naphthamide ( 2 . 0 g ) and fluorobenzene ( 80 ml ). phosphorous tribromide ( 1 . 8 ml ) is added dropwise over 10 min to the stirred suspension at room temperature and the mixture heated to reflux ( 85 ° c .) whereupon a clear orange solution is obtained . reflux is continued for 18 h , and the solution allowed to cool . the crude reaction mixture is poured into saturated aqueous nahco 3 solution ( 50 ml ) and the product extracted with toluene ( 3 × 50 ml ). the combined organic extracts are washed with brine ( 50 ml ) and the solvent removed in vacuo . the residue is crystallised from methanol to give the product 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthonitrile as pale yellow prisms ( 0 . 73 g ). the 1 h nmr and mass spectra of the above end product corresponds to those previously 30 obtained . coumalic acid ( 3 . 91 g ) and thionyl chloride ( 31 ml ) are charged to a 100 ml 2 - neck round bottomed flask equipped with condenser , magnetic stirrer and inert atmosphere , and the suspension heated to reflux for 1 h . the clear yellow solution is allowed to cool , and the excess thionyl chloride removed in vacuo . sulfamide ( 3 . 22 g ) is added , and the solid mixture heated to 120 ° c . ( bath temp .) for 1 h . the acid chloride melts after a few seconds , and hcl is vigorously evolved . after ca . 15 min , a red foam is obtained , which on further heating collapses to a dark red viscous oil . after 1 h , the reaction mixture has solidified . the reaction mixture is allowed to cool , and transferred to a separating funnel with 10 % w / v aqueous nahco 3 solution ( 150 ml ) ( heating with the latter being necessary to remove the crude product from the flask ). the product is extracted with ch 2 cl 2 ( 2 × 50 ml ) and the combined organic layers washed with sat . nacl solution ( 100 ml ). the extracts are dried ( mgso 4 ) and the solvent removed in vacuo . the residue is purified by crystallisation from meoh ( 2 ml ) at 0 ° c . the product coumalonitrile is obtained as dark orange prisms ( 1 . 7 g ). coumalonitrile ( 2 . 0 g ), pyridinum bromide perbromide ( 5 . 28 g ), dimethoxy ethane ( 13 g ) and toluene ( 12 , 98 ) are charged to a 100 ml 2 - neck round bottomed flask equipped with condenser , magnetic stirrer and inert atmosphere , and heated under reflux for 4 h . the reaction mixture is poured into water ( 100 ml ) and extracted with ch 2 cl 2 ( 3 × 100 ml ). the extracts are dried ( mgso 4 ) and the solvent removed in vacuo . the residue is swirled with ether ( 20 ml ) and the extracts decanted off . the residue is purified by crystallisation from acetone to give the 3 - bromo - 2 - oxo - 2h - pyran - 5 - carbonitrile as an orange powder ( 1 . 25 g , 81 % str . by lc area , 31 % yield ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): 7 . 74 ( d , 1h , j = 2 . 5 hz , h a ), 8 . 04 ( d , 1h , j = 2 . 2 hz , h b ). ms : 201 ( m + ), 199 ( m + ), 173 , 171 , 144 , 142 , 120 , 64 , 29 . conversion of 3 - bromo - 2 - oxo - 2h - pyran - 5 - carbonitrile ( 3 - bromocoumalonitrile ) to 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthonitrile solutions of anthranilic acid ( 1 . 8 g , 12 . 8 mmol ) in dme ( 10 ml ) and isoamyl nitrite ( 1 . 54 g , 12 . 8 mmol ) in dme ( 10 ml , 8 . 7 g ) are added dropwise over 20 min to a stirred solution of 3 - bromocoumalonitrile ( 1 . 15 g , 4 . 6 mmol ) and trichloroacetic acid ( 0 . 047 g , 0 . 29 mmol ) in dme ( 40 ml ) held at reflux . the mixture is refluxed for a further 10 min , allowed to cool and poured into water ( 100 ml ). the product is extracted with ch 2 cl 2 ( 2 × 50 ml ) and the volatiles removed in vacuo . the product crystallises from the residual amyl alcohol at − 20 ° c . and the dirty orange solid is collected by filtration in vacuo , and dried in the oven at 40 ° c . to give 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthonitrile ( 0 . 81 g , 49 % yield ). 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene ( 3 . 3 g ), aluminium chloride ( 6 . 7 g ), cyanogen bromide ( 5 . 5 g ) and carbon disulphide ( 70 ml ) were heated together under reflux for 8 hours however this achieved negligible reaction , the mixture was accordingly concentrated by distilling out solvent at atmospheric pressure until the temperature of the reaction mixture rose to 60 ° c . stirring was continued at 60 ° c . for 8 hours , the mixture was cooled , chloroform ( 100 ml ) was added and the resulting mixture then added slowly to a stirred mixture of concentrated hydrochloric acid ( 3 g ) and 50 : 50 ice water ( 150 ml ) at 0 ° c . the resulting phases were separated , the aqueous layer was extracted with chloroform ( 2 × 100 ml ), the combined organic phases were washed with saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution ( 150 ml ) and water ( 2 × 50 ml ), they were dried ( mgso 4 ) and solvent removed by evaporation in vacuo to give crude product ( 3 . 8 g ) comprising a 3 : 1 mixture of 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 2 - carbonitrile and 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 1 - carbonitrile . this was purified by distillation under reduced pressure to give 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 2 - carbonitrile in 40 % overall yield . bromine ( 2 . 5 g , 15 . 6 mmol ) was added cautiously to a stirred mixture of 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 2 - carbonitrile ( 2 g , 12 mmol ) and ferric bromide ( 4 . 7 g , 15 . 6 mmol ) in carbon tetrachloride ( 20 ml ) at 10 ° c . the mixture was stirred at ambient temperature for 8 hours , it was worked up by adding to dilute aqueous hydrochloric acid and extracting with chloroform followed by removal of solvent by evaporation in vacuo to give the crude product as a brown oil ( 5 . 74 g , 45 % purity by gc area , 86 % yield ). the product was purified by chromatography on silica gel using 1 : 9 ethyl acetate : hexane eluent to give 4 - bromo - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 2 - carbonitrile as a mixture of isomers . bromine ( 66 . 1 g , 0 . 41 mol )) was added over 3 hours , with stirring at 5 ° c . to 10 ° c ., to the 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene ( 50 g , 0 . 374 mol ) along with a small piece of iodine ( 0 . 25 g , 0 . 98 mmol ). stirring was continued at ambient temperature for 6 hours and the mixture was then poured slowly into a stirred saturated aqueous solution of sodium sulphite ( 200 ml ) at 10 ° c . stirring was continued for 15 minutes , the resulting mixture was extracted with methylene chloride ( 3 × 50 ml ), the combined organic extracts were washed with water ( 200 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and solvent removed by evaporation in vacuo to give 5 - bromo - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene along with the 6 - bromo - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalenec isomer ( 86 g , 89 . 7 % purity of combined mono - brominated isomers present in circa 3 : 2 ratio , combined mono - bromo isomer yield 96 %). conversion of 5 - bromo - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene and 6 - bromo - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene to 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 2 - carbonitrile along with 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 1 - carbonitrile isomer a mixture of 5 - bromo - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene and 6 - bromo - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 tetrahydronaphthalene ( 20 g ), copper ( i ) cyanide ( 8 . 6 g ) and anhydrous n - methylpyrrolidinone ( 41 . 3 g ) were stirred under dry nitrogen at 130 ° c . for 40 h . the mixture was cooled to ambient temperature , further n - methylpyrrolidinone ( 10 g ) was added along with saturated aqueous brine ( 30 ml ), the resulting mixture was stirred at ambient for 3 hours and filtered to remove solids . the filtrates were extracted with n - hexane ( 3 × 50 ml ). the combined organic extracts were washed with water ( 100 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated in vacuo to give crude product ( 16 . 2 g ). this was purified by distillation to give 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 2 - carbonitrile along with regioisomer ( 13 . 2 g , 95 % purity , 84 % yield ). n - butyl lithium ( 9 . 6 ml of 2 . 5m solution in hexane ) was added dropwise over 30 minutes to a stirred solution of 5 - bromo - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene in mixture with its regioisomer 6 - bromo - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene ( 5 g ) in dry thf ( 125 ml ) and hexane ( 35 ml ) at − 70 ° c ., stirring was continued at − 78 ° c . for 30 minutes , carbon dioxide gas was bubbled through the mixture at − 70 ° c . until no further exotherm was evident , carbon dioxide gas addition was continued for a further 10 minutes as the reaction was allowed to warm to ambient temperature , the mixture was poured into 2m aqueous hydrochloric acid ( 100 ml ) and the resulting mixture was extracted with diethyl ether ( 3 × 50 ml ). the combined organic extracts were washed with water ( 100 ml ) and were then extracted with 10 % aqueous sodium carbonate solution ( 3 × 50 ml ). the combined aqueous carbonate extracts were acidified carefully by addition of 2m hydrochloric acid to adjust the ph to ph 1 . the resulting mixture was extracted with diethyl ether ( 3 × 50 ml ), the combined organic extracts were washed with water ( 50 ml ) and dried ( mgso 4 ) before solvent was removed by evaporation in vacuo to give the crude product in 64 % yield comprising a mixture of regioisomers of 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene carboxylic acid . this mixture was purified by repeated recrystallisation from ethyl acetate to give 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 2 - carboxylic acid as crystallised solid in 93 % purity along with 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 1 - carboxylic acid as the major component present in the crystallisation mother liquors . acetyl chloride ( 5 g , 64 mmol ) is added dropwise to dry methanol ( 150 ml ) with stirring at ambient temperature under dry nitrogen . stirring is continued for 15 minutes , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 1 g , 5 . 7 mmol ) is added , the mixture is stirred at ambient temperature for 10 hours and solvent removed by evaporation in vacuo to give methyl 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 1 - carboxylate . this is then converted to 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 2 - carbonitrile using the same procedure described above for conversion of methyl 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthoate to 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthonitrile using dimethylaluminium amide . 4 - bromo - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydronaphthalene - 2 - carbonitrile ( 0 . 1 g ) was heated with 10 % palladium on carbon ( 1 . 65 g ) under air at 200 ° c . to 210 ° c . for 22 hours to give crude 4 - bromo - 2 - naphthonitrile as seen by gc ( approximately 75 % yield by gc area ). to a 50 ml 4 - neck round bottomed flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer , thermometer , septum , co 2 inlet , n 2 inlet / bubbler and external dry ice / acetone cooling bath is charged ( 0 . 35 g , 1 . 25 mmol ), anhydrous hexane ( 2 ml ) and anhydrous thf ( 8 ml ). the suspension is cooled to − 75 ° c . and buli ( 0 . 6 ml ) added dropwise over 20 min to the vigorously stirred suspension . the bright red solution is stirred for a further 5 min and then carbon dioxide bubbled very slowly through the reaction mixture with external cooling . the quenching reaction is very exothermic — maximum temperature reached is − 65 ° c . reaction is judged complete when no further temperature increase is observed upon addition of carbon dioxide . the mixture is stirred at − 65 ° c . for a further 10 min , and then added cautiously to 2 m hcl . the product is extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 50 ml ), the combined extracts dried ( mgso 4 ) and the solvent removed in vacuo to give 3 - cyano - 1 - naphthoic acid ( circa 20 % yield ). 1 h nmr ( d 6 dmso ): 7 . 69 - 7 . 87 ( m , 2h , 2 × arh ), 8 . 14 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 9 hz , arh ), 8 . 28 ( d , 1h , j = 1 . 5 hz , arh ), 8 . 79 ( s , 1h , arh ), 8 . 85 ( d , 1h , j = 8 . 4 hz , arh ). bis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( ii ) chloride ( 0 . 77 g ) in n - methylpyrrolidinone ( 170 g ), ( 10 g ), triphenyl phosphine ( 0 . 57 g ), and triethylamine ( 11 g ,) are mixed in a nitrogen inerted pressure vessel ( parr reactor ) at ambient temperature . water ( 15 . 5 g ) is added and the reactor is repeatedly purged with argon to remove residual air or oxygen . the reactor is vented and then pressurised with carbon monoxide to 7 bar absolute pressure ( 6 bar gauge pressure ) and the mixture stirred at 85 c for 10 hours , maintaining carbon monoxide pressure within the reactor at 6 barg . the mixture is cooled to 50 c and vented to atmospheric pressure , and the reaction mixture then filtered through a bed of celite to remove solids . the filter cake is washed with toluene ( 160 . 5 g ) and then with water ( 124 g ). the combined filtrates and washes are allowed to settle and the lower aqueous layer separated . the toluene layer is extracted with water ( 2 × 124 g ). the combined aqueous phase and aqueous extracts were washed with toluene ( 120 g ), 2m hydrochloric acid ( 64 . 5 ml ) are added to the aqueous solution over 30 minutes with stirring at 25 to 30 c . the organic layer is separated off and retained , the aqueous layer is extracted with toluene ( 2 × 120 g ). the combined organic layer and toluene extracts are mixed with water ( 62 g ) and 2m sodium hydroxide solution ( 16 . 2 ml ) to extract the product into the aqueous phase . the organic phase is extracted with further water ( 62 g ) plus 2m sodium hydroxide solution ( 16 . 2 ml ). the combined aqueous extracts are mixed with dichloromethane ( 350 g ) and the mixture acidified by addition of 2m hydrochloric acid ( 43 ml ) over 30 minutes at 25 to 30 c . the lower organic phase is separated and retained , the aqueous phase is extracted with further dichloromethane ( 100 g ). the combined dichloromethane solution and extract are washed with 2m hydrochloric acid ( 21 . 5 ml ), toluene ( 120 g ) is added and dichloromethane is removed by evaporation under reduced pressure to leave a toluene solution of the product . this solution is heated to 60 c , iso - hexane ( 300 g ) is added over 30 minutes at 60 c , and the mixture cooled over 3 hours to 5 c so as to crystallise the product , which is isolated by filtration . the product is washed with pre - cooled iso - hexane at 0 c to 5 c and it is then dried overnight in a vacuum oven at 40 c ( 5 . 66 g , 65 % yield ). the obtained product is confirmed by analysis to be the same as in example 1 . the new routes described herein offer significantly improved means for large scale manufacture of naphthalene cyanoacid ( 1 ) compared with methodology available from the chemical literature . these new routes offer advantage in terms of significantly improved through - route yield ( with considerable potential for yet further yield improvement ), they avoid the large scale process operability difficulties associated with the previous literature chemistry , they give product of lower cost of manufacture and they avoid the effluent toxicity and reagent toxicity associated with use of stoichiometric mercury salts specified in the previously published chemistry to such products .	2
as shown in the exemplary drawings and for purposes of illustration , the invention is embodied in a device and method for introducing medical devices within vasculature . in one aspect , the introducer includes a hub , a peel - away sheath , and an inner member or dilator , and has associated therewith a method of introducing the same into vasculature . the present invention involves facilitating the introduction of a plurality of wires ( for example , two guidewires or a guidewire and a medical device manipulation wire ) within vasculature and the expedient removal of the dilator of the invention from within vasculature . it is contemplated that the present invention includes a hub with multiple lumens which operates to separate wires or other therapeutic or diagnostic devices to thereby avoid entanglement and a dilator configured with longitudinally extending grooves which facilitate its easy removal from vasculature . referring to fig1 the introducer 20 includes a hub 21 with dual lumens 25 , 26 , a dilator or inner member 23 , and a generally tubular sheath 22 with sheath handle 24 . the proximal end of the dilator 23 is joined ( not shown ) to the hub 21 . the sheath 22 is slid over the dilator 23 and the sheath handle 24 is locked to the hub 21 . in a preferred embodiment , the sheath 22 extends distally along the dilator 23 to a point 41 just proximal of the terminal end 31 of dilator 23 . additionally , the sheath 22 includes a pair of weakened areas consisting of longitudinally extending perforations or recesses 42 that are spaced 180 ° degrees circumferentially apart on the sheath . alternatively , a single weakened area could be used . the perforations or recesses 42 on the sheath extend longitudinally through a circular knob 28 ( see fig2 a and 2b ) at the proximal end of the sheath where it is bonded to the sheath handle 24 and also along a midline 43 of the sheath handle 24 . as will be described below , it is intended that the sheath handle 24 can be fractured about a midline 43 and oppositely directed forces applied so that the sheath splits along the perforation or recess 42 . referring now to fig2 a and 2b , the introducer 20 further includes a locking post 40 . additionally , the sheath 22 further includes the circular knob 28 at its proximal end . when the sheath is slid over the dilator 23 , the sheath handle 24 is held generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the dilator 23 and locked to the hub 21 by turning the sheath handle 24 and placing it proximal to the locking post 40 . the circular knob 28 operates to facilitate securing the sheath handle 24 against the locking post 40 . with the sheath 22 locked to the hub 21 , the device can be introduced into the vasculature as a single assembly . when the sheath 22 is unlocked from the hub 21 , for example by turning the sheath handle 24 in a counter - clockwise direction , the hub 21 and dilator 23 can be maneuvered as a separate unit from the sheath 22 , thereby allowing the dilator 23 to be removed from the vasculature independent of the sheath 22 . the sheath 22 can be peeled - away , as stated , by snapping the ends of the sheath handle 24 ( see fig1 ). in one aspect of the invention , the dual lumens 25 , 26 of the hub 21 each have a slit 27 extending in a distal direction . the slits 27 allow the wires ( not shown ) to be expediently disengaged from the hub 21 by pulling them in a direction that is transverse to the hub 21 . referring now to fig3 to 4 b , the dual lumens 25 , 26 are separated at a proximal end 44 of the hub 21 by a center wall 29 and converge to a single lumen 30 at a distal end 45 of the hub 21 where dilator ( not shown ) is joined to the hub 21 . the dilator maintains separation of the wires at the distal end of the hub . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , each of the dual lumens 25 , 26 can accommodate a wire up to approximately 0 . 035 ″ ( 0 . 89 mm ) in diameter . moreover , the sheath length is contemplated to be about 45 cm with a diameter of about 10f ( 3 . 3 mm ). the dilator itself can be from 16 to 45 cm long . the hub , sheath and dilator are made of medical grade polymers , such as a polycarbonate or polyurethane material . it is anticipated that alternate embodiments of the invention could have more than two lumens , with adjustments in allowable wire or other therapeutic or diagnostic device diameter . as shown in fig5 to 13 , the dilator or inner member 23 contains two grooves 32 , 33 that run nearly the entire length of the dilator 23 . when the sheath 22 is placed over the dilator 23 , its inner wall forms a lumen with each of the grooves 32 , 33 for receiving a wire ( not shown ). when the sheath 22 is removed or the dilator 23 retracted from the sheath 22 , the grooves 32 , 33 permit the dilator 23 to be slipped off the wires without having to retract the dilator 23 the entire length of a particular wire . the groove 32 narrows and is much smaller in the tapered terminal end 31 of the dilator 23 such that the tapered terminal end 31 does not easily slip off a wire as with other portions of the groove , but must be peeled off . in a preferred embodiment ( fig6 and 7 ), one of the grooves 32 extends to a point 35 at the tapered terminal end 31 of dilator 23 , while the other groove terminates at a point 34 proximal to the tapered terminal end 31 of the dilator 23 . in this instance , the dilator tip forms a lumen for the primary guidewire . the dilator tip forming the lumen is scored to allow removal from the guidewire . in an alternate embodiment of the invention ( fig6 - 9 ), the terminal end 31 of the dilator 23 can be made more flexible than the shaft so that the tip is atraumatic . additionally , in alternative embodiments , the dilator 23 may have as many grooves as necessary for the intended application . moreover , as shown in fig8 and 9 , both grooves 132 , 133 can be configured to extend to points 134 , 135 , respectively , near the terminal end of the dilator 23 . fig1 to 13 show alternate embodiments in which the terminal end 131 of the dilator 23 is rounded rather than tapered . turning now to fig1 to 19 , steps in one anticipated use of the invention is shown . using a standard percutaneous technique , a guidewire 51 is placed within vasculature and advanced to a target site using fluoroscopy . with the guidewire 51 extending from the body as shown in fig1 , the dual lumen peel - away introducer 20 , with the sheath 22 locked to the hub 21 , is then fed over the guidewire 51 . to accomplish this , the guidewire 51 is placed within the dilator groove 32 and through the lumen created by the inner wall of the sheath 22 and dilator groove 32 until the guidewire emerges proximally from one of the dual lumens 25 of the hub 21 as shown in fig1 . the second guidewire 52 is then inserted into the other of the dual lumens 26 of the hub 21 and advanced distally through the lumen created by the inner wall of the sheath 22 and dilator groove 33 until it reaches the distal end of the dilator 31 as shown in fig1 . the dual lumen peel - away introducer 20 and second guidewire 52 are then advanced simultaneously along the first guidewire 51 to a desired position in the vasculature as shown in fig1 . alternatively , the introducer can be advanced to the desired position before the second guidewire 52 is advanced through the second lumen 26 . significantly , the introducer 20 is designed to have a length that is sufficient to extend from an entry point of a patient &# 39 ; s vasculature to the aortic bifurcation , for example . once the desired position in the vasculature is reached , the hub 21 and dilator 23 can be removed , leaving the sheath 22 in place in the vasculature . it is to be recognized , however , that depending on the application , the sheath 22 can be removed first leaving the dilator 23 in place in the vasculature . to withdraw the sheath 22 , the sheath handle 24 can be moved in a counterclockwise direction to unlock it from the hub lock 40 . then , holding the sheath handle 24 and guidewires 51 , 52 steady , the hub 21 is pulled proximally to retract the dilator 23 as shown in fig1 . alternatively , the entire device may be retracted from the vasculature and removed from the wires outside the body . when the terminal end 31 of the dilator 23 exits the proximal end 55 of the sheath handle 24 , the dilator 23 is removed by sliding it off the first guidewire 51 via groove 32 and off the second guidewire 52 via groove 33 . the guidewires 51 , 52 can be removed from the hub 21 by pulling them transversely through the slits 27 . the first guidewire 51 is separated from the dilator tip through the score at the tip . the two guidewires 51 , 52 are now free to be utilized for subsequent medical steps . the sheath 22 can be removed as desired by snapping down on the tabs 56 that form the sheath handle 24 and circular knob 28 while the sheath is pulled from the vasculature , thereby causing it to fracture into two pieces . by continuing to apply oppositely directed forces to the fractured pieces of the handle 24 , the sheath 22 will split along the pair of perforations or recesses 42 to thereby peel - away from the guidewires 51 , 52 as shown in fig1 . as will be readily apparent to one of skill in the design of medical device introduction systems , the medical device introduction system of the present invention may be incorporated in various forms of dilators and peel - away sheaths . in addition , while the foregoing discussion of the embodiment of the device introduction system illustratively employed two wires , a greater or lesser number of wires may be accommodated . furthermore , the steps in the anticipated procedure illustrated in fig1 to 19 may be altered if it is desired to remove the sheath before the dilator is retracted from the vasculature . while several particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described , it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , references to materials of construction and specific dimensions are also not intended to be limiting in any manner and other materials and dimensions could be substituted and remain within the spirit and scope of the invention . moreover , the introducer of the present invention can be adapted to facilitate the insertion of a myriad of medical devices into vasculature for numerous different uses such as inserting leads in a cardiology application . accordingly , it is not intended that the invention be limited , except as by the appended claims .	0
the present invention will be described by illustrating specific preferred embodiments according to the present invention below . fig1 a and 1b are a plan view and schematic sectional view , respectively , for illustrating a surface acoustic wave element according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . fig2 a to 2 d are schematic sectional views for illustrating a manufacturing method of the surface acoustic wave element according to the present preferred embodiment . according to the present preferred embodiment , a surface acoustic wave element is bonded to a package with solder bumps arranged in the package by using a flip chip bonding technique . according to the present preferred embodiment , a surface acoustic wave element 54 shown in fig1 a and 1b is prepared . in the surface acoustic wave element 54 , on a substantially rectangular plate - type piezoelectric substrate 42 , an idt electrode 43 , a pair of bus bar electrodes 44 and 45 , reflector electrodes 46 and 47 , relay electrodes 48 and 49 , and electrode pads 50 and 51 are formed with conductive films xa . as the piezoelectric substrate 42 , a piezoelectric single crystal such as litao 3 , linbo 3 , or crystal , and piezoelectric ceramics such as lead zirconate titanate ceramics , or other suitable material may be used . the conductive film xa is made of an appropriate conductive material such as al . the method for forming the conductive film xa on the piezoelectric substrate 42 is not specifically limited . an appropriate method such as vapor deposition , sputtering , or plating may be used . on the bus bar electrodes 44 and 45 , relay electrodes 48 and 49 , and electrode pads 50 and 51 , metallic films xb , metallic films xd to be solder barrier layers , and metallic films xe with excellent bonding properties to solder bumps are deposited except on a portion of the vicinities of the electrode pads . the metallic film xb is preferably made of nicr or ti , for example , for improving the bonding strength to the metallic film xd to be the solder barrier layer and the conductive film xa . the metallic films xe is preferably made of a metal having excellent bonding properties to solder bumps such as ag . the metallic film xd to be the solder barrier layer is preferably made of an appropriate metal , such as ni , that is difficult to produce a solder leach . in addition , the idt electrode 43 is formed according to the present preferred embodiment . alternatively , a plurality of idt electrodes may be formed , and the reflector may not be necessarily provided . when obtaining the surface acoustic wave element according to the present preferred embodiment , on the entire surface of the piezoelectric substrate 42 , the conductive film xa is formed . then , the patterned conductive films xa are formed on the piezoelectric substrate 42 by patterning , or other suitable process . that is , as shown in fig2 a , on the piezoelectric substrate 42 , the patterned conductive films xa are disposed . thereby , the idt electrode 43 , bus bar electrodes 44 and 45 , reflector electrodes 46 and 47 , relay electrodes 48 and 49 , and electrode pads 50 and 51 are formed with the conductive films xa . thereafter , as shown in fig2 a , a resist 61 is deposited on the entire surface . then , by the development using exposure and a photo - mask , the resist portion that is not required is removed , so that the resist 61 is patterned . in such a manner , as shown in fig2 b , the patterned resist 61 a is formed . in this state , the idt electrode 43 , reflector electrodes 46 and 47 , and portions of the electrode pads 50 and 51 are covered with the resist 61 a . thereafter , as shown in fig2 c , the metallic films xb preferably made of nicr or ti are formed . then , on the entire surfaces of the metallic films xb , the metallic films xd made of ni for functioning as a solder barrier and the metallic films xe preferably made of ag and having excellent solder wettability are sequentially formed . the forming of these metallic films xb , xd , and xe may be performed by an appropriate method such as vapor deposition and sputtering . thereafter , the metallic films xb , xd , and xe on the resist 61 a are lifted off together with the resist 61 a . in such a manner , as shown in fig2 d , on the bus bar electrodes 44 and 45 , relay electrodes 48 and 49 , and electrode pads 50 and 51 , the deposited metallic films constituting the metallic films xb , xd , and xe are deposited so as to obtain the surface acoustic wave element 54 shown in fig6 a and 6b . when bonding the surface acoustic wave element 54 to a package , as shown in fig4 the surface acoustic wave element 54 is placed on electrodes 14 and 15 on a package 11 from the side of the electrode forming surface so that the electrode pads 50 and 51 are brought into contact with solder bumps 12 and 13 disposed on the electrodes 14 and 15 on the package 11 , respectively . then , by heating , the surface acoustic wave element 54 is bonded to the electrodes 14 and 15 on the package 11 with the respective solder bumps 12 and 13 therebetween so as to obtain the surface acoustic wave apparatus according to the present preferred embodiment . according to the present preferred embodiment , on each of the bus bar electrode , relay electrode , and electrode pad , the metallic films xb , xd , and xe are deposited . the metallic films xb , xd , and xe on the electrode pad constitute the first metallic film according to preferred embodiments of the present invention , whereas the metallic films xb , xd , and xe on each of the bus bar electrode and relay electrode constitute the second metallic film . therefore , just like the structure that the conductive film made of the same electrode material as that of the conductive film xa is deposited on the conductive film xa , the electrical resistance of the electrode elements is greatly reduced , resulting in the reduction in the ohmic loss . therefore , without using the process for depositing the conductive film made of the same electrode material as that of the conductive film xa for reducing the ohmic loss , that is , without using the complicated electrode forming process , the loss of the surface acoustic wave apparatus and the reduction in q are minimized . in addition , according to the present preferred embodiment , the film thickness of the metallic film xe for bonding to the solder bumps is not necessarily larger than that of the conductive film xa defining the idt electrode 43 . that is , when the specific electrical resistances of the metallic films xb to xe are smaller than that of the conductive film xa , it is not necessary that the thickness of the metallic films xb , xd , and xe be larger than that of the conductive film xa . fig3 shows impedance / frequency characteristics of the surface acoustic wave apparatus according to the present preferred embodiment with the dotted lines . for comparison purposes , characteristics of a comparative example , in which the film thickness of the bus bar electrode and relay electrode is not increased , are shown with the solid lines while electrical characteristics of a conventional example , in which a conductive film element made of the same electrode material as that of the idt electrode is increased according to a conventional method , are shown with the dash - dot lines . as is apparent from fig3 it is understood that according to the present preferred embodiment , resonance characteristics with large q are obtained in comparison with the comparative example , in which the film thickness of the bus bar electrode is not increased , while at least the same resonance characteristics as the conventional example are obtained . in addition , according to preferred embodiments of the present invention , the second metallic films are disposed on the bus bar electrode and relay electrode , the second metallic film is provided for reducing the ohmic loss , and it may be disposed on one of the bus bar electrode and relay electrode or it may be partially disposed in portions of the bus bar electrode and relay electrode . however , it is preferable that as described in the present preferred embodiment , the second metallic films be formed on both the bus bar electrode and relay electrode . while preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above , it is to be understood that variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing the scope and spirit of the invention . the scope of the invention , therefore , is to be determined solely by the following claims .	7
the present invention strikes out a middle ground between the weibe et al . and pang et al . approaches and presents a fusion of polarity and topicality . one approach to performing this task is to do a full nlp - style analysis of each sentence and understand at a deep level the semantics of the sentence , how it relates to the topic , and whether the sentiment of the expression is positive or negative . in the absence of comprehensive nlp techniques , we approximate the topicality judgment with either a statistical machine learning classifier or a hand - built rules - based classifier and the polarity judgment with shallow nlp techniques . an exemplary embodiment assumes that any sentence that is both polar and topical is polar about the topic in question . however , when these modules are run separately there are no guarantees that a sentence that is judged to be both topical and polar is expressing anything polar about the topic . for example the sentence it has a brightscreen lcd screen and awesome battery life does not say anything positive about the screen . the present invention described herein demonstrates that the underlying combination assumption made by this system is sound , resulting in high - precision identification of these sentences . the present application presents exemplary methods for performing topical sentiment analysis employing fusion of polarity and topicality . one approach to performing this task is to perform a full nlp - style analysis of each sentence and understand at a deep level the semantics of the sentence , how it relates to the topic , and whether the sentiment of the expression is positive or negative ( or any other sentiment capable of being expressed in a message ). in the absence of comprehensive nlp techniques , alternate embodiments approximate the topicality judgment with a statistical machine learning classifier or a hand - built rules - based classifier and the polarity judgment with shallow nlp techniques . one embodiment of the system we describe assumes that any sentence that is both polar and topical is polar about the topic in question . however , when these modules are run separately there are no guarantees that a sentence that is judged to be both topical and polar is expressing anything polar about the topic . for example the sentence it has a brightscreen lcd screen and awesome battery life does not say anything positive about the screen . nevertheless , one embodiment described herein demonstrates that the underlying combination assumption made by this system is sound , resulting in high - precision identification of these sentences . in summary , in an industrial application setting , the value of polarity detection is very much increased when married with an ability to determine the topic of a document or part of a document . in this application , we outline methods for recognizing polar expressions and for determining the topic of a document segment . the present invention , therefore , provides a lightweight but robust approach to combining topic and polarity thus enabling content access systems to select content based on a certain opinion about a certain topic . texts can be broadly categorized as subjective or objective . those that are subjective often carry some indication of the author &# 39 ; s opinion , or evaluation of a topic as well as some indication of the author &# 39 ; s emotional state with respect to that topic . for example , the expression this is an excellent car indicates the author &# 39 ; s evaluation of the car in question ; i hate it ! reflects the author &# 39 ; s emotional state with respect to the topic . an additional type of expression informative in this context is that which indicates a desirable or undesirable condition . these expressions may be deemed objective . for example , it is broken may well be objective but is still describing an undesirable state . an idealized view of polarity detection would be able to accept any document , or subsection thereof ; and provide an indication of the polarity : the segment is either positive , negative , mixed or neutral . additionally , in an alternative embodiment of the present invention , expressions can be analyzed and rated according to the strength of any sentiment that is capable of being expressed in words . such sentiments need not be analyzed in opposite pairs ( as in the case of positivity and negativity in the exemplary embodiment ); a message can be analyzed for the expression of any individual qualitative sentiment , and the relative strength of that sentiment in the message can be expressed on a numerical scale ( as is described herein with reference to the sentiments of positivity and negativity ). examples of such additional qualitative sentiments that can be expressed in a message and analyzed according to the present invention include , but are not limited to : anger , hate , fear , loyalty , happiness , respect , confidence , pride , hope , doubt , and disappointment . however , this is only half of the story . firstly , the classification of polar segments has a dependency on many other aspects of the text . for example , the adjective huge is negative in the context there was a huge stain on my trousers and positive in the context this washing machine can deal with huge loads . there is no guarantee that the information required to resolve such ambiguities will be present in the observable segment of the document . secondly , knowing that a piece of text is positive is only as useful as our ability to determine the topic of the segment . if a brand manager is told that this set of documents is positive and this set is negative , they cannot directly use this information without knowing , for example , which are positive about their product and which are positive about the competition . an exemplary embodiment of the polar phrase extraction system according to the present invention was implemented with the following steps . in the set up phase , a domain - general lexicon is developed . a lexicon is a list of words or phrases with their associated parts - of - speech , and a semantic orientation tag ( e . g . positive or negative ). for example , this may contain the words ‘ good ’ and ‘ bad ’ as positive and negative adjectives , respectively . then , this domain - general lexicon is tuned to the domain being explored . for example , if we are looking at digital cameras , phrases like ‘ blurry ’ may be negative and ‘ crisp ’ may be positive . care is taken not to add ambiguous terms where possible as we rely on assumptions about the distribution of the phrases that we can detect with high precision and its relationship to the distribution of all polar phrases . note that our lexicon contains possibly ‘ incorrect ’ terms which reflect modem language usage as found in online messages . for example , there is an increasing lack of distinction between certain classes of adverbs and adjectives and so many adjectives are replicated as adverbs . at run time , the input is tokenized . the tokenized input is then segmented into discrete chunks . the chunking phase includes the following steps . part of speech tagging is carried out using a statistical tagger trained on penn treebank data . ( we note that taggers trained on clean data , when applied to the noisy data found in our domain , are less accurate than with their native data .) semantic tagging adds polar orientation information to each token ( positive or negative ) where appropriate using the prepared polarity lexicon . simple linear pos tag patterns are then applied to form the chunks . the chunk types that are derived are basic groups ( noun , adjective , adverb and verb ) as well as determiner groups and an ‘ other ’ type . the chunked input is then further processed to form higher - order groupings of a limited set of syntactic patterns . these patterns are designed to cover expressions that associate polarity with some topic , and those expressions that toggle the logical orientation of polar phrases ( i have never liked it .). this last step conflates simple syntactic rules with semantic rules for propagating the polarity information according to any logical toggles that may occur . if the text this car is really great were to be processed , firstly the tokenization step would result in the sequence { this , car , is , really , great }. part of speech tagging would provide { this_dt car_nn , is_vb , really_rr , great_jj }. assuming the appropriate polarity lexicon , additional information would he added thus : { this_dt , car_nn , is_vb , really_rr , great_jj ;+} where ‘+’ indicate a positive lexical item . note that features are encoded in a simplified frame structure which is a tree . the standard operations of unification ( merging ), test for unifiability and subsumption are available on these structures . the chunking phase would bracket the token sequence as follows : {( this_dt ) _det , ( car_nn ) _bnp , ( is_vb ) _bvp , ( really_rr , great_jj ) _badjp }. note that the basic chunk categories are { det , bnp , badvp , badjp , bvp , other }. the interpretation phase then carries out two tasks : the elevation of semantic information from lower constituents to higher , applying negation logic where appropriate , and assembling larger constituents from smaller . rules are applied in a certain order . in this example , a rule combining det and bnp chunks would work first over the sequence , followed by a rule that forms verb phrases from bnp bvp badjp sequences whenever polar information is found in a badjp . note that there is a restriction of the applicability of rules related to the presence of polar features in the frames of at least one constituent ( be it a bnp , badjp , badvp or bvp ). the simple syntactic patterns are : predicative modification ( it is good ), attributive modification ( a good car ), equality ( it is a good car ), polar clause ( it broke my car ). negation of the following types are captured by the system : verbal attachment ( it is not good , it isn &# 39 ; t good ), adverbal negatives ( i never really liked it , it is never any good ), determiners ( it is no good ), superordinate scope ( i don &# 39 ; t think they made their best offer ). in an advanced polarity detection process , once a syntactic structure has been built a lexicon is consulted to annotate the terminals with lexical information . the lexicon contains information describing the role that the word has in the context of interpreting polarity . this role is described as either : a ) an atomic feature representing a grounded interpretation for the lexical item ; e . g . positive negative . b ) a function which is to be applied to any sub - interpretation during composition resulting in a new interpretation ; e . g . ; invert which takes as an argument an atomic interpretation and produces a resultant interpretation , e . g ., invert ( positive )-& gt ; negative . invert invert - neg : invert the polarity of a negative argument invert - pos : invert the polarity of a positive argument intensify - if - inverted : intensify an inverted argument negative - if - inverted : negate an inverted argument positive - if - inverted : make positive an inverted argument non - transmitting : block the application of inversion for this verb intensify : intensify the argument negative - no - inversion : negate if no inversions have yet been applied filter : remove the interpretation from the composition composition is the process by which an interpretation is built up ( via the application of functions , or via transmitting a child &# 39 ; s interpretation to its parent ) from the terminals in a syntactic tree to the root of the tree . 2 . each sentence is tokenized to produce a series of word - like elements . 3 . each token is given a part of speech ( pos ) which is encoded using a two or three character tag , e . g ., nn for singular noun , nnp for plural noun . 4 . each token is looked up in a lexicon . the lexicon uses the pos and morphological analysis of the word . the morphological analysis takes as input a word and a pos and produces a reduced form of the word and the appropriate derived pos . for example , looking up ‘ breaking ’ would produce the token ‘ break ’ with the associated pos vb . 5 . a grammatical analysis is performed on the entire sentence . the goal of the grammatical analysis is to diagram as much of the sentence as possible . in certain situations , the sentence will be fully described as a single structure . otherwise , the structure will be fragmented . example — given the following communication , “ i heard this was a great movie . did you like it ?” the above steps are applied as follows : 1 . ‘ i heard this was a great movie .’ and ‘ did you like it ?’ 2 . taking the first sentence —‘ i ’, ‘ heard ’, ‘ this ’, ‘ was ’, ‘ a ’, ‘ great ’, ‘ movie ’, ‘.’ 3 . i \ prp heard \ vbd it \ prp was \ vbd a \ dt great \ jj movie \ nn where prp is personal noun , vbd is a past tense verb , dt is a determiner , jj is adjective and nn is noun . 4 . the only word that matches with the lexicon is ‘ great ’. 5 . using a bracketing notation to indicate structure , the sentence can be represented as follows : the notation below the bracketed form shows how the sentence is built up . the sentence consists of an np — the subject noun phrase —( i ) and a vp the main verb phrase ( hears this was a great movie . the vp is then further split into a verb ( heard ) and a relative clause ( s - rel ) which itself has a simple subject verb object sentence structure . semantic analysis . now that we have the structural and lexical description of the sentence , we can carry out a semantic analysis . the semantic analysis works in a simple compositional manner working from the nodes at the leaves of the tree structure ( starting with the words themselves and moving through the tree to the very top node ). in the above example , nothing too interesting happens . the node ‘ great ’ has found a hit with a positive term in the lexicon . it is , therefore , associated with the ‘ positive ’ feature . this feature is , via the compositional analysis mechanism , propagated all the way up the tree to the top s node . the result is that the ‘ positive ’ feature is the only polarity feature present and thus the sentence is marked as being positive . a more interesting case concerns the interaction of different lexical items . if we look at the fragment : as before , ‘ good ’ finds a hit in the lexicon and gets the ‘ positive ’ feature . ‘ not ’ also finds a hit in the lexicon and gets assigned the * function * ‘ invert ( )’. the ‘ positive ’ feature associated with ‘ good ’ is an * atomic * feature . the structural analysis for this fragment is something like (( it ) (( was not ) ( a good movie ))) as before , “ a good movie ” which is a noun phrase , gets associated with the ‘ positive ’ feature . the invert ( ) function , that the word ‘ not ’ hit in the lexicon makes its way up to the verbal group (‘ was not ’). the higher level node , a verb phrase that spans all of ‘ was not a good movie ’ has two children : ‘ was not ’ and ‘ a good movie ’. if we reduce these children to their semantic information , we have to two expressions : ‘ invert ( )’ and ‘ positive ’. the combinatorial process applies the function to the atomic argument and evaluates the result . thus ‘ invert ( )’ and ‘ positive ’ become ‘ invert ( positive )’ which then becomes ‘ negative ’. just like the ‘ positive ’ feature in the earlier example , this ‘ negative ’ feature then makes its way up the tree structure to the top s node , resulting in a sentence with negative polarity . more information about novelty of lexicon / semantics . when a word or phrase is looked up in the lexicon , the pos and the context surrounding it may be consulted . the pos allows the system to distinguish between the grammatical function of the word ( e . g . ‘ pretty ’ in ‘ it was pretty ’ and ‘ pretty ’ in ‘ it was pretty horrible ’). the context , when appropriate , can be used to distinguish other cases , such as the difference between ‘ well ’ in ‘ it works well ’ and ‘ well ’ in ‘ oh , well ’. these contextual distinctions are made using a simple set of per entry rules which require the presence or absence of certain words either preceding or following the lexical entry . specifically , when word ( ordinal ) w is looked up in a sentence of n & gt ; w words , the lexicon has access to all the words in the sentence and can address them relative to the position w . we wish to evaluate three aspects of our approach : the performance of the topic classifier on sentences , the performance of the polarity recognition system and the assumption that polar sentences that are on topic contain polar language about that topic . our evaluation experiment proceeded as follows . using our message harvesting and text mining toolkit , we acquired 20 , 000 messages from online resources ( usenet , online message boards , etc .). our message harvesting system harvests messages in a particular domain ( a vertical industry , such as ‘ automotive ’, or a specific set of products ). messages are then automatically tagged according to some set of topics of interest to the analyst . we selected those messages which were tagged as being on topic for a particular topic in the domain being studied ( 982 messages ). these messages were then segmented into sentences ( using a naive sentence boundary detection algorithm ) resulting in ( 16 , 616 sentences ). the sentences were then tagged individually by the topic classifier ( 1 , 262 sentences on topic ) and the polarity recognition system described above in section 2 . 2 . we then selected at random 250 sentences for each of the evaluation tasks ( topic , polarity , topic & amp ; polarity ) and hand labeled them as follows . polarity : positive , negative ( in a multi - label environment this results in four possible combinations ). topic and polarity : positive - correlated , negative - correlated , positive - uncorrelated , negative uncorrelated , topical , off - topic . the positive - correlated label indicates that the sentences contained a positive polar segment that referred to the topic , positive - uncorrelated indicates that there was some positive polarity but that it was not associated with the topic in question . as our system is designed to detect relative degrees of opinion we are more interested in precision than recall . a greater issue than recall is the potential bias that our set of classifiers might impose on the data . this aspect is not measured here due to the labor intensive nature of the task . the results for the polarity task from this hand labeling are shown in table 1 . sentences judged to have positive polarity were detected with a precision of 82 %. negative sentences were judged to be detected with a precision of 80 %. in the previous section we approached the task of assessing the sentiment of a sentence through a shallow nlp approach . in this section , we take a different approach for determining the topicality of a sentence . we treat the topicality judgment as a text classification problem and solve it with machine learning techniques . in the standard ( prior art ) text classification approach , representative training examples are provided along with human judgments of topicality . from these , a learning algorithm forms a generalization hypothesis that can be used to determine topicality of previously unseen examples . typically , the types of text that form the training examples are the same type as those seen during the evaluation and application phases for the classifier . that is , the classifier assumes the example distribution remains constant before and after training . in an exemplary embodiment of our text mining system for a specific marketing domain , a machine learning text classifier is trained to assess topicality on whole messages and thus expects to predict whether or not a whole message is relevant to the given topic . in this section we explore how to use such a text classifier trained on whole messages to accurately predict sentence - level topicality . the provided classifier is trained with machine learning techniques from a collection of documents that have been hand - labeled with the binary relation of topicality . the underlying classifier is a variant of the winnow classifier ( n . littlestone , “ learning quickly when irrelevant attributes abound : a new linear - threshold algorithm ,” machine learning 2 , pp . 285 - 318 , 1988 ; a . blum , “ empirical support for winnow and weighted - majority based algorithms : results on a calendar scheduling domain ,” machine learning 26 , pp . 5 - 23 , 1997 ; and i . dagan , y . karov , and d . roth , “ mistake - driven learning in text categorization ,” in emnlp &# 39 ; 97 , 2 nd conference on empirical methods in natural language processing , 1997 ), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference , an online learning algorithm that finds a linear separator between the class of documents that are topical and the class of documents that are irrelevant . documents are modeled with the standard bag - of - words representation that simply counts how many times each word occurs in a document . winnow learns a linear classifier of the form : h ⁡ ( x ) = ∑ w ∈ v ⁢ f w ⁢ c w ⁡ ( x ) equ . ⁢ 1 where c w ( x ) is 1 if word w occurs in document x and 0 otherwise . f w is the weight for feature w . if h ( x )& gt ; v then the classifier predicts topical , and otherwise predicts irrelevant . the basic winnow algorithm proceeds as : 1 . initialize all f w to 1 . 2 . for each labeled document x in the training set : 2a . calculate h ( x ). 2b . if the document is topical , but winnow predicts irrelevant , update each weight f w where c w ( x ) is 1 by : 2c . if the document is irrelevant , but winnow predicts topical , update each weight f w where c w ( x ) is 1 by : in a setting with many irrelevant features , no label noise and a linear separation of the classes , winnow is theoretically guaranteed to quickly converge to a correct hypothesis . empirically , we have found winnow to be a very effective document classification algorithm , rivaling the performance of support vector machines ( t . joachims , “ text categorization with support vector machines : learning with many relevant features ,” in machine learning : ecml 98 , tenth european conference on machine learning , pp . 137 - 142 , 1998 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference ) and k - nearest neighbor ( y . yang , “ an evaluation of statistical approaches to text categorization ,” information retrieval 1 ( 1 / 2 ), pp . 67 - 88 , 1999 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference ), two other state - of - the - art text classification algorithms . in the exemplary embodiment , we use winnow because it is more computationally efficient than svms and easier to apply than knn . it is to be understood , of course , that it is within the scope of the invention to use classifiers other than the winnow algorithm . in the exemplary embodiment , after determining whether the whole message is considered relevant or irrelevant , we then use a straightforward and ad - hoc technique of adapting a given document classifier into a high precision / low recall sentence classifier . if a document is judged by the classifier to be irrelevant , we predict that all sentences in that document are also irrelevant . if a document is judged to be topical , then we further examine each sentence in that document . given each sentence and our text classifier , we simply form a bag - of - words representation of the sentence as if an entire document consisted of that single sentence . we then run the classifier on the derived pseudo - document . if the classifier predicts topical , then we label the sentence as topical and proceed with the sentiment analysis for that sentence . if the classifier predicts irrelevant , we skip the sentiment analysis and proceed on to the next sentence . to evaluate this exemplary embodiment , we use the same experimental setup as described in the previous section . we trained a winnow classifier by hand - labeling 731 training messages , 246 which were topical . then , on our test collection , 982 messages were predicted to be topical by the classifier . precision was measured at 85 . 4 % ( 117 / 137 on a randomly selected test set ) on the message level . the 982 messages contained 16 , 616 sentences , 1262 of which were judged to be topical by the classifier . these sentences came from 685 different documents , indicating that that 70 % of documents judged to be topical also had at least one sentence predicted to be topical . a random sample of 224 of the 1262 topical sentences were hand labeled . precision on this set was estimated at 79 % ( 176 / 224 ). these results show that applying a message - level classifier in a straightforward fashion on the sentence level still maintains about the same precision that was seen on the document level . however , this approach clearly results in a loss of recall , as a significant number of messages predicted to be topical did not have any sentences predicted as topical . this section describes how we use the polar sentence detector and identify which messages contain positive or negative expressions about a particular brand . the approach we take is to use a brand text classifier , a feature text classifier , and a set of resolution heuristics to combine these with the polar language detector . in a marketing intelligence application of data mining , there are typically topics of discussion in the data that warrant explicit tracking and identification . the most prevalent type of topics are brand - related , i . e . one topic for each product or brand being tracked , such as the dell axim . to facilitate this taxonomic requirement , analysts compose well - written hand - built rules to identify these types of topics . these rules are based on words and phrases , and allow for stemming , synonymy , windowing , and context - sensitivity based on document analysis . from one point of view , these brands are entities occurring in the text , and it might be considered that entity extraction would be the most appropriate technology to apply . however , to facilitate tracking and identification , extracted entities must be normalized to a set of topics . for example , axim , dell axim , and the dell pda should all fall into the dell axim topic . an approach following that of cohen , w . w ., “ data integration using similarity joins and a word - based information representation language ,” acm transactions of information systems 18 ( 3 ): 288 - 321 ( 2000 ), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference , could be established to automatically normalize entities . however , since our customers typically know exactly which brands they want to monitor , pre - building the rules in this case is both more accurate and the performance is more predictable and can be easily measured . as discussed above , we showed that in the domain of online message discussion , intersecting sentiment with topic classifiers at the sentence level provides reasonable precision . that is , if a sentence in a message is both about a brand ( according to its classifier ) and also contains positive language ( as detected by our sentiment analysis ) our system asserts that the message is positive about that brand . other nlp approaches to sentiment do a finer - grained grammatical analysis to associate sentiment with a topic . we have found that in the domain on online discussion , using a sentence intersection approach has reasonably high precision , and also better recall than a grammatical association approach . however , the recall is still relatively low , and thus we extend the recall through a second layer of classification and resolution . a second set of “ feature classifiers ” is defined to recognize discussion about features of a brand within the given industry . for example , in the automotive domain , there might be classifiers for acceleration , interior styling , and dealership service . in contrast to brand - like topics defined through rules , it &# 39 ; s often the case that other topics are more accurately recognized from a complex language expression that is not easily captured by a rule . for example , topics such as customer service are not so simply captured by sets of words , phrases and rules . thus , we often approach topic classification with machine learning techniques . the provided classifier is trained with machine learning techniques from a collection of documents that have been hand - labeled with the binary relation of topicality . the hand - labeling by the analysts is performed using an active learning framework . the underlying classifier is a variant of the winnow classifier ( littlestone 1988 ), an online learning algorithm that finds a linear separator between the class of documents that are topical and the class of documents that are irrelevant . documents are modeled with the standard bag - of - words representation that discards the ordering of words and notices only whether or not a word occurs in a document . these “ feature classifiers ” are used to extend the recall of identifying polar messages through the following process . if a message contains brand mentions , the feature classifiers are also run on each sentence in a message . if a sentence is both polar and passes a feature classifier , there is likely a polar expression about one of the brands mentioned in the message . a process of fact extraction is layered on top of these classifiers and the sentiment analysis to understand which brand is being referenced in the message . we use simple resolution techniques to associate brand - like topics ( e . g . dell axim ) with topics describing features of brands ( e . g . customer service or peripherals ). for example , a brand can be referenced in the subject line of a blog , and feature - like topics mentioned in the body of the blog resolve back to the brand topics in the subject line when other brands are not mentioned in the body . in this way , we identify facts that can be thought of as triples of brands , their ( optional ) features , and the ( optional ) polarity of the authorial expression . for purposes of measuring aggregate sentiment for a brand , a message is considered positive about the brand if it contains a fact with the brand &# 39 ; s class and a positive polarity . a message is considered negative about the brand if it contains a fact with the brand &# 39 ; s class and a negative polarity . while generally correct , the automated nature of the system results in a not insignificant amount of error in claiming these facts . aggregating these counts into a single overall score for a brand requires a mindfulness of the error rates , to avoid making incorrect claims about a brand . below we describe how the counts of each of these groups of messages is used to generate a score with confidence bounds that achieves this goal . an alternate embodiment for identifying topical sentences is to use a hand - built set of rules to identify sentences containing a topic . for example , to identify the display of a pda , an analyst might write the rule “ the word ‘ screen ’ within ” five words of the word ‘ pda ’, the word ‘ resolution ’, the phrase ‘ trans reflective ’ but not the phrase ‘ monitor resolution ’. these rules can be run over every sentence in the document collection , and any sentence that matches the hand - written rule is considered topical . fig5 shows a screen shot of an exemplary computerized tool for writing topical rules of this kind . one goal of the present invention is to reliably extract polar sentiments about a topic . an embodiment of our system assumes that a sentence judged to be polar and also judged to be topical is indeed expressing polarity about the topic . this relationship is asserted without any nlp - style evidence for a connection between the topic and the sentiment , other than their apparent locality in the same sentence . this section tests the assumption that at the locality of a sentence , a message that is both topical and polar actually expresses polar sentiment about the topic . using the polarity and topic modules described and tested in the previous sections , the system identifies sentences that are judged to be topical and have either positive or negative sentiment . these sentences are predicted by the system to be saying either positive or negative things about the topic in question . out of the 1262 sentences predicted to be topical , 316 sentences were predicted to have positive polarity and 81 were predicted to have negative polarity . the precision for the intersection — testing the assumption that a topical sentence with polar content is polar about that topic — is show in table 2 , above . the results show the overall precision was 72 %. since the precision of the polarity module was 82 % and the topic module 79 %, an overall precision of 72 % demonstrates that the locality assumption holds in most instances . below are five randomly selected sentences predicted to be negative topical and five randomly selected sentences predicted to be positive topical . these show typical examples of the sentences discovered by our system . compared to the product &# 39 ; s screen this thing is very poor . in multimedia i think the winner is not that clear when you consider that product - a has a higher resolution screen than product - b and built in camera . i never had a problem with the product - a , but did encounter the “ dust / glass under the screen problem ” associated with product - b . broken product screen it is very difficult to take a picture of a screen . the b & amp ; w display is great in the sun . the screen is at 70 setting ( 255 max ) which is for me the lowest comfortable setting . at that time , superior screen . although i really don &# 39 ; t care for a cover , i like what company - a has done with the rotating screen , or even better yet , the concept from company - b with the horizontally rotating screen and large foldable keyboard . the screen is the same ( both company - a & amp ; company - b decided to follow company - c ), but multimedia is better and more stable on the product . given a set of messages about brand x , previous sections describe how we determine ( with some error ) whether each message is positive , negative , mixed or neutral about brand x . the end sentiment metric is a function of the estimated frequency of positive messages , and the estimated frequency of negative messages . the simplest measure of positive frequency would be to just divide the number of positive messages about brand x by the total number of messages about brand x . this approach may be undesirable in two important ways . first , the analysis determining positive is error - prone , and the error rates of this are not accounted for . second , with small amounts of data , the true underlying frequency may be quite far from the measured frequency . in this section we describe how we use bayesian statistics to model these properties to derive valid estimates for the positive and negative frequencies . the model we choose is a statistical generative model . that is , we assume the facts are extracted by an error - prone process that we model with explicit parameterization . specifically for the sentiment metric , the fundamental parameter we hope to derive is the frequency of positive messages about a brand , and the frequency of negative messages about a brand . these two processes are modeled analogously ; for brevity we discuss here only the derivation of the frequency of positive messages , but one of ordinary skill will readily appreciate how to derive the frequency of negative messages using this model . we model a generative process for facts about brand x by assuming that the positive frequency over all brands is modeled by a beta distribution , and brand x &# 39 ; s positive frequency , θ is determined by a draw from this beta distribution . given the data d consisting of n messages about the brand , n of these are truly positive , determined by a draw from a binomial distribution , binomial ( n , θ ). the observation process of fact extraction makes two types of errors : ( 1 ) false positives , observing a true neutral as a positive , and ( 2 ) false negatives , observing a true positive as a neutral . let these error rates be ε fp and ε fn respectively . by observing n messages through the error - prone lens of fact extraction , we see m positive messages instead of the correct number n . let fp , fn , tp and tn be the number of false positive , false negative , true positive and true negative messages observed . note that these are unknown from the observations , though we do know that : the goal of the parameter estimation process is to use the observed values n ( total messages ) and m ( positive messages detected ) and estimate θ , the underlying frequency of true positive messages . as we are calculating this from a bayesian perspective , we derive not only a maximum a posteriori estimate { circumflex over ( θ )}, but also a posterior distribution over θ , which will be important in estimating the size of the confidence bounds . given the data , we estimate e through an application of bayes &# 39 ; rule and expectation - maximization . the posterior probability of θ is : where z is a normalization function of fp , fn , tp and tn . this likelihood equation can be maximized through a straightforward application of expectation - maximization . dempster , a . p . ; laird , n . m . ; and rubin , d . b . “ maximum likelihood from incomplete data via the em algorithm .” journal of the royal statistical society , series b 39 ( 1 ): 1 - 38 ( 1977 ), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . in the general case , the em iterative process will solve for a local maxima to a likelihood equation with missing data . in this application , each datapoint &# 39 ; s true sentiment is unknown , and only the observed sentiments are known . the m - step estimates θ using the expectations of the missing values of the data : θ ^ = e ⁡ [ tp ] + e ⁡ [ fn ] + α n + α + β equ . ⁢ 8 where α and β are parameters given by the beta prior for the binomial distribution . the e - step calculates the expectation of the missing data using the estimated parameterization : by iterating the e - steps and m - steps until convergence , we arrive at a local maxima in likelihood space , giving us an estimate for θ . additionally , at this fixed point , we have also arrived at a posterior distribution : this is not mathematically the true posterior distribution , as it does not account for the uncertainty in the estimation of which messages were erroneously or correctly observed . we have empirically observed much success in using this approximation . four parameters of this model are set through . empirical methods : ε fp , ε fn , α , and β . both ε fp and ε fn are set by simply measuring these over a set of labeled data . both α and β are estimated through . a process of setting empirical priors using large sets of unlabeled data . the process described is a method for deriving estimates for the positive and negative frequencies of a brand . however , customer needs require that only a single summary statistic be produced , and that the form of this is a 1 - 10 metric . additionally , a 5 . 0 value of the metric needs to correspond to the case where the estimated frequencies of positive and negative are equal , and generally , very few brands should score at the most extreme ends of the score . the frequencies are converted to a 1 - 10 score through a log linear normalization of the ratio of positive to negative . thus , if a 7 . 0 corresponds to a ratio of 2 . 0 , then 9 . 0 corresponds to a ratio of 4 . 0 and a 3 . 0 score to a ratio of 0 . 5 . extreme ratios are very rare , and anything beyond a 1 or a 10 are simply truncated at the extrema . to measure the confidence bounds of a sentiment score estimated by this process , we use the posterior distribution of the positive and negative frequencies . we estimate 95 % confidence bounds by repeatedly sampling from these posterior distributions , and then plugging this into the 1 - 10 conversion metric . it &# 39 ; s extremely fast to sample this 1000 times , and select the 2 . 5 % and 97 . 5 % lower and upper bounds to set a 95 % confidence interval . this process implicitly makes the assumption that the distribution of positive frequency and negative frequencies are independent . while somewhat of a simplification , we have found this process to hold up well empirically . this section presents empirical results of the polarity metric with confidence bounds in two different domains . we also demonstrate that the confidence bounds are well - behaved , and necessary for good interpretation of comparisons between brands . one important industry for intelliseek is the automotive industry . to this extent , we have configured a system to recognize all currently - available auto makes and models . in addition , we have defined a number of classifiers for automotive features , from physical characteristics such as interior styling , to leasing and dealerships , to more intangible items like customer service . table 3 displays message counts , sentiment scores , and sentiment confidence bounds for a sampling of auto brands , as determined by the algorithms described in the previous section . the table shows numbers for a time - constrained set of messages . by analyzing just a small timeframe , the message counts can be somewhat small , which highlights the needs for the confidence bounds on the metric . the above table 3 shows the results of the sentiment metric applied in the auto domain . note that in general , models with larger message counts have smaller confidence bounds . using these scores to drive analysis , yields insights that explain the relative rankings of the different models . by drilling down on some of the backing data for sentiment scores , it is possible to understand why specific models were rated highly or lowly . by investigating further , we find that the mazda 6 ( a highly rated model ) had a number of positive comments surrounding its performance and styling in the sports sedan market : i think the mazda 6 is the best value for a sports sedan the mazda 6 is one of the best handling fwd autos the mazda6 mps achieves a superior balance between high performance and daily needs such as comfort and economy . that car is soo good lookin ! power and torque are faithfully and thoroughly transferred to the road surface for maximum efficiency . the ford taurus , a lower rated model , received a number of complaints about quality issues and begin generally out of date : i had three separate tauruses with leaky rear main seals . the taurus in a failure . the standard spoiler is too small . the power steering always whined , even with enough fluid . the taurus should have been put out of its misery s years ago . table 4 shows the results of measuring polarity for location topics in a small data set of messages about caribbean destinations . by further drilling down on these scores , an analyst can quickly determine that : aruba scores well due to a good general opinion of dining out , snorkeling and beach activities . cuba has a lower score due to poor snorkeling and beach activities . grand bahama &# 39 ; s medium score comes from above average opinion of snorkeling , moderate opinion of dining out and a slightly lower opinion of beach activities . fig7 provides a scatterplot showing how the size of the confidence bounds is influenced by the number of messages . each point is an automotive model . once there are about 1000 messages for a topic , the 95 % confidence bounds tend to be within 1 . 0 on a ten point scale . fig7 shows an analysis of the confidence bounds by the amount of message volume about a brand . the x - axis shows the number of messages about a brand , and the y - axis shows the estimated size of the 95 % confidence bounds . with a very small amount of data for a brand , the confidence bounds on each brand tend to be rather large . this generally will prevent conclusive expressions to be made by comparing sentiment scores with these large confidence bounds . as the message volume gets larger , the bounds get smaller , and thus it becomes easier to make statistically valid conclusions based on these scores . fig1 - 4 provide screen shots of an exemplary computerized tool for implementing certain embodiments of the present invention . the screen shot of fig1 illustrates a function of the exemplary computerized tool establishing a topic for the text mining algorithm contained therein . three main features visible in this screen view are the topic select window 20 , the viewer window 22 , and the current slice box 24 . the topic select window 20 lists the available topics from which the user may select a topic for analysis . the viewer window 22 displays the text of a particular message . the current slice box 24 provides status information regarding the user &# 39 ; s selections that define the research project that is being performed . in the example shown , the current slice box 24 indicates that the topic selected by the user is “ hardware :: display ”. with this selection , the exemplary computerized tool will concentrate on certain characteristics regarding a manufacturer &# 39 ; s electronic device ( in this case , a pda ) or the competing electronic devices of the manufacturer &# 39 ; s competitors . the tool has access to a repository of thousands or millions of interne message - board entries preselected as likely having content of interest ( e . g ., taken from interne message boards dedicated to electronic devices and / or pdas ). the viewer window 22 provides an example message found by the above - described text mining tool in the repository of messages that the text mining tool considered relevant to the selected topic . in the fig1 screen view , the right - side block 25 displays data pertaining to the analysis of the currently selected message contents . the relevance , aux relevance , positive and negative polarity displays show a score between zero and one for the currently selected message for each of these different types of scoring . specifically , scores greater than zero for positive and negative polarity mean that at least one sentence in the message has been identified as positive or negative , with a higher score indicating a higher degree of positivity or negativity identified in the message . the relevance and aux relevance scores indicate a confidence that the message is about the selected topic ( pda &# 39 ; s and pocket pcs in this example ). messages that are below a specified threshold of relevance can be excluded . the screen shot of fig2 illustrates a function of the exemplary computerized tool in which the user may establish a more specific aspect of the general topic selected in the screen of fig1 . the viewer window 22 and current slice box 24 appear again and serve the same purpose as described above with reference to fig1 . however , there is now a phrase - select window 26 , which allows the user to enter a word or group of words to specify the content to be analyzed in the messages . in the example shown , the current slice box 24 indicates that the user has entered the phrase “ resolution ,” thus indicating that the messages will be searched for comments relating to the resolution of the hardware displays . the viewer window 22 provides an example message found by the above - described text mining tool in the repository of messages that the text mining tool considered relevant to the selected topic and phrase , with the selected phrase “ resolution ” appearing in highlighted text 26 . the screen shot of fig3 illustrates a function of the exemplary computerized tool in which the user has requested the tool to illustrate the positive sentences and negative sentences located in the messages considered to be topical to the resolution of the customer &# 39 ; s electronic device screen . the positive sentences found by the sentence classifier are listed under the “ positive quotes ” header 28 in the quotes window 30 and the negative sentences found by the sentence classifier are listed under the “ negative quotes ” header 32 in the quotes window 30 . as can be seen by this example , not every sentence is directly on point , but there are certainly a substantial ratio of sentences that are on point versus those that are not . additionally , the user has the ability to select one of the sentences , such as sentence 34 to view the entire message from which it was extracted as shown in the viewer window of fig4 . the screen shot of fig4 shows the viewer window 22 displaying the text of the message from which the comment 34 shown in fig3 selected by the user originated . the screen shot of fig5 illustrates a demonstration of how rule - based classifiers may be built . this tool allows the user to define a topic ( such as a particular brand or product ) by creating a “ rule ” built from words to be associated with that topic . such a rule can be used to search feedback or comment messages , with those messages that conform to the defined rule being identified as pertaining to the selected topic . on the left - hand part of the fig5 screen is a list 36 containing the different topics for which the topical sentiment analysis of the present invention may be performed . this list can be generated by a database and include topics for which feedback or comment is available . in the example shown , “ kia optima ” is the currently selected topic 38 . the middle of the screen contains a window 40 for implementing the tool for writing rules to define the currently selected topic . the window 40 is further divided into an “ or rules ” block 42 and a “ but - not rules ” block 44 . words appearing in the “ or rules ” block will be associated with the topic , such that feedback or comment messages containing any of these words will be identified as pertaining to the selected topic . words appearing in the “ but - not rules ” block will be given preclusive effect in the topic definition , such that the appearance of one of these words in a feedback or comment message will disqualify that message from pertinence to the selected topic . for example , the rule defined by the words shown in the “ or rules ” block 42 and “ but - not rules ” block 44 of fig5 can be stated as “ a message is about the kia optima if the word ‘ optima ’ appears in the message , but not if any of the phrases ‘ optima batteries ’, ‘ optima battery ’, ‘ optima yellow ’, ‘ optima red ’, or ‘ optima yell ’ appear in the message ”. when building rules , the user can type words to be added to the “ or rules ” block 42 and “ but - not rules ” block 44 , or the user can select words or phrase sets from the list 46 on the right side of the fig5 screen . the list 46 is a collection of previously - entered or customized words and phrases , which can be used as shortcuts when writing a rule . a standard lexicon may be applied to any data set . however , the results will be improved if the lexicon is tuned to work with the particular language of a domain . a system has been implemented to assist a user in carrying out this process . 1 . messages for the domain are collected ( as part of the configuration process within the application housing the polarity system ). 2 . messages are scanned to determine which words have the potential to be added to the lexicon . 3 . the user is stepped through these candidate words and required to indicate if they accept or reject the word for the custom lexicon . step 2 above uses a number of methods to determine which words are to be used as candidates : ( a ) patterned based methods ( gregory grefenstette , yan qu , david a . evans and james g . shanahan , validating the coverage of lexical resources for affect analysis and automatically classifying new words along semantic axes , aaai symposium on exploring attitude and affect in text : theories and applications , 2004 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference ); and ( b ) commonly occurring adjectives and adverbs not found in the lexicon and not include in a default lexicon of known non polar terms . in the pattern driven approach , a number of patterns are used to locate adjectives and adverbs which have a good chance of being polar . the patterns involve both tokens ( words ) and parts of speech . the patterns consist of a prefix of tokens and a target set of pos tags . the patterns are created from a pair of word pools . pool one contains , for example , ‘ appears ’, ‘ looks ’, ‘ seems ’, pool two contains , for example , ‘ very ’, ‘ extremely ’. the product of these pools ( e . g . ‘ appears very ’, ‘ looks extremely ’ and so on ) is then appended with one of the target pos tags ( which select for adjectives and adverbs ) giving a complete set of patterns ( e . g . ‘ looks extremely 11 ’ meaning the sequence of two tokens and a pas tag ). to populate the candidate list , the messages in the corpus collected for the project being customized is scanned using the patterns described above . all words which match any of the patterns are collected . in a parameter driven approach , all adjectives and adverbs in messages which have already been marked as polar , and which have counts above a certain threshold , are added to the list of candidates . each of the above pattern driven and parameter driven approaches can be tuned using a filter which accepts only candidates which appear a certain number of times in the corpus . by using these parameters , we create four candidate creation methods , two for each approach . the user then steps through the four sets of candidates , accepting or rejecting words as appropriate . the interface within which this is carried out presents the user with the word , its pos and a list of examples of that word appearing in contexts mined from the corpus of messages . as shown in fig6 , an example screen shot shows such a system in use . the system is presenting the user with the word ‘ underwhelming ’ which has been generated in the first candidate generation step . the word is illustrated by two examples that have been pulled from the corpus of messages . the user labels the word either by keyboard or shortcuts , or by clicking on the appropriate label found in the bottom right hand corner of the display . determining the sentiment of an author by text analysis requires the ability to determine the polarity of the text as well as the topic . in these exemplary embodiment , topic detection is generally solved by a trainable classification algorithm and polarity detection is generally solved by a grammatical model . the approach described in some of these embodiments takes independent topic and polarity systems and combines them , under the assumption that a topical sentence with polarity contains polar content on that topic . we tested this assumption and determined it to be viable for the domain of online messages . this system provides the ability to retrieve messages ( in fact , parts of messages ) that indicate the author &# 39 ; s sentiment to some particular topic , a valuable capability . the detection of polarity is a semantic or meta - semantic interpretive problem . a complete linguistic solution to the problem would deal with word sense issues and some form of discourse modeling ( which would ultimately require a reference resolution component ) in order to determine the topic of the polar expressions . our approach restricts these open problems by constraining the data set , and specializing the detection of polarity . these steps by no means address directly these complex linguistic issues , but taken in conjunction ( and with some additional aspects pertaining to the type of expressions found in the domain of online messages ) the problem is constrained enough to produce perfectly reliable results . following from the above description and invention summaries , it should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that , while the systems and processes herein described constitute exemplary embodiments of the present invention , it is understood that the invention is not limited to these precise systems and processes and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following proposed claims . additionally , it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the proposed claims and it is not intended that any limitations or elements describing the exemplary embodiments set forth herein are to be incorporated into the meanings of the claims unless such limitations or elements are explicitly listed in the proposed claims . likewise , it is to be understood that it is not necessary to meet any or all of the identified advantages or objects of the invention disclosed herein in order to fall within the scope of any proposed claims , since the invention is defined by the claims and since inherent and / or unforeseen advantages of the present invention may exist even though they may not have been explicitly discussed herein .	6
as those of ordinary skill in the art will understand , various features of the embodiments illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures may be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce alternative embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described . the combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications . however , various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of the present disclosure may be desired for particular applications or implementations . the representative embodiments used in the illustrations relate generally to a grommet adapted to be installed into an opening of a body panel on an automotive vehicle . however , the grommet may be incorporated into various other types of vehicles , such as boats , private airplanes , etc . as well as other applications such as a control room of a plant , a refrigeration unit , as two examples . those of ordinary skill in the art may recognize similar applications or implementations whether or not explicitly described or illustrated . a cross - section of a grommet 50 , according to an embodiment of the present development , is shown in fig4 . grommet 50 has a first tubular portion 52 extending from a body portion 54 . grommet 50 also has a second tubular portion 56 extending from body portion 54 . the embodiment shown in fig4 shows axes of first and second tubular ports 52 and 56 being arranged orthogonally . however , this is a non - limiting example as axes of first and second tubular ports 52 and 56 may be collinear , parallel , intersect non - perpendicularly , or at any angle which is consistent for the particular installation . first and second tubular ports 52 and 56 can accommodate a wiring harness ( not shown ). tubular port 56 has one or more annular ridges 57 formed on the inside surface of tubular port 56 to assist in retaining a wire harness . as described above , it is desirable for a single grommet design to be used in a variety of applications . depending on the application , the number of wires in the wiring harness differs . ridges 57 allow for a greater range in the diameter of wiring bundles to be secured than a smooth internal surface for tubular port 56 . such ridges in grommet 50 allows it to be used in a greater number of applications . continuing to refer to fig4 , grommet 50 has a service port 58 , allowing access through grommet 50 for wires that need to be added after vehicle assembly , for example , if a wire in the wire harness breaks and needs to be replaced without disturbing the wire harness or a service fix requires running an additional wire . service port 58 is closed on one end with a knob ; the knob is cut off when service port 58 is needed . channel 60 , in fig4 , is formed in the periphery of grommet 50 to engage with a panel ( not shown ). in fig5 , a section of grommet 50 with more detail of channel 60 is shown . channel 60 is defined by a bottom surface 62 , a first side wall 64 , and a second side wall 68 . first side wall 64 has a lip 66 . second side wall 68 has a lip 70 extending generally toward lip 66 . the tips of lips 66 and 70 overlap each other by a distance , indicated as 72 in fig5 . distance 72 is at least as thick as a panel with which it is designed to be engaged . in fig6 , a section of the grommet is shown in which a non - flanged panel 74 of thickness 76 is installed into channel 60 . tips 66 and 70 are pushed back from their undeformed position to accommodate panel 74 . the deformation of lips 66 and 70 and the resilient material behind lips 66 and 70 cause forces f 1 and f 2 to be applied to panel 74 . the applied forces cause tips of lips 66 and 70 to seal against the faces of panel 74 . in addition , when the opening in panel 78 is sized to cooperate with channel 60 , a surface 78 of panel 74 seals against bottom surface 62 . in this way , the grommet provides three sealing regions between panel 74 and surfaces 62 , 64 , and 68 defining channel 60 . fig7 is very similar to fig6 , except that the panel installed , panel 82 , has a flange 84 . the bottom surface 62 of groove 60 contacts flange 84 over a flange width 86 . like in fig6 , triple sealing of panel 82 is provided by : lip 66 , lip 70 , and surface 62 . a grommet 90 according to an alternate embodiment is shown in fig8 . a tubular portion 92 has a generally rectangular cross - section with rounded corners . herein , tubular refers to a tube of any cross section , not limited to a round tube . grommet 90 has a wall 94 around its periphery . a surface 96 is extended across one end of wall 94 . from the other side of grommet 90 , as seen in fig9 , a second tubular portion 100 can be viewed ; tubular portion 100 has a generally rectangular cross - section with rounded corners . a surface 99 extends across walls 94 . by providing two surfaces 96 and 99 across the two ends of wall 94 , a greater barrier to noise transmission is provided . ( note that in fig4 , the two surfaces are not so clear , because as shown , the cross - section is through the tubes through which the wiring harness travels .) it has been found that by providing a second surface , as opposed to one such as in grommets of fig2 and 3 , the noise level is reduced by about 20 %. surface 99 is not a flat surface but has three - dimensional engagement features . it is known in the prior art that a smooth surface that is cone shaped in the direction of tubular portion 100 requires too high an insertion force due to high friction between the panel opening and the conical surface . to reduce that insertion force , it is known to have an undulating surface . in the embodiment shown in fig9 , trapezoidal shaped features 106 and 108 extending out from surface 99 are shown . in the embodiment shown , wider trapezoidal shaped features 106 provide additional stiffness in areas that might be prone to collapse . the remainder of the trapezoidal shaped features 108 is narrower , thereby allowing easier deformation in such regions not prone to collapsing , thereby lessening overall installation force . the trapezoidal shaped features 106 and 108 are shown in more detail in fig1 . in the embodiment shown in fig9 , tubular port 100 is cut parallel to its axis in four places around its periphery . the cuts , or slits , are shown continuing into surface 99 . in some applications , a subset of wires routed through tubular port 100 is routed in a different direction than other wires . furthermore , in some applications , there is insufficient packaging space to allow all the wires of the wiring harness to traverse through tubular port 100 before being routed in their various directions . by providing slits 102 through tubular port 100 and slits 104 through surface 99 , as many as four groups of wires can be routed into four directions by bending a cut section of tubular port 100 into the desired direction . to seal these various wire groupings , tape is applied . in applications in which all wires in the wiring harness are routed together , at least as far as through tubular port 100 , tape can be applied around all sections of tubular port 100 to cause the slits to press together . fig9 showing four slits 102 in tubular port 100 is exemplary , but not limiting . referring now to fig1 , it is known in the prior art to provide slits 112 in a tubular port 110 of a grommet with the slits molded in . in an application in which the slits are not needed to accommodate wiring that splays out in different directions , the gaps of slits 112 , which are several mm in width , aren &# 39 ; t readily sealed by winding with tape . furthermore , in situations in which slits 112 are not cut down the length of tubular port 110 a sufficient distance , tearing of tubular port 110 , and possibly the grommet , may occur when attempting to route a subset of the wires of a wiring harness in a particularly tight angle . according to an embodiment of the present disclosure , as shown in fig9 , slits 102 are cut into tubular port 100 after molding grommet 90 . slits 102 are cut with as thin a blade as possible , while still maintaining blade integrity : 1 mm thickness in one embodiment . this yields a much narrower slit than with molding . furthermore , the edges of slits 102 are squarer causing them to mate for a better seal than a molded edge of the prior art . also , slits 102 , as shown in fig9 , continue into surface 99 as slits 104 , forming one contiguous slit . thus , depending on the application , a portion of tubular port 100 can be folded back at an extreme angle without having to resort to tearing grommet 90 . the triple sealing feature of the embodiment shown in fig5 - 7 presents an improvement over the prior art . lip 44 and wall 38 ( fig2 ) do not overlap as much as the thickness of the panel in which it is to be installed . thus , they are easily deformed and act with little force against the panel , and therefore form a weaker seal . the tips of lips 66 and 70 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure ( fig5 ) are hemispherical compared with pointed tip of prior art lip ( element 44 of fig2 ). the sealing force equilibrates between the two sides of the panel with the weaker side controlling the total amount of force applied to the panel . because lips ( 66 and 70 of fig5 ) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure have more material at the tips and in the vicinity of the tips , they are more difficult to deform than prior art lips which are more pointed and thinner , and consequently provide a greater force to form a seal than shown in the prior art . also , according a prior art example ( fig2 ), behind side wall 38 , a hollow 43 is provided . thus , side wall 38 is easily deformed . according to an embodiment of the present disclosure , no such hollow is formed in the material behind either side wall 64 and 68 . such a configuration as shown in fig5 requires a greater installation force and thereby exerts a greater sealing force when installed . while the best mode has been described in detail with respect to particular embodiments , those familiar with the art will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments within the scope of the following claims . while various embodiments may have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments with respect to one or more desired characteristics , as one skilled in the art is aware , one or more characteristics may be compromised to achieve desired system attributes , which depend on the specific application and implementation . these attributes include , but are not limited to : cost , strength , durability , life cycle cost , marketability , appearance , packaging , size , serviceability , weight , manufacturability , ease of assembly , etc . the embodiments described herein that are characterized as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics are not outside the scope of the disclosure and may be desirable for particular applications .	8
in accordance with fig1 , 5 and 6 , a preferred version of a contrivance for automatic rope length correction comprises a sectional cylindrical housing 1 , an essentially cylindrical helical pressure spring 2 , a hollow threaded spindle 3 and a threaded bushing 4 . for better understanding , fig1 , 2 and 3 reflect a preferred installation situation and , accordingly , show a section of a traction rope 5 and end sections of two bowden tubes 6 in addition to the described version . according to fig5 and 6 , the housing 1 is provided with a tube - shaped and preferably cylindrical section 11 that is accommodated inside of the helical pressure spring 2 . the helical pressure spring 2 is supported by a collar 12 . the collar will be preferably located in the area of one end of the housing in order to obtain the largest possible space for the helical pressure spring above the housing 1 . the means for attaching the hollow threaded spindle 3 are preferably provided at the end of the housing 1 that is adjacent to the collar 12 . in the version shown , these means are designed in the manner of a part 13 of a bayonet catch . at the opposite end , the housing is equipped with a cylindrical bore 14 with an interior tooth system 15 as shown in fig4 and 6 . this cylindrical bore 14 extends across a section of the axial extension of the housing 1 that corresponds to the potential range of adjustment by the special contrivance for automatic rope length correction , plus a fixed minimum breadth that will be dealt with in detail in the description with regard to the threaded bushing 4 . in the version shown , the interior tooth system 15 runs parallel to the axis in the housing 1 , i . e . the tooth tops of the interior tooth system 15 are running along inner mantle lines in the section of the housing 1 on view . as an alternative , a slanted tooth system could be provided as well , however with the inclination of the slanted tooth system not freely selectable but rather determined by the shape of the hollow threaded spindle 3 , namely by its orientation and inclination . in particular as shown in fig5 and 6 , the hollow threaded spindle 3 is equipped in an initial section with a steep cylindrical exterior thread 31 with a threaded grooving 311 having a trapeze - shaped profile . its pitch and shape as well as the number of gears are freely selectable within a wide range . however , for its proper functioning it must be observed that the screwed connection formed by the hollow threaded spindle 3 and the threaded bushing 4 must not be self - locking . thus , the screwed connection must be able to convert axial forces into torque . the determining factors for the self - locking are the pitch of the thread , the thread profile as well as the static friction value of the converging slide pairing . in a section near the end of the hollow threaded spindle 3 , means are provided for its fixed connection to the housing 1 . in the version shown , this is the other part 32 of the aforementioned bayonet lock . this two - piece bayonet lock 13 , 32 makes an interlocking form - fit connection between the housing 1 and the hollow threaded spindle possible 3 . preferably , the bayonet lock 13 , 32 is provided with one - sided hooks that prevent a severing of the connection without special tools . a tight axial bore 33 is located in the hollow threaded spindle 3 to accommodate the traction rope 5 . to support the end of the bowden tube 6 , the hollow threaded spindle 3 is provided with a short recessed axial bore 34 into which the end of the bowden tube 6 protrudes after installation . the threaded bushing 4 features an essentially cylindrical segment 41 , particularly as shown in fig3 and 5 . an axial bore 42 to accommodate the hollow threaded spindle 3 protrudes from one side and from one end into the threaded bushing 4 and initially continues in the area of the opposite end as a tight bore 45 to accommodate the traction rope 5 and then widens to the diameter to accommodate the bowden tube 6 . a nut thread 421 fitting the exterior thread 31 of the hollow threaded spindle 3 is formed in at least one front section of the bore 42 . in addition , flexible flaps 43 are arranged along mantle lines in the front part of the cylindrical section . these flaps 43 collaborate in the assembled contrivance for automatic rope length correction with the internal tooth system 15 of the housing 1 in the manner shown in fig4 in order to permit torsion of the two parts against each other in only one direction . the end of the threaded bushing 4 opposite the flaps 43 bears a recessed collar 44 on which the helical pressure spring 2 rests with one end following the assembly of the contrivance . as shown in fig3 , the tight axial bore 45 permits the rope to be tightened to go through the entire threaded bushing 4 . in the version shown , the threaded bushing 4 is designed to support the end of a bowden tube of a flexible bowden cable , if it is used . to this end , a short recessed bore 46 into which the end of the bowden tube protrudes when installed is arranged in front of the tight bore 45 for the traction rope . the afore - described individual parts 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 form the preferred version of the contrivance in accordance with the invention for automatic rope length correction following their installation as shown in fig6 . the practical assembly occurs by pushing the helical pressure spring 2 over the housing 1 until it touches the collar 12 . then the threaded bushing 4 is inserted completely into the housing 1 which simultaneously compresses and pre - coils the helical pressure spring 2 . now the hollow threaded spindle 3 is entered into the nut thread 421 of the threaded bushing 4 with a twisting motion . to interlock with the bayonet lock 13 , 32 , it may be necessary to twist the threaded bushing 4 in the same direction as the hollow threaded spindle 3 vis - a - vis the housing 1 . the contrivance for automatic rope length correction is now under the planned spring tension and is suitable for installation into a cable pull . to that end , the traction rope is pulled through the flush borings in the hollow threaded spindle 3 and the threaded bushing 4 . the ends of the bowden tube 6 rest in the recessed bores 34 , 46 and transmit the forces of the helical pressure spring 2 to the additional elements of a rope pull drive that are known per se and that are not shown . in the event of a slackening of the traction rope 5 , the pressure that the ends of the bowden tubes exert upon the contrivance for automatic rope length correction diminishes somewhat . the spring tension will therefore press the housing 1 and the threaded bushing 4 so far apart until an equilibrium of forces has been established again . the axial movement between the housing 1 and the threaded bushing 4 is coupled with a torsion between the housing 1 and the threaded bushing 4 by way of the screwed connection between the hollow threaded spindle 3 attached to the housing 1 and the threaded bushing 4 . this torsion is not blocked by the flaps 43 . however , in the event of an increase of the tension forces occurring in the traction rope 5 , for example , when the rope pull drive is activated , a compression of the helical pressure spring 2 is prevented because a telescoping of the threaded bushing 4 and the housing 1 would lead to a torsion of both parts towards each other due to the screwed connection which is blocked by the flaps 43 . the described functional compensation of the slackening or the lengthening in the traction rope 5 is therefore irreversible . in practice , it is frequently desirable that an irreversible compensation occurs only when the rope lengthening to be compensated exceeds a set amount . in any other event no compensation is to occur . the reason for that lies in the fact that particularly in the case of rope drives for window lifts in motor vehicles , the rope length is subject to thermal fluctuations . if a thermal lengthening of the traction rope were compensated in a completely irreversible manner , a subsequent thermal shrinking of the rope could lead to undesired high rope tension . the described contrivance for automatic rope length correction solves this through a suitable thread play between the hollow threaded spindle 3 and the threaded bushing 4 . within this thread play , there is no coupling of the axial motions of these parts vis - à - vis each other with any rotary motion . therefore , a blocking through the flaps 43 in their combined effect with the interior gearing does not take place . if the contrivance for automatic rope length correction can not be installed immediately and therefore needs to be stored in a pre - cocked state for later installation , it is recommended to provide hooks , clamps or catches 16 and corresponding engagement sites such as the shown ring nut 48 at the end of the tube - shaped section 11 of the housing 1 and in the area of the recessed collar 44 of the threaded bushing 4 as shown in fig1 and 2 through which a detachable connection between the two parts can be established following the installation of the contrivance for automatic rope length correction . in the version shown , a small hook 16 arranged on the housing 1 grasps a recess 47 in the threaded bushing 4 and thereby prevents the threaded bushing 4 from being pushed out during storage by the pre - set tension of the helical pressure spring 2 . the version shown of a contrivance for automatic rope correction is suited for installation in a bowden cable , i . e . one end of a bowden tube can rest on either side of the contrivance for automatic rope length correction . after the installation , the rope of the bowden cable runs continually through the bores 14 , 33 and 45 of the contrivance for automatic rope length correction . an alternative version may provide for a one - piece design of the hollow threaded spindle 3 together with the housing . however , this will make the assembly of the contrivance for automatic rope length correction somewhat more difficult because the threaded bushing 4 can not be pushed into the housing 1 or screwed onto the hollow threaded spindle 3 that is already located in it without difficulty . it is precisely such a motion that is functionally prevented by the flaps 43 in their combined effect with the interior tooth system 15 of the housing 1 . therefore , for the screwing - in of the threaded bushing 4 , the flaps 43 must be pressed into corresponding recesses on the threaded bushing 4 with a suitable tool against their preset spring action . this will prevent a blocking contact of the flaps 43 with the interior tooth system 15 during the screwing - in . however , the tools must be removed after the threaded bushing 4 has been completely screwed into the housing 1 to allow the flaps 43 to come free and effect the functional torsion blocking . for the installation , the threaded bushing 4 may be wrapped in thin metal wire in coiling fashion in the area of the flaps 43 if the gap between the cylindrical section of the threaded bushing 4 and the interior wall of the housing is sufficiently dimensioned . the wire can be extricated out of the gap by its free end following the installation of the threaded bushing 4 into the housing 1 . naturally , all of the described individual components of the contrivance for automatic rope length correction may be made of metal . preferably , however , at least the housing 1 , the hollow threaded spindle 3 and the threaded bush 4 will be made of a synthetic material . the most cost - effective option for the production of the afore - named parts from a synthetic material should be injection molding of a thermoplastic synthetic material . the helical pressure spring 2 will preferably be made of metal , in particular of steel wire . the high modulus of elasticity of steel permits it to store great tension forces in a small space . the utilization of a material with a low modulus of elasticity for the production of the helical pressure spring 2 would require relatively large dimensions of the spring that would not be desirable due to the limited installation space for the contrivance for automatic rope length correction . in the case of the afore - described design with components 1 , 3 , 4 made of a synthetic material together with a helical pressure spring 2 made of steel or another metal , it could turn out to be advantageous to provide a smooth , preferably hardened steel disc between the collar 12 and / or the collar 44 and the adjacent end of the helical pressure spring 2 in order to facilitate a minor torsion of these components against each other . without such a disc , the cut end of the last coil of the helical pressure spring 2 might press into the soft plastic of the collar 12 or of the collar 44 , causing the spring to be pre - cocked through twisting action along its longitudinal axis due to the functional mutual torsion between the housing 1 and the threaded bushing 4 . the counterforce created thereby could be detrimental to the proper functioning of the contrivance for automatic rope length correction . an additional preferred version of a contrivance in accordance with the invention for automatic rope length correction is shown in fig7 . in this version , a mutual torsion of the supporting areas of the helical pressure spring 2 and a pre - cocking of the helical pressure spring 2 through twisting action will be prevented . this is achieved through a two - piece hollow threaded spindle 31 , 72 . the two parts of the hollow threaded spindle 31 , 72 bear threads 311 , 721 in opposite directions with the same amount of pitch . the connection between the two parts of the hollow thread spindle 31 , 72 is provided by a modified threaded bushing 8 in whose axial transition bore 82 two counter - oriented nut threads are provided to accommodate the corresponding end of the hollow thread spindle 31 or , respectively , 72 . the modified threaded bushing 8 has an essentially cylindrical outer shape that fits into the cylindrical bore 14 of the housing 1 . the housing 1 corresponds to that of the first version and , accordingly , is provided with an interior tooth system 15 as shown in particular in fig6 which acts as torsion blocker in cooperation with the flaps 83 of the modified threaded bushing 8 . the second part of the hollow threaded spindle 72 is designed as one piece together with a tube - shaped section 71 and a projecting bottom plate 73 that forms a bushing 7 . the interior diameter of the tube - shaped section 71 is dimensioned in such a way that the tube - shaped section 11 of the housing 1 can move in it in a sliding motion with only minor play . preferably , any torsion of the two elements 1 , 7 against each other is prevented by a longitudinal arrangement 711 of the type of a groove - ridge combination . the interior diameter of the helical pressure spring 2 accommodates the exterior diameter of the tube - shaped section 71 . the assembly of the second version of a contrivance for automatic rope length correction occurs as shown in the drawing . the modified threaded bushing 8 , for example , is first screwed onto the second part of the hollow threaded spindle 72 with the entire part of the interior thread available . thereafter , the spring 2 is pushed over the tube - shaped section 71 of the bushing 7 . the cylindrical part 11 of the housing 1 is subsequently pushed into the tube - shaped section 71 of the bushing 7 . finally , the first part of the hollow threaded spindle 3 is screwed into the modified threaded bushing 8 in the same manner as in the first version , and locked at the housing 1 with a bayonet lock or the like . this prevents a potential coupling of the torsion of the modified threaded bushing 8 with the tension of the helical pressure spring 2 . the suitability of the described contrivance for automatic rope length correction is not limited to the installation location at an interruption of a bowden tube . modifications to the design of the described version of a contrivance for automatic rope length correction particularly in the area of one end or of both ends would , for example , permit its installation adjacent to the housing of the rope pull drive or to a catch of a window lifter .	8
in the following description of the preferred embodiment , the best implementation of practicing the invention presently known to the inventors will be described with some particularity . however , this description is intended as a broad , general teaching of the concepts of the present invention in a specific embodiment but is not intended to be limiting the present invention to that as shown in this embodiment , especially since those skilled in the relevant art will recognize many variations and changes to the specific structure and operation shown and described with respect to these figures . fig1 illustrates a communications system of the type used in the present invention . in this fig1 , a first client ( client 1 ) 100 is connected to a first server ( server 1 ) 110 through a network 120 . additional clients ( client 2 , client 3 , client 4 ) 131 , 132 , 133 , respectively are shown also connected to the first server 110 through the network 120 and additional servers ( server 2 , server 3 and server 4 ) 141 , 142 , 143 , respectively are also shown connected to the network 120 . while this is a simplistic view of a network in which a plurality of servers are connected to serve a plurality of clients , it will allow discussion of the problems with such an arrangement and an understanding of the present invention and its advantages . the first client 100 may involve an application which uses a resource at the first server 110 ( for example , an application appln 1 referred to by the reference numeral 111 ) and a resource at the second server 141 ( for example , a database db referred to by the reference numeral 151 ) and store the result in a file 152 maintained on the third server 142 ( the file 152 might be a file with pro forma income and profit projections ), all of which data processing is accomplished through the communications network 120 which connects the client 110 with the servers 110 , 141 and 142 . meanwhile , the second client 131 may wish to use resources at the first server 110 , the second server 141 and a fourth server 143 . if the second client 131 is using different resources at the servers from the other clients at any given time , then there is no problem . if , however , the first client 100 is using the particular application appln 1 111 at the first server 110 , then the second client may not be permitted to use the application appln 1 111 at that same time , but would be permitted to use an application appln 2 112 which is also at the first server . the present invention leverages the fact that each client session with a server is associated with a single file descriptor in the server during a client connection to the server . all communications from and to that client takes place through that file descriptor . through a callback program associated with that file descriptor , client termination events can be captured to trigger desired system processing at precisely the time that the client disconnects from the server . this functionality allows for automatic session clean - up by detecting client termination and then freeing up corresponding resources being held on the server for the terminated client session . fig2 illustrates in flow diagram form the logic of the present invention showing aspects of the present invention . fig2 consists of fig2 a and fig2 b . fig2 a shows logic for the determination of whether a resource is available and assigning the resource to a particular requesting client while fig2 b shows logic for determining whether to release a resource and the steps taken to release that resource and allow for further use of the resource by other clients . fig2 a illustrates the process of a client using resources at a server as was described in connection with fig1 . the process starts at block 202 and at block 204 a request is received by the server for resources associated with that server , resources which may be use of an application , access to a database stored on the server or simply to a block of memory , for example , as a temporary storage for an application . while the server may have a large number of resources and many of these resources are not unique ( one block of empty memory may be similar to the next ), others of the resources are unique ( the server may have a single copy of an application or a database ) and the resources are limited ( the server might well run out of memory if the memory were not released and reused by a second client after the first has completed its processing ). based on the request received at the block 204 for resources , at block 206 the server determines whether the resource is available to the requesting client . such availability is determined in connection with resource listings such as fig3 , particularly fig3 b which identifies each resource as being available or being used by a named client . if the client is requesting use of a database already in use by another client or if the memory requested is not available , then the request is denied at block 208 with an appropriate message (‘ resource in use ; try again later ” or “ inadequate memory presently available ; try elsewhere or try again later ”). if , on the other hand , the resource is available for the client , then at block 210 , access is granted and the resource is logged ( see fig3 and the associated text for a discussion of the logging process to include identification of which resources are available and which are used by which clients ) as assigned to the requesting client . in any event , following the disposition of a request for resources , either by granting it at block 210 or denying it at block 208 , control returns to the starting area where the next request can be processed by the block 204 . fig2 b illustrates the process for releasing a resource which has been assigned to a client and for which the client no longer has a need for the resource . such a release may be because the program using the resource has run its course and terminated successfully or because something unnatural has occurred , like the client has become disconnected from the server — i . e ., either the server 110 or the client 100 is no longer connected to the network 120 or the client 100 is no longer operational . while a normal termination of an application program may issue the explicit command to release the resources that the application has been using , the program may abort or otherwise not issue such a command . the process of fig2 b is as follows : starting from block 220 , at block 222 the question is asked whether a client has specifically released a resource . if not , then at block 224 , it is determined whether the client remains attached to the network . this determination can be made through any of a number of conventional approaches , such as “ pinging ” the client or by determining a heartbeat of the client using the heartbeat patent referenced above . if the client is present , then control passes to an optional set of time determinations which serve to limit the time that a resource can be used — either with activity or without activity . associated with the resource ( e . g ., an application , database or memory ) and / or the client are allowable time intervals . for example , a client may use a first application for 30 minutes but will be considered inactive if no activity occurs within a 15 minute time period . thus , at block 226 the amount of time a resource has been used will be compared with an allowable time for such use ( if any has been set ) by comparing the present time with the beginning time which was stored in column 308 of fig3 a to determine the amount of time the resource has been in use . if the time that the resource has been used does not exceed the limit , then the amount of inactive time is compared at block 228 . that is , the period since the last use ( in column 310 of fig3 ) to the present is compared with a threshold ( if set ) to determine whether the resource has been held without activity longer than a preset period of time . if the client released the resource ( at block 222 ), the client is not attached ( at block 224 ), the time of use ( block 226 ) or the time of inactivity ( block 228 ) exceed the set limits , then the resource is released at block 230 with the entry in the table of resources being used ( fig3 a ) erased at block 232 and the resource marked as available in the listing of fig3 b at block 234 . control then returns to the start for the next resource action . fig3 shows resource tables useful in practicing the present invention . in fig3 a , a first table 300 depicts in list form the resources currently being used and the client using each of the resources . although only a portion of this table 300 is shown to illustrate the principles of the present invention , the table could be as large as necessary to contain data about all the clients using the server and the resources that each of the clients is currently using . the table includes a first column 302 which lists the resource being used , a second column 304 listing the client using the resource , a third column 306 indicating the type of access ( whether it is read only or read / write ), a fourth column 308 indicating the time which the resource was first accessed and a fifth column 310 indicating the time that the resource was last used . use of the fourth column 308 with the beginning time allows for a time limit to be set for release of the resource after a fixed amount of time and the fifth column 310 ( last use ) allows for a time limit to be set that releases a resource if it has not been used within a fixed period of time . that is , the resource could be released after x minutes of use ( based on a comparison of the current time with the start time stored in column 308 ) or after y minutes of nonuse ( based on a comparison of the current time with the time in column 310 ). the times allowed ( x minutes of use , y minutes of nonuse ) are subject to system constraints and may be adjusted based on the type of use and whether concurrent uses are permitted . in some situations , a read - only access of a resource may not preclude others &# 39 ; use of the same resource and one client might be permitted to continue to use such a resource on a non - exclusive basis than would be permitted if the resource were being used on an exclusive basis . an optional sixth column 312 provides the time of the last indication that the client is connected , a time which may be provided by receiving a request from the client or from a return “ ping ” of the client as discussed elsewhere . in fig3 b , a listing of the resources is provided and an associated status for each resource — whether the resource is “ free ” for use by a client or if it is currently committed to a client and not available . this fig3 b lists each of the resources along with its status , by resource . so , fig3 b includes a left column 330 which lists the resource and a right column 332 which either lists the resource as being used by a named client or being available . this , for the simple example of fig1 , appln 1 is shown in block 334 as a resource and in block 344 , it is being used by client 110 . appln 2 is listed in block 336 as a resource and in block 346 , it is being used by client 131 . appln 3 is listed in block 338 as being available in block 348 . similarly blocks of memory and other resources such as the database db can be assigned to a particular client , and at the end of the use by that client , release by removing the entry in the columns of fig3 . the present invention can be realized in hardware , software , or a combination of hardware and software . a data processing tool according to the present invention can be realized in a centralized fashion in one computer system , or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems . any kind of computer system — or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein — is suited . a typical combination of hardware and software could be a general purpose computer system with a computer program that , when being loaded and executed , controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein . the present invention can also be embedded in a computer program product , which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein , and which — when loaded in a computer system — is able to carry out these methods . “ computer program means ” or “ computer program ” in the present context mean any expression , in any language , code or notation , of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following a ) conversion to another language , code or notation ; b ) reproduction in a different material form . while the present invention is described in the context of an apparatus and a method of providing resource management , the present invention may be implemented in the form of a service where collecting , maintaining and processing of information is located apart from the server and information is communicated as needed to the server . of course , many modifications of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art in view of the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment , taken together with the accompanying drawings . for example , the system for recognizing that the session between the client and the server no longer exists may be determined in any manner and is not limited to that disclosed in the foregoing material . additionally , the location and type of information maintained about a session may be modified to suit the application and need not be the listing of resources associated with each client as disclosed . such information may be stored in connection with each resource being used rather than in a central location , although there are advantages to having the information located centrally in that a central location makes it easier and quicker to release and reuse the resource again . additionally , certain features of the present invention may be useful without the corresponding use of other features without departing from the spirit of the present invention . for example , a client may be using several resources associated with different applications and one application may end ( so the resources associated with that application should be released ) or the entire connection may terminate ( so all applications terminate ). further , the system of fig3 b arranges data on resource use including the same data as fig3 a , and the two could be combined , if desired , using a single database to show what resources are in use and what clients are using the resource . accordingly , the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment should be considered as merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention and not in limitation thereof .	7
referring now to the drawings , and particularly to fig1 - 3 , a portion of a steel furniture frame unit is seen generally at 10 . the frame unit portion 10 includes a steel rail 11 , a sinuous spring band 12 , and an anchor link 13 interconnecting them . the anchor link 13 is constructed in accord with the disclosure of u . s . pat . no . 3 , 790 , 149 , issued feb . 5 , 1974 , and entitled spring construction . the rail 11 may be either a front rail or a back rail . in the illustration of fig1 - 3 , it is a back rail . however , the same construction and rail - to - spring band connection can be made at the front rail , as will be hereinafter discussed . the rail 11 is fabricated of a sheet steel channel or a steel bar . in the complete frame , of course , a plurality of spring bands 12 are connected to the rail 11 . the connection is made at attachment assemblies , one of which is indicated generally at 15 . in the form illustrated , the attachment assembly 15 includes the link 13 , a pair of vertically elongated , irregularly shaped apertures 20 and 21 , and the segment 22 of the bar between the apertures . irregularly shaped apertures 20 and 21 are die punched by conventional means in mirror images of each other . each comprises a vertical portion 26 and a lower , outwardly extending lobe portion 27 . the vertical aperture portions 25 are separated by the segment 22 of the bar between the apertures 20 and 21 . the segment 22 of the bar disposed between the lower lobe portions 27 of the apertures is deformed inwardly of the bar in the manner illustrated best in fig3 . this deformed portion of the segment 22 , illustrated generally at 230 , is made by suitable forming means in the cross - section illustrated . in effect , the deformation defines separate concave surfaces 31 and 32 having greater and lesser radii of curvature . in width , the greater radius is that of an 8 gauge wire , plus tolerance ; and the lesser radius is that of a 13 gauge wire , plus tolerance . the depths of the deformation are equal to the diameters of said wire gauges , plus tolerance . forming of the bar segment 22 outwardly adjacent the lowermost extremities of the vertical aperture portions 26 is facilitated by extending these vertical aperture portions slightly below the lower lobe portions 27 , as illustrated at 28 . the anchor link 13 constructed in accord with the disclosure of u . s . pat . no . 3 , 790 , 149 is formed of approximately 13 gauge wire . the link 13 has a base leg 40 and a pair of free legs 41 extending therefrom . the free legs 41 coverge toward each other from their attachment with the base leg 40 and terminate in attachment clips 42 . the attachment clips 42 receive and hold the linear segment 12a on the free end of the sinuous spring band 12 in the manner illustrated . in mounted relationship , the base leg 40 of the link 13 seats on the smaller radius surface 32 of the segment 22 . the dimensions of the base leg 40 are such that its connection to the free legs 41 is made adjacent the outermost extremities of the lobe portions 27 . in other words , the free legs 41 extend into these lobe portions 27 in the manner best illustrated in fig1 and 2 . with the base leg 40 of the link 13 seated on the surfaace 32 , the link is free to pivot up and down as the spring band 12 is forced down by a load and , in turn , moves back up when the load is released . the pivot axis of rotation of the link 13 remains fixed . the base leg 40 cannot move upwardly or downwardly out of seated relationship because the innermost ends of the free legs 41 , passing into the lobe portions 27 of the apertures , are confined by the vertical extremities of these lobe portions . at the same time , the link 13 cannot move to either side because these same legs 41 are stopped by the outermost extremities of the lobe portions 27 . as a result , the link 13 is literally fixed on its rotational axis for pivoting movement only . no longitudinal or vertical movement which might cause grinding or squeeking noises , is permitted . a silent functioning spring attachment assembly 15 is the result . the irregular shape of the apertures 20 and 21 not only serves to constrict undesirable movement of the link 13 in the manner hereinbefore described , it also facilitates mounting the link on the bar 11 and locking it in the attachment assembly 15 . referring to fig4 and 5 , the link 13 is shown as it is passed through the apertures 20 and 21 toward its mounted relationship , illustrated in fig1 - 3 . the free end clips 42 of the legs 41 on the link 13 initially enter the vertical portions 26 of the apertures . as the link is moved further through the apertures 20 and 21 from the back of the rail 11 , the diverging ( in the direction of the base leg 40 ) legs 41 and clip 42 ends extend further and further into the lower lobe portions 27 and the upper lobe portions 26 respectively , of the apertures 20 and 21 . the clip 42 ends soon pass through the lobe portions 26 while the legs 41 themselves continue to diverge in the lobe portions 27 until the link reaches its seated position , as best illustrated in fig2 . the link apertures 21 and 22 ; i . e ., their shape , thus facilitate passage of the link through the channel or bar but also serve to lock the link in the channel or bar once it is seated . because of this unusual configuration of the apertures 20 and 21 , they are relatively small in cross - sectional area ; i . e ., they actually require the removal of a minimal amount of metal . this serves to minimize weakening of the channel or bar which is created by punching apertures in the channel or bar . accordingly , in a long sofa frame , for example , pairs of apertures 20 and 21 can be spaced relatively close together without noticeably weakening the channel or bar . in addition , the minimal size of the apertures 20 and 21 facilitates the forming of stiffening spines 50 and 51 parallel to the upper and lower edges of the channel or bar . these stiffening spines further enhance the strength of the channel or bar and find particularly advantageous application in long sofa frames , for example . in the alternative , a single stiffening spine either above or below the apertures 20 and 21 might be employed . attention is now directed to fig6 and 7 where a modified form of the attachment assembly embodying features of the invention is illustrated generally at 215 . once again , a front rail 211 is fabricated from a steel bar . a plurality of conventional , sinuous spring bands 212 , only one of which is shown , are connected to the rail 211 by the attachment assembly 215 . the attachment assembly 215 includes a pair of vertically elongated apertures 220 and 221 formed in the bar rail 211 . the vertically elongated apertures 220 and 221 are horizontally spaced by a dimension determined by the dimensions of the end of the sinuous spring band 212 ; i . e ., more precisely , the length of the endmost linear segment 212a on the band . in the attachment assembly 215 a portion of the segment 222 of the vertical steel bar rail 211 between the apertures 220 and 221 is deformed inwardly , as at 230 , by suitable forming means so it has a cross - section such as illustrated in fig6 . similar to the deformation 30 hereinbefore discussed , it is formed with separate concave surfaces 231 and 232 , defining greater and lesser radii of curvature . the lesser radius of curvature surface 232 is designed to receive the base leg of an anchor link such as illustrated in fig2 while the greater radius surface 231 is designed to receive the larger gauge linear segment 212a of the sinuous spring band 212 in the manner illustrated . the sinuous spring band 212 thus pivots on a fixed axis about its seat on the surface 231 . the end of the band 212 cannot ride up and down or sideways . being confined in this manner it pivots silently without grinding or squeeking which might normally be associated with uncontrolled movement of the linear segment 212a in an attachment assembly . while several embodiments described herein are at present considered to be preferred , it is understood that various modifications and improvements may be made therein , and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modificiations and improvements as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .	0
the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying figures where like reference numbers correspond to like elements . in the following description , any numerical range recited is intended to include all sub - ranges subsumed therein . for example , a range of “ 1 to 10 ” is intended to include all sub - ranges between and including the recited minimum value of 1 and the recited maximum value of 10 , that is having a minimum value equal to or greater than 1 and a maximum value equal to or less than 10 . because the disclosed numerical ranges are continuous , they include every value between the minimum and maximum values . unless expressly indicated otherwise , the various numerical ranges specified in this application are approximations . with reference to fig1 - 3 , an aircraft 2 , such as a winged aircraft as shown or a helicopter ( not shown ), typically includes one or more windshields 4 positioned adjacent the fore or front end thereof . each windshield 4 desirably has a form that conforms to the shape of the corresponding aircraft 2 where each windshield 4 is installed . to facilitate attachment to aircraft 2 , each windshield 4 includes a support frame 6 that surrounds the windshield and provides a mechanical interface between the windshield 4 and the body of aircraft 2 for connecting windshield 4 to aircraft 2 . a typical windshield 4 includes at least two transparent sheets joined together by a transparent interlayer . in the embodiment of windshield 4 shown in fig3 , the transparent sheets include outer glass layer 8 , inner glass layer 10 , and intermediate glass layer 12 . glass layers 8 , 10 and 12 are typically heated and bent to a desired curved configuration . outer glass layer 8 and intermediate glass layer 12 are joined together by a first transparent interlayer 14 . inner glass layer 10 and intermediate glass layer 12 are joined together by a second transparent interlayer 16 . although not required each interlayer can be polyvinyl butyral . outer glass layer 8 , first interlayer 14 , intermediate glass layer 12 , second interlayer 16 and inner glass layer 10 are bonded together in a manner well known in the art . accordingly , a detailed description of how this bonding occurs will not be included herein for simplicity of description . in use , it is not uncommon for windshield 4 to accumulate moisture or ice on the exposed surface of outer glass layer 8 due to climatic conditions . in order to overcome this accumulation , whereupon the operator of aircraft 2 retains an unimpeded view through windshield 4 , a system is provided for the defogging / deicing windshield 4 . this system includes a resistive coating 20 coupled to an inverter 22 and a signal ground 24 . inverter 22 is coupled to a source of dc electrical power , such as a dc buss 26 , via a switch 28 . switch 28 can be any suitable and / or desirable switch , such as a mechanical switch , a power transistor , and the like . with reference to fig4 and with continuing reference to fig3 , inverter 22 includes a single phase dc - to - ac inverter circuitry 30 coupled to a fixed modulation inverter controller 32 . since conventional inverter circuitry 30 is well known in the art , and since the internal components of inverter circuitry 30 are not relevant to the present invention , details regarding the components of inverter circuitry 30 have not been included herein for simplicity of description . in operation , in response to closure of switch means 28 , inverter controller 32 outputs to inverter circuitry 30 suitable control signals that cause inverter circuitry 30 to invert dc electrical power received from dc buss 26 into single phase ac electrical power which is output to resistive coating 20 . in response to being supplied with the ac electrical power output by inverter circuitry 30 , resistive coating 20 produces sufficient heat to either avoid the formation of moisture or ice on the outer surface of outer glass layer 8 and / or to reverse the accumulation of moisture or ice on the exposed surface of outer glass layer 8 . in one non - limiting embodiment , resistive coating 20 is a transparent film that has been deposited , e . g ., sputtered , on the inner surface of outer glass layer 8 . one embodiment of resistive coating 20 is a nesatron ® indium tin oxide ( ito ) coating available from ppg industries , inc . or a nesa ® tin oxide coating also available from ppg industries , inc . nesatron ® and nesa ® are registered trademarks of ppg industries , inc . however , the recital of these particular coatings is not to be construed as limiting the invention since the use of any suitable resistive conductive coating is envisioned . one desirable embodiment of resistive coating 20 has a resistivity no greater than 50 ohms per square , for example , no greater than 25 ohms per square or no greater than 10 ohms per square . however , this is not to be construed as limiting the invention . in the embodiment shown in fig3 , layers 8 , 10 and 12 are formed from glass . however , this is not to be construed as limiting the invention since any one or more of these layers can be formed from polycarbonate or other suitable transparent materials . with reference to fig5 , and with continuing reference to fig3 and 4 , the ac electrical power output to resistive coating 20 is desirably one of a square wave ac signal 35 or a quasi - square wave ac signal 34 . desirably , this ac signal has a duty cycle between 25 % and 75 % and / or a frequency between 25 hertz and 1000 hertz . however , these ranges of duty cycle and frequency are not to be construed as limiting the invention . in one non - limiting embodiment , inverter circuitry 30 inverts 24 - 32 volt dc electrical power supplied by dc buss 26 into an ac electrical power having a value of between 115 and 230 vac rms . however , this is not to be construed as limiting the invention since the use of other ranges of dc electrical power and / or ac electrical power are envisioned . with reference back to fig4 , the dc electrical power supplied to dc buss 26 can originate from a dc generator 36 which is driven by an aircraft engine 38 in a manner known in the art . aircraft engine 38 can be an internal combustion engine such as a jet engine or a reciprocating engine . however , this is not to be construed as limiting the invention . in a method of deicing an aircraft windshield 4 , aircraft 2 is provided with windshield 4 having glass defogging / deicing or resistive coating 20 on a surface thereof other than the surface of the windshield that is exposed to the exterior of the aircraft . inverter circuitry 30 , having inverter controller 32 for controlling the operation thereof , is coupled between resistive coating 20 and dc generator 36 . at a suitable time , switch means 28 connects dc buss 26 to inverter controller 32 and inverter circuitry 30 . in response to switch means 28 forming this connection , inverter controller 32 causes inverter circuitry 30 to invert the dc electrical power provided by dc buss 26 into ac electrical power having either a square wave or a quasi - square wave waveform , a fixed duty cycle , desirably between 25 % and 75 %, and a fixed frequency , desirably between 25 hertz and 1000 hertz . the thus produced ac electrical power is supplied to resistive coating 20 which responds to the supply of ac electrical power by producing heat of sufficient extent to avoid or reduce the accumulation of moisture and / or ice on the exposed surface of outer glass layer 8 . configuring inverter circuitry 30 to output a fixed frequency square wave or quasi - square wave signal having a fixed modulation duty cycle enables inverter circuitry 30 to be constructed with a minimum number of components , e . g ., large filter capacitors and / or inductors , whereupon the weight , size and cost of the inverter 22 can be less than inverters in use today that output sinusoidal waveforms . in one embodiment , configuring inverter circuitry 30 to output the fixed frequency square wave or quasi - square wave signal having a 50 % fixed modulation duty cycle enables the overall weight of inverter 22 designed for use with aircraft windshield to be reduced to no more than 8 lbs ., desirably , no more than 6 lbs ., and , more desirably , no more than 5 lbs . the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment . obvious modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description . it is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof .	1
in the following detailed description , reference is made to the accompanying drawings , which form a part hereof in the drawings , similar symbols typically identify similar components , unless context dictates otherwise . the illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description , drawings , and claims are not meant to be limiting . other embodiments may be utilized , and other changes may be made , without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here . it will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure , as generally described herein , and illustrated in the figures , can be arranged , substituted , combined , and designed in a wide variety of different configurations , all of which are explicitly contemplated and made part of this disclosure . in one preferred embodiment shown in fig1 ( a )- 1 ( f ) , it is illustrated that the present invention is based upon the discovery that single layer graphene ( slg ) participates in diels - alder reactions as a dienophile ( see fig1 ) at temperatures as low as 25 ° c . over 3 hours . the illustrated reactions and suggested possible end product are illustrative only and do not limit or otherwise reduce the scope of the claims herein . these conditions can be used to scalably pattern graphene at ambient temperatures and atmosphere . further , because of their negative activation volumes , cycloaddition reactions are significantly accelerated in pressurized reaction vessels , and the present invention is based on the further discovery that induction of diels - alder through a localized applied force allows for micropatterning of various small organic molecules . the present invention may be used with applications that include gene chips , glycan arrays , peptide arrays , sensors , and biomimetic surfaces for fundamental biological investigations , the diels - alder reaction is a thermal cycloaddition between a conjugated diene and a substituted alkene (“ dienophile ”) ( see fig1 ( e ) and 17 , for example ) to form a substituted cyclohexene system , requiring comparatively little energy . it occurs via a single transition state , and is sped up by application of pressure . in one of the resonance forms of graphene , the delocalized pi - electrons can take the form of localized pi - bonds , which can react subsequently with dienes in the context of a diels - alder reaction ( see fig1 ( a )- 1 ( f ) ). to demonstrate that force accelerated cycloadditions can covalently pattern large areas (˜ 1 cm 2 ) of slg sheets , an elastomeric tip array ( see fig1 ( a ) ) was mounted onto the piezoelectric actuators of an atomic force microscope ( afm ) and was used to site - specifically apply a force between functionalized cyclopentadienes and slg sheets , as noted hereinbefore other conventional systems , such as elastomeric stamps can be used as well as other methods and systems enabling pressure controlled chemical reactions to be implemented . these tip arrays are commonly used for polymer pen lithography , where patterns are formed by ink transfer from the tips to the surface through an aqueous meniscus , resulting in a relationship between dwell time and feature size . moreover , their large areas (& gt ; 1 cm 2 ) and the computer controlled movement of the piezoactuators that hold the array provide high throughput and flexible pattern design . these arrays are suitable for covalently patterning soft matter nondestructively through selective organic transformations . because the elastomeric tips also compress upon contact with surfaces , they can apply a predictable force between molecular inks and a surface , the relationship between applied force and the resulting feature sizes ( eq . 1 ), where l f is feature edge length of the top of the tip , l t is the feature edge length of the bottom of the tip , e 2 is the compression modulus of poly ( dimethyl siloxane ) ( pdms ), and v is the poisson &# 39 ; s ratio of pdms , which can be used to determine the force between the tips and the surfaces . as a result , in this experimental design , the position , force , and time ( see fig2 ( a )- 2 ( d ) ) can all be controlled precisely to pattern surfaces with micrometer scale features over a square centimeter . various examples of this methodology , resulting articles and characterizations thereof are shown in fig1 ( a ) - 23 and examples provide further non - limiting illustrations of the invention . raman - active cyanine 3 ( cy3 ) containing cyclopentadiene 1 and electrochemically - active ferrocene cyclopentadienes 3 were designed to characterize the bonding and density upon reaction between the slg surface and the cyclopentadienes see fig1 ( a )- 1 ( f ) and 19 ( a )- 19 ( f ) showing the basic method ) and postulated potential chemical reactions which are non - limiting examples . cyclopentadienes react quickly in diels - aider reactions compared to open chain dienes because they are structurally preorganized for reaction ; and as a result , they have been utilized already in the context of surface patterning . raman spectroscopy has become the standard tool for characterizing chemical modifications onto the basal plane of graphene . following a diels - alder reaction onto graphene , the d band at 1345 cm − 1 that corresponds to the a 1g breathing vibration of sp 2 carbon rings , which is suppressed in pure graphene , increases significantly because the introduction of defects or covalently adsorbed molecules reduces the symmetry of the graphene lattice . as a result , the ratio of the d - and g - band intensities ( i d / i g ), measured using the integration of the peaks , is a relative measure of the degree of functionalization of graphene ( see fig3 ( a )- 3 ( g ) ). alternatively , electrochemistry can confirm the immobilization of the ink onto the surface and quantify the density of surface - bound molecules . slg sheets on sio 2 substrates have been patterned covalently with organic small molecules through a force - accelerated diets - alder ( hereinafter also referenced as “ da ”) reaction induced by an array of pyramidal elastomeric tips ( again see the basic method in fig1 ( a )- 1 ( f ) ) and 19 ( a )- 19 ( f ). the changes in bonding were characterized by raman microscopy and cyclic voltammetry , and the results were consistent with site - specific covalent modification of graphene ( see fig2 ( a ) and 2 ( b ) ). although graphene is heralded as a promising material in various applications , the inability to pattern the surface and alter the band structure under mild conditions has slowed the realization of some applications . the method , articles and compositions of matter described herein demonstrate that graphene can be patterned covalently with micrometer scale features over large areas at room temperature and ambient atmosphere , while accessing one of the most versatile reactions in organic chemistry . by increasing the poisson &# 39 ; s ratio of the polymer used in the tip or reducing the force used to induce the reaction , the features edge lengths can be reduced below 1 μm . to further study the reaction between cp and slg as well as explain the cv and afm results , dft calculations were conducted for da reactions of cp on three representative bonds in a 5 × 5 graphene model ( see fig1 ( a ) ). hydrogen - substituted edges were used , although the nature of the edge is likely complex . the corner bond “ a ” can be viewed as the joint part of zigzag and armchair edges of graphene . another periphery bond “ b ” represents the edges , and the center bond “ c ” most resembles the pristine graphene interior . all structures were optimized at m06 - 2x / 6 - 31g ( d ) level , and single point energy calculations were carried on the optimized structures at m06 - 2x / 6 - 311g ( d , p ) level . we report here only the situation of graphene acting as dienophile , and cp as diene . two more reaction pathways were also calculated but found to be unfavorable . computational results see table 1 of example 4 ) show that only reaction at bond “ a ” is favorable with the reaction enthalpy of − 12 . 6 kcal / mol . bonds “ b ” and “ c ” involve unfavorable , endothermic enthalpies under standard conditions . the bond “ c ” most resembles the interior of pristine graphene . the thermochemical calculations of single cp on graphene demonstrate that center bonds cannot be functionalized through da reactions with cps , and only some special edges , comparable to defect sites , will be reactive . however , once the cp has been attached to the edge positions , it might either activate nearby bonds or itself react . the da reaction of a second cp on the graphene - cp cycloadduct ( functionalized on bond “ a ”) was also calculated ( see fig1 ( b ) ). five additional bonds were evaluated (“ a ”, “ b ”, “ c ”, “ d ”, and “ e ”, see fig1 ( b ) ). the new reaction enthalpies for the cp addition on bonds “ a ”, “ b ”, and “ c ” of the graphene - cp cycloadduct ( table 2 of example 4 ) are practically unchanged . this clearly indicates that the functionalization at the edge bond “ a ” does not favor the subsequent cp addition on the graphene lattice . the enthalpies on neighboring bonds “ d ” and “ e ” are 0 . 1 and 32 . 0 kcal / mol , respectively . cycloaddition on bond “ e ” is impossible because of high endothermicity . bond “ d ” can be viewed as the edge bond on a 4 × 4 graphene model and thus possesses a reactivity comparable to bond “ a .” the enthalpy of − 0 . 1 kcal / mol on bond “ d ” indicates that the cp group has in fact deactivated its nearby bonds by steric hindrance . approximately 20 % functionalization was estimated from the cv experiments reported here , while calculations indicate that such a high coverage is not attainable because most of the graphene double bonds are unreactive with cp . how can the differences between experiment and computation be explained ? inspired by recent report of the functionalization of graphene by polymerization we postulate that cp also oligomerizes through da reactions . fig1 ( c ) shows structures of the graphene - cp cycloadduct and its cp dimerization product . the double bond of the graphene - cp cycloadduct resembles that of norbornene . the reaction enthalpy for the cycloaddition of a second cp is − 25 . 8 kcal / mol . this is significantly more exothermic than any of the reactions of graphene calculated above ( the most reactive site on graphene model is bond “ a ” with δh of 12 . 6 kcal / mol ). once one cp reacts with a reactive edge or defect on graphene , the second cp can react with the norbornene double bond . this can be repeated because cp is well known to dimerize and polymerize through da reactions , oligomerization of cp induced by initial diels - alder reaction at a graphene defect is preferred over multi - site functionalization . on the basis of the cv characterization , when the average degree of cp oligomerization is 10 , the functionalization degree of graphene is ˜ 2 %. the length of 10 - cp - oligomerized chain is 2 . 4 nm , which is consistent with the height (˜ 3 nm ) measured by afm . finally , the dependence of δe with scan rate of the cv and the slope of 0 . 7 in the inset of fig4 can be attributed to hopping of electrons through the fc chains appended to the cp oligomers . slg sheets on sio 2 substrates have been patterned covalently with oligomers of organic small molecules through a force - accelerated da reaction induced on graphene defect and edge sites . the changes in bonding were characterized by raman microscopy , cyclic voltammetry , and electronic structure calculations , and the results are consistent with micrometer scale features composed of covalently immobilized molecules patterned over large cm 2 ) areas . importantly , these reactions occur at ambient temperature and atmosphere , while accessing one of the most versatile reactions in organic chemistry . all solvents were dried prior to use . all reagents and starting materials were purchased from aldrich or vwr and used without further purification unless otherwise noted . aqueous solutions were prepared from nanopure water purified from milli - q plus system ( millipore co . ), with a resistivity over 18 mω cm − 1 . compounds 3 and 4 were prepared according to published literature procedures . thin - layer chromatography was carried out using aluminum sheets precoated with silica gel 60 ( emd 40 - 60 mm , 230 - 400 mesh with 254 nm dye ), all reactions were carried out under an inert atmosphere of n 2 using standard schlenk techniques or an inert - atmosphere glove box unless otherwise noted . deuterated solvents were purchased from cambridge isotope laboratories inc . and used as received . single layer graphene ( slg ) on a silicon water with a 285 nm of thermally grown oxide which is continuous with occasional holes and cracks was purchased from graphene supermarket ( usa ). nmr spectra were obtained on a bruker avance 400 mhz spectrometer . all chemical shifts were reported in ppm units with reference to the internal solvent peaks for 1 h and 13 c chemical shifts . high - resolution mass spectrometry analyses were carried out on an agilent 6200 lc / msd tof system . rhodamine cyclopentadiene ( 1 ). 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 6 . 8 mg , 0 . 055 mmol ) was added to a stirring solution of 3 ( 270 mg , 0 . 55 mmol ) and 4 ( 130 mg , 0 . 55 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 2 . 2 ml ) under n 2 . the solution was stirred for 1 hour before dicyclohexyl carbodiimide ( dcc ) ( 135 mg , 0 . 65 mmol ) dissolved in 0 . 8 ml ch 2 c 2 was added dropwise to the reaction mixture , which was subsequently stirred for 12 hours , and a white precipitate was observed . the solution was filtered to remove the white precipitate , the precipitate was rinsed with ch 2 cl 2 ( 1 . 5 ml ), the liquid phases were combined , and the solvent was removed in vacuo . the resulting oil product was purified twice by flash chromatography ( sio 2 : 6 : 100 etoh : ch 2 cl 2 ) to afford 1 as a red oil ( 0 . 17 g , 44 %). 13 c and 1 h nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and high resolution mass spectrometry were performed with the following results ( see fig6 - 8 ): nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ , 1 . 30 ( m , 22 h ), 1 . 73 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 12 h ), 1 . 89 - 1 . 91 ( m , 12 h ), 2 . 89 ( t , j ab = j bc = 1 . 6 hz , 1 h ), 2 . 96 ( t , j ab = j bc = 1 . 2 hz , 1 h ), 3 . 84 ( s , 3 h ), 4 . 04 ( t , j ab = j bc = 0 . 8 hz , 2 h ), 4 . 29 ( t , j ab = j bc = 0 . 8 hz , 2 h ), 6 . 00 - 6 . 03 ( m , 0 . 5 h ), 6 . 14 - 6 . 17 ( m , 0 . 5 h ), 6 . 24 - 6 . 27 ( m , 0 . 5 h ), 6 . 40 - 6 . 47 ( m , 1 . 5 h ), 7 . 13 ( d , j ab = 5 . 2 hz , 1 h ), 7 . 15 ( d , j ab = 5 . 2 hz , 1 h ), 7 . 24 - 7 . 27 ( m , 2 h ), 7 . 36 - 7 . 44 ( m , 4 h ), 7 . 46 - 7 . 52 ( m , 2 h ), 8 . 45 ( t , j ab = j bc = 13 . 4 hz , 2 h ) ppm . 13 c nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 24 . 79 , 25 . 02 , 25 . 93 , 26 . 42 , 27 . 43 , 28 . 12 , 28 . 18 , 28 . 64 , 28 . 88 , 29 . 47 , 29 . 50 , 29 . 51 , 29 . 52 , 29 . 58 , 29 . 77 , 29 . 87 , 30 . 74 , 32 . 91 , 34 . 00 , 41 . 19 , 43 . 35 , 44 . 88 , 48 . 72 , 48 . 84 , 64 . 44 , 105 . 00 , 105 . 35 , 110 . 77 , 110 . 95 , 121 . 95 , 122 . 07 , 125 . 21 , 125 . 66 , 128 . 88 , 130 . 34 , 132 . 45 , 133 . 54 , 134 . 86 , 140 . 51 , 140 . 67 , 142 . 17 , 142 . 80 , 150 . 83 , 173 . 55 , 173 . 91 , 174 . 05 ppm . hrms , m / z calculated for [ c 46 h 63 n 2 o 2 ] + 675 . 4890 , found 675 . 4890 . ferrocene cyclopentadiene ( 2 ). 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 1 . 7 mg , 0 . 014 mmol ) was added to a stirring solution of ferrocenecarboxylic acid ( 106 mg , 0 . 46 mmol ) and 4 ( 109 mg , 0 . 46 mmol ) in thf ( 1 . 5 ml ) under n .,. the solution was stirred for 1 hour before dicyclohexyl carbodiimide ( dcc ) ( 114 mg , 0 . 55 mmol ) dissolved in 0 . 5 ml ch 2 cl 2 was added dropwise to the reaction mixture , which was subsequently stirred for 15 hours , and a white precipitate was observed . the solution was filtered to remove the white precipitate , the precipitate was rinsed with ch 2 cl 2 ( 1 . 5 ml ), the liquid phase were combined , and the solvent was removed in vacuo . the resulting oil was purified twice by flash chromatography ( sio 2 : 3 : 1 etoac : ch 2 cl 2 ) to afford 2 as a yellow oil ( 0 . 055 g , 28 %). 13 c and 1 h nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and high resolution mass spectrometry were performed with the following results ( see fig9 - 11 ): 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): 1 . 25 - 1 . 37 ( m , 12 h ), 1 . 69 - 1 . 78 ( m , 4 h ), 1 . 90 - 1 . 97 ( m , 2 h ), 2 . 33 - 2 . 42 ( m , 2 h ), 2 . 88 - 2 . 89 ( m , 1 h ), 2 . 95 - 2 . 96 ( m , 1 h ), 3 . 20 - 3 . 21 ( m , 2 h ), 4 . 20 - 4 . 22 ( m , 5 h ), 4 . 40 ( t , j ab = j bc = 1 . 8 hz , 2 h ), 4 . 82 ( t , j ab = j bc = 2 hz , 2 h ), 6 . 00 - 6 . 01 ( m , 0 . 5 h ), 6 . 15 - 6 . 17 ( m , 0 . 5 h ), 6 . 25 - 6 . 29 ( m , 0 . 5 h ), 6 . 41 - 6 . 45 ( m , 1 . 5 h ). 13 c nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 26 . 08 , 28 . 93 , 29 . 31 , 29 . 51 , 29 . 60 , 29 . 77 , 29 . 87 , 30 . 73 , 41 . 24 , 43 . 31 , 64 . 35 , 69 . 76 , 70 . 10 , 71 . 21 , 125 . 67 , 126 . 08 , 130 . 36 , 132 . 45 , 133 . 58 , 134 . 84 , 171 . 87 ppm . hrms , m / z calculated for [ c 27 h 36 feo 2 + h ] + 449 . 2143 , found 449 . 2141 . molecules 1 and 2 were synthesized and characterized by nmr , 13 c nmr , and high - resolution mass spectrometry as described above in example 1 , and all analytical data were consistent with the proposed structures . the 8500 tip arrays with a tip - to - tip spacing of 80 or 160 μm were prepared following previously published literature protocols and are composed of pdms pyramids mounted onto a glass support see fig1 ). to prepare the pen arrays for inking , they were exposed to o 2 plasma ( harrick pdc - 001 , 30 s , high power ) to render the surfaces of the pen - arrays hydrophilic . subsequently , 4 drops of the ink solution , comprised of 1 ( 0 . 8 mg , 1 . 2 mmol ) and peg ( 2000 g mol − 1 , 10 mg ml − 1 ) in 60 : 20 thf : h 2 o ( 0 . 8 ml ) that was sonicated to ensure solution homogeneity , were spin coated ( 2000 rpm , 2 min ) onto the pen array . the inking of the array with 1 was observed using fluorescence microscopy ( nikon eclipse ti , λ ex = 532 - 587 nm , λ obs = 608 - 683 nm ). a park xe - 150 scanning probe microscope equipped with a ppl head ( park systems corp . ), custom lithography software , and an environmental chamber capable of controlling humidity were used for writing at a humidity of 78 %- 83 % at room temperature . the tip array was leveled by optical methods or force methods with respect to the substrate surface using an xy tilting stage . the inked tips were mounted onto an atomic force microscope ( afm ) and 2 × 3 dot arrays under the same z extension step ( 18 steps ) with dwell times ranging from 30 to 15 min were patterned ( 30 , 27 , 24 , 21 , 18 , 15 min ). the slg was washed immediately with etoh and h 2 o . following washing , no fluorescent image could be seen from the fluorescence microscope . in the control experiment , peg ( 2000 g mol − 1 , 10 mg ml − 1 ) was deposited onto slg following identical procedure described above . the sample was immediately washed with 5 ml etoh and 5 ml h 2 o . to induce the diels - alder reaction between 1 and the slg surface , 1 ( 0 . 8 mg , 1 . 2 mmol ) and poly ( ethylene glycol ) ( peg ) ( 2000 g mol − 1 , 10 mg ml − 1 ) in 0 . 8 ml 60 : 20 thf : h2o , which was sonicated to ensure solution homogeneity , were spin coated ( 2000 rpm , 2 min ) onto a tip array . the peg matrix that encapsulates the cyclopentadienes ensures even distribution across the tip array , and in the case of polymer pen lithography , transport from the tips to a surface is predictable and reproducible . the tips were then mounted onto the z - piezo of an afm that was specially equipped with an apparatus to hold the tip arrays , an environmental chamber to regulate the humidity , and customized lithography software to control the position , force , and dwell - time of the tips . a 2 × 3 pattern of 1 with feature - to - feature spacing of 20 μm was patterned by each tip in the array by pushing the tips into the slg surface ( slg on 285 nm sio 2 ) at times ranging from 15 - 30 min and a force of ˜ 100 mn at each spot . the transfer of small molecule / peg mixture to the surface was confirmed by light microscopy ( see fig2 ( a ) ), and the 2 × 3 peg / cyclopentadiene patterns and the approach dot used to level the tip array with respect to the surface are clearly visible . after washing the surfaces with etoh and h 2 o to remove unbound 1 and peg , the surface bonding was analyzed by raman microscopy ( renishaw invia , 633 nm excitation ). a raman map of the surface that was obtained following force accelerated printing of 1 revealed a 2 × 3 pattern of features where i d was elevated significantly compared to surrounding areas ( see fig2 ( b ) and 13 ). the dimensions and feature sizes of these 2 × 3 pattern with 20 μm spacing between features matched with the pattern of features printed by the pen array . the elevated i d was observed at all points where the tips were pressed into the surface for all dwell times . importantly , control experiments where 1 was not present in the ink mixture or where 1 was present but force was not applied to the surface upon ink transfer did not produce similar patterns or significantly elevated i d / i g in the raman maps , confirming that the diene is necessary for changes in bonding to occur . the raman spectra associated with different points on this map further confirmed that the changes in bonding were produced because of the occurrence of localized diels - alder reactions ( see fig3 ( a )- 3 ( e ) ). a raman spectrum taken at a point where the tips were pressed into the surface had peaks corresponding to the slg d - band and 1 , as well as an increased i d / i g value of 0 . 95 , compared to 0 . 49 for the unaltered surface , 0 . 46 where the tips had been pressed into the surface in the absence of 1 , and 0 . 39 for the original slg surface . the changes in the i d / i g in the raman maps confirm changes in bonding from sp 2 to sp 3 and are consistent with those previously observed for diels - alder reactions on the surface , and the control experiments confirm that the changes in the spectrum only occur under conditions where the diels - alder reaction can proceed . unlike cycloadditions under pressure , where rate accelerations arise because of the negative activation volume , it is conceivable that under force , rate acceleration may also arise because of the distortions of π - bonds of slg upon the application of force that increase their reactivity . raman spectra were acquired with 5 s exposure time and 20 accumulation in an invia raman microscope using 633 nm laser while the raman maps were recorded with 1 s exposure time and 3 accumulation by raster scanning with a two - dimensional stage having a step size of 3 μm . the grating and laser power for both raman mapping and spectra are 1800 l / mm and 50 %. the ratio of the integrated area between d - ( 1324 cm − 1 ) and g - band ( 1584 cm − 1 ) ( i d / i g ) in raman spectra was employed to confirm the success of diels alder reaction on slg . in fig3 ( a )- 3 ( e ) , it was observed that the dye peak ( 1590 cm − 1 ) overlapped with the g peak ( 1584 cm − 1 ) on slg . the ratio between the integration area of that dye peak at 1590 cm − 1 and 1385 cm − 1 is approximately 1 . 5 based on fig3 ( a ) and therefore in fig3 ( b ) , we subtract the integrated area of the dye peak ( 1590 cm − 1 ) based on the area of the dye peak ( 1385 cm − 1 ) from the total integrated area of peak at around 1584 cm − 1 . the measured i d / i g is 0 . 948 for 1 - patterned slg ( see fig3 ( b ) ) while the i d / i g is 0 . 499 for non - patterned spot on the same slg ( fig3 ( c ) ). the i d / i g value ( 0 . 460 ) for control sample ( see fig3 ( d ) ) is similar to that ( 0 . 39 ) for pure slg ( see fig3 ( e ) ). the increased i d / i g value in the spectrum of the spot patterned by 1 confirms the diels alder reaction on the slg . while not limiting the scope or meaning of the invention , in other calculations which were performed later , the values for the above are , respectively : 0 . 56 ; 0 . 16 ; 0 . 14 and 0 . 17 . electrochemically active cyclopentadiene 2 was patterned onto slg following a similar protocol described above , and the immobilization density of 2 on the slg surface was analyzed by cyclic voltammetry ( cv ) as shown in fig4 ( a ) and 16 . 2 × 3 dot arrays of ink mixture containing 2 and peg with same dwell times ( 30 min ) were patterned by each pen in the tip array ( see fig1 ( b ) ). cyclic voltammetry ( cv ) was carried out with a pt counter electrode , a glass frit - isolated ag / agcl reference electrode and the slg surfaces as the working electrode , the slg was immersed in a beaker containing 10 ml 0 . 1 m hclo 4 ( aq ) electrolyte solution . an electrochemical workstation ( cfi instruments , inc ., chi 440 ) was used to control the potential and convert the cell current to a potential signal . a tektronix tds 520 digital oscilloscope recorded the current response signal from the potentiostat while a wavetek 395 function generator generated potential program signal . all measurements were conducted at room temperature . the cyclic voltammetry of pure slg was measured before printing and small peaks between 0 - 0 . 2 v are present ( see fig1 ( a ) ). as shown in fig1 ( b ) each tip in the pen array produced a 2 × 3 dot pattern over the 1 cm 2 area covered by the tip array with a dwell time of 30 s at each spot , and ink deposition was confirmed by optical microscopy with an average feature edge length of 7 . 1 μm and area of 50 . 4 μm 2 . following washing of the surface with etoh and h 2 o to remove the peg and unreacted 2 , cv was carried using an ag / agcl reference electrode , a pt counter electrode , and the patterned slg as the working electrode . a strong redox peak at e °= 590 mv ( vs . ag / agcl ) confirmed the presence of the ferrocene ( fc )/ ferrocenium ( fc + ) reversible redox couple from 2 ( see fig4 ), which is shifted anodically compared to fc because of the ester linking the fc to the cyclopentadiene . the linear relationship between peak current and scan rate confirmed that 2 is immobilized on the slg surface , but that the localized changes in bonding from sp 2 to sp 3 do not prevent conduction through the slg . however , the difference between oxidation and reduction peaks may indicate an increase in resistance upon changes in chemical bonding from sp 2 to sp 3 . the surface density of fc within each feature , γ fc , was determined from the cv measurements using equation 3 . where q fc is the total charge passed in the redox reaction , n is the change of the oxidation number of the redox - active species ( n = 1 for fc ). a is the surface area of the patterned features on the working au electrode , and e is the electron charge . a γ fc of ( 5 . 34 ± 0 . 76 )× 10 14 cm − 2 was obtained . if we consider the density oft - bonds on the graphene surface , this number corresponds to approximately 29 % of bond functionalization . control experiments where 2 was deposited without force did not result in any observable current corresponding to the fc / fc + redox couple after washing , confirming that force is necessary to induce the diets alder reaction under these conditions . to confirm the diels - alder reaction on slg was catalyzed by force , peg ( 2000 g mol − 1 , 1 . 0 mg ml − 1 ) and as shown in fig1 ( a ) , ink 2 ( 0 . 54 mg , 1 . 5 mm ) in 60 : 20 thf : h 2 o ( 0 . 8 ml ) was deposited onto the slg following identical procedure described above but with the z extension of 2 steps ( 1 . 9 mn ). the sample was immediately washed with 5 ml etoh and 5 ml h 2 o after printing . the surface was then dried in a n 2 stream and subsequently characterized by cyclic voltammetry see fig1 ( b ) ). no peaks corresponding to the fc / fc + redox couple were observed . the cover density of fc , γ fc , was calculated using eq . 2 q fc , the total charge passed in the redox reaction , was calculated by dividing the integral of the redox peak by the corresponding scan rate . the q fc for the deposited fc on slg was ( 1 . 56 ± 0 . 05 )× 10 − 6 c . a , the surface area of the working electrode , was calculated by the total area covered by 2 . for the ppl deposited 2 , a = 0 . 0176 cm 2 based on the feature edge length ( 7 . 10 μm ) measured by optical microscope before washing . so the cover density of 2 within the features of the array was calculated to be ( 5 . 54 ± 0 . 78 )× cm − 2 . however based on the relationship between force and feature size , the calculated feature length for each spot in fig2 ( a ) should be 7 . 68 μm and therefore a = 0 . 0206 cm 2 . in this case the cover density of 2 within the features of the array was calculated to be ( 4 . 73 ± 0 . 67 )× 10 14 cm − 2 . the approximate density of reactive π bond ( γ π ) on the single layer ( slg ), which acts as dienophile in the diets alder reaction , was calculated . in the ideal structure below , every ring on slg except the edges has one reactive π bond . for slg with an area of 0 . 372 cm − 2 , the number of rings ( n ) was calculated to be approximately 7 . 11 × 10 14 . therefore γ π was acquired using eq . 4 γ π = n / 0 . 372 = 7 . 11 × 10 14 / 0 . 372 = 1 . 9 × 10 15 cm − 2 ( 4 ) all calculations were performed with the gaussian 09 program package . the geometry optimization of all the minima and transition states involved was carried out at the m06 - 2x level of theory with the 6 - 31g ( d ) basis set . the vibrational frequencies were computed at the same level to check whether each optimized structure is an energy minimum or a transition state and to evaluate its zero - point vibration energy ( zpve ) and thermal corrections at 298 k . a quasiharmonic correction was applied during the entropy calculation by setting all positive frequencies that are less than 100 cm − 1 to 100 cm − 1 . single point energy calculations were carried on the optimized structures at the m06 - 2x / 6 - 311g ( d , p ) level . dft calculations were conducted for diels - alder reactions of cp on three representative bonds in the 5 × 5 graphene model as shown in fig1 a . table 1 shows the calculated reaction enthalpies ( δh ) and gibbs free energies ( δg ). the free energy term ( δg ) is less favorable due to the entropy contribution ( δg = δh − tδs , − tδs is positive ). recently , it was reported that the entropy contribution is small ( about 2 - 3 kcal / mol ) from calculations on free energies of the non - covalent association of graphene with small organic molecules . the actual − tδs values for the diels - alder reactions studied here are likely to be around 5 - 10 kcal / mol . we use enthalpy of reaction to evaluate the feasibility of reactions , while gibbs free energies from calculations are given for reference , but are probably too high by 5 - 10 kcal / mol . table 2 shows the reaction energies for the second cp addition as shown in fig1 ( b ) . comparing a , b , and c bonds from tables 1 and 2 , their energies are practically the same . this indicates that the functionalization at the edge bond “ a ” has no effect on bonds far away . the enthalpies on neighboring bonds “ d ” and “ e ” are − 0 . 1 and 32 . 0 kcal / mol , respectively . cycloaddition on bond “ e ” is impossible due to high endothermicity . bond “ d ” can be viewed as the edge bond on a 4 × 4 graphene model and thus possesses a reactivity comparable to “ a ”. the enthalpy of − 0 . 1 kcal / mol on bond “ d ” indicates that the cp group has in fact deactivated its nearby bonds by steric hindrance , study on diels - alder reactions of graphene as diene and cyclopentadiene as dienophile . these reactions ( see fig2 ) are all extremely endothermic ( see table 3 ). it is believed that there is no possibility for the da reaction of cp with graphene as diene . study on alder ene reactions of graphene and cyclopentadiene . similar to the da reaction described in the main text , only the reaction at the edge bond “ a ” gives favorable reaction enthalpy ( fig1 ( b ) and table 4 ). bonds “ b ” and “ c ” are not reactive according to the calculation ( see table 4 ). as shown in fig2 , the transition state calculations further demonstrate that the da reaction path is favored over the alder ene reaction due to a significantly smaller barrier ( 19 . 4 versus 31 . 1 kcal / mol ). two stereoisotners ( endo and exo ) can be formed by the da reaction of cp with the graphene - cp cycloadduct ( see fig1 ( c ) ). here norbornene is used as a model to assess the two isomers ( fig2 ). their reaction enthalpies and free energies have minor differences . endo product is slightly preferred by 0 . 4 kcal / mol in terms of enthalpy , but the reaction barrier to form endo product is 16 . 7 kcal / mol , about 5 kcal / mol lower than that of exo ( see fig2 ). therefore , it is proposed that the polymerizations of cps on graphene are all in the endo form . the length of 10 - cp - oligomerized chain is 2 . 4 nm as shown in fig2 . the foregoing description of illustrative embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and of description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting with respect to the precise form disclosed , and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the disclosed embodiments . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents .	2
hereafter , an ion generator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . “ up - down direction ,” “ left / right direction ( width direction ),” and “ depth direction ” used in the following description refer to directions viewed from a front side where the front side ( surface side ) is this side in fig1 . in the embodiment stated hereafter , a product of wide type will be described . the product of wide type blows off generated air ions from a laterally long blow - off opening . the whole of an ion generator 1 is illustrated in fig1 to 5 . the ion generator 1 includes a main body unit 10 , a discharge electrode unit 20 ( see fig6 ), and a potential sensor unit 40 . the discharge electrode unit 20 is detachably attached to the main body unit 10 from a blow - off opening 11 . the potential sensor unit 40 is housed in the main body unit 10 . the main body unit 10 is formed into the shape of nearly a rectangular parallelepiped , and the main body unit 10 extends in the left / right direction . as illustrated in fig1 , 4 and 7 , the blow - off opening 11 is formed in an upper portion of the front of the main body unit 10 on this side . the blow - off opening 11 extends in the left / right direction . as illustrated in fig7 , a discharge electrode unit mounting portion 12 is formed within the rear portion of the blow - off opening 11 . the discharge electrode unit mounting portion 12 is recessed in the depth direction , and has the same width as that of the blow - off opening 11 . the discharge electrode unit mounting portion 12 is formed into a rectangular recessed shape . the discharge electrode unit 20 ( see fig6 ) is fitted in the discharge electrode unit mounting portion 12 . as illustrated in fig7 , an air supply chamber 13 is provided further behind the discharge electrode unit mounting portion 12 . the air supply chamber 13 is formed over the whole length of the blow - off opening 11 in the left / right direction . as illustrated in fig1 to 5 , the air supply chamber 13 is supplied with jet air from an air supply port 13 a provided on a left side of the main body unit 10 via a tube 13 b . as illustrated in fig7 to 9 , an air discharge opening 16 is provided in an upper portion of the front side of the air supply chamber 13 . the air discharge opening 16 communicates from inside of the air supply chamber 13 to a back portion of the discharge electrode unit mounting portion 12 . the air discharge opening 16 takes the shape of a rectangular hole or a round hole . as illustrated in fig8 and 9 , two air discharge openings 16 are provided on lower sides of the left and right of each of discharge electrodes 21 . details of the air discharge openings 16 will be described later . the jet air is jetted forward from the air discharge openings 16 . as illustrated in fig7 , an air guide portion 17 is provided on an upper portion of the air discharge opening 16 . the air guide portion 17 projects to the upper side of the front of the air discharge opening 16 . the air guide portion 17 enhances the straight advancing property of the jet air blown off from the air discharge opening 16 . a top face cover 14 is provided over the air supply chamber 13 and the discharge electrode unit mounting portion 12 . as illustrated in fig1 to 3 , 5 and 7 , an air flow path 15 is formed between the top face cover 14 and the air supply chamber 13 . the air flow path 15 is also formed between the top face cover 14 and the discharge electrode unit mounting portion 12 . the air flow path 15 passes through from a back face of the main body unit 10 to a front face . the air flow path 15 is parallel to a direction in which the above - described air guide portion 17 leads the jet air . in other words , a direction of the jet air flow discharged from the air discharge opening 16 becomes the same as a direction of flow of an external air which flows in the air flow path 15 . the external air is an air rolled from the circumference of the ion generator 1 by the flow of the jet air . as illustrated in fig2 and 7 , an upper portion of the air supply chamber 13 is formed into a curved shape . as a result , an inlet 15 a on the rear face side of the air flow path 15 is spread toward behind . as a result , it is facilitated to take external air behind the ion generator 1 into the air flow path 15 . on the other hand , as illustrated in fig6 , a plurality of ( four in fig6 ) discharge electrodes 21 is disposed in the discharge electrode unit 20 at intervals . the discharge electrode 21 is formed in a fine wire form or a needle form . the rectilinear discharge electrode 21 extends toward the blow - off opening 11 on this side in fig6 . opening portion 22 are formed on a top face of the discharge electrode unit 20 to correspond to respective discharge electrodes 21 . the respective discharge electrodes 21 is exposed from the top face of the discharge electrode unit 20 via the opening portion 22 . as illustrated in fig1 and 6 to 9 , an opposite electrode 23 is provided on the front side of the discharge electrode unit 20 . the opposite electrode 23 is formed of metal having conductivity and formed into the shape of a plate . the opposite electrode 23 is disposed in a lengthwise direction of the discharge electrode unit 20 . as illustrated in fig3 , 8 and 9 , the opposite electrode 23 is provided on a side lower than the discharge electrode 21 when viewed from the front side of the ion generator 1 . a notched portion 23 a is formed in a nearly half circle shape centered the discharge electrode 21 to correspond to the discharge electrode 21 . in other words , the discharge electrode 21 and the opposite electrode 23 are disposed via a gap 25 having a determinate length interposed therebetween . as illustrated in fig7 , an air supply path 24 is formed within the discharge electrode unit 20 . the jet air flows through the air supply path 24 which extends from the air discharge opening 16 toward the gap 25 . as illustrated in fig7 , a separation space 26 is provided in a state in which the discharge electrode unit 20 is attached to the main body unit 10 . the separation space 26 is a space extending from a front side tip portion of the air guide portion 17 to a back end portion of the air supply path 24 . the jet air flows fast from the air discharge opening 16 toward the air supply path 24 . the jet air flowing fast and the external air in the air flow path 15 are brought into contact with each other in the separation space 26 and the opening portion 22 . power is supplied from an external power supply to the ion generator 1 via a power supply cable 27 ( see fig1 ). a high voltage is applied between the discharge electrode 21 and the opposite electrode 23 . as a result , corona discharge occurs and air ions are generated . as for an internal configuration for applying a high voltage , detailed description thereof will be omitted . as illustrated in fig7 , a potential sensor unit housing portion 18 is provided on a lower side within the main body unit 10 , i . e ., under the air supply chamber 13 and the discharge electrode unit mounting portion 12 . the potential sensor unit housing portion 18 is provided over the left / right direction of the ion generator 1 . a detection window 18 a is provided in a front side wall of the potential sensor unit housing portion 18 . the detection window 18 a communicates with the potential sensor unit housing portion 18 . the potential sensor unit 40 is attached to the potential sensor unit housing portion 18 . the potential sensor unit 40 measures the potential of the charged member p disposed opposite to the blow - off opening 11 . the potential sensor unit 40 includes a potential sensor 41 and a power supply unit ( not illustrated ) that supplies power to the potential sensor 41 . the potential sensor 41 and the power supply unit are attached within the potential sensor unit housing portion 18 . as illustrated in fig1 , the potential sensor 41 includes a printed circuit board 111 on which a detection electrode 114 ( see fig1 ) and so forth are mounted , and an electrostatic shield plate 43 to which the printed circuit board 111 is attached . a lengthwise direction of the printed circuit board 111 extends in the left / right direction of the main body unit 10 in the ion generator 1 . by the way , as for the printed circuit board 111 illustrated in fig1 to 15 , a portion is illustrated , and other portions are omitted . a rectangular shaped aperture window 113 is formed in the electrostatic shield plate 43 . as illustrated in fig1 , the aperture window 113 is formed by notching the electrostatic shield plate 43 . all main slits 131 are exposed to the outside via the aperture window 113 , and all main slits 131 is visible from the outside . a position of the aperture window 113 coincides with a position of the detection window 18 a in the potential sensor unit housing portion 18 . as illustrated in fig1 to 12 , a projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a is provided continuously from the electrostatic shield plate 43 . the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a is provided over the whole length in the left / right direction of the electrostatic shield plate 43 . the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a is projected from the ion generator 1 . details of the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a will be described later . as illustrated in fig1 to 13 , the detection electrode 114 is attached to the printed circuit board 111 . a flange portion 114 a of the detection electrode 114 is fixed to the printed circuit board 111 . in addition , a standing portion 114 b extending from the flange portion 114 a is nearly perpendicular to the printed circuit board 111 . an electrode portion 114 c extends from the standing portion 114 b in parallel with the printed circuit board 111 . the electrode portion 114 c opposes to the aperture window 113 . the detection electrode 114 is one of elements included in a detection circuit ( not illustrated ). at least the electrode portion 114 c included in the detection electrode 114 forms an electric field between a charged substance and the electrode portion 114 c . a fixed shutter 115 made of a conductive material is attached to the printed circuit board 111 . the fixed shutter 115 covers the detection electrode 114 . a main body portion 116 of the fixed shutter 115 is provided in parallel with the electrode portion 114 c of the detection electrode 114 . the main body portion 116 is formed into a nearly rectangular shape . side wall portions 117 and end wall portions 118 are bent from the main body portion 116 at right angles and are integral with the main body portion 116 . as illustrated in fig1 , tip portions of the side wall portions 117 are inserted into mounting holes formed through the printed circuit board 111 , and the fixed shutter 115 is fixed to the printed circuit board 111 . aperture slits 119 are formed in the main body portion 116 of the fixed shutter 115 . the aperture slits 119 extend in the lengthwise direction ( left / right direction ) of the electrostatic shield plate 43 . five aperture slits 119 are formed in a width direction ( up - down direction ) of the main body portion 116 . the aperture slits 119 are disposed at constant intervals . as illustrated in fig1 to 15 , a movable shutter 121 is provided on the printed circuit board 111 . the movable shutter 121 is provided outside the fixed shutter 115 to cover the fixed shutter 115 . the movable shutter 121 moves between two positions : a full open position in which the slits 131 and slits 132 of the movable shutter 121 coincide with the aperture slits 119 of the fixed shutter 115 , and an interruption position in which the aperture slits 119 of the fixed shutter 115 are closed . a change of an aperture area of the shutters depending upon the full open position and the interruption position gives a change in an electric field formed between a charged substance and the detection electrode 114 ( the electrode portion 114 c ). a center line ( not illustrated ) of the aperture slits 119 in the lengthwise direction ( left / right direction ) is referred to as aperture slit center line . a center line ( not illustrated ) of the slits 131 and 132 in the lengthwise direction ( left / right direction ) is referred to as main slit center line . a position of the movable shutter 121 in which the aperture slit center line and the main slit center line coincide with each other is referred to as “ full open position .” a center line in the lengthwise direction ( left / right direction ) of a shield portion ( reference numeral is omitted ) existing between two main slits 131 is referred to as main shield portion center line . a center line ( not illustrated ) in the lengthwise direction ( left / right direction ) of a shield portion ( reference numeral is omitted ) existing between a main slit 131 and a subsidiary slit 132 is referred to as subsidiary shield portion center line . a position of the movable shutter 121 in which the aperture slit center line coincides with the main shield portion center line or the subsidiary shield portion center line is referred to as “ interruption position .” the movable shutter 121 is formed of a material having conductivity . the movable shutter 121 reciprocates in an open - close direction ( up - down direction ). the movable shutter 121 includes a fixed end portion 122 fixed to the printed circuit board 111 . leg pieces 123 are integrally provided on both sides of the fixed end portion 122 . the leg pieces 123 are inserted into mounting holes formed in the printed circuit board 111 . the fixed end portion 122 of the movable shutter 121 is attached to the printed circuit board 111 . an arm portion 124 is provided integrally in each of the leg pieces 123 in the fixed end portion 122 . the arm portion 124 extends to one end side ( right side ) in the lengthwise direction ( left / right direction ) of the printed circuit board 111 . as illustrated in fig1 , two arm portions 124 are provided at a predetermined interval in the present embodiment . each of the arm portions 124 is formed of a flexible plate shaped member . a main body portion 125 is provided integrally on tips of the arm portions 124 . as illustrated in fig1 and 13 , the main body portion 116 of the fixed shutter 115 is disposed outside the detection electrode 114 . the main body portion 116 covers the detection electrode 114 . the main body portion 125 of the movable shutter 121 is disposed outside the fixed shutter 115 . in addition , the main body portion 125 is exposed to the outside via the aperture window 113 . the main body portion 125 of the movable shutter 121 reciprocates in an open - close direction indicated by an arrow n , and opens and closes the aperture slits 119 . at least the main body portion 116 of the fixed shutter 115 is grounded . and at least the main body portion 125 of the movable shutter 121 is also grounded . as illustrated in fig1 and 14 , a magnet 127 functioning as a magnetic substance is attached to an end wall 126 provided integrally in the main body portion 125 . the magnet 127 has a function of driving the movable shutter 121 to open and close . as indicated by solid lines and dashed lines in fig1 , a u - shaped yoke 128 is attached to one end side ( right side ) of the printed circuit board 111 . one pair of coils 129 a and 129 b is wound round the yoke 128 via bobbins 281 . the coils 129 a and 129 b are connected to a power supply unit , which is not illustrated . an alternating current is flown through each of the coils 129 a and 129 b . as a result , magnetic fields that are inverse in direction to each other are formed on two magnetic pole surfaces 128 a and 128 b . therefore , the magnet 127 moves between a position opposed to one magnetic pole surface 128 a and a position opposed to the other magnetic pole surface 128 b . in this way , a drive means that drives the movable shutter 121 in the reciprocation direction n to open and close is formed by the coils 129 a and 129 b wound round the yoke 128 and the magnet 127 . five main slits 131 are formed in the main body portion 125 in the movable shutter 121 . the five main slits 131 correspond to the five aperture slits 119 formed in the fixed shutter 115 . the respective main slits 131 extend in the same direction as that of the aperture slits 119 . adjacent main slits 131 are disposed at a constant interval . the interval is the same as that of the aperture slits 119 . the movable shutter 121 conducts reciprocal vibration , and moves between the full open position and the interruption position . fig1 illustrates a state in which the movable shutter 121 is in a neutral position . at this time , all of the five main slits 131 are opposed to the aperture slits 119 . one subsidiary slit 132 is formed on each of outsides of main slits 131 located on both ends of the reciprocation direction n ( up - down direction ). each subsidiary slit 132 takes the same shape as that of the main slit 131 . intervals between the five main slits 131 are the same as intervals between the main slits 131 and the subsidiary slits 132 . the five main slits 131 and the two subsidiary slits 132 take the same shape . these seven slits 131 and 132 formed on the movable shutter 121 take the same shape as that of the aperture slits 119 formed on the fixed shutter 115 . when the movable shutter 121 reciprocates , therefore , the aperture slits 119 are opened and closed by the subsidiary slits 132 . in this way , one subsidiary slit 132 is formed on the outside of the two main slits 131 located at both ends of the reciprocation direction n , i . e ., in an extension direction of the reciprocation direction n . during one period of movement of the movable shutter 121 , the movable shutter 121 moves from the neutral position illustrated in fig1 to a reciprocation end in a left direction in fig1 , then the movable shutter 121 moves to a position of a reciprocation end in a right direction , and returns to the neutral position . during the one period , the five aperture slits 119 on the fixed shutter 115 are opened and closed four times . in other words , the aperture slits 119 are opened and closed with a frequency that is four times the drive frequency of the movable shutter 121 . a current detection circuit is connected to the detection electrode 114 . in a state in which the detection electrode 114 is opposed to a charged substance via the aperture window 113 , an alternating current in the range of , for example , 600 to 800 hz is applied to the coils 129 a and 129 b to cause the movable shutter 121 to conduct reciprocal vibration . as a result , the aperture slits 119 on the fixed shutter 115 are opened and closed with a frequency that is four times the drive frequency of the movable shutter 121 . with this open / close frequency , an electric field between the detection electrode 114 and the charged substance changes , and an alternating voltage is generated in the detection electrode 114 . the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a provided on the electrostatic shield plate 43 will now be described . in the ion generator 1 with the potential sensor 41 integrally mounted thereon , charge elimination is conducted by blowing generated air ions against the charged member p ( see fig7 ). at the same time , the potential sensor 41 measures surface potential of the charged member p . in other words , since the ion generator 1 and the potential sensor 41 are provided in the same casing , it is more convenient to use as compared with the case where the ion generator 1 and the potential sensor 41 are provided separately . it is necessary to dispose both the blow - off opening 11 of air ions and the potential sensor 41 to be opposed to the charged member p . therefore , the discharge unit ( the discharge electrodes 21 and the opposite electrodes 23 ) and the aperture window 113 of the potential sensor 41 are provided on the same plane of the main body unit 10 . as a result , not only an electric field from the charged member p but also an electric field between the discharge electrode 21 and the opposite electrode 23 , i . e ., a discharge electric field reaches the potential sensor 41 . the discharge electric field becomes noise . in the present embodiment , the blow - off opening 11 and the aperture window 113 of the potential sensor 41 are provided on the same plane of the main body unit 10 . in addition , the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a is projected and provided between the blow - off opening 11 and the aperture window 113 to conduct electrostatic shielding between the discharge unit and the potential sensor 41 . a length s 1 of the forward projection of the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a influences a noise voltage and a signal voltage of the potential sensor 41 . graphs in fig1 represent a ratio of a noise voltage vn to vn 0 ( vn / vn 0 ) and a projection length s 1 of the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a , where vn 0 is the noise voltage in a case where the projection length s 1 of the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a is 0 mm . a distance s 2 ( 2 , 4 , 6 and 10 mm ) between the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a and the aperture window 113 is set to be a parameter . the ratio vn / vn 0 does not largely depend upon the distance s 2 between the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a and the aperture window 113 . the ratio vn / vn 0 decreases , the longer the projection length s 1 of the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a is made . for example , in a case where the projection length s 1 of the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a is set equal to 8 or 10 mm , vn / vn 0 decreases to 35 % or 50 %. graphs in fig1 represent a ratio of a sensor signal voltage vs to vs 0 ( vs / vs 0 ) and a function of the projection length s 1 of the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a , where vs 0 is the signal voltage in a case where the projection length s 1 of the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a is 0 mm . a distance s 2 ( 2 , 4 , 6 and 10 mm ) between the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a and the aperture window 113 is set to be a parameter . in a case where the distance s 2 between the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a and the aperture window 113 is as short as 2 mm , the signal decreases by approximately 20 % as compared with a case where the distance is 10 mm . the length of the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a in the left / right direction is made long enough to be also effective to a plurality of discharge electrodes 21 disposed at intervals along the lengthwise direction of the blow - off opening 11 . relations between the length of the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a and the distance s 2 between the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a and the aperture window 113 will be described hereafter . when the projection length of the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a is prolonged gradually from 0 mm to 10 mm , attenuation of the sensor signal is in the range of 0 % to at most approximately 20 % ( the distance s 2 = 2 mm ). whereas attenuation of the noise voltage is in the range of 30 % ( the distance s 2 = 10 mm ) to 50 % ( the distance s 2 = 2 mm ). in other words , the sensor signal attenuates little whereas the attenuation of the noise voltage is large . especially in a case where the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a and the aperture window 113 are made close to each other so as to have the distance s 2 that is approximately 2 mm and the projection length of the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a is set equal to 10 mm , attenuation of the sensor signal is approximately 20 %. on the other hand , attenuation of the noise voltage is approximately 50 %. therefore , the signal to noise ratio is improved by 0 . 8 ÷ 0 . 5 = 1 . 6 , i . e ., 60 %. in the ion generator according to the embodiment of the present invention , the potential sensor 41 , which measures the potential of the charged member p , is provided integrally in the main body unit 10 . in addition , the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a projecting from the main body unit 10 is provided between the discharge unit formed of the discharge electrodes 21 and the opposite electrodes 23 , and the potential sensor 41 . therefore , the electric field between the discharge electrode 21 and the opposite electrode 23 is electrostatically shielded by the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a . accordingly , the electric field is hard to reach the potential sensor 41 . as a result , superposition of noise caused by the electric field between the discharge electrode 21 and the opposite electrode 23 on a value measured by the potential sensor 41 is suppressed . therefore , the voltage of the charged member p is measured accurately . the discharge unit formed of the discharge electrodes 21 and the opposite electrodes 23 , and the aperture window 113 of the potential sensor 41 are disposed on the same plane . as a result , a depth dimension l ( see fig7 ) of the ion generator 1 can be made small . accordingly , it becomes possible to design an ion generator 1 having a smaller size . the projection length s 1 of the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a is set in the range of 8 to 10 mm from the aperture window 113 of the potential sensor 41 . as compared with the case where the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a is not provided , therefore , it is possible to decrease the ratio of the noise voltage vn to vn 0 represented by vn / vn 0 to a range of 35 to 50 %. in addition , the distance s 2 from the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a to the aperture window 113 is set equal to or less than 2 mm . as a result , it is possible to suppress the decrease in the ratio of the signal voltage vs to vs 0 represented by vs / vs 0 to approximately 20 %. in addition , the blow - off opening 11 is formed to be long . and a plurality of discharge electrodes 21 is disposed at intervals along the lengthwise direction of the blow - off opening 11 . in such a configuration , the projecting electrostatic shield plate 43 a is made to intervene between all of the discharge electrodes 21 and the aperture window 113 . as a result , it is possible to suppress noise generation effectively . heretofore , the ion generator according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described . however , the present invention is not restricted to the embodiment described above , but various modifications and changes can be made on the basis of the technical thought of the present invention . for example , in the present embodiment , the ion generator 1 having a plurality of discharge electrodes 21 along the lengthwise direction has been described . however , the present invention can also be applied to an ion generator having one discharge electrode 21 ( an ion generator that blows off air ions in a spot way ). s 2 distance from projecting electrostatic shield plate to aperture window vn 0 noise voltage in case where projecting electrostatic shield plate is not provided vs 0 signal voltage in case where projecting electrostatic shield plate is not provided	7
the preferred embodiment herein described is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . it is chosen and described to explain the principles of the invention and its application and practical use to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention . referring now to the drawings , and more particularly to fig1 reference character 10 generally designates a hose - in - hose constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . hose - in - hose 10 includes two distinct components , namely , a primary or inner hose assembly 12 and an secondary or outer hose assembly 14 . as depicted , secondary hose assembly 14 completely encases the primary hose assembly 12 thereby creating a containment space 16 between the outer surface of the primary hose assembly 12 and the inner surface of the secondary hose assembly 14 for containing any liquids leaking from the primary hose assembly 12 due to a break or tear in the primary hose assembly . the primary hose assembly 12 may be used to transmit and contain liquids , for example and without the intention to limit , such as nuclear waste , hazardous liquid waste , or contaminated water . fig1 shows hose - in - hose 10 as a closed system , meaning both the primary and secondary hose assemblies 12 , 14 are each sealed . view a , fig1 c , is an end view of hose - in - hose 10 . primary hose assembly 12 includes a hose casing 18 , a hose casing 20 , and a primary inner coupler 22 . inner coupler 22 connects hose casing 18 and hose casing 20 in such a manner as to create a sealed closed system . coupler 22 includes a female coupling part 24 and a male coupler part 26 , each of which is attached to one of hose casings 18 , 20 by means of swaged ferrule 32 . female coupling part 24 includes an outturned flanged retainer 28 which carries a rotatable nut 30 . male coupler part 26 is externally threaded and preferably tapered to fit into retainer 28 where it is secured by nut 30 . secondary hose assembly 14 includes a hose casing 34 , a hose casing 36 , and a secondary or outer coupler 38 . outer coupler 38 provides for connecting hose casings 34 , 36 to create a sealed closed system about primary hose assembly 12 . coupler 38 includes slideable sleeve parts 40 , shanks 44 and collars 46 . each shank 44 is attached to its hose casing 34 , 36 by a swaged ferrule 49 . sleeve parts 40 are separable having an extended position as shown in fig1 and a retracted position as shown in fig2 . each sleeve part 40 is provided with an in - turned annular flange 42 at one end and an outturned annular flange 43 at the opposite end . sleeve parts 40 are mounted so as to slide longitudinally along shanks 44 . in this manner , the sleeve parts 40 of outer coupler 38 can shift inward and outwardly relative to each other between their retracted position and extended position . each shank 44 is provided with an outturned flange 45 so that as its supported sleeve part 40 slides outwardly over the shank , flange 42 of the sleeve part contacts and abuts flange 45 of the shank , thus restricting any further outward movement , retaining the sleeve part in its extended position as best seen in fig1 a and 4a . as can be seen in fig1 and 4 , when sleeve parts 40 are in their extended position flanges 43 are aligned in a face to face orientation , with , preferably , an annular gasket 54 located between . the flanges 43 are joined and secured by annularly spaced bolts 50 and nuts 51 . sleeve parts 40 are secured in their extended position upon shanks 44 by collars 46 . each collar is formed of two semi - circular parts 47 ( see fig6 ) joined by screws 58 . once sleeve parts 40 are extended , parts 47 of collars 46 are placed round shanks 44 and joined by screws 58 with an annular rib 62 carried by each collar fitting restrictively in an annular groove 66 in each shank 44 so as to fixedly position each collar next to the end face 48 of the adjacent sleeve . within each collar 46 and arranged peripherally about the collar are threaded bores 59 . securement screws 60 are turned through each collar in bores 59 into contact with the adjacent sleeve end face 48 to urge sleeve flange 42 toward shank flange 45 , compressing an annular seal 64 to form a complete liquid seal between each shank and sleeve . rib 62 may be in the form of an insulator envisioned to work in conjunction with non - conductive hose to allow for the use of a leak detector . referring now to fig2 , and 5 , sleeve parts 40 are shown in their retracted position thereby opening secondary or outer coupler 38 of secondary hose assembly 14 . this may be accomplished by removing collars 46 by loosening securement screws 60 and the removal of screws 58 so the two halves or parts 47 of each collar can be separated and removed from engagement with its associated shank 44 . then disconnecting flanges 43 by removing bolts 50 and nuts 51 frees sleeve parts 40 from their secured extended position and allows for outer coupler 38 to be opened by retracting and sliding sleeve parts 40 longitudinally along shanks 44 . although collars 46 are shown completely removed , they could be simply slid along the sleeve parts 40 by sufficiently loosening bolts 58 to allow the collar parts 47 to be spread apart . when sleeve parts 40 are secured in their extended position , outer , coupler 38 is in a joined position connecting hose casings 34 , 36 in a sealed position ( fig1 and 4 ). when sleeve parts 40 are in their retracted position , outer coupler 38 is in an open position ( fig2 and 3 ) thereby exposing primary hose assembly 12 and its coupler 22 to allow it to be opened or repaired . hose - in - hose 10 will contain liquids which may leak from a rupture of primary hose assembly 12 and prevent such potentially hazardous liquids from causing damage to the environment or injury to the end user . secondary or outer coupler 38 provides the advantage of allowing access to the primary hose assembly 12 via the use of slideable sleeve parts 40 without needing to further separate hose casings 34 , 36 . this is a significant improvement upon the prior art . further , the use of insulated materials would allow use of a signal or an alarm device , which may be present on or around the assembly , thereby notifying the end user of leakage from the primary hose . while this invention has been described as having a preferred design , the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure . this application is therefore intended to cover any variations , uses , or adaptations of the invention using its general principles . further , this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims .	5
fig3 depicts a schematic diagram of telecommunications system 300 in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention . telecommunications system 300 comprises : i . backbone packet network 101 ; ii . local area network 102 ; iii . enhanced internet protocol - capable endpoints 303 - 1 through 303 - q , wherein q is a positive integer ; and iv . enhanced gatekeeper 307 . all of the elements depicted in fig3 are interconnected as shown . in addition , system 300 comprises gateways 104 - 1 through 104 - s , public switched telephone network ( pstn ) 105 , and pstn telecommunications terminal 106 , all of which are described above and with respect to fig1 , as are backbone packet network 101 and local area network 102 . system 300 is similar to system 100 in that it is able to transmit voice conversations between end - user devices . however , as those who are skilled in the art will appreciate , in some alternative embodiments of the present invention , the present invention is also well - suited for telecommunications systems that transmit other types of bearer information than voice , such as video . furthermore , as those who are skilled in the art will appreciate , telecommunications system 300 is capable in some alternative embodiments of handling other types of networks and other combinations of networks than depicted . in some alternative embodiments , each network might in turn comprise additional networks , such as cellular telephone networks and local area networks that are either wired or wireless . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , backbone network 101 is governed by the h . 323 protocol standard specified by the international telecommunication union . enhanced endpoints 303 - 1 through 303 - q and enhanced gatekeeper 307 , which are described below , are also governed by the h . 323 standard . as those who are skilled in the art will appreciate , in some alternative embodiments , some or all of system 300 can be governed by a different protocol such as the session initiation protocol ( or “ sip ”), either proprietary or standardized . enhanced internet protocol - capable endpoint 303 - q , for q = 1 through q , is a communication appliance such as a deskset , a conferencing unit , a cellular telephone , a desktop or portable computer ( i . e ., “ softphone ”), and so forth . the salient components of endpoint 303 - q are described below and with respect to fig4 . as depicted , endpoint 303 - q operates in a local area network , but in some alternative embodiments the endpoint operates in a different type of network . endpoint 303 - q is capable of digitizing voice signals from its user and formatting the digitized signals into transmittable data packets through an audio compressor / decompressor ( or “ codec ”) circuit . similarly , the codec circuit of endpoint 303 - q is also capable of receiving data packets and converting the information contained within those packets into voice signals that are understandable by the endpoint &# 39 ; s user . in addition , endpoint 303 - q is capable of performing the tasks described below and with respect to fig6 through 8 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention . it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this specification , how to make and use enhanced internet protocol - capable endpoint 303 - q . enhanced gatekeeper 307 is a data - processing system that manages each collection of ip - capable endpoint devices that belong to a particular zone . the salient components of gatekeeper 307 are described below and with respect to fig5 . gatekeeper 307 provides address translation and routing for the ip - capable devices in their zone . in addition , gatekeeper 307 provides the call admission control , in terms of specifying which of enhanced internet protocol - capable devices 303 - 1 through 303 - q may call which other devices in telecommunications system 300 . although one gatekeeper is depicted , additional gatekeepers can be present , as those who are skilled in the art will appreciate . in addition , endpoint 303 q is capable of performing the tasks described below and with respect to fig6 through 8 , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention . it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this specification , how to make and use enhanced internet protocol - capable endpoint 303 - q . to maintain the ability to communicate with each other during periods of ordinary packet traffic , each endpoint 303 - q exchanges a “ heartbeat ” message with its gatekeeper ( e . g ., gatekeeper 307 , etc . ), as described above and with respect to fig2 for endpoint 103 - r and gatekeeper 107 . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , endpoint 303 - q and gatekeeper 307 exchange heartbeat - related packets and execute the tasks of the illustrative embodiment . however , as those who are skilled in the art will appreciate , in some alternative embodiments , other packet - based devices can exchange heartbeat - related signals , as well as execute the tasks described below and with respect to fig6 through 8 . fig4 depicts the salient components of enhanced internet protocol - capable endpoint 303 - q in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention . endpoint 303 - q comprises local area network ( lan ) interface 401 , processor 402 , and memory 403 , interconnected as shown . lan interface 401 is capable of receiving packet signals from local area network 102 , such as incoming packets from other internet protocol - capable devices , and of forwarding the information encoded in the signals to processor 402 , in well - known fashion . lan interface 401 is also capable of receiving information from processor 402 and of transmitting signals that encode this information to other internet protocol - capable devices via local area network 102 , in well - known fashion . it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this specification , how to make and use lan interface 401 . processor 402 is a general - purpose processor that is capable of receiving information from interface 401 , executing instructions stored in memory 403 , reading data from and writing data into memory 403 , executing the tasks described below and with respect to fig6 through 8 , and transmitting information to interface 401 . in some alternative embodiments of the present invention , processor 402 might be a special - purpose processor . in either case , it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this specification , how to make and use processor 402 . memory 403 stores the instructions and data used by processor 402 . memory 403 might be any combination of dynamic random - access memory ( ram ), flash memory , disk drive memory , and so forth . it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this specification , how to make and use memory 403 . fig5 depicts the salient components of enhanced gatekeeper 307 in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention . gatekeeper 307 comprises internet protocol network interface 501 , processor 502 , and memory 503 , interconnected as shown . internet protocol network interface 501 is capable of receiving packet signals from backbone network 101 , such as incoming packets from other internet protocol - capable devices , and of forwarding the information encoded in the signals to processor 502 , in well - known fashion . internet protocol interface 501 is also capable of receiving information from processor 502 and of transmitting signals that encode this information to other internet protocol - capable devices via backbone packet network 101 , in well - known fashion . it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this specification , how to make and use internet protocol network interface 501 . processor 502 is a general - purpose processor that is capable of receiving information from interface 501 , executing instructions stored in memory 503 , reading data from and writing data into memory 503 , executing the tasks described below and with respect to fig6 through 8 , and transmitting information to interface 501 . in some alternative embodiments of the present invention , processor 502 might be a special - purpose processor . in either case , it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this specification , how to make and use processor 502 . memory 503 stores the instructions and data used by processor 502 . memory 503 might be any combination of dynamic random - access memory ( ram ), flash memory , disk drive memory , and so forth . it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this specification , how to make and use memory 503 . fig6 and 7 depict flowcharts of salient tasks performed in responding to a packet attack on one of both of enhanced internet protocol - capable endpoint 303 - q and enhanced gatekeeper 307 . in particular , the tasks in fig6 are associated with transmitting one or more packets that indicate that the device receiving those packets is to suspend transmitting keep - alive packets . the tasks in fig7 are associated with receiving one or more packets that indicate suspending the transmission of keep - alive packets . in addition , fig8 depicts a message flow diagram of the combination of some of the messages and events that are depicted in fig6 and 7 . as those who are skilled in the art will appreciate , some of the tasks that appear in fig6 and 7 can be performed in parallel or in a different order than that depicted . furthermore , as those who are skilled in the art will appreciate , multiple pairs of internet protocol - capable devices throughout telecommunications system 300 that exchange heartbeat packets with each other can concurrently perform the tasks described with respect to fig6 and 7 . for example , endpoint 303 - 1 can perform the tasks in fig6 while its gatekeeper can perform the tasks in fig7 ; concurrently , endpoint 303 - 2 can also perform the tasks in fig6 while its gatekeeper , possibly the same one as for endpoint 303 - 1 or a different one , can perform the tasks in fig7 . in addition , each device in a particular pair of devices might perform the tasks in both fig6 and 7 ; for example , endpoint 303 - 3 might perform the tasks in fig6 while gatekeeper 307 performs the corresponding tasks in fig7 , and gatekeeper 307 might perform the tasks in fig6 while endpoint 303 - 3 performs the corresponding tasks in fig7 . finally , a single device such as gatekeeper 307 might perform the tasks in fig6 or fig7 , or both , with more than one other device , such as with multiple endpoints . fig6 depicts a flowchart of the salient tasks that are executed by a first internet protocol - capable device , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention . for pedagogical purposes , the tasks associated with fig6 are described below as being performed by enhanced internet protocol - capable endpoint 303 - 1 ; however , as those who are skilled in the art will appreciate , a different device can perform the tasks as shown . at task 601 , endpoint 303 - 1 transmits a series of keep - alive packets to another internet protocol - capable device in well - known fashion ; in the illustrative example , endpoint 303 - 1 transmits the series to gatekeeper 307 . in fig8 , packet 801 is one such keep - alive packet that endpoint 303 - 1 transmits and is acknowledged by packet 802 . at task 602 , a device in telecommunications system 300 detects a packet attack that affects at least endpoint 303 - 1 . for example , the packet attack prevents endpoint 303 - 1 from receiving an acknowledgment packet in response to keep - alive packet 803 . in some embodiments , endpoint 303 - 1 detects the attack , at event 804 , while in some other embodiments a different device than endpoint 303 - 1 , such as a separate intrusion detection system , detects the attack and reports the attack to endpoint 303 - 1 . at task 603 , endpoint 303 - 1 establishes a secure reliable channel ( i . e ., a separate channel than the one used to exchange heartbeat - related packets ) with gatekeeper 307 , in well - known fashion . the channel can be direct or through a third internet protocol - capable device , such as the intrusion detection system . at task 604 , a device in system 300 attempts to mitigate the effects of the packet attack on endpoint 303 - 1 . for example , if endpoint 303 - 1 itself attempts to mitigate the attack , it can do so by disabling local area network interface 401 over which the attacking packets are being received so that few processor cycles are used in dealing with the attack . at task 605 , endpoint 303 - 1 transmits packet 805 to gatekeeper 307 , which packet indicates that gatekeeper 307 is to suspend the transmission of additional heartbeat - related packets ( keep - alive packets ) to endpoint 303 - 1 . in some embodiments , the suspend packet indicates that gatekeeper 307 is to suspend the transmission of the additional packets for a predetermined length of time ; this length of time is longer than the time between two consecutive non - retry packets in the series of keep - alive packets ordinarily sent . the length of time , in some embodiments , is based on the type of packet attack being experienced . in some other embodiments , the length of time is based on the severity of the packet attack . as those who are skilled in the art will appreciate , in still some other embodiments , the length of time can be based on yet another characteristic of the packet attack or on something else within system 300 . at task 606 , endpoint 303 - 1 receives acknowledgment packet 806 from gatekeeper 307 , in response to having transmitted the suspending packet at task 605 . at task 607 , endpoint 303 - 1 refrains from transmitting additional keep - alive packets to gatekeeper 307 for a particular back - off interval . the back - off interval is based on the predetermined length of time that is longer than the time between two consecutive non - retry packets in the series of keep - alive packets that are ordinarily transmitted to maintain the heartbeat with gatekeeper 307 . the predetermined length of time can be based on one or more characteristics , as described above and with respect to task 605 . at task 608 , a device in telecommunications system 300 monitors the packet attack to detect if the attack is mitigating . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment endpoint 303 - 1 monitors the attack , while in some alternative embodiments a different device monitors the attack . at task 609 , endpoint 303 - 1 checks if the back - off interval has expired . if the interval has expired , task execution proceeds to task 610 . if the interval has not expired , task execution proceeds back to task 607 . at task 610 , endpoint 303 - 1 checks ( at event 807 or 810 ) if the packet attack is over - that is , if there has been a sufficient mitigation in the packet attack to allow for normal heartbeat - related transmissions to resume . endpoint 303 - 1 is aware of the packet attack &# 39 ; s status , based on the monitoring performed at task 608 . if the attack has mitigated sufficiently , task execution proceeds to task 611 . otherwise , task execution proceeds back to task 605 , to transmit another suspend packet such as packet 808 and to receive the corresponding acknowledgment packet such as packet 809 . at task 611 , endpoint 303 - 1 transmits packet 811 to gatekeeper 307 , which packet indicates that gatekeeper 307 is to resume sending keep - alive packets to endpoint 303 - 1 . at task 612 , endpoint 303 - 1 receives acknowledgment packet 812 from gatekeeper 307 , in response to having transmitted the resume packet at task 611 . endpoint 303 - 1 itself resumes its own transmission of keep - alive packets to gatekeeper 307 and expects to receive an acknowledgment packet for each keep - alive packet transmitted . task execution then ends . fig7 depicts a flowchart of the salient tasks that are executed by a second internet protocol - capable device , in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention . for pedagogical purposes , the tasks associated with fig7 are described below as being performed by enhanced gatekeeper 307 ; however , as those who are skilled in the art will appreciate , a different device can perform the tasks as shown . at task 701 , gatekeeper 307 transmits a series of keep - alive packets to another internet protocol - capable device in well - known fashion ; in the illustrative example , gatekeeper 307 transmits the series to endpoint 303 - 1 . at task 702 , gatekeeper receives packet 805 from endpoint 303 - 1 , which packet indicates that gatekeeper 307 is to suspend the transmission of additional heartbeat - related packets ( keep - alive packets ) to endpoint 303 - 1 . in some embodiments , the suspend packet indicates that gatekeeper 307 is to suspend the transmission of the additional packets for a predetermined amount of time that is longer than the time between two consecutive non - retry packets in the series of keep - alive packets ordinarily sent . the length of time , in some embodiments , is based on the type of packet attack being experienced . in some other embodiments , the length of time is based on the severity of the packet attack . as those who are skilled in the art will appreciate , in still some other embodiments , the length of time can be based on yet another characteristic of the packet attack or on something else within system 300 . at task 703 , gatekeeper 307 transmits acknowledgment packet 806 to endpoint 303 - 1 , in response to having received the suspending packet at task 702 . at task 704 , gatekeeper 307 refrains from transmitting additional keep - alive packets , based on having received the suspend packet from endpoint 303 - 1 , for a particular back - off interval . the back - off interval is based on a predetermined length of time that is longer than the time between two consecutive non - retry packets in the series of keep - alive packets that are ordinarily transmitted to maintain the heartbeat with endpoint 303 - 1 . the predetermined length of time can be based on one or more characteristics , as described above and with respect to task 605 . at task 705 , gatekeeper 307 monitors for an indication to resume the transmission of keep - alive packets . at task 706 , gatekeeper 307 checks if a resume packet has been received . if a packet that indicates resumption of keep - alive transmissions has been received , task execution proceeds to task 709 . otherwise , task execution proceeds to task 707 . at task 707 , gatekeeper 307 checks if another suspend packet has been received , in contrast to a resume packet . if another packet that indicates suspension of keep - alive transmissions has been received ( such as packet 808 ), task execution proceeds to task 703 . otherwise , task execution proceeds to task 708 . at task 708 , gatekeeper 307 checks if the back - off interval has expired . if the interval has expired , task execution proceeds to task 709 . if the interval has not expired , task execution proceeds back to task 704 . at task 709 , gatekeeper 307 resumes transmitting keep - alive packets to endpoint 303 - 1 . task execution then ends . it is to be understood that the above - described embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention and that many variations of the above - described embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , in this specification , numerous specific details are provided in order to provide a thorough description and understanding of the illustrative embodiments of the present invention . those skilled in the art will recognize , however , that the invention can be practiced without one or more of those details , or with other methods , materials , components , etc . furthermore , in some instances , well - known structures , materials , or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the illustrative embodiments . it is understood that the various embodiments shown in the figures are illustrative , and are not necessarily drawn to scale . reference throughout the specification to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” or “ some embodiments ” means that a particular feature , structure , material , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment ( s ) is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention , but not necessarily all embodiments . consequently , the appearances of the phrase “ in one embodiment ,” “ in an embodiment ,” or “ in some embodiments ” in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment . furthermore , the particular features , structures , materials , or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments . it is therefore intended that such variations be included within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents .	7
exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings in detail . although the invention is described in terms of exemplary embodiments , it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and described also , a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the invention . the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . detailed descriptions of well - known functions and structures incorporated herein may be omitted to avoid obscuring appreciation of the subject matter of the present invention by a person of ordinary skill in the art . in the following description , a method for compressing a mobility header of a packet is proposed for supporting mobility to the lowpan as well as adopting ipv6 protocol to the lowpan using a limited packet size . the ipv6 header includes a basic header and extension headers . the length of the basic header is fixed to 40 bytes for this example . it should be understood that the present invention is applicable to other sizes of headers , and for example , the invention is applicable even if there is a modification to the standards discussed herein . the basic header typically includes a 4 - bit version field , an 8 - bit traffic class field , a 20 - bit flow label field , a 16 - bit payload length field , an 8 - bit next header field , an 8 - bit hop limit field , a 128 - bit source address field , and a 128 - bit destination address field . all fields of the ipv6 header , except for the hop limit field ( 8 bits ), can be compressed . for example , the version field can be omitted if , for example , all packets are ipv6 packets . the 64 - bit network prefix for both source and destination addresses can be compressed to a single bit each when they carry the well - know link - local prefix . the length field can also be omitted because it can be inferred from the mac header . the traffic class and flow label fields can be compressed to a single bit when their values are both zero . the next header field can be compressed to two bits when the packet uses udp , tcp , or icmp . table 1 herein below shows a packet format including the compressed header formed in such a manner . during the compression process , most fields are reduced in bit number . as shown in table 1 , the compressed ipv6 header is divided into a 1 byte header compression ( hc1 ) encoding field and non - compressed field , i . e . the uncompressed 1 - byte hop limit field . that is , the ipv6 header of 40 bytes is compressed to a minimum of a 2 - byte compressed header . the first two bits of the hc1 encoding field carry the information on the compression of the ipv6 source address . table 2 herein below shows the bit patterns of the first two bits and their meanings . referring to table 2 , the third and fourth bits of the hc1 encoding field carry the information on the ipv6 destination address . the meanings of the bit patterns are shown in table 2 . the fifth bit of the hc1 encoding field carries information on the compression status of the traffic class and flow label . if the fifth bit is 1 , then this indicates the information is compressed . otherwise , if the fifth bit is 0 , then this indicates the information is uncompressed . the sixth and seventh bits of the hc1 encoding field carry information on the compression status of the next header . ‘ 00 ’ indicates that the next header is not compressed and carried in - line , ‘ 01 ’ indicates udp header , ‘ 10 ’ indicates icmp header , and ‘ 11 ’ indicates tcp header . finally , the eighth bit of the hc1 encoding field carries information on hc2 encoding field . ‘ 0 ’ indicates the no more compressed bit , and ‘ 1 ’ indicates that an hc2 encoding field corresponding to udp , icmp , or tcp follows the hc1 encoding field . the non - compressed fields following the hc1 encoding field are structured in the same order as in the ipv6 header before being compressed . the 6lowpan header formats according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention are described hereinafter . a 6lowpan header includes a dispatch header carrying the above - described header information . all types of headers of an ipv6 packet follow the dispatch header . for example , when carrying a compressed ip or udp header , the ipv6 packet includes an hc1 dispatch header containing a compressed ip or udp header information ; when carrying a mesh routing header , the ipv6 packet includes a mesh dispatch header containing the mesh routing header information ; and when carrying a fragmentation header for fragmentation and reassembly , the ipv6 packet includes a fragmentation dispatch header containing fragmentation header information . by redefining the dispatch headers , noble functions can be added to the header . fig1 a to 1d are diagrams illustrating dispatch header formats for use in a mobility header compression method and system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . as shown in the examples of fig1 a to 1d , a dispatch header comprises 8 bits and the first two bits of the dispatch header are set distinguishably . the first two bits both set to ‘ 0 ’ as shown in fig1 a indicates that a non - lowpan header follows the dispatch header , and ‘ 01 ’ as shown in fig1 b indicates that an ipv6 header follows the dispatch header . also , the first two bits set to ‘ 10 ’ as shown in fig1 c indicates that a mesh routing header follows the dispatch header , and ‘ 11 ’ as shown in fig1 d indicates that a fragmentation header follows the dispatch header . the structure of hc1 dispatch header , mesh dispatch header , and fragmentation dispatch header are described hereinafter in more detail with reference to fig2 a to 2 d . fig2 a to 2d are diagrams illustrating stacked 6lowpan packet header formats according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . fig2 a shows a 6lowpan packet header format for use in a single hop network . in this case , the packet header includes a compressed ipv6 header ( hc1 ) dispatch header 201 . the hc1 dispatch header 201 is followed by a compressed ipv6 ( hc1 header ) header 202 . fig2 b shows a 6lowpan packet header format for use in a multi hop mesh network . in this case , the packet header includes a hc1 header and mesh rouging header . a mesh dispatch header 211 is followed by a mesh header 212 , a hc1 dispatch header 213 , and a hc1 header 214 in sequential order . fig2 c shows a 6lowpan packet header format for use in a single hop network using fragmentation mechanism . in this case , the packet header includes a hc1 header 224 and a fragmentation header 222 . a fragmentation dispatch header 221 is followed by the fragmentation header 222 , an hc1 dispatch header 223 , and the hc1 header 224 in sequential order . fig2 d shows a 6lowpan packet header format for use in a multi hop network using fragmentation mechanism . in this case , the packet header includes an hc1 header 236 , a mesh routing header ( mesh header ) 232 , and a fragmentation header 234 . a mesh dispatch header 231 is followed by the mesh header 232 , a fragmentation dispatch header 233 , the fragmentation header 234 , an hc1 dispatch header 235 , and the hc1 header 236 in sequential order . that is , the headers are arranged in an order of the mesh header , fragmentation header , and hc1 header , and these headers follow respective dispatch headers . as aforementioned , the first two bits of each dispatch header are used for indicating the type of header following itself , i . e . mesh header , fragmentation header , or hc1 header . in order to simplify the explanation , the packet format carrying the mobility header for use in 6lowpans is described with the exemplary hc1 dispatch header , i . e . the dispatch header of which first two bits are set to ‘ 01 ’. of course , the mesh header and / or fragmentation header is carried , the 6lowpan packet header can be constructed in the format of any of fig2 b to 2 d . in the case of header format of fig2 b , two types of ipv6 headers can follow the hc1 dispatch header 213 : one is compressed ipv6 header , and the other is an uncompressed ipv6 header . fig3 a to 3c are diagrams illustrating bit patterns of dispatch headers for use in a 6lowpan according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . in fig3 a , the first two bits 311 of a 1 - byte dispatch header 310 are set to ‘ 01 ’ which indicates that the dispatch header 310 is followed by an ipv6 header 315 , and the last two bits 312 of the dispatch header 310 are set to ‘ 01 ’ which indicates that the ipv6 header 315 is an uncompressed ipv6 header . in fig3 b , the first two bits 321 of the dispatch header 320 are set to ‘ 01 ’ which indicates that the dispatch header 320 is followed by an ipv6 header 325 , and the last two bits 322 of the dispatch header 320 are set to ‘ 10 ’ which indicates that the ipv6 header 325 is a compressed ipv6 header , i . e . hc1 header 325 . in fig3 c , the first two bits 331 of the dispatch header 330 are set to ‘ 01 ’ which indicates that the dispatch header 330 is followed by an ipv6 header 335 , and the last two bits 335 of the dispatch header 330 are set to ‘ 11 ’ which indicates that the ipv6 header 335 is compressed with a mobility header ( hc1 with mh ). table 3 hereinbelow shows bit patterns of various dispatch headers . the bit patterns 01 000001 , 01 000010 , and 01 000011 are the cases depicted in respective exemplary fig3 a to 3c . that is , the dispatch header having the bit pattern 01 000001 is followed by an uncompressed ipv6 addresses , the dispatch header having the bit pattern 01 000010 is followed by a compressed ipv6 header , i . e . lowpan_hc1 header , and the dispatch header having the bit pattern 01 000011 is followed by a compressed lowpan mobility header , i . e . compressed lowpan_mh . also , the dispatch header having the bit pattern 00 xxxxxx is followed by a non - lowpan packet , the dispatch header having the bit pattern 01 010000 is followed by broadcasting ( bc ) packets , and the dispatch header having the bit pattern 01 111111 is followed by an additional dispatch byte . other bit patterns ( except for the aforementioned 00 xxxxxx , 000001 , 01 000010 , 01 000011 , 01 010000 , 01 111111 ) are reserved for the future use . the compressed ipv6 headers including a mobility header as an extension header are described in more detail with the examples of dispatch headers having bit patterns 01 000010 and 01 000011 . fig4 is a diagram illustrating a format of an hc1 ( compressed ipv6 ) header following a lowpan_hc1 dispatch header according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig4 , the lowpan_hc1 dispatch header 410 has a bit pattern 01 000010 which indicates that the dispatch header is followed by an hc1 header 420 . the hc1 ( compressed ipv6 ) header 420 includes 0 th to 7 th bits . table 4 herein below shows the indication of each bit of the hc1 header 420 . as shown in table 4 , the 0 th bit indicates whether the source prefix is compressed ; the 1 st bit indicates whether the source interface identifier is compressed ; the 2 nd bit indicates whether the destination prefix compressed ; the 3 rd bit indicates whether the destination interface identifier is compressed ; the 4 th bit indicates whether the traffic class and flow label are zeros ; the 5 th and 6 th bits indicate next header information ( i . e . ‘ 00 ’ indicates uncompressed header , ‘ 01 ’ indicates udp header , ‘ 10 ’ indicates tcp header , and ‘ 11 ’ indicates icmpv6 header ); and the 7 th header indicates whether an additional compressed hc2 header , such as compressed udp header , follows . fig5 is a diagram illustrating a format of a mobility header ( hc1 with mh ) following a lowpan_hc1 dispatch header according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . referring now to fig5 , the lowpan_hc1 dispatch header 510 has a bit pattern 01 000011 which indicates that an hc1_with_mh header 520 follows . the hc1_with_mh header 520 consists of 0 th to 7 th bits like the hc1 header 420 of fig4 . table 5 herein below shows the indication of each bit of the hc1_with_mh header 520 . as shown in table 5 , the 0 th bit indicates whether the source prefix is compressed ; the 1 st bit indicates whether the source interface identifier is compressed ; the 2 nd bit indicates whether the destination prefix compressed ; the 3 rd bit indicates whether the destination interface identifier is compressed ; the 4 th bit indicates whether the traffic class and flow label are zeros ; the 5 th and 6 th bits indicate next header information ; and the 7 th header indicates whether an additional compressed hc2 header , such as compressed udp header , follows . when the lowpan_hc1 dispatch header is set for the hc1_with_mh header , the 5 th and 6 th bits of mobility header are interpreted differently . in the case that the hc1_with_mh header is included in the dispatch header , the hc1_with_mh header &# 39 ; s 5 th and 6 th bits set to 00 indicate that the next header is a mobility header . in this case , 01 , 10 , and 11 are reserved for other extension headers . as aforementioned , the 5 th and 6 th bits of the hc1 header are differently interpreted according to the bit pattern of the dispatch header . in this manner , the 40 - byte ipv6 header can be compressed into 2 bytes . furthermore , the 2 - byte compressed ipv6 header is configured to support mobility . accordingly , the mobility header compression method and system according to this exemplary embodiment enables supporting mobility with the ipv6 to a lowpan using small transmission unit . in order to support mobility of 6lowpan in unit of network or node , a binding procedure is preferably performed between a mobile node ( or mobile router ) with a correspondent node , preferably a home agent ( ha ). the mobile node and ha exchange signaling messages such as binding update ( bu ) message and binding acknowledgement ( ba ) message . the mobile node can be , for example , a host or router supporting ipv6 and mobility . in order to simplify the explanation , the term “ mobile node ” is used for indicating a node having routing functions and interchangeably with “ mobile router .” a mobile node obtains an ipv6 address from its home network , i . e . home address ( hoa ) and , when it is away from the home network , a care - of address ( coa ). the ha is a router on the mobile node &# 39 ; s home network and maintains binding between the hoa and coa . when the mobile node moves away from the home network to a foreign network , the ha fords the packets destined to the hoa to the current location of the mobile node , i . e . coa . in order to secure a seamless service , the mobile node and ha exchange binding messages containing hoa and coa information , i . e . the mobile node sends a binding update message to the ha and the ha sends a binding acknowledgement message to the mobile node . the mobility header compression method according to this embodiment also compress the binding headers , i . e . a binding update header containing binding update information and a binding acknowledgement header containing binding acknowledgement information . the binding update or binding acknowledgement information and compression information are contained in the mobility header ( mh ). now , the structure of the mh which follows the dispatch header of which bit pattern is 01 00001 and , particularly , the 5 th and 6 th bits are set to ‘ 00 ,’ is described in detail herein below . fig6 is a diagram illustrating a format of a mobility header ( mh ) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig6 , an mh 610 as an extension header following the hc1_with_mh header 520 ( see fig5 ) consists of 8 bits ( 1 byte ) including a most significant bit 611 ( 0 th bit ). the 0 th bit 611 of the mh 610 indicates whether the rest 7 - bit sequence 612 is binding update information or binding acknowledgement information . the 0 th bit 611 set to 0 indicates that the 7 - bit sequence 612 is the binding update information 620 , and the 0 th bit set to 1 indicates that the 7 - bit sequence 612 is the binding acknowledgement information . table 6 shows information indicated by the respective bits of the 7 - bit sequence , when the 0 th bit is set to 0 . as shown in the example in fig6 , the 1 st bit indicates whether a sequence number is compressed . if the 1 st bit is set , then the 16 - bit sequence number of the binding update packet is compressed to 8 bits . the 2 nd bit indicates whether lifetime information is compressed . if the 2 nd bit is set , then the life time field of the binding update packet is compressed from 16 bits to 8 bits . the 3 rd bit indicates whether to receive an acknowledgement packet from the recipient , i . e . the ha . the 4 th bit indicates whether to request a home registration . if the 4 th bit is set , then home registration is performed . the 5 th bit indicates whether network mobility information is contained . if the 5 th bit is set , then the network prefix information is carried . the 6 th bit indicates whether the home address information of the mobile node is contained . the 7 th bit is reserved for other purpose . table 7 herein below shows information indicated by the respective bits of the 7 - bit sequence , when the 0 th bit is set to 1 . as shown in table 7 , the 1 st bit indicates whether the sequence number is compressed . if the 1 st bit is set , the sequence number of a 16 - bit binding acknowledgement packet is compressed to 8 bits . the 2 nd bit indicates whether lifetime information is compressed . if the 2 nd bit is set , then the life time field of the binding acknowledgement packet is compressed from 16 bits to 8 bits . the 3 rd to 7 th bits are set to values for indicating 18 statuses of the binding acknowledgement packet . the binding update header and binding acknowledgement header indicated by the information included in the mh is formatted as shown in fig7 a and 7 b . fig7 a and 7 b are diagrams illustrating formats of a binding update header and a binding acknowledgement header , respectively , following a mobility header ( mh ) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . in fig7 a , a binding update header 700 includes a 1 - byte sequence number field 710 , a 1 - byte lifetime field 720 , a 16 - byte mobile router &# 39 ; s home address field 730 , and an 8 - byte mobile network prefix field 740 . in this embodiment , a 36 byte binding update header transmitted from the mobile node to the ha is compressed to 26 bytes , thereby reducing the transmission packet size . in fig7 b , a binding acknowledgement header 750 includes a 1 - byte sequence number field 760 and a 1 - byte lifetime field . by omitting the fields except for the sequence number of lifetime fields , an original 12 - byte binding acknowledgement header can be compressed to 2 bytes . accordingly , the mobility header compression method and system according to this embodiment allows adopting ipv6 to the 6lowpan and further supports mobility to the 6lowpan , overcoming 6lowpan &# 39 ; s limited packet size . how to create the above - structured 6lowpan packet headers is described hereinafter in more detail . fig8 is a flowchart illustrating a mobility header compression method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . in this exemplary embodiment , a dispatch header creation procedure is described with an exemplary case in which the dispatch header including ipv6 addresses . in the following description , the transmission node can be a mobile node , a mobile router , or an ha that are transmitting binding messages including binding update messages and binding acknowledgement messages . referring to fig8 , a transmission node ( mobile node or ha ) determines whether the packet to be transmitted includes a compressed ipv6 ( hc1 ) header ( s 805 ). if the packet includes a compressed ipv6 header , then the transmission node performs step s 810 and , otherwise , performs step s 845 . at step s 810 , the transmission node determines whether the ipv6 header includes an mh . if the ipv6 header includes an mh , the transmission node performs step s 815 and , otherwise , performs step s 855 . at step ss 815 , the transmission node creates a dispatch header having a mh - indicative bit pattern . in this embodiment , the mh indicative bit pattern is ‘ 01000011 ’ shown in fig3 c . after creating the dispatch header , the transmission node sets the 5 th and 6 th bits ( next header field ) of the ipv6 header to ‘ 00 ,’ which indicates that the mh follows the ipv6 header , and the rest bits appropriately . next , the transmission node determines whether or not the packet is a binding update packet carrying the binding update information ( s 825 ). if the packet is a binding update packet , the transmission node performs step s 830 or , otherwise , performs step s 870 . at step s 830 , the transmission node sets the 0 th bit of the mh to ‘ 0 ’ indicating the binding update information . although ‘ 0 ’ is configured as a value indicating the binding update information in this exemplary embodiment , the binding update information - indicative bit can be configured to ‘ 1 .’ next , the transmission node sets the rest bits of the mh appropriately ( s 835 ). the binding update header &# 39 ; s bit pattern setting procedure is described later with reference to fig9 a and 9b . after setting all the bits of the mh , the transmission node creates a mobility supportive 6lowpan header including the dispatch header , compressed ipv6 header ( hc1 with mh ), and mh set as described above ( s 840 ). meanwhile , if the packet is not a binding update packet at step s 825 , then the transmission node sets the 0 th bit of the mh to ‘ 1 ’ indicating the binding acknowledgement information ( s 870 ). although ‘ 1 ’ is configured as a value indicating the binding acknowledgement information in this embodiment , the binding acknowledgement information - indicative bit can be configure to ‘ 0 .’ next , the transmission node sets the rest bits of the mh appropriately ( s 875 ). the binding acknowledgement header &# 39 ; s bit pattern setting procedure is described later with reference to fig1 . after setting all the bits of the mh , the transmission node creates a mobility supportive 6lowpan header including the dispatch header , compressed ipv6 header ( hc1 with mh ), and mh set as described above ( s 880 ). at step s 845 , the transmission node creates a dispatch header having a bit pattern indicating that the dispatch header is followed by an uncompressed ipv6 header . in this embodiment , the non - mh uncompressed ipv6 header - indicative bit pattern is ‘ 01000001 ’ shown in fig3 a . after creating the dispatch header , the transmission node sets the ipv6 header having uncompressed header fields ( s 850 ) and then performs step s 865 . in a case that the compressed ipv6 header which is not followed by mh is included , the transmission node sets creates a dispatch header having a bit pattern indicating that a compressed ipv6 follows the dispatch header ( s 860 ). in this embodiment , the non - mh compressed ipv6 - indicative bit pattern is ‘ 01000010 ’ shown in fig3 b . next , the transmission node sets the fields of compressed ipv6 header ( hc1 ) ( s 860 ). after creating the compressed or uncompressed ipv6 header , the mobile node creates a 6lowpan header including the dispatch header and compressed or uncompressed ipv6 header ( s 865 ). fig9 a and 9b are a flowchart illustrating a binding update header - indicative mobility header creation procedure of the mobility header compression method of fig8 . referring to fig9 a and 9b , when it is determined that the packet is a binding update packet at step s 825 in fig8 , the transmission node sets the 0 th bit of the mh to ‘ 0 ’ ( s 905 ) and determines whether the sequence number of the binding update header can be compressed ( s 910 ). if the sequence number can be compressed , then the transmission node sets the 1 st bit of the mh to ‘ 1 ’ ( s 915 ) and , otherwise , sets the 1 st bit of the mh to ‘ 0 ’ ( s 920 ). after setting the sequence number compression indicative bit , the transmission node determines whether the lifetime field of the binding update header can be compressed ( s 925 ). if the lifetime filed can be compressed , then the transmission node sets the 2 nd bit of the mh to ‘ 1 ’ ( s 930 ) and , otherwise , sets the 2 nd bit of the mh to ‘ 0 ’ ( s 935 ). after setting the lifetime compression indicative bit , the transmission node determines whether a binding acknowledgement is required ( s 940 ). if a binding acknowledgement is required , then the transmission node sets the 3 rd bit of the mh to ‘ 1 ’ ( s 945 ) and , otherwise , sets the 3 rd bit of the mh to ‘ 0 ’ ( s 950 ). after setting the binding acknowledgement indicative bit , the transmission node determines whether a home registration is required ( s 955 ). if a home registration is required , then the transmission node sets the 4 th bit of the mh to ‘ 1 ’ ( s 960 ) and , otherwise , sets the 4 th bit of the mh to ‘ 0 ’ ( s 965 ). after setting the home registration indicative bit , the transmission node determines whether a foreign network prefix is included ( s 970 ). if a foreign network prefix is included , then the transmission node sets the 5 th bit of the mh to ‘ 1 ’ ( s 975 ) and , otherwise , sets the 5 th bit of the mh to ‘ 0 ’ ( s 980 ). after setting the foreign network prefix indicative bit , the transmission node determines whether a home address is included ( s 985 ). if the home address is included , then the transmission node sets the 6 th bit of the mh to ‘ 1 ’ ( s 990 ) and , otherwise , sets the 6 th bit of the mh to ‘ 0 ’ ( s 992 ). after setting the home address indicative bit , the transmission node sets the 7 th bit of the mh to ‘ 0 ’ ( s 994 ). as aforementioned above , the 7 th bit is reserved for other purpose in future . finally , the transmission node creates a compressed binding update header ( s 996 ). how to create a compressed binding update header with the header information created as described above is described with reference to fig1 later . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating a binding acknowledgement header - indicative mobility header creation procedure of the mobility header compression method of fig8 . referring to fig1 , when it is determined that the packet is a binding acknowledgement packet at step s 825 in fig8 , a transmission node sets the 0 th bit of the mh to ‘ 1 ’ ( s 1005 ) and determines whether the sequence number field of the binding update header can be compressed ( s 1010 ). if the sequence number can be compressed , then the transmission node sets the 1 st bit of the mh to ‘ 1 ’ ( s 1015 ) and , otherwise , sets the 1 st bit of the mh to ‘ 0 ’ ( s 1020 ). after setting the sequence number compression indicative bit , the transmission node determines whether a lifetime field can be compressed ( s 1025 ). if the lifetime field can be compressed , then the transmission node sets the 2 nd bit of the mh to ‘ 1 ’ ( s 1030 ) and , otherwise , sets the 2 nd bit of the mh to ‘ 0 ’ ( s 1035 ). after setting the lifetime field compression indicative bit , the transmission node sets the 3 rd to 7 th bits of the mh to a predetermined status values ( s 1040 ) and finally creates a compressed binding acknowledgement header ( s 1045 ). how to create a compressed binding acknowledgement header with the header information created as described above is described with reference to fig1 . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating a compressed binding update header creation procedure of the mobility header compression method of fig8 . referring to fig1 , the transmission node determines whether the 1 st bit of the mh ( see fig6 ) is set to ‘ 1 ’ ( s 1105 ). if the 1 st bit of the mh is set to ‘ 1 ,’ then the transmission node sets the sequence number field of a binding update header to a 8 - bit compressed sequence number ( s 1110 ) and , otherwise sets the sequence number field to a 16 - bit uncompressed sequence number ( s 1115 ). after setting the sequence number field , the transmission node determines whether the 2 nd bit of the mh is set to ‘ 1 ’ ( s 1120 ). if the 2 nd bit of the mh is set to ‘ 1 ,’ then the transmission node sets the lifetime field of the binding update header to an 8 - bit compressed lifetime ( s 1125 ) and , otherwise , sets the lifetime field to a 16 - bit uncompressed lifetime ( s 1130 ). after setting the lifetime field , the transmission node determines whether the 6 th bit of the mh is set to ‘ 1 ’ ( s 1135 ). if the 6 th bit of the mh is set to ‘ 1 ,’ then the transmission node sets its home address in the binding update header ( s 1140 ) or , otherwise , skips setting the home address ( s 1145 ). next , the transmission node determines whether the 5 th bit of the mh is set to ‘ 1 ’ ( s 1150 ). if the 5 th bit of the mh is set to ‘ 1 ,’ then the transmission node its foreign network prefix address in the binding update header ( s 1155 ) and , otherwise , skips setting the foreign network prefix address ( s 1160 ). finally , the transmission node creates the binding update header with the field values set through steps s 1105 to s 1155 ( s 1165 ). the binding update header created in this manner is formatted as shown in fig7 a . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating a compressed binding acknowledgement header creation procedure of the mobility header compression method of fig8 . referring to fig1 , the transmission node first determines whether the 1 st bit of the mh ( see fig6 ) is set to ‘ 1 ’ ( s 1205 ). if the 1 st bit of the mh is set to ‘ 1 ,’ then the transmission node sets the sequence number field of a binding acknowledgement header to an 8 - bit compressed sequence number ( s 1210 ) and , otherwise , sets the sequence number field to a 16 - bit uncompressed sequence number ( s 1215 ). next , the transmission node determines the 2 nd bit of the mh is set to ‘ 1 ’ ( s 1220 ). if the 2 nd bit of the mh is set to ‘ 1 ,’ then the transmission node sets the lifetime field of binding acknowledgement header to an 8 - bit compressed lifetime ( s 1225 ) and , otherwise , sets the lifetime field to a 16 - bit uncompressed lifetime ( s 1230 ). finally , the transmission node creates the binding acknowledgement header with the field values set through steps s 1250 to 1225 ( s 1235 ). the binding acknowledgement header created in this manner is formatted as shown in fig7 b . fig1 is a diagram illustrating a format of a packet having a packet header created by the mobility header compression method of fig8 . as previously discussed , the mac pdu of the lowpan is limited to 127 bytes . in fig1 , the packet can be created with the length of 127 bytes except for the preamble , which is a physical layer header , and the start - of - frame delimiter ( sfd ). also , the mac pdu can carry up to 81 bytes of payload including a network layer protocol header and application data . the mac header includes a length ( len ), a frame check field ( fcd ), a data sequence number ( dsn ), a destination address ( dst ), a source address ( src ), and a frame checksum ( fchk ). according to the mobility header compression method , the adaptation layer interposed between the lowpan mac layer and network layer minimizes the adaptation overhead up to at most 30 bytes including a 1 byte dispatch header ( dsp ), a 1 byte compressed ipv6 header ( hc1 ), a 1 byte mobility header ( mh ), a 1 byte conventionally compressed ipv6 header ( ip ), and a compressed binding update ( bu ) header having a length up to 26 bytes or a compressed binding acknowledge ( ba ) header having a length up to 2 bytes . accordingly , the mobility header compression method can support mobility to the lowpan without compromising transmission efficiency of ipv6 packets in the lowpan environment . although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail hereinabove , it should be clearly understood that many variations and / or modifications of the basic inventive concepts herein taught which may appear to those skilled in the present art will still fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention , as defined in the appended claims .	8
the present invention will now be described more specifically by the following embodiments . however , it is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for the purposes of illustration and description only ; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed . fig2 schematically illustrate a connection between two nodes according to the present invention , wherein fig2 ( a ) schematically illustrates a connection between a transmitter of the host terminal and a receiver of the device terminal and fig2 ( b ) schematically illustrates a connection between a receiver of the host terminal and a transmitter of the device terminal , wherein the channels 21 and 22 are the pcb traces or cables . although the connection system of the present invention is the one - way transmission system , it includes a couple of one - way transmission lines . usually , there are a couple of transmission lines to be arranged as parallel cables tracing together on the printed circuit board ( pcb ). therefore , the quality of the signal received by the host terminal is similar to that of the signal received by the receiver of the device terminal . thus , the channel attenuation of the couple of transmission lines would be similar to or further equal to each other . the de - emphasis of the transmitter of the host terminal can be adjusted according to the receiver thereof to further improve the receiving quality of the receiver of the device terminal . for example , in the pci - express architecture , the amplitude of the de - emphasis in the respective transmitters of the host terminal and the device terminal is predetermined to be equal to 3 . 5 db due to the requirements of the standards . if the receiving quality is in the best condition when the amplitude of the equalization in the equalizer of the receiver of the host terminal is increased to equal to 6 . 5 db , the attenuation of the channels 21 and 22 can be reasonably inferred to be 10 db which is computed by adding 3 . 5 db to 6 . 5 db . fig3 schematically illustrate a transmitting waveform of the signal transmitted between the transmitter of the host terminal and the receiver of the device terminal . fig3 ( a ) schematically illustrates a connection between a transmitter 31 of the host terminal and a receiver 33 of the device terminal , wherein a channel 32 is the pcb traces or cables for connecting the two terminals . fig3 ( b ) schematically illustrates a signal having inter - symbol interference . if the continuous signals with the same polarization are transmitted before a signal with the opposite polarization , the signal with the opposite polarization is hard to be detected since the inter - symbol interference , which influences the signal 34 , is easily caused by a frequency attenuation formed by the channel attenuation . fig3 ( c ) schematically illustrates a signal transmitted from a transmitter having a function of adjusting the de - emphasis . the de - emphasis adjustment is performed on the continuous signals with the same polarization so that the signal 34 having inter - symbol interference can be returned to the normal signal 36 . fig3 ( d ) schematically illustrates a signal received by a receiver having a function of adjusting the equalization . although the signal 34 having inter - symbol interference can be returned to the normal signal 36 by the equalizer of the receiver , the noise would be increased due to the equalizer of the receiver . therefore , it is a better way to use the de - emphasis adjustment of the transmitter for solving the above problem . fig4 schematically illustrates a data transmitting and receiving device 40 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the data transmitting and receiving device 40 includes a de - emphasis generator 41 , an equalizer 42 and a processing unit 43 , wherein the de - emphasis generator 41 is used for generating the de - emphasis , the equalizer 42 is used for generating the equalization based on the input signals , and the processing unit 43 is coupled to the de - emphasis generator 41 and the equalizer 42 and used for adding the amplitude of the predetermined de - emphasis and the amplitude of the equalization together to obtain the channel attenuation . the amplitude of the predetermined de - emphasis can be 3 . 5 db . after the channel attenuation is computed , the de - emphasis generator 41 can generate a first new de - emphasis based on the channel attenuation . in other embodiment , the de - emphasis generator 41 can be controlled to generate the de - emphasis and the first new de - emphasis by the processing unit 43 . preferably , the data transmitting and receiving device 40 can further include an output unit 44 and an input unit 45 , wherein the output unit 44 is coupled to the de - emphasis generator 41 and used for transmitting an output signal with the output amplitude , and the input unit 45 is coupled to the equalizer 42 and used for receiving an input signal with the input amplitude . in order to prevent inter - symbol interference ( isi ), the output amplitude of the output signal can be adjusted by the de - emphasis generator 41 and the input amplitude of the input signal can be adjusted by the equalizer 42 . in addition , in order to achieve the power saving in the present invention , the output amplitude should be controlled and the processing unit 43 can be used for controlling the output amplitude . preferably , the data transmitting and receiving device 40 is communicated with the remote device 46 through a channel 47 , wherein the channel 47 further includes a first channel 471 connected with the input unit 45 and the second channel 472 connected with the output unit 44 . since the first channel 471 and the second channel 472 are arranged in parallel to form the channel 47 , the state of the signal received by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 can be similar to the state of the signal received by the remote device 46 . that is to say that the channel attenuation of the first channel 471 can be similar to or further equal to the channel attenuation of the second channel 472 . when the data transmitting and receiving method of the present invention is performed on the data transmitting and receiving device 40 and the remote device 46 , the predetermined de - emphasis is used for the connection test by both of the devices at first . from the point of view of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 , a signal would be transmitted from the output unit 44 to the remote device 46 according to the predetermined de - emphasis . moreover , the equalization would be generated by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 according to the input signal when the data transmitting and receiving device 40 receives the input signal with the same predetermined de - emphasis transmitted from the remote device 46 . as the predetermined de - emphases of both devices are substantially the same to each other and the channel attenuations of the first channel 471 and the second channel 472 are substantially the same to each other , the equalizations of both devices are substantially the same to each other . therefore , the computation of the channel attenuation can be changed from adding the amplitude of the equalization of the remote device 46 and the amplitude of the de - emphasis of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 together to adding the amplitude of the equalization of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 and the amplitude of the de - emphasis of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 together . in the above embodiments , the first new de - emphasis can be generated according to a proportional value r by the de - emphasis generator 41 , wherein the proportional value r is not larger than 1 . preferably , the proportional value r can be 1 , ½ , ⅓ , ¼ , ⅔ , and so on . preferably , the proportional value is further larger than 0 , i . e . 0 & lt ; r ≦ 1 . in the above embodiments , a convergence value can be first generated to be a basis for selecting the first new de - emphasis by the de - emphasis generator 41 . the convergence value is preferably equal to the channel attenuation a multiplied by the proportional value r ( i . e . r × a ). in order to prevent the de - emphasis from changing violently so that the connection is lost , the invention provides a range formed by the convergence value and the de - emphasis to adjust the de - emphasis within the range and the first new de - emphasis can be gradually adjusted based on the de - emphasis . after the first new de - emphasis is generated , a test for a negative acknowledge ( nak ) frequency is preferably performed by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 in order to determine whether the connection quality is improved or not . if the nak frequency is increased so that the connection quality is decreased and the adjustment direction of the first new de - emphasis is incorrect , the de - emphasis generator 41 should stop adjusting and return to the previous de - emphasis . if the nak frequency is decreased so that the connection quality is improved and the adjustment direction of the first new de - emphasis is correct , the de - emphasis generator 41 can keep adjusting the de - emphasis to generate the second new de - emphasis to further improve the connection quality , wherein the second new de - emphasis is selected from the other range formed by the first new de - emphasis and the convergence value to further approach the convergence value . if one of two states that the nak frequency is less than a threshold after the first new de - emphasis is adjusted and that the first new de - emphasis is equal to the convergence value occurs , the first new de - emphasis is selected for transmitting the subsequent data by the de - emphasis generator 41 . in the above embodiments , the test of the nak frequency is preferably performed by the processing unit 43 . in an embodiment , the first new de - emphasis can be directly determined to be equal to the channel attenuation . in other words , the first new de - emphasis can be directly decided to be equal to the specific convergence value whose proportional value r is equal to 1 . therefore , the channel attenuation is completely compensated by the de - emphasis to prevent the noise amplification generated by the equalization . if the remote device 46 is not another data transmitting and receiving device of the present invention , the remote device 46 would only use the predetermined de - emphasis to transmit the signal . therefore , the equalization of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 would be a constant value being a i − d p , wherein a i is the original channel attenuation and d p is the predetermined de - emphasis . when the connection is continued , the de - emphasis can be adjusted to increase if the equalization is changed to be higher than the constant value ( a i − d p ), which the channel attenuation is increased so the channel attenuation is not totally compensated by the de - emphasis . otherwise , the de - emphasis can be adjusted to decrease if the equalization is changed to be smaller than the constant value . therefore , the equalization can approach a final value and the final value is equal to a − d p in the embodiment . in the above embodiments , the de - emphasis of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 and the de - emphasis of the remote device 46 would be adjusted to be equal to the channel attenuation so that both of the equalizations thereof are equal to 0 if the remote device 46 is another data transmitting and receiving device of the present invention . however , there is none of adjustable values to increase the de - emphasis when the connection quality is poor . in order to prevent the above condition , the new de - emphasis is preferably determined to equal to the channel attenuation multiplied by the proportional value ( i . e . r × a ). therefore , the data transmitting and receiving device 40 and the remote device 46 can adjust according to the pre - reserved adjustable value if the de - emphasis thereof should be adjusted to increase . in the above embodiments , the data transmitting and receiving device 40 determine whether the de - emphasis should be increased or decreased according to a first equation being r × a − d , wherein r is a proportional value being not larger than 1 , a is the channel attenuation , and d is the de - emphasis . preferably , the proportional value r is further larger than 0 , i . e . 0 & lt ; r ≦ 1 . in other words , the first equation is the difference between the convergence value and the de - emphasis . when the value of the first equation is larger than 0 , which the convergence value is larger than the de - emphasis , the de - emphasis would have the adjustable value to increase for generating the first new de - emphasis larger than the de - emphasis . when the value of the first equation is smaller than 0 , which the convergence value is smaller than the de - emphasis , the de - emphasis would have the adjustable value to decrease for generating the first new de - emphasis smaller than the de - emphasis . in the above embodiments , the data transmitting and receiving device 40 can determine whether the remote device 46 is another data transmitting and receiving device of the present invention according to a second equation . if the remote device 46 is another data transmitting and receiving device of the present invention , the de - emphasis thereof would be adjusted to generated a first new de - emphasis which is different from the predetermined de - emphasis so that the equalization of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 would be adjusted corresponding to the first new de - emphasis of the remote device 46 . the second equation is a − e − d p , which is the difference between the de - emphasis of the remote device 46 and the predetermined de - emphasis thereof , wherein a is the channel attenuation , e is the equalization , and d p is a predetermined de - emphasis . when the value of the second equation is not substantially equal to 0 , which means that the de - emphasis of the remote device 46 is adjusted to be different from the predetermined de - emphasis , the remote device is another data transmitting and receiving device . when the value of the second equation is substantially equal to 0 , which means that the de - emphasis of the remote device 46 is substantially equal to the predetermined de - emphasis thereof , it can not be determined that the remote device 46 is not another data transmitting and receiving device of the present invention . since the adjusted de - emphasis of the remote device 46 may be equal to the predetermined de - emphasis , it is hard to use the second equation for directly determining the remote device 46 is not another data transmitting and receiving device of the present invention . however , the latter situation can be processed by using the second equation to determine after the de - emphasis is further adjusted . moreover , the channel attenuation is computed to be equal to the sum of the amplitude of a predetermined de - emphasis of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 and the amplitude of the equalization thereof before the de - emphasis thereof is adjusted to be different from the predetermined de - emphasis in order that the second equation can be performed normally . therefore , the predetermined de - emphasis of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 should be the same as the predetermined de - emphasis of the remote device 46 so that the amplitude of the predetermined de - emphasis is preferably equal to 3 . 5 db . in the above embodiments , the output signal is transmitted with the first amplitude by the output unit 44 to the remote device 46 . if the output signal is received by the remote device 46 , an input signal , such as a training signal , transmitted thereby is returned to the input unit 45 . if the training signal is not received by the input unit 45 , the output signal is re - transmitted with the second amplitude larger than the first amplitude to the remote device 46 by the output unit 44 . fig5 schematically illustrates a communicating system 50 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the communicating system 50 includes a first terminal 51 , a second terminal 52 and a channel 53 . the first terminal 51 includes a first receiving apparatus 516 , a first transmitting apparatus 517 and a first processing unit 513 . the second terminal includes a second receiving apparatus 526 , a second transmitting apparatus 527 and a second processing unit 523 . the first terminal 51 is coupled with the second terminal 52 by the channel 53 for communicating with each other . in addition , the first receiving apparatus 516 and the first transmitting apparatus 517 are coupled to the first processing unit 513 and the second receiving apparatus 526 and the second transmitting apparatus 527 are coupled to the second processing unit 523 . preferably , the first receiving apparatus 516 includes a first input unit 515 and a first equalizer 512 . the first transmitting apparatus 517 includes a first output unit 514 and a first de - emphasis generator 511 . the second receiving apparatus 526 includes a second input unit 525 and a second equalizer 522 . the second transmitting apparatus 527 includes a second output unit 524 and a second de - emphasis generator 521 . preferably , the first equalization as a first receiving property is generated by the first equalizer 512 of the first receiving apparatus 516 . the second equalization as a second receiving property is generated by the second equalizer 522 of the second receiving apparatus 526 . the first de - emphasis as a first transmitting property is generated by the first de - emphasis generator 511 of the first transmitting apparatus 517 . the second de - emphasis as a second transmitting property is generated by the second de - emphasis generator 521 of the second transmitting apparatus 527 . preferably , the channel 53 includes a first channel 531 and a second channel 532 . the first channel 531 is utilized to couple the first input unit 515 with the second output unit 524 . the second channel 532 is utilized to couple the second input unit 525 with the first output unit 514 . preferably , the present invention is used for the wire transmission . the first channel 531 and the second channel 532 are arranged together as parallel cables to form the channel 53 so the quality of the signal received by the first terminal 51 is similar to the quality of the signal received by the second terminal 52 . in other words , the channel attenuation of the first channel 531 is similar to or further equal to the channel attenuation of the second channel 532 . therefore , since the predetermined de - emphasis is used for testing the communication by both of the terminals , the first equalization is substantially equal to the second equalization in the condition that the channel attenuation of the first channel 531 is substantially equal to the channel attenuation of the second channel 532 so that the second equalization can be estimated according to the first equalization by the first processing unit 513 . thus , the channel attenuation of the first channel 531 can be computed as the channel attenuation of the channel 53 according to the estimated second equalization since the first channel attenuation is equal to the sum of the amplitude of the first de - emphasis and the amplitude of the second equalization . the data transmitting and receiving method of the present invention is related to a method for automatic adjusting the de - emphasis and saving the power . fig6 schematically illustrates an automatic adjusting method for a communicating system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , wherein the communicating system includes a first terminal and a second terminal connected with each other through a channel . the communicating system can include the data transmitting and receiving device 40 and the remote device 46 which are used respectively as the first terminal and the second terminal . the data transmitting and receiving device 40 is coupled to the remote device 46 by the channels 471 and 472 and the channels 471 and 472 are arranged together as parallel cables so that the channel attenuation and the external interference of the channel 471 are substantially equal to those of the channel 472 . although the data transmitting and receiving device 40 is utilized to be the first terminal and the remote device 46 is utilized to be the second terminal in the following descriptions , the present invention is not limited to this embodiment . if the data transmitting and receiving method of the present invention can be performed in the remote device 46 , it can be regard as the first terminal and the data transmitting and receiving device 40 can be regarded as the second terminal . first , the input signal is received to generate an equalization ( e ) by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 ( s 61 ). then , a channel attenuation a is computed by the sum of the amplitude of the de - emphasis with which the output signal is transmitted and the amplitude of the equalization ( s 62 ). the de - emphasis can be adjusted to generate a new de - emphasis according to the computed channel attenuation by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 ( s 63 ) and the output signal can be transmitted to the remote device 46 according to the new de - emphasis . the new de - emphasis can be generated according a proportional value r in the step s 63 , wherein the proportional value r can not be larger than 1 . preferably , the proportional value r can be equal to 1 , ½ , ⅓ , ¼ , ⅘ and so on . preferably , the proportional value is further larger than 0 , i . e . 0 & lt ; r ≦ 1 . in the above embodiments , a convergence value can be generated to be a reference value of the new de - emphasis according to the channel attenuation before generating the new de - emphasis . the convergence value is preferably equal to r × a . the present invention provides a range formed by the convergence value and the de - emphasis to generate the new de - emphasis within the range and the new de - emphasis is gradually adjusted based on the de - emphasis . after the new de - emphasis is generated , a test for a negative acknowledge ( nak ) frequency is preferably performed in the present invention . if the nak frequency is less than a threshold after the de - emphasis is adjusted or the new de - emphasis is equal to the convergence value , the new de - emphasis is selected for transmitting the subsequent data . in addition , the previous de - emphasis should be returned if the nak frequency is increased , which means that the adjustment direction of the new de - emphasis is incorrect . if the nak frequency is decreased , which means that the adjustment direction of the new de - emphasis is correct , the new de - emphasis can be further adjusted to approach the convergence value . in an embodiment , the new de - emphasis can be directly determined to be equal to the channel attenuation . in other words , the new de - emphasis can be directly determined to be equal to the specific convergence value whose proportional value r is equal to 1 . therefore , the channel attenuations of the channels 471 and 472 are completely compensated by the de - emphasis to prevent the noise amplification generated by the equalization . when the automatic adjusting method is performed in the recovery state , the amplitude of the new de - emphasis is the sum of the amplitude of the predetermined de - emphasis and the amplitude of the equalization , wherein the amplitude of the predetermined de - emphasis is equal to 3 . 5 db according to the base specification . therefore , the amplitude of the new de - emphasis is equal to e + 3 . 5 db . if the data transmitting and receiving method only can be performed in the data transmitting and receiving device 40 , the remote device 46 would transmit the signal only with the predetermined de - emphasis . therefore , the equalization of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 would be a constant value being a i − d p , wherein a i is the original channel attenuation and d p is the predetermined de - emphasis . when the automatic adjusting method is performed , the de - emphasis can be adjusted to increase if the equalization is changed to be higher than the constant value ( a i − d p ), which means that the channel attenuation is increased so the channel attenuation is not totally compensated by the de - emphasis . otherwise , the de - emphasis can be adjusted to decrease if the equalization is changed to be smaller than the constant value . therefore , the equalization can approach a final value and the final value is equal to a − d p in the embodiment . in the above embodiments , the de - emphasis of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 and the de - emphasis of the remote device 46 would be adjusted to be equal to the channel attenuation so that the equalizations thereof are equal to 0 if the data transmitting and receiving method of the present invention can be performed thereby . however , there is no adjustable value for further increasing the de - emphasis when the connection quality is poor . in order to prevent the above condition , the new de - emphasis is preferably determined to equal to the channel attenuation multiplied by the proportional value r . therefore , the data transmitting and receiving device 40 and the remote device 46 can adjust according to the pre - reserved adjustable value if the de - emphasis thereof should be adjusted to increase . preferably , the data transmitting and receiving device 40 and the remote device 46 respectively include a transmitter , as an output unit , and a receiver , as an input unit . the transmitter of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 is coupled with the receiver of the remote device 46 by the second channel 472 . the transmitter of the remote device 46 is coupled with the receiver of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 by the first channel 471 . the channel attenuations of the first channel 471 and the second channel 472 are similar or further equal to each other since the first channel 471 and the second channel 472 are arranged as parallel cables . therefore , the de - emphasis of the transmitter of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 is adjusted according to the channel attenuation computed by the equalization of the receiver and the de - emphasis of the transmitter thereof based on the data transmitting and receiving method of the present invention to improve the receiving quality of the receiver of the remote device 46 . preferably , the automatic adjusting method can be used in the recovery state to improve the connection quality of the electronic device . furthermore , the automatic adjusting method can be used for adjusting the connection quality again when the connection quality is poor . fig7 schematically illustrates the automatic adjusting method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the automatic adjusting method in this preferred embodiment can be used when the data transmitting and receiving device 40 has been communicated with the remote device 46 . first , whether the total number of the nak received within a predetermined time is higher than a threshold is determined by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 ( s 71 ), wherein the total number of nak represents how many times the remote device 46 send a response for a bad signal reception to the data transmitting and receiving device 40 . the determining step in step s 71 is performed repeatedly if the result of the determination is “ false ”. the new de - emphasis is selected to approach the convergence to decrease the nak frequency according to the range formed by the previous convergence and the original de - emphasis if the result of the determination is “ true ”, which means that the connection quality of the remote device 46 is poor ( s 72 ). then , the total number of the nak is reset ( s 73 ). therefore , the de - emphasis of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 is adjusted to improve the receiving quality according to the dynamic and directional model for adjusting the de - emphasis . in addition , the adjusting direction is determined first so that there is no risk to be disconnected . fig8 schematically illustrate the power saving method of the data transmitting and receiving method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , wherein fig8 ( a ) schematically illustrates a process of setting a new de - emphasis according to the present invention , and fig8 ( b ) schematically illustrates a process of setting the amplitude after setting the new de - emphasis according to the present invention . the power saving method of the present invention is performed in the initial connection state and used in a communicating system including the data transmitting and receiving device 40 and the remote device 46 , both of which can be a first terminal or a second terminal . for example , a first training sequence ( ts 1 ) is used for testing the connection by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 and the remote device 46 if the data transmitting and receiving method can be performed in both of them . moreover , it should be noted that the following description is from the point of view of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 in fig8 ( a ). first , the data transmitting and receiving device 40 transmits the ts 1 to the remote device 46 according to an amplitude ( s 81 ) and then determines whether the ts 1 or a second training sequence ( ts 2 ) transmitted from the remote device 46 is received by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 or not ( s 82 ). the amplitude should be increased and then the step s 81 should be performed again if the determination of the step s 82 is “ no ” ( s 83 ). if the ts 1 or the ts 2 is received , an equalization can be obtained ( s 84 ) to compute a channel attenuation and a new de - emphasis is selected according to the computed channel attenuation ( s 85 ). if the ts 2 is received by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 in step s 82 , it should be noted that the remote device 46 first receives the ts 1 transmitted by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 to complete the adjustment of the de - emphasis and then transmits the ts 2 . at that time , the data transmitting and receiving method of the present invention is completed after the data transmitting and receiving device 40 finishes adjusting the de - emphasis and transmits the ts 2 to the remote device 46 . if the ts 1 is received by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 in step s 82 , it should be noted that the remote device 46 has not received the ts 1 transmitted by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 at that time . moreover , the data transmitting and receiving device 40 should finish the adjustment of the de - emphasis first and then transmit the ts 2 to the remote device 46 . according to the above embodiments , the ts 1 transmitted by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 has not been received by the remote device 46 if the ts 1 transmitted by the remote device 46 is received by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 in the step s 82 . please further refer to fig8 ( b ). first , the ts 2 is transmitted to the remote device 46 with an amplitude according to the selected de - emphasis by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 ( s 86 ). then , the data transmitting and receiving device 40 determines whether the ts 2 transmitted by the remote device 40 is received ( s 87 ). preferably , it can be designed to determine whether the data transmitting and receiving device 40 consecutively receives at least n number of the ts 2 transmitted by the remote device 46 or not in the step s 87 , wherein n is an integer . preferably , the number n is equal to 8 . the amplitude of the ts 2 of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 is increased gradually and then the step s 86 is performed again if the ts 2 of the remote device 46 is not received by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 ( s 88 ). finally , the connection is completed if the ts 2 of the remote device 46 is received by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 ( s 89 ). according to the above embodiments , the steps s 86 - s 89 have been performed in the remote device 46 if the ts 2 is received by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 in the step s 82 . furthermore , whether the data transmitting and receiving device 40 is used for being the first terminal or the second terminal , it is included in the above embodiments . therefore , whether the first terminal is the data transmitting and receiving device 40 or remote device 46 , one of them would receive the ts 1 , complete the adjustment of the de - emphasis and transmit the ts 2 first and then the other would receive the ts 2 until the amplitude of the ts 2 is high enough to be received . thus , both of them can receive the ts 2 to complete the data transmitting and receiving method of the present invention . according to the above embodiments , the amplitude of the ts 1 transmitted by the remote device 46 is limited by the requirement of the base specification so that the amplitude is high enough to be directly received by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 if the data transmitting and receiving method of the present invention is only performed in the data transmitting and receiving device 40 . therefore , the channel attenuation can be directly computed to generate the new de - emphasis by the data transmitting and receiving device 40 and then the steps in fig8 ( b ) are performed therein to complete the data transmitting and receiving method of the present invention . in the above embodiments , the data transmitting and receiving method includes a first equation being r × a − d , wherein r is a proportional value not larger than 1 , a is the channel attenuation , and d is the de - emphasis . preferably , the proportional value is further larger than 0 , i . e . 0 & lt ; r ≦ 1 . the first equation is used for determining whether the de - emphasis should be increased or decreased . therefore , the first equation is preferably used in step s 63 for the determination of the adjusting direction . when the value of the first equation is larger than 0 , the new de - emphasis would be the increased de - emphasis . when the value of the first equation is smaller than 0 , the new de - emphasis would be the decreased de - emphasis . in the above embodiments , the data transmitting and receiving method includes a second equation and the second equation is utilized to determine whether the remote device 46 is the same as the data transmitting and receiving device 40 having the automatic adjusting method of the data transmitting and receiving method in the present invention . therefore , the second equation is preferably used after step s 63 , step s 72 or step s 85 , which means that the second equation is preferably used after the adjustment of the de - emphasis is finished . the second device is a − e − d p , wherein a is the channel attenuation , e is the equalization , and d p is a predetermined de - emphasis . if the value of the second equation is not equal to 0 , the data transmitting and receiving device 40 would determine that the data transmitting and receiving method can be performed in the remote device 46 . if the value of the second equation is equal to 0 , the second equation can be utilized to determine whether the data transmitting and receiving method can be performed in the remote device 46 again after the de - emphasis is adjusted again . preferably , the amplitude of the predetermined de - emphasis of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 and the remote device 46 is preferably equal to 3 . 5 db . preferably , the method of the present invention is used for pci express and the data transmitting and receiving device is a device using a pci express . preferably , the recovery state is a operating state of the device using a pci express . based on the above descriptions , it would be understood in the present invention that the receivable amplitude of the remote device 46 is dynamically detected to adjust gradually the transmitting power of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 and the de - emphasis of the data transmitting and receiving device 40 is gradually and directionally adjusted according to the setting values thereof to improve the receiving quality of the remote device 46 to satisfy the users &# 39 ; demands . while the invention has been described in terms of what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention should not be limited to the disclosed embodiment . on the contrary , it is intended to cover numerous modifications and variations included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and variations . therefore , the above description and illustration should not be taken as limiting the scope of the present invention which is defined by the appended claims .	7
fig1 shows one embodiment of a physical media device 100 that communications with a remote media service server 160 over a network 10 such as the internet 10 . the media device 100 is able to access content or services on the media service server 160 for the benefit of users of the media device 100 . for example , the remote media service 160 may provide audio and / or video media data for display or performance on the media device 100 . if the media device 100 were a television , a network server 160 of the media service could provide streaming video or even feature movies for display on the television 100 . if the media device 100 were an audio music player , the remote media service 160 could stream or download music to the device 100 . in addition , the network server 160 could alternatively provide non - content services for the device 100 . for instance , the server 160 might provide updates , maintenance patches , or other downloads for maintaining or improving the firmware and other programming found on the media device 100 . in order to communicate over the network 10 , the media device 100 shown in fig1 includes two different network interfaces , namely a wired network interface 110 ( such as a gigabit ethernet port ) and a wireless network interface 112 ( such as a wi - fi or ieee 802 . 11 interface ). note that while the media device 100 includes two network interfaces 110 , 112 , it is possible to implement an embodiment of the present invention using only a single network interface . in the preferred embodiment , the network interfaces 110 , 112 provide a tcp / ip stack in order to access the internet 10 . in other embodiments , the interfaces 110 , 112 are any communication interface that allows the media device 100 to communicate with the remote media service server 160 over a network 10 . a processor 120 configures the device 100 to use one of the interfaces 110 , 112 to access the network server 160 over the network 10 . the processor 120 handles the high level functionality of the device 100 , and may include one primary cpu or can contain a plurality of processing units specialized to handle particular functions within the device 100 . for example , the device 100 could use the cell processor developed by the sti consortium to handle various functions and image processing tasks within the device 100 . the media device 100 operates from power provided by component 130 . in the preferred embodiment , component 130 is a power supply 130 that converts ac current to dc power , although it would be possible to implement numerous features of the present invention using only a battery power supply as power component 130 . the power from component 130 operates the processor 120 and the network interfaces 110 , 112 . a clock 140 may also draw power from component 130 , but in one embodiment the clock 140 is provided power from a separate battery supply ( not shown ) in order for the clock 140 to operate continuously even when the power supply 130 is unplugged from an ac power source . the clock 140 may be a secure clock , meaning that the clock 140 would not be modifiable except by a secure clock server . secure clocks are helpful in a variety of digital rights management contexts , particularly when dealing with time limited licenses . the processor 120 obtains programming 152 for the operation and user interface ( ui ) of the device 100 from tangible memory 150 . such memory 150 can be any type of standard , tangible memory , including ram , rom , proms , flash memory , or one or more hard drives , or some combination of these memories . the memory 150 should be persistent , so that the contents of memory 150 persist in the lack of power from power supply 130 . in one embodiment , data is stored on a persistent device , such as flash memory or a hard drive , and then moved during operation to non - persistent yet faster memory , such as ram . memory 150 also contains authentication information 154 , which the media device 100 uses to authenticate the device 100 with the network server 160 . such authentication information 154 may include a username and password chosen by a user when the user subscribed to the service provided by the network server 160 . a user can input authentication information 154 into the media device 100 using the user interface programming and an input mechanism ( such as a remote control or keyboard ) for the device 100 . rather than utilizing a user - defined username , the network server 160 may identify the device 100 using a unique device identifier . device identifiers are useful in circumstances where access to the network server 160 is limited to a particular device 100 as opposed to a unique individual . authentication information 154 is stored in persistent memory 150 so that the user does not need to authenticate their identity with the network server 160 upon every access to the server 160 . instead , the processor 120 uses programming 152 and one of the network interface 110 , 112 to establish a connection with the network server 160 , and then supplies to the server 160 the authentication information 154 pre - stored in memory 150 . this information 154 allows the device 100 to automatically “ log into ” the server 160 and access its services without requiring user input . in one embodiment , authentication information 154 for a plurality of services is stored together in a password - protected vault 155 . a vault 155 allows a user to unlock all of their authentication information 154 with a single master password , even if the authentication information for each service accessed by the user &# 39 ; s device 100 has a separate password . these types of vaults 155 are also referred to as password or account managers . as long as the user knows the master password , the vault 155 can be authenticated and all of the authentication information 154 within the vault 155 can be used by the device 100 . as part of the ability to use the network 10 , the device 100 must maintain network configuration information 156 . if the network 10 is the internet , this network configuration data 156 will include the device &# 39 ; s ip address , the network &# 39 ; s subnet mask , the network address of the router , and the network location for a dns server . while this information can frequently be obtained on - demand from a router ( not shown ) that provides access to the network 10 , this information 156 is nevertheless stored in memory 150 in order to properly configure and use the network interfaces 110 , 112 and to determine whether the device 100 requires user reauthentication . the network server 160 also contains a network interface 162 , a processor 164 , and tangible memory 170 . the tangible memory 170 may be composed of the same types of memory as the memory 150 in device 100 . in one embodiment , the tangible memory 170 contains programming 172 for the operation of the service , media or other content 174 that may be desired by the device 100 , and an authentication database 176 . the network server 160 receives a request for the media or other content 174 from the media device 100 over the network 10 through network interface 162 . the processor 164 receives this request and handles the request in accordance with programming 172 . the programming 172 will instruct the processor 164 that it is necessary to authenticate all requests for services to ensure that the requester is authorized to receive the media 174 . this authentication is accomplished by comparing the service authentication information 154 provided by the device 100 against the authentication database 176 . if the authentication information 154 matches the data for an authorized user or device in the database 176 , the processor 164 is authorized to provide services to the device 100 . in one embodiment , the network server 160 then provides the media 174 across the network 10 to the device 100 . for example , the user of a network - connected television 100 may use the network server 160 to browse available feature movies 174 . upon selection of a movie 174 , the server 160 provides the movie 174 to the television 100 for viewing by the user . the movie 174 may be provided via download , in which case the data containing the entire movie is downloaded by the device 100 through the internet and stored in its entirety within memory 150 . alternatively , the movie content 174 may be streamed over the network 10 , in which case the media device 100 may control the stream by issuing commands to the server 160 over the network 10 . the ability to store authentication information 154 in persistent memory 150 greatly simplifies the use of the device 100 by a user by eliminating the need for user authentication upon every access of server 160 . unfortunately , this ability is also the source of security vulnerabilities . user accounts on the network server 160 are frequently fee - based , meaning that users pay valuable consideration for the ability to access the services provided by server 160 . in addition , server 160 will frequently allow an authenticated user to incur additional charges on their account as they access their accounts on server 160 . for example , server 160 may provide unlimited streaming of some videos to a television 100 for a monthly fee , while further requiring users to pay an additional fee for each premium movie that is viewed . when a user &# 39 ; s service authentication information 154 is stored on the media device 100 , anyone having possession of the media device will be able to access the user &# 39 ; s account . this makes the account vulnerable to those who acquire the media device fraudulently , such as through theft . in addition , the account would be vulnerable to use by users who obtained the device legitimately , such as upon resale of the media device in the used market or upon resale of the device by a retailer upon a return or exchange of the device 100 . to avoid inappropriate access to the service authentication info 154 and consequently to the services provided by the server 160 on a user &# 39 ; s account , the present invention will require reauthentication by the user upon the occurrence of a triggering event . information that is used to determine whether a triggering event has occurred is stored in memory 150 as reauthentication status info 158 . the process 200 of requiring reauthentication is shown in the flow chart of fig2 . the first step 210 is for the device 100 to receive a request to access the service provided by service server 160 . next , at step 300 , the device 100 verifies whether the service authentication information 154 may be used to access the server 160 . step 300 may be implemented in a variety of ways , which are described in more detail below in connection with fig3 . in the preferred embodiment , the process 300 for verifying the ability to use the stored authentication information 154 is based upon historical information about past operations of the media device 100 . this historical information is shown generally in fig1 as reauthentication status information 158 . if the test or tests evaluated at step 300 verify the ability to use information 154 , the device 100 uses the service authentication information 154 at step 230 to access the server 160 . the details surrounding this access are used to update the reauthentication status information 158 at step 240 . for instance , step 240 might store the following information in the reauthentication status information 158 : the service server 160 that was accessed , the time of the access , the network interface used for the access , and the ip address of the device . after this information 158 is updated , the process 200 then ends . if information 154 cannot be used to access the server 160 , process 200 requires the user of the device 100 to reauthenticate themselves to the device . assuming that a vault 155 is being used to secure authentication information 154 , the user will be requested to enter the master password for the vault 155 at step 250 . if step 260 determines that the master password entered by the user is the correct password for the vault 155 , the user is considered reauthenticated . this means that the stored service authentication info 154 for the desired service will be utilized at step 230 to access the service server 160 , and the reauthentication status information 158 will be updated at step 240 . if the user is unable to enter the correct password as determined by step 260 , then the device 100 will allow the user to create a new authentication vault 155 at step 270 . this new vault 155 will have a new master password selected by the user . when creating a new vault 155 , the device 100 may erase the old vault 155 . this would have the effect of removing all authentication information 154 stored within that vault 155 . while this might inconvenience users who temporarily forget their password , such a system would ensure that that the authentication information 154 input by one user would not remain on the device 100 after the device 100 has been transferred to a new user . alternatively , the device 100 may allows multiple vaults 155 to be stored in memory 150 at one time . this would allow multiple users of the device 100 to each have their own authentication information 154 stored on the device 100 simultaneously . programming 152 would allow users to select their vault of authentication information when using the device 100 . when switching between vaults , the device 100 preferably requires that the user enter the master password for that vault . while the embodiment that allows multiple vaults 155 of authentication information 154 to coexist in memory 150 would be useful in the context of multiple users accesses different service accounts , the security of the device 100 is lessened when the device does not automatically delete the existing vault when the user cannot enter the correct master password at step 250 . after the creation of a new vault 155 , the user will enter new authentication information 154 for the service server 160 at step 290 . this new information is stored in the vault 155 for later use by the device 100 . at this point , the stored authentication information 154 is used to access the service server at step 230 , and the reauthentication status information 158 is updated at step 240 . in some embodiments , the device 100 does not use a vault 155 having a master password to manage the authentication information 154 for multiple accounts . instead , the authentication information 154 for each service is separately stored in memory 150 . in this case , if step 220 determines that information 154 can no longer be used to access the server 160 , the device 100 would require the user to enter ( or reenter ) their authentication information 154 for the service server 160 . this newly entered authentication information 154 would then be stored in the memory 150 and be used to access the network server 160 . as shown in fig3 , process 300 utilizes one or more tests 310 - 340 to determine the useability of the stored authorization information 154 . in the first test 310 , the reauthentication status info 158 contains the time of the last access made by the device 100 to the remote server 160 . the time of last access ( either to this particular service server 160 or to any service server 160 ) is compared by the processor 120 against the current time of clock 140 . if this difference is greater than some predetermined period ( such as seven days ), the verification steps 210 - 220 fail and the user will need to reauthenticate at step 250 . in the second test 320 , the reauthentication status info 158 contains not only the time of the last access made to server 160 , but also that last time the device 100 went through a complete power cycle such as by power supply 130 being removed from an ac power source ( i . e ., the device was unplugged ). this test 320 takes advantage of the fact that a change in possession of the device 100 will most frequently require that the device 100 be unplugged from a power source before being moved to a new location . the processor 120 is able to track power cycles by storing the time on clock 140 in memory 150 during every start - up of device 100 . if the time of the last power up is after the time of the last service access time , this test 320 has failed and reauthentication will be required . alternatively , this test 320 can be implemented by having the processer 120 set a flag in the reauthentication status info 158 upon every restart . if this flag is encountered at test 320 , the test fails and reauthentication 250 is required . the processor 120 would then clear this flag as part of step 240 to ensure that the flag will not be set the next time process 200 operates unless another complete power cycle has occurred . the third test 330 requires that the ip address or other network settings 156 of the device 100 not have changed since the last service server access time . in order to detect this condition , the processor 120 stores the ip address of the device 100 at step 240 during each access of the network server 160 . in this way , differences between the last stored ip address and the current ip address are noted at the next access of a server 160 . alternatively , the processor 120 can set a flag in status info 158 every time the network configuration changes . if such a network configuration change flag is detected , test 326 can invalidate the service authentication info 154 and then reset the flag upon updating the authentication info 154 at step 240 . the fourth test 340 requires that the network interface 110 , 112 used to access the network 10 not change between each access of the network server 160 . for instance , if the wired network interface 110 were used the previous time a network server 160 was access , the service authentication information 154 would be validated only if the same wired network interface 110 were used to access server 160 the next time . if the wireless interface 112 were used , the fourth test 340 would invalidate the stored authentication info 154 and require the user to reauthenticate in step 260 . of course , it is possible to have multiple network interfaces 110 , 112 of the same type , such as a plurality of wired network interfaces 110 . the fourth test 340 could invalidate info 154 on any change of the network interface 110 , even a change from one wired interface to another . as discussed for the previous tests , this test 340 could be implemented either by comparing the previous network interface 110 , 112 ( as indicated in status info 158 ) against the current interface 110 , 112 , or by setting a flag in status info 158 upon every change in the network interface 110 , 112 used to access the network 10 . line 350 on the flow chart of fig4 is labeled as optional , and indicates that two or more of these tests 310 - 340 can be run in series . for instance , one embodiment may require that no power cycles be noted in test 320 , and that the network interface not have change as noted in test 340 . this embodiment would not use test 310 and 330 . as would be clear to one skilled in the art , any combination of one to four of the tests 310 - 340 could be implemented using standard programming techniques . the choice of tests 310 - 340 may be based on the preference of the manufacturer of the device 100 , or upon the characteristics of the device 100 . for example , test 310 may not be useful in a media device 100 that does not contain a trusted or secure clock 140 . if the clock 140 could be altered by a user , test 310 could be circumvented by a knowledgeable user and access to the remote service 160 could be obtained under the account of the device &# 39 ; s previous owner . in another embodiment , the device 100 is capable of accessing a variety of remote network services , each requiring separate authentication information . these various services could be operated on a single server 160 , or each could exist on separate servers found at separate network addresses on network 10 . the method 160 may operate independently for each service , such that the device 100 maintains and analyzes the reauthentication status info 158 separately for each service . alternatively , the method 160 could be operated so that all service authentication info 154 is treated as a whole , which can either pass or fail method 160 as a group . the many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the above description . numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art . for example , fig1 shows the device 100 accessing a network service that is operating on a single network server 160 . this configuration was presented for ease of explanation , as it is well known that such services typically operate on a plurality of physical computers operating in conjunction to provide a single network service . since such modifications are possible , the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described . rather , the present invention should be limited only by the following claims .	7
in fig1 fixed structure in the form of a post is seen at 10 , with a flexible metal cable 11 extending about the post and through a cable loop 11a . a fixture 12 attached to the end of the cable attaches to the base 13 of a ski locking device generally indicated at 14 , with the result that the skis are secured to the post . see also fig2 . base 13 extends generally laterally , and may comprise a metallic plate defining a through opening 15 which is shown as circular . a retainer 16 is associated with the base , and has a first leg 17 projecting longitudinally toward the base . that leg typically includes two sections with adjustable threaded interengagement to accommodate lengthening or shortening of the overall leg . see for example internally threaded sleeve 17a connected to externally threaded pin 17b . the retainer may also have guide leg means extending generally toward the base , there being structure on the base telescopically and slidably interfitting the guide leg means which is spaced laterally from leg 17 . in the example , the guide leg means includes two guide legs 18 and 19 spaced at opposite sides of leg 17 , and extending generally parallel to same . a cross piece 20 connects legs 18 and 19 to leg 17 . legs 18 and 19 telescopically and guidably interfit the tubular structure or members 21 and 22 integral with the base , whereby the length dimension between the cross piece 20 and base 13 may be adjusted to conform closely to the widths of skis 24 and 25 received through openings 23 and 23a formed between the legs . the ski widths are normally narrower at mid - portions between their end portions , whereby the device embracing such mid - portions is retained to the skis , against dislodgement over the ski end portions . also provided is a head 27 on one of the sections ( i . e ., section 17b ) of leg 17 , the head being typically sized for free passage through the base opening 15 in all rotary positions of the head and leg section 17b . accordingly , ease of endwise adjustment of the retainer 16 is assured . in addition , a keeper 28 is located adjacent and parallel to the base , the keeper being movably attached to the base to shift into and out of locking relation with the head . the keeper may take the form of a slider plate 30 turned at 30a to provide a handle . its attachment to the base may be afforded by rivets 32 joined to the base and projecting downwardly through lateral slots 33 through the keeper . rivet heads 32a are wider than the slots , to retain the keeper close to the base . the keeper also defines a through opening 34 which aligns with the opening 15 through the base in a release position of the keeper , as seen in fig6 and 7 . opening 34 typically intersects slots 33 at opposite lateral sides of that opening . the keeper has a locking position , as for example is shown in fig2 and 5 , in which the keeper and head 27 have tongue and groove interconnection , the latter acting to block head rotation and also to block longitudinal movement of the head relative to the keeper and base . for the purpose , the head may typically define grooves 36 extending generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the leg 17 , the grooves located between two flanges 37 and 38 and presented outwardly at opposite sides of the head . the keeper defines two laterally extending tongues 39 , which also serve to define one of the slots 33 , the two tongues being shiftable into the two grooves , respectively , when the head has been rotated into position to bring the two grooves into alignment with the two tongues . this configuration is shown in fig2 and 5 ( one overlying tongue being broken away in fig5 ). accordingly , the device is then secured with the skis gripped at their mid - portions against relative passage endwise through spaces 23 and 23a . also , a pin or part 40 of an auxiliary locking device , such as padlock 41 , is then insertible through aligned openings 42 - 44 in the fixture 12 , base 13 and slides plate 30 , to positively interconnect the cable to the base , and to prevent shifting of the keeper to release position . in use , the skis are fitted edgewise into spaces 23 and 23a between legs 17a , 18 and 19 . then the legs 18 and 19 are slidably received into sleeves 21 and 22 and the head 27 passed through opening 15 and 34 , the leg section 17b having been rotated in an unthreading direction to enable passage of the groove or grooves 36 at least through opening 15 , i . e ., when the skis are closely confined between base 13 and cross - piece 20 . thereafter , the head is rotated ( as by finger turning of flat ends 50 ) to bring grooves 36 into lateral alignment with tongues 39 , and the slider plate or keeper is slid laterally into fig2 and 4 position . thereafter the lock pin 40 is inserted through openings 42 , 43 and 44 , and the lock secured . cable 11 then is secured to the base , the cable having been previously secured to a post or other structure , as in fig1 for example .	0
in some embodiments , the present invention is a general , distribution - free technique for detecting targets in a dependent , non - gaussian background . the present invention models and measures the background clutter and then detects the ( small ) target . simulation studies of the detection performance of the invention in a sea clutter model show better than 10 db improvement in high and medium clutter cases , and the technique is sufficiently general for application to many cases of long - tailed , dependent clutter . the process according to present invention may be executed on a general purpose computer , a special purpose computer , or dedicated hardware , for example , a field programmable gate array ( fpga ), or any application specific integrated circuit ( asic ) on a radar platform . in some embodiments , the present invention utilizes a histogram as an empirical , non - parametric estimate of the log - likelihood . the invention then uses a gumbel copula for target detection in long - tailed , upper tail - dependent background processes by an efficient estimation of the gumbel copula parameter with bivariate conditional exceedance function ( bcef ). the bcef is a non - parametric joint order statistic to measure statistical dependence of threshold exceedances . in probability theory and statistics , a copula is a kind of distribution function . more specifically , copulas are distribution free measures of statistical dependence between random variables handled via the cumulative distribution functions . copulas are used to describe the dependence between random variables . the cumulative distribution function of a random vector can be written in terms of marginal distribution functions and a copula . the marginal distribution functions describe the marginal distribution of each component of the random vector and the copula describes the dependence structure between the components . copulas are popular in statistical applications as they allow one to easily model and estimate the distribution of random vectors by estimating marginals and copula separately . there are many parametric copula families available , which usually have parameters that control the strength of dependence . the copula functions can be broadly categorized in one - parameter copulas as the gaussian copula , and the archimedean copula , which comprises gumbel , clayton and frank copulas . fig1 shows a process flow diagram , according to some embodiments of the present invention . as shown in block 102 , the ( image processed ) data is received . in block 104 , a histogram is generated from the received data by counting the number of data samples that have amplitude between the edges of a series of bins in order to estimate the probability distribution function of the amplitude . in block 106 , the received data is rank ordered based on the power or amplitude of the received signal and divided by the number of data samples plus one in order to form an empirical estimate of the probability integral transform , also known as the order statistic . for example , if the incoming data is { 3 , 9 , 2 , 1 }, the output of block 106 would be { 0 . 6 , 0 . 8 , 0 . 4 , 0 . 2 }. the ranked data received in a current time period is then compared to ranked data received in a previous time period to calculate a bivariate conditional exceedance function ( bcef ), in block 108 . the bcef is a distribution - free statistical quantity that measures upper - tail dependence and is defined as the probability of exceeding an order - statistic threshold given that a previous observation exceeded the same order - statistic threshold . in particular , an order statistic q is chosen ( typically greater than 0 . 9 ), and the probability that the order statistic of the data in a given resolution cell at the current time is greater than q , given that the order statistic at the previous time was also greater than q is calculated , giving the bcef , denoted b ( q ). in block 110 , the calculated bcef is used to estimate a gumbel copula parameter . in general , a copula c ( u , v ) is a distribution - free statistical quantity that gives the joint probability that u & lt ; u and v & lt ; v , where u and v are two uniformly distributed variables on the interval [ 0 , 1 ]. for arbitrarily distributed random variables , the original data can be replaced by the probability integral transform , which is estimated in block 106 . the bivariate gumbel copula generalizes the bcef and interpolates between statistical independence ( θ = 1 ) and perfect upper - tail dependence ( θ =∞) and extends the bcef upper tail dependence measure to all joint order statistics . the bivariate gumbel copula is given by : c θ ( u , v )= exp {−[(− log u ) θ +(− log v ) θ ] 1 / θ } ( 1 ) where u and v are on the interval [ 0 , 1 ], and θ is the gumbel copula parameter that controls the degree of upper - tail dependence . using the properties of copulae , the conditional cdf p ( u \| v ) is the partial derivative of c q w . r . t . v , and the conditional pdf p ( u \| v ) is the partial derivative of p ( u \| v ) w . r . t . u . : in some embodiments , u and v are the order statistics of the data at the current time and the previous time , respectively , and p θ ( u \| v ) is the probability of a data sample having an order statistic u at the current time , given that it had the order statistic v at the previous time and the gumbel copula parameter is θ . given the bcef calculated in block 108 , b ( q ), and the chosen order statistic threshold q , the gumbel copula parameter is estimated by : referring back to fig1 , the estimated gumbel copula parameter and the generated histogram are then used to accumulate a log - likelihood statistic , in block 112 . this approximates the compound process for background intensity data as a first - order markov function , and assumes that the conditional probability p ( z k \| z k - 1 ) captures the time - dependence of the data where z k and z k - 1 are the amplitudes of the data at time k and k − 1 , respectively . the gumbel copula models observed upper - tail dependence in clutter backgrounds . given an estimate of the gumbel parameter , the conditional probability p ( z k \| z k - 1 , θ ), is written as p ( z k ) p θ ( u \| v ), p ( z k ) is the estimate of the probability distribution function , given by the histogram calculated in block 104 , p θ ( u \| v ) is the conditional probability given by the gumbel copula , and u and v are the order statistics of z k and z k - 1 given by the output of block 106 . the probability of a sequence of n amplitudes , therefore , is given by : the logarithm of this quantity is calculated by accumulating the logarithm of the conditional probabilities . referring back to fig1 , in block , 114 , the log - likelihood statistic is compared to a threshold value . the threshold value can be fixed at design time , or it can be adaptively changed in order to control the number of false detections . the detection of the target is determined if the log - likelihood statistic is below the threshold value , in block 116 . this corresponds to detecting whether the data has the same statistical properties as the measured background . fig2 shows a process flow diagram , according to some embodiments of the present invention . as shown in block 202 , intensity data is received from the radar at scan k denoted by z k . depending on the radar design , this data is downstream from beamforming , doppler processing , and geographical registration . in block 204 , the order statistic of each datum is estimated sorting the data with a fast sorting process that is executed on a computer and dividing the rank of each datum by the total number of input data in order to estimate u at the current time . in block 206 , software ( or firmware ) on a computer calculates the number of data samples that have intensity between sets of two values that define the edges of the histogram bins . the values in each histogram bin are divided by the total number of samples , and an estimate of p ( z ) is calculated by using the value in the histogram bin that the value z falls into . the sets of values can be user - adjustable through interface software or fixed by the system . block 208 represents , for example , two memory buffers on a computer , where one buffer holds the output of block 204 at the current time . block 204 alternates which buffer is written to at each time step so that one buffer holds u , and the other holds v , the output of 204 at the previous time step . block 210 is software ( or firmware ) running on a computer that uses the data in both buffers in block 208 and calculates the bcef at order statistic q ( which can be user - adjustable or fixed by the system ) between data at the current time and the previous time . the data samples chosen for the bcef calculation correspond to the same geographical location or locations separated by a distance that represents a constant hypothesized target velocity . the bcef ( or set of bcefs , if several hypothesized velocities are considered by the system ) is then calculated in this way . b ( q ), is then used in equation ( 4 ) to calculate the single or set of gumbel parameters , θ . block 212 represents , for example , software ( or firmware ) running on a computer that calculates p ( z k ) p θ ( u \| v ) from the outputs of blocks 206 , 208 , 210 and the original input data . block 214 represents , for example , software ( or firmware ) that runs on a computer that takes the logarithm of the output of block 212 and adds it to a buffer that contains the sum of the output of block 212 accumulated over the previous n − 1 time steps . block 214 also maintains buffers that contain the output of block 212 over each of the previous n time steps , and subtracts the oldest value of the logarithm of p ( z k ) p θ ( u \| v ) from the current sum . this forms the detection statistic for the generalized likelihood ratio test . finally , block 216 is software ( or firmware ) that compares each value of the output of block 214 to a threshold . the threshold can be a fixed , user adjustable value or dynamically assigned to maintain a constant level of detections . for example , in a maritime application , the threshold can be increased or decreased depending on the environmental conditions that drive clutter false alarms , such as the significant wave height . the values that are below the threshold are declared targets and block 218 is software ( or firmware ) that interfaces to further downstream processing of target detections . fig3 shows an exemplary random process model for sea clutter , according to some embodiments of the present invention . elements 302 , 304 , and 306 correspond to the hidden , underlying physical variables at times k − 1 , k , and k + 1 , respectively , that generate radar sea clutter . the lines connecting them correspond to the physical processes that govern their evolution . elements 308 , 310 , and 312 are the observed amplitudes of the returned radar signal at times k − 1 , k , and k + 1 , respectively , and the lines connecting physical variables to observed data correspond to the physical process of radar signals scattering from the sea surface . the general process in fig1 assumes that the returned radar signals are directly connected by using the conditional probability p ( z k \| z k - 1 , θ ), however , this is an approximation since it is the underlying physical variables that are connected through time evolution . it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the illustrated and other embodiments of the invention described above , without departing from the broad inventive scope thereof . it will be understood therefore that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments or arrangements disclosed , but is rather intended to cover any changes , adaptations or modifications which are within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	6
the present disclosure does not rely on a separate and distinct coolant conductivity sensor to determine a conductivity of a coolant running through a cooling system of a fuel cell system . the present disclosure utilizes measurements from sensors monitoring a multi - voltage system to determine the coolant conductivity of the coolant without the need for the coolant conductivity sensor . fig1 depicts a vehicle 10 ( e . g ., a car , bus , truck , or motorcycle ) powered by a fuel cell system . some components of the fuel cell system may include numerous fuel cells ( preferably arranged as one or more stacks 20 ) that convert stored gaseous fuel from a tank 30 into electricity to provide electric power to engine ( not shown ) that may be a fully electric or a hybrid electric engine ( e . g ., an engine that uses both electricity and petroleum - based combustion for propulsion power ), utilizes the power from the fuel cell system to propel vehicle 10 . the fuel cell system may also include any number of valves , compressors , tubing , temperature regulators , electrical storage devices ( e . g ., batteries , ultra - capacitors or the like ), and controllers to deliver the fuel from the tank 30 or tanks to the fuel cell system , as well as to provide control over the operation of fuel cell system . such controllers will be discussed in more detail below . any number of different types of fuel cells may be used in the fuel cell system ( e . g ., metal hydride fuel cells , alkaline fuel cells , electrogalvanic fuel cells , or any other type of known fuel cells ). multiple fuel cells may also be combined in series and / or parallel within the fuel cell system as the stack 20 in order to produce a higher voltage and / or current yield by the fuel cell system . the produced electrical power may be supplied directly to an engine ( not shown ) or stored within an electrical storage device ( not shown ) for later use by vehicle 10 . a coolant is circulated in a coolant system fluidly coupled to the fuel cell stack 20 that forms at least a portion of a vehicular propulsion system . the coolant provides thermal management within the fuel cell stack 20 , as well as electrical isolation between the fuel cell stack 20 and a vehicle 10 chassis . fig2 illustrates the multi - voltage architecture of a fuel cell system 200 . the fuel cell stack 205 , a boost converter 210 , and a high voltage battery 215 are electrically coupled via a stack bus 222 and a propulsion bus 220 . the fuel cell stack 205 provides electric power to a variety of vehicle 10 systems to include but not limited to a compressor motor 225 , a traction motor 230 , and other loads 235 which may include control systems , a high temperature pump , a radiator fan , and a cabin heater . there are at least one contactor 240 that are electrically coupled to the propulsion bus 220 and may provide electrical isolation of the vehicle 10 systems from the sources of electrical power which may include the fuel cell stack 205 and the high voltage battery 215 . one or more isolation resistance measurement locations 245 may be found at various locations within the fuel cell system 200 . the one or more isolation resistance measurement locations 245 may be a resistor and / or an impedance element of a defined and know resistive or impedance value which may be dependent on the voltages of the fuel cell system 200 and sensitivity of a one or more measurement sensor used to detect their values . furthermore , the one or more isolation resistance measurement locations 245 may also be terminals to which the one or more sensors are connected . in some embodiments , there may be four isolation resistance measurement locations 245 a - d found on the positive and negative terminals both the fuel cell stack 205 and the high voltage battery 215 . a positive stack isolation resistance measurement location 245 a is electrically coupled to a positive terminal of the fuel cell stack 205 and ground . a negative stack isolation resistance measurement location 245 b is electrically coupled to a negative terminal of the fuel cell stack 205 and ground . a positive battery isolation resistance measurement location 245 c is electrically coupled to a positive battery terminal of the high voltage battery 215 and ground . a negative battery isolation resistance measurement location 245 d is electrically coupled to a negative battery terminal of the high voltage battery 215 and ground . ground as used throughout this application means a common reference point from which electrical measurements are taken and / or a common return path for electrical current to a power source . ground , as used throughout this disclosure , may also be labelled as a chassis or a chassis ground . a bus isolation resistance measurement location 245 e may be electrically coupled to the propulsion bus 220 and ground . the bus isolation resistance measurement location 245 e may allow for a measurement of the isolation of the propulsion bus 220 from the rest of the vehicle 10 . in parallel with the bus isolation resistance measurement location 245 e is a voltage measurement location 250 . the voltage measurement location 250 may allow for a sensed voltage value of the bus as it relates to ground . a switch 248 electrically isolates the bus isolation resistance measurement location 245 e . in one embodiment , a method to determine a coolant conductivity value would involved measuring the voltage value from the voltage measurement location 250 , closing the switch 248 , and taking another voltage value from the voltage measurement location 250 and compare the two voltage values . through the comparison , as known in the art , the coolant conductivity value may be determined . the coolant conductivity value from this embodiment may be used to compare against the coolant conductivity value resulting from other embodiments of this disclosure . in some embodiments , the at least one contactor 240 may be grouped together to allow for the measurement of the isolation resistance measurement locations 245 a - e . for example , at least one contactor 240 a and 240 b may be grouped together and labeled a stack contactors and at least one contactor 240 c and 240 d may be grouped together and labeled a battery contactor . in addition to falling under a common label , the grouped contactors may also be actuated together ( i . e . opened together and closed together ). the boost converter 210 changes the electrical potential between the fuel cell stack 205 and the high voltage battery 215 . this necessitates the one or more isolation resistance measurement locations 245 within the fuel cell system 200 as the electrical potential on the fuel cell stack 205 side ( left ) of the boost converter 210 may be an several times lower than the high voltage battery 215 side ( right ) of the boost converter 210 . in some embodiments , vs is greater in electrical potential than vb . the boost converter would be a buck converter in this embodiment and the calculations for coolant conductivity would be the same . fig3 illustrates the fuel cell system 200 of fig2 as an isolation resistance model 300 . vs represents the voltage of the fuel cell stack 205 . vb represents the voltage of the high voltage battery 215 . rpcs represents the parallel combination of all resistance connected from the fuel cell stack 205 positive terminal to ground and may include the positive stack isolation resistance measurement location 245 a . rpcb represents the parallel combination of all resistances connected from the battery positive terminal to ground and may include the positive battery isolation resistance measurement location 245 c . rnc represents the parallel combination of all resistances connected from the shared negative terminal to ground and may include the negative stack isolation resistance measurement location 245 b and the negative battery isolation resistance measurement location 245 d . in an operating fuel cell system 200 , vb may be greater than vs as explained above in regards to the boost converter 210 . the purpose of the isolation resistance is to limit current through unintended connections between the propulsion bus 220 and ground . the isolation resistance model 300 represents three possible paths from the propulsion bus 220 to ground . rpc pb is calculated using eqn . 1 with the stack contactors 240 a - b and battery contactors 240 c - d closed : rpc pb = ( vb vs ) · rpcs // rpcb eqn . ⁢ 1 rnc pb is calculated using eqn . 2 with the stack contactors 240 a - b and battery contactors 240 c - d closed : rnc pb = ( vb vb - vs ) · rpcs // rnc eqn . ⁢ 2 rpcs is calculated using eqn . 3 with the stack contactors 240 a - b open and the battery contactors 240 c - d closed : rpcs = rpcb · rpc pb · vs rpcb · vb - rpc pb · vb eqn . ⁢ 3 rpc pb is the apparent positive to chassis isolation resistance measured on the propulsion bus 220 . rnc pb is the apparent negative to chassis isolation resistance measured on the propulsion bus 220 . rpcs is the fuel cell stack 205 coolant positive to chassis isolation resistance . rpcb is the propulsion bus 220 positive to chassis isolation resistance and rnc is the propulsion bus negative to chassis isolation resistance . “//” is a shorthand notation for parallel where r1 // r2 = 1 /( 1 / r1 + 1 / r2 ). for example , if the fuel cell system 200 was a single voltage system , eqn . 1 would be rpcs // rpcb as two sets of isolation resistances would be subject to the same voltage . in the present disclosure , a multi - voltage system is present with a boost converter 210 and possibly a second boost converter 505 as shown below in fig5 . the isolation resistance found in the fuel cell system 200 is subject to varied voltages depending on where you are taking the voltage measurement from . to ensure that the coolant conductivity calculation is accurate , a ratio ( vb / vs ) needs to be taken into account , resulting in eqn . 1 and subsequent eqns . 2 , 3 , and 5 - 7 . fig4 illustrates the procedure for estimating coolant conductivity . the estimation may occur when the vehicle 10 of fig1 is first starting up from a shut down state or when the vehicle 10 is in the process of shutting down . a battery monitor controller may be used to execute an isolation algorithm 400 or the isolation algorithm 400 may be executed in a vehicle control module such as , for example , an on - board control module ( ocm ) or a battery module . the battery monitor controller or the vehicle control module has a processor and a computer - readable medium used to execute the isolation algorithm 400 . the isolation algorithm 400 starts 405 by confirming that at least one contactor 240 in fig2 are closed 410 . the battery monitor controller may confirm the status of the at least one contactor 240 through electrical communication with one or more vehicle control modules . for example , the battery monitor controller may be electrically coupled to the ocm where the ocm signally indicates the status of the at least one contactor 240 of the at least one contactor 240 . if the at least one contactor 240 is not closed , the battery monitor controller may signally communicate that the at least one contactor 240 should close . in this embodiment , the isolation algorithm 400 may either confirm or signally communicate the stack contactor and the battery contactor to close 410 . the isolation algorithm may then measure the one or more fuel cell system 200 values through a plurality of sensors electrically coupled to the fuel cell system 200 . the battery monitor controller may be electrically coupled to the plurality of sensors or a vehicle module may be electrically coupled to the plurality of sensors and the battery monitor controller may be electrically coupled to the vehicle module to get the sensed values from the plurality of sensors . the plurality of sensors may include one or more isolation sensors at the one or more isolation resistance measurement locations 245 found throughout the fuel cell system 200 , a stack sensor , and a battery sensor . in one embodiment , referring to the one or more isolation resistance measurement locations 245 : a first isolation value may be sensed by a first isolation sensor electrically coupled at the positive stack isolation resistance measurement location 245 a ; a second isolation value may be sensed by a second isolation sensor electrically coupled at the positive battery isolation resistance measurement location 245 c ; and a first negative isolation value may include one or more negative isolation sensors electrically coupled to the negative stack isolation resistance measurement location 245 b , and the negative battery isolation resistance measurement location 245 d . the first negative isolation value may be the parallel resistance measurement of the negative stack isolation resistance measurement location 245 b , and the negative battery isolation resistance measurement location 245 d . rnc equates to the first negative isolation value as shown in the isolation resistance model 300 of fig3 . the stack sensor may provide a stack voltage may be sensed by the stack sensor electrically coupled between the positive and negative terminals of the stack bus 222 and a battery voltage may be sensed by the battery sensor electrically coupled between the positive and negative terminals of the battery bus 510 as shown in fig5 . depending on the number of booster converters ( 210 , 505 ) the propulsion bus 220 may be the same as the battery bus 510 . in yet another embodiment , the isolation algorithm 400 may be executed in the ocm which is electrically coupled to the plurality of sensors negating the need for the battery management controller . the next step for the isolation algorithm 400 is to measure 415 and or receive the first isolation value , the second isolation value , the stack voltage , and the battery voltage . the isolation algorithm 400 may then open 420 the at least one contactor 240 . if , for example , the isolation algorithm 400 is executed in the battery monitor controller , the battery monitor controller may signal to a separate and distinct vehicle control module to open the at least one contactor 240 or the battery monitor controller may be electrically coupled to the at least one contactor 240 and signal for them to open 420 directly . if the isolation algorithm 400 is executed in the ocm , the ocm would signal for the at least one contactor 240 to open 420 . in this embodiment , the at least one contactor 240 are the stack contactors which are signalled to open 420 . once the stack contactors are open 420 , the isolation algorithm 400 may measure 425 the first negative isolation value . the isolation algorithm 400 may then calculate a stack isolation resistance 430 using eqn . 3 and may then calculate a coolant conductivity value 435 using eqn . 4 that is indicative of an electrical current leakage in a coolant flowing through a coolant path in a coolant system of the fuel cell system 200 . eqn . 4 is the coolant conductivity 435 equation . σ = 1 rpcs · l a eqn . ⁢ 4 where σ is the coolant conductivity , rpcs is the positive stack isolation resistance measurement location 245 a , l is the equivalent length of the coolant path and a is the equivalent cross - sectional area of the coolant path . the isolation algorithm 400 may provide an indicia 440 that the coolant needs to be replaced when the coolant conductivity value 435 crosses a threshold value . the coolant path geometry , represented by l and a in eqn . 4 are design dependent as are the relative apportionment of the one or more isolation resistance measurement locations . for a particular design , an appropriate threshold value is determined using those design parameters . indicia 440 may include a light on a dashboard of the vehicle for the user to see , an audible alarm , or a code in an on - board diagnostic system to be reported . indicia may include any means to report that the coolant in the coolant system is conducting electrical current in the fuel cell system 200 . fig5 illustrates another embodiment of a multi - voltage fuel cell system 500 . the multi - voltage fuel cell system 500 includes the fig2 embodiment where two or more voltages are present with the fuel cell system 200 . the number of differing voltages present in the multi - voltage fuel cell system 500 depends on the number of boost converters ( 210 , 505 ) present . in this embodiment found in fig5 , the multi - voltage fuel cell system 500 is comparable to the fuel cell system 200 found in fig2 with a second boost converter 505 connecting the propulsion bus 220 and a battery bus 510 . the second boost converter 505 may allow the high voltage battery 215 to be at a different electrical potential than the propulsion bus 220 and the fuel cell stack 205 . the positive propulsion bus resistance measurement location 545 a is electrically coupled to a positive side of the propulsion bus 220 and ground and the negative propulsion bus resistance measurement location 545 b is electrically coupled to a negative side of the propulsion bus 220 and ground . the coolant conductivity value is calculated using the following equations and eqn . 4 above . the positive to chassis isolation resistance as measured from the propulsion bus 220 with the stack contactors 240 a - b and battery contactors 240 c - d closed is calculated using eqn . 5 : rpc pb = ( vp vs ) · rpcs // ( vp vb ) · rpcb // rpcp eqn . ⁢ 5 the negative to chassis isolation resistance as measured from the propulsion bus 220 with the stack contactors 240 a - b and battery contactors 240 c - d closed is calculated using eqn . 6 : rnc pb = rpcs · ( vp vp - vs ) // rpcb · ( vp vp - vb ) // rnc eqn . ⁢ 6 the negative to chassis isolation resistance as measured from the propulsion bus with the stack contactors 240 a - b open and the battery contactors 240 c - d closed is calculated using eqn . 7 : rnc pb = rpcb ⁢ · ( vp vp - vb ) // rnc eqn . ⁢ 7 rpc pb is the apparent positive to chassis isolation resistance measured on the propulsion bus 220 . rnc pb is the apparent negative to chassis isolation resistance measured on the propulsion bus 220 . rpcs is the fuel cell stack 205 coolant positive to chassis isolation resistance . rpcb is the battery positive to chassis isolation resistance and rnc is the propulsion bus negative to chassis isolation resistance . “//” is a shorthand notation for parallel where r1 / r2 = 1 /( 1 / r1 + 1 / r2 ). the isolation algorithm 400 from fig4 will use eqns . 5 - 7 and eqn . 4 to calculate the coolant conductivity value . the isolation algorithm 400 from fig4 may need additional isolation sensors of the plurality of sensors and corresponding measurement values to calculate the coolant conductivity value 435 . a third isolation value may be sensed by a third isolation sensor electrically coupled to a positive propulsion bus resistance measurement location 545 a , and a second negative isolation value may include one or more negative isolation sensors electrically coupled to the negative stack isolation resistance measurement location 245 b , the negative battery isolation resistance measurement location 245 d , and a negative propulsion bus resistance measurement location 545 b . the second negative isolation value may be the parallel resistance measurement of the negative stack isolation resistance measurement location 245 b , the negative battery isolation resistance measurement location 245 d , and a negative propulsion bus resistance measurement location 545 b . a propulsion voltage may be sensed by a propulsion sensor electrically coupled between the positive and negative terminals of the propulsion bus 220 . the isolation algorithm 400 may add the propulsion voltage to the measurement step 415 and use the second negative isolation value in lieu of the first negative isolation value for the measurement step 425 in fig4 to calculate the coolant conductivity value 435 for a multi - voltage fuel cell system 500 . fig6 depicts a multi - voltage isolation resistance model 600 . the multi - voltage isolation resistance model 600 is another embodiment of the isolation resistance model 300 in fig3 . the fuel cell stack 205 voltage ( vs ) and the high voltage battery 215 voltage ( vb ) along with rpcs and rpcb are the same as found in fig3 . a propulsion voltage 605 ( vp ) represents the electrical potential of the propulsion bus 220 . rpcp represents the isolation resistance value found of the positive propulsion bus resistance measurement location 545 a . rnc2 represents the parallel combination of all resistances connected from the shared negative terminal to ground and may include the negative stack isolation resistance measurement location 245 b , the negative battery isolation resistance measurement location 245 d , and negative propulsion bus resistance measurement location 545 b . rnc2 equates to the second negative isolation value . it should be understood that the present disclosure may include any number of boost converters within the fuel cell system 200 . the equations are flexible to include any number of voltages found in a bus system of the fuel cell system 200 . the bus system is the system of electrical conductors used to carry electrical energy and may be usually found as a power distribution system of the vehicle 10 electrically coupling power sources ( i . e . fuel cell stack 205 , high voltage battery 215 for example ) to electrical loads ( compressor motor 225 , traction motor 230 , and other loads 235 for example ). the present disclosure may be embodied in hardware and / or in software ( including firmware , resident software , micro - code , etc .). the system controller may have at least one processor and the computer - readable medium . a computer - usable or the computer - readable medium may be any medium that can contain , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be , for example but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , device , or propagation medium . more specific examples ( a non - exhaustive list ) of the computer - readable medium would include the following : an electrical connection having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), an optical fiber , and a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cd - rom ). note that the computer - usable or computer - readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed , as the program can be electronically captured , via , for instance , optical scanning of the paper or other medium , then compiled , interpreted , or otherwise processed in a suitable manner , if necessary , and then stored in a computer memory . computer program code for carrying out operations of the present disclosure may be written in a high - level programming language , such as c or c ++, for development convenience . in addition , computer program code for carrying out operations of the present disclosure may also be written in other programming languages , such as , but not limited to , interpreted languages . some modules or routines may be written in assembly language or even micro - code to enhance performance and / or memory usage . however , software embodiments of the present disclosure do not depend on implementation with a particular programming language . it will be further appreciated that the functionality of any or all of the program modules may also be implemented using discrete hardware components , one or more application specific integrated circuits ( asics ), or a programmed digital signal processor or microcontroller . while particular embodiments have been illustrated and described herein , it should be understood that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter . moreover , although various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described herein , such aspects need not be utilized in combination . it is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the claimed subject matter .	7
the following description of the preferred embodiment ( s ) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention , its application , or uses . some embodiments of the present invention provide a dissolvable film ( film 1 ) of predetermined thickness comprising an active ingredient , wherein the dissolution rate in aqueous media is inversely proportional to the thickness , such that the film will disintegrate and release active ingredient in the presence of water at room temperature ( e . g ., 20 - 25 ° c .) after a period of greater than 30 seconds , for example : 1 . 1 . film 1 wherein the film comprises cellulose ethers , e . g ., selected from ( i ) alkylcellulose , e . g ., methylcellulose ; ( ii ) hydroxyalkyl cellulose , e . g ., selected from hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose , hydroxyethylpropyl cellulose , hydroxybutyl methyl cellulose , hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose , carboxymethyl cellulose and mixtures thereof ; and ( iii ) mixtures thereof ; 1 . 2 . any of the foregoing films comprising a starch , e . g . a pregelatinized starch ; 1 . 3 . any of the foregoing films comprising a plasticizer , e . g , a polyalcohol , e . g ., sorbitol , propylene glycol , glycerol , or low molecular weight polyethylene glycol , e . g ., peg 200 ; 1 . 4 . any of the foregoing films comprising propylene glycol , e . g ., in an amount effective to provide plasticity to the film , e . g ., about 20 - 30 % by dry weight of the film ; 1 . 5 . any of the foregoing films comprising a non - ionic surfactant or emulsifier , e . g ., a polysorbate , e . g ., polysorbate 80 ( also known as polyoxyethylene ( 20 ) sorbitan monooleate , available commercially e . g ., as tween ® 80 ), e . g ., in an amount of about 1 - 5 % by dry weight of the film ; 1 . 1 . any of the foregoing films comprising a pigment , e . g ., a red pigment , for example d & amp ; c red 30 , a green pigment , for example pigment green 7 , a blue pigment , for example a phthalocyanine , for example pigment blue 15 : 1 . 6 . any of the foregoing films comprising which is substantially dissolved after a period of greater than 30 seconds and less than 180 seconds of brushing , scrubbing or agitation in the oral cavity or on the skin in the presence of water ; 1 . 7 . any of the foregoing films wherein the average thickness of the film is 1 - 4 mil , e . g . 1 . 5 - 3 mil , e . g . about 1 . 5 mil or about 3 mil ; 1 . 8 . any of the foregoing films comprising , by dry weight of the film , 20 - 60 % cellulose ethers selected from methyl cellulose , hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose , and mixtures thereof ; 10 - 30 % propylene glycol ; 1 - 5 % polysorbate 80 ; and 15 - 55 % pigment ; 1 . 9 . any of the foregoing films wherein the active is selected from pigments , flavors , fragrances , antibacterial agents , anesthetic agents or combinations thereof ; 1 . 10 . any of the foregoing films in the form of film fragments , e . g ., regular or irregular shapes or flakes ; 1 . 11 . any of the foregoing films in the form of film fragments , e . g ., regular or irregular shapes or flakes comprising a first population of film fragments of predetermined thickness , a second population of film fragments of predetermined thickness wherein the thickness of the second population is 1 . 5 - 3 times the thickness of the first population , and optionally a third population wherein the thickness of the third population is 1 . 5 - 3 times the thickness of the second population ; 1 . 14 . any of the foregoing films comprising an antibacterial agent selected from triclosan and essential oils from plant extracts , e . g ., menthol . the invention also provides a product ( product 1 ) which is subjected to agitation and moisture during use , comprising film fragments of a predetermined thickness comprising an active such that the active is released during use after a predetermined time of agitation , e . g . after brushing , scrubbing or chewing for a predetermined time , e . g . a product comprising fragments of any of film 1 , et seq . 1 . 1 . product 1 wherein the product is a an oral care product , an oral care product , e . g ., a dentifrice , for example a toothpaste , e . g ., a clear gel or opaque toothpaste , comprising orally acceptable dissolvable film fragments , e . g ., fragments of any of film 1 ; 1 . 2 . product for 1 . 1 wherein the product is a clear gel or opaque toothpaste and the film fragment comprises a pigment that is released upon dissolution of the film thereby changing the color of the toothpaste after brushing for a period of 30 - 180 seconds , e . g ., about 45 - 60 seconds in a toothpaste for use by a child or about 90 - 120 seconds in a toothpaste for use by an adult , thereby releasing the pigment and providing a color signal to the user of adequate brushing ; 1 . 3 . product 1 wherein the product is a hand or body soap ; 1 . 4 . product 1 wherein the product is a chewing gum and the active is a flavoring or topical anesthetic or topical antibacterial agent ; 1 . 5 . any of the foregoing products wherein the fragments are all of substantially the same thickness such that the active is released after a predetermined amount of agitation , brushing or scrubbing ; 1 . 6 . any of the foregoing products 1 - 1 . 4 comprising a first population of film fragments of predetermined thickness , a second population of film fragments of predetermined thickness wherein the thickness of the second population is 1 . 5 - 3 times the thickness of the first population , and optionally a third population wherein the thickness of the third population is 1 . 5 - 3 times the thickness of the second population ; 1 . 7 . product 1 . 6 , wherein the active is released in a controlled way after a predetermined amount of agitation , brushing or scrubbing with the first population releasing first and the second population releasing second and the third population when present releasing third ; 1 . 8 . product 1 . 7 wherein the populations of film fragments comprise the same active such that the active is released over a sustained period as the different populations release sequentially ; 1 . 9 . product 1 . 7 wherein the different populations each comprise different actives which are released sequentially ; 1 . 10 . product 1 . 9 which is a chewing gum wherein the different actives are different flavorings , such that the chewing gum changes flavor over time . the invention provides , in another embodiment , a method for controlling timing of release of an active from a film fragment in a product which is subjected to agitation and moisture during use , comprising controlling the thickness of the film fragment to control the timing of the release during use after a predetermined time of agitation ( method 1 ); for example , 1 . 2 . method 1 wherein the film fragments comprising active are all substantially the same thickness such that release occurs in a controlled release after a predetermined period of agitation ; 1 . 3 . method 1 wherein the film fragments are of different predetermined thicknesses , such that sustained release occurs as the film fragments of different predetermined thicknesses release active at different predetermined times during use ; 1 . 4 . method 1 or 1 . 2 wherein a first active is provided in a thinner film fragment and a second active in a thicker film fragment , such that release of the first active occurs first and the second active occurs second , for example to provide a color change to a first color upon release of a first pigment and a second color on release of a second pigment , or a flavor or fragrance change upon release of a first then a second flavor or fragrance ; 1 . 5 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the active is substantially water insoluble , e . g . has a solubility in water at room temperature of less than 1 %; 1 . 6 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the active is a pigment ; 1 . 7 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the active is a fragrance ; 1 . 8 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the active is a flavor ; 1 . 9 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the active is an antibacterial agent ; 1 . 10 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the active is an anesthetic agent ; 1 . 11 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the product is a toothpaste ; 1 . 12 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the product is a hand or body soap ; 1 . 13 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the product is a chewing gum ; 1 . 14 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the product is a toothpaste and the film fragment comprises a pigment that is released upon dissolution of the film ; 1 . 15 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the film fragment will not disintegrate in water at room temperature in less than 5 minutes in the absence of agitation ; 1 . 16 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the film fragments comprise cellulose ethers , e . g ., selected from ( i ) alkylcellulose , e . g ., methylcellulose ; ( ii ) hydroxyalkyl cellulose , e . g ., selected from hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose , hydroxyethylpropyl cellulose , hydroxybutyl methyl cellulose , hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose , carboxymethyl cellulose and mixtures thereof ; and ( iii ) mixtures thereof ; 1 . 17 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the film fragments comprise a starch , e . g . a pregelatinized starch ; 1 . 18 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the film fragments comprise a plasticizer , e . g , a polyalcohol , e . g ., sorbitol , propylene glycol , glycerol , or low molecular weight polyethylene glycol , e . g ., peg 200 ; 1 . 19 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the film fragments comprise propylene glycol , e . g ., in an amount effective to provide plasticity to the film , e . g ., about 20 - 30 % by dry weight of the film ; 1 . 20 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the film fragments comprise a non - ionic surfactant or emulsifier , e . g ., a polysorbate , e . g ., polysorbate 80 ( also known as polyoxyethylene ( 20 ) sorbitan monooleate , available commercially e . g ., as tween ® 80 ), e . g ., in an amount of about 1 - 5 % by dry weight of the film ; 1 . 21 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the film fragments comprise a pigment , e . g ., a red pigment , for example d & amp ; c red 30 , a green pigment , for example pigment green 7 , a blue pigment , for example a phthalocyanine , for example pigment blue 15 : 1 . 22 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the film fragments are substantially dissolved after a period of greater than 30 seconds and less than 180 seconds of brushing , scrubbing or agitation in the presence of water ; 1 . 23 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the average thickness of the film fragments is 0 . 5 - 2 mil , e . g ., about 1 mil ; 1 . 24 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the film fragments comprise , by dry weight of the film fragments , 20 - 60 % cellulose ethers selected from methyl cellulose , hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose , and mixtures thereof ; 10 - 30 % propylene glycol ; 1 - 5 % polysorbate 80 ; and 15 - 55 % pigment . 1 . 25 . any of the foregoing methods wherein the fragments are any of film 1 , et seq ., or wherein the product is any of product 1 , et seq . the invention further provides a method of cleaning the teeth comprising brushing with a toothpaste comprising an orally acceptable dissolvable film of predetermined thickness , e . g , product 1 . 1 or 1 . 2 , wherein brushing is continued until the film disintegrates and the pigment provides a color signal to the user of adequate brushing , for example , wherein the brushing time before the film matrix dissolves is between 30 and 180 seconds , e . g ., about 45 - 60 seconds for a toothpaste for use by a child and about 90 - 120 seconds for a toothpaste for use by an adult . in some embodiments , the composition is a clear gel toothpaste ; wherein the pigment is released from the first film after brushing for a period of 30 to 120 seconds . in some embodiments , the pigment is released from the first film after brushing for a period of 60 seconds . in some embodiments , the pigment is released from the first film after brushing for a period of 90 seconds . in some embodiments , the pigment is released from the first film after brushing for a period of 120 seconds . the invention further provides a method of cleaning the teeth , removing plaque , treating halitosis , or treating gingivitis comprising brushing the teeth with product 1 . 1 or 1 . 2 . the invention further provides the use of a dissolvable film of predetermined thickness comprising an active agent to control release of the active , e . g ., in accordance with the foregoing methods or in the manufacture of the foregoing products . in some embodiments , the present invention provides an oral care composition comprising a first film comprising a pigment , wherein the first film has a dissolution rate in aqueous media that is inversely proportional to its thickness , such that the film will disintegrate and release the pigment in the presence of water at room temperature after a period of greater than 30 seconds . in some embodiments , the film comprises a cellulose ether selected from : an alkylcellulose ; a hydroxylalkyl cellulose ; and a combination thereof . in some embodiments , the alkylcellulose is methylcellulose . in some embodiments , the hydroxyalkyl cellulose is selected from : hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose , hydroxyethylpropyl cellulose , hydroxybutyl methyl cellulose , hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose , carboxymethyl cellulose and a combination of two or more thereof some embodiments of the present invention further comprise a plasticizer selected from sorbitol , propylene glycol , glycerol , and low molecular weight polyethylene glycol . further embodiments comprise a polysorbate . in some embodiments , the film is substantially dissolved after a period of greater than 30 seconds and less than 180 seconds of brushing , scrubbing or agitation in the presence of water . some embodiments provide a composition , further comprising a second film having a dissolution rate in aqueous media that is faster than the dissolution rate in aqueous media of said first film , wherein said second film comprises an active agent selected from an antibacterial agent ; a flavor , a fragrance ; and a combination of two or more thereof in some embodiments , the first and / or second film are provided in the form of film fragments having regular or irregular shapes . in some embodiments , substantially all of the pigment is released from the first film at the same point in time . other embodiments provide a method for controlling release of a pigment from a film in a composition which is subjected to agitation and moisture during use , comprising controlling the thickness of the film fragment to control the timing of the release during use after a predetermined amount of agitation . yet other embodiments provide a method of cleaning the teeth comprising brushing with a toothpaste according to any foregoing claim , wherein brushing is continued until the film releases substantially all of the pigment ; thereby providing a color signal to the user of adequate brushing . in some embodiments , substantially all of the pigment is released at one time . as used herein , the term “ substantially all ” refers to greater than 90 % of the total amount of pigment contained in the film . in some embodiments , the first film releases at least 90 % of the total amount of pigment contained therein , at a particular point in time . in some embodiments , the first film releases greater than 90 % of the total amount of pigment contained therein , at a designated point in time . in some embodiments , the first film releases at least 91 % of the total amount of pigment contained therein , at the designated point in time . in some embodiments , the first film releases at least 95 % of the total amount of pigment contained therein , at the designated point in time . in some embodiments , the first film releases at least 96 % of the total amount of pigment contained therein , at the designated point in time . in some embodiments , the first film releases at least 97 % of the total amount of pigment contained therein , at the designated point in time . in some embodiments , the first film releases at least 98 % of the total amount of pigment contained therein , at the designated point in time . in some embodiments , the first film releases at least 99 % of the total amount of pigment contained therein , at the designated point in time . orally acceptable or topically acceptable : the compositions of the invention are intended for topical use in the mouth or on the skin , thus components for use in the present invention should be orally acceptable , that is , safe for topical use in the mouth , in the amounts and concentrations provided . as used throughout , ranges are used as shorthand for describing each and every value that is within the range . any value within the range can be selected as the terminus of the range . in addition , all references cited herein are hereby incorporated by referenced in their entireties . in the event of a conflict in a definition in the present disclosure and that of a cited reference , the present disclosure controls . unless otherwise specified , all percentages and amounts expressed herein and elsewhere in the specification should be understood to refer to percentages by weight . a prototype film is developed by encapsulating a pigment into a dissolvable polymer film . during brushing , the films swell from water and disintegrate , releasing the pigment and , thus , color change occurs to indicate the consumer when the brushing is done . one use for this film is for incorporation into a clear gel or opaque toothpaste providing a color change signal to the consumer after a predetermined brushing time , e . g ., 45 - 60 sec for children and 90 - 120 sec for the adults . the ingredients for the prototype film are set forth in table 1 : the prototype film is made in different thicknesses , and flakes of the prototype film are incorporated into a clear gel toothpaste for testing . a dissolution test in vitro is performed by permitting a 1 ″× 1 ″ swatch of bulk film to float on a container filled with 1 l of tap water at room temperature . the effect on film dissolution caused by changes in thickness can be observed and measured over a period of time . as seen on table 2 , the time before pigment release is seen to be approximately proportional to the thickness of the film : toothpaste comprising flakes of 1 . 5 mil in thickness and toothpaste comprising flakes of 3 mil in thickness are then tested side by side in a clinical trial . dissolution occurs more quickly with actual brushing in the mouth compared to the in vitro test , which does not involve brushing , but the correlation between thickness and release time is maintained : the release profile of the 1 . 5 mil film is within the target for use in a children &# 39 ; s toothpaste , whereas the release profile for the 3 mil matches the target for use in an adult toothpaste .	0
the structure and operation of a preferred embodiment will now be described . it should be understood that many other ways of practicing the inventions herein are available , and the embodiments described herein are exemplary and not limiting . turning to fig1 , shown is an electrical schematic representation of a light module 100 of the present invention . fig4 and 5 show the led - containing side and the electrical connector side of light module 100 . light module 100 is self - contained , and is configured to be a standard item interchangeable with any similarly constructed light module . light module 100 contains a ten - pin electrical connector 110 of the general type . in this embodiment , the connector 110 contains male pins adapted to fit into a complementary ten - pin connector female assembly , to be described below . pin 180 is the power supply . a source of dc electrical potential enters module 100 on pin 180 . pin 180 is electrically connected to the anode end of light emitting diode ( led ) sets 120 , 140 and 160 to establish a uniform high potential on each anode end . led set 120 contains red leds , set 140 contains blue and set 160 contains green , each obtainable from the nichia america corporation . these leds are primary colors , in the sense that such colors when combined in preselected proportions can generate any color in the spectrum . while three primary colors is preferred , it will be understood that the present invention will function nearly as well with only two primary colors to generate any color in the spectrum . likewise , while the different primary colors are arranged herein on sets of uniformly colored leds , it will be appreciated that the same effect may be achieved with single leds containing multiple color - emitting semiconductor dies . led sets 120 , 140 and 160 each preferably contains a serial / parallel array of leds in the manner described by okuno in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 298 , 869 , incorporated herein by reference . in the present embodiment , led set 120 contains three parallel connected rows of nine red leds ( not shown ), and led sets 140 and 160 each contain five parallel connected rows of five blue and green leds , respectively ( not shown ). it is understood by those in the art that , in general , each red led drops the potential in the line by a lower amount than each blue or green led , about 2 . 1 v , compared to 4 . 0 v , respectively , which accounts for the different row lengths . this is because the number of leds in each row is determined by the amount of voltage drop desired between the anode end at the power supply voltage and the cathode end of the last led in the row . also , the parallel arrangement of rows is a fail - safe measure that ensures that the light module 100 will still function even if a single led in a row fails , thus opening the electrical circuit in that row . the cathode ends of the three parallel rows of nine red leds in led set 120 are then connected in common , and go to pin 128 on connector 110 . likewise , the cathode ends of the five parallel rows of five blue leds in led set 140 are connected in common , and go to pin 148 on connector 110 . the cathode ends of the five parallel rows of five green leds in led set 160 are connected in common , and go to pin 168 on connector 110 . finally , on light module 100 , each led set is associated with a programming resistor that combines with other components , described below , to program the maximum current through each set of leds . between pin 124 and 126 is resistor 122 , 6 . 2 ohms . between pin 144 and 146 is resistor 142 , 4 . 7 ohms . between pin 164 and 166 is resistor 162 , 4 . 7 ohms . resistor 122 programs maximum current through red led set 120 , resistor 142 programs maximum current through blue led set 140 , and resistor 162 programs maximum current through green led set 160 . the values these resistors should take are determined empirically , based on the desired maximum light intensity of each led set . in the present embodiment , the resistances above program red , blue and green currents of 70 , 50 and 50 a , respectively . with the electrical structure of light module 100 described , attention will now be given to the electrical structure of power module 200 , shown in fig2 . fig6 and 7 show the power terminal side and electrical connector side of an embodiment of power module 200 . like light module 100 , power module 200 is self contained . interconnection with male pin set 110 is achieved through complementary female pin set 210 . pin 280 connects with pin 180 for supplying power , delivered to pin 280 from supply 300 . supply 300 is shown as a functional block for simplicity . in actuality , supply 300 can take numerous forms for generating a dc voltage . in the present embodiment , supply 300 provides 24 volts through a connection terminal ( not shown ), coupled to pin 280 through transient protection capacitors ( not shown ) of the general type . it will be appreciated that supply 300 may also supply a dc voltage after rectification and / or voltage transformation of an ac supply , as described more fully in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 298 , 869 . also connected to pin connector 210 are three current programming integrated circuits , icr 220 , icb 240 and icg 260 . each of these is a three terminal adjustable regulator , preferably part number lm317b , available from the national semiconductor corporation , santa clara , calif . the teachings of the lm317 datasheet are incorporated herein by reference . each regulator contains an input terminal , an output terminal and an adjustment terminal , labeled i , o and a , respectively . the regulators function to maintain a constant maximum current into the input terminal and out of the output terminal . this maximum current is pre - programmed by setting a resistance between the output and the adjustment terminals . this is because the regulator will cause the voltage at the input terminal to settle to whatever value is needed to cause 1 . 25 v to appear across the fixed current set resistor , thus causing constant current to flow . since each functions identically , only icr 220 will now be described . first , current enters the input terminal of icr 220 from pin 228 . of course , pin 228 in the power module is coupled to pin 128 in the light module , and receives current directly from the cathode end of the red led set 120 . since resistor 122 is ordinarily disposed between the output and adjustment terminals of icr 220 through pins 224 / 124 and 226 / 126 , resistor 122 programs the amount of current regulated by icr 220 . eventually , the current output from the adjustment terminal of icr 220 enters a darlington driver . in this way , icr 220 and associated resistor 122 program the maximum current through red led set 120 . similar results are achieved with icb 240 and resistor 142 for blue led set 140 , and with icg 260 and resistor 162 for green led set 160 . the red , blue and green led currents enter another integrated circuit , ic 1 380 , at respective nodes 324 , 344 and 364 . ic 1 380 is preferably a high current / voltage darlington driver , part no . ds2003 available from the national semiconductor corporation , santa clara , calif . ic 1 380 is used as a current sink , and functions to switch current between respective led sets and ground 390 . as described in the ds2003 datasheet , incorporated herein by reference , ic 1 contains six sets of darlington transistors with appropriate on - board biasing resistors . as shown , nodes 324 , 344 and 364 couple the current from the respective led sets to three pairs of these darlington transistors , in the well known manner to take advantage of the fact that the current rating of ic 1 380 may be doubled by using pairs of darlington transistors to sink respective currents . each of the three on - board darlington pairs is used in the following manner as a switch . the base of each darlington pair is coupled to signal inputs 424 , 444 and 464 , respectively . hence , input 424 is the signal input for switching current through node 324 , and thus the red led set 120 . input 444 is the signal input for switching current through node 344 , and thus the blue led set 140 . input 464 is the signal input for switching current through node 364 , and thus the green led set 160 . signal inputs 424 , 444 and 464 are coupled to respective signal outputs 434 , 454 and 474 on microcontroller ic 2 400 , as described below . in essence , when a high frequency square wave is incident on a respective signal input , ic 1 380 switches current through a respective node with the identical frequency and duty cycle . thus , in operation , the states of signal inputs 424 , 444 and 464 directly correlate with the opening and closing of the power circuit through respective led sets 120 , 140 and 160 . the structure and operation of microcontroller ic 2 400 will now be described . microcontroller ic 2 400 is preferably a microchip brand pic16c63 , although almost any properly programmed microcontroller or microprocessor can perform the software functions described herein . the main function of microcontroller ic 2 400 is to convert numerical data received on serial rx pin 520 into three independent high frequency square waves of uniform frequency but independent duty cycles on signal output pins 434 , 454 and 474 . the fig2 representation of microcontroller ic 2 400 is partially stylized , in that persons of skill in the art will appreciate that certain of the twenty - eight standard pins have been omitted or combined for greatest clarity . microcontroller ic 2 400 is powered through pin 450 , which is coupled to a 5 volt source of dc power 700 . source 700 is preferably driven from supply 300 through a coupling ( not shown ) that includes a voltage regulator ( not shown ). an exemplary voltage regulator is the lm340 3 - terminal positive regulator , available from the national semiconductor corporation , santa clara , calif . the teachings of the lm340 datasheet are hereby incorporated by reference . those of skill in the art will appreciate that most microcontrollers , and many other independently powered digital integrated circuits , are rated for no more than a 5 volt power source . the clock frequency of microcontroller ic 2 400 is set by crystal 480 , coupled through appropriate pins . pin 490 is the microcontroller ic 2 400 ground reference . switch 600 is a twelve position dip switch that may be alterably and mechanically set to uniquely identify the microcontroller ic 2 400 . when individual ones of the twelve mechanical switches within dip switch 600 are closed , a path is generated from corresponding pins 650 on microcontroller ic 2 400 to ground 690 . twelve switches create 212 possible settings , allowing any microcontroller ic 2 400 to take on one of 4096 different ids , or addresses . in the preferred embodiment , only nine switches are actually used because the dmx - 512 protocol , discussed below , is employed . once switch 600 is set , microcontroller ic 2 400 “ knows ” its unique address (“ who am i ”), and “ listens ” on serial line 520 for a data stream specifically addressed to it . a high speed network protocol , preferably a dmx protocol , is used to address network data to each individually addressed microcontroller ic 2 400 from a central network controller 1000 , as shown for example in fig2 a . the dmx protocol is described in a united states theatre technology , inc . publication entitled “ dmx512 / 1990 digital data transmission standard for dimmers and controllers ,” incorporated herein by reference . basically , in the network protocol used herein , a central controller creates a stream of network data consisting of sequential data packets . each packet first contains a header , which is checked for conformance to the standard and discarded , followed by a stream of sequential bytes representing data for sequentially addressed devices . for instance , if the data packet is intended for light number fifteen , then fourteen bytes from the data stream will be discarded , and the device will save byte number fifteen . if as in the preferred embodiment , more than one byte is needed , then the address is considered to be a starting address , and more than one byte is saved and utilized . each byte corresponds to a decimal number 0 to 255 , linearly representing the desired intensity from off to full . ( for simplicity , details of the data packets such as headers and stop bits are omitted from this description , and will be well appreciated by those of skill in the art .) this way , each of the three led colors is assigned a discrete intensity value between 0 and 255 . these respective intensity values are stored in respective registers within the memory of microcontroller ic 2 400 ( not shown ). once the central controller exhausts all data packets , it starts over in a continuous refresh cycle . the refresh cycle is defined by the standard to be a minimum of 1196 microseconds , and a maximum of 1 second . microcontroller ic 2 400 is programmed continually to “ listen ” for its data stream . when microcontroller ic 2 400 is “ listening ,” but before it detects a data packet intended for it , it is running a routine designed to create the square wave signal outputs on pins 434 , 454 and 474 . the values in the color registers determine the duty cycle of the square wave . since each register can take on a value from 0 to 255 , these values create 256 possible different duty cycles in a linear range from 0 % to 100 %. since the square wave frequency is uniform and determined by the program running in the microcontroller ic 2 400 , these different discrete duty cycles represent variations in the width of the square wave pulses . this is known as pulse width modulation ( pwm ). the pwm interrupt routine is implemented using a simple counter , incrementing from 0 to 255 in a cycle during each period of the square wave output on pins 434 , 454 and 474 . when the counter rolls over to zero , all three signals are set high . once the counter equals the register value , signal output is changed to low . when microcontroller ic 2 400 receives new data , it freezes the counter , copies the new data to the working registers , compares the new register values with the current count and updates the output pins accordingly , and then restarts the counter exactly where it left off . thus , intensity values may be updated in the middle of the pwm cycle . freezing the counter and simultaneously updating the signal outputs has at least two advantages . first , it allows each lighting unit to quickly pulse / strobe as a strobe light does . such strobing happens when the central controller sends network data having high intensity values alternately with network data having zero intensity values at a rapid rate . if one restarted the counter without first updating the signal outputs , then the human eye would be able to perceive the staggered deactivation of each individual color led that is set at a different pulse width . this feature is not of concern in incandescent lights because of the integrating effect associated with the heating and cooling cycle of the illumination element . leds , unlike incandescent elements , activate and deactivate essentially instantaneously in the present application . the second advantage is that one can “ dim ” the leds without the flickering that would otherwise occur if the counter were reset to zero . the central controller can send a continuous dimming signal when it creates a sequence of intensity values representing a uniform and proportional decrease in light intensity for each color led . if one did not update the output signals before restarting the counter , there is a possibility that a single color led will go through nearly two cycles without experiencing the zero current state of its duty cycle . for instance , assume the red register is set at 4 and the counter is set at 3 when it is frozen . here , the counter is frozen just before the “ off ” part of the pwm cycle is to occur for the red leds . now assume that the network data changes the value in the red register from 4 to 2 and the counter is restarted without deactivating the output signal . even though the counter is greater than the intensity value in the red register , the output state is still “ on ”, meaning that maximum current is still flowing through the red leds . meanwhile , the blue and green leds will probably turn off at their appropriate times in the pwm cycle . this would be perceived by the human eye as a red flicker in the course of dimming the color intensities . freezing the counter and updating the output for the rest of the pwm cycle overcomes these disadvantages , ensuring the flicker does not occur . the network interface for microcontroller ic 2 400 will now be described . jacks 800 and 900 are standard rj - 8 network jacks . jack 800 is used as an input jack , and is shown for simplicity as having only three inputs : signal inputs 860 , 870 and ground 850 . network data enters jack 800 and passes through signal inputs 860 and 870 . these signal inputs are then coupled to ic 3 500 , which is an rs - 485 / rs - 422 differential bus repeater of the standard type , preferably a ds96177 from the national semiconductor corporation , santa clara , calif . the teachings of the ds96177 datasheet are hereby incorporated by reference . the signal inputs 860 , 870 enter ic 3 500 at pins 560 , 570 . the data signal is passed through from pin 510 to pin 520 on microcontroller ic 2 400 . the same data signal is then returned from pin 540 on ic 2 400 to pin 530 on ic 3 500 . jack 900 is used as an output jack and is shown for simplicity as having only five outputs : signal outputs 960 , 970 , 980 , 990 and ground 950 . outputs 960 and 970 are split directly from input lines 860 and 870 , respectively . outputs 980 and 990 come directly from ic 3 500 pins 580 and 590 , respectively . it will be appreciated that the foregoing assembly enables two network nodes to be connected for receiving the network data . thus , a network may be constructed as a daisy chain 3000 ( or linear chain of nodes ), if only single nodes 2000 are strung together , as shown in fig2 b - 1 , or as a binary tree 4000 , if two nodes are attached to the output of each single node as shown in fig2 b - 2 . from the foregoing description , one can see that an addressable network of led illumination or display units 2000 as shown in fig2 a and fig2 b - 1 and 2 b - 2 can be constructed from a collection of power modules each connected to a respective light module . as long as at least two primary color leds are used , any illumination or display color may be generated simply by preselecting the light intensity that each color emits . further , each color led can emit light at any of 255 different intensities , depending on the duty cycle of pwm square wave , with a full intensity pulse generated by passing maximum current through the led . further still , the maximum intensity can be conveniently programmed simply by adjusting the ceiling for the maximum allowable current using programming resistances for the current regulators residing on the light module . light modules of different maximum current ratings may thereby be conveniently interchanged . the foregoing embodiment may reside in any number of different housings . a preferred housing for an illumination unit is described . turning now to fig3 , there is shown an exploded view of an illumination unit 2000 of the present invention comprising a substantially cylindrical body section 10 , a light module 20 , a conductive sleeve 30 , a power module 40 , a second conductive sleeve 50 and an enclosure plate 60 . it is to be assumed here that the light module 20 and the power module 40 contain the electrical structure and software of light module 100 and power module 200 , described above . screws 62 , 64 , 66 , 68 allow the entire apparatus to be mechanically connected . body section 10 , conductive sleeves 30 and 50 and enclosure plate 60 are preferably made from a material that conducts heat , most preferably aluminum . body section 10 has an open end 10 , a reflective interior portion 12 and an illumination end 13 , to which module 20 is mechanically affixed . light module 20 is disk shaped and has two sides . the illumination side ( not shown ) comprises a plurality of leds of different primary colors . the connection side holds an electrical connector male pin assembly 22 . both the illumination side and the connection side are coated with aluminum surfaces to better allow the conduction of heat outward from the plurality of leds to the body section 10 . likewise , power module 40 is disk shaped and has every available surface covered with aluminum for the same reason . power module 40 has a connection side holding an electrical connector female pin assembly 44 adapted to fit the pins from assembly 22 . power module 40 has a power terminal side holding a terminal 42 for connection to a source of dc power . any standard ac or dc jack may be used , as appropriate . interposed between light module 20 and power module 40 is a conductive aluminum sleeve 30 , which substantially encloses the space between modules 20 and 40 . as shown , a disk - shaped enclosure plate 60 and screws 62 , 64 , 66 and 68 sad all of the components together , and conductive sleeve 50 is thus interposed between enclosure plate 60 and power module 40 . once sealed together as a unit , the illumination apparatus may be connected to a data network as described above and mounted in any convenient manner to illuminate an area . in operation , preferably a light diffusing means 17 will be inserted in body section 10 to ensure that the leds on light module 20 appear to emit a single uniform frequency of light . from the foregoing , it will be appreciated that pwm current control of leds to produce multiple colors may be incorporated into countless environments , with or without networks . for instance , fig8 shows a hand - held flashlight can be made to shine any conceivable color using an led assembly of the present invention . the flashlight contains an external adjustment means 5 , that may be for instance a set of three potentiometers coupled to an appropriately programmed microcontroller 92 through respective a / d conversion means 15 . each potentiometer would control the current duty cycle , and thus the illumination intensity , of an individual color led on led board 25 . with three settings each capable of generating a different byte from 0 to 255 , a computer - controlled flashlight may generate twenty - four bit color . of course , three individual potentiometers can be incorporated into a single device , such as a track ball or joystick , so as to be operable as a single adjuster . further , it is not necessary that the adjustment means must be a potentiometer . for instance , a capacitive or resistive thumb plate may also be used to program the two or three registers necessary to set the color . a lens assembly 93 may be provided for reflecting the emitted light . a non - hand held embodiment of the present invention may be used as an underwater swimming pool light . since the present invention can operate at relatively low voltages and low current , it is uniquely suited for safe underwater operation . similarly , the present invention may be used as a general indicator of any given environmental condition . fig9 shows the general functional block diagram for such an apparatus . shown within fig9 is also an exemplary chart showing the duty cycles of the three color leds during an exemplary period . as one example of an environmental indicator 96 , the power module can be coupled to an inclinometer . the inclinometer measures general angular orientation with respect to the earth &# 39 ; s center of gravity . the inclinometer &# 39 ; s angle signal can be converted through an a / d converter 94 and coupled to the data inputs of the microcontroller 92 in the power module . the microcontroller 92 can then be programmed to assign each discrete angular orientation a different color through the use of a lookup table associating angles with led color register values . a current switch 90 , coupled to the microcontroller 92 , may be used to control the current supply to leds 120 , 140 , and 160 of different colors . the microcontroller 92 may be coupled to a transceiver 95 for transmitting and receiving signals . the “ color inclinometer ” may be used for safety , such as in airplane cockpits , or for novelty , such as to illuminate the sails on a sailboat that sways in the water . another indicator use is to provide an easily readable visual temperature indication . for example , a digital thermometer can be connected to provide the microcontroller a temperature reading . each temperature will be associated with a particular set of register values , and hence a particular color output . a plurality of such “ color thermometers ” can be located over a large space , such as a storage freezer , to allow simple visual inspection of temperature over three dimensions . another use of the present invention is as a light bulb 5000 , as shown for example in fig1 . using appropriate rectifier and voltage transformation means 97 , the entire power and light modules may be placed in an edison - mount ( screw - type 5010 ) light bulb housing . each bulb can be programmed with particular register values to deliver a particular color bulb , including white . the current regulator can be pre - programmed to give a desired current rating and thus preset light intensity . naturally , the light bulb will have a transparent or translucent section 5050 that allows the passage of light into the ambient . while the foregoing has been a detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention , the claims which follow define more freely the scope of invention to which applicant is entitled . modifications or improvements which may not come within the explicit language of the claims described in the preferred embodiments should be treated as within the scope of invention insofar as they are equivalent or otherwise consistent with the contribution over the prior art and such contribution is not to be limited to specific embodiments disclosed .	5
a more complete appreciation of the invention , and many of the attendant advantages thereof , will be better appreciated by reference to the following detailed description . a method for preparing a polyester resin according to the present invention comprises the steps of carrying out an esterification reaction or an ester exchange reaction of a diacid component and a diol component in the presence of phosphoric acid derivatives , and carrying out a polycondensation reaction for reaction product of the esterification and / or ester exchange reaction . therefore the method can increase the activity of an esterification reaction or an ester exchange reaction so that the reaction time is reduced , and the remaining rate of the secondary and / or the tertiary diol which have weak reactivity in the main chain of the polyester resin is increased , and the flame resistance and color stability of the polyester resin are improved . the reactivity is related to activation energy of an esterification reaction and / or an ester exchange reaction between a diacid component and a diol component , and also related to response rate of diol component in a competition reaction of diol component which is exceeded generally . the remaining rate is the content of component ( monomer ) contained in final polyester resin after polymerization with respect to the input of each component ( monomer ). the reaction time is the time for an esterification reaction and / or an ester exchange reaction , wherein a start point is the moment of adding a diacid component and a diol component and a termination point is the moment of drain of byproduct such as water and alcohol by 80 % of theoretical amount out of the system . the color stability is the character which makes the color of final polymer colorless or white by inhibiting the generation of colorbody or inhibiting side reaction by controlling the activity of catalyst . the colorbody is generated from reverse reaction or decomposition reaction where molecular chains are shorten by heat for an esterification reaction and / or an ester exchange reaction and polycondensation reaction , additional reaction heat , frictional heat from stirring , and so on . conventionally a stabilizer is used to increase the color stability , which absorbs the radical generated during a reaction or inhibits side reactions by catalysts . organic / inorganic additives to change colors may be added for the aimed color of polymer . phosphoric acid derivatives used in the present invention is selected from a group consisting of compounds represented by the following formulas 1 to 3 and mixture thereof . in formula 1 , r 1 is a linear , branched , mono - cyclic or multi - cyclic saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group of 0 to 10 , preferably 1 to 6 , more preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms . in formula 2 , r 2 is a hydrogen atom or a linear saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group of 1 to 10 , preferably 1 to 6 , more preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms , r 3 and r 4 are independently a linear , branched , mono - cyclic or multi - cyclic saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group of 1 to 10 , preferably 1 to 6 , more preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms . in formula 3 , r 5 is a linear , branched , mono - cyclic or multi - cyclic saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group of 1 to 10 , preferably 1 to 6 , more preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms , and r 6 is a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group of 1 to 10 , preferably 1 to 6 , more preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms . an input of the phosphoric acid derivatives is 0 . 001 to 2 parts by weight , preferably 0 . 01 to 1 parts by weight , more preferably 0 . 05 to 0 . 5 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the diacid component . if the input of the phosphoric acid derivatives is less than 0 . 001 part by weight , the above - mentioned enhanced effects of the reactivity and the flame resistance and the color stability of the polyester resin might not be appeared , and if the input of the phosphoric acid derivatives is more than 2 part by weight , the reaction time becomes longer , and the color stability might decrease . the diacid component used in the present invention is the compound with two carboxylic acids (— cooh ) or ester derivatives thereof . diacid components used for conventional polymerization of polyester resin can be used widely . for example , a dicarboxylic acid such as terephthalic acid , isophthalic acid , 1 , 4 - cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid , 1 , 3 - cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid , succinic acid , glutaric acid , adipic acid , sebacic acid , 2 , 6 - naphthalenedicarboxylic acid , and so on , and an ester derivative such as dimethylterephthalate , biphenyl dimethyldicarboxylate , and so on can be used in a single or mixed form . the ester derivative is formed by replacing the carboxyl group (— cooh ) of a dicarboxylic acid with alkylester group (— coor , r is alkyl group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms ), and does an ester exchange reaction with a diol component to participates in the polymerization . the diol component used in the present invention is a compound with two alcohol groups (— oh ). as the diol component , a primary diol only or a mixture of a primary diol and a secondary and / or a tertiary diol , can be used in the polymerization of a polyester resin . wherein , the primary diol is a compound with two alcohol groups , which has a form of linkage between a carbon atom bonded with alcohol group and another carbon atom . as the primary diol used in the polymerization of the polyester resin of the present invention , conventional primary diol components can be used widely . examples of primary diol components include ethylene glycol ( eg ), 1 , 4 - cyclohexanedimethanol , 1 , 3 - propanediol , 1 , 4 - butanediol , 2 , 2 - dimethyl - 1 , 3 - propanediol , 1 , 6 - hexanediol , 1 , 2 - cyclohexanedimethanol , 1 , 3 - cyclohexanedimethanol , and so on . preferably , ethylene glycol , 1 , 4 - cyclohexanedimethanol or the mixture of ethylene glycol and 1 , 4 - cyclohexanedimethanol can be used as the dial component . the input of the primary dial is 1 to 200 parts by mole , preferably 10 to 150 parts by mole with respect to 100 parts by mole of the diacid component . if the input of the primary diol is less than 1 part by mole , the final degree of polymerization might be reduced because of insufficient esterification reaction and / or ester exchange reaction , and if the input of the primary diol is more than 200 parts by mole , there are no specific advantages , and the polymerization reaction time is getting longer . the secondary dial is a compound with two alcohol groups , which has a form of linkage between carbon atom bonded with alcohol group and other two carbon atoms . as the secondary diol used in the polymerization of the polyester resin of the present invention , conventional secondary diol components can be used widely . examples of the secondary diol components include 1 , 2 - propanediol , 1 , 2 - cyclohexanediol , 1 , 4 - cyclohexanediol , isosorbide , 2 , 2 , 4 , 4 - tetramethylcyclo - 1 , 3 - butanediol , and so on . the tertiary diol is a compound with two alcohol groups , which has a form of linkage between carbon atom bonded with alcohol group and other three carbon atoms . as the tertiary diol used in the polymerization of the polyester resin of the present invention , conventional tertiary diol components can be used widely . for example , bisphenol - a , and so on can be used . the secondary and / or the tertiary diol used in the present invention is preferably selected from a group consisting of isosorbide , 2 - propyleneglycol ( 1 , 2 - propanediol ), 2 , 2 , 4 , 4 - tetramethylcyclo - 1 , 3 - butane dial , bisphenol - a and mixture thereof . the input of the secondary and / or the tertiary dial is 0 to 200 parts by mole , preferably 1 to 140 parts by mole , more preferably 10 to 70 parts by mole with respect to 100 parts by mole of the diacid component . if the input of the secondary and / or tertiary dial is more than 200 parts by mole , there is no specific advantage , and the polymerization reaction time is getting longer . generally , the reactivity and reaction rate of a primary diol is higher than a secondary and a tertiary dial for the reason that a primary dial has lower steric hinderance than a secondary and a tertiary diol , and the reactivity and reaction rate of a secondary dial is higher than a tertiary diol for the same reason . a method for preparing a polyester resin according to the present invention is carried out by two steps . the first is the step of producing the product of an esterification reaction and / or an ester exchange reaction such as diglycolester ( for example , bis - β - hydroxyethylterephtalate ( bht )) of 1 to 15 - mer by removing byproducts ( water or alkanol ) of an esterification reaction and / or an ester exchange reaction of a diacid component and a diol component out of the system , in the presence of the phosphoric acid derivatives . and the second is the step of polycondensation of the product of the esterification reaction and / or the ester exchange reaction at high temperature and high vacuum . the polycondensation which is called a exchange esterification reaction is carried out by a ester exchange and diol removing reaction , and has higher activation energy than the reaction of the first step so that it needs catalyst such as antimony and zinc . and the reaction is carried out at high temperature and high vacuum because of the melting point of the polymerized polyester and for eliminating the diol out of the system . the molar ratio of diol component to diacid component used for the preparation of the polyester resin is related to the degree of polymerization , molecular weight , which is getting higher as the ratio is closed to 1 . but the first reaction is generally carried out with excess diol component by 1 . 05 to 2 . 2 molar ratio of diol component to diacid component , and in the second step , the polymerization is carried out by raising molecular weight by draining the excess diol out of the system . over certain temperature , excess diol components participate , with competing with different dial components , in the esterification reaction and / or the ester exchange reaction with diacid component . the reaction rate is connected with the reactivity of each diol and is related to the boiling point and the remaining rate of each diol in the succeeding polycondensation reaction at the high vacuum . hereinafter , the following examples are provided to illustrate the present invention in more detail , but the present invention is not restricted or limited by the following examples . 100 g ( 0 . 6 mol ) of terephthalic acid ( tpa ), 55 g ( 0 . 886 mol ) of ethylene glycol ( eg ) and 0 . 24 g ( 0 . 001 mol ) of ( 2 - carboxylethyl ) phenylphosphinic acid ( formula 1 , r 1 ═— ch 2 ch 2 —) as phosphoric acid derivatives were added into a reactor and mixed , and heated slowly until 250 , and then water or methanol as byproduct was drained up to 80 % of theoretical amount . thereafter , germanium oxide ( geo 2 ) was added as a polycondensation catalyst , and the vacuum reaction was carried out for 3 hours at 275 . the polyester resin whose intrinsic viscosity is 0 . 60 dl / g and more and number average molecular weight is 20 , 000 ˜ 30 , 000 , was obtained . the characteristics of the polyester resin are set forth in the following table 1 . except for using 0 . 48 g ( 0 . 002 mol ) of phosphoric acid derivatives instead of using 0 . 24 g ( 0 . 001 mol ) of phosphoric acid derivatives , the polyester resin whose the intrinsic viscosity is 0 . 60 dl / g and more and the number average molecular weight is 20 , 000 ˜ 30 , 000 was obtained according to the same manner of the above stated example 1 . the characteristics of the polyester resin are set forth in the following table 1 . except for using 117 g ( 0 . 6 mol ) of dimethylterephthalate ( dmt ) instead of using 100 g ( 0 . 6 mol ) of terephthalic acid ( tpa ), and using 65 g ( 1 . 047 mol ) of ethylene glycol ( eg ) instead of using 55 g ( 0 . 886 mol ) of ethylene glycol ( eg ), the polyester resin whose the intrinsic viscosity is 0 . 60 dl / g and more and the number average molecular weight is 20 , 000 ˜ 30 , 000 was obtained according to the same manner of the above stated example 1 . the characteristics of the polyester resin are set forth in the following table 1 . except for further adding 16 g ( 0 . 109 mol ) of isosorbide ( isb ), the polyester resin whose the intrinsic viscosity is 0 . 60 dl / g and more and the number average molecular weight is 20 , 000 ˜ 30 , 000 was obtained according to the same manner of the above stated example 1 . the characteristics of the polyester resin are set forth in the following table 1 . except for using 0 . 48 g ( 0 . 002 mol ) of phosphoric acid derivatives , instead of using 0 . 24 g ( 0 . 001 mol ) of phosphoric acid derivatives , and further adding 16 g ( 0 . 109 mol ) of isosorbide ( isb ), the polyester resin whose the intrinsic viscosity is 0 . 60 dl / g and more and the number average molecular weight is 20 , 000 ˜ 30 , 000 was obtained according to the same manner of the above stated example 1 . the characteristics of the polyester resin are set forth in the following table 1 . except for using 117 g ( 0 . 6 mol ) of dimethylterephthalate ( dmt ) instead of using 100 g ( 0 . 6 mol ) of terephthalic acid ( tpa ), and using 65 g ( 1 . 047 mol ) of ethylene glycol ( eg ) instead of using 55 g ( 0 . 886 mol ) of ethylene glycol ( eg ), and further adding 16 g ( 0 . 109 mol ) of isosorbide ( isb ), the polyester resin whose the intrinsic viscosity is 0 . 60 dl / g and more and the number average molecular weight is 20 , 000 ˜ 30 , 000 was obtained according to the same manner of the above stated example 1 . the characteristics of the polyester resin are set forth in the following table 1 . except for not using phosphoric acid derivatives , the polyester resin whose the intrinsic viscosity is 0 . 60 dl / g and more and the number average molecular weight is 20 , 000 ˜ 30 , 000 was obtained according to the same manner of the above stated example 1 . the characteristics of the polyester resin are set forth in the following table 1 . except for not using phosphoric acid derivatives , the polyester resin whose the intrinsic viscosity is 0 . 60 dl / g and more and the number average molecular weight is 20 , 000 ˜ 30 , 000 was obtained according to the same manner of the above stated example 3 . the characteristics of the polyester resin are set forth in the following table 1 . except for not using phosphoric acid derivatives , the polyester resin whose the intrinsic viscosity is 0 . 60 dl / g and more and the number average molecular weight is 20 , 000 ˜ 30 , 000 was obtained according to the same manner of the above stated example 4 . the characteristics of the polyester resin are set forth in the following table 1 . except for not using phosphoric acid derivatives , the polyester resin whose the intrinsic viscosity is 0 . 60 dl / g and more and the number average molecular weight is 20 , 000 ˜ 30 , 000 was obtained according to the same manner of the above stated example 6 . the characteristics of the polyester resin are set forth in the following table 1 . in the examples and comparative examples , the value of color a , b was measured by colorimeter ( data processor dp - 400 for chroma meter ) produced by konica minolta sensing , inc . for evaluating the color stability . and the flame resistance was evaluated by measuring the burning time of samples using ul - 94 method . as shown in table 1 , in the present invention ( examples ), the flame resistance of the polyester resin prepared by using phosphoric acid derivatives of the present invention was improved , and color stability was advanced by approximating the value of color a , b to 0 as compared with comparative examples using no phosphoric acid derivatives at the same condition . and in the present invention , the remaining rate of the secondary or tertiary diol was increased by over 6 % at the same condition , and the reaction time for esterification and ester exchange was getting shortened . moreover , the similar result was obtained even in the case of using phosphoric acid derivatives of formula 2 or 3 instead of phosphoric acid derivatives of formula 1 .	2
electric curtain opening and closing devices in accordance with embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the figures . fig1 shows an example of a configuration of an electric curtain opening and closing device 1 in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention . the electric curtain opening and closing device 1 is a one - way draw curtain including one curtain . the electric curtain opening and closing device 1 includes a movable body 100 , a curtain rail 200 , a control unit 300 , and a power source not shown . the movable body 100 has a hanging fitting 130 at a lower portion . a curtain 400 is hung from the hanging fitting 130 , and the movable body 100 is moved along the curtain rail 200 , thereby opening and closing the curtain 400 . the control unit 300 controls the entire electric curtain opening and closing device 1 . as shown in fig2 , the movable body 100 includes , in addition to the hanging fitting 130 , a housing 101 , an electric motor 102 , an electrode 111 , an electrode 112 , a wheel 121 , a wheel 122 , a wheel 123 , and a wheel 124 . the electric motor 102 is built in the housing 101 . the electrode 111 and the electrode 112 are arranged on a right side face and a left side face of the housing 101 , respectively . the wheel 121 , the wheel 122 , the wheel 123 , and the wheel 124 are arranged at four corners of a bottom face of the housing 101 , and the hanging fitting 130 is arranged at the center of the bottom face . as shown in fig3 , the curtain rail 200 has a hollow portion 201 , an opening 202 , a power supply pattern 211 , a power supply pattern 212 , a wheel travelling portion 221 , and a wheel travelling portion 222 . as shown in fig1 , the curtain rail 200 has a detector 250 in the vicinity of a right end of an upper face . the curtain rail 200 further has a detector not shown in the vicinity of a left end of the upper face . the hollow portion 201 that is hollow is located in the curtain rail 200 . as shown in fig1 , the movable body 100 is arranged in the hollow portion 201 of the curtain rail 200 . the hanging fitting 130 protrudes downward from the opening 202 . the power supply pattern 211 and the power supply pattern 212 each include a conductor that passes electricity . the power supply pattern 211 and the power supply pattern 212 extend along a left inner side face and a right inner side face of the curtain rail 200 , respectively . a positive or negative voltage is applied to the power supply pattern 211 and the power supply pattern 212 from the power source not shown . when the positive voltage is applied to the power supply pattern 211 , the negative voltage is applied to the power supply pattern 212 . on the other hand , when the negative voltage is applied to the power supply pattern 211 , the positive voltage is applied to the power supply pattern 212 . the control unit 300 can control the power source to switch the positive and negative of the voltage applied to the power supply pattern 211 and the power supply pattern 212 . the control unit 300 also can control the power source to change the magnitude of the voltage applied to the power supply pattern 211 and the power supply pattern 212 . the electrode 111 and the electrode 112 provided on the left side face and the right side face of the movable body 100 , respectively , each have , for example , a brush , and the brushes contact the power supply pattern 211 and the power supply pattern 212 to supply power to the electric motor 102 . the electric motor 102 receives power from the power source through the pair of electrode 111 and electrode 112 , and rotates . the electric motor 102 is , for example , a dc motor , and rotates in both of positive and negative directions . when the positive and negative of the voltage applied to the electrode 111 and the electrode 112 is switched , positive rotation and negative rotation of the electric motor 102 are switched . as the voltage applied to the electrode 111 and the electrode 112 increases , rotating speed of the electric motor 102 increases , and as the voltage decreases , the rotating speed of the electric motor 102 decreases . when the electric motor 102 rotates , the wheel 122 and the wheel 124 rotate , and the movable body 100 moves along the curtain rail 200 . when the movable body 100 moves , the wheel 121 and the wheel 122 move on the wheel travelling portion 221 of the curtain rail 200 , and the wheel 123 and the wheel 124 move on the wheel travelling portion 222 . the control unit 300 operates the power source to control the positive and negative of the voltage applied to the power supply pattern 211 and the power supply pattern 212 , thereby controlling the direction in which the movable body 100 moves . the control unit 300 operates the power source to control the magnitude of the voltage applied to the power supply pattern 211 and the power supply pattern 212 , thereby controlling the moving speed of the movable body 100 . the detector 250 in the vicinity of the right end and the detector not shown in the vicinity of the left end each are , for example , a contact switch . when detecting that the movable body 100 contacts the detector 250 in the vicinity of the right end and the detector not shown in the vicinity of the left end , the control unit 300 turns off the power source to stop the movable body 100 . accordingly , when the movable body 100 moves to completely open or close the curtain 400 , the movable body 100 automatically stops . in the electric curtain opening and closing device 1 in accordance with the first embodiment , one curtain is hung from the hanging fitting 130 of the movable body 100 . when the curtain is opened / closed , the control unit 300 applies a voltage between the power supply pattern 211 and the power supply pattern 212 to move the movable body 100 . thereby , one curtain hung from the hanging fitting 130 of the movable body 100 is opened / closed . when the movable body 100 is located between the power supply pattern 211 and the power supply pattern 212 , the control unit 300 can stop or move the movable body 100 at any position . that is , the control unit 300 may be brought into the completely - opened state , a partially opened state , or the completely - closed state of one curtain . fig4 and fig5 show an example of a configuration of an electric curtain opening and closing device 2 in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention . the electric curtain opening and closing device 2 is for a two - way draw curtain that is opened to the left side or the right side . the electric curtain opening and closing device 2 includes two movable bodies 100 , a curtain rail 260 , a control unit 300 , and a power source not shown . the movable body 100 included in the electric curtain opening and closing device 2 has the same configuration as the movable body 100 included in the electric curtain opening and closing device 1 in accordance with the first embodiment . the curtain rail 260 has the hollow portion 201 , the opening 202 , the power supply pattern 211 , the power supply pattern 212 , the wheel travelling portion 221 , the wheel travelling portion 222 , a detector 251 , and a detector 252 . the curtain rail 260 includes no detector 250 arranged in the vicinity of the right end of the upper face of the curtain rail 200 included in the electric curtain opening and closing device 1 , and includes the detector 252 arranged a little to the left with respect to the center of the upper face of the curtain rail 260 . except for this , the curtain rail 260 has the same configuration as the curtain rail 200 . the detector 251 arranged in the vicinity of the left end of the upper face also exists in the electric curtain opening and closing device 1 ( the detector 251 is not shown in fig1 ). the same constituents in fig4 and fig5 as those in fig1 are given the same reference numerals , and description thereof is omitted . for ease of understanding , fig4 shows only the power supply pattern 211 , the power supply pattern 212 , and a rectangle representing the movable body 100 . an arrow added to the rectangle representing the movable body 100 shows an orientation of the movable body 100 . when the positive electrode is applied to the electrode 111 and the negative voltage is applied to the electrode 112 , the movable body 100 moves in the direction of the arrow . on the other hand , when the negative voltage is applied to the electrode 111 and the positive voltage is applied to the electrode 112 , the movable body 100 moves in a direction opposite to the arrow . as shown in fig4 , when the positive (+) voltage and the negative (−) voltage are applied to the power supply pattern 211 and the power supply pattern 212 , respectively , the left movable body 100 moves to the right , and the right movable body 100 moves to the left . that is , two movable bodies 100 move to close the curtain . when detecting that the left movable body 100 contacts the detector 251 in the vicinity of the left end or the detector 252 located a little to the left with respect to the center , the control unit 300 turns off the power source to stop the left movable body 100 and the right movable body 100 at the same time . in the electric curtain opening and closing device 2 in accordance with the second embodiment , the left curtain is hung from the hanging fitting 130 of the left movable body 100 , and the right curtain is hung from the hanging fitting 130 of the right movable body 100 . the control unit 300 applies the voltage between the power supply pattern 211 and the power supply pattern 212 to move the left movable body 100 and the right movable body 100 at the same time . thereby , the left curtain and the right curtain are opened or closed at the same time . fig6 and fig7 show an example of a configuration of an electric curtain opening and closing device 3 in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention . the electric curtain opening and closing device 3 is for the two - way draw curtain . in the two - way draw curtain , the left and right curtains are different from each other in weight , or either the left or right curtain may get stuck on an obstacle . depending on the configuration of the electric motor 102 , even when the same voltage is applied to the electric motor 102 , the moving speed of the movable body 100 may vary according to whether the rotation is positive rotation or negative rotation . in such case , in the electric curtain opening and closing device 2 in accordance with the second embodiment , a difference in the moving speed between the left movable body 100 and the right movable body 100 is generated . for this reason , in the electric curtain opening and closing device 2 , a gap between the left and right curtains and collision between the two movable bodies 100 may occur . however , the electric curtain opening and closing device 3 in accordance with the third embodiment can individually control the moving direction and the moving speed of the left movable body 100 and the right movable body 100 . the electric curtain opening and closing device 3 also can move one movable body 100 while stopping the other movable body 100 . the electric curtain opening and closing device 3 includes the two movable bodies 100 , a curtain rail 261 , a control unit 300 , a power source 501 , and a power source 502 . the movable body 100 included in the electric curtain opening and closing device 3 has the same configuration as the movable body 100 included in the electric curtain opening and closing device 1 in accordance with the first embodiment . the curtain rail 261 has a hollow portion 201 , an opening 202 , a power supply pattern 231 , a power supply pattern 236 , a wheel travelling portion 221 , a wheel travelling portion 222 , a detector 250 , a detector 251 , a detector 252 , and a detector 253 . the same constituents in fig6 and fig7 as those in fig1 , fig4 , and fig5 are given the same reference numerals , and description thereof is omitted . as in fig4 , for ease of understanding , fig6 ( a ) and fig6 ( b ) show only the power supply pattern 231 , the power supply pattern 236 , patterns representing the movable bodies 100 , a power source 501 , and a power source 502 . arrows added to the patterns representing the movable bodies 100 have the same meaning as in fig4 . note that , in fig6 ( a ) , the left movable body 100 and the right movable body 100 are oriented in opposite directions , and in fig6 ( b ) , the left movable body 100 and the right movable body 100 are oriented in the same direction . the power supply pattern 231 is configured such that a first conducting portion 232 and a second conducting portion 234 are located on the left side and the right side , respectively , and a first insulating portion 233 is sandwiched between the first conducting portion 232 and the second conducting portion 234 . similarly , the power supply pattern 236 is configured such that a third conducting portion 237 and a fourth conducting portion 239 are located on the left side and the right side , respectively , and a second insulating portion 238 is sandwiched between the third conducting portion 237 and the fourth conducting portion 239 . the first conducting portion 232 , the second conducting portion 234 , the third conducting portion 237 , and the fourth conducting portion 239 each include a conductor that passes electricity . the first insulating portion 233 and the second insulating portion 238 each include an insulator that does not pass electricity . the power source 501 applies a voltage between the left first conducting portion 232 of the power supply pattern 231 and the left third conducting portion 237 of the power supply pattern 236 . in addition , the power source 502 applies a voltage between the right second conducting portion 234 of the power supply pattern 231 and the right fourth conducting portion 239 of the power supply pattern 236 . the control unit 300 operates the power source 501 to control the positive and negative and the magnitude of the voltage applied to the left first conducting portion 232 of the power supply pattern 231 and the left third conducting portion 237 of the power supply pattern 236 . thereby , the control unit 300 can control the moving direction and the moving speed of the left movable body 100 . similarly , the control unit 300 operates the power source 502 to control the positive and negative and the magnitude of the voltage applied to the right second conducting portion 234 of the power supply pattern 231 and the right fourth conducting portion 239 of the power supply pattern 236 . thereby , the control unit 300 can control the moving direction and the moving speed of the right movable body 100 . the detector 253 is arranged a little to the right with respect to the center of the upper face of the curtain rail 261 . when detecting that the left movable body 100 contacts the detector 251 in the vicinity of the left end or the detector 252 located a little to the left with respect to the center , the control unit 300 turns off the power source 501 to stop the left movable body 100 . similarly , when detecting that the right movable body 100 contacts the detector 253 located a little to the left with respect to the center or the detector 250 in the vicinity of the right end , the control unit 300 turns off the power source 502 to stop the right movable body 100 . the electric curtain opening and closing device 3 in accordance with the third embodiment controls the positive and negative of the voltage applied to the first conducting portion 232 and the third conducting portion 237 , and the second conducting portion 234 and the fourth conducting portion 239 , thereby controlling the direction in which the left movable body 100 and the right movable body 100 move . for example , in fig6 ( a ) , the positive (+) voltage and the negative (−) voltage are applied to the first conducting portion 232 and the third conducting portion 237 , respectively , and the positive (+) voltage and the negative (−) voltage are applied to the second conducting portion 234 and the fourth conducting portion 239 , respectively . at this time , the left movable body 100 and the right movable body 100 move so as to close the left and right curtains . on the other hand , in fig6 ( b ) , the positive (+) voltage and the negative (−) voltage are applied to the first conducting portion 232 and the third conducting portion 237 , respectively , and the negative (−) voltage and the positive (+) voltage are applied to the second conducting portion 234 and the fourth conducting portion 239 , respectively . also in this case , as in fig6 ( a ) , the left movable body 100 and the right movable body 100 move so as to close the left and right curtains . in the electric curtain opening and closing device 3 in accordance with the third embodiment , the left curtain is hung from the hanging fitting 130 of the left movable body 100 , and the right curtain is hung from the hanging fitting 130 of the right movable body 100 . in the case of opening or closing the left curtain , the control unit 300 allows the power source 501 to apply a voltage between the first conducting portion 232 of the power supply pattern 231 and the third conducting portion 237 of the power supply pattern 236 , thereby moving the left movable body 100 . thereby , the left curtain hung from the hanging fitting 130 of the left movable body 100 is opened and closed . in the case of opening or closing the right curtain , the control unit 300 allows the power source 502 to apply a voltage between the second conducting portion 234 of the power supply pattern 231 and the fourth conducting portion 239 of the power supply pattern 236 , thereby moving the right movable body 100 . thereby , the right curtain hung from the hanging fitting 130 of the right movable body 100 is opened and closed . the control unit 300 can individually move the left movable body 100 , and when the left movable body 100 is located between the first conducting portion 232 and the third conducting portion 237 , can stop or move the left movable body 100 at any position . that is , the control unit 300 can bring the left curtain into the completely - opened state , a partially opened state , or the completely - closed state , irrespective of the right curtain . similarly , the control unit 300 can also individually move the right movable body 100 , and when the right movable body 100 is located between the second conducting portion 234 and the fourth conducting portion 239 , can stop or move the right movable body 100 at any position . that is , the control unit 300 can bring the right curtain into the completely - opened state , a partially opened state , or the completely - closed state , irrespective of the left curtain . fig8 shows an example of a configuration of an electric curtain opening and closing device in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention 4 . the electric curtain opening and closing device 4 is for the one - way draw curtain . the electric curtain opening and closing device 4 includes a movable body 150 , a curtain rail 261 , a control unit 300 , and a power source 503 . the electric curtain opening and closing device 4 uses the curtain rail 261 included in the electric curtain opening and closing device 3 in accordance with the third embodiment to constitute the electric curtain opening and closing device for the one - way draw curtain . the movable body 150 has a housing 101 , an electric motor 102 , an electrode 161 , an electrode 162 , an electrode 163 , an electrode 164 , a wheel 121 , a wheel 122 , a wheel 123 , a wheel 124 , and a hanging fitting 130 . the movable body 150 has the same configuration as the movable body 100 except for including the four electrodes ( the electrode 161 , the electrode 162 , the electrode 163 , and the electrode 164 ) instead of two electrodes . as shown in fig9 , in the movable body 150 , the electrode 161 and the electrode 162 are connected to each other , and have the same potential . the electrode 163 and the electrode 164 are also connected to each other , and have the same potential . for example , as shown in fig1 , it is assumed that a distance x between the electrode 161 and the electrode 162 is smaller than a width y in the longitudinal direction of the first insulating portion 233 , or a distance x ′ between the electrode 163 and the electrode 164 is smaller than a width y ′ in the longitudinal direction of the second insulating portion 238 . in this configuration , when the movable body 150 stops at a position where it is sandwiched between the insulating portion 233 and the insulating portion 238 as shown in fig1 , the control unit 300 cannot move the movable body 150 again . for this reason , in the movable body 150 , the distance x between the electrode 161 and the electrode 162 needs to be larger than the width y in the longitudinal direction of the first insulating portion 233 , and the distance x ′ between the electrode 163 and the electrode 164 needs to be larger than the width y ′ in the longitudinal direction of the second insulating portion 238 . in the electric curtain opening and closing device 4 in accordance with the fourth embodiment , one curtain is hung from the hanging fitting 130 of the movable body 100 . in the case of opening and closing the curtain , the control unit 300 allows the power source 503 to apply the same voltage between the first conducting portion 232 of the power supply pattern 231 and the third conducting portion 237 of the power supply pattern 236 , and between the second conducting portion 234 of the power supply pattern 231 and the fourth conducting portion 239 of the power supply pattern 236 to move the movable body 100 . thereby , one curtain hung from the hanging fitting 130 of the movable body 100 is opened and closed . when the movable body 100 is located between the power supply pattern 231 and the power supply pattern 236 , the control unit 300 can stop or move the movable body 100 at any position . that is , the control unit 300 can bring the one curtain into the completely - opened state , a partially opened state , or the completely - closed state . note that , the detector 252 and the detector 253 are provided for the electric curtain opening and closing device 3 for the two - way draw curtain . thus , in the electric curtain opening and closing device 4 , the control unit 300 ignores signals from the detector 252 and the detector 253 . fig1 and fig1 show an example of a configuration of an electric curtain opening and closing device 5 as a modification of the electric curtain opening and closing device 4 in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention . the electric curtain opening and closing device 5 includes a movable body 100 , a curtain rail 262 , a control unit 300 , and a power source 503 . the curtain rail 262 has a power supply pattern 241 and a power supply pattern 246 in place of the power supply pattern 231 and the power supply pattern 236 in the curtain rail 261 of the electric curtain opening and closing device 4 . like the power supply pattern 231 , the power supply pattern 241 is configured such that a fifth conducting portion 242 and a sixth conducting portion 244 are located on the left side and the right side , respectively , and a third insulating portion 243 is sandwiched between the fifth conducting portion 242 and the sixth conducting portion 244 . however , unlike the power supply pattern 231 , the power supply pattern 241 has an overlapping portion 240 where the fifth conducting portion 242 and the sixth conducting portion 244 overlap each other in the third insulating portion 243 . like the power supply pattern 236 , the power supply pattern 246 is configured such that a seventh conducting portion 247 and an eighth conducting portion 249 are located on the left side and the right side , respectively , and a fourth insulating portion 248 is sandwiched between the seventh conducting portion 247 and the eighth conducting portion 249 . however , unlike the power supply pattern 236 , the power supply pattern 246 has an overlapping portion 245 where the seventh conducting portion 247 and the eighth conducting portion 249 overlap each other in the fourth insulating portion 248 . the fifth conducting portion 242 , the sixth conducting portion 244 , the seventh conducting portion 247 , and the eighth conducting portion 249 each include a conductor that passes electricity . the third insulating portion 243 and the fourth insulating portion 248 each include an insulator that does not pass electricity . due to the presence of the overlapping portion 240 and the overlapping portion 245 , even when the movable body 100 stops at a position where it is sandwiched between the third insulating portion 243 and the fourth insulating portion 248 , the control unit 300 can move the movable body 100 again . fig1 shows an example of appearance of an electric curtain opening and closing device 6 in accordance with the fifth embodiment of the present invention . the electric curtain opening and closing device 6 is for the two - way draw curtain . the electric curtain opening and closing device 6 includes two movable bodies 100 , a curtain rail 263 , a power source 501 , a power source 502 , and a remote controller ( wireless signal transmission device ) 602 . the movable body 100 included in the electric curtain opening and closing device 6 has the same configuration as the movable body 100 included in the electric curtain opening and closing device 3 in accordance with the third embodiment . the curtain rail 263 has a hollow portion 201 , an opening 202 , a power supply pattern 231 , a power supply pattern 236 , a wheel travelling portion 221 , a wheel travelling portion 222 , a detector 250 , a detector 251 , a detector 252 , a detector 253 , a control unit 600 , and an antenna 601 . the curtain rail 263 has the control unit 600 arranged in a housing of the curtain rail 263 , and is different from the curtain rail 261 included in the electric curtain opening and closing device 3 in accordance with the third embodiment in that the antenna 601 for receiving a wireless signal is connected to the control unit 600 . the control unit 600 has a reception circuit for the wireless signal therein . the same constituents in fig1 as those in fig6 and fig7 are given the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted . the remote controller 602 includes a button r / l ( right / left ) for selecting the movable body 100 arranged on the left side or the movable body 100 arranged on the right side , a button o ( open ), a button s ( stop ), and a button c ( close ) that controls the selected movable body 100 . when the user presses any of these buttons , the remote controller 602 transmits a wireless signal , indicating that the button is pressed , to the antenna 601 . in response to the signal received by the antenna 601 , the control unit 600 controls electricity supplied to the power supply pattern 231 and the power supply pattern 236 to move the two movable bodies 100 . fig1 shows an example of appearance of an electric curtain opening and closing device 7 in accordance with the sixth embodiment of the present invention . the electric curtain opening and closing device 7 is for a double curtain consisting of a thin curtain and a thick curtain , as well as the two - way draw curtain . the electric curtain opening and closing device 7 includes four movable bodies 100 , a curtain rail 261 , a curtain rail 264 , four power sources , and a remote controller ( wireless signal transmission device ) 612 . the movable body 100 included in the electric curtain opening and closing device 7 has the same configuration as the movable body 100 included in the electric curtain opening and closing device 3 in accordance with the third embodiment . the curtain rail 261 has the same configuration as the curtain rail 261 included in the electric curtain opening and closing device 3 in accordance with the third embodiment . the curtain rail 264 has a hollow portion 201 , an opening 202 , a power supply pattern 231 , a power supply pattern 236 , a wheel travelling portion 221 , a wheel travelling portion 222 , a detector 250 , a detector 251 , a detector 252 , a detector 253 , a control unit 610 , and an antenna 601 . the curtain rail 264 includes a control signal line 611 for controlling the two movable bodies 100 arranged in the curtain rail 261 . the curtain rail 264 is different from the curtain rail 263 included in the electric curtain opening and closing device 6 in accordance with the fifth embodiment in that the control unit 610 controls the movement of the two movable bodies 100 arranged in the curtain rail 264 and the movement of the two movable bodies 100 arranged in the curtain rail 261 . the control unit 610 is the same as the control unit 600 in that it has the reception circuit for the wireless signal . the same constituents in fig1 as those in fig6 , fig7 , and fig1 are given the same reference numerals , and description thereof is omitted . a remote controller 622 includes a button f / b ( front / back ) in addition to the button r / l , the button o , the button s , and the button c . the button f / b selects the curtain rail 264 or the curtain rail 261 . when the user presses any of these buttons , the remote controller 612 transmits a wireless signal indicating that the button is pressed to the antenna 601 . in response to the signal received by the antenna 601 , the control unit 610 controls electricity supplied to the power supply pattern 231 and the power supply pattern 236 of the curtain rail 261 , and electricity supplied to the power supply pattern 231 and the power supply pattern 236 of the curtain rail 264 to move the four movable bodies 100 . in each of the above - mentioned embodiments , the power supply pattern 211 and the power supply pattern 212 , the power supply pattern 231 and the power supply pattern 236 , and the power supply pattern 241 and the power supply pattern 246 extend along the left inner side face and the right inner side face of the curtain rail 200 and the like , respectively , and , however , each of the power supply patterns may extend along the inner side of the upper face of the curtain rail . each of the power supply patterns may extend overlapping the wheel travelling portion 221 and the wheel travelling portion 222 , and the whole or a part of the wheel 121 , the wheel 122 , the wheel 123 , and the wheel 124 may be used as the electrode . although the movable body 100 and the movable body 150 have the wheel 121 , the wheel 122 , the wheel 123 , and the wheel 124 in each of the above - mentioned embodiments , the number of wheels may be two or six , and the movable body 100 and the movable body 150 may have any number of wheels . in the first embodiment , second embodiment , and third embodiment , the movable body 150 may be used in place of the movable body 100 . a movable body provided with three or more electrodes on each of the right side face and the left side face may be adopted . although the movable body 100 or the movable body 150 has been referred to in connection with the fourth embodiment , a movable body provided with three or more electrodes on each of the right side face and the left side face may be used instead . however , in this case , a distance between the electrodes at both ends of the right side face needs to exceed the longitudinal width y of the first insulating portion 233 , and a distance between the electrodes at both ends of the left side face needs to exceed the longitudinal width y ′ of the second insulating portion 238 . although the electric curtain opening and closing device 5 in the modification example of the above - described fourth embodiment is for the one - way draw curtain , the curtain rail 262 and the two movable bodies 100 in fig1 and fig1 may be used to constitute an electric curtain opening and closing device for the two - way draw curtain . in the above - described third embodiment , the control unit 300 can individually move the left movable body 100 and the right movable body 100 and , however , the control unit 300 may simultaneously move the left movable body 100 and the right movable body 100 in cooperation . however , in this case , when detecting that the left movable body 100 contacts the detector 251 in the vicinity of the left end or the detector 252 located a little to the left with respect to the center , even when the right movable body 100 is moving , the control unit 300 turns off the power source 501 to stop the left movable body 100 . similarly , when detecting that the detector 253 located a little to the left with respect to the center or the detector 250 in the vicinity of the right end , even when the left movable body 100 is moving , the control unit 300 turns off the power source 502 to stop the right movable body 100 . although the above - described fifth embodiment describes the electric curtain opening and closing device 6 for the two - way draw curtain , the curtain rail 263 may be used to constitute an electric curtain opening and closing device for the one - way draw curtain . similarly , although the above - described sixth embodiment describes the electric curtain opening and closing device 7 for the two - way draw curtain , the curtain rail 261 and the curtain rail 264 may be used to constitute an electric curtain opening and closing device for double and one - way draw curtains . in each of the above - mentioned embodiments , the detector 251 , the detector 252 , the detector 253 , and the detector 254 each are a contact switch and , however , these detectors may be any device such as an infrared sensor as long as they can detect the location of the movable body 100 and the movable body 150 . in each of the above - mentioned embodiments , although the electric motor 102 is , for example , the dc motor , the electric motor 102 may be any motor as long as it can switch between the positive rotation and negative rotation , and control the rotating speed . as has been described , according to the present invention , it is possible to provide the light - weight and low - cost electric curtain opening and closing device that does not cause the breakage and the electric leakage of the electric cord . although the embodiments of the present invention have been described , various modifications and combinations that are required for design and other factors fall within the scope of the invention , which corresponds to the invention recited in claims and the specific examples described in the embodiments of the invention .	0
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . it is to be understood that the figures and the description of the present invention included herein illustrate and describe elements that are of particular relevance to the present invention , while eliminating , for purposes of clarity , other elements that may be found in other ergonomic devices . it is worthy to note that any reference in the specification to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” means that a particular feature , structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention . the appearances of the phrase “ in one embodiment ” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment . the apparatus disclosed herein is described in terms of using a computer keyboard , but as one skilled in the art will realize , the apparatus can be used in many different contexts , such as supporting the upper body while playing a musical keyboard or other instrument , or supporting the upper body during a video game where a joystick or other device is used . it is intended that any of these alternative uses come within the scope of the present invention . the apparatus of the present invention is an ergonomic safety appliance that a user wears when working at a personal computer or other keyboard device . it is designed to protect against and avoid the strain damage that can occur in the upper body of a computer user during extensive keyboard typing . the present invention supports the upper body during keyboard use such that tension and stress is reduced throughout the entire upper body of the user and good posture is encouraged . when wearing the inventive apparatus , the user is unencumbered as the apparatus is completely integrated with the user &# 39 ; s body . as the inventive apparatus is worn on the body of the user , it dynamically follows the working motions of the lower arm thereby alleviating stress placed on the lower arm , resulting in less fatigue and fewer injuries . additionally , the inventive apparatus supports the user &# 39 ; s hand and follows the natural movement of the hand and fingers as they flex , extend , contract , etc . in order to manipulate a keyboard or other work piece . as shown in fig1 inventive apparatus 10 is comprised of three sections . shoulder assembly 20 extends over the shoulders of the wearer of the inventive apparatus and obtains support from the back of the wearer . shoulder assembly 20 is in contact with the rear shoulder area 39 of the user , as shown in fig3 . as shown , in a preferred embodiment , ends 31 , 32 of the shoulder assembly 20 rest upon the user &# 39 ; s back 39 , and are padded for the user &# 39 ; s comfort . no part of the inventive device is intended to touch the user &# 39 ; s body except for ends 31 , 32 and waist bar 60 . in particular , the shoulder assembly should not touch the neck , or the upper and front shoulder areas , as there are small blood vessels in these areas that can be damaged from pressure to these areas . in a preferred embodiment , there is padding on the underside of the shoulder assembly to further guard against any pressure that may be inadvertently exerted from the inventive apparatus to these sensitive areas . as shown in fig7 shoulder assembly 20 is a single integral component that connects to central post through branch 21 . however , in another embodiment , shoulder assembly 20 may be comprised of two arms each connecting to central post 40 in front of the user &# 39 ; s body to form the assembly , as shown in fig2 . in this embodiment , central post 40 is connected to shoulder assembly at the point where the arms connect . in yet another embodiment , shoulder assembly 20 may be comprised of two arms that connect with a separate piece that is used to connect with central post 40 . in yet another embodiment , shoulder assembly 20 may be comprised of more than two arms . central post 40 is a shaft - like structure that extends from the chest area of the wearer of the apparatus to the waistline of the wearer . central post 40 is preferably vertically adjustable . as shown in fig1 telescoping mechanism 41 may be used to adjust the length of central post 40 to better fit the body of the user . telescoping mechanisms and other mechanism for adjusting the length of a shaft are known to those skilled in the art , and any such mechanism could be used in the inventive apparatus . central post 40 connects shoulder assembly 20 to waist bar 60 . as will be obvious to one skilled in the art , there are many ways to make these connections . for example , the ends of central post 40 may be press fit into openings provided in shoulder assembly 20 or waist bar 60 . alternatively , threads may be provided at the ends of post 40 for reception into correspondingly threaded openings in assembly 20 or waist bar 60 . alternatively , post 40 may be turned inwardly at the ends to form a channel securing sections of mating end parts . in another embodiment , the entire apparatus is stamped out as a single continuous unit such that connections are not needed . those skilled in the art will realize that the inventive device can be assembled in a variety of ways that achieve the same functionality . waist bar 60 rests on the operator &# 39 ; s midsection . waist bar 60 supports the user &# 39 ; s arms when the wearer of the apparatus uses a keyboard 66 or other device , as shown in fig2 . two key areas of concern in keyboard ergonomics are the wrist and hand because they receive much of the damage from keyboard usage . ergonomists believe that the hands should be in a “ neutral ” position when typing , i . e . with the knuckles , wrist , and top of the forearm all in the same plane . stress damage is greatly reduced by keeping the knuckles , wrist and forearms maintained in the same plane while using a keyboard . waist bar 60 forms a plane in which the forearms , wrists and knuckles of wearer all move , thereby maintaining this plane needed to hold the hands in the favored neutral position . it is a feature of the present invention that the inventive apparatus delivers the fingers to the keyboard in a secure “ gliding ” fashion that is consistent with ergonomic principles . in one preferred embodiment , waist bar 60 is additionally comprised of at least one palm rest , shown as palm rests 61 , 62 in fig1 and 7 . palm rests 61 , 62 support the user &# 39 ; s hand and follow the natural movement of the hand and fingers as they flex , extend , contract , etc . in order to manipulate a keyboard . in a preferred embodiment , palm rests 61 , 62 are adjustable for fit and comfort . as shown in fig4 a , in one embodiment palm rest 61 is a spoon - shaped support used to support the palm when the user is typing at a keyboard . in another embodiment , as shown in fig4 b , palm grip 61 a is used instead . as shown in fig5 b , palm grip 61 a on arm support 67 rises approximately ½ ″ above the surface of arm support 67 to engage and anchor or secure the user &# 39 ; s hand so that it is properly positioned at the keyboard . in another preferred embodiment , waist bar 60 is additionally comprised of at least one wrist brace . fig5 a shows waist bar 60 with wrist brace 65 connected to arm support 67 . in a preferred embodiment , wrist brace 65 is placed on the top side of waist bar 60 , although it can be placed on the under side of the waist bar . in a preferred embodiment , wrist brace 65 is a strap - like piece that is used to secure the operator &# 39 ; s wrist in place so that the plane can be maintained between the knuckles , wrist and forearm . as shown in fig7 wrist braces 65 , 65 a are movable and adjustable . in a preferred embodiment , waist bar 60 additionally comprises console 70 , as shown in fig6 and 7 . console 70 can be used to house a wireless or conventional mouse or other device . for example , a calculator , means for opening a safe , or means for turning office lights on and off , etc . could be housed in console 70 . in an alternative embodiment , palm rest 61 or 62 could be used to house a mouse or other computer device . in a preferred embodiment , console 70 has built - in mouse buttons space that can be used for mouse operations , eliminating the need for a separate mouse . the console could be wireless or wired to the computer in a similar manner as a conventional mouse . adjustable arm supports 67 , 67 a are attached to waist bar 60 to support palm rests 61 , 62 and wrist braces 65 , 65 a . by housing the mouse in the waist bar , the user no longer needs to lift his hand off the keyboard to use the mouse , thereby eliminating arm and hand movement to and from the mouse . this innovation will allow the wearer of the inventive apparatus to merely use his or her thumbs and / or fingers to manipulate the console &# 39 ; s mouse - like features . the singular movement of reaching and grabbing the mouse has proven to be very damaging to personal computer users . by the features of the inventive apparatus , the need for this movement is eliminated . the inventive apparatus is preferably constructed of lightweight plastic and foam materials . the components that make up the inventive apparatus are preferably somewhat pliable , so that they may be shaped for comfort , while remaining rigid enough to stay in place during use . other portions of the apparatus , such as the palm rests and arm supports , are preferably constructed of durable plastic materials known to those skilled in the art . however , it is envisioned that the inventive device can be constructed from many plastic combinations , metal , wood , fiber or almost any material that can be formed to satisfy the palm or other hand gripping surface requirements of the device . the present invention promotes good posture , which is one of the best guards against rsis . the inventive apparatus can be molded and adjusted to fit various body types . most importantly , the apparatus of the present invention “ shadows ” the wearer &# 39 ; s movements providing a unique interactive capability that allows it to follow and support the user &# 39 ; s motions . as the user works , the device interrupts and muffles the cumulative trauma to the body of keyboard use and other trauma associated with computing . the inventive apparatus is designed to protect the entire arm and upper body rather than just specific areas , like the wrist or some other part of the arm . while the inventive apparatus is intended primarily as a device for preventing rsis , it can also be used to ease the pain of existing injuries or physical complications as it supports the entire upper body during keyboard activities . in addition , it is a feature of the present invention that the inventive apparatus can be used by persons of all ages and sizes . typewriters and keyboards were originally developed and designed for the average 25 - year old american male . as children become increasingly computer literate , they also need ergonomic support . the inventive apparatus can be sized and used by any person that has the basic physical attributes for the computing task . another feature of the inventive apparatus is that it does not interfere with the user using other devices , such as the telephone . further , unlike spot devices , the inventive apparatus can be more easily used by a person who operates many computers throughout a workday , as this person need only have one inventive apparatus to support his movements at any computer on which he may work . while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments 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 . for example , the inventive apparatus could be used to support persons with disabilities who are performing other tasks in which they need additional support . thus , it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .	8
the invention herein is an apparatus and method for coding information that is particularly well suited for , but not limited to , such devices as hand held video players . the disclosure herein first discusses an exemplary player . an exemplary handheld video player , the zvue !™ player sold by handheld entertainment of san francisco , calif ., in which the preferred embodiment of the invention , referred to as hhe ™ video encoding , may be practiced is first discussed . fig1 is a plan view of a handheld video player 10 according to a presently preferred embodiment of the invention . dim , bright 11 , power 12 , vol - up 13 , vol - down , 14 menu 15 , play / pause 16 , ff 17 , rev 18 , nav - left 19 , nav - right 20 , nav - down 21 nav - up 22 , nav - ok 23 , and card 24 . the player also includes various ports , such as a usb port 25 , an expansion port 26 ; and includes connections for line out 27 , earphones 28 , and power 29 . there are a number of player states . the player processes button push / release events , and some other hardware events . the player response to an event depends on its state . the nav -* keys control the selection of a menu item . on [ nav - ok ] transition is made to menu item selected . in general , [ menu ] takes the user to the previous menu . if the user is in a fat file hierarchy it takes the user to the previous directory . if the selected item is playable , such as an hhe video or a directory full of mp3 audio , then the [ play ] button plays it from the start . after power off / power on , the audio level is to previous the value unless it is off , in which case it is set to low volume . the brightness is set to brightest . pressing the audio level control button in any player state results in current level being displayed in the bottom of the screen . subsequent pressures on volume buttons change audio level by 1 db . after volume control buttons are untouched for two seconds , the volume level bar disappears . dim and bright move the player up and down through at least five brightness settings . no visual indicator is on screen except for actual screen brightness change . at the dimmest setting , the display is off . this is useful for conserving batteries when only audio is desired . in this case , software should do less video work . at display off , any brightness input is displayed . note : if display is off while audio is playing , the volume indicator appears on the screen when the volume rocker button is pressed for the sake of consistency , and user convenience . menu or navigation buttons that present a ui turn the screen on . the screen goes off again when in the normal playback mode . graphic thermometer sliders are superimposed on moving video to give feedback for volume and brightness . compressed bitmaps are included for ui elements , icons , and menu screens . the format for icons include a transparent color . a simple animation language may also be provided . for example , this could be an hhe format avi , an animated gif ( subject to ip check ), or a flash animation . there is a characteristic zvue ! startup sound . audible button feedback has two styles . click for commands executed . a thud sounds for buttons pressed out of context . the player responds to a connected usb port by displaying a usb connection icon and is unresponsive to buttons aside from power , which can be used to turn it on or off . upon insertion , called button [ card ] the player goes to the state “ media insertion ” and starts playing . the initial state for the player is “ off ”, that is everything is down . the only way to get from this state is by pressing the [ power ] button or by inserting a media card [ card ). after a momentary two - second display of the zvue ! welcome graphic and distinctive zvue ! startup sound , the player returns to the next expected operation . on “ power pushed ” event , the zvue ! welcome screen is temporarily displayed . if media is present , this is followed by the media menu . else , this is followed by the player menu . the zvue ! welcome screen is temporarily displayed . on “ card inserted ” event , the player checks the card type . the system goes to firmware update approval if it is an update card ; it goes to application approval from the card if there is an application ; and it goes to media menu temporary if it is a media card . the media menu is displayed , offering a chance to navigate to other options . after a timeout of six seconds , the media starts playing unless other media menu controls were used . if buttons are pressed , the timeout changes to “ after 3 minutes , go off .” the user is asked to insert a card , or to choose an item from the menu . the menu is : screen savers ( disabled ) settings ( includes text color and style and settings associated with . mp3 and . jpeg playback ) resume ( if the player was powered off or paused part way through the same media that is still inserted , a resume option appears .) timeout : 60 seconds transition to off . check the media type . in the case that a writable sd or mmc card is found to contain both hhe media and other formats , go to state “ media choice menu ”. media menu is a short animation ( may be empty ), followed by a menu background picture with menu items displayed . the first menu item is active . all menu items point to video chapters . after a period of inactivity , the menu animation restarts . the [ menu ] button from media menu starts player menu ( see above ). if the media contains more than one track , the first one is selected and this is visually apparent . pressing [ play ] starts that media playing . the [ rev ] and [ ff ] buttons change the selected feature . navigation buttons allow moving around the ui . when hhe avi media cards are present , the play function is started . this is the state in which the user spends the most time and to which the user is most attentive . goes to “ off .” if the media is longer than five minutes , the position it was playing at is stored . menu goes to the “ mediamenu ” play goes to “ playinghhe - pause ” ff , fast forward feature of “ playinghhe ” state rev , skip back feature of “ playinghhe ” state nav - left , previous video “ chapter ” nav - right , next video “ chapter ” nav - up , slow motion feature enabled or disabled . nav - ok , sound continues , but playing menu on screen . goes to state “ playinghhe - menu ” the nav - down button enables the ab repeat feature , and can be called the ab repeat button during playback . the following is the ab / repeat state table . these states are sub - states of playinghhe . playing shows the video normally . moves to the next track when done . pressing a / b repeat moves it to state playing - a at that position . playing - a when the video auto - repeats , it restarts at point a instead of the start . pressing a / b repeat moves it to state playing - ab at that position . playing - ab when the video auto - repeats , it restarts at point a instead of the start and go to point b instead of the end . it continues to repeat from point a to b until the a - b timeout is reached . pressing a / b repeat moves it to state playing - autorepeat . timeout — the a - b repeat feature goes to playing after 60 minutes of playing . this state is reached when the [ play ] key is pressed when in state playinghhe . the user is viewing a still frame from the video . [ play ] resumes from pause [ rev ] goes to the beginning of the chapter , does not resume from the pause . [ ff ] audio off , video playback is 2 × ( approx .) [ menu ] goes to the “ mediamenu ” [ nav - left ], previous video frame or keyframe or chapter , depending on implementation difficulty . remain in state playinghhe - pause . [ nav - right ], next video frame and remain in state playinghhe - pause . [ nav - up ], repeat or slow motion features enabled or disabled . [ nav - ok ], puts playing info on screen . changes the display to show a bar graph that indicates the time offset into the video track and the name of the track . remains in state playinghhe - pause . [ nav - down ] sets the ab repeat point in the video , and advances the ab repeat state exactly as it would in state playinghhe . [ play ] audio on , normal speed [ rev ] same as play [ ff ] audio off , video at six times normal speed . player does it by skipping b and , if necessary , p frames . this can result in the loss of continuity . remains in state playinghhe - ff . if [ ff ] is pressed again it toggles to twice ff . a . jpg viewer is also provided for displaying digital photos . it is possible to combine content hhe downloads with other mp3 and jpeg content . only in that case is this navigation state necessary . it is basically a fat file system navigator . displays a list of things on the card . tiny icons are used in the left column to describe several types of object . icons are similar to the tiniest icons in windows ( see fig2 ). upon selected video [ nav - ok ] ( takes user to the media menu for that content .) upon selected jpeg [ nav - ok ] takes user to the slide show viewer starting with that picture . upon selected music [ nav - ok ] starts music playing at that file . navigates folders of mp3 files — see the discussion of state “ mp3 player .” software prepares two play lists . the audio playlist , and the photo playlist . if a play list file is on the card it may use that to determine the order of audio and video files . otherwise , both play lists are in breadth - first recursive order through the folders with the files sorted in the most natural order possible . displays the current slide . if possible it displays the whole slide , then zooms in slightly . operation of the four direction keys affects the photo position , panning the photo in the chosen direction until the edge is reached where it stops , making a thud sound . [ menu ] zooms out more . if totally zoomed out , it offers “ slide show playing ” options . [ nav - ok ] zooms in more . if totally zoomed in , it offers “ slide menu detail .” timeout : go to next slide in the sequence after adjustable time determined in settings . slideshow delay ( amount of time before slide advance ) rotate picture gamma adjust special effects crop here choose animation choose soundtrack when there are no mp3 &# 39 ; s the player behaves as above , except with no music . menu structure shows one directory of the fat file system . only folders with usable content are shown . the hhe compression / decompression (“ codec ”) multimedia format is a format for holding highly compressed digital video , audio , graphics , and navigation data . a file which conforms to the hhe format normally carries the extension “. hhe .” it is a complex file comprised of one or more different sub - files . the sub - file types which are supported by the hhe format are : . config : the main configuration file for the media that specifies the media , the main navigation script file name , the decoding engine to use ( a custom decoding engine can reside on the media , the default one resides in internal memory ). . avi : multiplexed compressed video / audio streams . . bmp : menu subpictures that are ms windows sixteen - color compressed bitmaps . . nav : navigation scripts for video chapters which specify the order in which chapters are played . . mnu : menu files , that describe menu representation and functionality by specifying subpictures for menu items , pointers to chapters , etc . one or more of the sub - file types listed above may be present in a hhe file . the only requirement is that there must some auditory or visual content present ( an . avi or . bmp sub - file ). the format of each sub - file depends on its function . for detailed specifications of the file format , please refer to the discussion herein entitled “ hhe file format specification .” the hhe format supports full - motion video and can display up to 24 - bits of color per pixel on a full - color screen . hhe compresses video content at variable bit rates up to 100 : 1 , and it decompresses the same content at real - time speeds using minimal system resources on low - cost , low - power processors , such as the motorola dragonball ™ i . mxl ( manufactured by motorola , inc . of schaumburg , ill . ), which is used in the zvue ! video player . the hhe video compression technology is a proprietary algorithm that was developed specifically to produce superior compression performance yet maintain reasonable complexity in decompression . the compression scheme employs motion estimation followed by transform coding , as shown in the block diagram of fig3 . at a top level the hhe algorithm is similar to video compression standards developed over the past decade , but the specific techniques chosen ensure real - time decoder implementations on mobile devices . the hhe format supports audio compression at various quality levels from low bitrate mono through near cd quality stereo . the hhe format uses the popular mp3 audio compression standard as the default audio format . the hhe format also supports additional audio formats such as wma and mc . the security and integrity of compressed content is extremely high with the hhe format due to the encryption scheme and other features employed . multimedia encoded in the hhe format is protected from unauthorized copying using a highly secure encryption scheme . the encryption algorithm , based on the blowfish algorithm , is a symmetric private key algorithm using 128 - bit keys . blowfish is a symmetric block cipher that can be used as a drop - in replacement for des or idea . it takes a variable - length key , from 32 bits to 448 bits , making it ideal for both domestic and exportable use . blowfish was designed in 1993 by bruce schneier as a fast , free alternative to existing encryption algorithms . since then it has been analyzed considerably , and it is slowly gaining acceptance as a strong encryption algorithm . blowfish is unpatented and license - free , and is available free for all uses . the original blowfish paper was presented at the first fast software encryption workshop in cambridge , uk ( proceedings published by springer - verlag , lecture notes in computer science # 809 , 1994 ) and the april 1994 issue of dr . dobb &# 39 ; s journal . eight different keys have been generated using a particularly strong random number generator , scrambled , and stored at various offsets within the zvue ! internal memory . different keys are used to encrypt prerecorded content , downloaded content , and code updates . fig4 illustrates the process for content protection of prerecorded content . prerecorded content is stored on sd or mmc memory cards 31 . these memory cards contain a unique card key 32 which is stored in a protected area of the card . a player key 33 , key 0 , stored within the zvue ! internal memory is modified by the unique card key and data are encrypted with this new key prior to being stored in the memory card . data cannot be copied onto another memory card and played back without knowledge of player key 0 , the card key , and the encryption algorithm employed . fig5 illustrates content protection for downloadable content . downloaded content is encrypted with a separate player key , key 1 , modified by a unique player id . therefore downloaded content can only be decrypted and played back by one particular player . the client must upload the player id to the content server 100 ( 34 ; fig3 ) prior to purchasing 110 and downloading content 120 . after downloading the data are copied onto an sd or mmc memory card 130 . data cannot be copied onto another memory card and played back on a different player without knowledge of player key 1 , the new player id , and the encryption algorithm employed . the player has a real - time clock which can be set through the user interface . the real - time clock can be used to reject content which has a limited lifetime . for example , promotional content can be downloaded for free and played back for a limited time period ; when it has expired the promotional content no longer can be played unless the user purchases it . each decompressed video frame is assigned a unique id ( 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , . . . ). each audio packet ( containing 1152 audio samples ) is also assigned a unique id ( 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 . . . ). the av sync code monitors the ids of the latest rendered video frame and audio packet . every time a video interrupt occurs , these ids are recalculated into real time stamps . the av sync code compares these time stamps and determine whether next video frame must be repeated ( shown twice ) or dropped ( skipped ). the audio stream is never adjusted . that means only video frames can be skipped or repeated to fit current audio position . specifically the procedure which takes place at each video interrupt is : video_time_stamp = just_rendered_video_frame_id / video_frames_per_second ( value of video_frames_per_second comes from avi header ) audio_time_stamp = latest_audio_id / audio_packets_per_second ( value of audio_packets_per_second is normally 44100 / 1152 = 38 . 28125 ( samples_per_sec / samples_per_packet )) difference = audio_time_stamp − video_time_stamp if ( difference & gt ; + one_frame_duration_time ) skip next video frame else if ( difference & lt ; - one_frame_duration_time ) repeat current video frame the file format for storing zvue ! media comes from the way the navigation system , the graphics system , and the decoding engines are designed . it is assumed that media containing video / audio streams is organized in chapters , associated with navigation scripts and can optionally carry a custom decoding engine . the media should be fat16 - formatted , and the content organized in files . all data are stored in the root folder , other folders are ignored if present . “. config ” main configuration file for the media that specifies the media type ( currently only two types are supported : zvue !- video and firmware ), the main navigation script file name , the decoding engine to use ( a custom one can go on the media , the default one resides in a flash ) “. nav ” navigation scripts for video chapters “. avi ” video / audio streams “. mnu ” menu files , that describe menu representation and functionality by specifying subpictures for menu items , pointers to chapters , etc . “. bmp ” menu subpictures that are ms windows 16 - color compressed bitmaps . colors ( 0 , 0 , 0 ) and { 255 , 255 , 255 } are reserved for transparent . file types that are not supported but can be added later : “. mp3 ” audio only streams “. jpg ”, “. jpeg ” jpeg images ( for browsing digital photos from sd card , or to use as menu background etc .). this is a plain text ascii file in either windows ( cr / lf ) or unix ( cr ) format : a semicolon ‘;’ starts line comment commands are : & lt ; key & gt ;=& lt ; value & gt ;. spaces are allowed . if value contains spaces , it is enclosed in double quiets (“ ”) empty lines are ignored some keys may not be defined . the default semantics are applied in this case ( see table 1 below ). notifies the boot loader that this card stores video content . if application tag is present , the boot loader loads it to memory and runs there . if not , the boot loader loads application from the flash . notifies the boot loader that this card stores . mp3 tracks . if application tag is present , the boot loader loads it to memory and runs there . if not , the boot loader loads application from the flash . the application runs as a standard mp3 player . notifies the boot loader that this card stores jpeg images . if application tag is present , the boot loader loads it to memory and runs there . if not , the boot loader loads application from the flash . the application runs in slide - show mode . notifies the boot loader that this card stores new media driver . the loader checks zveu . axf file from the card with encrypted checksum encryption_key and then burns it to the flash . it also checks the version against current and notifies user if it is older . the video player uses standard windows avi format for streaming the videos . the file should contain one video stream , coded with hhe video encoder ( fourcc = hhe0 ), and / or one audio stream , coded with any mp3 driver ( wformattag = 0x0055 ). when using b - frames , they should be put into separate avi chunks . typically , it requires some post processing because the vfw drivers usually are not capable of producing it . the audio bitstream format complies with iso cd 11172 - 3 document . navigation scripts specify the semantics of player buttons for the specific chapter , the avi stream and subpictures to use and the actions to perform . the navigation script is a test file , with navigation commands represented on separate lines . commands are case - sensitive . commands are : & lt ; key & gt ;=& lt ; value & gt ;. spaces are allowed . if value contains spaces , it should be enclosed in double quiets (“ ”) if it is the first chapter in a chain , previous should not be present . if it is the last chapter in a chain , next should not be present . menu file is a text file that specifies the menu appearance and functionality . commands should start at the beginning of each line , command arguments follow on the same line , any number of white space characters (‘ ’, ‘\ t ’) can be used as a separator . menu contains a background image ( stored in avi ), a number of static bitmaps over the background and a number of menu items associated with video chapters . command arguments are either filenames or numbers , filenames should be put in double quotes . all arguments are obligatory . specifies parent menu ( menu ) and number of item ( active_item ) that should be active when we come to this menu from current menu specifies an avi ( usually of one frame ) that contains menu background , the avi file is played on the screen , and the last frame of that avi is used as a background for menu . specifies a static bitmap displayed over the background image . x , y specify the bitmap offset from the top left corner ; transparency is a number from 0 to 255 that specifies the transparency ( 0 means transparent , 255 means solid ). item bitmap — 0 x y transparency bitmap — 1 x y transparency navig_script menu active_item specifies menu item . bitmap — 0 is displayed for a selected item , bitmap — 1 is displayed for deselected ones , x , y and transparency following a bitmap name specify its position and transparency . navig_script specifies the script to start when this menu item is executed , if “ ”, this means a submenu should be run , specified in menu argument . menu sets new menu for the script to run , or a submenu to run , if script name is not specified . if it is “ ”, current menu is used . active_item specifies number of active item in a new menu or submenu . the avi file is a container for any number of data streams of any kind . the main parts of avi file are : 1 . the main avi header . it always contains a stamp (“ riff ”) and overall file size ( for streaming ). it also describes general info on the file , such as a number of streams stored in it , streams data sizes , whether the file contains an index , offset at which data streams begin , etc . 2 . an optional index can be present in the avi file . it contains an entry for each data chunk ( see below ) describing its type and position in the file . the index is located at the very end of the file , after the data streams . 3 . each data stream format is described by its own stream header . video stream header is actually bitmapinfoheader structure ( width , height , bits per pixel , compression type ( hhe0 or hhe1 )). audio stream header is actually waveformatex structure ( audio format ( mp3 ), number of channels , samples per second ). 4 . after all the headers , data streams begin . data are organized in chunks . each chunk belongs to a stream and contains a header and actual data . the header contains the stream number this chunk belongs to ( usually 01 — video , 00 — audio ), stream type code (“ dc ”— compressed video , “ wb ”— compressed audio ), and chunk &# 39 ; s size in bytes . 01wb & lt ; chunk1 size & gt ; & lt ;- header . . . chunk 1 data . . . & lt ;- data 00dc & lt ; chunk2 size & gt ; . . . chunk2 data . . . 01wb & lt ; chunk3 size & gt ; . . . chunk3 data . . . 00dc & lt ; chunk4 size & gt ; . . . chunk4 data etc . . . to reduce the complexity of mpeg4 decoding the following four solutions have been introduced : intra prediction of ac coefficients is not made . the flag that indicates the need for ac prediction has been eliminated from the bitstream . rounding control is disabled . constant additions are used during averaging : 0 for averaging of two values and 1 for averaging of four values . the rounding bit has been eliminated from the bitstream . dequantization of the coefficient is made right after decoding of its variable length code . speed - up is possible due to exclusion of zero coefficients from dequantization process . simplification of inverse discrete cosine transformation with the use of significance map significance map is used to store the positions of last nonzero coefficients in each row / column of discrete cosine transformation block . significance map is filled during vlc decoding . knowing the number of last nonzero coefficient in row / column it is possible to simplify the inverse discrete cosine transformation for this particular row / column . two different versions of inverse discrete cosine transformation are provided : one — for rows / columns of 8 coefficients and one for rows / columns of 3 coefficients . note , that when all coefficients in row / column are zero coefficients , inverse transformation should not be made at all . to speed - up the color conversion routine , a conversion table is used . the table index is calculated as a function of three colors in yuv format : index = (( u & gt ;& gt ; ( 8 - bits_u )) & lt ;& lt ; ( bits_y + bits_v )) + (( v & gt ;& gt ; ( 8 - bits_v )) & lt ;& lt ; ( bits_v )) + ( y & gt ;& gt ; ( 8 - bits_y )) where y , u , and v are 8 - bit color components in yuv format ; and bits_y , bits_u , bits_v are the numbers of significant bits for each color : y , u , and v . the number of indexes is ( 1 & lt ;& lt ;( bits_y + bits_u + bits_v )). the conversion table cell represents color in rgb555 format that corresponds to color in yuv format . the size of the cell is two bytes ( high - order bit is unused ). therefore , the size of the table is the number of indexes 2 , that is : the number of significant bits for y color component must be greater than number of significant bits for u and v components , because y color component contains more useful information for human visual perception . currently the following significant numbers are used : the color conversion table is organized in the manner that can help to avoid cache misses during conversion of image in yuv 4 : 2 : 0 format . in yuv 4 : 2 : 0 format for each chrominance pixel there are four luminance pixels . a fact that index depends on y component less than on u and v components makes data cache misses infrequent . there can be other types of data chunks rather than video and audio . for example , if video color format is eight bits per pixel or less , then a special palette chunk can present . note that two video chunks never go one by one . there is always one audio chunk between them ( even of zero size ). each video chunk contains one compressed video frame exactly ( see below on this , regarding b - frames ). each audio chunk contains either two or three audio packets ( each packet is 1152 samples , when decompressed ). when compressing with b - frames , the invention breaks the rule that each video frame is stored in its own chunk . it stores several video frames in one chunk . the currently preferred embodiment of the invention inserts large amounts of empty ( zero length ) video chunks in the stream to isolate audio chunks . so the overall layout of data streams is as follows : & lt ; audio chunk & gt ; & lt ; big video chunk , containing 4 frames i - p - b - b & gt ; & lt ; audio chunk & gt ; & lt ; empty video chunk & gt ; & lt ; audio chunk & gt ; & lt ; empty video chunk & gt ; & lt ; audio chunk & gt ; & lt ; empty video chunk & gt ; . . . this actually wastes a lot of space because even an empty chunk contains a header and is contained in the index . this is a limitation of video for windows drivers . it is possible to eliminate this by applying a post - processing utility to an avi file that isolates each video frame in its own chunk and drops all the empty chunks . general remarks on operations with fractional values for fixed point arithmetic to represent data in fixed point operations , we use the following transformation : where nbitsfraction is the number of bits for fractional part , value 0 . 5 is used for rounding . 24 for signal samples ( representation 32 . 24 ), 24 or 15 for constant coefficients ( representation 32 . 24 or 32 . 15 ). where x float , c float are some variables ( c float is usually a constant ). because we use 32 - bit integer operations , it is necessary to avoid overflow in calculation of product x * c . for this purpose , we represent data as a sum of high and low parts : y =( x * c )& gt ;& gt ; 24 =(( xlow +( xhigh & lt ;& lt ; 12 ))( clow +( chigh & lt ;& lt ; 12 ))& gt ;& gt ; 24 to speed up the multiplication , we can remove small parts from this sum . in our implementation , we distinguish three different levels of precision , any of them can be chosen at compile time . the simplifications used for multiply operation in each mode are as follows : the simplified multiplication on constant coefficients in 32 . 24 representation can be implemented as to speed - up imdct calculation , the simplified multiplication by transform coefficients is used . the transform coefficients , with absolute values smaller than 1 , are represented in 32 . 15 format . for multiplication by this coefficients , formula ( 1 . 4 ) is used . for coefficients with absolute values greater than 1 , formula ( 1 . 6 ) is used . all transform coefficients have absolute value smaller than 1 , and represented in 32 . 15 format . for this case , formula ( 1 . 4 ) is used . note : in high precision mode , the more precise formula ( 1 . 2 ) is used for all idmct functions . to generate one output sound sample in 16 bit pcm format , it is necessary to calculate convolution of samples from delay line with window coefficients . for float data representation , the convolution loop appears as sum += windowtable ( i + 32 j ]* line [( pos + j * 64 + i +( j & amp ; 1 )* 32 )& amp ; 1023 ]; ( 3 . 1 ) where windowtable [ 512 ] is array of window coefficients , pos is a current position in the delay line , i is a number of output samples in block of 32 samples . the speed up is achieved by calculation of output samples in following ways : where fix ( ) corresponds ( 1 . 1 ) with nbitsfraction = 24 , n = i + 32 * j , for each i = 0 . . . 31 index j = 0 . . . 15 , which provides consecutive access to array elements . because factors of a window with indexes j = 7 , 8 can have absolute value greater than 1 , the value q is obey to the rule : pn_windowtablest is a pointer to the scaled transposed window table , r = pos + i , and g = j * 64 +( j & amp ; l )* 32 . to provide true multiplication result , we use m = 6 for j = 7 , 8 , else m = 7 . in ( 3 . 1 ), some of the items with number j = 0 , 1 , 2 and j = 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 are eliminated from calculation due to their small impact to the result ( because of small window coefficients ). sixteen groups of window table items for each index i are normalized and have an exponent value , which is constant value inside group . then , the convolution loop is organized in sequence of the operators of the form the final summation is made with shifts , which depend on values of exponents . although the invention is described herein with reference to the preferred embodiment , one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other applications may be substituted for those set forth herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . accordingly , the invention should only be limited by the claims included below .	6

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