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embodiments of a dielectric insulation film and its manufacturing method will be described with reference to the drawings . in fig2 the dielectric insulation film of the present invention is formed on a conductive material 1 , and comprises a mother metal oxide 2 and pieces of dissimilar metal 3 . a charge number under an ionized state of the dissimilar metal 3 is smaller by one than that of metal of the mother metal oxide 2 . the ionic charge number of the dissimilar metal 3 is , thus , predetermined . examples of a method of manufacturing dielectric films of the present invention will be explained with reference to fig2 . a target is made of ta whose purity is 99 . 9999 % and which contains zr ( addition of one atomic percent ). the target is set in a dc magnetron spattering apparatus . a pump which is not with carbon and hydrogen systems is used to discharge the sputtering apparatus to 1 × 10 - 5 pa or less . in an atmosphere of oxygen and inert gases , e . g ., oxygen and argon ( 50 : 1 ) of 0 . 5 pa , the target is sputtered onto the p - type ( 100 ) silicon semiconductor substrate 1 whose resistivity is 5 ωcm , as shown in fig2 . the thickness of a formed ta 2 o 5 film is 220 å . at the beginning of the sputtering , an sio 2 film of about 20 to 30 å in thickness is formed on the silicon substrate . a dielectric constant to be explained below of the ta 2 o 5 film is an overall dielectric constant of the combination of the sio 2 film and the ta 2 o 5 film . in fig2 the ta 2 o 5 film 2 contains the added zr 3 , which is less than five atomic percent of ta 2 o 5 . the ta 2 o 5 film is heat - treated in n 2 of 600 ° c . for one hour and in n 2 of 900 ° c . for one hour . fig3 shows characteristic curves of leak currents and electric field strengths of the ta 2 o 5 insulation film with negative potential applied to an aluminum gate formed on the film . a curve &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; in the figure represents the film after the 600 ° c . heat treatment . compared to the conventional examples &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; of fig1 both the examples of fig3 of the present invention show remarkably reduced leak currents . particularly on the low electric field side , the leak currents are reduced by three digits compared to the conventional examples . relative dielectric constants of the cases &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; of fig3 are 9 and 15 , respectively , and electric field strengths of the cases &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; for a leak current 10 - 11 a ( 10 - 9 a / cm 2 ) are 4 . 9 mv / cm and 3 . 0 mv / cm , respectively . taking the dielectric constant of sio 2 into consideration , electric field strengths with respect to sio 2 equivalent film thicknesses are 11 . 4 mv / cm for the case &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and 11 . 5 mv / cm for the case &# 34 ; b .&# 34 ; the sio 2 equivalent film thicknesses of the cases &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; are 95 å and 60 å , respectively . the leak current of the zr - added ta 2 o 5 films was reduced by three digits , compared with the non - added ones . compared with ta 2 o 5 films which contain ti at one atomic percent , it was reduced by about one digit in the same electric field . dielectric insulation films made of ta 2 o 5 containing zr can be formed according to the cvd method by thermally decomposing pentaethoxytantalum and tetraethoxyzirconium . in this case , trench capacitors or stacked capacitors can be combined with insulation films of high dielectric constant to further improve integration of elements . fig4 is a view showing characteristic curves of leak currents and electric field strengths of ta 2 o 5 films containing hf at one atomic percent . it will be seen in the figure that hf can provide properties similar to those provided by zr . a target is made of nb whose purity is 99 . 9999 % and zr ( addition of one atomic percent ). the target is set in the dc magnetron sputtering apparatus . a pressure in the sputtering apparatus is reduced to 1 × 10 - 5 pa or less . the target is sputtered onto a p - type ( 100 ) silicon substrate in an atmosphere of oxygen and argon gas ( 50 : 1 ) of 0 . 5 pa and zr - added nb 2 o 5 films are formed . the thickness of a formed nb 2 o 5 film is 200å . at the beginning of the sputtering , an sio 2 film of 20 to 30 å in thickness is formed on the silicon substrate . the quantity of zr mixed in nb 2 o 5 is 0 . 8 atomic percent . the nb 2 o 5 film is heat - treated in n 2 of 900 ° c . for one hour , and an aluminum electrode is formed on the nb 2 o 5 film . negative electric field of 5 mv / cm is applied to the aluminum electrode to measure a leak current to occur on a capacitor of 0 . 1 mm 2 formed with the nb 2 o 5 film . the measured leak current was 8 × 10 - 9 a . this is 1 / 100 to 1 / 200 of that of a capacitor formed with an insulation film containing no zr . a relative dielectric constant of the capacitor of the example 7 is 23 . with a target made of nb which contains ti at one atomic percent , an nb 2 o 5 film is formed to contain ti at 0 . 9 atomic percent . this film has a leak current of 5 × 10 - 8 a . therefore , the leak current of the film containing zr is 1 / 7 of that of the film containing ti . with a target made of nb which contains hf at one atomic percent , an nb 2 o 5 film is formed to contain hf at 0 . 8 atomic percent . this film has a leak current of 6 to 7 × 10 - 9 a with respect to 10 v . this leak current is substantially the same as that of the film containing zr . the hf - added nb 2 o 5 film has a relative dielectric constant of 22 to 23 which is similar to that of the zr - added nb 2 o 5 film . a mother material of this example is zro 2 . a target is made of zr whose purity is 99 . 999 % and which contains y at one atomic percent . the target is set in the dc magnetron sputtering apparatus . a pressure in the sputtering apparatus is reduced to 1 × 10 - 5 pa or less . the target is sputtered onto a p - type ( 100 ) silicon substrate in an atmosphere of oxygen and argon ( 50 : 1 ) of 0 . 5 pa . the thickness of a formed y - added zro 2 film is 220 å . the quantity of y in zro 2 is 0 . 8 atomic percent . the formed film is heat - treated in n 2 of 600 ° c . for one hour , and an aluminum electrode is formed on the film . with this film , a capacitor of 0 . 1 mm 2 has a leak current of 2 × 10 - 10 a with respect to 5 mv / cm . this leak current is 1 / 100 of that of a capacitor with an insulation film containing no y . when sc or la is added at one atomic percent to zr , leak currents also decrease . the leak currents with respect to 5 mv / cm are 4 × 10 - 10 a for an sc - added film and 5 × 10 - 10 a for la - added film . relative dielectric constants of zro 2 films containing y , sc and la respectively are 23 , 24 and 24 , respectively . an hfo 2 film of 200 å in thickness is a mother material of this example . this example provides a similar effect as that of the zro 2 film . y , sc and la are added each at one atomic percent to hfo 2 , respectively , and heat - treated in n 2 of 600 ° c . for one hour . with the insulation films containing y , sc and la , respectively , capacitors each of 0 . 1 mm 2 have leak currents of 4 × 10 - 10 a and 6 × 10 - 10 a with respect to 5 mv / cm , respectively . these are 1 / 200 to 1 / 300 of a leak current 1 . 2 × 10 - 7 of a capacitor with an hfo 2 insulation film containing no additive elements . relative dielectric constants of the films containing y , sc and la respectively are 25 , 26 and 26 , respectively . in the case of tio 2 , y , sc and la provide remarkable effects if added . they are added at one atomic percent , respectively , and formed tio 2 films each of 200 å in thickness are heat - treated in n 2 of 600 ° c . for one hour . with these tio 2 films , capacitors each of 0 . 1 mm 2 show leak currents of 1 × 10 - 9 a , 3 × 10 - 9 a and 5 × 10 - 9 a , respectively , with respect to 5 mv / cm . these are 1 / 200 to 1 / 100 of a leak current 1 × 10 - 6 a of a capacitor with an insulation film not containing additive elements . relative dielectric constants of the tio 2 films containing y , sc and la , respectively , are 32 , 33 and 35 , respectively . these figures are less by 10 % to 20 % compared to 38 of the films with no additives . the leak current reducing effect of this example is remarkable . with reference to fig5 ( a ) to 5 ( e ), a first example of manufacturing process of a dram having stacked capacitor cells employing the dielectric insulation films of the present invention will be explained . in this example , a dielectric insulation film comprising a tantalum oxide which contains a zirconium oxide is formed according to the cvd method . in fig5 ( a ), a p - type silicon substrate 5 has a resistivity of 10 ohms / cm . on the surface of the substrate 5 , a thermal oxidation film 7 is selectively formed to separate elements from one another . a thin thermal oxidation film 9 which is a gate oxide film is formed . a first n + - type polysilicon film 11 which will be a gate electrode is formed and patterned through a usual photoetching process . with respect to the gate , an n - - type layer 13 is formed by an ion implantation method and self - aligns . in fig5 ( b ), a thick cvd oxide film 15 is formed allover the surface . the usual photoetching process is carried out to form an opening portion 17 in contact with a part of the n - - type layer 13 . in fig5 ( c ), a second n + - type polysilicon film 19 is formed over the entire surface . in fig5 ( d ), the usual photoetching process is carried out to pattern the n + - type polysilicon film 19 to form a required pattern . an insulation film 21 is formed as a capacitor insulation film . the insulation film 21 comprises a tantalum oxide containing a zirconium oxide and is formed in the thickness of 200 å according to the cvd method by thermally decomposing pentaethoxytantalum and tetraethoxyzirconium under the condition that partial pressure rate is 100 : 1 - 2 . finally , in fig5 ( e ), a third n + - type polysilicon film 23 is formed as a capacitor electrode over the entire surface and patterned through the usual photoetching process to complete a memory cell . according to this example , the formed cvd high dielectric insulation film simultaneously contains oxides of tantalum and zirconium . the insulation film can improve insulation characteristics to remarkably improve reliability of elements . fig6 is a view showing i - v characteristic curves . curve ( a ) represents a capacitor formed according to the embodiment of the present invention of fig5 ( a ) to 5 ( e ), while curve ( b ) represents a capacitor formed with a conventional cvd high dielectric insulation film comprising only a tantalum oxide . as is apparent in the figure , the present invention reduces the leak current . with reference to fig7 a second example of the manufacturing process of a dram having stacked capacitor cells employing the dielectric insulation films of the present invention will be explained . in fig7 ( a ), a p - type substrate 30 has a resistivity of 10 ohms / cm . on the surface of the substrate 30 , a thermal oxidation film 31 is formed to separate elements from one another . a thin thermal oxidation film 33 is formed as a gate oxide film . a first n + - type polysilicon film 35 is formed as a gate electrode and patterned through a usual photoetching process . then , an n - - type layer 37 is formed by an ion implantation method and self - aligns . in fig7 ( b ), a thick cvd oxide film 39 is forced allover the surface . the usual photoetching process is carried out to form an opening portion 41 in contact with a part of the n - - type layer 37 . as shown in fig7 ( c ), a second n + - type polysilicon film 43 is formed over the surface . on the film 43 , a tungsten film 45 is formed by a sputtering method and patterned through the photoetching process . on the tungsten film 45 , a thin tungsten oxide ( wo 2 ) film 47 is formed as a second insulation film . on the film 47 , a dielectric insulation film 49 is formed as a first insulation film . the first insulation film 49 comprises zr - added ta 2 o 5 and is formed by the cvd method . a dielectric constant of the second insulation film 47 is higher than that of the first insulation film 49 . the thin tungsten oxide ( wo 2 ) film 47 may be formed by exposing the w film at about 300 ° c . in an oxygen atmosphere , or in plasma of low pressure , or by using wf 6 and o 2 , or n 2 o , or by other methods . the ta 2 o 5 film 49 may be formed by the cvd method , by a reactive sputtering method , or by other methods . finally , in fig7 ( d ), a second tungsten film 51 is formed as a capacitor electrode over the surface and patterned through the photoetching process to complete a memory cell . the effects of the second example will be explained . leak characteristics of a stacked capacitor employing the tungsten oxide film ( second insulation film ) 47 whose dielectric constant is higher than that of the zr - added ta 2 o 5 insulation film ( first insulation film ) 49 and which is formed at an interface of the zr - added ta 2 o 5 film are compared with those of a conventional stacked capacitor formed only with a ta 2 o 5 film on w in fig8 . as is apparent in this figure , leak currents of the insulation film of the present invention are smaller than those of the conventional film . hf - added ta 2 o 5 insulation film shows the same characteristics as zr - added ta 2 o 5 film . in this example , an decrease in capacitance due to the formation of the tungsten oxide film 47 is small . the reason for this is that a dielectric constant of the tungsten oxide film is large . the tungsten oxide film may be made of wo 2 , wo 3 , etc ., in which wo 2 has a large dielectric constant of about 40 . in fig9 a two - layer insulation film structure of ta 2 o 5 and wo 2 forms two series connected capacitors . relations of total capacitance and the film thickness ratio of wo 2 and ta 2 o 5 are shown in fig1 . the capacitance on an ordinate of the figure is standardized with a capacitor formed only with the ta 2 o 5 film being one . as is seen in the figure , even if the wo 2 of larger dielectric constant is formed at the interface , a decrease in the total capacitance is small . accordingly , the embodiment of fig8 can provide a capacitor having a high dielectric constant and a small leak current . although the embodiment has employed ta 2 o 5 and tungsten oxide films , other insulation materials may be employed . for example , a titanium oxide film having a large dielectric constant may be formed at the interface to provide a structure of ta 2 o 5 and titanium oxide films . the present invention is applicable not only for the stacked capacitors explained with reference to the embodiment , but also for general capacitors comprising transition metal oxide films formed on silicon electrodes or on metal electrodes . in summary , according to the embodiments of the present invention , pieces of dissimilar metal elements are added to a metal oxide of high dielectric constant . an ionic charge number of the dissimilar metal element is smaller by one than that of the metal oxide of high dielectric constant . due to the addition of the dissimilar metal element , a leak current of the mother metal oxide can be remarkably reduced . with this metal oxide , there is provided a capacitor which is properly mounted on a vlsi chip , etc ., and has a small area , large capacity and small leak current . the first example of the embodiment of the present invention can form an insulation film which has a high dielectric constant , a small leak current and an excellent step coverage property . accordingly , semiconductor devices having excellent characteristics are provided . according to the second example of the embodiment of the present invention , an insulation film layer having larger dielectric constant is disposed at an interface between a transition metal oxide film and an electrode to provide a capacitor whose capacitance does not decrease substantially and which has a low leak current . accordingly , highly integrated semiconductor elements are provided with high reliability . various modifications will become possible for those skilled in the art after receiving the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope thereof .	7
referring now to the drawings , wherein like reference numbers are used herein to designate like elements throughout , the various views and embodiments of an automated cell tower sector plotting tool are illustrated and described , and other possible embodiments are described . the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale , and in some instances the drawings have been exaggerated and / or simplified in places for illustrative purposes only . one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the many possible applications and variations based on the following examples of possible embodiments . referring now to the drawings , and more particularly to fig1 , there is illustrated a manner in which a plotting tool 102 may be utilized to provide a cell tower / sector / call data record plot 104 . the cell tower / sector plot 104 comprises a map that has included thereon one or more cell tower sites . each of these cell tower sites has one or more sectors associated therewith and the cell tower / sector / call data record plot 104 displays the boundaries of these sectors such that the cell tower / sector plot 104 may be used as a visual aid within a legal or corporate proceeding . the plotting tool 102 generates the cell tower / sector plot 104 using a variety of information that is input into the plotting tool 102 . the first thing that is needed is some type of map data 106 . the map data 106 can be information provided from , for example , google or some other type of mapping application that provides street - level detail of a particular area of interest . the cell tower longitude / latitude data 108 comprises longitude and latitude coordinates for each cell tower that a user desires to include upon the associated mapping data 106 . additionally , cell sector azimuth data 110 is provided for each of the cell towers that are to be mapped that indicate the azimuth direction of each sector associated with a particular cell tower . the sector azimuth information may comprise the azimuth for one or more sectors for each cell tower depending upon the type of cell tower that is involved . the plotting tool 102 processes the cell tower longitude / latitude data 108 and the sector azimuth data 110 to generate a map that includes each cell tower plotted thereon and further has the sectors associated with each of the cell towers illustrated on the map with respect to the approximate boundaries of these sectors . the cell towers are placed using the longitude and latitude of each tower . the azimuth for each sector is used for calculating the boundaries for each of the sectors of the cell tower . all of this information is provided on the cell tower / sector plot 104 . various call data records 112 may then be imported onto the plot 104 to represent and plot locations from which calls have been made . the call data records 112 may include information such as per call measurement data ( pcmd ) or call detail records ( cdr ). the call data records 112 are used to plot the call related information onto the map with the plotted cell towers . the plotting tool 102 additionally has the ability to receive various user inputs 114 that allows the user to place particular icons or information upon the cell tower sector plot 104 that delineates or highlights particular information which an individual desires to illustrate or bring out upon the cell tower sector plot map 104 that has been created . referring now to fig2 a , there is illustrated a functional block diagram of the plotting tool 102 . the plotting tool 102 includes a network interface 202 that enables the downloading of information into a database 204 through a connected network such as the internet . the database 204 is used for storing information that is used to plot out the cell tower sector plots 104 such as the cell tower longitude / latitude information , the map data , the sector azimuth data and call data information such as pcmd and cdr . all the information within the database 204 can be previously stored within the database 204 or may be downloaded to the database 204 through the network interface 202 as needed . various plotting modules utilize the data stored within the database 204 to create the cell tower / sector plot 104 . a tower plotting module 206 combines the cell tower longitude / latitude information within the database 204 with the map data contained within the database 204 to plot the positions of the cell tower upon the geographic area illustrated by the map data . the cell tower information may be provided via a spread sheet that can be automatically uploaded into the database 204 by having correlated data fields . a single or group of towers may be manually uploaded into the database by providing tower switch and number of the targeted tower ; the latitude and longitude of the tower ; and the azimuth of each sector on the tower . one example of a tower list is illustrated below in fig2 b . the sector plotting module 208 uses the sector azimuth data within the database 204 , the cell tower longitude / latitude information within the database 204 and the map data within the database 204 to plot the boundaries of each of the sectors associated with the various cell towers that have been plotted by the tower plotting module 206 . the sector plotting module 206 plots out the various sectors and defines their boundaries with respect to each cell tower . the sector plotting module 206 uses the azimuth of each sector and the following to plot the sectors . not all sectors are adjoined by a sequential sector number but all azimuths are shown by their compass heading . adjoining sectors will be the azimuth of the lowest increased number on the compass as you move from sector to sector around the tower in a clockwise direction . each sector will have two boundary lines showing the approximate range of coverage of the sector . to determine the first boundary line of a sector you take the sectors azimuth and subtract that number from the next adjoining sector azimuth . this will be the next lowest increased azimuth number on the compass . this result is divided by 2 then added to that sectors azimuth to reveal the first boundary line of the sector . this process is repeated until all sector boundary lines have been calculated for the cell tower . this process will also show the sector sequential order on the tower . the call data record module 209 is used for importing and plotting information relating to call data records into the map . the call data records may be in the format of per call measurement data ( pcmd ) or call detail records ( cdr ). this allows information with respect to a particular call to be displayed on the map . the call data module 209 plots information relating to when and where calls were made with respect to a particular cell tower on a map plot that is being created . an example of a cdr is illustrated in fig2 c . a user interface 210 enables a user to manually enter information to be included within the plot generated by the plotting tool 102 . the user interface 210 may comprise a user keyboard / mouse combination or some other type of data entry device enabling the user to access the icon plotting module 212 . the icon plotting module 212 enables a user through the user interface 210 to place particular icons or items of interest that are to be highlighted within the cell tower sector plots being generated . this information is placed within the sector plot by the icon plotting module 212 . the information generated by the tower plotting module 206 , the sector plotting module 208 , the call data record module 209 and the icon plotting module 212 are utilized by a graphics module 214 in order to generate the cell tower sector / cdr plot 104 including all of the information with respect to the cell towers that are located within a particular mapped area , the sectors that are associated with these cell towers and the calls that occurred within the area of the cell towers . the graphics module 214 enables the generation of the map represented by the mapping data and illustrates each of the cell towers within the mapped area , shows the sectors and approximate sector boundaries that are associated with these various cell towers and illustrates various calls that occurred within these areas as will be more fully described herein below . referring now to fig2 d , there is illustrated a functional block diagram of an alternative embodiment of the plotting tool 102 . the major difference between this embodiment and that of fig2 a is a gps / gprs module 220 that replaces the call data record module of fig2 a . it should also be realized that both a call data record module 209 and a gps / gprs module 220 could each be included in the same plotting tool 102 . the plotting tool 102 includes a network interface 202 that enables the downloading of information into a database 204 through a connected network such as the internet . the database 204 is used for storing information that is used to plot out the cell tower sector plots 104 such as the cell tower longitude / latitude information , the map data , the sector azimuth data and call data information such as gps ( global positioning system ) data or gprs ( general packet radio service ) data . all the information within the database 204 can be previously stored within the database 204 or may be downloaded to the database 204 through the network interface 202 as needed . various plotting modules utilize the data stored within the database 204 to create the cell tower / sector plot 104 . a tower plotting module 206 combines the cell tower longitude / latitude information within the database 204 with the map data contained within the database 204 to plot the positions of the cell tower upon the geographic area illustrated by the map data . the cell tower information may be provided via a spread sheet that can be automatically uploaded into the database 204 by having correlated data fields . a single or group of towers may be manually uploaded into the database by providing tower switch and number of the targeted tower ; the latitude and longitude of the tower ; and the azimuth of each sector on the tower . the sector plotting module 208 uses the sector azimuth data within the database 204 , the cell tower longitude / latitude information within the database 204 and the map data within the database 204 to plot the boundaries of each of the sectors associated with the various cell towers that have been plotted by the tower plotting module 206 . the sector plotting module 206 plots out the various sectors and defines their boundaries with respect to each cell tower . the sector plotting module 206 uses the azimuth of each sector and the following to plot the sectors . not all sectors are adjoined by a sequential sector number but all azimuths are shown by their compass heading . adjoining sectors will be the azimuth of the lowest increased number on the compass as you move from sector to sector around the tower in a clockwise direction . each sector will have two boundary lines showing the approximate range of coverage of the sector . to determine the first boundary line of a sector you take the sectors azimuth and subtract that number from the next adjoining sector azimuth . this will be the next lowest increased azimuth number on the compass . this result is divided by 2 then added to that sectors azimuth to reveal the first boundary line of the sector . this process is repeated until all sector boundary lines have been calculated for the cell tower . this process will also show the sector sequential order on the tower . the gps / gprs module 220 is used for importing and plotting information relating to gps and / or gprs data into the map . this allows information with respect to a particular call to be displayed on the map . the gps / gprs module 209 plots information relating to when and where calls were made with respect to a particular cell tower on a map plot that is being created . a user interface 210 enables a user to manually enter information to be included within the plot generated by the plotting tool 102 . the user interface 210 may comprise a user keyboard / mouse combination or some other type of data entry device enabling the user to access the icon plotting module 212 . the icon plotting module 212 enables a user through the user interface 210 to place particular icons or items of interest that are to be highlighted within the cell tower sector plots being generated . this information is placed within the sector plot by the icon plotting module 212 . the information generated by the tower plotting module 206 , the sector plotting module 208 , the gps / gprs module 220 and the icon plotting module 212 are utilized by a graphics module 214 in order to generate the plot 104 including all of the information with respect to the cell towers that are located within a particular mapped area , the sectors that are associated with these cell towers and the calls that occurred within the area of the cell towers . the graphics module 214 enables the generation of the map represented by the mapping data and illustrates each of the cell towers within the mapped area , shows the sectors and approximate sector boundaries that are associated with these various cell towers and illustrates various calls that occurred within these areas as will be more fully described herein below . referring now to fig3 - 5 , there are illustrated various manners for implementing the plotting system described with respect to fig2 in various operating environments . referring now to fig3 , there is illustrated the plotting software 302 implemented as software on a personal computer or other type of computing device . the plotting software 302 would be installed upon the personal computer 304 as software is normally done and access to the plotting software would be achieved through a user interface 306 and network interface 308 . the user interface 306 would be used for launching the software and designating the particular maps , cell towers and information that is to be generated with a particular cell tower sector plot . the network interface 308 can be used for downloading the information such as the map data , cell tower longitude and latitude location data and the sector azimuth data associated with a plot . alternatively , as illustrated in fig4 , the plotting tool could be implemented as a plotting application 402 upon some type of mobile device such as a smartphone , mobile phone , tablet or other type of mobile computing device 404 . in this case , the mobile device would obtain the various plotting information through an associated network 406 such as the internet that communicates with a plotting application server 408 . the plotting application 402 would establish a connection with the plotting application server 408 over the network 406 and provide the plotting application server 408 with various parameters indicating the information that the user of the mobile device 404 wanted to include within a particular cell tower sector plot . the plotting application server 408 gathers the appropriate information such as the map data , cell tower data , and sector azimuth data , generates the necessary plots and provides this back to the plotting application 402 through the network 406 . alternatively , the user could have some of the map data , cell tower longitude and altitude location data and sector azimuth data within the mobile device 404 and provides this to the plotting application server 408 over the network 406 rather than having the plotting application server 408 obtains this information . referring now to fig5 , there is illustrated a further embodiment wherein a remote device such as a computer , mobile device , tablet pc , etc ., accesses a plotting server 504 through the internet 506 utilizing a browser 508 within the remote device 502 . in this case , the browser 508 merely accesses a website provided by the plotting server 504 over the internet 506 and enters the relevant map cell tower longitude and latitude data and sector azimuth data into the plotting server 504 or instructs the plotting server 504 to obtain the necessary information . the plotting server 504 generates the appropriate cell tower sector plots and this information is downloaded to the remote device 502 and stored thereon over the internet 506 . thus as can be seen from the descriptions with respect to fig3 - 5 , the cell tower sector plotting tool for automatically generating the sector boundary plots can be implemented in a number of fashions , whether as standalone software , mobile device apps or using the browser of a remote device to access a remote web location . other types of implementation would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art . referring now to fig6 , there is illustrated a flow diagram describing the operation of the cell tower sector plotting tool that has been described hereinabove . initially , data associated with a map of a particular area of interest is obtained at step 602 . as discussed previously , this can be information provided by the user or downloaded from such internet mapping functions as google earth , mapquest , google maps , etc . next , the longitude and latitude locations of each cell tower located on the map are provided to the plotting tool . this information is utilized by the plotting tool to plot the locations of the cell towers at the geographic location on the map at step 606 . next , the azimuths of each sector associated with each cell tower that was plotted at step 606 are provided to the plotting tool at step 608 . each cell tower may have three to six sectors in most cell tower configurations , however a cell tower including any number of sectors might be utilized with the azimuth of each sector no matter how many there are being provided to the plotting tool . using the provided azimuth information for each sector , the location and boundaries of each sector associated with each cell tower located on the map are determined and plotted by the plotting tool at step 610 . next , at step 609 all of the call data records relating to the cell tower may be obtained . the call data records are used at step 611 to determine where in when calls occurred in a particular area and this information is then plotted on the map . once all of the cell towers and associated sectors and sector boundaries and call record data have been determined and plotted on the map , the user may also input additional graphical data with respect to activity or points of interest that are located on the map at step 612 . this may include information such as the locations from which calls were made or other areas of interest relating to the reason that the plot is being generated . the graphical icons or information with respect to the activity of interest are plotted onto the map at step 614 , and the completed plot may be provided for download or printing at step 616 . referring now to fig7 , there is illustrated an example of a plot that could be automatically generated according to the system of the present disclosure . the example illustrates a map 702 of an area of anaheim , calif . within the map 402 , the location of a cell tower 404 is illustrated . the longitude and latitude of the cell tower 404 places it near the corner of alondra boulevard and vermont avenue . the cell tower 404 includes six separate sectors 406 . each sector 406 comprises roughly a pie - shaped area having an outer boundary 410 comprising an arc that runs between two side boundaries 412 separating each sector from its adjacent sectors . in this particular example , an additional graphical icon 414 has been added to indicate a crime scene location that occurred within the coverage area of sector five of the cell tower 404 . referring now to fig8 , there is illustrated a further example of a plot generated by the automatic cell tower sector plotting tool . in this case , the map 802 comprises an area of los angeles , calif . in this plot , a variety of cell tower locations are noted . in the example of fig8 , cell towers 804 and 806 are illustrated . each of the cell towers 804 and 806 comprise six sector towers and the six sectors associated with each of the towers 804 and 806 are illustrated in the figure . cell towers 808 and 810 comprise three sector cell towers . these plots have a similar configuration to those of the six sector plots with the exception that only three sectors comprising larger pie - shaped sectors are illustrated with respect thereto . finally , there illustrated a set of three distributed antenna systems ( das ) 812 , 814 , and 816 . the distributed antenna systems include only a single sector , are omni - directional and do not have the multi - sector configurations of the other devices . distributed antenna systems have substantially smaller coverage areas . should das become sectored the plotting tool can recognize and account for the boundary lines in the same fashion it would for a standard tower configuration . referring now to fig9 , there is illustrated an example of a plot including a cell tower 902 having six different sectors . the plot illustrates a first call location 904 and a second call location 906 . the first and second call locations 904 and 906 are determined from call data record information that may be downloaded and used to generate the plots . thus , using the above described system and method , the plotting tool application can place a cell tower on a map within a cellular network using the latitude and longitude of the tower . by marking the sectors of the azimuth of each sector , the application may draw the correct boundary lines for each sector and illustrate this on the map . this allows the plotting of towers and sectors for any type of cell tower including distributed antenna systems . the plots generated by the system additionally may contain icons useful for legal or corporate presentations that a user may place within the sectors of the generated plot . this will enable the plot to be used as a visual aid for illustrating call activity relevant to important timeframes that involve calls / text / internet activity related to a particular matter . this program replicates what is presently manually done using one - off calculations and drawings upon maps for court displays . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that this automated cell tower sector plotting tool provides an improved manner for generating a graphical plot of cell tower locations and the associated sectors of the cell towers . it should be understood that the drawings and detailed description herein are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive manner , and are not intended to be limiting to the particular forms and examples disclosed . on the contrary , included are any further modifications , changes , rearrangements , substitutions , alternatives , design choices , and embodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art , without departing from the spirit and scope hereof , as defined by the following claims . thus , it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such further modifications , changes , rearrangements , substitutions , alternatives , design choices , and embodiments .	7
fig1 shows the prior art of the fusion jointing of two hdpe pipe parts 1 and 2 , which are positioned one adjoining the other while maintaining a gap 8 . an electric socket 3 has in the region of its inner surface a heating wire coil 4 . if an electric current is sent through this coil , resistance heating occurs , with the consequence that the hdpe parts of the socket 3 and of the pipe parts 1 and 2 adjoining the heating wire coil 4 are incipiently melted , which results in a fusion - jointing of the pipe parts 1 and 2 respectively to the socket 3 upon cooling . in the case of the known process , however , the gap 8 is not filled , and the heating wire coil 4 remains partially open with respect to the pipe inner surface and is consequently subject to corrosion . the socket 3 according to the invention is particularly represented in fig2 and 3 . in the case of the process according to the invention , the two pipe parts 1 and 2 are butted against each other , i . e . they bear against each other , as is indicated by the joint or butting surface 15 . the heating wire coil 4 is wound more closely in an inner region 5 , which covers the joint 15 , so that a more intense heat development occurs in this inner region upon heating the heating wire coil than in its two adjoining outer or relatively wide regions 6 . the heating can be controlled or the arrangement of the coil windings can be made such that a complete softening of the pipe parts 1 and 2 occurs at the ends of the pipe parts 1 and 2 forming the joint 15 , the two pipe parts 1 and 2 being butt - fusion - jointed to each other after cooling down , in addition to the fusion jointing by means of the electric socket 3 along the cylindrical bearing surface of socket 3 and pipe parts 1 and 2 . before the beginning of the heating or welding operation , a bellows 10 may also be introduced into the pipe bore , essentially into the region covered by the socket 3 . it is subjected to pressure , preferably air pressure , at 1 to 3 bar and consequently on the one hand supports the entire pipe parts heated by the socket and consequently preserves the circular cross - sectional shape of the pipes , since the admission of pressure makes it bear closely against the inner wall of the pipe parts 1 and 2 . in addition , it prevents any penetration of softened plastic into the pipe bore at the butt surface 15 of the two pipe parts 1 and 2 , which at this point are softened throughout , i . e . extending through the pipe wall thickness , by the heating output intensified there according to the invention . in this way , the formation of an inner bead , disturbing for later operation , is also reliably suppressed . after cooling down of the softened plastic parts between the inner wall of the socket 3 and outer wall of the pipe parts 1 and 2 and also along the butting surface extending radially at the butting surfaces 15 of the pipe parts 1 and 2 , the bellows 10 is removed from the pipe bore after switching off the heating of the socket . the pipe parts 1 and 2 are fusion - jointed to each other to form a single pipe , their circular cross - sectional shape being precisely preserved and an inner bead and gap 8 being avoided . as fig4 reveals , the bellows 10 may also be surrounded in the region of its axial ends by rings of plastic , which preferably consist of polytetrafluoroethylene or a similar material which slides comparatively well in the pipe parts 1 and 2 to be fusion - jointed . the outside diameter of the rings of plastic 30 is slightly smaller than that of the pipe parts 1 and 2 , into which the bellows 10 is to be pushed . the bellows 10 is arranged with respect to the butt joint 15 such that the rings of plastic 30 are arranged essentially symmetrically with respect to it . then , the bellows 10 is subjected to pressure , it coming to bear along its part located between the rings of plastic 30 closely against the butt joint 15 and , during the actual fusion - jointing operation , reliably counteracting the formation of a fusion bead . fig4 shows a diagrammatic representation of the preparation for the fusion - jointing operation . the socket 3 has already been pushed onto the pipe part 2 . the pipe part 1 is subsequently likewise pushed into the socket 3 from the side opposite the pipe parts 2 , until it meets the pipe part 2 centrally in the socket . both pipe ends are planed flat prior to the fusion jointing operation . subsequently , the bellows 10 is introduced into the pipe bore under the socket 3 . in the case of the exemplary embodiment drawn , the bellows extends over an axial length which is approximately two times greater than the socket 3 and consequently supports the fusion - jointing region of the socket and the adjoining regions of the pipe parts 1 and 2 reliably after pressure application . the pressure is supplied via a tube connection at the end 11 . fig5 additionally illustrates a clamping device 12 , in which the pipe parts 1 and 2 are clamped axially in line during the fusion - jointing operation . the bellows 10 is not shown in the case of this exemplary embodiment . the pipe part 2 still has to be introduced into the socket 3 by means of the clamping element 32 assigned to it . the clamping device 12 basically comprises a rest 31 , on which three clamping elements 32 are mounted displaceably and fixably . one clamping element 32 each serves for receiving the pipe part 1 , the socket 3 and the pipe part 2 . these component parts of the pipe to be fusion - jointed are respectively able to be aligned and fixed in the clamping elements 32 in line with one another , so that these elements are firmly arranged with respect to one another for the fusion - jointing operation . in fig3 a socket 3 corresponding to the socket 3 shown in fig2 is represented . it differs from the socket 3 shown in fig2 in that it is provided on both sides with socket attachments 14 and is consequently axially extended . clamping device 12 can therefore be dispensed with in cases of pipe parts of small diameter . the socket attachments 14 help ensure that the pipe parts 1 and 2 are reliably secured and arranged in the actual socket 3 before the fusion - jointing , the jointing surfaces also in this case butting one against the other and then forming the joint 15 . in fig6 a fusion - jointing generator 16 with bellows 10 and socket 3 for carrying out the process according to the invention is represented . the bellows 10 is connected via the fusion - jointing generator 16 to a compressed - air source 38 and is then supplied with controlled pressure , via a line 39 , according to programming by means of a bar code to be read in . the socket 3 is connected via lines 17 , 18 to the fusion - jointing generator 16 and is supplied from there with electric power . the fusion - jointing generator is generally supplied with a voltage of 110 to 220 volts . it supplies a fusion - jointing current with a voltage of about 5 to 10 volts and a current intensity of about 4 to 5 amperes . depending on the data which are stored in the bar code , which is supplied along with the pipes or the sockets , the fusion - jointed time and the fusion - jointed current are then automatically preset . values concerning the manufacturer , dimensions of socket and pipe , wall thickness and the consequently required fusion - jointing time may be stored in the bar code . the invention shows a way of fusion - jointing comparatively thin - walled pipes made of pvdf and also of other plastics to each other . the diameter of these pipes is generally about 20 to 160 mm . the wall thickness is about 1 . 9 to 10 mm . the wall thickness of the sockets described here amounts to about 3 to 10 mm , that of the socket attachments to about 1 . 5 mm . the axial extent of the socket attachments in the preferred case is about 7 to 8 mm . in cases of pipe diameters of 20 to 35 mm , the axial length of the socket according to the invention corresponds approximately to the pipe diameter ; in cases of pipe diameters of about 35 to 160 mm , about 0 . 6 to 0 . 4 times the diameter . it follows from this that the sockets according to the invention have comparatively short axial lengths . in this way , it is possible to fusion - joint not only straight - extending pipes to each other , but also pipe elbows and fittings each other and / or to straight pipe sections . to illustrate the socket according to the invention , a preferred exemplary embodiment is once again represented , greatly enlarged , in fig7 . the two pipe parts 1 and 2 , which are butted against each other along the butt joint 15 , can be seen . the socket 3 is already provided symmetrically over the butt joint . fig7 illustrates the pipe parts 1 , 2 and the socket 3 in longitudinal section , only one half of this longitudinal section being represented , as can be seen . in the present case , the socket comprises a sleeve 33 , on which the heating coil 4 is provided , to be precise in such a way that the winding spacings with respect to one another are smaller in the region of the butt joint 15 than in the two outer regions of the socket , so that in this region of the butt joint 15 to be covered there is in comparison with the outer regions an intensified heating output of the socket , which results also in the fusion - jointing of the butted - together end faces of the pipe parts 1 and 2 along the butt joint 15 . the sleeve 33 has in the region of its axial ends in each case an attachment 34 , to which the two ends of the heating coil 4 are applied . electric contact elements 35 are then fitted onto the attachments . these are operations in the production of the socket , which of course have to take place before the complete socket is arranged on the pipe parts 1 and 2 . the contact elements 35 are connected to the lines 17 , 18 . in the actual production operation of the socket 3 , after arranging the heating coil 4 and the terminals 35 in the way described , the unit thus created is encapsulated in plastic in a further operation and a further mold , so that the final socket 3 is obtained in the form drawn . a connecting socket 36 is at the same time produced for each of the terminals 35 . it must further be emphasized that socket 3 which is particularly protected against contamination by the integrated heating coil 4 is obtained if , according to the invention , the heating wire from which the heating coil 4 is wound is coated with pfa before its integration into the socket 3 , that is to say before the winding - up onto the sleeve 33 , and if the actual socket 3 , including the sleeve 33 , is formed from pvdf . pfa has a somewhat higher melting point than pvdf . in the fusion - jointing operation , the sheathing of the heating wire is therefore softened less than the pvdf of the socket , so that any free material particles of the heating wire are held in the pfa sheathing . with such a socket , in an advantageous way , pipe parts 1 , 2 made of pvdf are also fusion - jointed . it is sufficient if the pfa coating of the heating wire has a thickness of about 0 . 1 mm . as evident from the foregoing description , a number of modifications not specifically disclosed herein could be made to the device , but still be within the intended scope of the invention . to determine the scope of the invention , therefore , reference should be made to the appended claims .	1
in fig1 the upper half of the figure illustrates a first channel affecting the transmitted signal or the signal from a microphone ( not shown ) and the lower half of the figure illustrates a second channel affecting the received signal or the signal going to the earpiece of a telephone or to the speaker in a conferencing telephone . in addition to other processing , such as echo cancellation and weighting the inputs , the signal from a microphone is applied to input 11 and coupled to a plurality of band pass filters 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , and 16 . although five filters are shown , performance is improved with more filters . in one embodiment of the invention , ten { fraction ( 1 / 7 )} octave filters were used for each channel . the bandwidths of the filters are not identical but vary with frequency . that is , at 3 , 400 hz , the bandwidth is about ⅓ or ¼ octave , whereas , at 300 hz the bandwidth is { fraction ( 1 / 7 )} octave . either the inputs or the outputs of the filters are weighted to accommodate the fact that the human ear is more sensitive to signals at 3 , 000 hz than at 300 hz or at 10 , 000 hz . the filters are preferably switched capacitor , elliptical filters , known per se in the art . other types of filters could be used instead but maximum performance might not be obtained . one reason a switched capacitor , elliptical filter was chosen is because the filters are easily matched in integrated circuit form and a filter in discrete form would be more expensive . the sampling rate of the filters is preferably above one hundred khz , which enables the system to detect and remove echo tails up to fifteen hundred milliseconds in length . the outputs of the filters are coupled to variable gain amplifiers 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , and 26 , respectively , and the outputs of the variable gain amplifiers are combined in summing circuit 28 for transmission from output 29 . the variable gain amplifiers are also known as programmable gain amplifiers . the receiving side of the circuit is similarly constructed in that input 31 and coupled to a plurality of { fraction ( 1 / 7 )} band pass filters , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , and 36 . as with the upper portion of the circuit , only five filters are shown for the sake of simplicity . the outputs of the filters are coupled to variable gain amplifiers 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , and 46 , respectively , and the outputs of the variable gain amplifiers are combined in summing circuit 48 for transmission from output 49 . in each set of band pass filters , the bands are adjoining , not separated or alternating as in complementary comb filters of the prior art . transmitting channel 10 and receiving channel 30 operate independently except for control logic 60 , which controls each variable gain amplifier . when the circuit is first turned on , each variable gain amplifier is set to unity gain . at unity gain , a signal on input 11 is divided into a plurality of bands by the band pass filters and then recombined , unaffected , in summing circuit 28 . similarly , a signal on input 31 is divided into a plurality of bands by the band pass filters and then recombined , unaffected , in summing circuit 48 . the output of each band pass filter is also coupled to a detector , such as detector 61 at the output of filter 12 . detector 61 senses the instantaneous or short term power of the signal and provides a suitable signal to control logic 60 . control logic 60 analyzes the information from all inputs and controls the attenuators accordingly . in particular , echoes are reduced by controlling the attenuators in one channel in accordance with the amplitude of the signal in a corresponding band in the other channel . background noise is reduce by attenuating the signals in a channel in accordance with the amplitude of the signals in each band of that channel . adjacent bands in a channel may not be attenuated fully , i . e . set to minimum gain / maximum attenuation . secondly , maximum attenuation does not take place in the same band in both channels . other combinations of events are discussed more fully below as specific examples of operation . in general , control logic 60 operates to minimize background noise and echo . in fig1 some lines are distinctly heavier , indicating a first combination of input signals and the resulting control signals produced by control logic 60 . some lines are dashed and other lines are solid to emphasize the inter - channel control by control logic 60 . for example , if the signal from band pass filter 12 and the signal from band pass filter 14 exceeded a predetermined amplitude for a short period of time , detectors 61 and 62 provide output signals to control logic 60 indicative of that fact . control logic 60 then reduces the gain ( attenuates ) the signals in the corresponding bands of the other channel . specifically , control logic 60 reduces the gain of amplifiers 42 and 44 . similarly , control logic 60 adjusts the gain of amplifiers 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , and 26 in accordance with the outputs from the detectors in the lower channel . if , as illustrated in fig2 the signal from band pass filter 12 and the signal from band pass filter 13 exceeded a predetermined amplitude for a short period of time , detectors 61 and 64 provide output signals to control logic 60 indicative of that fact . now there is a problem because adjacent bands may not be attenuated . in accordance with the invention , the solution is to attenuate one band in one channel and the adjacent band in the other channel . specifically , the gain of variable gain amplifier 42 is reduced and the gain of variable gain amplifier 23 is reduced . the gain of either amplifier 22 or 42 can be reduced or the gain of either amplifier 23 or 43 can be reduced but not the gain of two amplifiers in adjacent bands in the same channel . the choice can be made arbitrarily by control logic 60 , e . g . using a random number generator , or the choice can depend upon which amplitude is greater , the signal into detector 61 or into detector 64 . for best signal to noise ratio , it is preferred not to attenuate the lesser of the two signals prior to transmission . thus , choosing by amplitude is preferred . if the amplitudes are the same or are indistinguishable , then an arbitrary choice is made . [ 0027 ] fig3 illustrates a third situation in which the signals from filters 12 , 13 , and 14 all contain a substantial amount of power . in this situation , the first rule is applied to attenuate the signals in variable gain amplifiers 42 and 44 . the second rule , attenuate the corresponding band in the other channel , is broken by reducing the gain of amplifier 23 ; i . e . by reducing the gain of the amplifier in the same channel . unless the decision is further affected by other bands , the amplitude of the signal from filter 13 does not matter , as long as the amplitude exceeds a predetermined threshold , as determined by detector 64 . detectors 71 , 72 , etc . ( labeled “ s ”) respond to signals with a long time constant , such as background noise in a room . the long term noise is factored into the amount of attenuation provided by the variable gain amplifiers to minimize noise in the system without corrupting the desired voice information . unlike fast attack detectors 61 , 62 , and 64 , slow attack detectors 71 and 72 affect the attenuation in the same channel as the detector , e . g . by 10 db . a signal in the corresponding band in the other channel may cause control logic 60 to increase the attenuation to 40 db , for example . for a relatively quiet room , there may be zero attenuation due to background noise . for a noisy room , the attenuation may be 10 db or even 20 db to minimize background noise . thus , a single channel addresses background noise and two channels address echo noise . the invention thus provides a noise reducing circuit that retains the advantages of a complementary comb filter without the signal degradation and an improved technique for selectively attenuating bands in an audio communication system . the invention eliminates echo tails up to fifteen hundred milliseconds in length and can reduce both background noise and echo noise while maintaining full duplex communication . the invention can be implemented in either analog form or in digital form , although maintaining an analog voice signal is preferred because the operation of the circuit is faster . having thus described the invention , it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that many modification s can be made with the scope of the invention . for example , logic circuit 60 can be discrete logic , a programmable logic array ( pla ), or a microprocessor having appropriate a / d conversion capability for receiving the signals from the detectors . the variable gain amplifiers can be digitally controlled amplifiers , thereby saving some conversion time . the thresholds for the bands need not be the same but can correspond to one or another curve representing the sensitivity of human hearing or to the hearing of a particular individual , for example . the variable gain amplifiers can provide gain or attenuation . the gain or attenuation can be linearly related to signal strength or non - linearly related to signal strength .	7
fig1 illustrates a cabinet containing a digital television ( dtv ) receiver 10 , along with special bistatic radar according to a preferred embodiment of the invention . the dtv receiver is provided with a special wideband ( e . g ., up to 1 - 2 gh z bandwidth or higher ) transmitter and a plurality of receiving antennas coupled to wideband receivers for receiving signals from the wideband transmitter , in effect a bistatic radar system , in order to characterize the significant , indoor multipath reflector . the problem of estimating the location of a nearby significant scatterer using the time of reception of the transmitted train of impulses is equivalent to the inverted global positioning system ( gps ) location estimation problem . the analog is to consider fixed sites for the wideband receivers , of which there are four associated with the dtv receiver , as analogous to the four satellites needed to make a position fix , and to consider the scatterer as analogous to the location of the entity using the gps . the coordinates of the wideband transmitter and wideband receiver antennas are given in terms of a cartesian coordinate system relative to the dtv receiver and centered on the left front bottom of the dtv receiver cabinet . thus , a bistatic wideband transmitter t located at the left front top of the dtv receiver cabinet has coordinates ( 0 , 0 , h ), where h is the height of the cabinet . there are four wideband receivers , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , and r 4 . receiver r 1 is located at coordinates ( 0 , 0 , 0 ), receiver r 2 is located at coordinates ( w , 0 , 0 ), where w is the width of the cabinet , receiver r 3 is located at coordinates ( w , 0 , h ), and receiver r 4 is located at coordinates ( w , d , h ), where d is the depth of the cabinet . the multipath characterization procedure is as follows . the wideband transmitter t periodically emits a very low power train of impulses . such devices are available commercially ; e . g ., from the time domain corporation of huntsville , alabama . the wideband receivers r 1 to r 4 note the time when the train of impulses is received and the strength of the return . this information is sent to a microprocessor ( not shown in fig1 ). using a known appropriate algorithm , such as the hotelling algorithm , the microprocessor estimates the location and electromagnetic cross - section of the nearby scatterer . a version of the hotelling algorithm that can be applied is found in “ a navigation algorithm for the low - cost gps receiver ”, by p . noe , k . myers and t . wu in global positioning system papers published in navigation , vol . i ( 1980 ) pp . 166 - 172 , by the institute of navigation , and incorporated herein by reference . the microprocessor calculates the multipath model where such model is the estimated location , ( x , y , z ), of an existing and significant nearby electromagnetic scatterer referenced to the cartesian coordinate system centered on the left front bottom of the dtv set . fig2 shows a block diagram of multipath characterization circuitry wherein the wideband transmitter 12 , under control of a microprocessor controller and data reducer 21 , transmits a very low power train of impulses . a high speed counter 23 is reset at the beginning of transmission and provides an output indication to a receiver data initial processor 22 , which also receives signals from the four wideband receivers 11 a , 11 b , 11 c , and 11 d . an output port 24 from microprocessor controller and data reducer 21 supplies significant scatterer estimation parameters ; i . e ., device 21 characterizes the nearby significant scatterer . fig3 represents the flow diagram for the logic implemented by the microprocessor controller and data reducer 21 shown in fig2 . periodically , and based on the known dynamics of indoor multipath ( a preferred definition of period is 100 milliseconds ), microprocessor controller and data reducer 21 resets high speed counter 23 at step 31 and starts the counter counting from zero at step 32 . the output signal of high speed counter 23 is supplied to receiver data initial processor 22 . microprocessor controller and data reducer 21 then causes transmitter 12 to emit a transmission , at step 33 , consisting of a very low power train of impulses . on their individual detections of the multipath scattered wideband transmission , wideband receivers 11 a , 11 b , 11 c , and 11 d report to receiver data initial processor 22 ( 1 ) detection epoch and ( 2 ) received strength of detected signal , as indicated at steps 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , and 34 d . receiver data initial processor 22 converts the individual detection epochs into the count of high speed counter 23 corresponding to the epoch or time of transmission receipts . these counts and signal strengths are reported to microprocessor controller and data reducer 21 which determine , at step 35 , if the maximum of the four reported received signal strengths exceeds a preset threshold θ for significant multipath . if so , the microprocessor controller and data reducer converts the counts of high speed counter 23 into a set of pseudo - distances , at step 36 , to be used by the hotelling algorithm to estimate the location of the nearby multipath scatterer . the pseudo - distances are created by first identifying the lowest value count and subtracting it from the other three counts , to create three pseudo - counts . the three pseudo - distances are calculated at step 36 by multiplying the three pseudo - counts by the free space distances traveled by light in the time represented by the three pseudo - counts . the scatterer location is then reported by the microprocessor controller and data reducer at its output port 24 , as indicated at step 37 , before the process loops back to step 31 where the microprocessor controller and data reducer resets the high speed counter , restarting the process . if the maximum of the four reported received signal strengths does not exceed a preset threshold θ for significant multipath , then microprocessor controller and data reducer 21 resets counter 23 at step 31 without creating the pseudo - counts and calculating an estimated position of the scatterer . this technique is especially geometrically efficacious in the uhf region as it is possible to achieve bistatic wideband receiver separations on the order of a half wavelength . it is possible to access the geometric dilution of precision ( gdop ) for what is essentially a time difference of arrival direction finding scheme for a nearby scatterer at location ( x , y , z ) by calculating where u i =( u xi , u yi , u zi ) is the unit vector pointing from the scatterer to bistatic wideband receiver antenna i . depending upon the characteristics of the signal scatterer , the multipath signal may create flat ( frequency ) fading of the dtv signal received by the antenna of the dtv receiver . by equipping the dtv receiver with a multi - element receiver aperture , wherein each element is individally controllable as to gain , knowledge of the relative position of the significant scatterer to the dtv receiver antenna allows a null in the antenna aperture to be steered in the direction of the nearby significant scatterer , thus mitigating the multipath signal and mitigating the flat fading condition . the result is a higher signal - to - noise ratio at the front - end of the dtv receiver with a concomitant increase in picture quality . while only certain preferred features of the invention have been illustrated and described , many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art . it is , therefore , to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention .	7
one embodiment is a system that integrates wsdl / wadl documents so that the documents can be more easily transferred . wsdl / wadl documents are generally structured by separating the definitions according to their level of abstraction and storing the separated definitions in separate directories / folders . this technique helps in writing clearer service definitions . it also maximizes the ability to reuse service definitions of all kinds . as a result , wsdl / wadl documents structured with separate definitions are easier to use and maintain . however , having the definitions distributed in different directories can cause problems when transferring the wsdl / wadl documents . therefore , one embodiment of the present invention packages an integrated and valid wsdl / wadl set that keeps the valid pending relationships so that the wsdl / wadl documents are convenient to transfer . fig1 is a block diagram of a computer server / system 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . although shown as a single system , the functionality of system 10 can be implemented as a distributed system . further , the functionality disclosed herein can be implemented on separate servers or devices that may be coupled together over a network . further , one or more components of system 10 may not be included . system 10 includes a bus 12 or other communication mechanism for communicating information , and a processor 22 coupled to bus 12 for processing information . processor 22 may be any type of general or specific purpose processor . system 10 further includes a memory 14 for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor 22 . memory 14 can be comprised of any combination of random access memory (“ ram ”), read only memory (“ rom ”), static storage such as a magnetic or optical disk , or any other type of computer readable media . system 10 further includes a communication device 20 , such as a network interface card , to provide access to a network . therefore , a user may interface with system 10 directly , or remotely through a network , or any other method . computer readable media may be any available media that can be accessed by processor 22 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media , removable and non - removable media , and communication media . communication media may include computer readable instructions , data structures , program modules , or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism , and includes any information delivery media . processor 22 is further coupled via bus 12 to a display 24 , such as a liquid crystal display (“ lcd ”). a keyboard 26 and a cursor control device 28 , such as a computer mouse , are further coupled to bus 12 to enable a user to interface with system 10 . in one embodiment , memory 14 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 22 . the modules include an operating system 15 that provides operating system functionality for system 10 . the modules further include a wsdl / wadl integration module 16 for providing integration of wsdl / wadl documents , and all other functionality disclosed herein . system 10 can be part of a larger system , such as a web server and any other associated functionality . therefore , system 10 can include one or more additional functional modules 18 to include the additional functionality . in one embodiment , the additional functionality is the “ oracle communications services gatekeeper ” (“ ocsg ”) from oracle corp . a database 17 is coupled to bus 12 to provide centralized storage for modules 16 and 18 . wsdl addresses the need to describe web services communications in some structured way by defining an xml grammar for describing network services as collections of communication endpoints capable of exchanging messages . wsdl service definitions provide documentation for distributed systems and serve as a recipe for automating the details involved in applications communication . a wsdl document defines services as collections of network endpoints , or ports . in wsdl , the abstract definition of endpoints and messages is separated from their concrete network deployment or data format bindings . this allows the reuse of abstract definitions , including messages , which are abstract descriptions of the data being exchanged , and port types , which are abstract collections of operations . the concrete protocol and data format specifications for a particular port type constitute a reusable binding . a port is defined by associating a network address with a reusable binding , and a collection of ports define a service . therefore , a wsdl document uses the following elements in the definition of network services : types : a container for data type definitions using some type system ( such as xml schema definition (“ xsd ”)). message : an abstract , typed definition of the data being communicated . operation : an abstract description of an action supported by the service . port type : an abstract set of operations supported by one or more endpoints . binding : a concrete protocol and data format specification for a particular port type . port : a single endpoint defined as a combination of a binding and a network address . service : a collection of related endpoints . wsdl does not introduce a new type definition language . wsdl recognizes the need for rich type systems for describing message formats , and supports the xml schemas specification ( i . e ., xsd ) as its canonical type system . however , since it is unreasonable to expect a single type system grammar to be used to describe all message formats present and future , wsdl allows using other type definition languages via extensibility . in addition , wsdl defines a common binding mechanism . this is used to attach a specific protocol or data format or structure to an abstract message , operation , or endpoint . it allows the reuse of abstract definitions . further , in addition to the core service definition framework , wsdl can accommodate specific binding extensions for the following protocols and message formats : soap 1 . 1 . http get / post and mime . similar to wsdl , wadl is a machine - readable xml description of http - based web applications ( typically representational state transfer (“ rest ”) web services ). wadl models the resources provided by a service and the relationships between them . wadl is intended to simplify the reuse of web services that are based on the existing http architecture of the web . wadl is platform and language independent and aims to promote reuse of applications beyond the basic use in a web browser . fig2 is a diagram illustrating a common structure of wsdl documents in accordance to the world wide web consortium (“ w3c ”). the documents include a wsdl service document 201 , a wsdl binding document 202 and an xsd document 203 . fig3 is a diagram illustrating wsdl documents before and after integration in accordance with embodiments of the present invention . as shown in fig3 , with wsdl documents , and equally applicable to wadl documents , the documents are typically structured by separating the definitions according to the level of abstraction . as a result , in many usage scenarios , the definitions may distribute in different directories / file locations , which causes problems when moving the wsdl / wadl documents and the corresponding definitions into an individual directory . therefore , before definition integration in accordance to embodiments of the invention , a service document 301 may be located in “ folder1 ”, a binding document 302 may be located in “ folder2 ” and a definition document 303 may be located in “ folder3 ”, where the three folders are in different file locations . in contrast , and in order to overcome the problems when moving wsdl / wadl documents , embodiments parse all of the wsdl / wadl documents and their definitions to organize their dependence . in order to move and reuse the documents as an entirety , all these documents are then modified to fit their dependence and then are copied into an individual directory or a package . therefore , as a result of integration in accordance with embodiments of the invention , all wsdl documents are now stored in a single location 305 ( i . e ., in “ temporary folder ” 305 ) because embodiments modify the location values of the documents . the wsdl documents now can be conveniently transferred while maintaining the relationships between files . specifically , embodiments of the present invention access the service wsdl / wadl document 301 and extracts the location value of the reference definitions in the documents . the location value and the information of the reference definition documents is stored . this service document is then moved into a temporary storage area . all of the reference definition documents are then copied into this temporary location . when a new reference document is moved into the temporary place , the location value in any other documents that reference it is modified to the new location value . if the main interface definition is wadl based , the only reference definition document is the xsd definition document . if the interface is wsdl based , the reference documents can also include another wsdl document as shown in fig2 ( i . e ., documents 202 and 203 ). in embodiments with more than one reference document having the same name , the movement of documents also include a name changing . the original location information of the document is also added to the document name as a prefix . further , the corresponding reference location value in the other document will be modified . the document movement , name changing and the reference context modification will act on the service document and all the referenced documents . as an example of embodiments of the invention for wsdl documents , a user may desire to transfer a set of documents , including one wsdl service document , from local storage to the remote server . as an example of when wsdl / wadl documents need to transferred , in the ocsg embodiment , an ability to generate a plug - in base on the customer &# 39 ; s defined interface is provided . the customer can upload the wsdl / wadl definition to the ocsg in the portal . the ocsg will implement this interface and provide the service for the customer . in this case , the customer needs to transfer integrated wsdl / wadl definition documents in the portal from the customer &# 39 ; s computer to the ocsg server . in the typical use case , there are a set of documents in the local storage , including some wsdl services . an example file structure is shown in fig4 as folders 401 , 402 in accordance to one embodiment . in this embodiment , the service wsdl will be the “ account . wsdl ” 403 under the partner folder . the portion of service file 403 related to the pending definitions is as follows : & lt ; import namespace =” http :// www . oracle . com / wsdl / ocsg / portal / faults /” location =”../ common . wsdl ”/& gt ; & lt ; types & gt ; & lt ; xsd : schema & gt ; & lt ; xsd : import namespace =” http :// www . oracle . com / wsdl / ocsg / portal / partner / account /” schemalocation =” account . xsd ”& gt ;& lt ;/ xsd : import & gt ; & lt ;/ xsd : schema & gt ; & lt ;/ types & gt ; as shown there are two files needed to assume the integration of the service wsdl , “ common . wsdl ” and “ account . xsd ” after receiving the common . wsdl file , embodiments create a temporary folder and place the common . wsdl file in the temporary folder . embodiments then parse the common . wsdl file and collect a pending definition file name . embodiments then modify the location of the definition in the common . wsdl file . embodiments next retrieve the definition document ( i . e ., account . xsd ) which is shown as follows : as with the common . wsdl file , embodiments then parse the account . xsd file and collect a pending definition file name . embodiments then modify the location of the definition in the account . xsd file . embodiments then place this modified file in the temporary folder , determine if the file name is unique , and modify the corresponding definition content in the main service document , account . wsdl , to match the new definition file name and path . similar functionality is performed on all pending definition documents . embodiments generate a message that informs the service document of any missing files that need to be parsed in order to integrate the documents . embodiments can receive this information and display the information in a user interface 501 shown in fig5 . finally , when all the files have been parsed , the content of the temporary folder is shown at 502 of fig5 . the modified service document , account . wsdl , with the pending definition is as follows , and can be compared to the unmodified account . wsdl document above : the modified account . xsd document is as follows , and can be as compared to the unmodified account . xsd document above : the temporary file is now in a packaged state and ready to be transferred . fig6 is a flow diagram of the functionality of system 10 of fig1 when integrating wsdl / wadl documents , in accordance with an embodiment . in one embodiment , the functionality of the flow diagram of fig6 is implemented by software stored in memory or other computer readable or tangible medium , and executed by a processor . in other embodiments , the functionality may be performed by hardware ( e . g ., through the use of an application specific integrated circuit (“ asic ”), a programmable gate array (“ pga ”), a field programmable gate array (“ fpga ”), etc . ), or any combination of hardware and software . at 601 , wsdl / wadl documents / files ( referred to as “ interface documents ”) are uploaded . the documents can include numerous files , including service documents , binding documents and xsd definition documents . the wsdl / wadl documents can function as a service interface for a web service . each document is then parsed beginning at 602 . at 602 , the document is stored using a new file name to avoid conflict with the previous file name . this file may be considered a temporary file . at 603 , the file type is read / determined . the file type may be a wadl , wsdl , or xsd file type . at 604 , the pending definition file name for the file is retrieved . at 605 , the pending definition is searched , in order to go through the temporary directory and make sure the required definition file is included in the uploaded files . at 606 , the pending definition is rewritten . the pending definition document location information in the interface document may originally link to the original path in the customer &# 39 ; s environment , and now the xsd file is saved in the temporary folder with a new name . the rewrite operation will read the original document and position the content of this definition , then modify this location parameter to the new one ( new path and new file name ), such as : location =‘ d :\ temp \ example . xsd ’. at 607 , the main service document is found . as an integrated interface definition document set , there exists one main service interface definition document to describe the interface method ( s ). this document will be the first node of the pending documents link . there will be no other documents pending on this service document . the other documents must be child nodes in order to subscribe to the needed structure in the main service document , or to subscribe another pending document which is for the main service document . at 608 , the parser result is returned . the return information in one embodiment includes the following : the functionality of 601 - 608 is looped to upload other documents until the parser returns an “ islegal ” tag . one embodiment functions as a service gatekeeper ( i . e ., ocsg ) and provides web services to communication providers , and provides the functionality described above for transferring wsdl / wadl files . fig7 is a block diagram of a services gatekeeper 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . as shown in fig7 , services gatekeeper 100 controls access to a plurality of communications services 110 . services gatekeeper 100 facilitates the communication operator &# 39 ; s need to provide third party service provider access to its key value - added network capabilities as well as third party apis in a controlled , secure , optimized , and automated fashion , while providing robust customization and extensibility . services gatekeeper 100 delivers a converged service exposure layer of service facades 120 , providing operators the choice and flexibility of using traditional soap web services 121 , restful web services 122 , service oriented architecture (“ soa ”) web services 123 , and native telecommunication interfaces 124 to expose their network capabilities to third party partners . the exposure platform is based on it , web and telecommunication industry standards including , for example , java platform , enterprise edition ( java ee ), service oriented architecture (“ soa ”), parlay x , session initiation protocol (“ sip ”), diameter , oauth , simple object access protocol (“ soap ”), and representational state transfer (“ rest ”)- ful web services . services gatekeeper 100 also includes an authorization server 102 which provides an authorization service . services gatekeeper 100 includes pre - built , specialized components as part of communication services 110 , to allow third party developers and application partners to easily access the operator &# 39 ; s telecommunication network capabilities . the network capabilities supported by the communication services include messaging , call control , terminal location , payment , profile and presence . these communication services 110 apis expose user information such as charging capability , location , and profile to third party applications . services gatekeeper 100 provides flexibility and choice in how third party developers and applications can access the operator &# 39 ; s network through multiple types access interfaces using service facades 120 . services gatekeeper 100 supports two types of restful communication services . a rest2rest service communicates with an existing rest api service facade allowing communication between restful interfaces . a rest exposure is a custom service facade providing an application bound , network - facing service used when restful requests are sent to a custom network implementation for translation and processing . services gatekeeper 100 mediates traffic between users and existing rest infrastructure allowing the application of service level agreements , policy enforcement , security , alarms and statistics for more control over communication services . services gatekeeper 100 includes a platform development studio 130 . because all networks are different , matching the particular requirements and capabilities of some networks sometimes means that services gatekeeper 100 must be extended or that certain aspects of it must be closely integrated with existing network functionality . platform development studio 130 is designed to ease this process by providing for the creation , integration , testing and customization of communication services . platform development studio 130 includes a wadl plug - in 132 that creates projects based on the responses that the developer makes to a wadl wizard 134 . wadl wizard 134 generates rest communication services from wadl files representing restful web application services . services gatekeeper 100 can then use the generated rest communication service to handle restful communications between platforms . wadl wizard 134 can be used to create both rest2rest ( e . g ., a network plug - in that interfaces with an existing service facade ) and rest exposure services ( e . g ., a service facade ). in one embodiment , wadl plug - in 132 takes wadl files as the only input and automatically generates rest2rest services including server - side and client - side components . wadl plug - in 132 generates end to end restful communication services . the restful communication service offers rest2rest functionality seamlessly with automatic support for the api agnostic features such as policy enforcement , load balancing , routing , failover , logging , accounting , format conversion ( xml2json , json2xml ) etc . wadl plug - in 132 generates the code for the restful communication service based on the wadl files and internal templates . the wadl files define the service interface and the templates define the code logic . the generated code can be in the form of wsdl documents . as disclosed , embodiments receive wsdl / wadl documents , parse the documents , and modify the definitions . as a result , the wsdl / wadl documents form an integrated package that can be more easily transferred . several embodiments are specifically illustrated and / or described herein . however , it will be appreciated that modifications and variations of the disclosed embodiments are covered by the above teachings and within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention .	6
in the following , an embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings . at first reference is made to fig1 for explaining a process relating to image formation . fig1 shows , as an example of an image forming apparatus of the present embodiment , a schematic configuration of a 4 - drum laser beam printer ( hereinafter simply called printer ) having plural optical scanning means . as shown in fig1 the printer of the present embodiment has four image forming stations , each constituting image forming means and having an electrophotographic photosensitive member ( hereinafter called photosensitive drum ), which constitutes a latent image bearing member and around which a charging apparatus , a developing apparatus , a cleaning apparatus , etc . are provided , and images formed on the photosensitive drums in the respective image forming stations are transferred onto a recording material such as paper ( hereinafter simply called paper ) on conveying means that passes close to the photosensitive drums . in image forming stations pa , pb , pc and pd for forming images of respective colors of magenta , cyan , yellow and black , there are respectively provided photosensitive drums 1 a , 1 b , 1 c and 1 d , each rendered rotatable in a direction indicated by an arrow . around the photosensitive drums 1 a , 1 b , 1 c and 1 d , there are provided chargers 5 a , 5 b , 5 c and 5 d for charging surfaces of the photosensitive drums , developing apparatuses 2 a , 2 b . 2 c and 2 d for developing image information formed after charging and image exposure , and cleaners 4 a , 4 b , 4 c and 4 d for removing toner remaining on the photosensitive drums after image transfer , in succession along the rotating direction of the photosensitive drums , and a transfer unit 3 is provided under the photosensitive drums , for transferring toner images on the photosensitive drums onto a recording material . the transfer unit 3 includes a transfer belt 31 constituting recording material conveying means common to the image forming stations , and transfer chargers 3 a , 3 b , 3 c and 3 d . in the above - described printer , a paper p , supplied from a sheet cassette 61 shown in fig1 and serving as recording material supplying means , is supported on the transfer belt 31 and is conveyed to the respective image forming stations , thereby receiving successive transfers of the toner images of the respective colors formed on the photosensitive drums . through such transfer step , an unfixed toner image is formed on the recording material . the recording material p , bearing such unfixed toner image , is separated from the transfer belt 31 and conveyed to a fixing apparatus 7 by a conveyor belt 62 constituting recording material guide means . [ 0032 ] fig2 is a schematic cross - sectional view showing principal parts of a fixing apparatus , utilizing a heating apparatus of an embodiment 1 of the present invention . referring to fig2 a fixing apparatus a includes a fixing roller 71 serving as a fixing rotary member and a pressure roller 72 serving as a pressurizing rotary member which are mutually contacted at surfaces and rendered rotatable : an external heating roller 73 including a heat source 75 therein , pressed in contact with the surface of the fixing roller 71 and rendered rotatable , thereby heating the surface of the fixing roller while rotated ; a first temperature sensor 77 and a second temperature sensor 76 , provided as temperature detecting members in contact with the surfaces of the fixing roller 71 and the external heating roller 73 thereby detecting surface temperatures of these rollers ; a conveying guide 62 for guiding a transfer material , bearing an unfixed toner image , to a contact portion ( nip ) of the fixing roller 71 and the pressure roller 72 ; and a separating finger 711 maintained in contact with or close to the surface of the pressure roller 72 for separating the transfer material . as explained above , the paired rotary members are constituted by a fixing rotary member and a pressurizing rotary member . the fixing roller 71 is constituted , for example , by an aluminum cylinder 71 a of an external diameter of 50 mm and a thickness of 3 mm constituting a metal core , and a surfacial elastic layer of silicone rubber 71 b of a jis - a hardness of 30 ° to 60 ° and a thickness of 3 mm . for increasing the releasing property of the surface , there may be provided a fluoric resin layer 71 c for example of ptfe of a thickness of 20 to 70 μm or pfa of a thickness of 50 to 100 μm as a releasing layer . the pressure roller 72 is constituted , for example , by an aluminum cylinder 72 a of an external diameter of 38 mm and a thickness of 2 mm constituting a metal core , and a surfacial elastic layer of silicone rubber 71 b of a jis - a hardness of 40 ° to 70 ° and a thickness of 2 mm . for increasing the releasing property of the surface , there may be provided a fluoric resin layer 71 c for example of ptfe of a thickness of 20 to 70 μm or pfa of a thickness of 50 to 100 μm as a releasing layer . also at the center of the cylinder of the fixing roller 71 and along the axial direction of the rotating axis , a heater 74 is provided as a heat source for example composed of a 500w halogen lamp having a uniform light distribution along the longitudinal direction , and the fixing roller 71 is heated by activating such heater 74 . the external heating roller 73 , constituting the external heating member or the heat supplying member , is constituted by an aluminum or iron cylinder 73 a of an external diameter 30 mm and a thickness of 3 mm serving as a metal core . on the surface of the cylinder , for increasing the releasing property , there may be provided a coating of a fluoric resin layer 73 b as a releasing layer . also on the internal surface of the cylinder of the external heating roller 73 , a black coating is provided in order to increase the heat absorption factor . also at the center of the cylinder of the external heating roller 73 and along the axial direction of the rotating axis , a heater 75 is provided as a heat source for example composed of a 400w halogen lamp having a uniform light distribution along the longitudinal direction , and the external heating roller 73 is heated by the function of such heater 75 . [ 0038 ] fig3 is a schematic view best representing the embodiment 1 , showing the relation of crowning amounts of the external heating roller 73 and the fixing roller 71 . the fixing roller 71 is provided , as a measure against paper creasing , with an inverse crowning in such a manner that an external diameter d1 at a central portion and an external diameter d2 in end portions in the longitudinal direction of the fixing roller 71 have a difference : the external heating roller 73 is provided with a positive crowning in such a manner that an external diameter d3 at a central portion and an external diameter d4 in end portions in the longitudinal direction of the external heating roller 73 have a difference : when the external heating roller 73 was pressed to the fixing roller 71 of the aforementioned shapes with a load of about 10 kg , a nip width n1 at the central portion of the fixing roller 71 and the external heating roller 73 was about 4 . 5 mm , while a nip width n2 at the end portion was about 4 . 5 mm , almost same as the nip width n1 at the center . as a result , a heat transmission distance ( heat transmission amount ) from the external heating roller 73 to the fixing roller 71 became uniform along the longitudinal direction and it was made possible to maintain the temperature of the fixing roller uniformly along the longitudinal direction . in fact , by employing a fixing roller 71 with an inverse crowning of 150 to 200 μm and an external heating roller 73 with a positive crowning of 150 to 200 μm and monitoring the temperature in the central portion and in the end portion ( corresponding to an end portion of an a4 - sized sheet ) of the fixing roller 71 in the course of a continuous fixing operation for 500 a4 - sized sheets , it was confirmed that a state with little difference in the surface temperature between the central portion and the end portion of the fixing roller 71 was maintained . an image after fixing was satisfactory without unevenness in the gloss over the entire range in the longitudinal direction . as explained in the foregoing , the present embodiment 1 is capable , by directly heating the fixing roller 71 from the exterior by the external heating roller 73 , of not only effectively preventing the temperature decrease of the fixing roller 71 but also maintaining the temperature of the fixing roller uniformly along the longitudinal direction . in the first embodiment , there has been explained an effect of a positive crowning shape provided in the external heating roller 73 , in consideration of a situation where the fixing roller 71 has an inverse crowning shape for avoiding paper creases , but also in case the fixing roller 71 has a positive crowning shape in order to reduce the flipping of the rear end of paper , the external heating roller 73 can be provided with an inverse crowning to maintain the nip width between the external heating roller 73 and the fixing roller 71 uniform along the longitudinal direction , thereby maintaining a uniform temperature of the fixing roller along the longitudinal direction . a third embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to fig5 and 6 . referring to fig5 a fixing roller 71 is provided , as a measure against paper creasing , with an inverse crowning in such a manner that an external diameter d1 at a central portion and an external diameter d2 in end portions in the longitudinal direction of the fixing roller 71 have a difference ; the external heating roller 73 has a straight shape in which the external diameter at a central portion and that at end portions in the longitudinal direction are mutually same . when the external heating roller 73 of the straight shape was contacted by loading to the fixing roller 71 having the inverse by employing the above - described configuration and monitoring the temperature in the central portion and in the end portion ( corresponding to an end portion of an a4 - sized sheet ) of the fixing roller 71 in the course of a continuous fixing operation of 500 a4 - sized sheets , it was confirmed that a state with little difference in the surface temperature between the central portion and the end portion of the fixing roller 71 was maintained . it was thus made possible to maintain a state almost without a difference in the surface temperature between the central portion and the end portions of the fixing roller 71 during the fixing operation , and there could be obtained a satisfactory image after fixing without unevenness in the gloss over the entire range in the longitudinal direction . in the foregoing embodiments , there have been explained cases of applying the heating apparatus of the invention to a fixing apparatus , but the heating apparatus of the present invention is also applicable effectively for crease elimination , surface gloss formation , etc . of a heated member , thereby improving the quality thereof . also the fixing roller 71 and the external heating roller 73 in the heating apparatus of the present invention may be applied as the fixing roller 71 and the external heating roller 73 of the fixing apparatus shown in fig1 thereby providing an effect of obtaining a fixing apparatus capable of always realizing an appropriate fixing process . as explained in the foregoing , the present invention is capable not only of effectively preventing the decrease in the temperature of the fixing roller ( or pressure roller ), but also maintaining the temperature of the fixing roller ( or pressure roller ) uniformly along the longitudinal direction thereof , thereby providing a satisfactory heating process that the heated material after heating if free from unevenness in the gloss over the entire area in the longitudinal direction . the present invention has been explained by embodiments thereof , but the invention is not at all limited by such embodiments and is subject to any and all modifications within the technical scope of the present invention . crowning of 150 to 200 μm so as to have a nip width n1 of about 4 . 5 mm at the central portion , the nip width n2 at the end portions was about 5 . 5 mm and was larger by about 1 mm than in the central portion , as shown in fig6 . this means that the heat transmission distance ( heat transmission amount ) from the external heating roller 73 to the fixing roller 71 is larger in the end portions than in the central portion , along the longitudinal direction . therefore , the heater 75 incorporated in the external heating roller 73 was constituted by a halogen lamp having such a light distribution in the longitudinal direction having a relative illumination intensity of 80 % in end portions with respect to that of 120 % in central portion . the heater 75 of such configuration is used in order to compensate the difference in the amount of the supplied heat resulting from the difference in the heat transmission distance between the central portion and the end portion of the fixing roller 71 and the external heating roller 73 in the longitudinal direction thereof , by the relative illumination intensity of the internal heater 75 of the external heating roller 73 , made larger in the central portion than in the end portions , thereby maintaining the heat amount supplied to the fixing roller 71 constant in the longitudinal direction thereof .	6
embodiments of the present invention will be explained hereinbelow with reference to the drawings . as shown in fig1 and 2 , the base 1 is formed in a rectangular substantially flat box shape , and includes supports 2 at the four corners of the base 1 . the supports 2 are formed at positions symmetrical with respect to each other and with respect to an imaginary intersecting diagonal lines across the base 1 , such as the line 2 -- 2 . a motor 3 is fixed to a center part of the base 1 as shown in fig2 and 3 . a motor pinion 4 meshes with a gear 6 journalled to a gear shaft 5 , and a worm gear 7 is journalled , coaxially with the gear 6 , to a gear shaft 8 . the worm gear 7 meshes with a worm wheel 9 journalled to the gear shaft 8 and a worm wheel 12 journalled to a gear shaft 11 , respectively . further , pinions 10 are journalled to both ends of the gear shaft 8 , and mesh with crown gears 14 . cylindrical members 15 are journalled to coaxially with the crown gears 14 , and are rotatably fitted in the supports 2 . further , the upper ends of each cylindrical member 15 are made to enter into openings formed in the center of the upper ends of the supports 2 . pinions 13 are journalled to both end parts of the gear shaft 11 , and mesh with crown gears 17 . cylindrical members 18 are journalled coaxially with the crown gears 17 and are rotatably fitted in the supports 2 . the upper ends of the cylindrical members 18 are made to enter into openings formed in the centers of the upper ends of the supports 2 . spiral rods 20 ( fig1 ), which are preferably spiraled along their entire lengths , are formed at their upper ends with heads 20a so as to have a snake - like appearance . projections ( not shown ) project from the lower ends of the spiral rods 20 and are removably fitted in grooves 16 , 19 formed in the cylindrical members 15 and 18 , respectively . referring to fig5 manipulators 21 are preferably formed as guard - like members . each manipulator 21 has a pair of arcuate , bifurcated pieces 21a which define a center space 23 therebetween . each bifurcated piece 21a includes at a free end 22a thereof angle shaped engaging projections 24 projecting from one inside end surface thereof . each manipulator 21 also includes a handle 22 . the space 23 is wider midway of the bifurcated pieces 21a than at the free ends 22a thereof and is therefore so arranged that ring members 25 , which are explained below , can be easily carried on the bifurcated pieces 21a near the space 23 , without being substantially affected by the rotating spiral rods 20 . the ring members 25 are preferably formed to have different shapes such as shown in fig4 and to have different weights . for example , one has a weighted portion 26a formed on its outer surface , one has a smaller inner diameter of 27 , and one has a flat shape 28 . the way in which the game is played will now be explained . to start the game , the ring members 25 are placed over the spiral rods 20 , and onto the supports 2 . when a switch ( not shown ) provided on the base 1 is activated , the motor 3 moves and the spiral rods 20 rotatably mounted on the base 1 are rotated . each player moves his or her manipulator 21 toward his or her spiral rod 20 . the player then moves the manipulator 21 under a ring 25 and tries to move the ring member 25 upward without causing the ring member 25 to drop if it strikes the rotating spiral rod 20 . the goal is to remove the ring member 25 from the upper part of the spiral rod 20 , i . e ., beyond the head 20a . the first player who removes all ring members 25 from his or her spiral rod 20 is the winner . the game board having the above - mentioned structure can be set up to have various degrees of difficulty , depending upon the ability of the players . that is , as a rule , a player could use only the forward ends 24a formed on the bifurcated , arcuated pieces 21a of the manipulator 21 . in this way , only flat surfaces , on which no engaging projections 24 , 24 are formed , are used to receive the ring member 25 . further , using ring members 25 of the types which are difficult to be carried , e . g ., the weighted version can be used . combinations of the above can be used by players in a wide range . the present invention as described above , includes a plurality of spiral rods which appear like a plurality of snakes dancing . this game board satisfies visual interest , and the use of the manipulator for removing the ring members from the base end part of the rotating spiral rod without the ring member being dropped after contacting the spiral rod leads to an interesting game , and can therefore provide a game board with which the players in a wide range can enjoy . the foregoing is considered illustrative only of the principles of the invention . further , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described . accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to that fall within the scope of the invention and the appended claims .	0
referring now to fig1 a support table 10 is provided to hold the apparatus of the present invention . the support table 10 has an upstream end 14 and a downstream end 16 . a top surface 18 of the support table 10 is straddled by two longitudinal extending , laterally spaced recesses 20 and 22 , one on each side of the support table 10 . the recesses 20 and 22 each provide a guide for one of a pair of laterally spaced rigid members 24 . rigid members 24 may serve , for example , as frame components of a sofa or chair . the recesses 20 and 22 are below the top surface 18 by a distance equal to the thickness of the elongated rigid member 24 . a first magazine or holder 30 is provided on the upstream end 14 of the support table . the magazine or holder 30 has a front portion 32 which holds the front portion of one group of rigid members 24 in a vertically aligned stacked relationship . front portion 32 has a closed front end and partially closed side portions to maintain a stack of a plurality of rigid members 24 in a vertical aligned position , one on top of another . a bottom opening 34 , slightly greater in height than the thickness of the lower most rigid member 24 , is provided in a lower portion of the front portion 32 of the magazine 30 . additional support for the rigid members 24 is provided by vertical opposed side members 36 and 38 on top of the table 10 . similarly , additional opposed side members 40 and 42 are provided to support the distal end of the rigid member 24 . a similar magazine or holder 50 is provided on the opposite side of the table 10 to retain a second group of rigid members 24 in a vertically aligned stacked arrangement . this magazine or holder 50 also has a front portion 52 similar to the front portion 32 of the first magazine 30 . similar side members 56 and 58 support the elongated rigid members 24 at their mid - point and two additional side members 60 and 62 hold additional rigid members 24 at their distal end . an advancement mechanism , as will be explained below , has a pair of slides 64 and 66 for engaging simultaneously the lower most pair of rigid members 24 held respectively in the first magazine 30 and the second magazine 50 . a first detector 70 mounted downstream from the magazine 30 detects the presence or absence of a rigid member 24 at a first predetermined position along recess 20 . a second detector 72 positioned downstream from the first detector 70 detects the presence or the absence of a rigid member at a second predetermined position along recess 20 . a first drive mechanism 80 is located coincidental with the second predetermined position as indicated by detector 72 . the drive mechanism 80 is mounted on a shaft 82 which is held by a vertical support 84 mounted on a first side of the table 10 and a corresponding vertical support 86 mounted on the opposite side of the table 10 . the shaft 82 is held in bearings ( not shown ) and is adjustable in a vertical direction . rigidly attached to the shaft 82 is a first wheel 88 having a pneumatic tire 90 mounted thereon . the pneumatic tire 90 overlays the first recessed area 20 of the table 10 and is adjusted in the vertical position to contact a rigid member in the recessed area 20 sufficiently to propel the member in a first direction as shown by the arrow in fig1 . a second wheel 92 is rigidly mounted to shaft 82 on the opposite side of the support table 10 . another tire 94 is mounted to wheel 92 and overlays the second recessed area or guide 22 . an attachment zone 100 is located downstream from the first drive mechanism 80 . a roll of flexible material 102 is held on a rotatable shaft 103 which is supported by notched portions of support members 84 and 86 above the first drive mechanism 80 . the flexible material 102 traverses guides 104 and 106 and is protected by a flat guide 108 before advancing beneath roller 110 . roller 110 is positioned above the top surface 18 of the table 10 and guides the flexible material onto the top of each of the rigid supports 24 in the recessed areas 20 and 22 of table 10 . a third detector 112 located downstream from the roller 110 detects the presence or the absence of a rigid member 24 in a third predetermined location . detector 112 , when it detects the presence of a rigid member 24 , activates staple machines 114 and 120 . staple machines 114 and 120 , which are each located above one of the recesses 20 , 22 opposite one another , serve to staple the flexible material to the top surface of the underlying rigid member as it is advanced in the first direction . staple machine 114 is held in position by a movable support 116 attached to table 10 while staple machine 120 is supported by movable support 122 attached to the opposite side of table 10 . a second drive mechanism 130 is located downstream from the attachment zone 100 . drive mechanism 130 is supported by a shaft 132 having opposite ends held by vertically adjustable bearings ( not shown ), one of which is mounted in a vertical support 134 which is attached to table 10 . a similar support 135 is attached to the opposite side of table 10 . a wheel 136 is rigidly attached to shaft 132 . a pneumatic tire 138 is mounted on wheel 136 and overlays the recess or guide 20 . a second wheel 140 is rigidly attached to shaft 132 on the opposite side of table 10 . a second pneumatic tire 142 is mounted on wheel 140 and overlays the recessed or guide area 22 . shaft 132 is coupled to shaft 82 by means of a chain 150 and sprockets ( not shown ) attached to each shaft . this allows the first drive mechanism 80 and the second drive mechanism 130 to rotate in the same direction at the same rotational speed . referring now to fig2 a second drive chain 152 is mounted on a sprocket ( not shown ) rigidly attached to shaft 82 . chain 152 is also attached to a gear reduction gearbox 154 which is coupled by chain 156 to a gearbox 158 which is in combination with a motor 160 . in this manner , rotation of the motor 160 causes chain 156 to rotate causing chain 152 to rotate shaft 82 and consequently through chain 150 to rotate shaft 132 . slide 66 has a push bar 170 attached thereto . when fully retracted , push bar 170 does not contact any of the rigid members 24 . advancement of the push bar in the direction of the arrow shown in fig2 advances the lower most rigid member 24 out of the magazine 30 through the front opening 34 to the first detector 70 . the slide 66 is connected to a cross member 172 which is attached to a cylinder rod 176 of a hydraulic cylinder 174 . activation of cylinder 174 retracts the cylinder rod 176 forcing the cross member and the guide 66 in the direction of the arrow shown . to prevent the hydraulic cylinder 174 from overriding the first drive mechanism 80 the hydraulic cylinder only advances the rigid member 24 to the first detector 70 until the second detector 72 beneath the first drive mechanism 80 detects the absence of a rigid member 24 . the hydraulic cylinder 174 then advances the rigid member 24 to the second detector 72 which allows the drive mechanism 80 to advance the rigid member 24 in a first direction . the cylinder rod 176 of the hydraulic cylinder 174 is then fully extended bringing the push bar 170 back to its initial starting position . as can be seen in fig3 the cross member 172 simultaneously activates both slides 64 and 66 to simultaneously advance a pair of rigid members into the first drive mechanism 80 . after the second drive mechanism 130 advances the assembled fabric 102 and rigid members 24 out of the attachment zone 100 , the fabric 102 is cut across its width at the point where the leading end of one rigid member meets the trailing end of the next rigid members 24 by any conventional means ( not shown ). each individual assembly is then transferred to the final assembly point where it is attached to the remaining framework of a couch or chair . to begin the assembly process , a plurality of elongated rigid members 24 are stacked one upon another into the first magazine 30 . the rigid members are advanced so that the leading edge of each contacts the front portion 32 of the magazine 30 . a second plurality of rigid members are stacked one upon the other and placed in the second magazine 50 . again , the front edge or the leading edge of each of the elongated members is aligned into the front portion 52 of the magazine 50 . the lower most rigid member 24 in magazine 30 is advanced through opening 34 until the leading edge of the rigid member 24 is approximately 1 &# 34 ; downstream from the stapler 114 . similarly , the lower most rigid member of magazine 50 is advanced until the leading edge of that rigid member 24 is approximately 1 &# 34 ; downstream from stapler 120 . each of the rigid members , that is the rigid member 24 in guide 20 which is 1 &# 34 ; beyond the stapler 114 and the second rigid member 24 in guide 22 which is 1 &# 34 ; downstream from the stapler 120 , are aligned so that they are parallel to one another on the table 10 . a shaft 103 is placed through the center of the roll of flexible material 102 and the shaft 103 is placed in the notch in frame member 84 and the notch in frame member 86 . the fabric 102 is led over guide 104 and between guide - 06 and flat guide - 08 . the flexible material 102 is then pulled beneath roll 110 and underneath stapler 114 and stapler 120 until its leading edge matches the leading edge of rigid member 24 in guide 20 and rigid member 24 in guide 22 . the flexible member 102 is then temporarily stapled by means of an auxiliary staple gun to each of the rigid members . the air which operates stapler 114 and stapler 120 and the hydraulic cylinder 174 is turned on . the motor 160 is also turned on . the first drive mechanism 80 advances each of the elongated rigid members 24 along the respective guides . the third detector 112 detecting the presence of the rigid members 24 and activates staplers 114 and 120 to drive staples through the flexible member 102 into each of the rigid members 24 . the advancement of each of the rigid members by the first drive mechanism 80 evenly and linearly pulls the flexible member - 02 along with the rigid members 24 . the roller 110 insures that the flexible member 102 advances on top of each of the rigid members 24 in an even manner without wrinkling , bunching , or gathering . when the first detector 70 detects that no rigid member 24 is present , it sends an electrical signal to a controller which applies air pressure to the pneumatic cylinder 174 which retracts the cylinder rod 176 and advances slide 64 and 66 to advance a new pair of rigid members 24 up to the first predetermined position determined by the position of the first detector 70 . advancement of the rigid members 24 is halted until the second detector 72 detects that no rigid member is at the second predetermined position . when detector 72 detects that no rigid member is at the second predetermined position , an electrical signal is sent to a controller which then advances pneumatic cylinder 174 to force each of the pair of rigid members 24 to the second predetermined position which underlays drive mechanism 80 . a mechanical stop ( not shown ) within pneumatic cylinder 174 halts advancement at the second predetermined position . pneumatic cylinder 174 then extends the cylinder rod 176 to force the slide 64 and 66 back to their beginning positions . the drive mechanism 80 then begins advancing the second pair of rigid members in the first direction . as the first magazine 30 and the second magazine 50 begin to exhaust their stock of elongated rigid members 24 , the magazines may be refilled and the process continues until the roll of flexible material 102 is completely exhausted . as long as a rigid member 24 is in the third predetermined position determined by the third detector 112 , the staplers 114 and 120 will continue to drive staples through the flexible material 102 into each of the pair rigid members 24 . the spacing of each subsequent staple is determined by the linear speed set by the first drive mechanism 80 and the second drive mechanism 130 and the air pressure supplied to the staple guns . staple gun 114 is adjustable on bracket 116 to change the angle that the staples are driven into the rigid members . similarly , staple gun 120 is adjustable on support bracket 122 to adjust the angle of the staples driven into each of the rigid members . it should be noted that the apparatus of the present invention may be adjustable in width to accommodate different widths of flexible members . similar adjustments may be built into the apparatus to accommodate different lengths of rigid members . having illustrated and described the principles of the invention in a preferred embodiment , it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles .	1
a typical thermoelectric generator 10 of the invention is shown in fig1 - 5 . this generator comprises an array of thermoelectric legs 11 ( only three representative legs are shown in fig1 ) disposed regularly around a cylindrical hot plate 12 and arranged in heat - conductive relation with the hot plate ( the legs 11 are pressed by spring - biased followers 5 that slide in bores 6 in a cold plate 7 , and the cold plate 7 is surrounded by a cold shell 8 , to which heat - dissipating fins 9 are attached ; the hot plate in a thermoelectric generator of the invention could , in less preferred embodiments , be flat , and &# 34 ; cylindrical &# 34 ; hot plates may have a cross - sectional shape other than a true cylinder , even being square in some cases ). heat is supplied to the inside of the cylindrical hot plate 12 with a burner means of the invention that comprises , in alignment on a central axis 13 , a blower means 14 ; an ultrasonic atomizer 15 connected by tube means 16 to a source of fuel ; a cylindrical wall 17 spaced radially around the atomizer ; baffle means 18 disposed around the tip of a horn 19 of the ultrasonic atomizer 15 ; a cylindrical burner housing 20 which receives the blower means 14 , atomizer 15 , cylindrical wall 17 and baffle means 18 and which extends beyond the cylindrical wall 17 in a right - angle extension to form a combustion chamber 21 ; and a cylindrical mantle 22 connected to said burner housing . an insulating jacket 23 surrounds the burner housing 20 and is filled with a generally fibrous thermal insulation . openings 24 are provided in the housing 20 in this embodiment to reduce impedance to the flow of air caused by the blower means 14 . ultrasonic atomizers have been described in several patents including u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 275 , 059 and 3 , 214 , 101 . as shown best in fig2 - 5 , a typical atomizer useful in the invention comprises a stepped horn 19 that will vibrate at an ultrasonic frequency and that includes a base portion 19a and a tip portion 19b , a dummy horn 25 to balance the vibrating horn , two piezoelectric crystals 26 between the vibrating horn and dummy horn , an electrode 27 positioned between the piezoelectric crystals and connected through leads 28 to an ultrasonic - frequency electric power source , and flanges 29 on the vibrating and dummy horns by which the atomizer parts are clamped together and to a mounting bracket 30 with screws 31 . plastic sleeves 31a around the screws 31 extend between the flanges 29 and through the electrode 27 . the atomizer 15 is attached to the cylindrical wall 17 by screws 32 which extend through arms 33 of the mounting bracket and through tabs 34 extending inwardly from the cylindrical wall . a fuel passage 35 runs from the tube means 16 through the vibrating horn 19 to an outlet 36 in the center of the end of the tip portion 19b of the horn . fuel fed through the passage 35 forms as a thin film on the end of the vibrating horn and then is vibrated off the horn as a mist of fine particles or droplets . the baffle means 18 of the thermoelectric generator of the invention illustrated in the drawings consists of vanes 37 fastened ( as by welding ) at a point 38 on their outer edge to the inside of the cylindrical wall 17 and positioned at an angle to the axis 13 ( that is , the angle θ shown in fig4 ). the forward edge 39 of the vanes 37 terminates in a plane that extends approximately through the longitudinal axis 13 . over most of their outer edge , the vanes 37 are spaced from the inside of cylindrical wall 17 to form a space 40 . and the downstream portions 41 of the vanes 37 are gradually curved inwardly , which increases the distance of those portions of the vanes from the inside of the cylindrical wall 17 . the innermost edge of the vanes is spaced from the horn to form a central space 42 around the horn . oxidizing gas ( generally air ) passing through the baffle means 18 and atomized fuel from the atomizer 15 mix and pass into the combustion chamber 21 formed by the burner housing 20 . ignition means are provided inside the combustion chamber by two wires 43 and 44 of a high - temperature - resistant alloy separated narrowly at their ends to form a sparking gap . the wire 43 is connected to the outer insulating jacket 23 , which in turn is connected to ground through a grounding lug not shown , while the wire 44 is insulated from the housing 20 , jacket 23 , and other structure and is connected to a source of electric voltage through an insulated lead 45 ( see fig2 ). in the illustrated thermoelectric generator , the burner housing 20 is formed with a right angle so that the burning and heated fuel and oxidizing gas mixture moves upwardly into the mantle . in other embodiments , which are generally preferred for efficiency of burning , the blower means 14 , ultrasonic atomizer 15 , burner housing 20 and mantle 22 are arranged on a straight longitudinal axis ( note that for purposes herein the blower means , ultrasonic atomizer , burner housing , and mantle are all regarded as being on the same longitudinal axis 13 , though that axis is bent at a right angle ). as previously noted , the baffle means 18 shapes oxidizing gas blown past the horn of the atomizer by the blower means 14 into three components : a component deflected by the vanes 37 into a swirl or vortex pattern ; a center stream passing through the space 42 between the vanes 37 ; and an outside annular component passing along the inside of the cylindrical wall 17 through the space 40 between the outer edge of the vanes and the inside of the cylindrical wall 17 . each of these components has an important function . because of the low pressure caused by the swirling movement within the vortex component , the mist of atomized fuel is rapidly drawn into the stream of oxidizing gas . also , the low pressure of the vortex component causes the flame to remain closely spaced from the horn . even if the flame is extinguished because of an air bubble in the fuel supply , the heat of the system will quickly reignite fuel just off the end of the horn . and burning generally can be initiated with fuel and air flowing at their maximum rate , which makes electronic control apparatus in the generator less costly and complex . the center component moving through the space 42 between the vanes 37 keeps the flame away from the atomizer horn 19 , and cools the horn . the outside annular component traveling through the space 40 provides an outer envelope that tends to confine the vortex component . it has been found that if the vortex component spreads outwardly too much , fuel is deposited on the sides of the burner housing , resulting in carbon accumulation and reducing the efficiency and the uniformity of the heating operation . in general , baffle configurations that provide for movement of oxidizing gas having the described three components are useful in the invention . to develop a vortex component of sufficient magnitude to achieve a desired mixing of oxidizing gas and fuel , there are preferably five or more vanes in the baffle means . also , the angle θ between the vanes and the axis 13 is generally more than about 20 °, and preferably is more than about 40 °. on the other hand , the angle θ is generally less than about 70 °, and preferably is less than about 60 °, so as to avoid formation of &# 34 ; dead &# 34 ; spaces ( areas in which the air is not moving ), to minimize impedance for the blower means , to cause a desired amount of oxidizing gas to enter the vortex , and to keep the flame spaced from the tip of the atomizer horn . the vanes overlap sufficiently so that a summation of the surface areas on one side of the vanes is at least 1 . 2 times , and preferably at least 1 . 6 times , as great as the area subtended by the vanes ( that is , the area on a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the baffle means that would be covered if the vanes were projected onto the plane ). as the heated gases of the combustion process pass into the mantle 22 from the combustion chamber 21 inside the burner housing 20 , there is a pressure drop , because the cross - sectional area of the mantle is greater than the cross - sectional area of the housing 20 ( in this embodiment by about 600 percent ); and this pressure drop draws the heated gases into the mantle . it is desirable for almost all burning to occur before the mixture of fuel and oxidizing gas leaves the housing 20 , though the flame will often extend into the mantle . because the burning is in large part completed within the housing 20 , the distribution of heat throughout the mantle 22 is subject to more control . once in the mantle , the heated gases travel through openings 46 in the mantle , then upwardly through the space 47 between the mantle and the hot plate , which is preferably divided into longitudinally extending passageways by heat - collecting fins 48 , and then out through openings 49 in the top of the mantle . the center portion of the top end of the mantle in fig1 is closed so as to force the gases out through the openings 46 . the hot plate 12 is heated both by convection of the heated gases in the space 47 and also by radiation from the heated mantle . the openings 46 in the mantle are arranged in a pattern that is empirically determined to cause heating of the hot plate 12 uniformly over its surface , and thus will provide a more uniform , efficient operation of the thermoelectric legs . in the illustrated embodiment , there is a greater open area ( because of more and / or larger openings 46 ) at the two axial ends of the mantle than there is in the area between those two end portions , with the largest open area being at the downstream end of the mantle . as a specific example of a thermoelectric generator of the invention , one illustrative thermoelectric generator was made in the arrangement shown in the drawing with parts of the following description : the blower means 14 comprised a vane - axial - type fan , capable of blowing about 10 cubic feet of air per minute at a pressure drop of 0 . 55 inch of water column . the inside diameter of the cylindrical wall 17 was 1 . 95 inches . there were six vanes 37 in the baffle means 18 , disposed at an angle of 52 ° to the longitudinal axis 13 of the baffle means , and occupying about 1 . 8 times the area subtended by the vanes . of the total cross - sectional area inside the cylindrical wall 17 , 2 . 5 percent was occupied by the diameter of the tip 19b of the vibrating horn of the atomizer , about 5 percent was occupied by the space 42 between the tip of the horn and the inside edge of the vanes 37 , about 70 percent was occupied by the vanes , and about 22 percent was occupied by the space 40 between the outer edge of the vanes and the inside of the cylindrical wall . the ultrasonic atomizer 15 was a full - wave , resonant , stepped - horn ultrasonic atomizer , vibrating at about 77 kilohertz . the burner housing 20 had a height from the point 50 in fig1 of 4 inches and an inside diameter of 2 inches . the mantle 22 had an inside diameter of 5 . 25 inches and a length of 8 . 5 inches ; and the cylindrical hot plate 12 had an inside diameter of 6 inches . five - hundred - twelve thermoelectric legs were disposed around the hot plate 12 , and the hot end of the legs was generally heated during operation of the generator to a temperature of 1050 ° f , with a variation between hot ends of less than 50 ° f .	7
referring now to fig1 of the drawing , a writing instrument 10 is illustrated in an exploded view in accordance with the present invention . the writing instrument 10 includes a handle 12 , a reservoir 14 , a housing 16 , a plurality of strain gages 18 , a bridge circuit 20 , and a locking assembly 22 . the handle 12 includes an elongated body 24 and a base 26 , and is of unitary construction with a hollow interior . the elongated body 24 is suitably scaled and shaped to accommodate the hand of a user and includes a sculpted out portion 28 formed to assure that the fingers of the user will always grasp the body at the indentical location . with reference also to fig2 the base 26 includes a top wall 30 having a generally spherically - concave portion 32 with a central opening 34 . the opening 34 subtends an arc of about 20 ° and serves to permit a rotational movement of an element extending therethrough as will be subsequently described . the lower surface of the portion 32 includes four pins 36 acting as stops which serve to restrict rotational movement of a collar 38 . the reservoir 14 includes a planar top wall 40 , a generally cylindrical sidewall 42 and a bottom wall 44 that is generally u - shaped in cross section and has a central opening 46 . the walls 40 , 42 and 44 form an internal cavity 48 that is capable of containing a writing fluid , such as ink 50 or the like under pressure . an ink shaft 52 having a ballpoint 54 at its distal end and a passageway 56 , is press fit into the opening 46 and serves to seal the cavity 48 . alternatively , the shaft is threaded and is screwed into a mating threaded hole in the reservoir . the passageway 56 serves to continuously provide ink 50 to the ballpoint 54 . a plurality of ribs 58 is molded to the outer surface of the sidewall 42 . the ribs 58 extend substantially the entire length of the sidewall in the same direction as the cartridge 52 , have a continual taper at the top end 53 and have a triangular cross section as shown in fig4 . the ribs 58 are comprised of a resilient material such as plastic , or the like , that collapse or deform when the ribs frictionally engage a rigid surface . in the preferred embodiment the reservoir and the ribs are integrally formed from plastic . the housing 16 includes a sidewall 60 depending from an upper portion 62 . the sidewall 60 is generally annular in cross section and has an inner diameter that is slightly less than the diameter of the sidewall 42 and ribs 58 of the reservoir 14 . the upper portion 62 includes flanges 64 that are contiguous with and have substantially the same thickness as the sidewall 60 and a relatively thin central disc or diaphragm 66 . because of its thin walls , the diaphragm 66 is flexible and is capable of being distorted or deformed when a force is transmitted to it through the sidewall 60 and the flanges 64 . thus , the sidewall 60 and upper portion 62 form a generally cylindrical internal cavity 68 therewithin that serves to receive the conforming top wall 40 and sidewall 42 of the reservoir 14 in an interference fit . a threaded member 70 extends axially outwardly from the diaphragm 66 and serves to mount the housing 16 to the handle 12 . accordingly , the upper surface 72 of the diaphragm is generally annular in plan view ( see fig3 ). in the preferred embodiment the diaphragm , flanges , sidewall and threaded member are integrally formed from a stainless steel block . referring again to fig2 the locking assembly 22 includes the threaded member 70 , the collar 38 and a locking cap 74 . the collar 38 includes a pair of recesses 39 adapted to receive the stops 36 and hence prevent the housing from rotating about an axis through the shaft 52 . the vertical dimension of the collar 38 is such that its lower surface remains out of contact with the strain gages 18 when the locking assembly 22 is tightened . the locking cap 74 has a spherically convex portion 75 to mate with the portion 32 of the top wall 30 and a threaded opening 76 to mate with the member 70 . a recess 77 is formed in the top of the cap 74 and serves to receive the end of the member 70 . a nut 78 is bonded to the endmost threads of the member and serves as a stop to prevent the removal of the member from the cap . a lid 79 serves to enclose the recess 77 for aesthetic purposes . the locking assembly 22 serves to lock the housing 16 and hence the cartridge 52 in a desired orientation for the user relative to the pitch , roll and yaw directions . in particular , with the cap 74 loosened , the member 70 is moved within the constraints of the opening 34 to a desired angle in the pitch direction , and in the roll direction ( which is in a plane normal to that of the plane of the paper ). it should be noted that the stops 36 remain within the recesses 39 to prevent rotational movement in the yaw direction . once the desired orientation is achieved the cap 74 is tightened , thus locking the housing 16 relative to the handle 12 . eight strain gages 18 a - h arranged in four pairs and lying on lines forming coordinate x and y axes intersecting the center of the diaphragm 66 are attached to the surface 72 as shown in fig3 . in the preferred embodiment , the strain gages 18 are comprised of a bar of silicon and are attached to the surface as with a bonding technique well known to those skilled in the art . the silicon is about 20 mils by 20 mils by 0 . 5 mils . each strain gage 18 has a characteristic electrical resistance in its unstressed state and responds to a distortion or flexure ( either compression or tension ) of the portion of the diaphragm 66 at which it is located by becoming elongated or compressed so as to have its resistance change by an amount corresponding to the magnitude and the direction of the distortion . the change in resistance is substantially linear relative to the magnitude of the distortion . over the normal range of operation , the magnitudes of compression and tension in opposing gages forming each pair is normally equal . it has been found that when four of the gages 18 a - d are arranged in a circular pattern around and close to the center of the surface 72 on quadrantially disposed radii (+ x , - x , + y , - y ) and the remaining four gages 18 e - h are arranged on the periphery of a concentric circle having a larger radius than that on which the gages 18 a - d lie , then the strain gage apparatus 18 is able to achieve maximum sensitivity , minimum thermal sensitivity and the best all - around response . more particularly , maximum stress occurs in the radial direction for both torque ( x -- y ) and in line ( pressure ) deflection of the diaphragm . this radial stress is at an absolute maximum at the inner edge of the diaphragm and decreases and changes sign toward the outer edge . the ratio of the absolute radial stresses at the inner and outer radii is roughly inversely proportional to the ratio of the radii . for greatest sensitivity , it is desired to place the strain in the regions of greatest stress ( and hence strain ) consistent with other constraints and as the size of the gage and ability to maintain temperature . thus , the gages should be placed as close as practical to the inner or outer radii but should not be placed near the average radii . x and y forces produce stresses and strains in the diaphragm in proportion to the length of the moment arm from the diaphragm 66 to the ballpoint 54 . the response of the gages to a vertical force p , however , is independent of the moment arm . hence , by including the sidewall 60 and the reservoir 14 between the diaphragm 66 and the ballpoint 54 , the sensitivity of the writing instrument 10 to changes in the x and y forces on the ballpoint are greatly increased . to distinguish between lateral distortions in the x and y directions and a vertical force p , the strain gages 18 are interconnected into a multiple bridge circuit arrangement , as shown in fig5 . a constant current source 80 , designated as source of ix and iy , provides the output current ix and iy . these are connected to two bus lines . across these two bus lines are connected two capacitors 83 , 85 , which have an equal value , and whose center point is grounded . ix is connected to one terminal of the two terminal strain gages respectively designated by reference numerals 18a and 18c . the iy bus is connected to one terminal of the respective strain gages 18f and 18h . terminals 18d , 18c , 18e , and 18b are connected to ground . the other terminals of strain gages 18a and 18e are connected to a line which extends through a first resistor 82 to one input to a differential amplifier 88 . the side of resistor 82 which is connected to the differential amplifier 84 is connected to ground through another resistor 90 . strain gages 18c and 18g have their other ends connected together and to a line which has one end connected through a resistor 92 to the other input to amplifier 84 . the other end of this line is connected through a resistor 94 to the same input to the amplifier 88 as the one to which the resistor 86 is connected . a feedback resistor 96 is connected between the output of the amplifier 84 and the input to which the resistor 92 is connected . a feedback resistor 100 is connected between the output of the amplifier 88 and the input to which resistors 86 and 94 are connected . the output of the differential amplifier 84 is applied to an output terminal 102 through a resistor 104 . this output is a signal indicative of motion in one direction , here designated as x . the other side of the strain gages 18b and 18f are connected to a line , one side of which is connected through a resistor 96 to the differential amplifier 88 . this differential amplifier input is also connected to ground through a resistor 108 . the output differential amplifier 88 is applied to an output terminal 110 through a resistor 112 . the signal at the output terminal 110 is proportional to the upward force on the diaphragm 66 as the pen is pushed against a surface . the other end of the line connected to the strain gages 18b and 18f is connected through a resistor 114 to one input of an operational amplifier 116 . the other end of the line connected to the strain gages 18d and 18h is connected through a resistor 118 to a second input to the differential amplifier 116 . this second input is connected to ground through a resistor 120 . feed - back from the output of the differential amplifier 116 to the input to which the resistor 114 is connected is made through a resistor 122 . the output of the differential amplifier 116 is connected to a terminal 124 through a resistor 126 . the output at the terminal 124 is representative of motion orthogonal to motion x represented by output appearing at the terminal 122 and is designated by the letter y . from the foregoing , it will be seen that what is provided is a three - dimensional force transducer which provides signals indicative of direction of force or motion in a plane and the force applied to that plane via the transducer . it will also be seen that the x output derives from the voltage difference existing between strain gage pairs 18a and 18e and 18c and 18g which are on opposite sides of the center of the diaphragm and along a line extending therethrough . the y output is derived from the voltage difference existing between strain gage pair 18b and 18f and pair 18d and 18h which are on opposite sides of the center of the diaphragm and along a line extending therethrough . the y output is derived from the voltage difference existing between strain gage pair 18b and 18f and pair 18d and 18h which are on opposite sides of the center of the diaphragm and along a line orthogonal to the first line at the center of the diaphragm . vertical force output may be obtained directly from the sum of the 18a , 18e , 18c and 18g outputs or from the sum of the 18b , 18f , 18d and 18h outputs . by arranging the bridge so that these two sums move in opposite directions ( with an applied force p ), they are added directly in a differential amplifier so that all four pairs of gages contribute equally to the vertical force signal p . where there is no force on the pen point 54 , all bridges are balanced , and the output of all amplifiers is nominally zero . the details of operation of the bridge circuit 20 is more completely described in the previously mentioned u . s . pat . no . 3 , 915 , 015 to crane et al and the teachings of that patent are incorporated herein by reference for the teachings of bridge circuits for use in the present invention . using large scale integration techniques , it is possible to deposit substantial portions of the bridge circuit on the diaphragm also without impeding its response to pen motion thereby considerably reducing noise and other pickup problems . in operation , assuming that the reservoir 14 has been inserted into the cavity 68 and the housing 16 has been adjusted in pitch and roll to suit the hand geometry of the user , the user grips the body 24 with his fingers in the sculpted - out portions 28 and places the ballpoint 54 in contact with the writing surface ( not shown ). the user then moves the ballpoint against the surface forming a character , or set of characters , if the system is one in which a continuous script is recognized . movement of the ballpoint causes the cartridge 52 to deflect due to the lateral reactive forces ( x and y ) and the vertical reactive force ( p ) exerted by the surface against the ballpoint . this deflection is transmitted through the bottom wall 44 and sidewall 42 of the reservoir 14 to the sidewall 60 and the flanges 64 of the housing . because of the relatively large contact area between the sidewalls 42 and 60 , and the presence of the ribs 58 , loss in amplitude of the deflection as it is transferred between the reservoir 14 and the housing 16 is negligible . accordingly , this movement is then transferred to the diaphragm 66 , causing it to distort . such distortion produces a change in the resistance of the strain gages 18 a - h which is detected by the bridge circuit 20 . as previously described , the change in resistance corresponds to the deflection of the cartridge 52 . in alternative embodiments , the strain gages are comprised of sheets of etched metal foil . from the above , a pen having a high sensitivity to small movements of its cartridge is provided . the terms &# 34 ; top &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; bottom &# 34 ; and words of similar import as used herein are intended to apply only to the position of the parts as illustrated in the drawing . although the present invention has been described above in terms of a preferred embodiment , it will be appreciated that various alterations and modifications thereof will become apparent to those skilled in the art after having read the preceding disclosure . accordingly , it is intended that the following claims be interpreted as including all such alterations and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .	6
in fig1 a read head formed on a substrate includes an mr element 100 sandwiched between a first shield ( s1 ) layer 102 and second shield ( s2 ) layer 104 . the mr read element consists of a sensing element , a domain stabilization layer and a bias layer where the sensing element is made of either amr , sv or gmr material . the domain stabilization layer is used to suppress barkhausen noise . the bias layer ensures that the sensor element works in the linear region and has the highest sensitivity . the second shield ( s2 ) layer 104 of the read head also serves as the bottom pole p1 of a write head . the inductive write head includes the bottom pole p1 and a top p2 pole 106 . an insulating transducing write gap layer 108 is sandwiched between the p1 and p2 layers . the large width of the second shield s2 layer 104 beyond the sides 114 , 116 of the pole tip region causes flux to extend toward the second shield layer s2 beyond the width of the pole tip element p1 . this flux causes side writing which degrades off - track performance . in practice this problem is overcome by ion milling the second shield layer on either side of the write gap to create a pedestal which is an extension of the bottom pole piece p1 . the width of the second shield layer s2 is chosen to shield the mr element . in practice , during ion milling to create the pedestal , the second shield layer s2 becomes sloped when forming the pole trim structures . due to shadowing of the pole p2 , s2 / p1 104 becomes sloped and is thin at the outside regions 118 , 120 , away from the write pole . this is undesirable as the thin structure reduces the effect of shielding at the outside regions . ideally , the structure would be flat as indicated by the broken lines in fig1 . the preferred method of the present invention is to fabricate a p2 defined write structure . in a p2 defined type of write structure , the write pole structure is formed after the coil layer , insulation and p2 . the alternative embodiment of this invention is for a p1 defined write structure . in a p1 defined type of write structure the write pole structure is formed before the coil layer , insulation and p2 . a high bsat layer at the bottom p2 tip and at the top of pedestal structure is provided near the write gap . high bsat is a high moment soft magnetic metal which can be made of ni 100 - x fe x , ( x = 35 , 45 , and 55 ), cozrx ( x = ta , cr , ru , rh ) and fenx ( x = a1 , ta , rh ). fig2 a - g provide a detailed description of a first embodiment with a p2 - defined method . a first shield s1 layer 200 is provided upon which a sensing element 202 and a pair of lead connects 205 are deposited ( fig2 a ). the mr read element consists of a sensing element , a domain stabilization layer and a bias layer where the sensing element can be made of either one of amr , sv and gmr materials . a second shield s2 layer 204 is deposited on the mr element ( fig2 b ). the mr element is therefore diposed between the first shield s1 layer 200 and the second shield s2 layer 204 and is separated from both shields by a first read gap 201 and a second read gap 203 . the second shield layer 204 will also serve as the bottom pole piece p1 of a write head , and is designated as s2 / p1 . the second shield material can be made of either permalloy , or a bilayer structure of permalloy and high bsat soft magnetic material . a protection layer 206 is deposited on the s2 / p1 shield layer 204 ( fig2 c ). the preferred protection layer is made of a composite layer of dielectric material such as al 2 o 3 , sio 2 or si 3 n 4 , and nonmagnetic materials such ta , w and mo . the composite layer is then patterned to form a window 208 . a write gap layer 210 is deposited on the protection layer ( fig2 d ). following the write gap process , the first insulation layer 230 , coil 232 and the second insulation layer 234 are fabricated ( fig2 e ). optionally , a multiple layer coil structure can be fabricated . after the formation of the coil and insulation structure , a high bsat layer 212 is deposited on the write gap layer 210 and insulation 230 and 234 . a top p2 pole 214 consisting of either plated or sputtered magnetic films is then deposited on the bsat layer ( fig2 f ). ion beam milling is employed to trim the pole tip in order to achieve vertical side walls ( fig2 g ). in the case of sputtered high bsat materials used for both pole tip and yoke structure , a photoresist or other hard mask can be used for the ion milling mask . the protection layer 206 functions during ion milling to create a pedestal 216 which is an extension p1 / p2 of the bottom pole p1 . another embodiment can be extended to a p1 - defined structure . the method is described in detail in fig4 a - 4j . similar process steps as the first embodiment of fig2 are used for this embodiment up to write gap formation ( fig4 a - 4d ). following the write gap formation process , a high bsat layer 312 is deposited on the write gap 210 and a top pole tip structure 314 is formed ( fig4 e ). a combination of ion beam milling and reactive ion milling is employed to trim the pole tip in order to achieve vertical side walls ( fig4 f ). in the case of sputtered high bsat materials used for both pole tip and yoke structure , a photoresist or other hard mask can be used for ion milling mask . the protection layer 206 functions during ion milling to create a pedestal 216 which is an extension p1 / p2 of the bottom pole piece p1 . after trimmed pole formation , a dielectric insulation layer such as al 2 o 3 , sio 2 and si 3 n 4 is deposited ( fig4 g ) and subsequently the structure is planarized by chemical mechanical polishing ( fig4 h ). the planarized dielectric materials will function as the first insulation for coil 322 ( fig4 i ). optionally , a multiple layer coil structure can be fabricated using additional coil and insulation . after the formation of the coil and insulation structure , the top yoke structure 324 is fabricated ( fig4 j ). as shown in fig2 g and 4j , the use of a protection layer results in the formation of channels 209 / 211 and 309 / 311 , in the second shield s2 layer 204 adjacent to the pole tip region . the channels prevent flux from extending toward the second shield s2 layer 204 beyond the width of the pole tip element p1 / p2 . this structure reduces side writing with a consequent improvement in off - track performance . the width of the second shield s2 layer 204 is such that the mr element is shielded . for either a p1 defined type of write structure or a p2 defined type of write structure a protection layer 206 and window 208 ( fig2 d ) is formed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . a first embodiment is described with reference to fig6 . a trilayer structure formed with a thin ta ( 100 - 300 å ) layer 402 , an al 2 o 3 layer ( 5000 - 15000 å ) 404 and a thick ta film ( 2000 - 10000 å ) 406 is formed on top of s2 / p1 400 ( fig6 a ). a protection window mask 408 is formed by a photoresist process ( fig6 b ). ion milling is then used to remove the top thick ta film 410 ( fig6 c ). when al 2 o 3 is exposed , a wet etch process or reactive process can be applied to remove the al 2 o 3 material 412 with bottom thin ta film 414 as etch stop ( fig6 d ). the thin ta etch stop layer can be removed by sputter etch during depositing the write gap . the top thick ta film is chosen because of its high ion milling selectivity with respect to transition metal and alloys used for pole materials . other types of materials such as taw , w can also be used . the further advantage of using ta materials is its high selectivity to write gap al 2 o 3 in an ar / fluorine reactive ion milling process . other types of an insulating dielectric material such as al 2 o 3 , sio 2 or si 3 n 4 can be used for forming a window . this window can be patterned by either a liftoff technique or an etch back technique . after a protection layer is formed , the p2 pole structure is formed . the preferred method to form the pole structure is illustrated in fig7 . ( 1 ) ion mill ( physical bombardment ) to remove either high bsat layer or seed layer 506 completely . a hard mask 508 may be used made of either photoresist or pole materials . ( 2 ) a reactive ion beam etch ( ribe ) with ar / fluorine chemistry is applied to remove write gap 504 . the preferred chemistry is ar / chf3 . ( 3 ) after removing the write gap , ion mill is used to form pedestal structure 502 in s2 / p1 layer 500 . the final structure of the first embodiment using a p2 defined method shown in fig2 g is comprised of a first shield layer 200 , an mr read element 202 , a second shield layer 204 that also functions as a bottom pole p1 , a p1 / p2 region 216 , an extra write gap 218 , a write gap 220 , and a top pole 222 . the use of a protection layer and window results in the formation of channels 209 , 211 , in the second shield layer ( s2 ) 204 near the sides of the pole tip region 222 . the final structure of the embodiment using a p1 defined method shown in fig4 j is comprised of a first shield layer 200 , an mr read element 202 , a second shield layer 204 that also functions as a bottom pole p1 , a p1 / p2 region 316 , an extra write gap 318 , a write gap 320 , and a p2 pole tip piece 324 . a coil 322 surrounded by insulation is disposed between the lower p1 pole and top p2 pole layers . a top p2 cap 324 , which is wider than the p2 pole tip , is connected to a yoke . the use of a protection layer and window results in the formation of channels 309 , 311 , in the second shield layer ( s2 ) 204 near the sides of the pole tip region . the channels of both structures prevent flux from extending toward the second shield layer s2 beyond the width of the pole tip element p1 / p2 . this structure reduces side writing with a consequent improvement in off - track performance . the width of the second shield layer s2 is such that the mr element is shielded . it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the mr element described herein can be any element operated using an an isotropic mr ( amr ) effect , spin - valve ( sv ) effect , or giant magnetoresistive ( gmr ) effect , or any other structures that are based on the phenomenon that the resistance of magnetic conductors change when a magnetic field is applied to change the magnetization of the element . it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the ion beam process may be a combination of ar ion beam milling process and ar / chf 3 reactive ion beam milling process , and that other fluorine chemistry such as cf 4 and ch 2 f 2 can also be applied . it will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the protection layer may be any suitable nonmagnetic material , such as , but not limited to ta , al 2 o 3 , ta film , a combination of thin ta ( 100 - 300 å ), al 2 o 3 ( 5000 - 15000 å ) and thick ta film ( 2000 - 10000 å ), or other non - magnetic material such as sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , taw , and cr . the top thick ta film is chosen because of its high ion milling selectivity with respect to transition metal and alloys used for pole materials . other types of materials such as taw , w can also be used . the further advantage of using ta materials is its high selectivity to write gap al 2 o 3 in ar / fluorine reactive ion milling process . other types of an insulating dielectric material such as al 2 o 3 , sio 2 or si 3 n , can be used for forming a window . this window can be patterned by either a liftoff technique or an etch back technique .	6
it is therefore an object underlying the invention to develop a preparation and adequate characterization of a new electrochemical active substance for the cover layer of metal anodes . it is a further object of the invention to make the new electrochemical active substance adaptable for the use as cover layer of metal anodes . it is moreover a specific object to be solved by the invention to prepare and use cardinal - red thallium palladate for the cover layer of metal anodes , which thallium palladate has favourable electrochemical and electrical properties as active material for coating metal anodes . according to the invention it is possible to obtain tlpd 3 o 4 as cardinal - red compound in stoichiometric composition . the reaction takes place already at 500 ° c . a gas solid - reaction is concerned . as is known , at this temperature the equilbrium ## str1 ## is present . the direct reaction of tl 2 o 3 with pdo also leads to the same result . below an example for the preparation of the above new electrochemically active substance is given . 1 mol pdo is intimately mixed with 4 to 5 mol of tlno 3 and is slowly heated to 500 °- 600 ° c in sintered corundum trays . in this connection , by decomposition of the thallium nitrates above 300 ° c the cubic tl 2 o 3 results in jet - black crystals which react with pdo starting from 500 ° c . excess tl 2 o 3 is removed by sublimation at 650 ° c ; palladium by boiling with aqua regia . the cardinal - red reaction product according to guinea photos contains no further impurities . the analyses of this compound is complicated in so far as tlpd 3 o 4 is well soluble only in hydrobromic acid , however , the presence of bromide ions is disturbing in the course of the analyses by the formation of the tlbr that is difficult to dissolve and pdbr 2 . thus , it was necessary to boil the hydrobromic acid solution of the tlpd 3 o 4 with a few drops of elementary bromine in order to bring the tlbr which always precipitates in smaller amounts in solution as tlbr 3 ; subsequently to quantitatively expel bromine by boiling with concentrated hno 3 and , since the oxidizing properties of the nitric acid also adversely affect the applied precipitation with organic reagents , to fume them off with sulphuric acid . the gravimetric determination of the thallium was conducted by precipitation with thionalide . palladium is precipitated with dimethylglyoxim . ______________________________________tlpd . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 content of tl content of pd______________________________________calculated 34 , 8 % 54 , 3 % test results 34 , 6 % 54 , 8 % 34 , 9 % 54 , 6 % 34 , 9 % 54 , 5 % ______________________________________ tlpd 3 o 4 under decomposition is readily soluble in constantly boiling hydrobromic acid , is moderately soluble in aqua regia and perchloric acid , is difficult to dissolve in sulphuric acid , nitric acid , formic acid and alkaline solvent . above 750 ° c tlpd 3 o 4 is decomposed while forming elementary palladium and tl 2 o 3 . the pyknometric density was found to be 8 . 99 g / cm 3 and is well concurring with the x - ray density of 8 . 83 g / cm 3 . the radiographic evaluation for tlpd 3 o 4 resulted in a cubic elementary cell : ______________________________________lattice constant a = 9 , 596 ± 0 , 002 avolume of the elemen - v . sub . ez = 883 , 68 a . sup . 3tary cellnumber of formula z = 8unitsx - ray density s . sub . ro = 5 , 11 oz / cu . in . ______________________________________ ______________________________________ hkl : h + k = 2n - 1 k + 1 = 2n - 1 ( h + 1 ) = 2n - 1______________________________________ on the basis of these extinction conditions , the space groups fm3m -- o h 5 , f432 -- o 3 , f43m -- t d 2 , fm3 t h 3 and f23 -- t 2 come into consideration for tlpd 3 o 4 . the raster - electromicroscopic examination resulted in the presence of partially twinned octahedrones . viewing the results in combination , they confirm the presence of a cubic face - centered structure . if one now applies the tlpd 3 o 4 to alloyed or unalloyed metal anode base members together with co - adhesives the electrolyses of nacl --, kcl , chlorate - and hcl - solutions can be conducted , as well as of course other electrochemical processes . a satisfactory electrochemical effectiveness is ensured already when 20 % are present in the cover layer . in permanent operation ( 10 . 000 a / m 2 ) a thus coated metal - anode worked well over a period of time of 12 months without showing an alteration of the electrical properties as current yield , cell voltage , or electrochemical activity , such as chlorine deposition , resistance of the cover layer against wear . it is , of course , to be understood that the present invention is , by no means , limited to the particular example , but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims .	2
as generally indicated above , this invention is particularly applicable to use in portable recording apparatus , and especially such as is employed in pipeline surveying . consequently , the recording instrument illustrated is particularly adapted to such use . thus , fig1 shows a schematic end view of a pipeline surveying instrument , or &# 34 ; pig &# 34 ; 11 which is generally cylindrical in structure and is passed through a pipeline by means of fluid pressure as the pipeline fluid is pumped through the line . an event recorder 12 is situated longitudinally within the instrument 11 . it includes a pair of reels 15 and 16 for holding a recording medium 17 . it will be appreciated that such medium might take different forms such as a paper strip that is unwound from one of the reels 15 or 16 and wound onto the other . the strip 17 passes over a sprocket edged roller 20 , in order to present the paper surface for contact by a plurality of recording pointers or styli 21 . these styli 21 will make straight lines on the strip 17 in the absence of any actuation or movement of the styli 21 . of course , if there is an event to be recorded , an individual one of the styli or pointers 21 will be moved laterally relative to the strip 17 which will make an event mark on the record by diverging from the straight line being made otherwise . each of the styli 21 is actuated by one of a corresponding number of event recorder units 22 shown in fig1 . it will be appreciated that there may be two series of these event recorders 22 which are located transversely across the width of the record strip 17 . this will be explained in more detail later in connection with fig5 . fig2 and 4 illustrate in greater detail the elements of one of the event recorder units 22 which were indicated in fig1 . thus , with reference to fig2 - 4 , there is a stylus 26 that is mounted on a base or support member 27 which is supported for pivotal movement about a screw 30 . it will be observed that the stylus or pointer 26 and it base or supporting member 27 have an axis of symmetry that passes through the center line of the pivot screw 30 . the base 27 is constructed with a pair of planar locking surfaces 31 and 32 . these are parallel to the axis of symmetry of the stylus 26 . also the base 27 has a pair of cam surfaces 35 and 36 which diverge from the parallel with the axis of symmetry , in order to provide a cam action as will be explained below . there are a pair of rectangular blocks 39 and 40 which each have a rounded edge 41 and 42 respectively . these act as cam actuator surfaces for contacting each of the cam surfaces 35 and 36 respectively . the blocks 39 and 40 are mounted for sliding translation in grooves 45 and 46 respectively . these grooves 45 and 46 act as guides for the blocks 39 and 40 in order to confine their movements in paths that are parallel to the axis of symmetry of the stylus 26 . such sliding movement is controlled by a pair of solenoids 47 and 48 respectively that have plungers 51 and 52 respectively which are connected in any feasible manner to the respective blocks 39 and 40 . for example , connected to the block 39 there is a connecting piece 55 ( fig3 ) that has a screw 56 passing therethrough to hold it onto the plunger 51 . also there is a screw 56 which goes through the block 39 and fastens into the connecting piece 55 by being screwed into a threaded hole 59 . the screw 57 passes through a grommet or collar 58 that slides back and forth inside of an elongated slot 61 . similarly , the block 40 is connected by a connecting piece 65 that has a screw 66 ( see fig5 ) like corresponding screw 56 for connecting piece 55 . the screw 66 holds piece 65 onto the plunger 52 . a screw 67 goes through the block 40 and is screwed into a threaded hole 70 in the connecting piece 65 . there is also a grommet or collar 71 that slides in an elongated slot 72 . it will be observed that the rectangular blocks 39 and 40 have flat surfaces facing the planar surfaces 31 and 32 which are on the base 27 of the stylus 26 . consequently , when the solenoids 47 and 48 are not energized and the blocks 39 and 40 are in the positions illustrated in fig2 the blocks 39 and 40 will be in contact with the surfaces 31 and 32 and will hold the base of stylus 26 locked in its neutral position which is illustrated in fig2 . when an event is to be recorded , there will be a signal representing the event that will energize one of the solenoids . then , the action which takes place is indicated by the fig4 illustration . this shows the parts in the positions that they take when the solenoid 47 is energized . the block 39 slides forward in the groove 45 toward the tip of the stylus 26 . as the block 39 moves forward , it first unlocks the stylus 26 by having the planar surface of the block 39 slide out of contact with the planar surface 31 on the base 27 . the length of block 39 is designed so that as the planar surface 31 is release from contact with the facing edge of the block 39 , the other end of the block i . e . the cam actuator surface 41 will make contact with the cam surface 35 of the base 27 . then , as the block 39 continues to move forward in the groove 45 it will force the base 27 and stylus 26 to swing about the pivot 30 into an event indicating position which is illustrated in fig4 . it will be appreciated that by having the symetrical arrangement , a different set of events may be recorded when the stylus 26 is moved in the opposite direction . thus , when the other solenoid 48 is energized , the action of the stylus 26 will be reversed since the other block 40 will slide forward while the block 39 remains in its unactuated position which is illustrated in fig2 . under such circumstances the stylus 26 will be swung into the opposite ( event indicating ) position . this is indicated by the dashed line showing in fig4 . also , it will be clear that in the neutral position , i . e . when neither of the solenoids 47 or 48 is energized , the blocks 39 and 40 will remain in the positions illustrated in fig2 and the stylus 26 will be locked in this position and be held firmly against any jaring or other sudden acceleration forces . it will be appreciated that the principles of this invention are applicable to actuation of a stylus in only one direction if desired , but by having the two actuators one on either side the separate events may be recorded to give signals in opposite directions on the record . however , it will be appreciated also that with this arrangement the signals must be in the alternative , since simultaneous signals would react again one another and cause no actuation to take place . the surrounding structure for the individual event recorders 22 ( illustrated in fig1 ) is only schematically indicated since many different and diverse types of recording apparatus might provide the setting for a shock proof recording stylus unit according to the invention . an embodiment that is contemplated in conjunction with the fig1 illustration , is one which provides for a relatively wide recording strip 17 so that there are two sets of individual event recorder units 22 running length wise across the width of strip 17 and along the axis of the total instrument 11 . thus , in fig5 there is illustrated a group of such event recorders 22 situated side - by - side . in order to help clarify the structure of each such unit it may be observed that the fig5 illustration shows each of the three units as being viewed along the lines 5a -- 5a , 5b -- 5b and 5c -- 5c all shown on the fig3 illustration . these views are taken looking toward the tips of the styli 26 . the various elements are provided with the same reference number as the corresponding elements of the illustrations shown in fig2 and 4 , but with appropriate sub letters added . it will be appreciated that a large number of different events may be recorded by including a number of the recording units along side one another across the width of the recording medium or strip 17 . this is expecially so since each unit can record two distinct sets of events . while a particular embodiment according to this invention has been described above in considerable detail , in accordance with the applicable statutes , this is not to be taken as in any way limiting the invention but merely as being descriptive thereof .	8
reference will now be made to the drawings to describe the embodiments of the key in detail . referring to fig1 and 2 , an input key 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is shown . the key 10 includes a main body 11 and a filling portion 13 . the main body 11 is integrally formed with the filling portion 13 . the main body 11 is made of ceramic material , such as zirconia ( zro 2 ) or alumina ( al 2 o 3 ). the filling portion 13 is made transparent materials such as glass and plastic . in the illustrated embodiment , the filling portion 13 is made of transparent plastic . preferably , a melting point temperature of the plastic is lower than that of the glass , therefore , the plastic filling portion 13 can be easily molded . in the illustrated embodiment , the main body 11 includes a top surface 111 , a bottom surface 113 , and a side surface 115 . the top surface 111 is configured for being pressed . the top surface 111 and the bottom surface 113 are on opposite sides of the main body 11 . the side surface 115 connects the top surface 111 to the bottom surface 112 . both the top surface 111 and the bottom surface 113 are circular planes . the side surface 115 is a cylindrical surface . the main body 11 defines a through hole 117 communicating between the top surface 111 and the bottom surface 113 . an inner wall forming the through hole 117 defines an annular depression 119 . the filling portion 13 is formed in the through hole 117 by injection molding , and as a result , the filling portion 13 would further form a flange 133 corresponding to the depression 119 . the flange 133 locates in the depression 119 , thereby enhancing bonding strength between the filling portion 13 and the main body 11 . in addition , the main body 11 also defines an assembly hole 114 such that the key 10 can be easily mounted on a keypad ( not labeled ). it can be understood that , the assembly hole 114 can be omitted . a method of making the key 10 includes the following steps : firstly , a preforming having the through hole 117 is formed by dry pressing ceramic materials . then , the preform undergoes an abrading process and then a polishing process to form the main body 11 . afterwards , the main body 11 is integrally formed with the filling portion 13 by injection molding . thus , the key 10 is achieved . since the filling portion 13 is made of transparent material and the through hole 117 is filled with the filling portion 13 , light is capable of passing through the filling portion 13 in the through hole 117 to illuminate the key 20 . the key 10 has a deformation resistance ability such as high anti - distortion property , high anti - scratch property , and anti - abrasion property because ceramic materials have high hardness . also , the filling portion 13 is received in the through hole 117 of the main body 11 , an exposed , outer surface of the filling portion 13 is relatively small , generally not exceeding 0 . 2 % to 50 % of the top surface 111 . in other words , the filling portion 13 is embedded in the main body 11 , therefore , the filling portion 13 is seldom deformed , scratched , and abraded due to a protection of the main body 11 . therefore , the key 10 has high anti - distortion ability , high anti - scratch ability , and anti - abrasion ability . in addition , because a potion of the filling portion 13 is exposed out of the main body 11 , the filling portion 13 can be configured to be the following predetermined patterns : letters , numbers , symbols , and so on . therefore , the patterns formed by the filling portion 13 does not decolorize easily , thus the key 10 has a high color preservation . it can be understood that , an ink layer can also be printed on the portion of the filling portion 13 exposed out of the main body 11 , thereby forming predetermined patterns . furthermore , a desired color of the main body 11 can be achieved by varying ingredients of the ceramic material . in other words , some ingredients of the ceramic material of the main body 11 may have the desired color property , thus the key 10 has a high color preservation . referring to fig3 , a key 20 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is shown . the key 20 include a main body 21 and a filling portion 23 . the main body 21 includes a top surface 211 , a bottom surface 213 , a side surface 215 , and a through hole 217 . the filling portion 23 is formed in the through hole 217 by injection molding , an inner wall forming the through hole 217 forms a step portion 2171 . correspondingly , the filling portion 23 also forms a corresponding step portion ( not labeled ). the step portion 2171 engages with the step portion of the filling portion 23 , thereby enhancing a bonding strength between the main body 21 and the filling portion 23 . in addition , when the key 20 is pressed , an external force is applied to the filling portion 23 , the step portion 2171 forms a force to the filling portion 23 and acts as a restricting member that prevents the filling portion 23 from detaching out of the main body 21 . referring to fig4 , a key 30 in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention is shown . the key 30 includes a main body 31 and a filling portion 33 . the main body 31 includes a top surface 311 , a bottom surface 313 , a side surface 315 , and a through hole 317 . the filling portion 33 is formed in the through hole 317 by injection molding , an inner wall forming the through hole 317 forms a flange 3171 . the filling portion 33 defines a depression ( not labeled ). the flange 3171 is received in the depression , thereby enhancing bonding strength between the main body 31 and the filling portion 33 . in addition , a height of the flange 3171 are configured to be small , thus , light passing through the through hole 317 will not be reflected by the flange 3171 , and , thus , a shadow of the flange 3171 cannot be seen when viewing the key 30 externally . in the keys described above , a boundary of the through hole 117 , 217 , 317 and the filling portion 13 , 23 , 33 cooperatively form a latch structure such as a combination of the depression and the flange , the step portions , to increase bonding strength between the main bodies 11 , 21 , 31 and the filling portions 13 , 23 , 33 . it can be understood that , a shape of the through hole can also be other shapes , such as shapes of the key 40 and the key 50 shown in fig5 and 6 respectively , the through hole can also have a pyramidal configuration . in addition , the through hole can also communicate between the side surface and the top surface . furthermore , an inner wall forming the through hole can also be rough surface with center line average roughness ( ra ) less than 200μ , thereby enhancing bonding strength between the main body and the filling portion . it can be understood that , the main body can also be formed with other methods such as injection molding . the filling portion can also be formed with other methods such as plastic impregnation . it can be understood that , in the above mentioned keys 10 , 20 and 30 , the top surface 113 , 211 , 311 are planar to achieve a good sense of touch . the top surface of main body can also be other shapes , such as a concave surface or a convex surface . in addition , to improve an appearance of the keys , a top view of the main body can be any other shapes , such as circular , ellipse , and polygon . it can be understood that , the key can be used for other portable electronic devices such as keypads of computers . finally , while the preferred embodiment has been described and illustrated , the invention is not to be construed as being limited thereto . various modifications can be made to the embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	7
a preferred embodiment of the flat peelable coating composition comprises a film former , a carrier or solvent , and a release agent . dyes and / or pigments , thickening agents , surfactants , antifoam agents , anti - skinning agents , stabilizers , bactericides , and plasticizers may be incorporated into the peelable coatings formula to enhance particular physical and decorative characteristics of the product . a preferred embodiment of the foamy peelable coating composition comprises a film former , a release agent , a surfactant profoamer , and a liquid propellant in an aerosol can . dyes and / or pigments , thickening agents , anti - skinning agents , stabilizers , and bactericides may be incorporated into the peelable coatings formula to enhance particular physical and decorative characteristics of the product . the polyurethane resin and plasticizer compounds are thermoplastic polymers typically produced by the condensation reaction of a polyisocyanate and an alcohol , more particularly , a hydroxyl - containing material such as polyol derived from polypropylene oxide or trichlorobutylene oxide . the basic polymer unit is formed as follows : r 1 nco + r 2 oh → r 1 nhcoor 2 , typically derived from forming “ prepolymers ” containing isocyanate groups ( toluene and 4 , 4 ′- diphenylmethane diisocyanates ) and hydroxyl containing materials such as polyols and drying oils . resin dispersions are typically derived from the reaction of polyisocyanates with linear polyesters or polyethers containing hydroxyl groups . the film former is a polymeric resin , or a mixture of polymeric resins , which form a film after curing or drying . the resin in the preferred embodiments is a polyurethane dispersion , which can be obtained from bayer , ruco polymers , neoresins , witco , reichhold , etc . other resins such as polyvinyl styrene butadiene copolymers , polyvinyl toluene butadiene copolymers , styrene acrylate , vinyl toluene acrylate copolymers , styrene acrylate copolymers , vinyl toluene acrylate terpolymers , amino - formaldehyde resins , polyvinyl butyral and polyisocyanate resins may be used in combination therewith . polyurethane provides a tough but flexible film for use in the peelable coating . the resin selected is preferably uv resistant and may have a stabilizer incorporated therein . the resins may vary in molecular weight and viscosity depending upon the characteristics desired in the resulting peelable coating . preferred compositions of a film - type peelable coating typically contain a resin in an amount ranging from about 60 to 99 percent , more preferably from about 75 to 95 percent , and most preferably from about 80 to 90 percent by weight of the total weight percent of the composition . a particularly useful embodiment incorporates the polyurethane within a controlled foam which quickly dries imparting body to the film leaving a smooth outside surface . the term “ foam ”, as used herein , designates a mixture of liquid , gas , and a surfactant that gives the liquid a film strength which permits the formation of long lasting bubbles when the mixture is agitated to convert it into a mass of bubbles . the liquid used is normally water , and the gas is usually air , because these ingredients are of low cost , but other liquid and / or gas can be used when compatible with the surfactant , for example , a pressurized hydrocarbon as the gas component . the strength of the film depends upon the characteristics of the polyurethane dispersion and the surfactant , and the relative amount of liquid and surfactant in the liquid - gas - surfactant mixture . in the film - type coating embodiment a solvent such as aromatic and / or aliphatic solvents , ethyl , methyl , isopropyl , and butyl alcohol , water , and combinations thereof may be used to provide a carrier for the resin polymer . the amount of total solvent ( including the water in the resin dispersion ) may range up to about 90 percent by weight , more preferably from about 50 percent to 85 percent by weight , and most preferably from about 60 to about 80 percent by weight of the total weight percent of the composition . in the foamy coating embodiment no extra solvent is necessary for the formulation ; water introduced from the resin dispersion itself acts as the solvent to the system . however , an optional amount of water or other solvent up to the amount of 10 percent by weight may be introduced into the embodiment to enhance the solubility of other components . one or more release agents and / or aids may be utilized individually or in combination in either the water based or solvent based peelable coating compositions of the present inventions . preferred release agents include soy lecithin , organosilicone fluids , nonylphenoxypoly ( ethyleneoxy ) ethanol , oleic acid polyethylene glycol monostearate , petrolatum , sodium alkyl benzene , sulfonates , siloxanes , polyglycols , silicone surfactants , polyvinyl alcohol resins , paraffin and polymeric waxes , and synthetic waxes including low molecular weight polyethylene waxes . it is contemplated that the formulas in the examples set forth herein could utilize any of these release agents wherein the selected release agent depends upon its solubility , availability , and cost and environmental considerations . a typical release agent used in the examples is soy lecithin which may be defined as c 2 h 17 o 5 nrr ′, r and r ′ being fatty acid groups . the lecithins are mixtures of diglycerides of fatty acids linked to the choline ester of phosphoric acid and may be classified a phosphoglycerides or phosphatides ( phospholipids ). moreover , the lecithin may be a mixture of acetone - insoluble phosphatides of not less than 50 % acetone - insoluble matter . the soy lecithin is derived from soybeans . thickeners applicable to all of the formulas are utilized to control the application properties of the coating composition , such as sodium polyacrylate , carbopol ez - 2 ( acrylic polymers ), polyox wsr ( high molecular weight , ( mol . wt . ), polymers of ethylene oxide ) from union carbide , xanthan gums , guar gums , polyacrylic acid , polysaccharides . fillers such as silica , cellulose , wood flour , and clays may be utilized with the resins of the preferred compositions . moreover , a flow resistant component may be used and defined as a thickening agent to impart body in the film coating . solvent soluble / dispersible compounds which have good film foaming characteristics such as drewthix ( drew chemicals ) may be utilized independently or in combination with other thickening agents to impart desirable characteristics to the film . another water - soluble thickening agent is carboxymethylcellulose ( cmc ). a preferred embodiment utilizes at least some cmc together with other thickeners such as acrylic polymers . the cmc may be dissolved at about 1 . 5 % in water and be added to the formulation in an effective amount of up to 25 percent by weight , preferably from about 0 . 01 to 10 percent by weight , and more preferably from about 0 . 1 to 5 . 0 percent by weight . the preferred composition of a film - type coating may contain up to 10 % thickeners and more preferably from 0 . 01 to 8 weight percent thickeners , and more preferably from about 0 . 1 to 3 weight percent thickeners . an anti - skinning agent may be added to the formulation and is particularly useful for propellant carried foamy coatings and is preferably used in combination with a foam stabilizer . typical anti - skinning agents are antioxidants used to inhibit formation of an oxidized film on the exposed surface . the anti - skinning agent provides a means for rapid drying and curing of the foam from the “ bottom - up ” so that the resulting film dries more quickly and thoroughly and provides a smoother , more glossy appearance having some body . an effective amount of an anti - skinning agent such as exkin no . 2 up to 1 percent by weight may be utilized in a preferred embodiment , and preferably from about 0 . 01 to about 0 . 2 weight percent . an antifoam agent may be added for the flat coating embodiment to provide a smooth and glossy external appearance to the thin film a high molecular weight silicone oil dissolved in a light petroleum solvent may be used for up to 1 percent by weight , and more preferably 0 . 01 to 0 . 1 percent by weight . in the foamy coating embodiment , a surfactant may be added as an option , in order to enhance the foambility and reduce the bubble size in the foams , in an effective amount of from between 0 . 01 to about 10 percent by weight , more preferably from about 0 . 1 to 5 percent by weight , and most preferably about 1 to 2 percent by weight . the term “ surfactant ”, as used herein , refers to surface - active agents which comprise polar compounds consisting of an amphophilic molecule ( a molecule with a hydrophilic head attached to a long hydrophobic tail ). the hydrophilic group may be anionic , cationic , amphoteric or nonionic . as used in the present invention , the addition of a surfactant to a liquid system reduces the liquid &# 39 ; s surface tension and in the presence of gas , promotes foaming . typical foaming agents include alkanolamides , silicone glycols , alkyl benzene sulfonates , alcohol ethoxylated , phosphate esters , betaines , alkylphenol ether sulfates , alkylaryl sulfonates . alkanolamide type surfactant is preferably used because it also functions as a foam stabilizer once the foam is formed . it is anticipated that other foam stabilizers such as proteins and fatty acids may be utilized in combination with the surfactants . a pressurized liquid propellant may be utilized as a carrier to apply the foamed film coating . the preferred embodiments of the present invention use a nonfloronated propellant . a commercial liquid hydrocarbon propellant which is compatible with the preferred composition may be selected from the group of a - 31 , a - 46 , a - 70 , or a - 108 propane / isobutane blends , with a - 46 and a - 70 being the most preferred propellant for use with particular compositions . the composition may contain up to 25 weight percent of the propellant , and more preferably from 5 to 20 weight percent of the propellant . moreover , the addition of water soluble resins , fillers , solvents , or plasticizers , such as polyvinyl alcohol , cellulose , and a polyglycol , may assist in the application of the peelable composition to a substrate having a residual amount of water in the form of droplets , a film , or moisture absorbed thereon by combining with the preexisting moisture of the substrate . inorganic and organic dye or pigments , preferably pigments , such as the 896 aqueous industrial colorants series , and / or stabilizer / pigment combinations , such as titanium dioxide , may be utilized in an effective amount of up to about 10 . 0 percent by weight , more preferably from about 0 . 01 to 5 percent by weight , and most preferably from 0 . 5 to 2 percent by weight . microbiocides , ph control agents , uv stabilizers , etc ., may be incorporated in the composition in an amount of from between about 0 . 01 to about 1 . 0 percent by weight of the total composition . in coating embodiments which contain aqueous polyurethane dispersions , no extra plasticizer is necessary since the flat or foamy film formed by the resin already possesses enough plasticity and flexibility . if polymer resins other than polyurethane dispersion are used , a plasticizer may be used to impart flexibility to the peelable coating and impart special physical characteristics to the selected resin such as to facilitate processing and to increase the flexibility and toughness of the final product by internal modification ( solvation ) of the polymer molecule . numerous plasticizers are available for utilization in the present invention and may be selected from the group including phthalate , adipates , sebacate esters , and more particularly : glyceryl tri ( acetoxystearate ), epoxidized soybean oil , epoxidized linseed oil , n , n - butyl benzene sulfonamide , aliphatic polyurethane , epoxidized soy oil , polyester glutarate , polyester glutarate , triethylene glycol caprate / caprylate , long chain alkyl ether , dialkyl diester glutarate , monomeric , polymer , and epoxy plasticizers , polyester based on adipic acid , hydrogenated dimer acid , distilled dimer acid , polymerized fatty acid trimer , ethyl ester of hydrolyzed collagen , isostearic acid and sorbian oleate and cocoyl hydrolyzed keratin , ppg - 12 / peg - 65 lanolin oil , dialkyl adipate , alkylaryl phosphate , alkyl diaryl phosphate , modified trialy phosphate , triaryl phosphate , butyl benzyl phthalate , octyl benzyl phthalate , alkyl benzyl phthalate , dibutoxy ethoxy ethyl adipate , 2 - ethylhexyldiphenyl phosphate , dibutoxy ethoxy ethyl formyl , diisopropyl adipate , diisopropyl sebacate , isodecyl oleate , neopentyl glycol dicaprate , neopenty glycol diotanoate , isohexyl neopentanoate , ethoxylated lanolins , polyoxyethylene cholesterol , propoxylated ( 2 moles ) lanolin alcohols , propoxylated lanoline alcohols , acetylated polyoxyethylene derivatives of lanoline , and dimethylpolysiloxane . other plasticizers which may be substituted for and / or used with the above plasticizers including glycerine , polyethylene glycol , dibutyl phthalate , and 2 , 2 , 4trimethyl - 1 , 3 - pentanediol monoisobutyrate , and diisononyl phthalate all of which are soluble in a solvent carrier . plasticizers especially useful are differentiated primarily by the molecular weights . the plasticizers are generally classified as formulated aliphatic polyurethane compounds . either one or a combination of plasticizers of different molecular weights may be used in the formula depending upon the desired viscosity of the coating . of course , it is contemplated that aromatic polyurethane compounds will also be applicable in the formula for the coating . the amount of plasticizer may range from about 0 . 1 percent to about 20 percent by weight , more preferably from about 0 . 5 percent to about 10 . 0 percent by weight , and more preferably from about 1 . 0 to about 5 . 0 percent by weight of the total weight percent of the composition . the following examples are presented to illustrate the claimed invention and are not intended to be otherwise limiting . a preferred embodiment of a water resistant , peelable , protective and decorative clear or pigmented water based polymeric dispersion coating composition producing a flat film of about 30 mils for use on a variety of substrates , including automotive paints is set forth in example 1 , as follows : the aqueous polyurethane dispersion was mixed with the solvent and the remaining constituents were added thereafter . it should be noted that an important property of the composition depends upon the polyurethane particles being dispersed into water , not dissolved , therefor , the film after cure is not water soluble ; instead it is strongly water - resistant . a polar solvent such as alcohol is not required as a carrier since the polyurethane is dispersible in the water rather than being soluble ; however , a polar solvent improves the solubility of many of the components . moreover , no plasticizer is required in the formulation . the preferred water based compositions include an effective amount of an aqueous polyurethane resin dispersion in a polar solvent such as alcohol . the aqueous polyurethane dispersion is a waterborne , colloidal dispersion of aliphatic urethane . the average molecular weight is between about 50 , 000 and 5 , 000 , 000 , more preferably between about 500 , 000 and 1 , 000 , 000 , and most preferred about 750 , 000 to about 850 , 000 . the aqueous polyurethane ranges in amount from about 60 to 95 percent by weight , and more preferably from about 80 to 90 percent by weight . about 82 . 5 percent of the aqueous polyurethane dispersion by weight was used in example 1 . the aqueous polyurethane dispersion of the preferred embodiment is a water - based dispersion with about 20 to 40 percent by weight solid latex particles , or urethane , and about 60 to 80 percent by weight water . the water in the dispersion provides the majority of the solvent water needed for dispersion of the other components of the composition . thus , addition of the other components of the formulation into the water dispersion results in the composition of the urethane by weight in the overall formulation to be between about 20 and 30 percent by weight and more preferably about 25 percent by weight in the total formulation . the overall solvent , water and alcohol , composition for the formulation is between about 50 and 85 percent by weight and more preferably about 60 to 80 percent by weight in the total composition . an effective amount of a polar solvent , such as alcohol was added in an amount ranging from about 5 to 30 percent by weight , and more preferably from about 7 to 20 percent by weight , is included in the composition . about 13 . 8 percent by weight of isopropanol is included in composition of example 1 ; however , ethanol , methanol , butanol , and other alcohol based solvents may be used in the composition . a release agent such as a soy lecithin in an amount ranging from about 0 . 1 to about 5 percent by weight , more preferably from about 0 . 5 to 3 percent by weight , most preferably about 1 to 2 percent by weight of the total weight percent of the composition is utilized in the aqueous polyurethane dispersion other water soluble or dispersible release agents described heretofore may be utilized with or substituted for soy lecithin . additional preferred compositions of the above formulation may be formulated to provide peelable coatings with particular characteristics by blending the compounds as follows . the above composition may be formed as a clear peelable coating composition or tinted with a dye or pigment in an effective amount of from between about 0 . 01 to 5 . 0 percent by weight . at least one preferred embodiment utilizes a pigment ( red , blue , yellow , green , etc . ), either organic or inorganic , in an effective amount of between 0 . 01 to 5 percent by weight , more preferably from between about 0 . 1 to 3 percent by weight , and most preferably from between about 1 to about 2 percent by weight . the composition of example 1 utilized 1 . 0 percent by weight of pigment ( red , blue , yellow , etc . ), or a water - dispersible titanium dioxide pigment for color and stability . a thickener may optionally be added to control the application properties of the coating composition . preferred thickeners include the acrylic polymers ( sodium polyacrylate , carbopol ez - 2 ), polyox wsr ( high mol . wt . polymers of ethylene oxide ) from union carbide , organoclay such as bentone from rheox , etc . other thickeners considered applicable include xanthan gums , guar gums , polyacrylic acid , polysaccharides , fillers such as silica , cellulose , wood flour , clays , etc . the preferred embodiment of example 1 includes a thickening agent in an effective amount of from about 0 . 01 to about 5 percent by weight , more preferably from about 0 . 1 to 2 percent by weight . the formulation of example 1 includes about 0 . 1 to 1 percent by weight and most preferably about 0 . 5 percent by weight of an acrylic polymer . a antifoamer such as a high mol . wt . silicone oil solubilized in a light petroleum solvent may be added as an option in an effective amount of up to about 1 percent by weight , and more preferably from about 0 . 01 to 0 . 1 percent by weight in the formulation of example 1 . the films were cast using a drawdown bar ( 15 , 30 and 50 mil ) onto an automotive paint panel and let dry in ambient temperature and humidity . the resulting films were flat , smooth and glossy , with no or very little amount of tiny bubbles trapped in it . the panel was then immersed in tap water and examined at selected intervals to determine if any of the component leached out . no color change of water was found during the test , and water did not show any impact on the film &# 39 ; s integrity . the films were also heated to 150 ° f . for 72 hours and then taken out from the oven and dipped in cool tap water at about 18 ° c . no adverse effects were demonstrated on the film coating which remained on the painted substrate . the peelabilty of the above - mentioned films were excellent , which could be peeled away from the substrate as a whole piece . the film was strong and exhibited elasticity , memory , and resilience . long - term peelability was demonstrated by letting the coated paint panel in the open - air environment for a certain amount of time , and then peeled off from the substrate , and the surface of the substrate was evaluated both visually and with a microscope . coatings of 200 days in open - air environment were peelable from the substrate as a whole piece , and the film surface was still smooth and glossy . no apparent fading of the color was noticed for the coatings in open - air environment for 200 days , and no surface damage on the substrate was noticed . a preferred embodiment of a water resistant , peelable , protective and decorative clear or pigmented water based polymeric dispersion coating composition producing a three - dimensional foamy film of about ¼ in thick for use on a variety of substrates , including automotive paints is set forth in example 2 , as follows : the aqueous polyurethane dispersion was mixed with the rest of the constituents except the propellant in a container , and then the mixture was transferred into an aerosol can where the pressurized liquid propellant was forced into the said aerosol can to mix with the said mixture . a regular spray nozzle with a push - down button , or with a push - down cap , may be used to apply the coating , and more preferably , an extension tube may be added onto the snout of the push - down button or cap to control the size and shape of the coating , and offer more structural design to the coating . the extension tube may be tapered at the opening and extending outwardly at a constant dimension as shown in fig1 or spread in a cone or flat “ v ” shaped nozzle to control the spread or width , and depth of the expansion of the foam depending upon the application . within seconds after application , the expandable foam will assume shape and form a skin on the exterior holding in the gas and forming a porious interior matrix as shown in fig2 providing structural strength to the resulting cord , strand , or other graphic art or the selected dimensions . the preferred water based compositions include an effective amount of an aqueous polyurethane resin dispersion . the aqueous polyurethane dispersion is a waterborne , colloidal dispersion of aliphatic urethane . the average molecular weight is between about 50 , 000 and 5 , 000 , 000 , more preferably between about 500 , 000 and 1 , 000 , 000 . the foamy coating embodiment preferably utilizes a resin content of polyurethane dispersion above 40 percent solids , or non - volatile ( nv ) components , in order to prevent unwanted porosity and prevent collapse of the foam upon application . moreover , the three - dimensional aspect of the preferred embodiment is preserved by using a polyurethane dispersion of about 40 percent solids or greater , producing a coating having structural integrity from the moment of application to weeks after the application of the coating to the substrate . the aqueous polyurethane ranges in amount from about 75 to 98 percent by weight , and more preferably from about 80 to 95 percent by weight . about 89 percent by weight of the aqueous polyurethane dispersion was used in example 2 . water in the aqueous polyurethane dispersion itself provides enough solvency / dispersing medium for the rest of the components , therefore , no extra solvent is necessary in the formulation . however , an optional amount of water or other polar solvent up to 5 percent by weight may be added into the formulation to cut down cost , to enhance the evaporation of the solvent in the system , and / or to enhance the solubility of other components in the mixture . the preferred embodiments of the present invention use a nonfloronated propellant , although pressurized air , n 2 , co 2 may also be used . a commercial liquid hydrocarbon propellant which is compatible with the preferred composition may be selected from the group of a - 31 , a - 46 , a - 70 , or a - 108 propane / isobutane blends , with a - 46 and a - 70 being the most preferred propellant for use with particular compositions . the composition may contain up to 25 weight percent of propellant , and more preferably from 5 to 20 weight percent of propellant . about 7 . 5 percent by weight of the propellant a - 46 was used in example 2 . a release agent such as a soy lecithin in an amount ranging from about 0 . 1 to about 5 percent by weight , more preferably from about 1 to 3 percent by weight , is utilized in the aqueous polyurethane dispersion . other water soluble or dispersible release agents described heretofore may be utilized with or substituted for the soy lecithin . about 2 percent release agent was use in the embodiment of example 2 . additional preferred compositions of the above formulation may be formulated to provide foamy peelable coatings with particular characteristics by blending the compounds as follows . the above - composition may be formed as a clear foamy peelable coating composition or tinted with a dye or pigment in an effective amount of up to 5 . 0 percent by weight . at least one preferred embodiment utilizes a pigment ( red , blue , yellow , green , etc . ), either organic or inorganic , in an effective amount of between 0 . 01 to 5 percent by weight , more preferably from between about 0 . 1 to 3 percent by weight , and most preferably from between about 1 to about 2 percent by weight . the composition of example 2 utilized 1 . 0 percent by weight of red , blue , or yellow pigment , or a water - dispersible titanium dioxide pigment for color and stability . a profoamer may be added into the formulation too enhance the foaming ability during applying the coating . surfactants are used for this purpose , which can be either anionic , cationic , amphoteric or nonionic . typical foaming agents include alkanolamides , silicone glycols , alkyl benzene sulfonates , alcohol ethoxylated , phosphate esters , betaines , alkylphenol ether sulfates , alkylaryl sulfonates . super amide may function as a foam enhancer and stabilizer , so it is preferably used in the embodiment of the foamy coating formulation . in the present example 0 . 5 percent by weight of the super amide is used as the preferred profoamer . a thickening agent may optionally be added to control the application properties of the coating composition . preferred thickeners for the aqueous polyurethane based dispersion include the acrylic polymers ( sodium polyacrylate , carbopol ez - 2 ), polyox wsr ( high mol . wt . polymers of ethylene oxide ) from union carbide , organoclays such as bentone , etc . other thickeners considered applicable include xanthan gums , guar gums , polyacrylic acid , polysaccharides , fillers such as silica , cellulose , wood flour , clays , etc . the preferred embodiment of example 2 includes a thickening agent in an effective amount of from about 0 . 01 to about 5 percent by weight , and more preferably from about 0 . 1 to 2 percent by weight . moreover , the water - soluble or solvent - soluble thickeners may be used in conjunction with the above - said solvent in the formulation . the formulation of example 2 includes about 0 . 2 to 0 . 3 percent by weight of thickening agent . an anti - skinning agent may be added to the formulation . an effective amount of an anti - skinning agent such as exkin no . 2 up to 1 percent by weight may be utilized in a preferred embodiment , and preferably from about 0 . 01 to about 0 . 2 weight percent . in the present example about 0 . 05 percent of the anti - skinning agent , preferably exkin no . 2 , was used . the foamy films were applied onto an automotive paint panel using a push - down cap with a extension tube connected to the snout and let dry in ambient temperature and humidity . the thickness of the foamy coating can range from 0 . 1 to 1 inch , more preferable 0 . 25 to 0 . 5 inch . the resulting dry films were foamy , three - dimensional , with a semi - glossy outside surface , and with the bulk structure sponge like . the panel was then immersed in tap water and examined at selected intervals to determine if any of the component leached out . no color change of water was found during the test , and water did not show any impact on the film &# 39 ; s integrity . the surface tension of the water was reduced a little , indicating that some of the surfactant was leaching out . since the foam structure had already be formed and become rigid through air dry , the leaching out of the surfactant didn &# 39 ; t affect the dry film structure at all . the films were also heated to 150 ° f . for 72 hours and then taken out from the oven and dipped in cool tap water at about 18 ° c . no adverse effects were demonstrated on the film coating which remained on the painted substrate . the peelabilty of the above - mentioned films were excellent , which could be peeled away from the substrate as a whole piece . the film was foamy and very elastic . long - term peelability was demonstrated by letting the coated paint panel in the open - air environment for a certain amount of time , and then peeled off from the substrate , and the surface of the substrate was evaluated both visually and with a microscope . coatings of 200 days in open - air environment were peelable from the substrate as a whole piece . no apparent fading of the color was noticed for the coatings in open - air environment for 200 days , and no surface damage on the substrate was noticed . resins other than polyurethane dispersions can also be used as film former in the formulation . a preferred embodiment of a water resistant , peelable , protective and decorative clear or pigmented solvent - based polymeric coating composition for use on a variety of substrates , including automotive paints is set forth in example 3 , resulting in a film of abut 30 mils , as follows : the solvents were mixed together and the resin and pigment ( s ) were added to the solution at about 120 ° f . over a period of about two hours . the remaining constituents were added thereafter . an important consideration is the kauri - butanol value of the peelable coating composition which measures the aromaticity of the film components . if the aromaticity is too high the solvent carrier of the peelable coating will tend to dissolve certain substrates . thus , the peelable coating must dry quickly before dissolving substrates susceptible to the solvent used as the carrier in a selected composition . preferred compositions include an effective amount of a resin soluble in aliphatic and / or aromatic solvents such as a vinyl toluene acrylate copolymer resin in an amount ranging from about 10 to about 50 percent by weight , more preferably from about 20 to 40 percent by weight , and most preferably from about 25 to 35 percent by weight . an effective amount of an aromatic solvent , such as xylene , aliphatic solvent , such as heptane , or combination thereof in an amount ranging from about 20 to about 90 percent by weight , more preferably from about 40 to 80 percent by weight , and more preferably from about 50 to 75 percent by weight is also included in the composition . alternatively , an combination of an aliphatic solvent in an effective amount ranging from between 0 . 01 to about 90 percent by weight , more preferably from about 20 to about 60 percent by weight and most preferably form about 30 to about 50 percent by weight may be utilized together with an effective amount of an aromatic solvent in an amount of between 0 . 01 to 90 percent by weight , more preferably from about 1 to 50 percent by weight , and most preferably from about 5 to 25 percent by weight . additional preferred compositions of the above formulation may be formulated to provide peelable coatings with particular characteristics by blending the compounds as follows . a plasticizer , such as any set forth and described heretofore , and preferably a phosphate plasticizer is added in an effective amount of from between about 0 . 1 to about 40 percent by weight , more preferably from about 1 to 20 percent by weight , and most preferably from about 5 to about 15 percent by weight . a filler such as set forth and described heretofore and preferably wood flour may optionally be added to the composition in an effective amount of between about 0 . 1 and 10 percent , more preferably between about 0 . 5 and 5 percent , and most preferably from between about 1 and 2 percent by weight . a polyglycol such as polypropylene glycol may optionally be added to the peelable coating composition as a release agent in an effective amount of from between about 0 . 1 and 20 percent by weight , more preferably from between about 1 and 10 percent by weight , and most preferably of from between about 3 and 8 percent by weight of the total composition . the above composition may be formed as a clear peelable coating composition or tinted with a dye / pigment in an effective amount of from between about 0 . 1 and 5 . 0 percent by weight . at least one preferred embodiment utilizes a day or pigment ( red , blue , yellow , green , etc .) either organic or inorganic in an effective amount of between 0 . 1 to 10 percent by weight , more preferably from between about 1 . 0 and 5 percent by weight , and most preferably from between about 3 to about 5 percent by weight . the films were cast using a drawdown bar ( 15 , 30 and 50 mil ) onto an automotive paint panel and let dry in ambient temperature and humidity . the resulting films were flat and smooth , with little amount of tiny bubbles trapped in it . the panel was then immersed in tap water and examined at selected intervals to determine if any of the component leached out . no color change of water was found during the test , and water did not show any impact on the film &# 39 ; s integrity . the films were also heated to 150 ° f . for 72 hours and then taken out from the oven and dipped in cool tap water at about 18 ° c . no adverse effects were demonstrated on the film coating which remained on the painted substrate . the peelabilty of the above - mentioned films were excellent , which could be peeled away from the substrate , although the film integrity could not be preserved completely during peeling . the film was a little brittle compared with the film formed by polyurethane resin . specific compositions , methods , or embodiments discussed are intended to be only illustrative of the invention disclosed by this specification . variation on these compositions , methods , or embodiments are readily apparent to a person of skill in the art based upon the teachings of this specification and are therefore intended to be included as part of the inventions disclosed herein . reference to documents made in the specification is intended to result in such patents or literature cited are expressly incorporated herein by reference , including any patents or other literature references cited within such documents as if fully set forth in this specification . the foregoing detailed description is given primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom , for modification will become obvious to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made upon departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims . accordingly , this invention is not intended to be limited by the specific exemplifications presented herein above . rather , what is intended to be covered is within the spirit and scope of the appended claims .	2
according to the concepts of the present invention , various nanosized particles containing manganese ( ii ) ions in the crystal lattice have been developed for use as mri contrast agents . more specifically , the contrast agents are manganese ( ii ) hexacyanoferrate compounds having the formulas mn 2 [ fe ii ( cn ) 6 ], a 2 mn 3 [ fe ii ( cn ) 6 ] 2 . nh 2 o , amn [ fe iii ( cn ) 6 ]. nh 2 o where a = li , na , k , nh 4 or tl and mn 3 [ fe iii ( cn ) 6 ] 2 . nh 2 o where n = 0 or 1 - 20 . the compounds generally have the same crystal structure , that is a faced - centered cubic lattice ( space group fm 3 m ) and the unit cell parameter a = 10 ± 1 angstroms as set forth in fig2 . referring to fig2 , due to the strong ligand - field effect and simultaneous coordination of the cn − group to both iron and manganese ions in this extended 3d coordination network structure , both metal ions and cn − ligand are completely locked in the lattice positions and generally cannot be released from the compound . a result is that very low amounts of mn 2 + ions are released and thus the compounds there are considered stable and have very low toxicity . it has also been found that such compounds have a long blood circulation half life that allows a longer time window for imaging studies . blood circulation half lives of the contrast agents of the present invention generally range from about 0 . 1 to 2 hours , desirably from about 0 . 25 to about 2 . 0 hours and preferably from about 0 . 5 to about 2 . 0 hours . moreover , the concentrations of the manganese contrast agents in water that can be utilized for application to an animal such as a human being for an mri analysis are amounts generally from about 1 micromole to about 150 millimoles , desirably from about 10 micromolar to about 100 millimolar and preferably from about 25 micromolar to about 50 millimolar per liter of solution . the manganese ( ii ) hexacyanometallate nanoparticles are made using conventional methods known to the art and to the literature , having diameters generally from about 4 to about 500 nm , desirably from about 6 to about 200 nm and preferably from about 8 to about 100 nm . the particle diameter size is important in that it results in long circulation times in the blood stream before it is removed by the body . in contrast thereto , very small diameter sizes such as less than 2 nm or less than 1 nm are avoided since they are readily removed from the human body and have a short residence time therein , for example less than 20 minutes that is unacceptable for use as a mri contrast agent . the manganese contrast agents of the present invention are adapted to be applied to the body as dispersed nanoparticles in a solvent such as water stabilized by a hydrophilic coating comprising a carboxylic acid or a hydrophilic biocompatible polymer , or both . the hydrophilic coating acts to make the otherwise insoluble manganese ( ii ) nanoparticles dispersible in water , and thus promoting water stability of such nanoparticles while providing a protection shell against nanoparticle aggregation and precipitation . suitable carboxylic acids include , but are not limited to , common carboxylic acids such as acetic acid , oxalic acid , citric acid , tartaric acid , adipic acid , gluconic acid , and other mono -, di -, tri - or polycarboxylic acids . suitable hydrophilic biocompatible polymer used for coating to prolong blood circulation times , reduced biological toxicity , and particle solution stability against aggregation and precipitation include , but are not limited to , polyethylene glycol ( peg ), chitosan , dextran , e . g ., polymers of glucose having number average molecular weights up to 200 , 000 , and polyvinylpyrrolidone ( pvp ). the manganese contrast agent aqueous solutions are generally stable in acidic to neutral solutions with a ph value from about 1 to about 7 . 5 , desirably from about 2 . 5 to about 7 . 5 , and preferably from about 3 . 5 to about 7 . 3 . a general procedure for preparation of nanoparticulate mn 2 [ fe ( cn ) 6 ] mri contrast agents comprises the following reactions : generally any type of known h - form ion exchange resin can be used with suitable examples including amberlite ™ ir120 h from dow chemical company , a styrene divinylbenzene copolymer with sulfonic acid groups , ag 50w - x2 from bio - rad , a cation exchange resin , and amberlyst ™ 16 west from rohm and hass , a sulfonic acid ion exchange resin . with respect to the second part of the contrast agent preparation utilizing an amine , generally the suitable organic amine compounds include , but not limited to , amines having from 3 to about 12 , and desirably from 3 to about 10 carbon atoms such as triethylamine , benzylamine , ethylenediamine , piperidine , pyridine , pyrazine , 2 , 2 ′- bipyridine and 4 , 4 ′- bipyridine , or any combination thereof . alternatively , an alkali metal hydroxide aoh or alkali metal carbonate a 2 co 3 where a = li , na , k , rb or cs can be used in the place of the organic amine . the manganese ( ii ) contrast agents of the present invention can be prepared as follows : a proper concentration , i . e . 10 − 3 to 10 3 m , of k 4 [ fe ( cn ) 6 ] was first treated with a proper amount of h - form ion exchange resin , i . e . about 1 gram to about 1 , 000 grams and desirably from about 5 to about 500 grams , to yield h 4 [ fe ( cn ) 6 ] that was then mixed with a proper concentration , i . e . 10 − 3 to 10 3 m and desirably from about 0 . 01 to about 1 . 00 m of mncl 2 in the presence of a proper amount of triethylamine , i . e . 0 . 01 gram to 10 grams and desirably from about 0 . 05 to about 5 . 00 grams , citric acid , i . e . 0 . 01 gram to 10 grams , and desirably from about 0 . 01 to about 3 . 00 grams , and pvp , i . e . 0 . 01 gram to 10 grams and desirably from about 0 . 03 to about 8 . 00 grams , to form nanoparticles of mn 2 [ fe ( cn ) 6 ] with the size ranging from 4 to about 500 nm and desirably from about 8 to about 100 nm , depending on the ratio of the reacting components . simple reaction temperatures of the first reaction range from about 0 to about 100 ° c . and desirably from about 5 to about 95 ° c . the reaction temperature with respect to the second reaction generally range from about 0 to about 100 ° c . and desirably from about 5 to about 95 ° c . the reaction conditions are generally limited by the freezing point and boiling point of water . when other manganese contrast agents other than mn 2 [ fe ( cn ) 6 ] are desired , the process is essentially similar except that the ratios of the above noted compounds are changed . for example , if mn 3 [ fe iii ( cn ) 6 ] 2 is desired , a proper concentration , i . e . 10 − 3 to 10 3 m of k 3 [ fe ( cn ) 6 ] can be treated with a proper amount of h - form ion exchange resin and allowed to react with a proper concentration , i . e . 10 − 3 to 10 3 m and desirably from about 0 . 01 to about 1 . 00 m , of mncl 2 in the molar ratio of k 3 [ fe ( cn ) 6 ]: mncl 2 to be 2 : 3 while all the other conditions are kept exactly the same as described in [ 0028 ] in order to determine the release rate of the mn 2 + ions of the manganese ( ii ) hexacyanometallate contrast agents of the present invention , nanoparticles of the formula mn 2 [ fe ( cn ) 6 ], were treated with 20 parts of a saline solution , e . g . a nacl solution having a ph of 1 , 3 , 5 , and 7 and incubated at room temperatures for 16 hours . the potential transmetallation reactions between the nanoparticles and solutions each containing the following ions : 1 mm ca 2 + , 1 mm mg 2 + , 1 mm k + or 1 mm zn 2 + ions were also studied . the results were analyzed by atomic adsorption ( aa ) and showed that the highest mn concentration found has ˜ 19 ppm , which is much less than the minimal toxic level of 0 . 1 mm , see fig3 . as apparent from fig3 , the mn 2 + release amounts were higher at lower ph levels and essentially nil when utilized with magnesium and calcium ions . moreover , the release rate of the maganese ( ii ) hexacyanoferrate with respect to mn 2 + is approximately 2 , 000 times less than the release rate of mndpdp . thus , release rates of at least about 25 , about 50 , about 100 , about 500 , or about 1 , 000 times less than the release rate of mndpdp can be readily obtained . stated in other words , the in vitro release rate of mn 2 + at a ph of about 7 is from about 10 to about 20 , desirably from about 12 to 18 , and preferably from about 14 to about 16 parts per million in water for a 24 hour time period . fig3 also shows that the release rate of manganese in the presence of other ions at a ph of 7 such as zinc , magnesium , and calcium was also extremely low . the concentrations of free cyanide ions released from manganese ( ii ) hexacyanoferrate mri contrast agents of the present invention is generally at the level of ˜ 10 ppm , which is about 10 to 15 times less than a minimum toxic level of 0 . 1 mm currently set forth by the epa . that is , the in vitro concentration of free cyanide ions released by the mri contrast agents of the present invention is generally about 2 to about 50 , and desirably from about 5 to about 30 times less than the current minimum toxic epa level of 0 . 1 mm of free cn − ions . these values are determined based upon the release rate of free cyanide ions in water during a 24 hour time period at room temperature , e . g . about 65 to about 85 ° f . the manganese contrast agents of the present invention thus essentially have no toxicity and are very safe for use in mri scanning . a series of proton t 1 and t 2 relaxation measurements using 500 mhz ( 11 . 7 t ) nmr were made . the results expressed as the concentration - normalized relaxivity values are r 1 = 7 . 3 mm − 1 × s − 1 and r 2 = 204 mm − 1 × s − 1 per mm of mn 2 + ions , see fig4 . these values are among the highest measured relaxivity values ever obtained for any mri contrast agent . solutions of various concentrations of mn 2 [ fe ( cn ) 6 ] nanoparticles were used for t 1 and t 2 measurements using a 7 . 0 t mri scanner . for t 1 measurements , an inversion recovery gradient echo sequence with a te = 4 ms was used . the inversion time was varied between 30 - 2000 ms . t 2 measurements were performed using a spin - echo sequence of tr of 10000 ms , and te of 10 . 6 - 340 ms , see fig5 . the results expressed as the concentration - normalized relaxivity values from these measurements are r 1 = 6 . 07 mm − 1 × s − 1 and r 2 = 117 mm − 1 × s − 1 per mm of mn 2 + ions . these results further confirmed that mn 2 [ fe ( cn ) 6 ] nanoparticles possess have relaxivity values at a medically relevant high magnetic field of 7 . 0 tesla . the in vitro t 1 ( positive contrast values ) of the mri contrast agents of the present invention have relaxivity values , i . e . r 1 , of from about 1 to about 15 , desirably from about 2 to about 15 , and preferably from about 4 or about 6 to about 14 mm − 1 · s − 1 / mm of mn + 2 ions . the t 2 ( negative contrast agents ) of in vitro relaxivity values , i . e . r 2 , is from about 50 to about 300 , desirably from about 170 to about 250 , and preferably from about 100 to about 200 mm − 1 · s − 1 / mm of mn + 2 ions . another advantage of the present invention is that the manganese mri contrast agents can be utilized in either high or low magnetic field strength such as from about 0 . 5 to about 11 tesla and desirably from about 1 . 0 to about 9 . 0 teslas . the manganese contrast agents of the present invention can be utilized where ever mri contrast agents have been utilized heretofore and the same is well known to the art and to the literature including the administration thereof . the contrast agent can be utilized with respect to various animals including pets such as dogs , cats , horses , cattle , pigs , goats , chickens , turkeys , etc . a highly preferred end use is for mri diagnosis of human beings , i . e . persons , as by various well known methods such as oral administration , intravenous injection , and the like . while in accordance with the patent statutes the best mode and preferred embodiment have been set forth , the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited thereto , but only by the scope of the attached claims .	0
embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings hereinafter . [ 0027 ] fig2 a to 2 k are showing steps of manufacturing a compound semiconductor device according to a first embodiment of the present invention . first , as shown in fig2 a , a channel layer 2 formed of undoped ingaas , a carrier supplying layer 3 formed of n + type algaas , and a schottky layer 4 formed of undoped algaas are formed in sequence on a transistor forming region of a compound semiconductor substrate 1 formed of semi - insulating gaas . then , cap layers 5 a , 5 b formed of n + type gaas are formed in a source region and a drain region of the schottky layer 4 respectively . a gate electrode forming region g is assured between the source region and the drain region . as the n type impurity contained in the carrier supplying layer 3 , the cap layers 5 a , 5 b , etc ., for example , there is silicon which is doped by silane . under this condition , as shown in fig2 b , a first insulating film 6 is formed on two cap layers 5 a , 5 b , the schottky layer 4 located between the cap layers 5 a , 5 b , and a capacitor forming region y of the compound semiconductor substrate 1 . the first insulating film 6 is formed of silicon nitride with the hydrogen containing rate of less than 30 at . % to have a thickness of 30 to 40 nm . the silicon nitride is formed by the plasma cvd method . as the growth conditions , a mixed gas of silane ( sih 4 ) and nitrogen ( n 2 ) is employed as a growth gas , a gas pressure is set to 0 . 1 to 0 . 3 torr , a high frequency power applied to the plasma generating region is set to 450 to 470 w , and a substrate temperature is set to 240 to 260 ° c . as the first insulating film 6 , a silicon dioxide ( sio 2 ) film which is formed by the atmospheric pressure cvd method to have the hydrogen containing rate of less than 30 at . % and a film thickness of 200 to 400 nm may be employed . then , an opening 6 g is formed in the gate electrode forming region g by patterning the first insulating film 6 by virtue of the photolithography method . then , as shown in fig2 c , a tungsten silicide ( wsi ) film 7 of 100 to 300 nm thickness , a first titanium ( ti ) film 8 of 3 to 10 nm thickness , and a first gold ( au ) film 9 a of 100 to 400 nm thickness are formed in sequence on the first insulating film 6 and in the opening 6 g by the sputter method . then , as shown in fig2 d , photoresist 10 is coated on the first gold film 9 a . by exposing / developing the photoresist 10 , a first window 10 a is formed in the gate forming region g and its peripheral region and also a second window 10 b is formed in a part region of the capacitor forming region y . subsequently , a second gold film 9 b and a third gold film 9 c , both having a thickness of 300 to 1000 nm , are formed on the first gold film 9 a exposed from two windows 10 a , 10 b of the photoresist 10 by the electrolytic plating . then , as shown in fig2 e , the photoresist 9 is peeled off . then , the first gold film 9 a and the first titanium film 8 are etched by the dry etching method while using the second gold film 9 b and the third gold film 9 c as a mask . in this case , the thickness of the second gold film 9 b and the third gold film 9 c is made thin . in addition , the tungsten silicide film 7 is etched while using the second gold film 9 b and the third gold film 9 c as a mask . thus , as shown in fig2 f , a gate electrode 11 consisting of the tungsten silicide film 7 , the first titanium film 8 , the first gold film 9 a and the second gold film 9 b is formed in the gate region and its peripheral region , and also a first electrode 21 consisting of the tungsten silicide film 7 , the first titanium film 8 , the first gold film 9 a and the third gold film 9 c is formed in the capacitor forming region y . the first electrode 21 acts as the lower electrode of the capacitor . then , a dielectric film 22 of the capacitor is formed on the gate electrode 11 , the first electrode 21 and the first insulating film 6 to have a thickness of 250 to 270 nm . as the dielectric film 22 , a silicon nitride film whose hydrogen containing rate is less than 30 at . % is formed . the silicon nitride film is formed by the plasma cvd method . as the growth conditions , for example , a mixed gas of silane ( sih 4 ) and nitrogen ( n 2 ) is employed as a growth gas , a gas pressure is set to 0 . 4 to 0 . 6 torr , a high frequency power applied to the plasma generating region is set to 400 to 420 w , and a substrate temperature is set to 240 to 260 ° c . then , as shown in fig2 g , photoresist 23 is coated on the dielectric film 22 . then , a window 23 a is formed from a region over a part of the first electrode 21 to the outside by exposing / developing the photoresist 23 . then , as shown in fig2 h , a second titanium ( ti ) film 24 of 60 to 80 nm thickness and a fourth gold film 25 of 190 to 210 nm thickness are formed in sequence on the dielectric film 22 exposed from the window 23 a and on the photoresist 23 by the evaporation method . then , the second titanium film 24 and the fourth gold film 25 are left only from the region over a part of the first electrode 21 to the outside by removing the photoresist 23 . these conductive films 24 , 25 are used as a second electrode 26 . the second electrode 26 acts as the upper electrode of the capacitor . then , as shown in fig2 i , a second insulating film 27 of 250 to 270 nm thickness is formed to cover the dielectric film 22 and the second electrode 26 . the silicon nitride film is employed as the second insulating film 27 and the growth conditions are set similarly to the silicon nitride film applied to the dielectric film 22 . in turn , photoresist 28 is coated on the second insulating film 27 and then exposed / developed to be left selectively over the second electrode 26 and its peripheral region . in this case , the photoresist 28 is shaped to expose a part of the first electrode 21 . then , as shown in fig2 j , the second insulating film 27 and the dielectric film 22 are removed by etching using the photoresist 28 as a mask . accordingly , since the second insulating film 27 and the dielectric film 22 are patterned to have the same planar shape in a region over the first electrode 21 and its outer region , the first electrode 21 is covered with the second insulating film 27 and the dielectric film 22 . also , the gate electrode 11 and the first insulating film 6 are exposed in the transistor forming region x . the capacitor q is composed of the first electrode 21 , the dielectric film 22 , and the upper electrode 26 which are left in the capacitor forming region y . a plan view of the capacitor q at this stage is shown in fig3 . a sectional shape taken along a line ii - ii in fig3 is shown in fig2 j . in fig3 a reference 30 denotes a contact hole which is formed in the insulating film on the first electrode 21 , and a reference 31 denotes a contact hole which is formed in the insulating film on the second electrode 26 . after the photoresist 28 is removed , openings are formed on the cap layers 5 a , 5 b respectively by patterning the first insulating film 6 , which exits in the transistor forming region x , by virtue of the photolithography . then , a source electrode 12 and a drain electrode 13 are formed on the cap layers 5 a , 5 b respectively via the openings . accordingly , a basic configuration of the high electron mobility transistor ( hemt ) is formed . then , as shown in fig2 k , an insulating protective film 29 of 40 to 60 nm thickness and with good coverage is formed on the hemt , which consists of the gate electrode 11 , the source electrode 12 , the drain electrode , etc ., and the capacitor q respectively . as the insulating protective film 29 , a silicon nitride film whose hydrogen containing rate is more than 30 at . % and which has low density is employed . the silicon nitride film is formed by the uv ( ultraviolet )- cvd method . as the growth conditions , a mixed gas of silane ( sih 4 ) and nitrogen ( n 2 ) is employed as a growth gas , a gas pressure is set to 2 to 4 torr , and a substrate temperature is set to 200 to 400 ° c . then , the insulating protective film 29 and the second insulating film 27 are patterned by the photolithography method to form the contact holes 30 , 31 , and then leading electrodes 32 , 33 are formed from the contact holes 30 , 31 to the outside . a sectional shape , if viewed from a line ii - ii in fig3 is shown in fig4 . a reference 32 denotes the leading electrode connected to the second electrode 26 via the contact hole 31 , and reference 33 denotes the lead electrode connected to the first electrode 21 via the contact hole 30 . by the way , the above insulating protective film 29 covers the second electrode 26 via the second insulating film 27 whose hydrogen containing rate is more than 30 at . % and which has a thickness of 90 to 110 nm . since the second insulating film 27 is hard to flow the current because of its high density , the leakage current is difficult to flow between the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 26 with the intervention of the insulating protective film 29 . the results as shown in fig5 can be derived when the leakage current of the capacitor q according to the first embodiment and the leakage current of the capacitor without the intervention of the second insulating film 27 in the prior art are compared with each other . it can be seen that the leakage current of the capacitor q according to the first embodiment can be reduced in one digit rather than the capacitor in the prior art . in the above first embodiment , a configuration in which a part of the first electrode 21 is covered with the dielectric film 22 is employed . similarly , a capacitor structure in which the whole first electrode 21 is covered with the dielectric film 22 may be employed . first , as shown in fig2 i , the second insulating film 27 is formed , and then the region covered with the resist 28 is expanded up to the first electrode 21 and its peripheral region , as shown in fig6 a . then , as shown in fig6 b , when the second insulating film 27 and the dielectric film 22 are etched using the resist 28 as a mask , the entire first electrode 21 is covered with the second insulating film 27 and the dielectric film 22 . in this case , since the second insulating film 27 and the dielectric film 22 are removed from the transistor forming region x , there is no possibility of applying the stress to the compound semiconductor layer by the second insulating film 27 and the dielectric film 22 . a plan view of the capacitor forming region y after the resist 28 is removed is shown in fig7 . after the resist 28 is removed , as shown in fig6 c , openings are formed on the cap layers 5 a , 5 b respectively by patterning the first insulating film 6 , which exists in the transistor forming region x , by virtue of the photolithography method . then , the source electrode 12 and the drain electrode 13 are formed on the cap layers 5 a , 5 b via the openings respectively . accordingly , a basic configuration of the high electron mobility transistor ( hemt ) is formed . then , the insulating protective film 29 of 40 to 60 nm thickness and with good coverage is formed on the hemt , which consists of the gate electrode 11 , the source electrode 12 , the drain electrode 13 , etc ., and the capacitor q respectively . as the insulating protective film 29 , the silicon nitride film whose hydrogen containing rate is more than 30 at . % and which has low density is employed . in the second embodiment , the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 26 are covered with the second insulating film 27 and the dielectric film 22 , both having high density , and then an overall resultant structure is covered with the insulating protective film 29 which has good coverage and low density . therefore , both the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 26 do not come directly into contact with the insulating protective film 29 which is easy to flow the leakage current . as the second insulating film 27 employed in the above first and second embodiments , silicon nitride oxide ( sio x n y ( x , y are component number )) whose hydrogen containing rate is less than 30 at . % may be employed in place of the silicon nitride . as described above , according to the present invention , in the capacitor including the first electrode , the dielectric film , and the second electrode , the first electrode is selectively covered with the insulating film which has the low hydrogen containing rate , and also all the capacitor including the insulating film and the substrate are covered with the insulating protective film which has good coverage and has the high hydrogen containing rate . therefore , direct contact of the first electrode and the second electrode can be avoided by the insulating protective film , so that the leakage current can be prevented from flowing between the first electrode and the second electrode via the insulating protective film .	7
fig1 and 2 illustrate a foot prosthesis 1 whose functional structure is accommodated in a cosmetic envelope forming the contour of the foot . a strip - shaped lower sole spring 2 and , arranged above the latter , a control spring 3 , both extend substantially along the length of the foot prosthesis 1 . both springs 2 , 3 can be made of a suitable elastic material , for example of a carbon fiber - reinforced plastic . located above the springs 2 , 3 , is a generally rigid lever 4 , with an adapter 25 ( see , e . g ., fig4 ), connected to an adjustment sleeve 5 of a lower leg tube part 6 . at the lower end of the adjustment sleeve 5 there are four adjustment screws j with which the position of the adjustment sleeve 5 , and thus of the lower leg tube part 6 , relative to the foot structure can be adjusted . the lever 4 extends from a heel end to a front end of the foot prosthesis 1 . the lever 4 is connected to the control spring 3 and the sole spring 2 at the approximate foot center , with planar dampers 7 , 8 positioned therebetween . a bolt 9 or similar connection means connects the lever 4 and springs 2 , 3 such that the lever 4 can execute a pivoting movement relative to the control spring 3 and relative to the sole spring 2 , and the control spring 3 can execute a pivoting movement relative to the sole spring 2 , in the sagittal plane , such that there is an at least reduced freedom of movement in the frontal plane perpendicular thereto . at the heel end of the foot prosthesis 1 , the lever 4 is connected to the control spring 3 by a locking screw 10 or similar means for preventing movement of the lever . between the control spring 3 the sole spring 2 , a heel damper 11 in the form of an elastic foam block is fitted . when the heel end of the foot 1 is set down , the heel damper 11 is subjected to pressure . when the foot 1 makes a rolling movement over the toe area , the heel damper is subjected to tension . the tensile load is limited by a strap 12 which loops round the outside of the sole spring 2 and the control spring 3 and which does not impede the compression of the heel damper 11 , but does limit the elongation of the heel damper 11 under the tensioning action . at the front end in the toe area , the sole spring and the control spring 3 are connected to each other via another damper 13 . in use , when the heel of foot prosthesis 1 is set down , the heel damper 11 is compressed , as a result of which the position of the lower leg tube 6 of a lower leg prosthesis relative to the sole structure 2 , 3 pivots rearward causing a desired plantar flexion of the foot relative to the lower leg tube 6 . the control spring 3 acts as a two - armed lever whose heel section is pressed down relative to the heel section of the sole spring 2 , as a result of which the control spring 3 in the forward area of the foot 1 toward the toe area lifts the sole spring 2 and thus imitates a natural toe movement when the heel is set down , which facilitates the rolling movement of the foot . in the rolling movement of the foot past the stand phase , the sole spring 2 , convexly shaped on the underside , is loaded in the forward area of the foot , such that the sole spring 2 in the heel area is pressed down relative to the lever 4 , as a result of which the heel damper 11 is relieved or subjected to tensioning . this load is limited by the strap 12 . the adjustment feature of the illustrated foot prosthesis 1 is based on the fact that the dampers 7 , 8 and the bolt 9 form a pivot point between the lever 4 and the springs 2 , 3 , which is located in a perpendicular load line 14 of the patient when standing , as is shown in fig2 . accordingly , the center of gravity of the patient is located perpendicularly above the pivot point . if the center of gravity of the patient is not perpendicularly above the pivot point but instead forms an angle with the latter , as is illustrated for the load line 14 ′, a torque is exerted on the lever 4 such that the lever 4 presses with its free end against the upper head of the screw 10 . if , by contrast , the load line 14 is located perpendicularly above the pivot point , the heel end of the lever 4 is unloaded such that the lever 4 is free of torque relative to the pivot point . accordingly , to check the correct adjustment of the lower leg tube 6 relative to the lever 4 , the locking screw 10 is loosened , such that the heel end of the lever 4 is afforded a vertical range of movement that is limited by an upper limit stop 15 , formed by the screw head 10 , and a lower limit stop 16 , formed here by the heel end of the control spring 3 . if the perpendicular load line 14 is located perpendicularly above the pivot point the heel end of the lever 4 is unloaded and can therefore assume a balance position within the range of movement limited by the limit stops 15 , 16 . by contrast , if the load line 14 ′ enters the pivot point 7 , 8 , 9 at an angle to the perpendicular , the lever 4 is subjected to a torque which , in the case of the load line 14 ′, presses the heel end of the lever 4 against the upper limit stop 15 . the free heel end of the lever 4 will therefore remain on the upper limit stop 15 in the event of a corresponding incorrect adjustment , even if the patient when standing makes the usual balance compensation movements . in this manner , the lever 4 acts as a position detector or detector arrangement . the limit stops 15 , 16 may also act to provide a visual or electronic measure of the torque force to allow proper adjustment of the leg tube 6 . by contrast , if the adjustment is correct , such that the center of gravity is located within the perpendicular load line 14 , the balance compensation movements of the patient lead to a movement of the heal end of the lever 4 between the upper limit stop and the lower limit stop , as is known from a lever balance . the balance compensation movements , which take place forward and backward in the saggital plane ( i . e ., in one or two mutually opposite directions in a measuring plane ), can be detected from a corresponding upward and downward movement of the heal end of the lever 4 in the movement range , if the adjustment is made correctly . thus , when the foot prosthesis is correctly positioned relative to an extremity of the patient to which the foot prosthesis is mounted , the lever is free of torque in the measuring plane ( e . g ., the heal end of the lever 4 is in the movement range ). otherwise , the free end of the lever 4 remains on the one of the limit stops 15 , 16 , because of the incorrect adjustment . thus , the locking screw 10 with upper and lower limits stops 15 , 16 may operate as force indicators and be used to indicate the occurrence of torque in one or two mutually opposite directions in a measuring plane ( e . g ., the saggital plane ). when the correct adjustment has been established , the locking screw 10 can be tightened in order to produce a firm connection of the lever 4 to the sole structure 2 , 3 and to ensure that the patient does not experience any feeling of imbalance , during walking , as a result of play within the foot structure . another illustrative embodiment is shown in fig3 and 4 . these show the cosmetic envelope 1 of a foot prosthesis and the adjoining lower leg tube 6 . arranged at the upper end of the lower leg tube 6 there is an artificial knee joint 17 , which connects the lower leg tube part 6 to a receiving funnel 18 for a thigh stump of the patient . fig3 indicates the perpendicular load line 14 intended to pass through the center of gravity of the patient in the sagittal plane . as shown , the perpendicular load line 14 passes a small distance ( e . g ., approximately 20 mm ) in front of a pivot axis 19 of the knee joint . if used in conjunction with the foot 1 shown in fig1 and 2 , the perpendicular load line 14 may also pass through the pivot point previously described . the knee joint 17 is connected securely to the receiving funnel 18 via a securing adapter ( not shown ). the securing adapter can be equipped with additional functions . to check the adjustment of the prosthesis arrangement , a detector arrangement 20 is fitted between the knee joint 17 and the receiving funnel 18 . the detector arrangement has a lower lever 21 and an upper lever 22 , which are connected to each other at their front ends via a pivot hinge 23 . the lower lever is provided with an adapter bushing 24 with adjustment screws j , in order to produce an adjustable attachment to the lower leg tube part , which is provided on the upper face with an adapter with truncated cone surfaces . the upper lever 22 extends parallel to the lower lever 21 and is provided on its upper face with an adapter 25 via which the receiving funnel 18 , provided on the underside with an adapter bushing part ( corresponding to 24 ) for connection to the adapter 25 , can be adjustably attached . the pivot hinge 23 between the two levers 21 , 22 is arranged in such a way that it is located in the perpendicular load line 14 . the free ends of the levers 21 , 22 are connected to each other via an interposed central damper 26 , an upper damper 27 mounted externally on the upper lever 22 , and an outer damper 28 mounted on the lower lever 21 a tensioning arrangement 29 with outer contact disks 30 holds the arrangement together such that the dampers 26 , 27 , 28 are contacted , but not compressed . if the pivot hinge 23 is located with the pivot axis in the perpendicular load line 14 , the free ends of the levers 21 , 22 are free of force , such that the dampers 26 , 27 , 28 remain uncompressed . by contrast , if the perpendicular load line 14 is arranged dorsally from ( i . e ., behind ) the pivot hinge 23 because of an incorrect adjustment , the two levers 21 , 22 are pressed against each other at their free ends , such that the central damper 26 is compressed . the compression , leading to a deformation of the central damper 26 , is easily detectable , such that the central damper 26 serves as an indicator of a rearward shifting of the perpendicular load line 14 . by contrast , if the load line 14 is located in front of the pivot hinge 23 , this results in a torque that presses the free ends of the levers 21 , 22 away from each other , such that the outer dampers 27 , 28 are compressed , and thus deformed . the outer dampers 27 , 28 thus serve as indicators of a forward shifting of the load line 14 from the ideal state . it will be readily apparent that the dampers 26 , 28 can be replaced by electronic force transducers ( voltage transducers , acceleration transducers ) in order to determine the torques acting on the levers 21 , 22 . since these electronic force transducers operate with measurement paths that are imperceptible , such a detector arrangement can remain in the prosthesis during its normal use , since the measurement arrangement does not lead to play in the prosthesis arrangement . the simpler and more economical design of the detector arrangement with the dampers 26 to 28 requires , by contrast , the replacement of the detector arrangement by an adapter insert for normal use of the prosthesis arrangement . in one simple embodiment , the pivot hinge 23 can also be formed by a solid hinge . the indicators can in this case also be formed by switches .	0
these and other aspects , features and advantages will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the following detailed description and the appended claims . for the avoidance of doubt , any feature of one aspect of the present invention may be utilized in any other aspect of the invention . the word “ comprising ” is intended to mean “ including ” but not necessarily “ consisting of ” or “ composed of .” in other words , the listed steps or options need not be exhaustive . it is noted that the examples given in the description below are intended to clarify the invention and are not intended to limit the invention to those examples per se . similarly , all percentages are weight / weight percentages unless otherwise indicated . except in the operating and comparative examples , or where otherwise explicitly indicated , all numbers in this description and claims indicating amounts of material or conditions of reaction , physical properties of materials and / or use are to be understood as modified by the word “ about ”. numerical ranges expressed in the format “ from x to y ” are understood to include x and y . when for a specific feature multiple preferred ranges are described in the format “ from x to y ”, it is understood that all ranges combining the different endpoints are also contemplated . by “ a sunscreen composition ” as used herein , is meant to include a composition for topical application to sun - exposed areas of the skin and / or hair of mammals , especially humans . such a composition may be generally classified as leave - on or rinse off , and includes any product applied to a human body for also improving appearance , cleansing , odor control or general aesthetics . it is more preferably a leave - on product . the composition of the present invention can be in the form of a liquid , lotion , cream , foam , scrub , gel , or toner , or applied with an implement or via a face mask , pad or patch . non - limiting examples of such sunscreen compositions include leave - on skin lotions , creams , antiperspirants , deodorants , lipsticks , foundations , mascara , sunless tanners and sunscreen lotions . “ skin ” as used herein is meant to include skin on the face and body ( e . g ., neck , chest , back , arms , underarms , hands , legs , buttocks and scalp ) and especially to the sun exposed parts thereof . the composition of the invention is also of relevance to applications on any other keratinous substrates of the human body other than skin e . g . hair where products may be formulated with specific aim of providing photoprotection . an advantage of the present invention is that the sunscreen composition is capable of providing an spf of higher than 20 , more preferably at least 30 , further more preferably higher than 40 . it is preferred that the composition comprises at the most 10 % total organic sunscreens by weight of the composition . the composition of the invention comprises 0 . 05 to 15 % by weight compound of the formula a : compound of formula a is preferably present in 0 . 1 to 10 %, more preferably 0 . 1 to 7 % by weight of the composition . in the compound of formula a , r1 , r2 and r3 are each selected from any one of alkyl , branched alkyl , cycloalkyl , polycycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , alkaryl , alkoxy , aryl , aralkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl or fluorocarbon groups containing 1 to 50 carbon atom ( s ). preferred compound of formula a is 2 , 4 - bis -{[ 4 -( 2 - ethyl - hexyl - oxy )- 2 - hydroxy ]- phenyl }- 6 -( 4 - methoxy - phenyl )-( 1 , 3 , 5 )- triazine commercially sold under the brand names tinosorb s ( available from basf ) or escalol s ( available from ashland inc ). an important ingredient that contributes to the benefits of the present invention is a non - ionic surfactant . the non - ionic surfactant for use in the composition of the present invention has an hlb value of at least 9 . hlb is calculated using the griffin method wherein hlb = 20 × mh / m wherein mh is the molecular mass of the hydrophilic portion of the molecule and m is the molecular mass of the whole molecule , giving a result on an arbitrary scale of 0 to 20 . typical values for various surfactants are given below : a value from 7 to 11 indicates a w / o ( water in oil ) emulsifier a value from 12 to 16 indicates oil in water emulsifier a value of 16 to 20 indicates a solubiliser or hydrotrope the non - ionic surfactant is preferably selected from any one of the following groups : ( a ) fatty alcohol ethoxylates with saturated carbon chain and having hlb higher than 15 . 5 ; or ( b ) fatty alcohol ethoxylates with unsaturated carbon chain with hlb higher than 12 . ( c ) alkyl phenol ethoxylates having hlb higher than 15 ; ( d ) polyoxyethylene sorbitan alkyl esters with saturated c12 to c16 carbon chain and having hlb higher than 12 ; ( e ) polyoxyethylene sorbitan alkyl esters with unsaturated c18 carbon chain and having hlb higher than 9 ; suitable commercially available examples of ( a ) fatty alcohol ethoxylates with saturated carbon chain and having hlb higher than 15 . 5 or from ( b ) the class of fatty alcohol ethoxylates with unsaturated carbon chain with hlb higher than 12 are sold under the brand names brij 35 ( a c12eo23 compound ), brij 97 ( unsaturated c18eo12 ), brij 700 ( c18eo100 ) or brij 99 ( unsaturated c18eo20 ). suitable examples of ( c ) alkyl phenol ethoxylates with hlb higher than 15 for use in the composition of the invention are sold under the brand names triton x 165 , triton x 305 , triton 405 , or triton x 705 . suitable examples of ( d ) polyoxyethylene sorbitan alkyl esters with saturated c12 to c16 carbon chain and having hlb higher than 12 and ( e ) polyoxyethylene sorbitan alkyl esters with unsaturated c18 carbon chain and having hlb higher than 9 are sold under the brand names tween20 , tween21 , tween40 , tween80 , tween 81 or tween85 trioleate . the non - ionic surfactant is included in 0 . 1 to 5 %, preferably 0 . 2 to 4 %, more preferably 0 . 2 to 3 % by weight of the composition . the composition of the invention comprises a cosmetically acceptable base comprising 3 to 25 % fatty acid by weight of the composition . cosmetically acceptable bases are preferably in a cream , lotion , gel or emulsion format . a more preferred format is a cream , further more preferred a vanishing cream . preferred compositions of the invention comprise 3 to 20 % and more preferably 6 to 20 % fatty acid ( saturated or unsaturated fatty acids or their mixtures ) by weight of the composition . the composition preferably also comprises 0 . 1 to 10 %, more preferably 0 . 1 to 3 % soap . c 12 to c 20 fatty acids are especially preferred in vanishing cream bases , further more preferred being c 14 to c 18 fatty acids . in creams , the fatty acid is preferably substantially a mixture of stearic acid and palmitic acid . soaps in the vanishing cream base include alkali metal salt of fatty acids , like sodium or potassium salts . the soap is preferably the potassium salt of the fatty acid mixture . the fatty acid in vanishing cream base is often prepared using hystric acid which is substantially ( generally about 90 to 95 %) a mixture of stearic acid and palmitic acid . thus , inclusion of hystric acid and its soap to prepare the vanishing cream base is within the scope of the present invention . the cosmetically acceptable base is usually from 10 to 99 . 9 %, preferably from 50 to 99 % by weight of the composition . the composition of the invention is preferably an oil - in - water emulsion composition . the cosmetically acceptable base preferably includes water . water is preferably included in 35 to 90 %, more preferably 50 to 85 %, further more preferably 50 to 80 % by weight of the composition . the composition of the invention preferably comprises an additional uv - a or uv - b sunscreen , other than the compound of formula a . these sunscreens are preferably chosen from compounds of the following seven major groups : ( 1 ) benzophenones , ( 2 ) anthranilates , ( 3 ) dibenzoylmethanes ( 4 ) salicylates , ( 5 ) cinnamates , ( 6 ) camphores and ( 7 ) p - amino benzoic acids ( paba ) or mixtures . the preferred uva sunscreen for use in the composition of the invention is a compound of the dibenzoylmethane class . preferred dibenzoylmethane derivative are selected from 4 - tert - butyl - 4 ′- methoxydibenzoylmethane , 2 - methyldibenzoylmethane , 4 - methyl - dibenzoyl - methane , 4 - isopropyldibenzoyl - methane , 4 - tert - butyldibenzoylmethane , 2 , 4 - dimethyldibenzoylmethane , 2 , 5 - dimethyldibenzoylmethane , 4 , 4 ′- diisopropyl - dibenzoylmethane , 2 - methyl - 5 - isopropyl - 4 ′- methoxydibenzoylmethane , 2 - methyl - 5 - tert - butyl - 4 ′- methoxy - dibenzoyl methane , 2 , 4 - dimethyl - 4 ′- methoxy dibenzoylmethane or 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 4 - tert - butyl - 4 ′- methoxy - dibenzoylmethane . the most preferred dibenzoylmethane derivative is 4 - tert .- butyl - 4 ′- methoxydibenzoylmethane . the composition of the invention preferably comprises 0 . 1 to 5 %, more preferably 0 . 2 to 5 %, further more preferably 0 . 4 to 3 %, compound of the dibenzoylmethane class by weight of the composition . the additional uv - b organic sunscreen which may be included in the composition of the invention is preferably oil soluble . it is preferably selected from the class of cinnamic acid , salicylic acid , diphenyl acrylic acid compounds . a few of the preferred oil soluble uv - b sunscreens which are commercially available and useful for inclusion in the composition of the invention are octisalate ™, homosalate ™, neohelipan ™, octocrylene ™, oxybenzone ™ or parsol mcx ™. the composition of the invention preferably comprises 0 . 1 to 7 %, more preferably 0 . 2 to 5 %, further more preferably 0 . 4 to 3 % uv b sunscreen , by weight of the composition . a useful aspect of the present invention is that high spf values can be obtained even when the total amount of organic sunscreens ( excluding the compound of formula a ) are present in small amounts which may be in the range of 0 . 1 to 7 %, preferably from 0 . 5 to 6 %, more preferably 1 to 5 %, by weight of the composition . other useful photostabilizers may be preferably used in the present invention . this include derivatives of diphenylacrylate , benzylidene camphor , napthalate , fluorene and diarylbutadiene etc . the composition of the invention preferably includes solubilisers to enhance the solubility of compound of formula a , thereby increasing its sun — protection efficacy . solubilisers are preferably of the class of esters of aryl alcohol , akyl or cycloalkyl carboxylic acid or carbonic acid . of these , the class of esters of aryl alcohol is preferred for use as a solubliser . preferred solubilisers are phenethyl , benzyl or substitued benzyl alcohols . most preferred solubilisers may be selected from the compounds given below : solublisers are preferably included in 0 . 1 to 15 %, more preferably in 0 . 5 to 10 %, further more preferably 0 . 5 to 5 % by weight of the composition . other useful sun - protective agents e . g . inorganic sun - blocks may be preferably used in the present invention . these include , for example , zinc oxide , iron oxide , silica , such as fumed silica , or titanium dioxide . the total amount of sun block that is preferably incorporated in the composition according to the invention is from 0 . 1 to 5 % by weight of the composition . the composition of the invention may additionally comprise a skin lightening agent . the skin lightening agent is preferably chosen from a vitamin b3 compound or its derivative e . g . niacin , nicotinic acid , niacinamide or other well known skin lightening agents e . g . aloe extract , ammonium lactate , azelaic acid , kojic acid , citrate esters , ellagic acid , glycolic acid , green tea extract , hydroquinone , lemon extract , linoleic acid , magnesium ascorbyl phosphate , vitamins like vitamin b6 , vitamin b12 , vitamin c , vitamin a , a dicarboxylic acid , resorcinol derivatives , hydroxycarboxylic acid like lactic acid and their salts e . g . sodium lactate , and mixtures thereof . vitamin b3 compound or its derivative e . g . niacin , nicotinic acid , niacinamide are the more preferred skin lightening agent as per the invention , most preferred being niacinamide . niacinamide , when used , is preferably present in an amount in the range of 0 . 1 to 10 %, more preferably 0 . 2 to 5 % by weight of the composition . the composition according to the invention may also comprise other diluents . the diluents act as a dispersant or carrier for other materials present in the composition , so as to facilitate their distribution when the composition is applied to the skin . diluents other than water can include liquid or solid emollients , solvents , humectants , thickeners and powders . the composition of the invention may comprise a conventional deodourant base as the cosmetically acceptable carrier . by a deodorant is meant a product in the stick , roll - on , or propellant medium which is used for personal deodorant benefit e . g . application in the under - arm or any other area which may or may not contain anti - perspirant actives . deodorant compositions can generally be in the form of firm solids , soft solids , gels , creams , and liquids and are dispensed using applicators appropriate to the physical characteristics of the composition . the compositions of the present invention can comprise a wide range of other optional components . the ctfa cosmetic ingredient handbook , second edition , 1992 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety , describes a wide variety of non - limiting cosmetic and pharmaceutical ingredients commonly used in the skin care industry , which are suitable for use in the compositions of the present invention . examples include : antioxidants , binders , biological additives , buffering agents , colorants , thickeners , polymers , astringents , fragrance , humectants , opacifying agents , conditioners , exfoliating agents , ph adjusters , preservatives , natural extracts , essential oils , skin sensates , skin soothing agents , and skin healing agents . the invention is now further described by way of the following non - limiting examples . examples a to c and 1 to 4 : spf obtained with compositions outside the invention ( a to c ) and those within the invention ( 1 to 4 ) photoprotective personal care vanishing cream compositions as shown in table 1 were prepared . in vitro - spf was measured for all the samples using a optometrics 290s instrument model . the substrate used was a 8 cm transpore tape procured from 3m company . the sample was applied at 2 mg / cm 2 . the spf as measured is shown in table 1 . in the table 1 above the following compounds are referred to brij l23 : with n = 12 and m = 23 has the following general structure and was sourced from croda . it is also sold under the brand name of brij - 35 . it has hlb value of 16 . 9 . tinosorb s : has the following structure and was sourced from basf parsol mcx : has the following structure and was sourced from chem spec . the data in table - 1 indicates that compositions as per the invention ( examples 1 to 4 ) provide for vastly superior spf values as compared to compositions outside the invention ( examples a to c ). examples d and 5 , 6 : photostability of compositions of the invention ( 5 & amp ; 6 ) as compared to control ( example d ) photoprotective personal care vanishing cream compositions as shown in table — 2 were prepared . the compositions were measured for photostability using the following procedure : the compositions were applied (˜ 2 mg / cm2 ) on two clean glass plates to generate thin films of uniform thickness . out of these , one plate was exposed to atlas solar simulated radiations ( uva flux , 5 . 5 mw / cm 2 for 60 minutes of uv exposure . the other plate was kept un - exposed which served as control . subsequent to completion of the above protocol , all the films of the cream were separately extracted in hplc grade methanol . the quantification of the active was done using perkin elmer uv / visible spectrometer or high performance liquid chromatography ( hplc ). the absorbance at a scanning range of 200 - 800 nm was measured for each solution , using quartz cuvette and respective blank solutions on a spectrometer . relative absorbance values were recorded at a wavelength of 355 nm ( for uva ). % photostability of the uv - a sunscreen was determined and plotted against time of exposure . uvr for exposure was generated using a solar simulator ( atlas kw system ) with a irradiance of 5 . 5 mj cm − 2 , at a distance of ˜ 20 cm . the irradiance was measured using a radiometer ( solar light co . pma2200uv ). relative absorbance values were recorded at a wavelength of 310 nm ( for uvb ). % photostability of the uv - b sunscreen was determined and plotted against time of exposure . the photostability of the uva and uvb sunscreen is shown in table 2 . the data in table 2 indicates that compositions as per the invention ( examples 5 and 6 ) provide for vastly superior uva and uvb stability as compared to a control sample example d ( outside the invention ). examples e and 7 to 9 : effect of fatty acid concentration photoprotective personal care cream compositions as shown in table 3 were prepared and the in vitro - spf was measured similar to the examples 1 to 4 . the spf values as measured are shown in table 3 . compositions as shown in table 4 below were prepared . the in - vitro spf was measured using the procedure already mentioned earlier . the spf values of the various compositions are given in table 4 . the data in table 4 indicates that inclusion of a solubiliser ( example 10 ) provides for enhanced spf while inclusion of a preferred solubliser as per the invention ( example 11 ) provides further enhanced spf .	0
referring now to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts , and more particularly to fig1 thereof , there is illustrated in fig1 a drawing of a sound engineered drywall product 100 . the sound engineered drywall product 100 is a panel product comprising a series of layers composed of , for example , any of gypsum board , wood , man - made materials , compressed products , or other materials . the layers include , for example , an inner layer 110 and an outer layer 130 . the illustrated example also includes a single middle layer 120 . additional same sized or different sized layers may also be utilized . adhesive is disposed between the layers ( e . g ., adhesive 115 and 125 ). the adhesive is , for example , an acoustical adhesive such as supress ™ acoustical sealant , or commercially available visco - elastic adhesives . the sound engineered drywall is , for example , of the type commercially available from supress ™ products llc of san rafael calif . these products represent high - performance sound and vibration absorbing panels for commercial and residential construction . the supress ™ products also have the advantage of being available in a ½ ″ thick panel and thereby require no re - design for existing plans using standard ½ ″ drywall . higher performance panels include more layers , such as up to stc 75 + in supress ™ products available in ⅝ ″ or ¾ ″ home theater or 1 ″ professional sound studio versions that may also be used to provide sound absorption in children &# 39 ; s rooms , play areas or anywhere desired to be insulated from sound or vibrations . the insulating qualities of such products are magnified by the use of supports that also reduce sound transmission ( e . g ., sound engineered metal channel products as described herein ). fig2 is a drawing of a metal channel product 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention . the metal channel product 200 is a hat channel type support . the illustrated exemplary hat channel includes a top area and two side brims , the top area having sound suppression material 230 , and each side brim having sound suppression material 225 attached ( 225 a and 225 b ). the location of sound suppression materials is preferably at contact areas of the metal product ( e . g ., the contact areas include , for example , areas that contact other metal products , areas that are secured to foundations , other supports , and areas that contact panel products ). fig3 is a perspective view of the metal channel product 200 in according to an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig3 , the sound suppression materials preferably comprise a strip that runs lengthwise along the contact areas . the sound suppression material 225 is illustrated as being constructed of layers , namely a polymer layer 300 for the absorption of sounds / vibrations , an adhesive layer 310 to attach the polymer layer 300 to the metal channel 200 , and an abrasion resistance layer 320 ( e . g ., hard plastic layer such as [ ponolic ] hard plastic ) that also helps absorb sound and functions as abrasion resistance used to protect the polymer layer 300 from being damaged or removed by contact with other materials , particularly at the construction site or during shipping . the sound suppression material 230 is similarly constructed to material 225 , but is , for example , wider ( to better fit the wider top area of the hat channel ). fig4 is a drawing of an rc - 1 metal channel product 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention . the rc - 1 metal channel product 400 is an rc - 1 channel type support . the illustrated exemplary rc - 1 channel type support includes a top area and one side brim , the top area having sound suppression material 430 attached , and the side brim having sound suppression material 425 attached . the location of sound suppression materials is preferably at contact areas of the metal product ( e . g ., the contact areas include , for example , areas that contact other metal products , areas that are secured to foundations or other supports , and areas that contact panel products ). fig5 is a perspective view of the rc - 1 metal channel product shown in fig5 according to an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig5 , the sound suppression materials preferably comprise a strip that runs lengthwise along the contact areas of the metal product 400 . the sound suppression materials 425 and 430 are , for example , constructed similarly to the sound suppression materials described above with reference to fig3 . the sound suppression materials may alternately be constructed from materials such as foam or other flexible substances . fig6 is a flow chart describing a process of installing a metal channel product and attaching a panel product according to an embodiment of the present invention . this process takes advantage of the present invention but utilizes entirely standard metal channel products . at step 600 , a standard metal channel product is selected . at step 610 , a vibration damping strip is attached to the selected metal channel product ( e . g ., sound suppression materials similar to any of 225 , 230 , 425 , or 430 ). the metal channel product may be installed on its support prior to attachment of the sound suppression material , but , preferably , the sound suppression material includes a sound suppression strip where the metal channel product contacts its support . therefore , in most cases , it will be more efficient to install all of the sound suppression strips prior to installing the metal channel product to its support . fig7 is a flow chart describing a process of installing a metal channel product and attaching a panel product according to an embodiment of the present invention . at step 700 a sound engineered metal channel product having one or more sound / vibration damping strips ( e . g ., sound suppression material ) is selected . the selected metal channel product is installed to a support ( step 710 ). and , at step 720 , a panel product is attached to the installed metal channel product . preferably , the panel product is a sound engineered panel for one of walls , ceilings , and / or floors ( for example , any of supress ™ sound engineered drywall products discussed above ). the use of the supress ™ products amplifies the sound suppression properties of both the drywall product and the metal channel product ; the combination providing additional sound suppression in any project using both the channels and drywall . fig8 is a drawing of an installed metal channel product 800 for ceilings according to an embodiment of the present invention . the illustrated metal channel product 800 is similar to the hat channel product 200 described above , except that the brim sound suppression materials are adhered to the opposite sides of the brims . the hat brim contact areas attach / fit in to a ceiling support 805 hung from a roof or upper floor of a building ( e . g ., support wires 810 ). note that in an alternate embodiment , the sound suppression materials may be installed on contact areas of the ceiling support 805 instead of metal channel product 800 . the top portion of the metal channel product 800 ( hat channel ) is attached to a ceiling panel 820 ( e . g ., supress ™ sound engineered drywall , or another panel product ). sound suppression material 830 is shown disposed between the hat channel product 200 and the ceiling panel 820 . the ceiling panel product is secured to the metal channel product 800 via , for example , drywall screws ( not shown ). fig9 is a drawing of an installed metal channel product for walls according to an embodiment of the present invention . a pair of hat channel products 200 a , and 200 b are attached to a support ( e . g ., wood or metal studs , not shown ). alternatively a single or triplet of hat channel products may be utilized . a panel product ( e . g ., supress ™ sound engineered drywall ) is attached to the top area of the hat channel products via adhesive or , for example , sheetrock metal screws 810 . other examples of the present invention will be readily apparent to the skilled practitioner upon review of the present disclosure . the same principles of applying a sound / vibration in damping strip may be utilized between any support and other supports or panel products and the invention is therefore not limited to hat channel or rc - 1 type metal products but extends to all available framing and support members for any type of ceiling , wall , or floor panels and materials . in describing preferred embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the drawings , specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity . however , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected , and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner . for example , when describing metal channel product , any other equivalent device , such as a metal stud , frame , or joist , or other device having an equivalent function or capability , whether or not listed herein , may be substituted therewith . furthermore , the inventor recognizes that newly developed technologies not now known may also be substituted for the described parts and still not depart from the scope of the present invention . all other described items , including , but not limited to adhesives , sound absorption materials ( including foams , polymers , and plastics , etc ), building materials ( including channels , other metal products , studs , joists , panel products of different materials ) should also be considered in light of any and all available equivalents . the present invention may suitably comprise , consist of , or consist essentially of , any of element ( the various parts or features of the invention , e . g ., support products including metal channels having contact areas , sound suppression materials , sound engineered panel or drywall products , acoustical adhesives ) and their equivalents as described herein . further , the present invention illustratively disclosed herein may be practiced in the absence of any element , whether or not specifically disclosed herein . obviously , numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of claims to be appended in a subsequently filed utility patent application , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein .	4
the detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only embodiments contemplated by the inventor . the detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a comprehensive understanding of the present invention . however , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practised without these specific details . the present invention relates generally to a process for storing and separating bitumen froth using an improved froth tank . fig2 shows one embodiment of a froth tank ( 10 ) useful in the present invention which generally defines an inner chamber ( 12 ) having a generally cylindrical upper portion ( 14 ) and a generally conical lower portion ( 16 ). a bridge portion ( 18 ) spans across the upper portion ( 14 ) to support a rotary drive assembly ( 20 ), a torque sensor ( 22 ), and a plurality of stationary pickets ( 24 ). the tank ( 10 ) can be open or closed to the external environment . a roof may be included to cover the tank ( 10 ) to prevent contamination and release of odors , and to maintain slurry temperature . such roofs are typically made from fiberglass plates which are supported by the tank ( 10 ) and the bridge portion ( 18 ). the rotary drive assembly ( 20 ) includes a motor ( not shown ) attached to a drive gear box ( not shown ). the motor may be of fixed or variable speed , and use any suitable motive power , such as an electric or hydraulic motor or a combustion engine . an elongate drive shaft ( 26 ) is mounted at a first end in operational engagement with the motor and at a second end to the apex of the conical portion ( 16 ). the drive shaft ( 26 ) is thus mounted in a substantially vertical orientation within the inner chamber ( 12 ) of the tank ( 10 ). the drive shaft ( 26 ) connects the rotary drive assembly ( 20 ) to a rake assembly which is mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis within the conical portion ( 16 ) of the tank ( 10 ). the rake assembly comprises rake arms ( 28 ) which are attached to the drive shaft ( 26 ), and a plurality of generally vertical movable pickets ( 30 ) carried by the rake arms ( 28 ). the rake arms ( 28 ) may comprise generally straight or curved blades . the rake arms ( 28 ) are positioned at the apex of the conical position ( 16 ) of the tank ( 10 ) to move settled solids across the conical portion ( 16 ) of the tank ( 10 ) for “ funnelling ” or discharge at a central underflow outlet ( 32 ). in one embodiment , the slope of the conical portion ( 16 ) is about 1 : 6 , i . e ., the walls of the cone are at an angle of about 15 degrees . the movable pickets ( 30 ) extend parallel to one another vertically , and are sufficiently spaced apart to accommodate the downwardly projecting stationary pickets ( 24 ) therebetween . as the rake arms ( 28 ) rotate , the movable pickets ( 30 ) travel around the stationary pickets ( 24 ) through the bitumen froth ( 34 ). as a consequence of its connection to the rake assembly , the drive shaft ( 26 ) is subjected to very high torques when rotated . the degree of torque is dependent upon the resistance to rotation experienced by the drive shaft ( 26 ). this resistance arises primarily as a result of the rake arms ( 28 ) and movable pickets ( 30 ) encountering resistance as they rotate through the settled solids and bitumen froth , respectively . the torque sensor ( 22 ) is used to detect the torque exerted upon the drive shaft ( 26 ), and transmit signals representative of the measured or recorded torque to a controller ( not shown ). the controller may be operatively connected to the motor to control the operation of the drive shaft ( 26 ) based on the signals received from the torque sensor ( 22 ). the tank ( 10 ) includes an inlet ( not shown ) through which bitumen froth ( 34 ) is pumped into the tank ( 10 ) above the conical portion ( 16 ). the inlet is oriented tangential to the tank ( 10 ), thereby dampening the turbulence of the incoming bitumen froth ( 34 ) and generating a swirling flow when feeding the bitumen froth ( 34 ) into the inner chamber ( 12 ). outlets ( not shown ) are oriented tangential to the tank ( 10 ) to allow the bitumen froth ( 36 ), middlings ( 38 ), and tailings ( 40 ) to be separately withdrawn and further processed . in one embodiment , the bitumen froth outlet may be a circumferential weir or a surface floating discharge . the tank ( 10 ) is interconnected to other components ( such as , for example , valves ( 42 ), pumps ( 44 ), and other tanks , tailings ponds or plants ) by conduits which may be constructed from any suitable piping as is employed in the art . suitable piping includes , without limitation , plastic piping , galvanized metal piping , and stainless steel piping . the conduits have associated valves ( 42 ) which may be opened and closed to divert the flows of the separated bitumen froth , middlings , and tailings among the interconnected components . the valves ( 42 ) may comprise any suitable valve employed by those skilled in the art to permit , or prevent , the flow of the bitumen froth ( 36 ), middlings ( 38 ), and tailings ( 40 ) through a conduit . suitable valves ( 42 ) include , but are not limited to , gate valves , butterfly valves , and ball valves . bitumen froth may contain about 60 wt % bitumen , about 30 wt % water and about 10 wt % solid mineral material , of which a large proportion is fine mineral material . the bitumen which is present in a bitumen froth comprises both non - asphaltenic material and asphaltenes . the bitumen froth ( 34 ) is pumped into the froth storage tank ( 10 ) above the conical portion ( 16 ) of the tank ( 10 ). a portion of the solids settles during the residence time . in one embodiment , the residence time may range from between about two to about twenty - four hours , preferably about six to about eighteen hours , and most preferably about two to about four hours . during the residence time , the motor may be activated intermittently or continuously to operate the rotary drive assembly ( 20 ) at a desired speed , thereby rotating the drive shaft ( 26 ) and the rake arms ( 28 ). as the rake arms ( 28 ) rotate , the movable pickets ( 30 ) travel around the stationary pickets ( 24 ) through the bitumen froth ( 34 ), thereby generating flow channels which facilitate separation of a top layer of bitumen froth ( 36 ), a middle layer of middlings ( 38 ) ( i . e ., warm water , fines , residual bitumen ), and a bottom layer of coarse tailings ( 40 ) ( i . e ., warm water , coarse solids , residual bitumen ). the bitumen froth ( 36 ), middlings ( 38 ), and tailings ( 40 ) are then separately withdrawn and further processed . the upper bitumen - rich , reduced - solids layer ( 36 ) overflows the top of the tank ( 10 ), and is withdrawn for the froth treatment process which eliminates the aqueous and solid contaminants from the bitumen froth to produce a clean bitumen product ( i . e ., “ diluted bitumen ”) for downstream upgrading processes . the bitumen froth is diluted with a hydrocarbon solvent ( i . e ., either a paraffinic or naphthenic type diluent ) to reduce the viscosity and density of the oil phase , thereby accelerating the settling of the dispersed phase impurities by gravity or centrifugation the middlings ( 38 ) are withdrawn from the mid - section of the tank upper portion ( 14 ) and pumped to a secondary processing unit . the rake arms ( 28 ) move the settled solids ( 40 ) across the conical portion ( 16 ) of the tank ( 10 ). since the bottom of the tank ( 10 ) is conical shaped , the solids ( 40 ) are easily discharged downwardly into the central underflow outlet ( 32 ) to be withdrawn as an underflow and pumped to a tailings pond or secondary processing unit . using the present invention , it was found that the use of the cone - bottomed froth storage tank ( 10 ) having an internal rake assembly facilitates the storage of bitumen froth and the separation of the bitumen froth , middlings , and tailing . solids may be removed intermittently or continuously as warranted during the feed residence time to maintain the capacity and ability of the tank ( 10 ) to act as a surge vessel . the froth tank capacity is increased by approximately 25 - 30 % by eliminating solids accumulations . further , the tank ( 10 ) reduces the risk of sloughing of solids into the subsequent froth treatment process . about 30 - 40 % of solids and 15 - 20 % of water are pre - separated from the bitumen froth and rejected to tailings through the underflow stream of the froth tank ( 10 ). higher quality bitumen feed is thus produced for further upgrading , thereby minimizing malfunctions in downstream equipment and enhancing the overall productivity of the processing plants . by way of example , the middlings stream ( 38 ) can be amenable to further upgrading , for example , using a two - stage centrifugation process with naphtha added to reduce viscosity in a froth treatment plant ( pant 6 ). bitumen froth ( 36 ) can also be treated in a froth treatment plant but may be of sufficient quality ( i . e ., reduced solids and water content ) that a froth treatment plant can be bypassed and the bitumen froth ( 36 ) can go directly to upgraders such as cokers and the like . the tailings ( 40 ) may be sufficiently cleaned of bitumen that the tailings can be directly deposited in tailings deposit sites . in the alternative , residual bitumen in the tailings can be recaptured by recycling this stream back to the primary separation vessels ( psvs ) where the bitumen froth is originally formed . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the tank ( 10 ) of the present invention may be used to remove solids present in various materials including , but not limited to , raw de - aerated bitumen froth ; bitumen froth diluted at low (& lt ; 0 . 8 w / w ) or normal ( 0 . 8 w / w ) naphtha : bitumen ratios ; high - density solids / pastes ; and the like . exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in the following examples , which are set forth to aid in the understanding of the invention , and should not be construed to limit in any way the scope of the invention as defined in the claims which follow thereafter . pilot tests were conducted to assess the ability of a cone - bottomed , raked froth tank to function as a froth cleaner and storage tank ; the effects of bulk froth residence time , underflow split ratios , and feed compositions on solids / water and bitumen separation in the froth tank ; and the effect of stationary and movable pickets along with the rake arms on the separation of solids / water and bitumen . the experimental results indicate that the bulk froth residence time , underflow split ratio (“ u / f ,” the ratio of the underflow to the feed flow rate ), feed composition , and the use of pickets had significant effects on the separation between solids / water and bitumen in the froth tank . the locations of samples withdrawn at different elevations above the knuckle of the froth tank are shown in fig3 . the profiles of the sampled bitumen , water , solids and fines at residence times of 1 , 2 and 4 hours are shown graphically in fig4 and 5 . the effect of residence time on underflow component contents is shown in fig6 a - b . the effect of u / f split ratios on underflow component contents is shown in fig7 a - b , the effects of feed composition on underflow component contents when the u / f split ratio is 7 . 5 %, 15 % and 50 % are shown in fig8 a - b , 9 a - b , and 10 a - b , respectively . for the feed “ as is ,” a bulk residence time of 2 to 4 hours and a maximum u / f split ratio of 7 . 5 % were required to produce an underflow which could be rejected as tailings . the minimum bulk froth residence time in the tank may be 2 hours , but can be varied between 2 to 24 hours depending upon the froth tank size and the feed rate . the optimal underflow split ratio to feed was about 7 . 5 % by volume , but can be varied between 0 to 50 % by volume depending on the feed froth compositions . the use of pickets significantly improved the solids / water and the bitumen separation by creating channels within which solids / water easily settled downward ( fig1 a - b .) the optimal temperature of the de - aerated bitumen froth fed to the tank was about 80 ° c ., but can be varied between about 50 ° c . to 80 ° c . the froth tank was capable of producing a stream with & gt ; 90 % bitumen , 6 % water and 4 % solids from the top of the tank ; a middling stream with about 65 % bitumen , 25 % water and 10 % solids from the middle of the tank sidewall ; and an underflow stream with about 0 . 5 % bitumen , 44 % water and 55 . 5 % solids from the bottom of the tank . about 35 - 40 % of the solids and about 15 - 20 % of the water can thus be removed from bitumen froth before downstream processing . a suitable froth tank may be approximately forty meters in diameter , about eighteen meters in height , about 23 , 000 m 3 in volume , and have a cone slope of 1 : 6 in order to process about 1200 to 3500 m 3 per hour of feed , and to ensure the discharge of solids as tailings . the residence time may range between about 6 to 18 hours . the froth tank has an available volume for feed of about 20 , 000 m3 and operates at a level between about 15 - 90 %. the nominal capacity is about 125 kbbl . from the foregoing description , one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention , and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof , can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein , but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the claims , wherein reference to an element in the singular , such as by use of the article “ a ” or “ an ” is not intended to mean “ one and only one ” unless specifically so stated , but rather “ one or more ”. all structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout the disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are intended to be encompassed by the elements of the claims . moreover , nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims . the following references are incorporated herein by reference ( where permitted ) as if reproduced in their entirety . all references are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains . du toit , w . f . liquids / solids separator . canadian patent application no . 2 , 214 , 538 , published sep . 26 , 1996 . tipman , r . n ., rajan , v . s . v . and wallace , e . d . process for increasing the bitumen content of oil sands froth . canadian patent no . 2 , 055 , 213 , issued aug . 13 , 1996 .	1
the schematic side elevation view of fig1 shows the processing of an order of sheets 10 in a conventional downstacker system 11 . the sheets are cut from a running upstream web traveling through a cut - off knife 12 from which the exiting sheets 10 are accelerated slightly by passage through a knife nip roll 13 ( or other knife outfeed device ) to provide a small gap between sheets of order being run . a first vacuum shingling conveyor 14 is located immediately downstream from the nip roll 13 where the sheets 10 are initially shingled . the handling of short length sheets at high speeds has led to the development of two stage shingling in a downstacker . thus , if the web 15 is being delivered at a line speed of up to 1 , 000 feet per minute ( about 300 m / min ), the first shingling conveyor 14 may be operated at about 500 fpm and provide a 50 % shingle of the sheets 10 . the initially shingled sheets are delivered onto a second vacuum shingling conveyor 15 operating at a stacker discharge speed of 250 fpm where the sheets are reshingled . the reshingled sheets 10 move onto a downstream accumulating conveyor 17 and continue onto one or more flat belt conveyors 18 . at the downstream end of the flat belt conveyor or conveyors 18 , the sheets are delivered to a downstacker 20 which automatically lowers as a stack of sheets in built up until the desired number are stacked . as is well known in the art , separation of sheets on the downstacker system 11 , so that a stack may be formed in and discharged from the downstacker 20 , utilizes downstacker control of the speeds of the various conveyors 14 , and 16 - 18 . a similar strategy is used to handle an order change where the length and / or the width of the sheets 10 may be changed . regardless of how the end of the old order and the beginning of the new order are separated , there will typically be a gap between the tail end 21 of the last sheet 22 of the old order and the lead edge 23 of the first sheet 24 of the following new order . the gap may typically range in time anywhere from over 2 seconds to about 0 . 2 second . if the time gap between orders is large , e . g . 2 seconds , the old order is separated from the incoming new order as the last sheet 22 leaves the second vacuum shingling conveyor 16 . thus , the typical separation point between orders is between the second shingling conveyor 16 and the accumulating conveyor 17 . when the last sheet of the old order passes the separation point , the accumulating conveyor 17 and the flat belt conveyor or conveyors 18 are accelerated to pull the old order away from the lead sheets of the new order . as the first sheet 24 and following sheets of the new order enter the downstacker system 11 , the vacuum shingling conveyors 14 and 16 may also be temporarily slowed ( e . g . below their respective speeds of between 20 % and 30 % of line speed ) to further lengthen the gap between the last sheet 22 of the old order and the first sheet 24 of the new order . referring also to fig2 if the gap between orders is small ( e . g . less than 0 . 5 second ) and the length of the new order sheets 24 is long , the lead edge 23 of the first new order sheet 24 , running with a line speed that is above discharge speed , may overtake the last sheet 22 of the old order on the first vacuum shingling conveyor 14 which is operating at only 50 % of line speed . depending on the length of the gap , the lead edge 23 of the new order first sheet may not overtake the tail end of the old order last sheet 22 until the latter is on the second vacuum shingling conveyor 16 which is operating at 50 % of line speed . collision could also occur on the accumulator conveyor 17 , or flat belt section 18 depending on the size of the gap . in either event , however , the result is a collision between the sheets 24 and 22 , commonly referred to in the industry as edge butt or board butt . if edge butt is not prevented , the collision will drive the last sheet 22 of the old order in a downstream direction and disrupt the shingle . one routine which has been developed to prevent edge butt is to reestablish a shingle between the old and new orders right at the upstream end of the downstacker system , namely , on the first vacuum shingling conveyor 14 . this is accomplished by stopping all of the downstacker conveyors 14 , 16 , 17 and 18 as soon as the tail of the last sheet 22 of the old order is captured by the first vacuum conveyor 14 . as may be seen in the drawings , the upstream end 25 of the first vacuum conveyor 14 is positioned vertically below the infeed nip 13 so that as the sheet leaves the nip , the tail end 21 drops down onto the conveyor , drawn by the vacuum force . however , with the conveyors stopped , the lead edge 23 of the first sheet 24 of the new order will close the gap and , as it passes through the nip roll 13 , will override the last sheet 22 of the old order and reestablish the shingle . at that point , the downstacker conveyors are restarted for discharge in a normal manner with order separation taking place between the second vacuum shingling conveyor 16 and the accumulating conveyor 17 , as previously described . the problem with the foregoing routine is that , when an old order of relatively short length sheets is followed by a new order of substantially longer sheets , the first sheet of the new order ( which remains under the control of the nip roll 13 running at line speed for the full length of the sheet ) will completely overrun a number of short sheets of the old order . when the old order is attempted to be separated at the downstream separation point , the weight of the long new order sheet may prevent some of the last short sheets of the old order from being pulled out from under the long sheet . this , of course , may result in disruption of the old order , as the new order is long and stable . fig3 - 5 show , in schematic form , the operational sequence of a routine for preventing edge butt where a long new order sheet will overtake an old order of short sheets if normal discharge to the downstacker is continued . in accordance with this strategy , as soon as the tail end 21 of the last sheet 22 of the old order is captured on the upstream end 25 of the first vacuum shingling conveyor 14 , all of the downstream conveyors are simultaneously accelerated to a substantially higher speed than the normal discharge speed of 250 fpm . thus , as soon as the tail edge of the last sheet 22 drops onto the first vacuum shingling conveyor , the remaining downstream conveyors are accelerated to for example a speed in the range of 425 to 495 fpm . the result is that the tail end of the old order will not be overtaken by the first sheet 24 of the new order and edge butt will be prevented . after the first new sheet 24 of the new order leaves the exit nip control and falls on the stacker 11 , the old order may be completed in the normal manner . as seen in fig4 and 5 , the long new order sheets enter the shingling section of the downstacker system in the normal manner , but the lead edge 23 of the first new sheet never overtakes the last sheet 22 of the old order . as soon as the tail end 26 of the first new sheet drops onto the first vacuum conveyor 14 the remaining stacker conveyors are slowed to the normal discharge speed of , for example , 250 fpm to complete the standard discharge cycle . in the worst condition of combined high line speed ( e . g . 1 , 000 fpm ) and a small gap between orders ( e . g . 0 . 2 second ), the high speed routine to get the shingle out of the way of the incoming first sheet has been found to be inadequate to prevent edge butt . in this situation , an order separation routine requiring a different strategy and modified hardware is utilized . this routine is shown sequentially in fig6 - 10 . a pivotable pan 27 is positioned between the first and second vacuum conveyors 14 and 16 . the pan 27 has an upstream pivot 28 allowing the pan to rotate between an inoperative position allowing free passage of the sheets thereover and an up position in which the downstream edge 30 of the pan extends upwardly into the path of the sheets . if the real time calculation by the system controller indicates that the routine shown in fig3 - 5 will not prevent edge butt , the routine of fig6 - 10 is automatically implemented . as will be seen , this routine is a modified version of the above described routine involving reestablishing the shingle . when the tail edge 21 of the last sheet 22 of the old order falls onto the first vacuum conveyor 14 , the downstacker conveyor system moves initially to the high speed mode described with respect to fig3 - 5 , namely , all of the conveyors downstream of the first vacuum shingling conveyor 14 accelerate to a speed approaching 500 fpm ( again assuming a line speed of 1 , 000 fpm ). as soon as the tail edge 21 of the last sheet passes the pan 27 and drops onto the upstream end 31 of the second vacuum conveyor ( fig7 ), all of the downstacker conveyors are stopped and the pan 27 is pivoted upwardly to its operative position in the path of the incoming first sheet 24 of the new order . as shown in fig8 the lead edge 23 of the first sheet rides over the tail edge 21 of the old order last sheet ( instead of butting into it ) and the shingle is reestablished . immediately , the second vacuum conveyor 16 , accumulating conveyor 17 and flat belt conveyor 18 are accelerated to the high discharge speed ( 450 - 495 fpm in this example ) until the incoming first new sheet 24 falls onto the first vacuum shingling conveyor 14 and comes under the control of the reduced speed thereof . as soon as the first sheet 24 is under control of the first vacuum shingling conveyor , the remaining downstream conveyors can be placed into a speed sequence following a normal discharge routine . reestablishing the shingle on the second vacuum conveyor 16 , rather than on the first vacuum shingling conveyor 14 , prevents the long first new sheet from overriding a number of old order short sheets with the consequent problem described above of separating short sheets from under long sheets . as indicated , the downstacker system control continuously calculates a gap between orders , the likely occurrence of edge butt , how much overrun of the first sheet of the new order is likely to occur , and automatically selects the routine which will prevent edge butt and minimize any overriding occurrence . of course , if the gap is large enough such that edge butt will not occur , the order change is processed in a conventional manner and none of the special routines described hereinabove is implemented .	1
as described above , the dome kit and method of the present invention utilizes the concepts of applicant &# 39 ; s u . s . pat . no . 7 , 152 , 784 ( which is incorporated herein by reference ), to provide a dome structure , and also provides some additional new and useful features that can be utilized in forming the dome structure ( especially a dome structure that is formed primarily of metal ( preferably steel ) components , although aluminum and / or titanium may also be acceptable metals ). a dome structure according to the principles of the present invention can be produced from a kit that includes the parts set forth in the parts list described at paragraph 0049 . all parts for forming a dome shaped structural system are preferably included in the kit . the kit also preferably includes text and drawings that provide a clear and concise method for assembly of the parts into the dome shaped structural system . the builder who will be moving and placing the dome shaped structural system after it is fully assembled should also be aware of the logistics involved and coordinate his efforts with those of the assemblers . the moving and placing of a fully assembled dome shaped structural system is not considered part of the present invention . as illustrated in fig1 , a dome shaped structure according to the present invention , has three main members ; namely a lower steel ring 3 called the tension ring , an upper steel ring 1 called the compression ring , and connecting members 2 that are ribs ( e . g . steel ribs extending between and connected with the lower ring 3 and the compression ring ). the dome shaped structure is fabricated using these basic elements . the dome shaped structure will have varied dimensions in diameter , height and rib radius . in this elevation one may think of the dome shaped structure as a fully assembled system that is ready for exterior sheathing and finishes and in the assembled state is ready to be lifted as one piece onto a building structure . as shown in fig2 , the dome shaped structure , in plan view has a basic circular geometry , with the compression ring 1 and lower tension ring 3 essentially concentric with each other . fig2 shows the locations of several splice assemblies 4 , which are used to connect sections of the lower tension ring to each other , to form a full lower tension ring . fig2 a shows the details of a splice detail and splice kit assembly 4 whereby the ends of two sections of the lower steel rings or tension ring are joined to each other in forming the lower steel tension ring 3 . the inner and outer concentric rings 5 , 6 that are parts of the lower tension ring 3 are shown being joined firstly by steel bars or gussets 7 that are factory welded to the inner and outer rings and have matching bolt holes 14 , each of which is dimensioned to receive a ¾ bolt . at the inside and outside of the inner and outer rings 5 , 6 , a 4 hole splice plate 11 is applied and fastened with ⅝ ″ standard steel bolts , nuts and washers ( collectively shown at 12 ). this detail gives the viewer an understanding as to how the lower ring sections are joined as they lay on a flat surface and before any other members of the dome assembly can begin . fig2 b shows connector detail by which the upper end of steel rib 2 ( which is a rolled steel tubular member with upper and lower ends , and a predetermined curvature between the upper and lower ends ) is connected to the upper steel compression ring 1 . the outer vertical face of the compression ring 1 has steel rib mounting flanges 13 that are welded on at the factory . each steel rib mounting flange 13 has bolt holes 10 that are used in connecting the compression ring with a plate ( or tongue ) 16 that extends from a steel rib 2 . at the upper end of the steel rib a slot 21 in the rib is made at the factory and a flat steel bar ( also referred to as a tongue ) 16 is placed partially in and welded to the slot 21 , to fix the tongue to the upper end of the steel rib . this welded connection at the factory results in the portion of the tongue 16 that extends out of the slot to mate with and be the field connector to a steel rib mounting flange 13 of the compression ring . the connection uses 2 each , ⅝ ″ bolts and nuts 12 . fig2 c , which is a detail at lower tension ring 3 , shows the connection made between the a steel plate ( or tongue ) 20 on the lower end of the tubular rolled steel rib 2 and the lower concentric inner and outer steel rings 5 , 6 that form the lower tension ring 3 . ( it should be noted that while the tubular rolled steel rib 2 is shown in fig2 c as having a substantially square cross section , and the steel rib is shown in fig2 a as appearing to have a more rectangular cross section , the square shaped cross section of fig2 c is the more likely cross sectional configuration of the tubular rolled steel rib 2 ). the inner and outer steel rings 5 , 6 are joined at the factory using steel angles 15 that are located at the places where the ribs 2 are to connect to the lower tension ring 3 . the size of each of these angles is typically 4 ″× 4 ″× ¼ ″ 15 with a length of 11½ ″ but for all cases these angles are not limited to these dimensions . the detail further shows a slot 21 in the rib 2 that is made at the factory and a flat steel bar that forms the lower tongue 20 is placed and welded , to fix the lower tongue 20 to the steel rib . this welded connection at the factory connects one end of the plate or tongue 20 to the rib and enables the portion of the tongue 20 that extends out of the slot to be configured to mate with and be connected ( e . g . bolting ) to an angle member 15 extending between the lower steel components 5 , 6 of the lower tension ring . the connection uses two each , ⅝ ″ bolts and nuts 12 that are similar to the bolts and nuts that connect the splice plates 11 to the lower ring sections 5 , 6 . fig3 a , which is a plan view of the compression ring 1 shows the circular geometry of the steel compression ring 1 with the rib mounting flanges 13 at the outer vertical face . the rib mounting flanges 13 are factory welded to the compression ring and are spaced around the outside of the compression ring . fig3 b , which is a cross section of the steel compression ring 1 shows the vertical and horizontal configurations of the compression ring and the factory applied steel rib mounting flanges 13 . the steel rib mounting flange placement on the outer face of the compression ring is established so as to allow the correct fit and connection of the steel ribs 2 based on the dome design at that time . as shown in fig4 a , which is a rolled tube detail of a steel rib 2 , the rib is basically a rolled steel tube in elevation with a lower end and an upper end . the tube is factory rolled to the radii specific for the project being fabricated and is not limited to a single radius . for domes that require an elliptical form two or more different radii may apply from two or more different points of origin in order to achieve the rolled form . fig4 b and 4c show the cross section detail of the rolled steel tube shaped rib 2 ( with the tongues 16 , 20 at the upper and lower ends of the rib shown schematically in dashed lines ). fig4 b shows the cross section associated with the upper end of the steel rib 2 in preparation for placing and welding of a steel plate ( tongue ) 16 at the factory . both sides of the steel plate 16 are welded when inserting the plate into the slot in the rolled steel tube . fig4 c shows a cross section detail of the rolled steel tube associated with the lower end of the rolled steel rib 2 in preparation for placing and welding a steel plate 20 at the factory . the rolled steel tube preferably has the substantially square shaped cross section , as shown in fig2 c , 4 b and 4 c . fig5 a provides a cross section of the dome , and shows the three main elements being the compression ring ( 1 ) that sits at a higher elevation than the steel inner and outer rings that form the lower tension ring ( 3 ) and the steel ribs ( 2 ) that connect the compression ring 1 and the lower tension ring 3 . the compression ring and tension ring are concentric to each other . this section shows a scaled relationship between the diameter and the rise of dome as well as the intended form as further expressed by the radii of the rolled rib . further , this section shows the connections that join the steel rib 2 to the upper compression ring 1 and to the lower tension ring 3 ( further details of the connection between the upper end of a rib and the compression ring being shown in fig2 b and 5b , and further details of the connection between the lower end of a steel rib and the lower tension ring 3 being shown in fig2 b , 2 c and 5 c ). fig5 b details the side view of the connection between the upper end of the tubular rib 2 and the compression ring 1 . the steel plate ( tongue ) 16 from the tubular rib 2 and the steel rib mounting flange 13 from the compression ring 1 are lapped and mated to each other and secured with 2 each , ⅝ ″ bolts and nuts 12 . fig5 c details the side view of the connection between the lower end of the tubular rib and the lower tension ring 3 . the plate ( or tongue ) 20 that is coupled to the lower end of the steel rib 2 is positioned into the lower tension ring 3 at a location where a 4 ″× 4 ″× ¼ ″ angle 15 is located . the flange or tongue 20 and 4 ″ angle 15 are lapped and mated to each other and secured with 2 each , ⅝ ″ bolts and nuts 12 . fig6 a - 6e shows an array of dome cross sections , as examples of the relationship between diameters and elevations that are used to fabricate a varied group of dome shapes ( some example dimensions are shown at 17 , 18 , and 19 , as noted on the parts list of paragraph 0049 ) and fig6 a - 6e . the dome kit is not dependant on a one size compression ring or one size diameter of lower tension ring for all dome kits . the third variable is the height . domes vary from one project to the next . this dome kit offers these variable dimensions with the maintenance of standardized elements , connectors , and fasteners . as should be clear from the foregoing description , assembly of the dome structure begins with assembly of the lower steel ring 3 . the lower steel ring 3 comprises the inner and outer steel rings 5 , 6 that are concentric to each other and the lower ring 3 is formed from two or more lower ring sections , each of which comprises an inner ring part and an outer ring part . the inner and outer ring parts are joined together by the steel angles 15 and by the steel bars 7 located between the ends of the ring sections and which form gussets . the steel bars 7 and steel angles 15 are welded on both sides to the inner and outer ring parts and all the welding is done at the factory . there is no on site welding required as the kit parts are being assembled to form the dome shaped structural system . preferably , the lower steel ring 3 is constructed from four ( can be two or more ) smaller ring sections , using the splice assemblies 4 . the lower ring sections are placed flat on the ground or a concrete slab . the lower steel ring sections will have a factory mark at each end that will match the adjoining end of the next lower steel ring section in sequence . correctly move the sections into a circle by matching the ends so that the adjoining gussets 7 at the ends of the adjacent ring sections . join the sections by using the splice assembly 4 comprised of two splice plates 11 and nuts , bolts and washers 12 . adjoining gussets 7 at the ends of the adjacent ring sections are fastened directly to each other , using a ¾ ″ nut and bolt 14 , and are connected with each other via the splice assemblies 14 . initially , all bolting at the splice assemblies 4 should be loose fitting to ensure alignment at all splice plates 11 prior to final tightening . using the splice plate 11 insert the ⅝ ″ bolts 12 so that the threaded portion of the bolt goes to the inside of the lower steel rings . the dome kit is supplied with the same quantity of steel ribs 2 as there are 4 ″ steel angles 15 at the lower steel ring 3 and the same quantity of rib mounting flanges 13 at the compression ring 1 . all rib mounting flanges 13 are factory welded to the compression ring ( see e . g . welds 9 ). the ribs 2 are preferably of a type having a structural strength that is suitable for the intended application . the assembler will need to position the compression ring 1 at the appropriate height in the exact center of the lower steel ring 3 . for example , it is contemplated that an assembler will use an apparatus such as a pair of saw horses or a mounting block . the mounting apparatus , blocking and shims are not included in the dome kit . they are placed on the ground , at the center of the lower steel ring 3 . adjust the components to configure the base of the compression ring at the desired height which will be the dome &# 39 ; s elevation less 10 inches . the top of the compression ring 1 will be labeled . then the compression ring 1 is placed on the mounting apparatus . be accurate as possible when situating the compression ring 1 . use the center point of the dome diameter ( fig6 e ) to align with the center point of the compression ring diameter . once achieving this , the next step is to visually or by a mechanical device , align the rib mounting flanges 13 in the same plane as the 4 ″ steel angles 15 located in the lower steel rings 3 . this will ease the placement of the ribs 2 in the next step . to assemble the ribs 2 into the structure , begin by placing a first set of steel ribs 2 into the lower steel ring 3 ( one set of ribs equals two ribs ), and align and mate the tongues 20 with the gussets 7 . with steel rib 2 in hand ; place the tongue 20 of the steel rib 2 into the lower steel tension ring 3 at the location where you find a 4 ″ steel angle 15 . be sure to place the tongue 20 or rib 2 along side of the vertical side of the steel angle 15 and loosely couple with the ⅝ ″ bolts and nuts 12 . gently swing the rib 2 in a hinging motion toward the rib mounting flanges 13 at the compression ring 1 . have a second person on the opposite side of the ring to stabilize the compression ring 1 while this action is taking place . the tongue 16 at the upper end of the rib is mated against a rib - mounting flange 13 , and is loosely bolted to the flange 13 . when the steel ribs 2 are all properly positioned in this manner , the nuts and bolts assemblies are tightened , so securely fasten the ribs 2 to the compression ring 1 and the lower tension ring to form the dome structure . one set of ribs equals two ribs . three sets of ribs equals six total . always position one rib across from the other when beginning the assembly . after positioning the first or the second set of ribs , depending on the accuracy first taken by the assemblers , it may be useful to adjust the support dimension below the compression ring 1 by adding or subtracting steel blocks or shims to obtain a reasonable height 18 for achieving the rib 2 placements . the second set of steel ribs 2 should be at 90 degrees or a right angle to the first set . this will help level and secure the compression ring 1 . be sure of the alignment and the fitting on both axes at this time . now the bolting should be made snug at the compression ring 1 and lower steel ring 3 connections . after placing three or four sets of steel ribs 2 the compression ring 1 becomes self - supporting . the sawhorses or mounting block can be removed to allow completion of the steel rib 2 installation . using an adjustable or socket wrench the tightening of all connectors can be easily accomplished . the dome shaped structural system is now ready for the builders use . if the dome shaped structural system being assembled is similar to fig1 , then a suggested mounting apparatus could be a metal scaffold with adjustable heights and the use of steel blocks and shims . it is believed the following additional comments will be useful to those in the art . 1 . in the 10 foot to 36 foot range of “ dome kit ” structures , the rib dimensions remain constant at 3 inches by 3 inches . they grow or shrink in curvature and length per each customer order . 2 . the lower rings 3 remain the same . a ¼ inch by 3 inch flat stock steel is used for the inner and outer rings and the gussets . there is one ¼ ″× 4 ″× 4 ″ angle 15 for every rib destination at the lower steel ring . where a splice assembly 4 occurs , there will be two gussets 7 . 3 . the 4 inch steel angle 15 within the lower steel rings 3 does not change . one for each rib 2 . 4 . the compression ring 2 begins at a 36 inch outside diameter at the 10 foot dome kit and increases after the 16 foot diameter to a 5 foot or larger outside diameter at the 36 foot diameter dome kit . 5 . all steel angles , gussets , rib mounting flanges and the compression ring are factory welded . factory welds are performed by certified welders to meet or exceed the astm standards as required . 6 . the ⅝ ″ bolts , nuts and washers do not change except for the length of the ⅝ ″ bolts . 7 . as seen from fig1 , in an assembled dome structure , there are spaces between adjacent steel ribs 2 . the spaces enable mechanical , electrical and / or natural light systems to be located in those spaces , and , if desired , conveniently connected to the ribs . 8 . while a preferred dome kit includes all hardware components required to assemble a dome shaped structural system , it is believed possible to practice the assembly process and produce a dome shaped structural system from a dome kit that includes some hardware components , and has specifications for the other hardware components that can be acquired separately by ( or for ) the assembler . additionally , because of the nature of the components that make up a dome kit , the components forming part of the dome kit may be included in a single package or container ( or provided on a pallet with a shrink wrap cover ), or may be packaged separately ( or not packaged at all ), but will be bundled or otherwise provided in a way that makes them all available to an assembler . accordingly , as seen from the foregoing description , applicant has provided a new and useful dome kit that can be used to conveniently assemble a new and useful dome structure , by a new and useful method . with the foregoing description in mind , various ways to configure a dome kit , and its components , and to assemble a new and useful dome structure will become apparent to those in the art . 1 . compression ring ¼ inch plate steel × 10 inch height , factory rolled and welded 3 . lower steel inner and outer rings , ¼ inch wide × 3 inches height , standard steel , tension ring 7 . steel bar , ¼ inch × 3 inch height × 11½ inch length , factory welded to lower ring to form a gusset 11 . splice plate , ¼ inch × 3 inches × 14 inches , standard steel with factory ready bolt holes 13 . ¼ inch × 4 inch depth × 8 inch length standard steel rib mounting flange 14 . factory ready bolt holes for ¾ inch standard steel bolt 15 . ¼ inch × 4 × 4 inch × 11½ inch length standard steel angle , see fig2 a , 2 c 17 . dome shaped structural system diameter , with measurements taken from outside to outside of lower steel ring with center line 18 . dome shaped structural system elevation , with measurements taken from bottom of lower rings to continued arc at top center of compression ring 19 . image of dome shaped structural system with elevation being one half the diameter	4
referring to fig1 a sensing edge designated 10 incorporating the principles of this invention is shown mounted along the lower edge of an overhead door 12 located within the doorway 14 of a building 16 . as seen in fig2 sensing edge 10 consists of a rigid channel 18 which is l - shaped and may be attached to the bottom of door 12 by any convenient means , such as screws 22 . channel 18 may be constructed of a rigid plastic material such as a pvc extrusion as is understood in the art . the leg 24 of channel 18 is provided with a pair of downwardly extending arms 26 and 28 with horizontal extensions 26a and 28a forming a slot - like opening 32 extending the length of channel 18 . in addition , there are formed a pair of extended pockets 34 and 36 on opposite sides of arms 26 and 28 for a purpose to be described . a pair of metal electrical conductors 38 and 42 are embedded in leg 24 of channel 18 as is illustrated , extending the length of channel 18 . mounted over legs 26 and 28 of channel 18 is a u - shaped outer covering 44 having its upper arms terminating in swelled edges 46 and 48 which are inserted in pockets 34 and 36 , respectively , as illustrated to support outer covering 44 in the manner shown . outer covering 44 is what is known in the trade as a dual durometer rubber / vinyl extrusion which will readily collapse upwardly when door 12 contacts an obstacle when it is being closed , but having an upwardly extending segment 52 of a rigid , hard rubber which passes through slotted opening 32 and terminates in an actuating member 54 of increased width to fill the space between arms 26 and 28 . segment 52 in the alternative can be cemented to outer covering 44 . however , the height of actuating member 54 is such that when outer covering 44 is in its default ( unstressed ) condition illustrated , that is , not compressed , there is a space between the top of actuating member 54 and the bottom of leg 24 to permit a light beam to travel the length of channel 44 . at one end of channel 44 is mounted a light source assembly 56 consisting of a housing 58 containing the light source 60 , either led or infrared , with a three wire conductor 59 exiting from one side and a plate 62 for mounting on arms 26 and 28 in any suitable fashion . plate 62 is provided with contacts 64 and 66 to engage conductors 38 and 42 , respectively , connected by wiring within housing 58 to supply power to the opposite end of channel 44 where is mounted photoswitch assembly 68 containing a suitable photoswitch 72 and associated electronics . it will be seen that in this construction light source assembly 56 , channel 18 and photoswitch assembly 68 comprise a rigid structure when , once put together properly , require no adjustment is required to line up the light beam and will remain properly aligned while in use . as seen also in fig3 actuating member 54 is shortened at each end so that when outer covering 44 encounters an obstacle , actuating member 54 will clear light source and photoswitch assemblies 56 and 68 . as has already been noted , one end of channel 18 is provided with a light source 60 while the opposite end of channel is provided with a photoswitch 72 . when door 12 is in normal use , there will be uninterrupted light from the source to the photoswitch as shown by the arrows . when door 12 , while closing , encounters an obstacle , outer covering 44 will be depressed upwardly , forcing actuating member 54 up to block the light , thereby actuating photoswitch 72 . as is understood in the art , such actuation may be utilized to deactivate the motor driving door 12 , and even to reverse its direction of motion , if desired . while any conventional electrical system may be utilized to carry out this function , one such circuit which can be used is shown in fig4 . light source 60 and photoswitch 72 are energized by a 24 vac source . contact 1 is connected to the door closing circuit ( not shown ) of the operator through a normally closed relay nc . relay nc is kept closed by photoswitch 72 while the latter is receiving a light beam . when photoswitch 72 fails to receive a light beam due either to blocking of the rays by actuator 54 , or if the light source fails , relay nc will open . this can be used to turn off a relay ( not shown ), whose nc contact is connected across the safety - to - open ( reverse if closing ) operator input . in this way the system becomes failsafe under loss of power or a disconnection from the operator to the sensing edge . in the installation and operation of sensing edge 10 , the device must be installed onto the leading edge of a motorized door or gate 12 . this is done by cutting the extruded channel 18 , outer covering 44 , and extruded actuator 54 to the correct length , inserting actuator 54 into slot 32 of channel 18 , and fastening the assembly to the door or gate with screws 22 or other fastening means . the installer must cut off a piece of the actuator 54 at both ends ( approximately 1 inch ) to prevent the motion of actuator 54 from being blocked by assemblies 56 and 68 which are inserted into the ends of channel 18 and locked into place . the photoswitch and electronic signal processing circuitry , in addition to making contact with the two metal conductors 38 and 42 , will receive electrical power by way of conductor 59 exiting from one side . it will be necessary for the installer to cut a 1 / 4 inch notch 75 in plastic channel 18 and a small hole 75a in the outer covering 44 for the routing of this wire . the output of photo - switch 72 will be connected to the door or gate operator by means of a coiled cord or other similar device . a small junction box can be mounted on the door or vertical edge of channel 18 for connection of the coil cord to the 3 - wire conductor . the details of the electrical system do not form a part of this invention . flexible foam rubber inserts 74 , approximately 3 inches long , may be inserted and glued into the open ends of outer covering 44 to keep dirt out of the actuator mechanism . whenever moving door or gate 12 strikes an object or person in the path of travel , the light beam is blocked by action of actuator 54 moving into its path and a signal is sent to the operator . this signal can be processed to instruct the motor to reverse the door or gate away from the obstruction . under those circumstances where it is desired to provide greater support for the outer covering , or to cope better with an obstacle encountered at an angle , the arrangement shown in fig5 may be utilized . door 12 is provided with a sensing edge 80 comprising an identical l - shaped channel 18 with downwardly extending arms 26 and 28 . in this arrangement , outer covering 82 is similar to outer covering 44 except that hard rubber upwardly extending member 84 is provided with a pair of flared extensions 86 and 88 , extending the length of outer covering 82 and provides greater resistance to bending should an obstacle be encountered which is angled with respect to door 12 . actuating member 92 is identical to actuating member 54 and functions in the same manner as previously described . foam rubber end inserts , as previously described , would also be employed to seal the ends of outer covering 82 . under some circumstances it may not be desirable to have the electrical conductors embedded in the channel so that they can be more readily accessed , and , in addition , to avoid the extra cost of extruding the channel with the conductors embedded therein . such a configuration is illustrated in fig6 wherein is illustrated door 12 with sensing edge 100 . sensing edge 100 comprises a rigid channel 102 which is l - shaped and may be attached to the bottom of door 12 by any convenient means , such as screws previously described . channel 102 is of rigid plastic construction as previously described with a leg 104 having a pair of downwardly extending arms 106 and 108 with horizontal extensions 106a and 108a . channel 102 is provided with a pair of circular shoulders 112 and 114 forming pockets 116 and 118 to accomodate swelled edges 46 and 48 of u - shaped outer covering 44 described in greater detail in fig2 . to accomodate the wiring from one end of door 12 to the opposite end is provided a crooked finger member 122 bent inwardly so that the electric conductors 124 can be pressed into the space trapped by finger 122 as illustrated . a notch 126 is formed for passage of the wire . the rest of the structure is identical to that shown in fig2 . the arrangement of fig6 reduces the costs involved in manufacturing the sensing edge as well as providing greater flexibility in the event that additional wiring is necessary or desired . from the construction described , it is seen that the device is resistant to adverse environmental conditions such as dust , dirt , water , moisture , humidity , and ambient lighting . because the bottom edge of a garage door is in a very poor environment for electrical or electronic equipment , this is a very important feature . existing designs for electrical door edges must be sealed and even so they have constant problems with humidity and moisture . existing designs for photo - electric safety devices also have constant problems with dust , dirt , and ambient lighting . the present device also is failsafe . if the channel is broken or disturbed , if the power to the light beam or photo - switch is lost , if the electrical cord from the door or gate operator is broken , or if the edge is otherwise damaged , destroyed , or removed , the door or gate control can be easily configured so as to prohibit motorized closing . in addition , it is seen that the device can be inexpensively manufactured compared to existing designs . equally important , it can be manufactured to standard lengths , and cut and fitted in the field . this is extremely critical because door and gate widths come in a tremendous variety of sizes . existing designs for sensing edges cannot be stocked by distributors because they must be manufactured in specific lengths . also , the electronics are well protected from physical damage because they are secured in a rigid housing . in addition , the beam does not have to be adjusted because it is locked into adjustment at the time of assembly . these two factors alone are considerable improvements over existing photo - electric designs for this type of equipment . the device requires electrical connection on only one end rather than on both ends as is normally the case with emitter - receiver type photo - electric devices . this is due to the two metal conductors extruded into the plastic channel that are used to bring power to the light source at one end . because the light beam is in a rigid channel , there can be no nuisance tripping of the device due to warps , kinks , or bowing in the flexible tube , as is the case in other designs . the device provides an added value to the user by serving as a weather seal on door installations . while only certain preferred embodiments of this invention have been described , it is understood that many variations of this invention are possible without departing from the principles of this invention as defined in the claims which follow .	5
in this illustrated example of a roll - journal bearing mounting embodying the present invention , the mounting 10 comprises a rectangular frame formed by side columns 2 and 3 which at one of their ends are integrally interconnected by an end cross beam 4 , the other ends of the columns being interconnected by a removable end cross beam 5 , the latter being centered via extensions 6 , or guiding surfaces , and being fixed to the ends of the columns 2 and 3 by cap screws 7 . in this way a strong and substantially rectangular frame is formed with outside surfaces 8 -- 8 of the columns 2 and 3 flat and parallel to each other . the outside surfaces 9 -- 9 of the cross beams are flat and parallel to each other . the flat surfaces 8 -- 8 are at right angles to the flat surfaces 9 -- 9 so that all the outside surfaces of the frame are adapted to be fitted to other flat surfaces and secured to them . such flat surfaces may include those of two adjoining mountings . each cross beam 9 is bored with blind bores to form the cylinders 11 and 12 having the interfacing and interspaced open ends . these cylinders are coaxial or aligned with each other and their ends opposite to their open ends are , of course , closed by the metal of the end cross beams . although not illustrated , it is to be understood that the closed end of each cylinder is provided with passages so that pressurized fluid , such as hydraulic liquid , can be fed into the cylinders at those ends . each cylinder contains one of the two pistons 13 and 14 which are rigidly fixed , preferably integral with the bearing housing 15 which is spaced between the end cross beams . this bearing housing and its rigidly extending pistons are movable parallel to the side columns 2 and 3 . the housing 15 is shown as having a passage 16 in which a self - aligning bearing 17 is positioned with its outer periphery locked against movement relative to the housing 15 by any conventional means . therefore , the roll - journal bearing is positioned with its axis in a fixed position relative to the housing 15 , and the axes of the cylinders and pistons are both coaxial and aligned so as to intersect this position which , for practical purposes , is the axis of the roll &# 39 ; s journal or roll neck . the common axis of the pistons and cylinders which extend through the roll journal axis is indicated at 18 and because the bearing 17 is self - aligning , there is the possibility that the bearing housing 15 might twist or turn about this axis . to prevent this , a screw 19 is screwed through a hole formed in one of the side columns 2 , with its end engaging a slot 20 formed in the side of the bearing housing 15 and extending parallel to the axis 18 of the cylinders and pistons . this locks the housing against twisting about the axis 19 while permitting the housing to move in the direction of the axis 18 . the side columns 2 and 3 are long enough to form spaces 21 and 22 between the housing 15 and the insides of the end cross beams 4 and 5 so as to permit the housing motion and the piston strokes to be adequate to generate the roll &# 39 ; s line pressure , to compensate for diameter changes of the roll involved and which might be caused by roll resurfacing , to permit the roll involved to be moved adequately to open the nip it makes with the counter roll reasonably extensively , etc . the entire frame comprising its two side columns 2 and 3 , which carry tension of compression stress , and its two cross beams 4 and 5 which are subject to beam stress , can be designed to carry all of the stresses to be anticipated when the new bearing mounting is installed and working . because of the frame &# 39 ; s flat sides , it may be fixed to the frame of a corresponding mounting , or to a rigid support , the holes indicated at 23 being adapted to receive cap screws which can be passed upwardly above what is in this instance the surface 9 , and into the corresponding screw holes of another of the new mountings or to any suitable support . to illustrate such possibilities , fig3 shows a three - roll calender 30 in which the new bearing mounting 10 is mounted by screws passed through its holes 23 . the new mountings 10 in fig3 one for each end of the roll , serve to both position the roll positively against horizontal motion at right angles to the roll , while providing in the vertical direction for the application of line pressure . in fig3 the lower roll 24 bears against a vertically movable counter roll 25 for which an upper vertically fixed roll 26 provides a reaction . the roll 25 , normally rotatively powered , is mounted by a swinging bracket 27 for vertical movement limited via a slot 28 in the bracket and which is engaged by a pin 29 on the end of a swinging link pivoted by the bracket in which the uppermost roll 26 is journaled . admission of pressurized fluid to the lower cylinders of the mountings 10 for the journal bearings of the lowermost roll 24 serves to not only generate the line pressure , but when relieved to permit rapid opening of the roll nip , the bracket 27 dropping to the limit of the slot 28 and preventing the roll 25 from moving further downwardly after losing the support of the roll 24 . in use , the web wraps around the roll 24 and sinuously up around the rolls 25 and 26 , so the roll 24 is loaded in the horizontal direction as well as vertically . this load is easily accommodated by the new bearing mountings without the need for any other devices intended for this purpose . in fig4 a three roll arrangement 40 is shown in which two rolls 33 and 34 using the new bearing mountings 10 have their mounting frames horizontally screwed to the bearing housing 31 of the center roll 32 . no overall large machine frame is necessary for mounting all three rollers . it is replaced completely by the self - supporting bearing mountings 10 . fig5 shows a smoothing calender 50 formed by screwing one pair of the new mountings 10 on the housing for the lower roll 41 . as indicated by dotted lines , the smoothing machine can be formed into a multi - roll calender by adding still further rolls 43 and 44 , each having its journals in bearings supported by the new mountings shown at 10 &# 39 ;. all of the frames can be stacked one on the other via the flat outsides of their end cross beams , it being understood that the end cross beam 4 shown in fig1 can also be provided with screw holes as is the removable cross beam 5 . all pressure - rolling rolls have journals or roll necks and a pressure - rolling body of very substantially larger radial dimension or diameter than that of the journals or roll necks . as shown by fig1 the frame &# 39 ; s end cross beams are interspaced by the frame &# 39 ; s side columns a distance related to the stroke lengths of the pistons so as to permit the mounting to be combined with one or more other corresponding mountings , or to other pressure rolling roll assemblies , as indicated by fig3 through 5 . the new mounting permits its design to be such that its frame &# 39 ; s side columns can be interspaced a distance less than the radial dimension of the pressure - rolling body itself , as is also shown by the accompanying drawings .	1
examples of systems that can be treated with the compositions and the methods of the invention include systems that circulate water or aqueous compositions of components through the system . specific examples include boiler systems , cooling tower systems , heat exchanger systems , desalination systems , paper mills , heating / cooling systems , fire service water , reactors and metal pretreatment systems . metal pretreatment systems are based on acidic aqueous solutions of metal phosphates such as zinc phosphate compositions and are used to pretreat metal objects such as car bodies . the systems comprise a containment bath through which the car body is passed and plumbing to add fresh composition , remove spent composition and to recirculate the contents of the bath . besides zinc , other metal cations are included in the metal pretreatment bath and may include iron , manganese , magnesium , nickel and cobalt , including mixtures thereof . anions derived from added acids or from salts of the above - mentioned metals such as nitrates , phosphates and sulfates , are also included in the bath . the various salts and acids are dissolved in water and have a solids content typically of about 1 to 10 percent by weight and a ph of about 1 to 6 . after repeated car bodies have passed through the bath , zinc phosphate precipitates from solution and deposits on the walls of the containment tank and on the interior surfaces of the plumbing . the deposits or scale must be removed , particularly to insure proper flow through the plumbing . to remove the deposits , the system is typically shut down , drained of the aqueous zinc phosphate solution , and the system is treated with an acidic solution of an inorganic acid such as sulfuric , phosphoric , or nitric acid , to dissolve the scale and flush it out of the system . however , this operation will not detect any leaks that may have formed in the system . treatments with the compositions and with the method of the invention overcome these difficulties . the compositions of the present invention comprise a scale - removing agent and a fluorescing agent . the term “ scale ” is meant to include deposits that form on the interior surfaces of various industrial systems , such as those mentioned above and include deposits of the components circulating through the system that precipitate on the interior surface , and deposits from chemical reaction of the components with the interior surfaces , such as rust that forms with aqueous - based compositions circulating through a steel system . examples of scale - removal agents are acidic materials such as aqueous solutions of organic or inorganic acids such as formic acid , acetic acid , sulfamic acid , citric acid , hydrochloric acid , sulfuric acid , nitric acid , and phosphoric acid . the concentration of the acid is typically within the range of 0 . 025 to 50 percent by weight based on total composition weight . the composition can be in the form of a concentrate typically containing 5 to 50 percent by weight acid and from 0 . 025 to 20 percent by weight acid when diluted with water at the job site . examples of other scale - removal agents are chelating agents that are particularly effective when the scale comprises iron oxide . chelating agents such as ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid function by locking the metal contained in the scale in a soluble organic ring structure . however , chelating agents are selective with particular metal cations being removed and cannot be used with a wide variety of scale . examples of still other scale - removal agents are aminoalkyl phosphonates and carboxyalkyl aminoalkyl hydroxyaryl sulfonic acids . however , aqueous solutions of inorganic acids are preferred because they are effective in removing most varieties of scale . the fluorescing agent is typically selected from a fluorescent dye and / or an optical brightener . these materials , when exposed to ultraviolet light , absorb the ultraviolet light and convert the energy taken up into longer wavelength visible portions of the spectrum as evidenced by fluorescence . classes of fluorescent dyes that may be used include pyrannines , rhodamines , stilbenes ; coumarin and carbostyril compounds ; 1 , 3 - diphenyl - 2 - pyrazolines ; naphthalimides ; benzazdyl substitution products of ethylene , phenylethylene , stilbene and thiophene . among fluorescent dyes that may be used are also the sulfonic acid salts of diamino stilbene derivatives such as taught in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 784 , 220 to spiegler or u . s . pat . no . 2 , 612 , 510 to wilson et al . optical brightness or fluorescent whitening agents as taught in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 082 , 578 are also contemplated by this invention . specific examples include optiblanc mtb and optiblanc nw ( stilbene triazine derivatives ). these are available from 3v sigma , s . p . a . of bergamo , italy . fluorescent dyes particularly useful in the invention include d96183 chromatint pyranine liq . 1568 and d23041 chromatint rhodamine b liquid , both supplied by chromatera , inc . the fluorescent agent is typically present in the composition in amounts of at least 10 parts per million . when present in the concentrate , the fluorescent agent may be present in amounts of at least 0 . 025 percent by weight based on total composition weight and at least 10 parts per million when the concentrate is diluted with water at the job site . the compositions of the invention can also contain optional ingredients such as surface active agents to help suspend the scale that is removed with the compositions of the invention . the surfactants may include one or more surfactants selected from nonionic , anionic , cationic and zwitterionic surfactants . when present , the surfactants are present in amounts of up to 30 percent by weight based on total weight of the composition . examples of other optional ingredients include organic solvents , anti - foaming agents and corrosion inhibitors . these ingredients when present are used in amounts of up to 10 percent by weight based on total weight of the composition . the system that is to be treated with the compositions of the invention is preferably shut down and drained of components contained within the system during the operation . the composition of the invention is then introduced into the system into all of the lines , pipes and containers and circulated throughout the system . the composition is preferably circulated at atmospheric pressure and at a temperature within the range of 10 to 95 ° c . after the system has been cleaned and the scale removed , the exterior of the system is examined by shining ultraviolet light on the exterior parts of the system . any perforations or leaks in the system will be detected by the fluorescence of the composition leaking through the perforation . a useful source of ultraviolet radiation is a mercury vapor lamp filtered optically such that only those emissions between 250 and 400 nanometers ( nm ) are incident to the area being inspected . alternate light sources include xenon lamps and tungsten lamps . it is preferred that the energy range of the light source is coincident with one or more electronic absorption bands in the fluorescing agent but not coincident with that of the fluorescent emissions of the fluorescing agent . the present invention will now be illustrated by the following non - limiting examples . the following examples are intended to illustrate compositions of the invention , and should not be construed as limiting the invention in any way . the compositions below are concentrated acid scale removers that can be used to remove scale associated with deposits in a metal phosphate pretreatment system . the concentrate can be diluted with water in a 80 to 1 ( water to concentrate ) volume ratio at the application site . the following composition is a concentrated scale remover that can be used to remove scale with deposits associated with a heat exchanger . the concentrate can be diluted with water in a 1 to 1 volume ratio at the application site . the following composition is a concentrated scale remover that can be used to remove scale ( rust ) associated with a mild steel cleaning tank . the concentrate can be diluted with water in a 10 to 1 volume ratio at the application site . while the invention has been shown and described with references to the preferred embodiments thereof , it is understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention .	2
fresh branches of berries of the plant dioscoreophyllum cumminsii ( stapf ) diels were shipped by air from ghana , west africa . upon arrival they were kept under refrigeration ( 4 ° c ) until extracted . usually extraction was carried out within 24 hours of arrival . the berries were picked from the branches , washed carefully with deionized water , gently blotted dry , and weighed . all extraction procedures were carried out at room temperature ( 22 °- 25 ° c ). the seed with its attached mucilaginous pulp was separated from the skin . the seeds plus pulp were weighed and then extracted with a volume of deionized water equivalent to twice their wet weight . extraction was carried out for one hour with gentle periodic stirring in order to avoid breaking any seeds . solid material was allowed to settle and the supernatant was decanted . this procedure was repeated once or twice more and the extracts were then stored at - 15 ° c . following extraction , all subsequent steps were carried out in the cold ( 0 °- 4 ° c ). the buffer solution used for all procedures was 0 . 01 m sodium phosphate ( ph 7 . 2 ) unless stated otherwise . dry ( nh 4 ) 2 so 4 was added with constant stirring to the crude extract to 40 % saturation ( 243 g / l ). following equilibration for 1 hour , the supernatant was carefully decanted and clarified by centrifuging at 20 , 000 × g for 10 minutes . the brown precipitate was discarded and the clear , yellow supernatant was brought to 60 % saturation ( 132 g / l ) and equilibrated for 1 hour . following centrifugation ( 20 , 200 × g for 10 min .) the supernatant ( s60 ) was decanted and saved for analysis . the jellylike , brown precipitate ( p 40 - 60 ) was dissolved by stirring overnight with a volume of phosphate buffer equal to 10 - 20 % of the volume of the original crude extract . the resultant extremely viscous , brown solution was dialyzed overnight against the phosphate buffer . an aliquot of the supernatant ( s60 ) was also dialyzed in similar fashion . it is necessary to check the supernatant in this way because some preparations , which are more dilute initially , require a higher ( nh 4 ) 2 so 4 concentration to precipitate all of the sweet principle . a 5 . 0 cm × 17 . 0 cm deae - cellulose ( cellex - d ) column was equilibrated with the phosphate buffer and a 498 mg sample of dialyzed p 40 - 60 fraction was adsorbed on the column . elution at a flow rate of 26 ml / h of 0 . 01 m sodium phosphate 4 , ( ph 7 . 2 ) was carried out , collecting fractions of approximately 8 . 5 ml . each . the absorbance of the column eluate at 280 nm was continuously monitored , as shown in fig1 and a large broad peak of 280 - nm absorbing material , which contained the sweet principle was eluted . sweetness was detected in all fractions of this peak , as indicated by the shaded area . fractions 101 - 140 was pooled and tested as a single sample . for this column , sweetness was evaluated subjectively on every fifth tube using a five - point scale of 0 - 4and is expressed on the righthand scale of fig1 as relative sweetness , apparently because of the viscous nature of the p 40 - 60 fraction , considerable tailing on the column was encountered , resulting in a large number of rather dilute fractions . fractions 34 - 100 ( fig1 ) were pooled for further purification . the solution containing the sweetener was , at this point , slightly brown in color and very dilute ( 0 . 5 mg protein per ml ). no additional ultraviolet - absorbing material was eluted by stepwise additions of nacl up to 0 . 5 m . a dark brown bend remained at the top of the column ; this could be eluted with 1 m naoh . an aliquot of this material was dialyzed against water to remove the naoh and was found to have no sweet taste . this material was discarded . a column of 4 . 8 cm × 8 . 0 cm cm - cellulose was equilibrated with the phosphate buffer . a pooled eluate of the active fractions from deae - cellulose chromatography was concentrated by precipitating the sweetener with ammonium sulfate ( 80 % saturation , 561 g / l ). following dialysis against the phosphate buffer , a sample containing 210 mg protein was adsorbed onto the cm - cellulose column . elution was begun ( fig2 step 1 ) with the equilibrating buffer at a flow rate of 25 ml / h , and fractions of approximately 10 ml were collected . a single peak of 280 - nm - absorbing material was eluted . when the absorbance returned to zero , the eluting buffer was changed to 0 . 01 m phosphate ( ph 7 . 2 ) containing 0 . 1 m nacl ( fig2 step 2 ). this step eluted a single large peak containing the sweet principle . fractions containing this sweetener were pooled and stored at 4 ° c . the quantitative results of a typical purification as above described are shown in table 1 . protein was determined with the biuret reagent ( a . g . gornall , c . j . bardawill and m . m . david , j . biol , chem ., 177 ( 1949 ) p 751 ) during purification through the ( nh 4 ) 2 so 4 step ( protein concentration & gt ; 1 mg / ml ). for subsequent purification steps the more sensitive method of lowry et al . ( o . h . lowry , n . j . rosebrough . a . l . farr and r . j . randall , j . biol , chem ., 193 ( 1951 ) p . 265 ) was used with minor modification . bovine serum albumin was used as the standard . determinations on the same sample using both methods yielded comparable results . carbohydrate concentration was routinely estimated with the phenol - sulfuric acid method ( j . e . hodge and b . t . hofreiter , in r . l . whistler and m . l . wolfrom , methods in carbohydrate chemistry , vol . 1 , academic press , new york , 1962 , p . 380 ; m . dubois , k . a . gilles , j . k . hamilton , p . a . rebers and f . smith , anal . chem ., 28 ( 1956 ) p . 350 ); the highly purified samples were also checked using the anthrone reagent ( t . a . scott , jr . and e . h . melvin , anal . chem ., 25 ( 1953 ) p . 1656 ). glucose was used as the standard ; carbohydrate content is expressed in terms of glucose equivalents . initially the presence of sweetener was detected by tasting a 1 : 10 dilution ( with water ) of each fraction . the mouth was rinsed with deionized water twice before beginning the assay and once between samples . sample size was usually 2 - 5 ml . the sweetener solution was held in the mouth for approximately 5 seconds and then spit out . sweetener activity was approximately quantified by determing the dilution required to reach the threshold level for sweetness ( the concentration at which the solution is first recognized as sweet ). the sweetener activity ( in units / ml ) is arbitrarily defined as the dilution factor required to reach this threshold level . for example , a sample that could be diluted 500 - fold and retain its sweetness contains 500 units / ml . specific activity is then defined as units / mg protein . in earlier experiments , samples were dialyzed against water prior to taste - testing . however , it was found during the course of testing that active samples were diluted at least 50 to 100 - fold , and often 1 , 000 - fold . thus , the original concentration of phosphate ( 0 . 01 m ) was always substantially reduced . in addition , it was observed that some turbidity developed when samples were dialyzed against water . therefore subsequent taste - testing was generally done with samples originally in 0 . 01 m sodium phosphate buffer ( ph 7 . 2 ), which were then appropriately diluted with deionized water . thus the taste tests were done in phosphate buffer at concentrations of & lt ; 0 . 2 mm . the ( nh 4 ) 2 so 4 fractions were tested following dialysis , the fractions from the deae - cellulose as they emerged from the column , and those from the cm - cellulose column after dialysis against the phosphate buffer . the active eluate from the column of cm - cellulose ( example 1 ; cm - cellulose eluate - table 1 ) was pooled , concentrated by dialysis against dry polyethylene glycol ( polyethylene glycol compound 20 - m , union carbide chemicals co ., charleston , w . va . this was first purified by extensive dialysis against water and then dried ) and a 2 . 0 ml aliquot ( containing 36 mg protein ) was adsorbed onto a 1 . 0 cm × 24 . 0 cm cm - cellulose column . elution was effected with a gradient that was linear in nacl concentration from 0 to 0 . 05 m ( ph 7 . 2 ). flow rate was 6 . 5 ml / h ; fraction size was approximately 2 ml ( 30 drops ). the gradient was started at fraction 1 and the ultraviolet absorbance of the eluate was monitored as in example 1 . as seen in fig3 the sweetener was eluted as a single large peak preceded by a much smaller protein peak containing little or no sweetener . this purified monellin exhibits a strong absorption in the ultraviolet region ( λmax .= 277 nm ), as shown in fig4 . alternatively , purification of the sweet principle may be effected by adsorption chromatography . the eluate of sweet material was dialyzed against deionized water , lyophilized , stored at - 15 ° c , and subjected to the following determinative analyses : materials -- sds ( sodium dodecyl sulphate ); hemoglobin ( bovine , 2 × crystallized ); α - chymotrypsin ( bovine pancreas , 3 × crystallized ); ovalbumin ( egg white , 2 × crystallized ); chymotrypsinogen a ( beef pancreas , 6 × crystallized ); myoglobin ( sperm whale , crystallized ); cytochrome c ( horse heart , amorphous powder ); trypsin ( bovine pancreas , 2 × crystallized ); sephadex g - 100 ; blue dextran 2000 ; p - dimethylaminobenzaldehyde ; d , l - tryptophan . all other chemicals were reagent grade . sds - gel electrophoresis -- the apparent molecular weight of monellin was estimated by electrophoresis in 10 % polyacrylamide gels containing sds according to the method of dunker and rueckert ( dunker , a . k . and rueckert , r . r . ( 1969 ) j . biol . chem . 244 , 5074 - 5080 ). gels approximately 6 . 5 cm long were prepared in 7 . 5 cm × 0 . 5 cm ( internal diameter ) glass columns . electrophoresis was carried out in 0 . 05 m sodium phosphate buffer , ph 7 . 1 , in the presence of 0 . 1 % ( w / v ) sds , at a constant current of 4 ma per gel . protein samples were prepared at a concentration of 2 . 0 mg / ml ; 10 - 40μg of individual proteins were applied to a single gel . gels were stained with coomassie brilliant blue r250 ( colab laboratories , chicago heights , illinois ) and destained as described by weber and osborn ( weber , k . and osborn , m . ( 1969 ) j . biol . chem . 244 , 4406 - 4412 ). electrophoresis was carried out on various mixtures of the standard proteins with and without monellin present . the identity of each protein was first established by running it alone ( with chymotrypsinogen a ). the relative mobility of each protein was calculated as described ( dunker and rueckert , supra ). gel filtration -- gel filtration was carried out according to the method of andrews ( andrews , p . ( 1964 ) biochem . j . 91 , 222 - 232 ), on a 2 . 5 × 88 cm column of sephadex g - 100 at 4 ° in 0 . 01 m sodium phosphate buffer , ph 7 . 26 , containing 0 . 2 m kcl . flow rate was maintained at 15 ml / hr and fractions of 30 drops ( 1 . 95 ml ) were collected . the absorbance of the effluent at 280 nm was monitored continuously and the a 280 of each fraction was also measured at the completion of the experiment . to minimize possible protein - protein interactions , the proteins ( 10 mg in 1 . 0 ml ) were applied to the column in the order of decreasing molecular weight . each was followed by a 10 - ml aliquot of the equilibrating buffer . monellin was added last . appropriate corrections in elution volumes were made for the additions of buffer . the location of the monellin peak was confirmed by its sweet taste . standard amino acid analysis -- samples of protein ( 1 . 0 mg ) were hydrolyzed in 1 . 0 ml of constant - boiling hcl containing 4 % ( v / v ) thioglycolic acid ( matsubara , h . and sasaki , r . m . ( 1969 ) biochem . biophys . res . commun . 35 , 175 - 181 ), for 24 hr . at 110 ° in an evacuated desiccator ( dreyer , w . j ., and bynum , e . ( 1967 ) in methods in enzymology , vol . xi ( hirs , c . h . w ., ed .) pp . 32 - 39 , academic press , new york ). hydrolyzates were evaporated to dryness over naoh pellets in vacuo and dissolved in 2 . 0 ml of 0 . 2 n sodium citrate , ph 2 . 2 , frozen , and stored at - 10 °. analyses were carried out with a beckman 120c amino acid analyzer utilizing beckman aa - 27 and aa - 15 resins . the standard 4 - hr system operated at high sensitivity was used . peak integration was performed with an infotronics crs 110a integrator with digital printout . samples of 250 μ1 ( equivalent to 125 μg of protein ) were applied to the columns with beckman manual sample injectors . tryptophan content was estimated in the intact protein by the method of spies and chambers ( spies , j . r . and chambers , d . c . ( 1949 ) anal . chem . 21 , 1249 - 1266 ). assays were performed according to procedure k , of spies and chambers ( supra ) and the tryptophan content was calculated from the standard curve prepared with free d , l - tryptophan . the spectral procedure of edelhoch ( edelhoch , h . ( 1967 ) biochemistry 6 1948 - 1954 ), was also used to determine the contents of tyrosine and tryptophan in the intact protein . analysis for methylated basic amino acids -- a sample of protein ( 2 . 0 mg ) was subjected to acid hydrolysis as described above , but without thioglycolic acid . the hydrolyzate was then evaporated as described above and dissolved in 1 . 0 ml of the citrate buffer . a 250 μ1 sample ( equivalent to 0 . 5 mg of protein ) was chromatographed on a 0 . 9 × 30 cm column of durrum dc - 2a resin . traces of n . sup . ε - monomethyllysine , n . sup . ε - dimethyllysine , 3 - methylhistidine , n g , n g - dimethylarginine , n g , n &# 39 ; g - dimethylarginine , and n g - monomethylarginine are readily identified and quantitated in acid hydrolyzates of proteins by this procedure . performic acid oxidation -- performic acid oxidation of a sample of monellin ( 1 . 0 mg ) was carried out as described by hirs ( hirs , c . h . w . ( 1967 ) in methods in enzymology , vol . xi ( hirs , c . h . w ., ed .) pp . 59 - 62 , academic press , new york ). isoelectric focusing -- the isoelectric point of monellin was determined by isoelectric focusing in an lkb ampholine column , model 8100 ( lkb - produkter ab , sweden ); the experiments were performed at 3 . 9 ° ± 0 . 1 ° according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instruction manual . voltage was held constant at 600 v . focusing was terminated when the current reached a constant level of 0 . 40 ma ( 216 hrs ). following the run , fractions ( 30 drops ) were collected , and the ph ( at 4 °) and a 277 were measured . appropriate fractions were dialyzed overnight against deionized water and assayed for sweetness ( morris , j . a . and cagan , r . h . ( 1972 ) biochim . biophys . acta 261 , 114 - 122 ). electrode solutions were 1 % ( w / v ) naoh ( cathode ) and 1 % ( v / v ) h 2 so 4 ( anode ). ampholyte concentration was 1 % ( w / v ). spectral measurements -- the ultraviolet absorption spectrum of monellin was measured with a cary 14 recording spectrophotometer at room temperature ( 22 °). for determining the extinction coefficients , lyophilized monellin was dried to constant weight ( 4 days ) under vacuum with p 2 o 5 as the drying agent . the protein ( weighed to ± 0 . 1 %) was then dissolved in 0 . 01 m sodium phosphate buffer , ph 7 . 20 . this stock solution was diluted with the same buffer to give a solution with an absorbance ( at 277 nm ) in the range of 0 . 7 to 1 . 0 . absorption measurements of triplicate samples were made in a zeiss pmq ii spectrophotometer . samples for measurements at ph 12 . 8 were prepared by diluting the stock solution with 0 . 1 n naoh instead of buffer . fluorescence spectra were measured with a perkin - elmer model mpf - 2a fluorescence spectrophotometer at 20 . 0 ° ± 0 . 2 °, and are uncorrected . molecular weight -- only a single electrophoretic component was observed after treatment of monellin with sds and mercaptoethanol , a procedure known to dissociate proteins into their constituent polypeptide chains ( trayer , h . r ., nozaki , y ., reynolds , j . a ., and tanford , c . ( 1971 ) j . biol . chem . 246 , 4485 - 4488 ). this observation is consistent with monellin being a single polypeptide chain . it is conceivable from this evidence alone , however , that monellin could consist of two or more polypeptide chains of identical length . the molecular weight of the polypeptide chain ( s ) estimated by sds - gel electrophoresis ( fig5 ) is 10 , 500 . the data are the results from three separate experiments , and each point on the standard curve represents the mean of at least 17 individual gels . the relative mobility of monellin is indicated by the open circle . the marker proteins used , and their molecular weights , from left to right , are : chymotrypsinogen a , 25 , 800 ( maroux , s . and rovery , m . ( 1966 ) biochim . biophys ,. acta 113 , 126 - 143 ); trypsin , 23 , 300 ( calculated from data in dayhoff , m . o ., ed . ( 1969 ) atlas of protein sequence and structure , vol . 4 , national biomedical research foundation , silver spring , maryland ); chymotrypsin b chain , 13 , 900 ( maroux and rovery , supra ); cytochrome c , 12 , 400 ( margoliash , e ., 1962 j . biol . chem . 237 , 2161 - 2174 ); chymotrypsin c chain , 10 , 200 ( maroux and rovery , supra ). the molecular weight of native monellin was examined by gel filtration through sephadex g - 100 ( fig6 ). the elution volume ( v e ) is the volume eluted prior to the emergence of the peak fraction for each marker protein . the void volume ( v o ) is the volume eluted prior to the peak fraction of blue dextran 2000 . the ratio ( v e / v o ) for monellin is indicated by the open circle . the marker proteins and their molecular weights used are , from left to right : hemoglobin , 66 , 300 ( castellino , f . j . and barker , r ., 1968 , biochemsitry 7 , 2207 - 2217 ), ovalbumin , 43 , 000 ( castellino and barker , supra ), α - chymotrypsin , 25 , 300 ( maroux and rovery , supra ), myoglobin , 17 , 800 ( calculated from data in dayhoff , supra ), and cytochrome c , 12 , 400 ( margoliash , supra ). the single experiment showed that the sweet - tasting activity was associated with a protein having a molecular weight value of approximately 10 , 000 . since the native protein and the &# 34 ; reduced and dissociated &# 34 ; protein have virtually the same molecular weight , the molecule of monellin must consist of a single polypeptide chain . the minimal molecular weight , calculated from the content of tryptophan in the intact protein was found to be in good agreement with the above values . amino acid analysis -- acid hydrolysis of monellin was generally carried out in the presence of thioglycolic acid ( 4 % v / v ) to preserve tryptophan ( matsubara , supra ) and prevent oxidation of methionine and tyrosine ( matsubara , supra ; sletten , k ., dusk ., deklerk , h ., and kamen , m . d ., 1968 , j . biol . chem . 243 , 5492 - 5506 ). calculation of the moles of each amino acid recovered relative to 1 . 00 mole of methionine ( table ii ) yielded a minimal molecular weight for the protein of 10 , 700 . this value , in conjunction with those obtained from sds - gel electrophoresis ( 10 , 500 ) and gel filtration ( 10 , 000 ), demonstrates that the polypeptide chain contains a single residue of methionine the data in table ii also show that the molecule contains 3 residues of alanine , an amino acid that is known to be recovered quantitatively under these conditions . no histidine was detected by standard amino acid analyses . chemical ( spies and chambers , supra ) and spectrophotometric ( edelhoch , supra ) determinations of tryptophan in the intact protein showed the presence of 0 . 95 ± 0 . 02 ( s . d .) and 1 . 20 moles of tryptophan , respectively , per 10 , 700 grams of protein . the somewhat high value obtained in the standard analysis for tryptophan shown in table ii appears to have been due to incomplete separation of this amino acid from lysine during chromatography on the short aa - 27 resin column . another sample of monellin was oxidized with performic acid . the oxidized protein and an untreated control were hydrolyzed in the absence of thioglycolic acid . these amino acid analyses ( table iii ) showed the presence of very nearly 1 mole each of cysteic acid and methionine sulfone per 3 moles of alanine ( i . e ., per mole of oxidized protein ). the recovery of cysteic acid was 89 % and compares favorably with values of 90 - 95 % reported by hirs ( supra ). tyrosine was completely destroyed upon treatment of the protein with performic acid . loss of tyrosine was accompanied by the appearance of a relatively large peak of 570 nm - absorbing material that emerged from the aa - 27 resin column just prior to lysine in the region of tryptophan and which caused an erroneously high integration of lysine due to overlap . the recoveries of all of the other amino acids were essentially identical in both performic acid oxidized and control proteins ( table iii ). in order to determine if any of the lysyl or arginyl residues in monellin are methylated , analysis for basic amino acids was carried out on a column of durrum dc - 2a resin . peaks were observed corresponding to lysine , arginine and ammonia . no mono - or dimethyl derivatives of lysine or arginine were present . trimethyllysine , if present , would probably have been detected in this sytem . the results of the standard analyses ( tables ii and iii ) indicated the presence of 7 arginyl residues per mole of protein . the quantity of lysine relative to 7 . 00 moles of arginine was 7 . 64 . in table iv is presented the amino acid composition of monellin arrived at by averaging the results of several standard analyses . these data indicate that monellin consists of approximately 91 amino acid residues and has a molecular weight of approximately 10 , 700 . it is clear , therefore , that the agreement is excellent among the values for the molecular weight of monellin determined by various methods . monellin is therefore an order of magnitude larger than previously known sweet molecules . the sweet taste of a small molecule is usually extremely sensitive to chemical modification . often very minor changes in the structure result in complete loss of sweetness . the relatively large size of monellin and its variety of side chains should permit a number of chemical modifications in attempts to elucidate the chemical features essential for its biological activity as well as to attach particular labeling groups for binding studies . isoelectric point -- the isoelectric point was determined by isoelectric focusing in a ph gradient from ph 7 . 0 to ph 10 . 0 . data from one experiment are shown in fig7 ; the isoelectric point here is 9 . 26 . fifteen milligrams of monellin were incorporated into the ph gradient ( ph 7 - 10 ). ( -- ) absorbance at 277 nm : ( 0 -- 0 ) sweetener activity in arbitrary units / ml ; ( -- ) ph . in a second experiment , the value obtained was 9 . 31 . spectral measurements -- the ultraviolet absorption spectrum of monellin ( fig4 and 8 ) is similar to those of many other proteins . protein concentration ( fig8 ) was 0 . 519 mg / ml . the spectrum was measured in 0 . 01 m sodium phosphate buffer , ph 7 . 20 in quartz cuvettes of 1 cm path length against a phosphate buffer blank . the max occurs at 277 nm . significant absorption occurs at 288 nm , which is characteristic of the tryptophan indole chromophore ( edelhoch , supra ). the values for e 1 cm . sup . 1 % and the molar extinction coefficients ( m . w . 10 , 700 ) at ph 7 . 20 and 12 . 8 are presented in table v . the shift in λ max from 277 nm to 290 nm at ph 12 . 8 due to ionization of tyrosine is also accompanied by a complete loss of the sweet taste , but any connection between the ionization of tyrosine and loss of activity remains to be determined . th fluorescence emission maximum ( excitation at 277 nm ) of monellin is at 337 nm due to tryptophan ; a shoulder at 300 nm due to tyrosine could be partially resolved ( fig9 ). in 0 . 1n naoh the emission maximum is shifted to 348 nm , with a marked loss in tryptophan fluorescence itensity (--) emission spectrum of monellin in water ; (----- ) emission sepctrum of monellin in 0 . 1 n naoh . infrared absorption spectrum -- ( kbr pellet ): monellin exhibits characteristic absorption at the following wave lengths expressed in reciprocal centimeters : molecular formula : calculated from amino acid content -- c 486 h 755 n 131 o 139 s 2 . elemental analysis ( found ): c , 45 . 68 ; h , 6 . 22 ; n , 14 . 13 ; s , 1 . 32 ; o ( by difference ), 32 . 65 . table i__________________________________________________________________________purification of monellin sweetener total total sweetener specific vol . protein protein carbohydrate carbohydrate activity activity total recoveryfraction ( ml ) ( mg / ml ) ( mg ) ( mg / ml ) ( mg ) ( units / ml ) ( units / mg ) sweetener (%) __________________________________________________________________________crude extract 1450 0 . 71 1030 0 . 75 1088 40 56 58 100p 40 - 60 108 4 . 84 523 4 . 98 538 500 103 54 930deae - cellulose eluate 550 0 . 55 302 0 . 83 456 100 182 55 950cm - cellulose eluate - i 64 2 . 03 130 0 . 00 * 0 500 246 32 550__________________________________________________________________________ * lower limit of detection is 5 μg / ml . table ii______________________________________amino acid composition of native monellin . sup . aamino acid residues / mole . sup . b______________________________________tryptophan 1 . 42lysine 8 . 35histidine 0ammonia 7 . 52arginine 7 . 03aspartic acid 10 . 05threonine 3 . 34serine 0 . 91glutamic acid 12 . 67proline 6 . 32glycine 7 . 75alanine 2 . 96half cystine . sup . c 0valine 3 . 71methionine 1 . 00isoleucine 6 . 24leucine 5 . 62tyrosine 6 . 69phenylalanine 5 . 48______________________________________ . sup . a the result represents the average of analyses carried out in duplicate on a single sample of hydrolyzate . hydrolysis was performed in the presence of thioglycolic acid . . sup . b the residues per mole of protein were calculated by normalizing to to methionine . . sup . c analyses of proteins hydrolyzed in the presence of thioglycolic acid revealed a peak that emerged 5 - 7 min . after authentic cystine and whose absorbance was primarily at 440 nm . the presence of cysteine could not be detected . table iii______________________________________amino acid composition of native and performicacid - oxidized monellin . sup . aamino acid native monellin oxidized monellin______________________________________ residues / mole . sup . btryptophan 0 . 31 -- lysine 8 . 29 10 . 15histidine 0 0ammonia 5 . 47 -- arginine 7 . 17 7 . 24aspartic acid 9 . 78 10 . 03threonine 3 . 68 3 . 77serine 1 . 78 1 . 78glutamic acid 11 . 88 11 . 86proline 6 . 62 6 . 36glycine 7 . 78 7 . 88alanine 3 . 00 3 . 00half cystine 0 0 . 89 . sup . cvaline 3 . 79 3 . 72methionine 0 . 89 0 . 94 . sup . disoleucine 5 . 94 5 . 94leucine 5 . 45 5 . 26tyrosine 6 . 63 0phenylalanine 4 . 86 4 . 57______________________________________ . sup . a samples of native and oxidized proteins from the same preparation of monellin were hydrolyzed simultaneously in the same desiccator in the absence of thioglycolic acid . each result represents the average of analyses carried out in duplicate on a single hydrolyzate . . sup . b the residues per mole were calculated on the basis of 3 residues o alanine per mole of protein . . sup . c determined as cysteic acid . . sup . d determined as methionine sulfone . table iv______________________________________amino acid composition of monellin . sup . a probable integralamino acid residues / mole . sup . b number______________________________________tryptophan 1 . 0 1lysine 8 . 4 8histidine 0 0arginine 7 . 1 7aspartic acid 10 . 0 10threonine 3 . 5 4serine 1 . 4 2glutamic acid 12 . 1 12proline 6 . 5 6glycine 7 . 8 8alanine 3 . 0 3cysteine 0 . 9 1cystine 0 0valine 3 . 7 4methionine 0 . 9 1isoleucine 6 . 1 6leucine 5 . 5 6tyrosine 6 . 7 7phenylalanine 5 . 0 5total number of residues 91calculated molecular weight 10 , 700______________________________________ . sup . a the result represents the average of six standard analyses , including the data in tables ii and iii . ( not included in the average are the values of tryptophan obtained in the absence of thioglycolic acid and of lysine and tyrosine obtained with the performic acid oxidized protein . . sup . b the residues per mole were calculated on the basis of 3 residues o alanine per mole of protein . table v______________________________________extinction coefficients of monellin absorptionph maximum e . sub . 1 cm . sup . 1 % ε ( m - 1 . sub . cm - 1 ) a______________________________________7 . 20 277 13 . 7 1 . 47 × 10 . sup . 412 . 8 290 17 . 1 1 . 83 × 10 . sup . 4______________________________________ . sup . a a molecular weight value of monellin of 10 , 700 was used in the calculations .	0
before describing , in detail , the particular improved chinese remainder theorem conversion scheme in accordance with the present invention , it should be observed that the present invention resides primarily in a novel structure combination of conventional digital signal processing logic circuits and not in the particular detailed configurations thereof . accordingly , the structure , control and arrangement of such logic circuits have been illustrated in the drawings by readily understandable block representations and schematic diagram , which show only those specific details that are pertinent to the present invention , in order not to obscure the disclosure with structural details which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the description here . thus , the block diagram illustration does not necessarily represent the mechanical structural arrangement of the exemplary system , but is primarily intended to illustrate the major structural components of the system in a convenient functional grouping , whereby the present invention can be more readily understood . in order to facilitate a full appreciation of the manner in which the present invention achieves its substantially improved signal processing capability for residue signal processing , it is useful to review the chinese remainder theorem and its general application to data / signal processing . in accordance with the chinese remainder theorem , an integer x is converted from its residue number representation by the weighted sum ## equ1 ## where m i &# 39 ; s are the system moduli , m = m 1 m 2 . . . m n is the system range , w i &# 39 ; s are constants such that & lt ;( m / m i ) w i & gt ; m . sbsb . i = 1 , and x i is the residue of x with respect to m i . as only integers in the range [ o , m ) are considered , the weighted sum is evaluated modulo m ; that is , x is the nonnegative remainder obtained when the sum is divided by m . the chinese remainder theorem may be used as the basis for a fast and simple residue number decoder using a set of read only memories ( roms ) respectively coupled to a modulo m adder . since x i is usually small , the values ## equ2 ## can be stored practically in a respective rom ( lookup table ) as a function of x i . for example , five - bit residues occupy only thirty - two locations with a word length equal to log 2 m . however , the modulo m adder through which the outputs of the roms are summed causes a major implementation problem , because m is generally a very large and arbitrary integer . the common practice of substituting lookup tables for modular adders is obviously out of the question . on the other hand , a modular adder designed from a conventional binary adder would require additional logic to detect overflow and correct the overflowed sum . such an adder must be custom designed and is more expensive to operate than an ordinary binary adder . hence , some way for handling the sum modulo m must be found if an efficient residue number decoder based on the theorem is to be built . two approaches have been proposed by various authors to compute the sum modulo m in equation ( 1 ). in accordance with the first approach , overflow is detected and a correction is made as soon as a partial sum is formed . the total sum is obtained either sequentially by a modulo m accumulator or in parallel by a tree array of modulo m adders . thus , the basic problem of mechanizing addition of two numbers modulo m is encountered here . as described in an article by f . j . taylor entitled &# 34 ; residue arithmetic : a tutorial with examples &# 34 ;, ieee computer , vol . 17 , pp . 50 - 62 , may 1984 , it may be assumed that m = 2 a - 2 b ( a , b being integers ) because , for this particular value , one can implement the detection and correction steps with a simple programmable logic array . nevertheless , compared with a binary adder , the proposed adder is still expensive , and the restriction imposed on m severely limits the selection of the system moduli , which must be relatively prime in pairs . in addition , by using only binary adders , as described in an article entitled &# 34 ; a technique for the efficient generation of projections for error correcting residue codes &# 34 ;, ieee trans . circuits and systems , vol . cas - 31 , pp . 223 - 226 , february 1984 , w . k . jenkins computed an ordinary sum but biased the sum so that the detection step became completely trivial . with the bias included , overflow in addition modulo m coincides with overflow in binary addition , which is indicated by the most significant carry bit , but the correction step may still be required in the form of another addition . as a result , when a sum of n operands is carried out , the additional delay is multiplied either by n - 1 for sequential summation or by log 2 n for parallel summation . in accordance with the second approach , the sum is allowed to grow without the interference of any intermediate detection and correction steps . then the raw result is compared with a series of reference points , and a proper correction term is generated to be applied to the sum . normally for a sum of n operands , all of which are less than m , n - 1 reference points are required . as described in an article by d . f . fraser and n . j . bryg entitled &# 34 ; an adaptive digital signal processor based on the residue number system &# 34 ;, proc . aiaa second computers in aerospace conf ., l . a ., calif ., oct . 22 - 24 , 1979 , by shifting the sum and scrutinizing overflow bits from binary adders employed in accumulating the sum , fraser and bryg managed to cut the number of comparisons down to exactly one . their technique worked correctly for the example given . later , as described in an article by v . s . cheng and c . h . huang entitled &# 34 ; on the decoding of residue numbers &# 34 ;, proc . int . symp . on mini - micro computers in control and measurement , san francisco , calif ., may 20 - 22 , 1981 , cheng and huang formalized the technique and revealed , however , that a certain inequality must be satisfied by m in order to keep the number of comparisons at one . it was found that as the number of moduli increases , m must approach a power of two , a restriction which also complicates the selection of m i &# 39 ; s . the new conversion technique according to the present invention takes into account both accomplishments and shortcomings of past implementations of the chinese remainder theorem . first , it is ideal to have the bulk of the computation ( i . e ., the summation of n numbers ) carried out by binary adders . although intermediate correction steps are allowed , they must be in a very simple form such as dropping the most significant bits . this makes possible the use of standard binary hardware and fast techniques for multioperand binary addition to fully exploit the parallel conversion algorithm provided by the theorem . it is also desirable to complete any final correction step at a minimal cost using as much simple hardware as possible . last and most importantly , there must be no severe restrictions on the definition of the system moduli . it turns out that these objectives can be achieved by an appropriate representation of s i &# 39 ; s other than the usual integer representation . since the summands are intended to be fetched from lookup tables , representing them in a different form does not require any special real - time processing . the true requirements for a candidate number representation are that addition modulo m be transformed into the much desired addition modulo a power of two , and the adjustment of the final sum back to a standard form be easily carried out . as will be described in detail below , these objectives are attained through a hardware configuration that employs a quotient - remainder representative scheme . from equation ( 2 ) above it will be recalled that the summands s i &# 39 ; s are such that 0 ≦ s i & lt ; m . now , if a particular modulus m j is singled out to be used in expressing s i as ## equ3 ## where q i and r i are , respectively , the quotient and remainder of s i with respect to m / m j , such that ## equ4 ## then the conversion expression in the chinease remainder theorem becomes ## equ5 ## this leads to an efficient procedure for computing x without adders modulo m as follows . let ## equ6 ## computing the sum in equation ( 9 ) is not a problem because the modulus m j is small ; lookup tables are commonly used . however , q is obtained most easily when m j = 2 k or 2 k - 1 , for some k , as these values correspond to k - bit binary addition with discarded carry or end - around carry . since it is not unusual to have a power of two included in most practical systems of moduli , m j = 2 k is assumed from now on . the final sum in equation ( 9 ) will be a nonnegative integer strictly less than 2 k , which in turn is multiplied by m / 2 k via a table lookup . as to the sum in equation ( 10 ), the following inequality , ## equ7 ## is true if n ≦ m j = 2 k . again , this condition is easily satisfied by most practical residue number systems . for example , when 2 k is selected as the largest modulus , the number of relatively prime moduli which might be considered to complete the system is much less than 2 k , even less than 2 k - 1 . thus , as a result of equation ( 11 ) the sum r is computed simply as an ordinary sum . fina11y , let z = q ( m / 2 k )+ r . then from equation ( 8 ), x =& lt ; z & gt ; m or the comparison of z with m can be eliminated by adding in advance a shift ( or bias ) to z . more specifically , let c = log 2 m and let the positive shift 2 c - m be included in the lookup table where q gets multiplied by m / 2 k . that is , let y = q ( m / 2 k )+( 2 c - m ) be fetched from the table , given the input q . then when the shifted sum z = y + r = z +( 2 c - m ) is formed modulo 2 c , a most significant carry bit b is also generated . if z ≧ m , this bit is 1 because z +( 2 c - m )≧ 2 c ; it is 0 , otherwise . thus , based simply on the bit value of b , the correction by m and the reverse shift are applied accordingly to yield x = z = z -( 2 c - m ), or x = z - m = z . referring now to fig1 there is shown a schematic block diagram of a digital hardware configuration for implementing the above - described quotient - remainder conversion scheme for the chinese remainder theorem . as shown therein , a set of ( digital ) signals representative of residues x 1 , x 2 , x 3 , . . . , x n - 1 , x n is coupled over input links 11 - 1 . . . 11 - n to a set of lookup tables or roms 12 - 1 . . . 12 - n . each respective rom 12 - i produces two outputs : a quotient q i and a remainder r i of s i ( x i ) with respect to a prescribed divisor m / 2 k , as explained above in conjunction with equations ( 2 ) and ( 3 ). these outputs are coupled in sets over links q 1 . . . q n and r 1 . . . r n , respectively to a pair of adders 13 and 14 . adder 13 is a modulo 2 k adder for summing all the quotient data values on lines q 1 . . . q n , while adder 14 is a binary adder for summing all the remainder data values on lines r 1 . . . r n . thus , at the output of adder 13 there is obtained the quotient sum : ## equ8 ## and at the output of adder 14 there is obtained the remainder sum : ## equ9 ## in order to combine the two sums q and r and obtain an output value x whose residues are the inputs x 1 . . . x n , a translation or conversion is necessary . for this purpose , the output q from modulo 2 k adder 13 is applied as the input to a lookup table or rom 15 to produce a binary output y . the binary output y of rom 15 is defined as : ## equ10 ## the binary values y and r are summed together in modulo 2 c adder 16 to produce a binary sum z on output link 17 defined as : with the most significant carry bit b being coupled over carry line 18 . output link 17 and carry line 18 are coupled to a further modulo 2 c adder 19 . the binary sum z on link 17 is summed in adder 19 with the constant value m coupled over link 20 . the output x of adder 19 is defined as : it can be seen that representing q i and r i requires the same number of bits as representing s i , but in ( q i , r i ) format , the summands can be rapidly accumulated by binary adders . also , column - compression or carry - save summing techniques may be employed for fast conversion time . as the word length of the sum q is much shorter than that of the sum r ( k versus log 2 nm - k ), the output y of rom 15 may be obtained even before the sum r is generated by adder 14 . the integer x at the output of modulo 2 c adder 19 can be returned in two &# 39 ; s complement binary form by a very simple modification to the decoder . the signed value is w = x if x & lt ; m / 2 or w = x - m if x ≧ m / 2 . instead of the usual comparison and subtraction step following a conversion cycle , a simpler alternative is as follows . let v =& lt ; x + m / 2 & gt ; m . this creates the effect illustrated in fig2 of a circular shift which pushes negative values into the lower half of the range [ 0 , m ), and positive values into the upper half . then w is simply v - m / 2 because the shift , linear this time , sends values back to their correct position in the interval [- m / 2 , m / 2 ). thus , no comparison is necessary . the circular shift is accomplished by changing the contents of lookup tables or roms 12 - 1 . . . 12 - n so that m / 2 is added modulo m i to each residue x i . note that when m j = 2 k as assumed , this amounts to adding a zero for moduli with i ≠ j . as a result , only one lookup table needs to be changed : the one which returns q j ( r j is already zero ). the linear shift is easily included in adder 19 as ## equ11 ## as will be appreciated from the foregoing description , the present invention provides a highly efficient architecture for realizing the chinese remainder theorem . by reformulating the conversion expression given in the theorem , the inventive scheme makes it possible to evaluate the sum modulo m easily with binary adders and lookup tables . as the obstacle posed by adders modulo a very large and arbitrary integer no longer exists , the present invention offers a faster alternative to the traditionally slow mixed radix conversion method . difficult operations such as conversion from residue numbers to unsigned or signed binary numbers readily benefit from the invention . while i have shown and described an embodiment in accordance with the present invention , it is understood that the same is not limited thereto but is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as known to a person skilled in the art , and i therefore do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein but intend to cover all such changes and modifications as are obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art .	7
a typical situation encountered in the prior art is depicted in fig2 - 4 . fig2 depicts the initial state of a page 200 displaying two parent portlets 210 and 220 . the user then launches a child sub - portlet 222 from parent portlet 220 , and the result is depicted in fig3 . as is apparent from fig3 , there are no visual cues tying the parent portlet 220 to the child sub - portlet 222 . this is a source of confusion to users , and it is an object of the invention to provide methods and apparatus for overcoming this limitation of the prior art . the situation worsens when the user launches another child sub - portlet 224 from parent portlet 220 as depicted in fig4 . again , a user is presented with a situation where there are no visual cues indicating to the user the relationships between the parent portlets 210 , 220 and child sub - portlets 222 , 224 . another problem not immediately evident from this demonstration but appreciated by the applicants is the confusion encountered when seeking to manage the sub - portlets . since there are no visual cues provided to the user , the user may inadvertently submerge the incorrect child sub - portlet when attempting to de - clutter the page 200 . accordingly , those skilled in the art desire controls for managing portlet operations that are in some way integrated in graphical cues used to indicate relationships between parent portlets and child sub - portlets . a first aspect of the present invention is depicted in fig5 which shows that child sub - portlets 312 , 322 launched from parent portlets 310 , 320 remain in close proximity to the parent portlets 310 , 320 from which they were launched . in addition , the child sub - portlets are associated with the parent portlets by indentation . if multiple child sub - portlets are launched from the same parent portlet , in embodiments of the present invention multiple indentation levels may be used . other combinations of grouping and indentation may be used to indicate relationships between parent portlets and child sub - portlets . another method of providing visual cues to a user to indicate relationships between parent portlets and child sub - portlets in accordance with embodiments of the present invention comprises providing a graphical connecting link that visually ties the parent portlet and child sub - portlet together . this is depicted in fig6 , where two child sub - portlets 412 , 414 have been launched into a page 400 from a parent portlet 410 . as is apparent , the connecting link 416 provides a visual cue to a user indicating that child sub - portlets 412 , 414 have been launched from parent portlet 410 . in another embodiment of the present invention , the methods depicted in fig5 and 6 are combined , as shown in fig7 . child sub - portlets 522 , 524 launched into a page 500 from a parent portlet 520 are both indented as shown by the indentation 528 and tied to together by connecting links 526 . thus , these embodiments of the present invention overcome the limitations of the prior art by providing visual cues that indicate the relationships between or among parent portlets and child sub - portlets . in various embodiments of the present invention , the connecting links may or may not cross . if connecting links connecting different groups of parent and child sub - portlets are permitted to cross , the links are preferably displayed in different colors . this will indicate that different - colored connecting links connect different groups of parent and child portlets . in situations where many parent portlets and child sub - portlets appear on a page , the methods depicted in fig5 - 7 can become sub - optimal and contribute to an already busy page . in such situations , further embodiments of the present invention provide additional methods for indicating relationships between parent portlets and child sub - portlets . for example , as depicted in fig8 , many parent portlets 610 , 620 and child sub - portlets 630 , 640 , 650 and 660 appear in a page 600 . the foregoing methods are less desirable in such situations . another embodiment of the present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art by providing graphical indicators which are incorporated within the primary rectangular area of the portlets , such as the title bar or content area of the parent portlets and child sub - portlets . in the embodiment depicted in fig9 , a unique hash mark pattern 726 is used in the title bar of the parent portlet 720 and all child sub - portlets 722 , 724 launched from the parent portlet 720 into a page 700 . if a child sub - portlet were to be launched from a different parent portlet , a different hash mark pattern would be used to differentiate the first group of parent portlet and child sub - portlets from the second group of parent portlet and child sub - portlets . thus , in this embodiment of the present invention , the graphical indicator serves to distinguish the group comprised of parent portlet 720 and child sub - portlets 722 , 724 from the other portlets 710 , 730 , 740 appearing on the page . a user of a graphical user interface system having this ability would immediately recognize the relationships between parent portlets and child sub - portlets without extensive and time - consuming study . in another embodiment depicted in fig . 10 , a unique background shading 826 is used to differentiate a group comprising a parent portlet 820 and related child sub - portlets 822 , 824 from other portlets 810 , 830 , 840 appearing on the page 800 . if a child sub - portlet were to be launched from one of the other portlets 810 , 830 , 840 a background different from 826 would be used to differentiate the new group from the previous group comprising parent portlet 820 and child sub - portlets 822 , 824 . although shading is indicated in fig1 , different background colors or patterns could be used as well for differentiation purposes . a computer system suitable for practicing the methods of the present invention is depicted in simplified form in fig1 . the data processing system 900 includes at least one data processor 901 coupled to a bus 902 through which the data processor may address a memory sub - system 903 , also referred to herein simply as “ memory ” 903 . the memory 903 may include ram , rom and fixed and removable disks and / or tape . the memory 903 is assumed to store at least one program comprising instructions for causing the processor 901 to execute methods in accordance with the present invention . also stored in memory 903 is at least one database 904 containing information that may be managed using the portlet graphical indicators and controls of the present invention . the data processor 901 is also coupled through the bus 902 to a user interface 905 , preferably comprising both a graphical user interface (“ gui ”) that includes a user display device 906 , such as a high resolution graphical crt display terminal , a lcd display terminal , or any suitable display device , and a user input device 907 , such as one or more of a keyboard , a mouse , a trackball , or a voice recognition interface . with these input / output devices and the methods and apparatus of the present invention , a user can easily manage portlet - based graphical user interfaces . the data processor 901 may also be coupled through the bus 902 to a network interface 908 that provides bi - directional access to a data communications network 909 , such as an intranet and / or the internet . in various embodiments of the present invention , a database 910 of information can be accessed over the internet and the methods and apparatus of the present invention can be used to more efficiently manage it . in general , these teachings may be implemented using at least one software program running on a personal computer , a server , a microcomputer , a mainframe computer , a portable computer , an embedded computer , or by any suitable type of programmable data processor 901 . further , a program of machine - readable instructions capable of performing operations in accordance with the present invention may be tangibly embodied in a signal - bearing medium , such as a cd - rom . another aspect of the present invention is the incorporation of portlet management controls inline to the graphical indicators used for relating parent portlets to child sub - portlets . such controls are depicted in fig1 - 23 . in fig1 , selection of the collapser control (“−”) 1128 inline to the graphical indicator 1126 tying the parent portlet 1120 to the child sub - portlets 1122 , 1124 will minimize or hide the child sub - portlets 1122 , 1124 . once the child sub - portlets are submerged , the collapser will be replaced by an expander control (“+”) 1128 as shown in the zoomed view of fig1 . by clicking the expander 1128 , the now - hidden child sub - portlets 1122 , 1124 will be shown . in a variant depicted in fig1 , a separate control 1130 is available to control each child sub - portlet 1122 , 1124 , for example , to conveniently close all peer sub - portlets with a single click , even when they might currently be hidden from view . in situations where there are many parent portlets open on a page and graphical indicators tying parent portlets and child sub - portlets together are impractical , other control options are used in embodiments of the present invention . for example , as depicted in fig1 , controls 1230 , 1240 for managing sub - portlets are incorporated in the title bar 1222 of a parent portlet 1220 . the child sub - portlets could be launched by selecting the mini - taskbar area 1231 , 1241 outside of the “ minimize ” 1232 , 1242 and “ close ” icons 1233 , 1243 . in this embodiment , once opened , a child sub - portlet could be minimized or closed using the “ minimize ” 1232 , 1242 or “ close ” 1233 , 1243 icons in the mini task - bars 1230 , 1240 . in a variant of the embodiment depicted in fig1 , the child sub - portlet controls 1330 , 1340 are positioned at the bottom 1322 of the parent portlet 1320 , as shown in fig1 . the portlet controls operate otherwise like those depicted in fig1 . for example , if a user desired to launch the child sub - portlets , the user would select the areas of the mini task - bars 1331 , 1341 outside of the “ minimize ” 1332 , 1342 and “ close ” 1333 , 1343 icons . once visible , the user could minimize the child sub - portlets with the “ minimize ” icons 1332 , 1342 or close the child sub - portlets with the “ close ” icons 1333 , 1343 . additional embodiments in accordance with the present invention for implementing portlet controls are depicted in fig1 - 21 . fig1 depicts a beginning state of a page 1400 currently displaying a parent portlet 1410 . fig1 depicts the state of the page 1400 after a child sub - portlet 1414 has been surfaced from parent portlet 1410 . in addition to child sub - portlet 1414 , a management portlet 1412 for managing child sub - portlets has also been launched . as is apparent from fig1 , both the management portlet 1412 and child sub - portlet 1414 were surfaced in close proximity to parent portlet 1410 and are also indented in relation to the parent portlet 1410 . the physical proximity and indentation are graphical indicators showing that parent portlet 1410 , management portlet 1412 and child sub - portlet are all related . management portlet 1412 also contains controls for managing portlet operations either singly or on a group basis . for example , if additional portlets were to be surfaced from parent portlet 1410 , then management portlet 1412 could be used to manage them as a group . for example , management portlet 1412 could be used to close or minimize the child sub - portlets . once the child sub - portlets have been minimized , the management portlet 1412 could be used to surface the child sub - portlets . the management portlet 1412 itself can be closed or minimized through various controls . fig1 depicts the appearance of the page 1400 after the child sub - portlet 1414 has been minimized . another option in accordance with the present invention is depicted in fig2 , where the child sub - portlet 1412 is incorporated in a table - like structure within the management portlet 1414 . fig2 depicts an embodiment where child sub - portlets 1526 , 1530 and management portlet 1522 have been launched from parent portlet 1520 , and where child sub - portlets 1556 , 1560 and management portlet 1552 have been launched parent portlet 1550 . as can be seen , the child sub - portlets and management sub - portlets have been surfaced in close proximity to the parent portlets , thus forming groups of related parent portlets , management portlets , and child - sub - portlets . the grouping and indentation serves as a graphical indicator relating the parent and child sub - portlets . as is apparent child sub - portlet 1526 is maximized , but can be minimized with control 1527 or closed with control 1528 . on the other hand , child sub - portlet 1530 is minimized , but can be maximized with control 1531 or closed with control 1532 . the foregoing embodiments of the present invention have started with the parent portlet as the base from which child sub - portlets operations are controlled . a further embodiment of the present situation depicted in fig2 handles situations where many portlets appear on a page like preceding embodiment of the present invention , but from the perspective of a child sub - portlet . in such situations , a user who has been focusing on a child sub - portlet may wish to turn her attention to the parent portlet related to the child sub - portlet . in order so that the transition to the parent portlet may occur as rapidly as possible , a toolbar 1600 is incorporated somewhere in the child sub - portlet . the toolbar 1600 has two icons 1602 and 1604 . selection of icon 1602 would cause the parent portlet related to the child sub - portlet to become highlighted in some manner , so that the user &# 39 ; s attention would be immediately drawn to the parent portlet . the highlighting could consist of momentary blinking of some feature of the parent portlet , or some other animation , including possibly scrolling the page so that the parent portlet is within view and prominently positioned . selection of icon 1602 would cause the child sub - portlet to continue to be displayed . selection of icon 1604 , on the other hand , would close the child sub - portlet while at the same time highlighting the parent portlet . in summary , the operation of a method in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention is depicted in fig2 , and is assumed to operate on a computer system like that depicted in fig1 . at step 1700 , a page is displayed on a display device 906 , where at least one parent portlet is displayed on the page . at step 1710 , the computer system 900 receives a command to surface a child sub - portlet from the parent portlet currently being displayed from a user who entered the command with input system 907 . by executing a program operable to perform the methods of the present invention , the data processor 901 at step 1720 surfaces the child sub - portlet into the page while using at least one graphical indicator to provide a visual cue indicating that the parent portlet and child sub - portlet are related . in variants of the method depicted in fig2 additional steps are performed . for example , the user could enter a command to minimize the child sub - portlet ; in response , the data processor 901 would cause the child sub - portlet to be minimized . alternatively , the user could enter a command to close the child sub - portlet ; in response , the data processor would close the child sub - portlet . thus it is seen that the foregoing description has provided by way of exemplary and non - limiting examples a full and informative description of the best method and apparatus presently contemplated by the inventors for implementing portlet control indicia in interactive graphical user interfaces . one skilled in the art will appreciate that the various embodiments described herein can be practiced individually ; in combination with one or more other embodiments described herein ; or in combination with interactive graphical user interfaces differing from those described herein . further , one skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be practiced by other than the described embodiments ; that these described embodiments are presented for the purposes of illustration and not of limitation ; and that the present invention is therefore limited only by the claims which follow .	6
as shown in fig1 one embodiment of the ladder carrying device 10 of the present invention comprises a rounded , rectangular block . preferably , this block may be fashioned from a variety of plastic foams such as polyurethane , rubber , or any other material , which has sufficient resiliency to support the weight of the ladder 15 , but which also can conform to the contour of the carrier &# 39 ; s shoulder . plastic foams allow the ladder carrying device 10 to act as a cushion against the carrier &# 39 ; s shoulder . as shown in fig3 a cushioning ladder carrying device 10 serves two purposes , particularly when used with ladders 15 having c - shaped and u - shaped side rails 20 and / or rungs 25 : ( 1 ) the block creates a broader surface that contacts with the carrier &# 39 ; s shoulder resulting in a more even distribution of weight and pressure across the carrier &# 39 ; s shoulder and eliminating the narrow pressure points created by the c - shaped and u - shaped side rails and / or rungs ; and ( 2 ) the plastic foam provides a cushioned surface that increases the carrier &# 39 ; s comfort when carrying and maneuvering the ladder 15 . the present invention 10 also encompasses a block comprised of a non - cushioning material such as a hard plastic or fiberglass . such a material would not offer the cushioning effect of the softer plastic or plastic foam , but would serve the remaining purpose of creating a broader , flat surface in contact with the carrier &# 39 ; s shoulder . again , the creation of a broader contact area decreases the discomfort caused by c - shaped and u - shaped side rails 20 ( see fig3 ) and rungs 25 by more evenly distributing the weight and pressure of the ladder 15 across the carrier &# 39 ; s shoulder . most ladders 15 are constructed so as to have similar dimensions . generally , rungs 25 are spaced approximately twelve inches apart from one another . most ladders 15 have side rails 20 that are three to four inches wide . for most c - shaped and u - shaped side rails 20 the depth of the c - shape or u - shape ( or the depth of the edges of the c - shape or u - shape ) is approximately one and a quarter inches to one and a half inches . generally , the block of the present invention 10 will be eight to thirteen inches in length , one and a half to three inches in thickness , and two to five inches in width . in the preferred embodiment , the block would be produced from high - density foam rubber or plastic foam and would measure approximately ten to twelve inches in length , approximately two inches in thickness , and approximately three to four inches in width . it will be obvious to one skilled in the art though , that the present invention can be dimensioned and shaped to fit the specific dimensions of any ladder 15 , side rail 20 , or rung 25 , regardless of the size and shape of the ladder 15 , side rail 20 , and rung 25 . the ladder carrying device 10 of the present invention comprises a front face 30 , a top face 32 , and a side face 34 . rear , bottom and opposite side faces are not shown in fig1 . top face 32 preferably has adhesive strip 36 affixed thereto . adhesive strip 36 can be used to attach the ladder carrying device 10 of the present invention to the ladder 15 as illustrated in fig2 . although depicted herein as a rounded , rectangular block , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the ladder carrying device 10 of the present invention can be sized and shaped to fit a wide variety of ladders 15 and may therefore assume other shapes than illustrated , such as squares or ovals . in the preferred embodiment , the present invention will be attached to the ladder 15 near its center of gravity , but one skilled in the art will realize that the blocks can be placed in any one location or multiple locations depending on the user &# 39 ; s preference , such as on the inner surface of a side rail 20 ( see fig2 ), on the outer surface of a side rail 20 ( see fig4 ), and / or on the bottom surface of a rung 25 ( see fig2 ). fig2 illustrates one possible configuration of the ladder carrying device 10 of the present invention . this configuration can be attached to a ladder 15 to provide user comfort and protection against injury from the ladder &# 39 ; s 15 side rail 20 coming into direct contact with the carrier &# 39 ; s shoulder . as depicted in fig2 ladder 15 is composed of side rails 20 connected by rungs 25 . three ladder carrying devices 10 of the present invention are attached by adhesive strips 36 to the inner portion of the side rails 20 and the bottom portion of one rung 25 . this method of placement allows the carrier to carry the ladder 15 in the below the shoulder position described above . placing a ladder carrying device 10 of the present invention on the lower portion of the rung 25 permits the worker to comfortably move the ladder 15 in a vertical orientation , such as when the ladder 15 is leaning against a building . in another embodiment , the ladder carrying device 10 of the present invention can be attached to the outer surface of a ladder side rail 20 ( as shown in fig4 ) thereby enabling the carrier to utilize the over the shoulder carrying method described above . the ladder carrying device 10 of the present invention can be quickly and easily applied by the user at the particular location on the ladder 15 that he prefers and can be used on a wide variety of ladders 15 to allow for safe , comfortable carrying . because the user is protected from pain and strain from carrying the ladder 15 , he may also be able to exert greater control over the ladder 15 thereby becoming less hazardous to himself and the people and property around him . as will be apparent to those skilled in the art , the ladder carrying device 10 of the present invention can be used with ladders 15 having side rails 20 of a variety of configurations including , but not limited to , flat , c - shaped , and u - shaped . similarly , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the ladder carrying device 10 of the present invention can be used with ladders 15 having rungs 25 of a variety of configurations , including but not limited to flat , rounded , c - shaped , and u - shaped . other embodiments using different numbers of ladder carrying devices 10 of the present invention in various configurations are also contemplated by the inventor .	8
fig2 illustrates a circuit diagram of a high - efficiency class d amplifier in accordance with this invention . a signal source s delivers a sinusoidal input signal , r s representing the impedance of signal source s . this input signal is delivered to a transformer assembly t 1 which includes transformers t 1a and t 1b sharing the same core cr , as shown in fig3 . the windings of transformers t 1a and t 1b are identified as l a , l b , l c and l d in fig2 and 3 . ( l a - l d sometimes refer to the self - inductance of each individual winding .) as illustrated in fig3 windings l a and l b are bifilarly wound around one side of a core cr , and windings l c and l d are bifilarly wound around the other side of core cr . the pair of windings l a and l b are wound around core cr in the same direction as the windings l c and l d . the coupling between windings l a and l b ( transformer t 1a ) and between windings l c and l d ( transformer t 1b ) is nearly unity , while because transformers t 1a and t 1b are positioned on opposite sides ( approximately 180 degrees apart ) of core cr , and because the permeability of core cr is very low , the coupling between them is very low ( typically about 0 . 15 ). for reasons described below , transformer t 1a has more turns than transformer t 1b . the switching function is provided by transistors q 1 and q 2 , each of which is an n - channel power mosfet . transistors q 1 and q 2 are connected in series between a dc supply voltage v dd and ground , with the source terminal of transistor q 1 and the drain terminal of transistor q 2 forming a common node which represents the output of the amplifier . the output is fed to an impedance matching network n and a load l . impedance matching network n may be of several varieties known to those skilled in the art and is not a part of this invention . winding l a has an end e which is ac coupled to the gate of transistor q 1 through a coupling capacitor c 1 . an end f of winding l b is ac coupled to the output through a coupling capacitor c 2 , and an end d of winding l d is connected to the gate terminal of transistor q 2 through an inductance l 1 . capacitors c 1 , c 2 and c 3 shown in fig2 serve as ac coupling capacitors . capacitor c 4 serves as an ac bypass capacitor which ensures that the ac impedance between the drain terminal of transistor q 1 and current ground is maintained at a minimum . resistors r 1 and r 2 are connected between the gate and source terminals of transistors q 1 and q 2 , respectively , and ensure that the gates of those transistors are maintained at a dc zero bias . transformer t 1a forms a balun transmission - line transformer , which inverts the signal from source s and applies the inverted signal across the gate of transistor q 1 . ( balun transformers are described in solid state radio engineering , by herbert l . krauss , et al ., john wiley & amp ; sons , 1980 , p . 374 , which is incorporated herein by reference .) on the other hand , transformer t 1b is a conventional transformer , which delivers a signal to the gate of transistor q 2 that is in phase with the signal from source s . thus , when the signal from source s goes high the output of transformer t 1b at end d also goes high and turns transistor q 2 on . at the same time , the output from transformer t 1a at end e referenced to end f goes low turning transistor q 1 off . the arrangement of the balun transformer t 1a and the regular transformer t 1b on core cr in the manner shown helps to ensure that there is adequate separation between the time when one of transistors q 1 and q 2 turns off and the other transistor turns on . in addition , inductance l 1 imposes a phase delay in the signal applied to the gate of transistor q 2 and further insures that transistors q 1 and q 2 will both be turned off for some period of time at each transition of the output signal ( or to minimize overlapping between transistors q 1 and q 2 ). capacitor c o , shown in hatched lines , represents the total output capacitance of the amplifier . thus it includes both the inherent capacitances of transistors q 1 and q 2 ( comparable to capacitors c a and c b in fig1 a ) as well as any other stray capacitances in the circuit . fig4 a illustrates a graph of the input signal from source s superimposed upon the output signal , and fig4 b illustrates in idealized form a resonant circuit found within the class d amplifier . fig4 a shows in particular the time interval δt during which the input signal is less than the threshold voltage v th of either of transistors q 1 and q 2 . as noted above , this represents the time period in which both transistors are turned off . while this is the case , the common node between transistors q 1 and q 2 floats , and a resonant circuit is in effect established . as illustrated in fig4 b , this resonant circuit includes capacitor c o , inductor l b ( which is a part of transformer t 1a ) and the equivalent series resistance r e of the charge - circulating path formed by l b and c o . for small values of r e , the natural frequency f n of this circuit is governed by the following relationship : ## equ1 ## thus , at the instant both transistors q 1 and q 2 turn off the charge built up on capacitor c o begins to discharge through the resonant circuit illustrated in fig4 b , at a rate determined by the natural frequency of the circuit . the desired condition is that the voltage across each of transistors q 1 and q 2 will be equal to zero when the transistors turn on . the time it takes for the voltage across c o to fall from + v dd to zero is approximately equal to one - fourth of the length of a single cycle at the natural frequency f n . thus , if the voltage across c o is to be zero when transistor q 2 turns on , the following relationship should obtain combining equations ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) gives the required value of l b . ## equ2 ## if this relationship is maintained , in the steady state the energy stored in c o will be transferred to the inductance l b during the period δt when both transistors are turned off , rather than being dissipated as heat generated by a current flow through one of transistors q 1 or q 2 when it is turned on . the stored energy is transferred back and forth between c o and l b ( the &# 34 ; flywheel &# 34 ; effect ) instead of being dissipated . ideally , the values of l a or l b are approximately ten times the values of l c or l d . this ensures that the energy reflected back from the output of the amplifier to the common input node ( a and c ) is substantially attenuated . windings l b and l c are equivalent to a voltage divider between the output terminal and circuit ground . as a result , the input driving power supplied by source s is minimized while the amplifier exhibits better stability . also , giving winding l c a relatively low value as compared with winding l b allows the value of l c , as well as the low impedance of source s , to be ignored in calculating the resonant frequency of the circuit , as illustrated in fig4 b . further , the low value of l c ensures that the impedance at the common node is relatively fixed by the low impedance of winding l c . windings l c and l d should , however , provide sufficient impedance for source 10 . the class d amplifier of this invention is useful with any type of device which requires high - efficiency amplification . it is particularly useful with an electrodeless discharge lamp , as illustrated in fig5 . as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 010 , 400 to hollister , incorporated herein by reference , electrodeless discharge lamps typically include an induction coil which is energized at a high frequency so as to transfer energy to a gaseous mixture by means of an electromagnetic field . the gaseous mixture , which typically includes mercury vapor and an inert gas , is contained within a sealed vessel , the inside surfaces of which are coated with phosphors . when so energized , the atoms of mercury vapor are excited and emit radiation ( primarily in the uv spectrum ), which in turn causes the phosphors to emit visible light . as shown in fig5 a power supply 50 supplies power to an oscillator 51 and an amplifier 52 in accordance with this invention . the oscillator normally operates at 13 . 56 mhz , which is a frequency set aside by the fcc for industrial , scientific and medical ( ism ) applications . the output of amplifier 52 is passed through a filter and matching network 53 to an induction coil network 54 , which is positioned within a central cavity of a glass vessel 55 . network 53 is preferably the impedance matching and filter network described in application ser . no . 07 / 887 , 166 filed may 20 , 1992 . to illustrate the benefits of this invention as applied to electrodeless discharge lamps , assuming a dc supply voltage of 130 v and a frequency of 13 . 56 mhz , the power losses according to the formula cv 2 f would typically equal about 9 watts for a total capacitance c o = 40 pf . this is about half the rated power consumption of a 19 watt bulb . using the techniques of this invention , the efficiency of the amplifier can be increased from 50 % or 60 % to about 95 %, and the power loss falls to about 1 watt . the embodiment described above is intended to be illustrative and not limiting . numerous alternative embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art , and all such alternative embodiments are intended to be within the broad scope of this invention , as defined in the following claims . for example , although the electrodeless discharge lamp described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 010 , 400 has been referred to , the amplifier of this invention may be used with other types of electrodeless discharge lamps . moreover , the principles of this invention are applicable to electrodeless discharge lamps in which the visible light is generated directly from the enclosed gas rather than by a coating of phosphors applied to the surface of the enclosing vessel .	7
when components such as the stator and frame shown in fig1 & amp ; 2 are assembled with an interference fit , the components deflect from their individual positions due to the interface pressure produced by the interference fit . as the temperature of the stator shown in fig1 & amp ; 2 varies , the deflections of the components undergo further changes due to the changing strain produced by the thermal contraction or expansion . due to the interference fit , the frame is displaced outwards in some regions and the stator core is displaced inwards in some regions , with the circumferential values of displacement being a function of the asymmetry of the stator . for example , calculations for the stress conditions given in fig2 show that the maximum outwards deflection of the frame is 0 . 18 mm ( at the interface with the stator ) and the inwards deflection of the stator pole face is 0 . 04 mm . fig3 shows a stator core 30 according to an embodiment of the invention . notches 32 have been provided in the laminations making up the stator core , specifically in the back - iron 34 of the stator core . preferably the notches are centred about the centre - line of the stator poles , though in some embodiments they can be offset from the centre - lines . in accordance with good practice , the root of the notch is radiussed to avoid unnecessary stress raising . the notches preferably extend into the stator pole further than the radial length of the back - iron 34 of the stator core , though in some embodiments they may be less than the radial length of the back - iron 34 of the stator core . an enlarged view of a segment 40 of the core is shown in fig4 . the effect of the notch 42 is to reduce the stiffness of the core in the region of the poles , so that , when assembled into the frame with an interference fit , the core deflects more than it would have done in the absence of the notches . this increase in deflection of the core in turn reduces the stress in the frame . calculations show that the maximum stress in the frame still occurs at the centre - line of the pole ( point mx in fig4 ), but has reduced to 76 mpa at 20 ° c . from the 95 mpa without the notch ( fig1 ) and has reduced to 106 mpa at − 40 ° c . from the 120 mpa without the notch ( fig2 ). this reduction in stress in the frame gives extra freedom to the designer , allowing the benefit to be taken as an extended lower temperature limit without risk of fracture of the frame ; an extended higher temperature limit without risk of loss of transmission of torque ; a thinner frame ; etc . in the exemplary stator shown in fig3 & amp ; 4 , the void produced by the v - shaped notch is filled with air . in other embodiments , the notch is filled with a cooling fluid which abstracts heat from the stator lamination . the heat can be passed to the frame for dissipation or recovery , or the fluid can be connected to a heat exchanger of conventional type . for example , the coolant could be pumped into a manifold which abuts one axial end of the core and which has ports which feed coolant into one or more notches . at the other end of the core a second manifold can receive the coolant from the notch ( es ). the manifolds may be supplied by suitable pipes or by a cooling circuit embedded in the stator frame . after passing through the notches , the coolant may be transferred to a heat exchanger and cooled before being returned to the first manifold . the coolant may be circulated by a coolant pump . the back - iron 34 may form a seal with the frame to contain the coolant inside the notches and / or the coolant may be retained by a suitable liner inside the notches . the angular extent of the v - shaped notch and the radial depth of the notch are two parameters which the designer can use to control the stiffness of the core . making the notch very deep would impair the magnetic performance of the core by increasing the path length of flux travelling around the back - iron , while making it very shallow would not produce any significant change in the stiffness of the core . when designing the core to meet a particular performance requirement of the machine , the designer would trade off some magnetic performance for improved flexibility of the core until a suitable compromise is reached . this point is likely to occur when the radial depth of the notch is a little longer than the radial depth of the back - iron ( between the poles ), but some variation in this would be expected due to the differing designs of laminations . similar considerations apply to the angular width of the notch . as the width ( i . e ., the angular span ) of the notch increases from a near - zero dimension , the stress in the frame falls . fig5 shows a typical curve of the variation of frame stress for the notch shown in fig4 . it is seen that there is an initial large benefit and then a levelling off . there will be some degradation of the magnetic performance of the core as the notch width increases . however , the limiting consideration is likely to be the reducing contact force between the core and the frame , which , with very wide notches , would reduce to a level where it would be unable to transmit the required torque . taking all these considerations together it has been found that making the radial depth of the notch slightly greater than the radial length of the back - iron and making the chord of the angular extent 20 to 50 % of the radial depth would give a useful decrease in stiffness of the core without a significant penalty in magnetic performance . these dimensions can be used as a starting point for an optimisation procedure for any particular lamination . the discussion above has used a triangular notch to illustrate the embodiments of the invention . while triangular notches are preferable since they have the least impact on the magnetic performance , other shapes are possible . for example , the notch could be rectangular ( preferably with radiussed corners to reduce stress in the core ) or some other convenient shape . the discussion above has described the invention in relation to a stator core and surrounding frame . it is also possible to apply the invention to a rotor core and the shaft which carries it . one method of securing the rotor core to the shaft is to use an interference fit . in order to reduce stress in the rotor shaft when assembled into the core , notches may be provided around the bore of the rotor core following the same principles as disclosed above . the skilled person will appreciate that variation of the disclosed arrangements are possible without departing from the invention . accordingly , the above description of several embodiments is made by way of example and not for the purposes of limitation . it will be clear to the skilled person that minor modifications can be made to the arrangements without significant changes to the operation described above . the present invention is intended to be limited only by the scope of the following claims .	7
referring now to fig3 , an exemplary imposition system in accordance with this invention is described . exemplary imposition system 40 includes imposition application 44 , which receives print file 42 and nominal imposition template 46 , and generates imposition flat 48 for printing . imposition application 44 may be hardware and / or software that implements imposition processing in accordance with this invention , as described in more detail below . print file 42 may be an electronic file that describes a print job in a page description language , such as portable document format (“ pdf ”), postscript , page command language (“ pcl ”) or other similar page description language . print file 42 includes a parameter that specifies finished page size ( referred to herein as “ actual page size ” or “ ps a ”). for example , if print file 42 includes letter - size pages , actual page size ps a = 8 . 5 ″× 11 ″. alternatively , if print file 42 includes custom - size pages ( e . g ., 8 ″× 12 ″), actual page size ps a = 8 ″× 12 ″. persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that other actual page sizes also may be used . referring now to fig4 , an exemplary nominal imposition template 46 for use with imposition system 40 is described . in particular , nominal imposition template 46 may include a nominal layout description 50 and output parameters 52 . nominal layout description 50 includes nominal pages 24 and mark objects 28 , and also may include binding edges 30 or center axes 32 , and their respective locations . output parameters 52 include information describing various parameters used during printing and finishing of the print job . for example , output parameters 52 may include sheet size ( e . g ., 25 ″× 19 ″), finished page size ( referred to herein as “ nominal page size ” or “ ps n ”) ( e . g ., 8 . 5 ″× 11 ″), the number of rows and columns per sheet ( e . g ., 2 rows and 4 columns ), binding style ( e . g , perfect , saddle stitch ) and work style ( e . g ., sheetwise , work and turn , work and tumble ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that different or additional printing and finishing parameters may be included in output parameters 52 . referring now to fig5 a and 5b , exemplary nominal layout descriptions 50 a and 50 b , respectively , for use in nominal imposition template 46 are described . in particular , nominal layout description 50 a illustrates an exemplary layout for a document that uses book binding , and nominal layout description 50 b illustrates an exemplary layout for a document that uses a binding style other than book binding ( e . g ., gangup binding ). nominal layout description 50 a includes binding edges 30 , and layout description 50 b includes vertical and horizontal center axes 32 v and 32 h , respectively . each nominal page 24 may include associated mark objects 28 , such as bleed marks 28 a and trim marks 28 b , a corresponding page location reference , such as a nominal page center (“ pc n ”), and four page edges 58 ( top , bottom , left and right ). each nominal page 24 a in nominal layout description 50 a also includes a page spine 56 that indicates the page edge 58 that will be bound during finishing . the separation between each page spine 56 and an adjacent binding edge 30 is designated as δ s . in nominal layout description 50 b , the separation between vertical center axis 32 v and an adjacent parallel page edge 58 is designated as δ c , the horizontal separation between all other adjacent vertical page edges 58 is designated as δ x , and the vertical separation between all other adjacent horizontal page edges 58 is designated as δ y . for each page 24 a and 24 b in exemplary nominal layout descriptions 50 a and 50 b , respectively , the locations of associated bleed marks 28 a and trim marks 28 b depend on nominal page size ps n . in this regard , bleed marks 28 a and trim marks 28 b are referred to herein as “ page - dependent marks .” in contrast , the locations of registration marks 28 c are not page - dependent , because their locations do not depend on page size . in accordance with this invention , imposition application 44 may be used to automatically modify imposition template 46 to accommodate a print file 42 whose actual page size ps a does not match the nominal page size ps n specified in nominal imposition template 46 . referring now to fig3 and 6 , an exemplary imposition process 60 implemented by imposition application 44 is described . in particular , beginning at step 62 , print file 42 is received . for example , a user may select print file 42 from a file directory via a graphical user interface ( not shown ) or other similar print file submission mechanism . next , at step 64 , nominal imposition template 46 is received . for example , a user may select nominal imposition template 46 from a directory of previously - created imposition templates . at step 66 , actual page size ps a is retrieved from print file 42 , and nominal page size ps n is retrieved from nominal imposition template 46 . at step 68 , actual page size ps a is compared to nominal page size ps n . for example , the width and height of ps a , referred to as ps a ( width ) and ps a ( height ), respectively , may be compared to the corresponding parameters of nominal page size ps n , referred to as ps n ( width ) and ps n ( height ), respectively . if actual page size ps a equals nominal page size ps n ( i . e ., if ps a ( width )= ps n ( width ) and ps a ( height )= ps n ( height )), the process proceeds to step 72 , and nominal imposition template 46 is applied to print file 42 without change to create imposition flat 48 . if , however , actual page size ps a does not equal nominal page size ps n ( e . g ., if ps a ( width )≠ ps n ( width ) or ps a ( height )≠ ps n ( height )), the process proceeds to step 70 , wherein nominal imposition template 46 is automatically modified based on actual page size ps a to create modified imposition template 46 ′. modified imposition template 46 ′ includes the same number of pages and mark objects as nominal imposition template 46 , but the locations of actual pages 24 ′ and associated page - dependent mark objects 28 are modified based on actual page size ps a . finally , at step 72 , the modified imposition template 46 ′ from step 70 is applied to print file 42 to create imposition flat 48 . referring now to fig7 , an exemplary process 70 for automatically modifying nominal imposition template 46 is described . beginning at step 74 , the location of the actual page center (“ pc a ”) of each actual page 24 ′ is determined . as described in more detail below , the determination of the location of each actual page center pc a depends on the binding style and finishing parameters specified in nominal imposition template 46 , and the actual page size ps a specified in print file 42 . next , at step 76 , for each actual page 24 ′, the locations of the associated page - dependent mark objects 28 are determined based on the location of the corresponding actual page center pc a determined in step 74 and the actual page size ps a . finally , at step 78 , nominal imposition template 46 is modified to position actual pages 24 ′ and their associated page - dependent mark objects 28 at the locations determined in steps 74 and 76 . as previously mentioned , the determination of the actual page center pc a for each actual page 24 ′ depends on the binding style and finishing parameters specified in nominal imposition template 46 . in particular , if the specified binding style is book binding , a first process 74 a may be used to determine the location of each actual page center pc a . alternatively , if the specified binding style is anything other than book binding ( e . g ., gangup ), a second process 74 b may be used to determine the location of each actual page center pc a . processes 74 a and 74 b each will be described in turn . referring now to fig8 a and 9 , an exemplary process 74 a is described for determining the location of each actual page center pc a for a nominal imposition template 46 that specifies book binding . in particular , fig9 a illustrates an exemplary layout description 50 a 1 that includes vertical binding edges 30 v and actual pages 24 a 1 ′, and fig9 b illustrates an exemplary layout description 50 a 2 that includes horizontal binding edge 30 h and actual pages 24 a 2 ′. for illustrative purposes , fig9 a and 9b also show corresponding nominal pages 24 a and 24 b , respectively , and nominal page centers pc n ( a ) and pc n ( b ), respectively . for clarity , bleed marks 28 a and trim marks 28 b associated with pages 24 a and 24 b are not shown . referring again to fig8 a , beginning at step 80 , the spine - binding edge separation δ s is retrieved from nominal imposition template 46 . next , at step 82 , one of binding edges 30 is selected for processing . at step 84 , a determination is made whether the selected binding edge 30 is vertical or horizontal . if the selected binding edge 30 is vertical , the process proceeds to step 86 , wherein for each actual page 24 a ′ adjacent to the selected binding edge 30 v , the y - coordinate of the actual page center pc a ( a ) is set to the y - coordinate of the corresponding nominal page center pc n ( a ). if , however , the selected binding edge 30 is horizontal , the process proceeds to step 88 , wherein for each actual page 24 a ′ adjacent to the selected binding edge 30 h , the x - coordinate of the actual page center pc a ( a ) is set to the x - coordinate of the corresponding nominal page center pc n ( a ). next , at step 90 , for each actual page 24 a ′, the remaining coordinate ( i . e ., the x - coordinate if step 86 was used , or the y - coordinate if step 88 was used ) of the corresponding actual page center pc a ( a ) is determined based on the location of the selected binding edge , the spine - binding edge separation δ s and the actual page size ps a . in this regard , the spine 56 of each actual page 24 a ′ is aligned to the spine 56 of the corresponding nominal page 24 a to preserve spine - binding edge separation δ s . at step 92 , a determination is made whether modified layout description 50 a ′ includes any more binding edges 30 . if so , at step 94 , a binding edge 30 is selected that has not yet been processed , and then the process returns to step 84 to process the new binding edge as described above . if , however , there are no additional binding edges 30 , the process terminates . examples of the operation of steps 82 - 92 are now described using the exemplary layout description 50 a 1 and 50 a 2 illustrated in fig9 a and 9b , respectively . in particular , referring now to fig8 a and 9a , at step 82 , one of binding edges 30 v 1 and 30 v 2 is selected . for example , binding edge 30 v 1 , which is surrounded by adjacent actual pages 24 a 1a ′- 24 1d ′, may be selected . at step 84 , binding edge 30 v 1 is identified as vertical , and therefore the process proceeds to step 86 , wherein for each actual page 24 a 1a ′- 24 a 1d ′, the y - coordinate of the actual page center pc a ( a 1a )- pc a ( a 1d ), respectively , is set to the y - coordinate of the corresponding nominal page center pc n ( a ): pc a ( a 1a ) y = pc n ( a 1a ) y ( 1a ) pc a ( a 1b ) y = pc n ( a 1b ) y ( 1b ) pc a ( a 1c ) y = pc n ( a 1c ) y ( 1c ) pc a ( a 1d ) y = pc n ( a 1d ) y ( 1d ) where pc a ( a 1a ) y is the y - coordinate of pc a ( ala ), pc n ( a 1a ) y is the y - coordinate of nominal page center pc n ( a 1a ), and so on . next , at step 90 , the x - coordinates of actual page centers pc a ( a 1a )- pc a ( a 1d ) are determined based on the locations of selected binding edge 30 v 1 , the spine - binding edge separation δ s , and actual page size ps a . in this regard , the spine 56 1 of each actual page 24 a 1 ′ is aligned to the spine 56 1 of the corresponding nominal page 24 a 1 to preserve spine - binding edge separation δ s . thus , the x - coordinates of actual page centers pc a ( a 1a )- pc a ( a 1d ) are determined as follows : pc a ⁡ ( a 1 ⁢ a ) x = pc a ⁡ ( a 1 ⁢ c ) x = 30 ⁢ v 1 ⁢ x - δ s - ps a ⁡ ( width ) 2 ( 2 ⁢ a ) pc a ⁡ ( a 1 ⁢ b ) x = pc a ⁡ ( a 1 ⁢ d ) x = 30 ⁢ v 1 ⁢ x + δ s + ps a ⁡ ( width ) 2 ( 2 ⁢ b ) where 30 v 1x is the x - coordinate of binding edge 30 v 1 , and ps a ( width ) is the width of actual page size ps a . thus , after completing step 90 , the x - and y - coordinates of each actual page center pc a ( a 1a )- pc a ( a 1d ) are known . next , at step 92 , because layout description 50 a 1 includes an additional binding edge 30 v 2 , the process returns to step 84 to process binding edge 30 v 2 . referring now to fig8 a and 9b , an example of process steps 82 - 92 is described using exemplary layout description 50 a 2 . beginning at step 82 , binding edge 30 h , which is surrounded by adjacent actual pages 24 a 2a ′- 24 a 2d ′, is selected . next , at step 84 , binding edge 30 h is identified as horizontal , and therefore the process proceeds to step 88 , wherein for each actual page 24 a 2a ′- 24 a 2d ′, the x - coordinate of the actual page center pc a ( a 2a )- pc a ( a 2d ), respectively , is set to the x - coordinate of the corresponding nominal page center pc n ( a ): pc a ( a 2a ) x = pc n ( a 2a ) x ( 3a ) pc a ( a 2b ) x = pc n ( a 2b ) x ( 3b ) pc a ( a 2c ) x = pc n ( a 2c ) x ( 3c ) pc a ( a 2d ) x = pc n ( a 2d ) x ( 3d ) next , at step 90 , the y - coordinates of actual page centers pc a ( a 2a )- pc a ( a 2d ) are determined based on the locations of selected binding edge 30 h , the spine - binding edge separation δ s , and actual page size ps a . in this regard , the spine 56 2 of each actual page 24 a 2 ′ is aligned to the spine 56 2 of each corresponding nominal page 24 a 2 to preserve spine - binding edge separation δ s . thus , the y - coordinates of pc a ( a 2a ) and pc a ( a 2b ) are determined as follows : pc a ⁡ ( a 2 ⁢ a ) y = pc a ⁡ ( a 2 ⁢ b ) y = 30 ⁢ h y + δ s + ps a ⁡ ( height ) 2 ( 4 ⁢ a ) pc a ⁡ ( a 2 ⁢ c ) y = pc a ⁡ ( a 2 ⁢ d ) y = 30 ⁢ hy - δ s - ps a ⁡ ( height ) 2 ( 4 ⁢ b ) where 30 h y is the y - coordinate of binding edge 30 h , and ps a ( height ) is the height of actual page size ps a . therefore , after completing step 90 , the x - and y - coordinates of each actual page center pc a ( a 2a )- pc a ( a 2d ) are known . next , at step 92 , because layout description 50 a 2 includes no more binding edges , the process terminates . referring now to fig8 b and 10 , an exemplary process 74 b is described for determining the location of each actual page center pc a for a nominal imposition template 46 that specifies a binding style other than book binding ( e . g ., gangup ). in particular , fig1 a - 10d illustrate various exemplary layout descriptions 50 b 1 , 50 b 2 , 50 b 3 and 50 b 4 that include actual pages 24 b 2 ′. for illustrative purposes , fig1 a - 10d also show corresponding nominal pages 24 b . for clarity , however , bleed marks 28 a , trim marks 28 b and nominal page centers pc n associated with pages 24 b are not shown . referring again to fig8 b , beginning at step 100 , the center axis - page edge separation δ c , the horizontal page separation δ x , and the vertical page separation δ y are retrieved from nominal imposition template 46 . next , at step 102 , for each actual page 24 b ′ located in the centermost rows and columns , the x - and y - coordinates of the actual page center pc a ( b ) are set to values that are centered symmetrically about vertical and horizontal center axes 32 v and 32 h , respectively , while preserving center axis - page edge separation δ c , horizontal page separation δ x and vertical page separation δ y . next , at step 104 , for all other actual pages 24 b ′, the x - and y - coordinates of the each actual page center pc a ( b ) are determined relative to the centermost actual pages 24 b ′, while preserving horizontal page separation δ x and vertical page separation δ y . examples of the operation of steps 102 - 104 are now described using the exemplary layout descriptions 50 b 1 - 50 b 4 illustrated in fig1 a - 10d , respectively . in particular , referring now to fig8 b and 10a , actual pages 24 b 1a ′- 24 b 1h ′ are all located in the centermost rows and columns of layout description 50 b 1 . thus , at step 102 , the x - and y - coordinates of actual page centers pc a ( b 1a )- pc a ( b 1h ), respectively , are set to values that are centered symmetrically about vertical and horizontal center axes 32 v and 32 h , while preserving center axis - page edge separation δ c , horizontal page separation δ x and vertical page separation δ y , as follows : pc a ⁡ ( b 1 ⁢ b ) x = pc a ⁡ ( b 1 ⁢ f ) x = 32 ⁢ v x - δ ⁢ ⁢ c - ps a ⁡ ( width ) 2 ( 5 ⁢ a ) pc a ⁡ ( b 1 ⁢ a ) x = pc a ⁡ ( b 1 ⁢ e ) x = 32 ⁢ v x - δ ⁢ ⁢ c - δ ⁢ ⁢ x - 3 2 ⁡ [ ps a ⁡ ( width ) ] ( 5 ⁢ b ) pc a ⁡ ( b 1 ⁢ a ) y = pc a ⁡ ( b 1 ⁢ b ) y = pc a ⁡ ( b 1 ⁢ c ) y = pc a ⁡ ( b 1 ⁢ d ) y = 32 ⁢ h y + δ ⁢ ⁢ y 2 + ps a ⁡ ( height ) 2 ( 5 ⁢ c ) pc a ⁡ ( b 1 ⁢ c ) x = pc a ⁡ ( b 1 ⁢ g ) x = 32 ⁢ v x + δ ⁢ ⁢ c + ps a ⁡ ( width ) 2 ( 5 ⁢ d ) pc a ⁡ ( b 1 ⁢ d ) x = pc a ⁡ ( b 1 ⁢ h ) x = 32 ⁢ v x + δ ⁢ ⁢ c + δ ⁢ ⁢ x + 3 2 ⁡ [ ps a ⁡ ( width ) ] ( 5 ⁢ e ) pc a ⁡ ( b 1 ⁢ e ) y = pc a ⁡ ( b 1 ⁢ f ) y = pc a ⁡ ( b 1 ⁢ g ) y = pc a ⁡ ( b 1 ⁢ h ) y = 32 ⁢ h y - δ ⁢ ⁢ y 2 - ps a ⁡ ( height ) 2 ( 5 ⁢ f ) where 32 v 1 is the x - coordinate of vertical center axis 32 v , 32 h y is the y - coordinate of horizontal center axis 32 h , ps a ( width ) is the width of actual page size ps a , and ps a ( height ) is the height of actual page size ps a . referring again to fig8 b , at step 104 , because there are no remaining actual pages 24 b 1 ′, process 74 b terminates . referring now to fig8 a and 10b , exemplary process steps 102 - 104 are described using the exemplary layout description 50 b 2 , in which actual pages 24 b 2a ′- 24 b 2f ′ are all located in the centermost rows and columns . thus , at step 102 , the x - and y - coordinates of corresponding actual page centers pc a ( b 2a )- pc a ( b 2f ) are set to values that are centered symmetrically about vertical and horizontal center axes 32 v and 32 h , while preserving center axis - page edge separation δ c ( which is zero in this instance ), horizontal page separation δ x and vertical page separation δ y , as follows : pc a ⁡ ( b 2 ⁢ a ) x = pc a ⁡ ( b 2 ⁢ d ) x = 32 ⁢ v x - δ ⁢ ⁢ x - ps a ⁡ ( width ) ( 6 ⁢ a ) pc a ⁡ ( b 2 ⁢ a ) y = pc a ⁡ ( b 2 ⁢ b ) y = pc a ⁡ ( b 2 ⁢ c ) y = 32 ⁢ h y + δ ⁢ ⁢ y 2 + ps a ⁡ ( height ) 2 ( 6 ⁢ b ) pc a ⁡ ( b 2 ⁢ b ) x = pc a ⁡ ( b 2 ⁢ e ) x = 32 ⁢ v x ( 6 ⁢ c ) pc a ⁡ ( b 2 ⁢ d ) y = pc a ⁡ ( b 2 ⁢ e ) y = pc a ⁡ ( b 2 ⁢ f ) y = 32 ⁢ h y - δ ⁢ ⁢ y 2 - ps a ⁡ ( height ) 2 ( 6 ⁢ d ) pc a ⁡ ( b 2 ⁢ c ) x = pc a ⁡ ( b 2 ⁢ f ) x = 32 ⁢ v x + δ ⁢ ⁢ x + ps a ⁡ ( width ) ( 6 ⁢ e ) referring again to fig8 b , at step 104 , because there are no remaining actual pages 24 b 2 ′, process 74 b terminates . referring now to fig8 b and 10c , exemplary process steps 102 - 104 are described using the exemplary layout description 50 b 3 , in which actual pages 24 b 3b ′, 24 b 3c ′, 24 b 3e ′, 24 b 3f ′, 24 b 3g ′, 24 b 3h ′, 24 b 3j ′ and 24 b 3k ′ are all located in the centermost rows and columns . thus , at step 102 , the x - and y - coordinates of corresponding actual page centers pc a ( b 3b ), pc a ( b 3 c ), pc a ( b 3 e ), pc a ( b 3f ), pc a ( b 3g ), pc a ( b 3h ), pc a ( b 3j ) and pc a ( b 3k ) are set to values that are centered symmetrically about vertical and horizontal center axes 32 v and 32 h , respectively , while preserving center axis - page edge separation δ c , horizontal page separation δ x and vertical page separation δ y , as follows : pc a ⁡ ( b 3 ⁢ b ) x = pc a ⁡ ( b 3 ⁢ f ) x = pc a ⁡ ( b 3 ⁢ j ) x = 32 ⁢ v x - δ ⁢ ⁢ c - ps a ⁡ ( width ) 2 ( 7 ⁢ a ) pc a ⁡ ( b 3 ⁢ b ) y = pc a ⁡ ( b 3 ⁢ c ) y = 32 ⁢ h y + δ ⁢ ⁢ y + ps a ⁡ ( height ) ( 7 ⁢ b ) pc a ⁡ ( b 3 ⁢ c ) x = pc a ⁡ ( b 3 ⁢ g ) x = pc a ⁡ ( b 3 ⁢ k ) x = 32 ⁢ v x + δ ⁢ ⁢ c + ps a ⁡ ( width ) 2 ( 7 ⁢ c ) pc a ⁡ ( b 3 ⁢ e ) y = pc a ⁡ ( b 3 ⁢ f ) y = pc a ⁡ ( b 3 ⁢ g ) y = pc a ⁡ ( b 3 ⁢ h ) = 32 ⁢ h y ( 7 ⁢ d ) pc a ⁡ ( b 3 ⁢ e ) ⁢ x = 32 ⁢ v x - δ ⁢ ⁢ c - δ ⁢ ⁢ x - 3 2 ⁡ [ ps a ⁡ ( width ) ] ( 7 ⁢ e ) pc a ⁡ ( b 3 ⁢ h ) ⁢ x = 32 ⁢ v x + δ ⁢ ⁢ c + δ ⁢ ⁢ x + 3 2 ⁡ [ ps a ⁡ ( width ) ] ( 7 ⁢ f ) pc a ⁡ ( b 3 ⁢ j ) y = pc a ⁡ ( b 3 ⁢ k ) ⁢ y = 32 ⁢ h y - δ ⁢ ⁢ y - ps a ⁡ ( height ) ( 7 ⁢ g ) referring again to fig8 b , at step 104 , for remaining actual pages 24 b 3a ′, 24 b 3d ′, 24 b 3i ′ and 24 b 3l , the x - and y - coordinates of corresponding actual page centers pc a ( b 3a ), pc a ( b 3d ), pc a ( b 3i ) and pc a ( b 3l ) are determined relative to centermost actual pages 24 b 3b ′, 24 b 3c ′, 24 b 3e ′, 24 b 3f ′, 24 b 3g ′, 24 b 3h ′, 24 b 3j ′ and 24 b 3k ′, while preserving horizontal page separation δ x and vertical page separation δ y , as follows : pc a ( b 3a ) x = pc a ( b 3i ) x = pc a ( b 3b ) x − δ x − ps a ( width ) ( 8a ) pc a ( b 3a ) y = pc a ( b 3d ) y = pc a ( b 3e ) y + δ y + ps a ( height ) ( 8b ) pc a ( b 3d ) x = pc a ( b 3l ) x = pc a ( b 3c ) x δ x ps a ( width ) ( 8c ) pc a ( b 3i ) y = pc a ( b 3l ) y = pc a ( b 3e ) y − δ y − ps a ( width ) ( 8d ) referring now to fig8 b and 10d , another example of process steps 102 - 104 will be described using the exemplary layout description 50 b 4 , in which actual pages 24 b 4b ′, 24 b 4d ′, 24 b 4e ′, 24 b 4f ′ and 24 b 4h ′ are all located in the centermost rows and columns . thus , at step 102 , the x - and y - coordinates of corresponding actual page centers pc a ( b 4b ), pc a ( b 4d ), pc a ( b 4e ), pc a ( b 4f ) and pc a ( b 4h ) are set to values that are centered symmetrically about vertical and horizontal center axes 32 v and 32 h , respectively , while preserving center axis - page edge separation δ c ( which is zero in this instance ), horizontal page separation δ x and vertical page separation δ y , as follows : pc a ( b 4b ) x = pc a ( b 4e ) x = pc a ( b 4h ) x = 32 v x ( 9a ) pc a ( b 4b ) y = 32 h y δy + ps a ( height ) ( 9b ) pc a ( b 4d ) x = 32 v x − δx − ps a ( width ) ( 9c ) pc a ( b 4d ) y = pc a ( b 4e ) y = pc a ( b 4f ) y = 32 h y ( 9d ) pc a ( b 4f ) x = 32 v x + δ x + ps a ( width ) ( 9e ) pc a ( b 4h ) y = 32 h y − δ y − ps a ( height ) ( 9f ) next , at step 104 , for remaining actual pages 24 b 4a ′, 24 b 4c ′, 24 b 4g ′ and 24 b 4i , the x - and y - coordinates of corresponding actual page centers pc a ( b 4a ), pc a ( b 4c ), pc a ( b 4g ) and pc a ( b 4i ) are determined relative to centermost actual pages 24 b 4b ′, 24 b 4d ′, 24 b 4h ′, 24 b 4f ′ and 24 b 4h ′, while preserving horizontal page separation δ x and vertical page separation δ y , as follows : pc a ( b 4a ) x = pc a ( b 4g ) x = pc a ( b 4b ) x − δ x − ps a ( width ) ( 10a ) pc a ( b 4a ) y = pc a ( b 4c ) y = pc a ( b 4d ) y δ y + ps a ( height ) ( 10b ) pc a ( b 4c ) x = pc a ( b 4i ) x = pc a ( b 4b ) x + δ x + ps a ( width ) ( 10c ) pc a ( b 4g ) y = pc a ( b 4i ) y = pc a ( bd ) y − δ y − ps a ( height ) ( 10d ) referring again to fig7 , at the completion of step 74 , the location of the actual page center pc a of each actual page 24 ′ has been determined . next , at step 76 , the locations of page - dependent marks 28 ′ associated with each actual page 24 ′ are determined based on the actual page size ps a and actual page center pc a . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that any suitable technique may be used to determine such locations . finally , at step 78 , nominal imposition template 46 is modified by locating actual pages 24 ′ and associated page - dependent marks 28 ′ at the locations determined in steps 74 and 76 . in this regard , nominal pages 24 and associated page - dependent mark objects 28 may be deleted from nominal imposition template 46 and actual pages 24 ′ and associated page - dependent marks 28 ′ may be added to nominal imposition template 46 , or nominal pages 24 and associated page - dependent mark objects 28 may be resized and repositioned as actual pages 24 ′ and associated page - dependent marks 28 ′. exemplary modified imposition layouts 50 a 1 ′ and 50 a 2 ′ including actual pages 24 a 1a ′- 24 a 1d ′ and 24 a 2a ′- 24 a 2d ′, respectively , and their associated page - dependent mark objects 28 ′, are illustrated in fig1 a and 11b , respectively . likewise , exemplary modified imposition layouts 50 b 1 ′, 50 b 2 ′, 50 b 3 ′ and 50 b 4 ′, including actual pages 24 b 1a ′- 24 b 1h ′, 24 b 2a ′- 24 b 2f ′, 24 b 3a ′- 24 b 3l ′ and 24 b 4a ′- 24 b 4i ′, respectively , and their associated page - dependent mark objects 28 ′, are illustrated in fig1 a - 12d , respectively . the foregoing merely illustrates the principles of this invention , and various modifications can be made by persons of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention .	6
fig1 a shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention as implemented in a server on the internet . server 10 includes a computer or computers that perform processing , communication , and data storage to implement the present invention . server 10 includes a processing / learning module 101 that performs various processing functions , and includes a communication interface to transmit and receive data to and from the internet 12 , as well as with database 102 , and is programmed to be operable to learn from experiential feedback data by executing heuristic algorithms . the module 101 contains hardware that is programmed to ascertain a user task / domain by methods to be discussed below . database 102 stores indexes of url data that would allow the module 101 to locate a url on the web that is responsive to a user &# 39 ; s search or mapping request . preferably , the indexes store , in addition to available url information , such as domain name directories , information obtained by web crawlers as well as indexes to web sites and individual pages or other resources generally , and information relating to the experience of the server and corresponding user feedback in previous executions of the service . as the server 10 gains experience and user feedback , heuristic techniques are applied by module 101 to enable the responses returned to users to conform more and more accurately to user expectations . users 11 0 - 11 n can access the internet 12 by means of client computers ( not shown ) either directly or though an internet service provider ( isp ). in discovery searching , the user enters a search term into the browser , or on a form downloaded from the server . in signifier mapping , the user enters a guessed name , or alias , into the browser and submits a query containing the alias to the finder server . the world wide web 14 includes computers supporting http protocol connected to the internet , each computer having associated therewith one or more urls , each of which forming the address of a target resource . other internet information sources , including ftp , gopher and other static information sources are not shown in the figure but can be treated similarly . in addition to be above , the finder server includes operating system servers for external communications with the internet and with resources accessible over the internet . although the present invention is particularly useful in discovering and mapping to internet resources , as was discussed above , the method and apparatus of the present invention can be utilized with any network having distributed resources , and even more generally to any system designed to respond to user commands . fig1 b is a flow diagram illustrating a general technique for obtaining and learning from feedback responses gathered from a large group of people , in the example , users 1 , 2 , . . . n . such a technique can be used in a variety of applications , and in particular in traditional search engines , or in mapping to identify particular web sites , as in alias or signifier mapping . the use of such a technique will result , over time , in an experiential data base useful for application of heuristic algorithms . in fig1 b , users 1 , 2 , . . . n represent a large community of users . in the flow diagram , the flow of query items from the users is indicated by a q , the flow of responses back to the users is indicated by an r , and the flow of feedback results provided by the users &# 39 ; actions , or responses to inquiries , is indicated by an f . as can be seen from the figure , query ( a , 1 ) ( where a is the query term ) is transmitted from user 1 to the service 2 , which can either be a searching or a mapping service . the service has learning processor 4 , which interfaces with a database 6 . the database 6 contains , among other things , indexes and feedback information gathered from previous queries . in response to the query , the user 1 is provided with a response r ( a , 1 ). user 1 then is provided with the opportunity to transmit user feedback ( a , 1 ) to the service 2 . learning processor 4 stores the feedback information in the database 6 , and is programmed with one or more heuristic algorithms enabling it to learn from the feedback information to improve the returned search or mapping results . the feedback provided will improve the results offered , for example by positively weighting results preferred by users , so that , over time , more accurate results can be obtained . as is described above with respect to fig1 a and 1b , feedback can be used to improve search and mapping results by weighting search results on the basis of the feedback information . for example , if the feedback to be used relates to the popularity of a link on a list of such links , the links that are clicked most often would over time be accorded greater weight and appear in a more prominent position in subsequent iterations of the search , for the same search terms . while feedback of a general nature as gathered by the above method is generally valuable to every kind of search , such information would be considerably more valuable if it were filtered to include only feedback from task / domains similar to the one currently being performed . for example , in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , feedback gathered by users doing signifier mapping is stored separately from feedback gathered from users doing discovery searching . similarly , feedback for each of many finer breakdowns of task / domain would also be segregated . in this way , a user is matched with feedback from people doing the same task and / or working in the same semantic domain . in view of the foregoing , in accordance with the present invention , two basic approaches to determining the task / domain to be ( or being ) performed : when the first approach is utilized , the present invention is preferably implemented by creating different search tools for different task / domains . for example , the server preferably includes both a signifier mapping tool as well as a discovery search tool . preferably , in the first approach , the single search service provided by the server asks users to indicate the type of request they are making , such as by selecting from multiple qualifiers , such as a people search that selects for phone or e - mail . alternatively , in a hybrid of the two , the inquiry can be made after an initial search , by asking the user if the results were acceptable and inviting the user to elaborate on the task / domain that is intended while in the course of confirming the results or refining the request . when the second approach is utilized , heuristic techniques are used to track individual behavior and analyze it , in order to break it up into clusters or work episodes that have evident similarity of usage , thus separating task / domain episodes for a given user . the system then isolates the feedback from those task / domains accordingly , and groups feedback from multiple users who seem to be working on similar task / domains together to apply task / domain specific feedback , in isolation from feedback for other task / domains . preferably , click stream traces , such as alexa , or other similar usage trackers , are used to perform such tracking . episodes are preferably modeled in terms of working sets of clicks , pages and links , that are clustered within a predetermined or heuristically defined threshold based on measures of similarity of subject areas or other descriptive metadata , and in activity behavior patterns such as frequency of interactions , clustering of interactions in a given site or set of related sites , etc . tasks have a duration , preferably in terms of number of clicks or , alternatively , in terms of minutes , and are typically contained within a single session . such task / domain identifications and associated learning is treated as a temporary hypothesis subject to confirmation by further feedback and testing . more advanced methods can be used to distinguish and identify overlapping episodes involving multiple distinct task / domains , such as by using heuristic techniques similar to those used for identifying “ episode treatment groups ” in health care claims data streams , such as those described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 835 , 897 to dang . an example of a broad task / domain is signifier / object searching or mapping , searching for specific object types being a finer task / domain . robot command translation is another broad task / domain , as is open - ended discovery searching . constrained discovery searching , such as is currently offered by some search engines , to constrain results to web pages , or news group items , or other specific content types , is yet another task / domain . such task / domains can be defined in increasingly fine terms , from the broad domains currently offered by some search engines ( yellow pages , white pages , email addresses , web pages , usenet pages , etc .) or the finer groupings ( or hierarchies or multidimensional arrays of groupings ) that may be specific to various sub - domains ( such as restaurants in manhattan , corporate web sites , books on programming languages , etc .). such finer breakdowns are commonly found in specialized database search services , such as the zagat guide or the amazon catalog . task / domains may also correspond to the various cubes of multidimensional data associated with specific data mining tasks . by applying the approach of the present invention to assist in distinguishing such task / domains from a single search interface , it becomes possible to create search services that combine levels of breadth of coverage with depth and precision that would not otherwise be achievable . while the present discussion focuses primarily on integrated version of such a search or mapping service , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various distributed and cooperative versions of such techniques ( such as metasearch engines that invoke parallel independent searches or mappings of many sources , domains , and databases , and that variant techniques may be used for each ) may also be developed using the principles described here . fig2 illustrates a first embodiment of the present invention that employs feedback , gathered and segregated by task / domain , in a heuristic manner . for the first embodiment , the user is queried as to which task / domain , or mode , is currently being performed . as shown in the figure , user 5 specifies the task / domain he intends to pursue on a query form , for example by selecting radio buttons on the search form . for purposes of example , in the current iteration illustrated in the figure , the user has selected task / domain i , and the query related to that task / domain is designated q t = i . the query is then parsed to identify the search term or mapping request and any specified attributes , at step s 10 , and is identified as being for task / domain = i . at step s 20 , a lookup is performed by accessing database 10 , which stores index data and task / domain - segregated feedback data . the stored feedback data is segregated for each task / domain t = i . . . t = n . also , in step s 20 , logic combinations if needed for compound natural language or boolean queries are performed , and results are ranked by feedback rating of confidence level , all for the case of t = i . in the preferred embodiment , a list of the top m hits is prepared at step s 40 and presented , as results r t = i , to the user at step s 60 . the user 5 supplies feedback , either explicitly or implicitly , preferably by selecting one or more links and spending varying amounts of time visiting the selected link or links . this user feedback is indicated in the figure as f t = i . at step s 80 , the link selections , and other feedback , such as user responses to inquiries , are monitored . at step s 100 , the selection and other feedback data is recorded , and in step s 110 , applied to feedback weighting algorithms . the results of the weighting are stored in data base 10 for use in subsequent iterations of the method . fig3 illustrates a method in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention in which the user &# 39 ; s task / domain is inferred using heuristic techniques . as illustrated in the figure , the user 5 enters a query relating to a task / domain as yet undetermined by the system . in the figure , the query is designated as q t =? . at step s 200 , the query is parsed for an unspecified task / domain to identify the search term or mapping request and any specified attributes . at step s 202 , the system seeks user history , including current history ( current session ) and prior history , and other data as to the particular user &# 39 ; s task / domain behavior , from user / task / domain associated data database 14 . at step s 204 , the system seeks to recognize known query / task / domain associations based on prior experience with similar queries and behavior patterns of relevant populations of users by tapping into the query / task / domain associations database 12 . at step s 206 , user and query information is combined to infer likely task / domains . this may be based on any of a variety of algorithms which may draw on traditional techniques for inference , mapping , searching , or pattern recognition , which are preferably combined with supplementary learning - based techniques that draw on and heuristically weight the experience feedback on either or both of user / task / domain associations and query / task / domain associations to rank highest the task / domains most commonly associated with the current user and the current query . for each of one or more likely task / domains i 1 , i 2 , . . . i n at step s 208 a list of hits responsive to the query is generated . these lists are generated using index and feedback data stored in database 10 , the data being segregated by task / domain , and only ( or preferentially ) feedback corresponding to the respective task / domain is used in generating the list for the particular task / domain . at step s 210 , one or more hits is presented to the user 5 for each of one or more task / domains . the list are ordered in order of probability . at step s 212 , selection / feedback for hit and associated task / domain are monitored , and at step s 214 , the selection and feedback are recorded . next , at step s 216 , a feedback weighting algorithm is applied to the received information . at step s 218 , appropriate feedback information is fed back to the appropriate database for use in subsequent iterations of the system . fig4 illustrates an example of a data structure that is preferably stored in the database of the present invention . the data structure is shown in the figure in the form of a table , but the actual structure may be in any form capable of representing the matrix defined by the figure . as can be seen from the figure , the database stores queries , gathered from previous experience with users , in addition to initially entered expected common queries which may be derived from conventional indexes or directories ( and this may be done with or without task / domain / domain specificity ). naturally , as the system is used , the number of stored queries obtained in actual usage increases . each query may be stored in several locations . for example , q ( a ) is stored in correspondence with task / domain 1 , as well as in possible correspondence with one or more other task / domains 2 . . . n . the same is true for q ( a ), q ( b ). . . . q ( z ), etc . each query , for each task / domain for which it has been seen and identified to occur , has a set of data associated therewith . examples of such data are shown in the column headings . the “ possible targets ” column includes likely hits t 1 , t 2 , etc ., for the particular query . these targets are stored in association with ranking / weighting factors that may be used to score and order the preference of results , as shown in the headings . note that the ranking of the targets may be different for each task / domain , since different feedback is used to order the targets per task / domain . linked to each of these query / target pairs in the example format shown is a raw score ( sa 1 t 1 , for query a , within task / domain 1 , and having target t 1 ), an experience level ( ea 1 t 1 ), and a probability factor ( pa 1 t 1 ), all specific to the given task / domain ( and thus bayesian ). as feedback enters the system , the index data is updated to reflect the user feedback . the basic task / domain - oriented table shown in the upper portion of fig4 can be extended as shown in the lower portion to allow experience from known task / domains to be used ( with lower assurance of relevance ) for unidentified task / domains ( task / domain x ), much as initial non - feedback - derived data is used , thus making maximum use of all experience . that data can be organized in alternative ways , which may be more efficient or easy to program , including adding additional columns for such data . here a duplicate set of listings is maintained , with raw scores and experience levels that are low relative to the total domain ( e . g ., n total experience values for task / domain i , out of m values for all task / domains ), leading to a lower probability factor for unidentified task / domains . for identified task / domains , the experience set is a fraction of the total so a given experience level warrants a higher probability factor within that domain . thus initial loading of the table could be for task / domain = x , if general data is obtained from a non - task / domain specific learning process , and even if started with task / domain - oriented learning , would be heavily loaded with the unidentified task / domain = x until significant task / domain - specific data could be learned . in general , bayesian probability analysis techniques may be employed to make maximum use of the task / domain that queries and feedback information are known or inferred to relate to . the possible targets are urls ( in the web case ), and shown here as t 1 , t 2 , . . . . the experience level indicates the number of feedback instances corresponding to a given raw score for a given target as relating to a given query for a given task / domain . the section for task / domains 1 - n is for data corresponding to experience for known task / domains , for application to queries for known task / domains . the section for task / domain = x is for experience data ( or other pre - loaded index data ) not identifiable with any task / domain . the experience level is eaxt 1 , which taken alone leads to a probability paxt 1 for an unknown task / domain , just as with learning - based techniques that are non - task / domain specific . such a probability would generally be lower than in the case where the task / domain was known . the sections x 1 - x n are for supplemental tracking of experience obtained for known task / domains 1 - n , but showing reduced experience and probability levels for application of that data for use in broader cases where the task / domain ( for a subsequent query ) is unknown ( just as for the task / domain - x case ). where a given query q ( a ) has not been identified with a task / domain , but is found to occur in multiple rows ( in the lower sections , for use for subsequent unknown task / domains ), corresponding to task / domain experience from multiple task / domains ( or the unknown task / domain ), as shown for x , x 1 , and x 2 , the algorithm could apply all of that experience by adjusting the raw scores in light of the experience levels to calculate a composite probability level ( not shown ). these experience levels would relate the level of experience relative to the total experience for all task / domains , unlike the known - domain experience levels , which are local to that task / domain , and relative only to that body of experience . this is because a relatively small experience base may lead to high confidence within a task / domain , but low confidence relative to a larger universe of data for an uncertain mix of task / domains . in general , experience levels indicate the number of relevant feedback responses out of a total experience base , both for an identified task / domain and globally . where a query task / domain is known , only the portion of experience for that task / domain would be most relevant , but where it is not known , then a wider base must be assessed — a variety of bayesian or other probabilistic inference techniques can be applied in such cases . if an unknown query is matched to a set of rows corresponding to a set of task / domains , that allows inference that it might relate the query to one of those task / domains . if one such task / domain dominates , its probability of being the intended task / domain can be presumed to be higher . thus this matching of task / domains and weighting with their levels of experience enables inference of likely intended task / domains in the implicit case . just as with the signifier mapping problem ( non task / domain specific ), in which we can assign relative probabilities based on the relative frequency of positive feedback for a possible mapping , we can do the same here for mappings of queries to task / domains based on the relative frequency of cases where such mappings of a query to one or more task / domains have been established , and can set thresholds for confidence that a possible mapping to a task / domain is the intended mapping . also shown is one of many possible ways to deal with compound queries , such as those containing phrases or boolean expressions . these could be addressed simply by applying appropriate logic to the table entries for each of their component elements , but additional precision in maintaining and applying feedback can be achieved by maintaining such data for each specific compound query ( possibly bounded by some complexity limit , such as no more than n elements ). in this example , each compound query is treated as a distinct query , with its own row , and its own associated experience and scores . note that in the table example shown , the column headed compound simply contains flags that denote which queries are compound ( and the indications “ single element ” and “ compound ” are clarifications to the reader that would not actually be stored in the table ). while the index shows preferred weighting criteria , these are only a sample of the kind of criteria that can be correlated to the query / target pairs . in a simple embodiment , the raw score would be based only on feedback on selections of hits . other embodiments could add feedback data on time spent at a target and explicit feedback on relevance . additional variations would include weighting based on the recency of the feedback , and on the inclusion of non - feedback data , such as the various syntactic and semantic criteria used for relevance weighting by conventional search engines . fig5 a illustrates a preferred technique for weighting the results from a particular task / domain i , using feedback data for single results presented to the user , as in probable results from signifier mapping . in step s 30 , if the user feedback from the probable result indicates that the probable was in fact the target the user was searching for , the flow proceeds to step s 32 where the raw score for that query / target pair is incremented by factor yi . if the user returns feedback indicating that the probable was not the target resource the user had in mind , the flow proceeds to step s 34 where the raw score for that query / target pair is decremented by factor ni . if the user provides no feedback , then the flow proceeds to step s 36 where the raw score is decremented by factor oi , which can be zero . after execution of any of steps s 32 , s 34 or s 36 , the flow proceeds to step s 38 , at which the experience level score is incremented by efactor ci . fig5 b illustrates a preferred technique for weighting in accordance with user feedback in the case of possibles , i . e ., items on the list presented to the user when no probable result can be located . as shown in the figure , if a possible is selected by the user from the presented list , at step s 40 , the fact of selection is recognized , preferably by use of a redirect server that allows the system to keep track of which link was chosen . additionally , the amount of time the user spends at the selected link may be ascertained . making use of the information gathered in the redirect and such other feedback as may be obtained , the raw score for the query / target pair is incremented , at step s 44 , by factor si . the user is then requested to provide additional feedback after the user has finished viewing the link . special conditions apply for initial processing for task / domains for which little or no specific learning experience has yet been gained . such conditions may persist for infrequently occurring or new task / domains . here the idea is to build an index table as for the non - task / domain specific case , and use that to the extent useful . this is shown in the task / domain = x section of the table , which includes data that is not identifiable with any task / domain . this will accumulate experience across all task / domains . lacking a task / domain specificity , the probability factor for a given task / domain based on that data would be lower than experience that is known to relate to that task / domain . note that for the procedure illustrated in fig3 , this same structure can be used both to infer the task / domain and then to find the result . given q ( i ), the task / domain is inferred by searching for all q ( i ), and then getting the corresponding task / domains . additional information about the user and his history and prior queries from the user / task / domain association data would be used to try to rank the likely task / domains . such information could indicate that the last 4 queries from the user were in task / domain j , which would raise the likelihood for j and lower it for others , and that that user has never been known to make queries in domains other than j , k , l , and m , which would raise the likelihood for those task / domains and lower it for others . as will be expanded upon later , the embodiment of the inventive techniques that has been described and will be further expanded here applies group feedback to the individual &# 39 ; s personal search tasks . the same methods can also be used throughout on a single - user basis , using that individual &# 39 ; s feedback alone . this can be done by segregating each user &# 39 ; s feedback into a more finely structured database , or by retaining and tagging individual feedback elements with user identifiers within the group feedback database ( or simply by use in a single - user system ). thus in addition to user / task associations and query / task associations , the database would retain user / query association feedback . group feedback will be more extensive than individual feedback , and can anticipate the user &# 39 ; s needs based on the experience of others in areas for which no individual feedback has yet been obtained , but in some cases individual feedback may be more accurately matched to a user &# 39 ; s intent , especially in cases where a user is doing repeated searches or searches similar to those seen previously for that user . thus an alternate embodiment would apply these techniques based on the individual data alone . a preferred embodiment would apply both in combination , using weighting techniques to obtain a composite preference score that factors in both group and individual feedback . such weightings could be fixed , adjustable by users , or varied based on various heuristics such as one based on the relative amounts of each kind of feedback , one based on the degree to which a given user is found to be typical or unusual relative to the population , or some combination of such factors . the above discussion has focused on ways to perform domain segmentation in the web as it currently exists . however , semantic metadata , such as data types and name - value pairs , is a powerful tool for making explicit the natural domain segmentation of searching tasks . for example , a search for “ the times review of the king book ” can exploit the fact , if stated , or the inference , if discernible by examination of semantic metadata , that the times is intended to be a publication name and that king is intended to be an author . in a database where such semantic metadata is explicit and readily accessible , its availability permits the full power of the feedback learning discussed above applied to a specific task / domain to be tightly focused . as was discussed above , the use of feedback and heuristics becomes increasingly well - focused and useful when the feedback and learning is segmented into task / domains . however there has been no prior consideration of the added value of feedback in traditional isolated search systems like lexis / nexis or medline which have user populations that are too small to make feedback heuristics very effective . moreover , feedback driven heuristics are much more effective over the large user populations of the web . however , the current web does not generally provide semantic metadata in any consistent or readily accessible form , if at all . however , that is expected to change . a vision of this change is presented in tim berners - lee &# 39 ; s papers on the “ semantic web ” of september 1998 , and is reflected in the rapidly expanding work surrounding extensible markup language ( xml ), resource description framework ( rdf ), and other related standards for embedding semantic metadata into the web . these standards will encourage explicit inclusion of semantic metadata in web content , and provide for efficient access to and manipulation of such data . as the semantic web emerges , it will be practical to utilize the techniques of the present invention as discussed above , to segment user feedback data into task / domains based on semantic types . searching can then exploit that information in several ways : explicit entry of semantic domain information into queries , as in the example above . this is similar to the explicit identification of task / domains discussed above , but has added utility and greater likelihood of user acceptance because it directly exploits stored metadata that may be known to the user to be available to facilitate the search . use for segmented task / domain specific feedback heuristics is just one of many way to exploit such explicit semantics . natural language understanding to infer such information . again feedback heuristics is a technique that can work with semantic metadata . use of feedback heuristics itself at a higher level to rank the domains ( or vocabularies ) most commonly associated with a specific query . this opens an additional level of utility to the use of such techniques . in the latter case , the inference of the intended semantic domain is itself a task / domain to which feedback heuristics can be applied . the higher level task / domain is a signifier mapping ( or robot command translation ), namely to determine the intended semantics ( vocabulary ) of the query — for example , that times is a pub - name , review a content - type , and king an author . the second level task / domain is then to find the item ( s ) that satisfy the query which may be either a signifier mapping task / domain , or a discovery searching task / domain . these two task / domains are logically distinct but interrelated . in practice they may be best addressed in combination , just as people heuristically use the knowledge that the times is a popular publication that includes book reviews to understand that meaning of times is intended in this context . for example , if the semantic type or class of search is not specified , the results of this two level feedback heuristic process could be expressed as : where type indicates an inferred task / domain . these would be presented in order of experiential popularity , and the depth in each type also would depend on relative popularity . naturally , for signifier mapping task / domains , the objective would be to select the one likely intended object whenever that can be identified with high enough confidence . related to rdf and the problems of searching is the concept of vocabularies . different task / domains use different vocabularies . rdf provides a metadata structure for defining such vocabularies and relating them to one another . an aspect of this is the fact that task / domain - specific feedback can be segmented with respect to such vocabularies . in fact , as noted above , feedback heuristics can be applied on two levels , one for determining which vocabulary or semantic element is intended , and one for finding items that match the query specified in terms of that vocabulary or element . in exploiting natural language , a simple level of understanding could exploit basic cues , such as “ the times review of the king book ” as signifying a signifier search task / domain , versus “ a times review of a king book ” as signifying a discovery search task / domain . for simple signifier searching , “ the ibm site ” or “ the white house site ” could be inferred to intend signifier searches for the corresponding site , as opposed to the inference that the intent is for discovery searches for “ ibm ” or “ the white house ” which seek all sufficiently relevant content . task / domain segmentation is a powerful way of improving the effectiveness of feedback heuristics . further , the future of the semantic web will provide the required combination of a large community and availability of useful semantic metadata to make such feedback heuristics techniques practical and important . considering a finer breakdown of semantic information can further enhance the techniques described so far . task / domains , as they represent domains of discourse , are broad areas of information or semantic domains , which include a variety of rich information in complex structures of topical categories . task / domains in the broadest sense should be understood as the groupings of all related schema or vocabularies , as well as their constituent categories in a given task / domain area , subject area , or semantic domain . a task / domain can correspond to one or more given vocabularies , or xml document type definitions ( dtds ), or schema ( these terms are more or less used interchangeably ). these are referred to herein as generic task / domains . examples might be publications or real estate . topical categories are specific types of information and their instance values , such as the times as a publication and king as an author , or apartments as a property type and los angeles as a location . these may correspond to specific semantic categories within a vocabulary ( propertytypes in an rdf vocabulary ) or specific field type metadata tags in an xml schema . further , it is useful to distinguish types of categories or metadata or data fields from values or instances of categories or field types . for example , author or location is a type , king or los angeles is a value . in rdf a value would be a property — the value of a propertytype for a resource . thus within a generic task / domain we can distinguish at least these four levels : 2 . any of many specific instances of named vocabularies or schemas . for example , there may be many library catalog or purchase order vocabularies , each with similar category / metadata types , and specific instances , each with specifically defined category metadata types and allowed values ; 4 . the specific category / metadata instance values for a given type or field name . individual query terms may most commonly refer to elements at level # 3 or # 4 , but can refer to any of these levels . learning and task / domain segmentation ( tds ) can be applied independently at any of the four levels of query terms , categories , and task / domains , or to any or all in combination . in the above discussion , the term task / domain was used loosely to apply to any or all of these levels of semantic structure . the principles of grouping search experience and segmenting learning are common to all . algorithms such as those described can be used at any of these four levels , with varying degrees of utility , depending on the details of the method and the task / domain at hand . the explicit declaration of semantics in the semantic web will also facilitate the task of defining task / domains , whether for explicit or implicit use in searching . the identification of vocabularies , dtds and schema is related to the task / domain as outlined above , and the discovery of new defined vocabularies and schema ( offline , or during spidering ) can be taken as a cue that there may be associated new task / domains . heuristics can be used to assist in or control the process of defining task / domains , both in terms of user behavior as described above , and in terms of declared ( or inferred ) object semantics ( by categorization , clustering , etc .). as noted earlier and will be expanded upon later , the embodiment of the inventive techniques primarily here described applies group feedback to the individual &# 39 ; s search tasks . the same methods can also be used throughout on a single user basis , using that individual &# 39 ; s feedback alone . thus an alternate embodiment would apply these techniques based on the individual data alone , and a preferred embodiment would apply both in combination . the core intent of the semantic web is to allow clear specification of low - level semantics ( level # 3 and # 4 , element types / values ) by declaring a named vocabulary and identifying data instances with the element or category type they refer to . thus they declare that king is an author or los angeles is a location . searching for information in terms of those declared semantics is an intended capability , and one of the prime drivers for declaring semantics . use of the feedback learning techniques as described herein builds directly on that intent . at one level higher ( level # 2 , “ vocabularies ”) the knowledge that an item ( or “ resource ”) is declared to use a specific vocabulary or dtd or schema is similarly useful in identifying the task / domain that the item belongs to . thus regardless of the matching of any query terms to specific element metadata ( categories / fieldnames / values ), the matching to a relevant named vocabulary , dtd , or schema provides a very useful indicator of relevance . this indicator can be used in task / domain learning ( with either explicit or implicit recognition of query task / domains ). this provides a relatively simple way to exploit any explicit semantic data that may be useful . it can be applied just by giving preferential ranking to any item that has associated semantic data that seems to be relevant , even where such data is sparsely available , and without understanding or applying the details of such data , and thus can be useful long before the semantic web is well developed . at the still - higher generic task / domain level (# 1 , generic task / domains ), the same is true . further use of explicit semantic information will now be described . this explicit hierarchy of declared semantic data can be exploited by simple techniques of recognizing the stated hierarchy and using it for inferences in support of searching . the task here is to match the stated hierarchy of the declared semantics with a corresponding hierarchy of search terms , and to make appropriate inferences based on the knowledge of both hierarchies . this is done by maintaining this hierarchy specification data and relating it to the index tables ( either integrated into them or as associated tables ), and similar hierarchy data for query interpretation and processing . for example : if a query is for “ the times review of the king book ,” the recognition that review may correspond to a named vocabulary which contains authors and books , can be used to give preferred ranking to items that use that vocabulary , and which declare that king is an author and the times is a publication . an item containing text that lacked these semantic relationships ( such as “ the troops will be ready for review by the king at all times ”) would be ranked lower . if a user enters an explicit task / domain of book reviews ( or it has been inferred that that is the task / domain ), and it is known that there are several vocabularies commonly used for book reviews , items that use those vocabularies would be preferred , and occurrences of king or times that are identified as author and publication would also be preferred . it is evident from these examples that the inherent semantic relationship of categories or metadata types to task / domains , vocabularies , or schema affords opportunities to apply knowledge of these semantic relationships to aid in searching in ways that can be independent of the learning - based techniques explained previously . this direct knowledge of semantic relationships can be added into any process of organizing and ranking index entries to respond to queries . such knowledge can be obtained directly by analysis of xml schema , dtds , or other vocabulary specifications . such specifications may be embedded in xml documents or database elements or separately obtainable . this knowledge can be encoded into search index tables and used in rankings much as feedback data and corresponding probabilities as described for learning - based tds . in this aspect there is need be no learning , and rather than probabalistic inference , the weightings are done in terms of the semantic correlations derived from the specification of the vocabulary or schema . such inferences could be integrated with learning - based inferences to provide enhanced results . in other words , a variety of both learned and specified relationships between search query terms , category types / values , and task / domain types / instances can be used in combination to infer the best responses to a query . totally unrelated to the learning techniques , a variety of logic techniques can be used to request or infer the task / domain or vocabulary type that corresponds to a query . this can then be used to refine and rank the results set of a search using any kind of search algorithm . conventional query parsing and analysis techniques can be used to extract query terms that may have apparent inferred relationship to specific task / domain or schema or vocabulary instances or to broader types of task / domain or schema or vocabularies ( families or classes , such as real estate listings or parts catalogs ). items that are known to be specified in terms of such task / domain semantics would be preferentially ranked . natural language and semantic analysis techniques can also be used to enhance such inferences . explicit requests of task / domain or schema or vocabulary instance can be used to qualify searches and eliminate extraneous results not relevant to that task / domain . this can exploit readily obtainable information that relates target items to specific vocabularies or schemas or dtds . explicit requests of task / domain or schema or vocabulary type can also be used to qualify searches . this can exploit information that relates target items to vocabularies , which in turn can be related to the specified vocabulary types . thus , whether using learning techniques or not , the emergence of the semantic web and similar uses of metadata vocabularies provides a new level of access to richly explicit semantic data that is specifically structured for easy use in automated systems . this data can be used to : identify task / domains , and specific defined vocabularies or schema which may be used to limit search results ( and to establish additional relationships ); and establish relationships between query terms or categories and other terms or categories that may be helpful in identifying desired search items . such data will be readily obtained in the course of web crawling or spidering techniques such as are already used to build search engine indexes . network accessible items will generally contain this semantic information directly , or by specific reference in the form a link . what had previously been a difficult task of trying to infer the semantics of an information item will be easy given such explicit semantic data . use of such semantic data for searches that explicitly reference specific field types and values derives closely from the basic intent of such semantic data , but uses in the indirect ways described here add the kind of richness and subtlety that has not been achievable in attempts to make inferences relating to bodies of information in which the semantics was not explicit . the instance given above , resolving the query for “ the times review of the king book ” based on identification of schema for “ reviews ” is an example of the kind of leverage that is afforded by drawing on explicit semantics to making simple inference based on this semantic hierarchy . while the task / domain segmentation of the present invention has been discussed primarily in terms of its applicability to searching the web , the concept has much broader applicability . for example , in the area of robot control , the above techniques can be used to allow a robot to understand more readily the actual intent of a command . for example , in the n & gt ; 1 case , analogous to discovery searching , the robot command may be performable in many ways , such as “ direct the excess inventory out of the active holding bin ,” allowing the robot to find any of several allowed places to move the inventory to . the learning techniques discussed above can be utilized , in a task specific manner , to allow the robot to determine an acceptable course of action in response to the command . in the n = 1 case , analogous to signifier mapping , feedback heuristics can be utilized in a task - specific manner , to assist the robot in determining the one acceptable action to be taken in response to the command such as “ direct the excess inventory to the secondary holding bin .” in each case there needs to be a mechanism to obtain feedback , and to pool all feedback from multiple users . if the task is done on the web this is as described above . if in the real world , this would require ways to get feedback ( audible , written , or direct computer entry , etc .) of whether commands were interpreted correctly , and to transmit the results to a central database and learning system that could pool the feedback to update the database . this database ( or relevant portions ) could then be redistributed back to update the local database to control the local robot device using the request processing logic described . for example , a tv could be adapted to use voice recognition , or entry from a remote control to collect feedback , and could use an internet link to send in the feedback and get back updated control databases . given this distribution of task / domains and information flow , the technique works pretty much as described for web searching / mapping ( except that in the case of the tv it would vary with current programming , and preferably be adapted to changing its learning as the schedule changes ). furthermore , a post office zip code scanner could be adapted to receive feedback on routings that would be , for example , entered by local post offices or deliverymen , with computers or handheld devices ( like ups package tracking devices ). similar adaptation could be made to plant floor robots . it should also be noted , as outlined earlier that multiple distributed search / mapping services can be used to partition the learning process outlined here to more conveniently deal with large numbers of task / domains , or for reasons of scale , business competition , specialization , localized access to specific resource pools or databases , etc . these services could be coordinated for use as a distributed system , or used without any coordination by superimposing an over - arching metasearch service . to provide additional background on the feedback - learning techniques applied here , as a general matter , the present invention relates to a technique that collects experience ( a knowledge base ) from a mass population that is open ended or universal , either over all domains , or over some definable subject or interest domain or strata . this represents a significant improvement over prior art learning techniques , which are generally limited in the scope of the population and extent of experience from which they draw their knowledge base . the technique of the present invention , in a preferred embodiment , uses the internet to do this in a way that is powerful , economical , and far - reaching . the technique , in the preferred embodiment , uses the internet to enable collection and maintenance of a far more complete knowledge base than has been used with any prior technique except collaborative filtering ( cf ). in the present invention feedback learning is advantageously utilized , so that the information is not just collected , but refined based on feedback on the accuracy of prior inferences . in its broad sense the present invention constitutes a kind of “ population cybernetics ,” in that the learning does not just collect a linear knowledge base , but uses a feedback loop control process to amplify and converge it based on the results of prior inferences , and that it works over an entire population that is open , infinite , and inclusive . this is in contrast to prior learning techniques , which draw on necessarily finite , closed populations . some specific techniques applicable to collecting feedback data for use as described above are here described in further detail . in the preferred embodiment , when a link on a list of possibles is selected by the user , rather than connect the user immediately to the chosen link , the finder server first redirects the user to a redirect server where feedback data relating to the selection can be gathered . one item of feedback that may be obtained in this manner is the very fact of the selection . further feedback can be obtained by additional means , such as monitoring how long the user spends at the selected link , and by directly querying the user . the redirect linking technique uses the target url as a server parameter within a composite url to control the intermediate server parameter within the url to control the intermediate server . the target url is embedded as a server parameter within a url that addresses the redirect server , and the url parameter is used to control the intermediate server process . thus a server is called with a first url , which is a redirect url that specifies the second url , i . e ., the target url , as a parameter . for example where redirector . com is the intermediate server url , query12345678 is a unique identifier of the user - query combination , and targetserver . com / targetpath1 / targetpage1 . htm is the target url . the network ignores the parameter portion of the url , which is passed as data to the server . the server acts on the parameter to perform desired intermediary processing , in this case , the logging of the fact that this link was clicked in response to query12345678 , and to redirect the user to the intended location specified by the second url . the token query12345678 could be a unique identifier corresponding to a logged user - query entry , or it could be the actual query string . the delay required for the redirect provides the opportunity for additional user feedback to be solicited during the delay , and the connection to the targeted url can be aborted if the user indicates that the target site is not the one he or she intended . in addition to using the redirect when a link is selected , the technique also preferably is used when an exact match is found , to provide a brief delay before connecting the user to the exact match , to present advertisements and to give the user the time to abort the connection . in any event , the user preferably is given the opportunity to provide feedback after connecting to any site , whether directly as a result of an exact match , or as a result of selecting from a linked possibles list . the redirect server of the present invention allows data to be gathered on each link as it is followed and redirected . the redirect link can be created in a simple static html . however , it is preferable to create the link dynamically for each user selection . the finder is setup to recognize the feedback function , possibly as a cgi or other gateway / api function , and invoke the appropriate function to parse the url or other data ( referer , cookies , etc . ), extract the target url and feedback information for processing , and return a page containing a redirect ( or use framing or other means ) to take the user to the desired target . further techniques are applicable so that correction after arrival at a wrong site can be made relatively painless by allowing a subsequent request to indicate an error in a way that ties to the prior request and adds information . for example a request , guessfinder . com / lionking , that located the movie but was meant to find the play could be corrected by entering guessfinder . com / lionking / play . a more efficient coding might explicitly indicate an error , such as guessfinder . com /!/ lionking / play . even with the error , this would be quicker and easier than conventional methods . note that this example was illustrated with the direct url coding techniques described below . similar post - arrival corrections can be made with other user interface techniques , such as a frame header that includes appropriate user interface controls to report feedback , much as conventional search engines allow for “ refinement ” of prior searches . correction in - flight can be achieved by using the existing visibility of the redirect page , or enhancing it . when a redirect page is received by a user &# 39 ; s browser , it appears for a short time ( as specified with an html refresh parameter ) while the target page is being obtained . in addition to affording a way to optionally present revenue - generating ( interstitial ) advertising content , that page preferably lists the redirection target , as well as alternatives , allowing the user to see the resolution in time to interrupt it . this is most useful with a browser that permits a redirect to be stopped in mid - stream by clicking the stop button , leaving the redirect page on display , and allowing a correct selection among alternative links to be made . alternately , a multi - frame ( multi - pane ) display could be used to allow a control frame to remain visible while the target page is loading in a results frame . as noted above , the embodiment of the inventive techniques that has been primarily described applies group feedback to the individual &# 39 ; s personal search tasks to gain the benefits of the experience of a large population of users . the same methods can also be used throughout on a single user basis , using that individual &# 39 ; s feedback alone . group feedback will be more extensive than individual feedback , and can anticipate the user &# 39 ; s needs based on the experience of others in areas for which no individual feedback has yet been obtained , but in some cases individual feedback may be more accurately matched to a user &# 39 ; s intent , especially in cases where a user is doing repeated searches or searches similar to those seen previously . thus alternate embodiments would apply these techniques based on the individual data alone to do learning for that user . a preferred embodiment would apply both levels of feedback in combination , using weighting techniques to obtain a composite preference score that factors in both group and individual feedback . such weightings could be fixed , adjustable by users , or varied based on various heuristics such as one based on the relative amounts of each kind of feedback , one based on the degree to which a given user is found to be typical or unusual relative to the population , or some combination of such factors . such a combined technique would apply the same core mechanisms to collect and retain feedback data , and would apply the most detailed and complete level of feedback to the learning process . a further extension that exploits individual and group feedback is to use collaborative filtering techniques applied to the search behavior data described above to find sets of users who are similar to the current user , and to weight the feedback from those users preferentially . such cf methods could determine similarity across many task / domains , or within a single task / domain , or a weighted combination of both . this could further exploit the available data by considering and effectively weighting experience outside the immediate task / domain , as well as subsets of experience within the immediate task / domain . related refinements could segregate user groups according to any of a variety of measures of authority or expertise in the relevant task / domain . such measures of authority could be externally derived , or based on inferred relationships ( much like the authority rankings in the google and clever search systems ). weightings can be applied both to the authority of individual feedback , and to the authority ( or imputed value ) of target pages . a preferred embodiment of the latter would take the google / clever approaches that use the number of links to a page as an authority weighting factor , and preferentially weighting links from other pages determined to be in the relevant task / domain based on searcher feedback . current systems attempt to segregate authorities into topics , but do not apply user / searcher feedback to that effort . in addition to the applications listed above , the methods described here for applying population cybernetics with task / domain segmentation may be applied to many other activities , such as those which may fall into the broad category of artificial intelligence . natural language translation is one such task . here the discrete decisions of translation are analogous to the robot translation examples above , with the segmented task / domain indexes having correspondence to the alternative dictionaries , grammars , and semantic nets that may be applied in nl translation tasks , but the discrete decisions have a different time pattern , in that a full translation ( many decisions ) may typically be done at once , and feedback then is gained in batches , first from an original translator / editor , then possibly from others . in this case , the translation of a work would be a task episode , and task / domain selections would relate to that episode ( or to a hierarchy of sub - episodes for various sections of the work ). additional feedback data would be stored to maintain details on those relationships . subsequent translation editors and readers could review the result , and add their own corrections or adjustments , for which similar feedback would be tracked . this could enable the dictionaries to be extended with new translations or variant versions , and for weightings to learn which dictionary versions are most effective for which texts ( as well as for various larger groupings of texts into corpi ). here again there can be continual refinement based on collective intelligence , and selective weighting by assigned or inferred levels of authority ( including certified translators , uncertified translators , and general readers ). these techniques would apply not only to dictionary words and phrases , but also to grammars , semantic nets , alternative algorithms , etc .). translators and readers could be shown a suggested translation , as well as possible alternatives , as described for searching above , either in a standard display with visible annotations , or based on some simple interaction such as a mouse - over to pop up alternatives , and solicited to indicate if an alternative is preferred . that individual might then see the translation version they specified , and other subsequent viewers might see a newly weighted translation version that reflects the added input . by using such techniques , a collaborative process of continual refinement based on collective intelligence can be applied at various levels up to an open ended set of translations of all content , such as on the entire internet . similarly , these techniques can be applied to other nl processing , and to other areas of ai . the above embodiments of the present invention have been described for purposes of illustrating how the invention may be made and used . the examples are relatively simple illustrations of the general nature of the many possible algorithms for applying task / domain information , semantic metadata , and feedback data that are possible . however , it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments and that other variations and modifications of the invention and its various aspects will become apparent , after having read this disclosure , to those skilled in the art , all such variations and modifications being contemplated as falling within the scope of the invention , which is defined by the appended claims .	6
except for the novel temperatures employed , the ammonolysis is conducted by known techniques , such as those of seyferth et al . and takamizawa et al ., the teachings of both of which are incorporated herein in toto by reference . thus , the organohalosilane may be any such compound capable of reacting with ammonia to form an organosilazane but is preferably one or more compounds selected from organodihalosilanes and organotrihalosilanes and is most preferably methyldichlorosilane . also , the solvent may be any suitable organic solvent but is usually a hydrocarbon , such as pentane , hexane , benzene , toluene , xylene , etc ., or an ether , such as diethyl ether , tetrahydrofuran , tetrahydropyran , 1 , 4 - dioxane , etc ., and is preferably tetrahydrofuran . moreover , as in the known reactions , it is desirable to feed the ammonia at a rate such as to permit control of the exothermic reaction and to conduct the reaction in a dry atmosphere . the point of novelty of the invention is the use of a temperature of about 15 °- 23 ° c ., preferably about 15 °- 20 ° c . the use of these temperatures leads to the formation of organosilazanes having higher molecular weights than corresponding ammonolysis products prepared at higher or lower temperatures , an effect that is surprising for two reasons . first , if it had been expected that the ammonolysis temperature would affect the molecular weight of the organosilazane , it would have been thought that the temperature effect would be consistent with a raising or lowering of the temperature rather than that there would be a peak in molecular weight at an intermediate temperature . second , since the art suggests that one should maintain a low ammonolysis temperature , it would not have been anticipated that improved results would be obtained at higher temperatures . after completion of the ammonolysis , the organosilazane produced may be polymerized to a polysilazane by known techniques , such as those of seyferth et al . or takamizawa et al . or analogous processes using the transition metal catalysts of zoeckler et al . or blum et al ., the teachings of both of which are incorporated herein by reference . in the metal hydride catalyzed polymerization processes the organosilazanes prepared by the ammonolysis process of the present invention have the advantage of polymerizing to a given molecular weight in a shorter time or polymerizing to a higher molecular weight in a given time than organosilazanes prepared at higher or lower temperatures . the following examples are given to illustrate the invention and are not intended as a limitation thereof . a suitable reaction vessel was charged with about 590 g of anhydrous tetrahydrofuran at about 20 ° c ., after which 59 . 6 g ( 0 . 52 mol ) of methyldichlorosilane was added , and stirring at about 200 rpm was begun . a slow steady stream of 27 . 8 g ( 1 . 63 mols ) of anhydrous ammonia gas was introduced into the vessel at a flow rate such that the reaction temperature stayed at about 20 ° c . then the reaction mixture was stirred at 20 ° c . for about 24 hours , after which the coolant flow to the reactor jacket was shut off , and the system was put under gentle nitrogen purge to allow the majority of the excess ammonia to vent off . subsequently the reaction vessel was pressurized with sufficient nitrogen gas to force the product mass out of the reactor , and the products were filtered through a 0 . 2 - micrometer filter . the molecular weight of the product as measured by gpc is shown in table i . the clear filtrate from part a was discharged into a polymerization vessel and chilled to 0 . c ., and 0 . 373 g ( 0 . 009 mol ) of potassium hydride powder was added to begin the polymerization . the progress of polymerization was monitored by taking aliquots of the reaction mixture at various time intervals and analyzing with gpc . the reaction mixture was maintained at 0 ° c . for 22 hours , after which the reaction was quenched by adding about 4 . 34 g of dimethylchlorosilane to the polymerization solution . the solution was then allowed to warm gradually to about 22 ° c . after about 24 hours , ammonia gas was purged through the solution to neutralize the excess quenching agent . the resulting solution was filtered by passing through a 0 . 2 - micrometer filter . the molecular weight of the polymer as measured by gpc is shown in table i . four ammonolysis / polymerization series were conducted by repeating example i except for using , respectively , - 20 ° c ., 0 ° c ., 30 ° c ., and 38 ° c . as the ammonolysis temperatures . the gpc molecular weights of the ammonolysis products and polymers are shown in table i . table i______________________________________ammonolysis gpc molecular weighttemp ., ° c . ammonolysis product polymer______________________________________ - 20 240 6200 0 260 850020 280 1200030 240 490038 205 6300______________________________________ it is obvious that many variations may be made in the products and processes set forth above without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention .	2
fig1 shows , schematically and in a highly simplified manner , how the method according to the invention can be integrated into a thread production or thread processing process 2 , the cabling or twisting process here . after the cabling / twisting 2 , the thread 1 is transferred into the system 5 by an entry sluice 4 . once the desired effect has been given in the system 5 and has then been set , the thread 1 arrives through an exit sluice 6 back into the atmosphere in order to then be wound in the winding device 7 on the cross - wound bobbin 9 held by a creel 8 . this means that the thread 1 runs untreated into the system 5 and leaves the system completely finished . fig2 schematically shows the device according to the invention . the system 5 is limited by housing 38 . a first sub - system is the compressed air zone 31 that is under system pressure , depending on the requirement , with an increased temperature as the preheating zone and optionally also a compressed air / steam mixture . as a further sub - system , a combined frieze / straight set mechanism 35 , which also works fully in the system pressure , is integrated therein . the thread 1 is drawn via a delivery mechanism 10 through the entry sluice 4 into the system 5 . the thread 1 is continuously conveyed into a compression chamber 11 and pressed at the exit against a spring - loaded retaining flap 12 , which closes the exit of the compression chamber 11 . owing to the mechanical back pressure in the compression chamber 11 , the thread is three - dimensionally bent and / or kinked ( crimped ) in a geometrically irregular manner . the thread sheet crimped in the compression chamber 11 , also called a stuffer box , forms a thread plug against the force - loaded retaining flap 12 , which , as soon as the plug pressure exceeds the counter - force of the retaining flap 12 , leaves the compression chamber again . the level of the retaining flap resistance inter alia determines the intensity here of the three - dimensional forming formed in the plug , i . e . the intensity of the frieze character . the next sub - system 36 ensures the controlled depositing on a transporting mechanism ( for example a conveyor belt ). from the compression chamber 11 , the thread 1 runs through a depositing tube 13 , the exit opening of which is fixed and points in the direction of the conveyor belt 14 . the frieze yarn formed slips down under its own weight and as a result of the continuous replenishment in the interior of the depositing tube that is placed on the conveyor belt 14 . the sub - system of the steam zone 32 follows this . the deposited thread 1 runs at a defined speed on the conveyor belt 14 through a separating point 39 and arrives in the steam zone 32 . the heating to the so - called thermosetting temperature or bulking temperature takes place there , in practice generally by means of saturated steam or overheated steam . in the process , the thread undergoes a shrinkage and bulking caused by the material . to stabilise the steam zone 32 , corresponding mechanical separating elements 39 , a slotted screen here , are provided . moreover , the upstream compressed air zone 31 or downstream cooling zone 33 is loaded with compressed air and a pressure substantially corresponding to the steam pressure . both ensure a low media exchange between the individual zones . in the following sub - system cooling zone 33 , the thread 1 is cooled by compressed air to below the material - specific glass transition temperature so that the state present in the steam zone 32 is permanently stabilised or set and therefore becomes resistant to mechanical loads in the following processes , such as , for example , winding , tufting or weaving and in the finished carpet . as the thread 1 is then to leave the system 5 drawn for further processing and winding on a bobbin , the thread 1 has to be brought again into the drawn state . the drawing is produced by a loop store 20 with a loading weight 42 , so a thread tensile force is produced between the exit delivery mechanism 24 and a binding point on the conveyor belt 14 . a permanent up and down movement takes place in the thread or loop store 20 , in the case of the straight set yarn production by the length of an entire depositing arc being released in each case . the position of the loading weight 42 is scanned by means of suitable hall sensors 21 , 22 . by means of a two - position detection , the draw - off delivery mechanism 24 is activated , the controller 44 , on reaching the lower sensor 21 , allowing the draw - off delivery mechanism 24 to run slightly faster and activating the draw - off delivery mechanism 24 more slowly on reaching the upper sensor 22 . the thread 1 , which is now delooped , is then guided by means of the exit delivery mechanism 24 to the exit sluice 6 and drawn through by means of a main draw - off . the system 5 is supplied by means of the inlet for compressed air 25 , the inlet for saturated steam 26 and the inlet for compressed air for the cooling zone 27 . together with the outlet for air 28 , the outlet for steam / condensate 29 and the outlet for air from the cooling zone 30 , a continuous supply to and disposal from the system 5 are ensured . as a particular feature , the depositing tube 13 has a drive ( not shown ), for example a stepping motor . when straight set yarn is produced , in the sub - system effect production 35 , the retaining flap 12 , which is attached by a joint to the wall of the compression chamber 11 , is placed in the rear position and remains there for the entire production time . the compression chamber 11 has thus become an obstacle - free guide for the thread 1 that is running through . at the same time , the depositing tube 13 is rotatably driven . the thread 1 , coming from the delivery mechanism 10 , is hurled outwardly by the centrifugal force effect being produced and runs in a drawn manner within the compression chamber 11 . with the combination of centrifugal force and the thread 1 &# 39 ; s own weight , the thread 1 is placed on the conveyor belt 14 arranged in the form of an arc of a circle . the depositing radius , which is influenced by the level of the centrifugal force , the thread 1 &# 39 ; s own weight and the conveyor belt speed , is adjusted here to be so large that the arc of a circle characteristic is still represented as almost straight in the yarn tufts of the finished carpet . in this manner , a change from the production of frieze yarn to straight set yarn is possible without changing mechanical components and without rethreading the yarn . as can be seen in more detail from fig3 , the binding point on the conveyor belt 14 is defined with a freely rotatably mounted binding roller 17 with a defined linear load . this binding roller 17 forms a binding to the conveyor belt piece 14 located in front of it , so only the respective thread piece , which is currently running through the pressure line , is drawn by the weight 42 in the loop store 20 . with an arc of a circle deposit in the case of the straight set yarn production , a whole arc is always released . in the case of frieze yarns , the three - dimensional arc characteristic is drawn out . the thread store 20 is designed for the maximum thread length being released in both cases . fig4 shows the device according to the invention with a plurality of sub - systems , including the sub - system compressed air zone 31 , the sub - system steam zone 32 and the sub - system cooling zone 33 , which are assembled together on a slide 43 ; the thread store 20 is also encompassed by the housing . the slide 43 is located as a whole in a housing 38 under compressed air . thus , the entire system 5 can be drawn forward as a drawer for maintenance purposes and cleaning and , depending on requirement , the corresponding sub - system 31 , 32 , 33 or the corresponding sub - systems 31 , 32 , 33 can be removed . in this manner , moreover , no pressure difference acts on the wall of the steam zone 32 , which allows substantially smaller wall thicknesses in the structural design for the zones 31 , 32 , 33 . only the housing 38 then has to be adapted with respect to its stability to the pressure difference of the ambient atmosphere from the internal system pressure . the present invention has been herein described in relation to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments for purposes of providing an enabling disclosure of the invention . however , it will be understood by persons skilled in the relevant art that the present invention is susceptible of a broader utility and application . accordingly , it is to be expressly understood that the present invention is not to be construed as limited to the embodiments , features and aspects herein described , but only according to the appended claims .	3
immunity has been conferred upon a host bacterium e . coli to bacterial virus lambda infection by isolation of &# 34 ; dominant - lethal &# 34 ; mutants of cloned lamda genes o and / or p . the laboratory procedures used will be described below . the starting material was e . coli sa431 . this bacterial host already contains the lambda virus in the prophage form , but the genes ( o )- s - r - a - j - attr on the &# 34 ; right - hand side &# 34 ; of the prophage genome have already been deleted ( see fig2 ). also , this virus has already been provided on the &# 34 ; left - hand side &# 34 ; with a thermosensitive mutation cits857 , which controls production of the o and p gene products from the pr promoter . the e . coli sa431 strain is described in detail in w . f . stevens , s . adhya and w . szybalski , &# 34 ; origin and bidirectional orientation of dna replication in coliphage lambda &# 34 ; in the bacteriophage lambda ( hershey , a . d ., ed . ), cold spring harbor laboratory , cold spring harbor , n . y ., pp . 515 - 533 ( 197l ). ( this article and all other articles referred to herein are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth below ). e . coli sa431 is also available from the collection of the laboratory of molecular biology , national cancer institute , n . i . h ., bethesda , md ., 20205 . in the first step , i deleted lambda prophage &# 34 ; left hand &# 34 ; genes attl - red - ral from sa431 , and replaced them with host bio genes by lysogenizing strain sa431 with phage lambda bio10 . phage lambda bio10 ( see fig2 ) can be obtained from the collection of laboratory of molecular biology , national cancer institute , n . i . h ., bethesda , md ., 20205 . the laboratory procedures used for lysogenizing the strain sa43l with lambda bio10 are as follows : strain sa431 is doubly lysogenized ( see the intermediate of fig2 ) by infection with lambda bio10 phage in a minimal starvation medium at 32 ° c . double lysogens are identified as bright - red bio + colonies on the tetrazolium medium ( overnight , 32 ° c ). cultures of such double lysogens sa431 ( lamba bio10 ), when grown at 30 ° c . and then induced for 30 minutes at 42 °, and subsequently grown at 30 ° c ., will lyse and produce lambda cits857 phage recombinants . see also e . h . szybalski and w . szybalski , a comprehensive map of bacteriophage lambda , 7 gene 217 - 270 ( 1979 ) ( fig2 de & amp ; e of this paper show that the bio substitution covers the lambda region between attr and n .-); and e . h . szybalski and w . szybalski , physical mapping of the att - n region of coliphage lambda , etc . 56 biochimie 1497 - 1503 ( 1974 ) ( physical structure and derivation of bio10 ). i then prepared and selected lysogens that had lost the complete lambda prophage ( lambda bio 10 sa 431 in fig2 ). to do this , the doubly lysogenic intermediate was grown at 30 ° c . and then grown for 5 minutes at 42 ° c . ( to induce prophage ), followed by plating colonies at 30 ° c . fifty cultures were started from separate colonies , and those selected were those which did not produce viable phage upon further 42 ° c . induction . they had lost a complete prophage , leaving behind lambda bio 10 sa 431 which carries only the lambda gene sequence of interest , n - nutl - pl - cits857 - pr - cro - nutr - trl - o - p - the n gene - product counters termination , nutl is a recognition site for the n product , pl promotes the - n expression , its857 represses expression only below certain temperatures and allows expression above it , pr promotes expression of the cro , o and p genes , cro is a repressor , nutr is a recognition site for the n product , trl is a terminator , and and p are the genes of interest . for other genes of interest from this or other infectious agents , one can devise appropriate similar schemes to isolate the relevant gene of interest and to subject them to the control of appropriate promoters and / or terminators . the resulting fragment of the lambda virus is repressed by the its857 product at 30 ° c ., but is induced at 42 ° c . because of the thermosensitivity of its cits857 repressor protein . thus , heating of the e . coli strain containing lambda bio10 sa431 to 42 ° c . for extended periods results in the expression of the pl - n operon and the pr - cro - t - rl - o - p - operon , with resultant cell death due to the lethal effects of the o and p products . to insure even greater production of o and p at elevated temperatures , one can construct a cro - defective variant ( cro 27 ). to do this , one takes lambda cro27sa431 , which is available from the laboratory of molecular biology , national cancer institute , n . i . h ., bethesda , md . 20205 , and using procedures similar to those above causes replacement of cro + by the cro27 mutation . the cro gene - coded repressor is thus rendered inactive by replacing it with a &# 34 ; defective &# 34 ; cro27 gene . it should be appreciated that the approach above began with a part of the lambda genome and a heat - sensitive controller already in the host . however , for other infectious foreign agents vectors such as plasmids can be used to carry an appropriately modified gene sequence into the appropriate initial host cell . after one has the desired gene sequence in the e . coli host , one can either rely on spontaneous mutations occurring , or one can induce mutation by one of the known techniques . see e . g ., h .- j . rehm and g . reed , biotechnology , volume 1 , chapter 5b &# 34 ; mutations &# 34 ; ( 1983 ); j . setlow and a . hollaender ( eds . ), genetic engineering : principles and methods , volume 1 , &# 34 ; constructed mutants of simian virus 40 &# 34 ; pp . 73 et seq ( 1983 ). then , by selecting for host mutants that ( 1 ) survive at 42 °, when the lambda lysogen is induced , and ( 2 ) survive lambda infection at 42 ° c . but do not survive at 32 ° c ., one can isolate one or more mutants that make defective ( dominant lethal ) o and / or p proteins . it should be noted that the realization of how one can spot the mutants is an important aspect of the invention , for if one did not realize that by challenging the cells with the infectious agent one could spot likely candidates , and that one could confirm this by turning off the immunity and then rechallenging , one would not know how to find the right cell . using this principle , i isolated over thirty of 42 ° c . survivors , which were tested by appropriate genetic crosses for the presence of mutations in genes o and p . to confirm the existence of the o - or p - mutation , i superinfected the induced lambda bio10 o / p - d sa431 lysogen (- d superscript indicates dominant lethal mutation in gene o or p ) with phage phi 80 . this phage has a gene o different and gene p very similar to that of lambda . plaque formation of phi 80 on the induced lysogen indicated mutation in o and absence of phi 80 indicated dominant - lethal mutation in gene p . it will be appreciated that in some animals , when an infecting agent takes hold , the animal will develop an elevated temperature . thus , use of a temperature trigger gene like cits857 can provide a means of activating the cells defenses just when the animal has become infected . obviously , for certain animals analogous genetic temperature triggers which respond more closely to slight increases in natural body temperature may have to be developed , but these triggers will be variants of the basic principle disclosed herein . a culture of e . coli lysogen lambda bio10 o / p - d sa431 is deposited with atcc no . 39625 , and samples are available from the permanent collection of the american type culture collection of rockville , md . 20852 . this deposit and all other atcc deposits hereunder are available to the public upon the grant of a patent to the assignee disclosing them . they are also available as required by foreign patent laws in countries wherein counterparts of the subject application or its progeny may be filed . however , it should be understood that the availability of a deposit does not constitute a license to practice the subject invention in derogation of patent rights granted by governmental action . a second bacterial construct was created that permits expression of the dominant - lethal gene only in the presence of the lambda viral protein . in the construct described in example 1 , the defective o and p genes expressed protein continuously above 39 ° c . since continuous expression may be of disadvantage to the host cell ( e . g ., by using up otherwise needed materials , and / or by producing harmful side effects ), and since for some animals it may not be possible to find a temperature trigger that is sensitive enough to act at the exact point when an infection takes hold , it is desirable to provide a model system in which the activity of the infectious agent will itself turn the system on . using procedures described in more detail below , we inactivated the ci - coded repressor of the above described virus , and also inserted an additional terminator is2 - between the trl site and the o gene . see generally j . s . salstrom and w . szybalski , coliphage lambda nutl : a unique class of mutants defective in the site of gene n product utilization for antitermination of lefthand transcription , 124 j . mol . biol . 195 - 221 ( 1978 ). the is2 element ( carrying the is2 terminator ) and the corresponding n - mutations are obtained from phage lambda n7n53c857r32 ( mutation r32 is the is2 insertion ), which is deposited with atcc as number 40120 . the ci - mutation is obtained from phage lambda ikh100 ( kh100 is the is5 insertion into gene ci ) which is deposited with atcc as number 40119 . the procedure for crossing - in the n - , ci - and r32 mutations is analogous to that described by salstrom and szybalski above . the is2 terminator was selected because it is responsive to n anti - termination . in the absence of n product , the trl and is2 terminators will operate . however , when n protein is provided , it will prevent trl and is2 from terminating . thus , given that the ci repressor gene has been made inactive by the cikh100 mutation , the o and p genes will be produced at any temperature , but only when the n product is supplied . therefore , upon infection with lambda virus , the n product of the invading virus anti - terminates the trl and is2 blocks in the transcription , and the resulting synthesis of the mutant o or p products blocks the further development of the invading virus . conferring viral immunity upon the host bacterium can also be accomplished by isolation of cloned lambda genes coding for lambda head and tail components . the two examples above have involved the genes o and p that are involved in the reproduction of the virus . the invention has also worked with a wide variety of other lambda variant genes that are dominant - lethal mutants of the head and tail genes a - j of the virus . while the examples above have dealt solely with a model system , bacteria being made immune to viruses , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that similar techniques can be used for other hosts and genes of other infectious agents , even oncogenes . see , e . g ., t . s . papas et al . gene amplification and analysis , volume 3 , chapter 8 &# 34 ; high level expression of oncogenes in e . coli &# 34 ; ( 1983 ). once the proper gene has been isolated and introduced into a primary test host , such as a bacterium , this gene can then be mutated to the &# 34 ; dominant - lethal &# 34 ; kind , inserted into a new desirable vector , and then transferred into a plant and / or animal , using what have now become conventional recombinant techniques . an example of a vector for carrying a gene into a plant is that described in t . kosuge et al . genetic engineering of plants , pp . 143 et seq ( 1983 ). an example of a vector for carrying a gene into an animal cell is described in y . gluzman , eukaryotic viral vectors , cold spring harbor ( 1982 ). while one can insert into animals ( such as humans ) these anti - infection factories to prevent illness , some individuals believe that there might be ethical problems involved in &# 34 ; human &# 34 ; engineering , and there could possibly be adverse side reaction problems to be overcome in some cases . thus , while this application of the invention should theoretically work well for humans in many cases , a simpler approach is to use the defective gene product itself to directly treat an infected mammalian cell . thus , after studies on the protein uptake problem and suitable testing , one can simply expose the infected cell to the proteinaceous material as a means of suppressing the infection . of course , as stated above , providing plants with immunity to virus infection appears to be a major advantage of the present invention . this is especially useful since plants have no naturally occurring immune system of their own . it will be appreciated that the present invention therefore provides a means for immunizing a wide variety of host cells to a wide variety of infectious agents , and / or treating a cell once infected . although the especially preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above , it should be noted the invention is not to be so limited . in this regard , there may be various other modifications and changes to these embodiments which are well within the scope of the invention . for example , the defective proteinacous material of choice can be selected so that at the same time the protein confers immunity upon a plant , it also provides an additional nutrient needed by humans . also , since the infectious agent could slowly develop resistance to the approach described , one might combine more than one dominant - lethal gene to increase the effectiveness of the technique . this modification and other modifications are meant to be within the scope of the invention .	2
the present invention comprises the following steps . by means of holographic interferometer , holograms of the initial state of component &# 39 ; s surface ( the plates of anode , cathode or electrolyte the thermal batteries ) are recorded and sent to a computer for storage and analysis . the optical system is designed to create the extra - axial holographic scheme . the system consists of optical elements , ( mirror , lens , optical wedge ) secured by fastening devices mounted on a vibration free table , and allows for the adjustments of the optical elements . the system works as follows . ( fig1 ). the laser beam 1 by help of an optical wedge 2 is divided into two beams . the first beam ( subject ) after reflection from prism 5 and mirrors 6 and 7 by help of lenses 3 and 4 will be transformed into a wide bunch which after reflection from tested object 9 gets on the recording cell 9 . the second beam ( basic ) after reflection from the mirrors 6 , 7 extends with the lens 5 and gets on a recording cell 9 . fastening devices of optical elements provide their rigid fastening on a vibration free optical table 10 , and also the possibility of adjusting operations . as the laser in the interferometer could be a diode - pumped solid - state one - mode laser klm - 532 / sln - 30 ( dpss ) with a green spectral range ( λ = 532 vμ ) with capacity of radiation from 0 to 30 m wt . laser power is 220 v , ac . @ 50 hz . the laser has the management console with a capacity control knob and radiator . the active element of the heated device ( fig1 ) is the infra - red lamp 1 placed in the special case 2 . the interferometer case has a fan to reduce heat 3 . the fastening device ( fig1 ) for the subject consists of the demountable metal case 1 having two transparent windows 2 , 3 . through window 2 the hologram recording of the subject 4 is made , through window 3 , its heating is made . the top and bottom parts of the case 1 incorporate through an elastic lining 5 with the bolted - on connections 6 . the system of recording of holograms is intended for recording of holograms in real time with possibility of repeated recording and information deleting . it consists of a control console and a recording cell . visualization of the hologram of the subject is carried out by means of a television chamber which removes the information from the recording cell and in real time transfers it to a tv . the method consists of making a hologram recording of the surface of the subject using the real time holographic registration system then heat the subject δt and observe the subjects interferogram in the monitor in real time . thus the operator sees formation of the interference fringes and dynamics of their development with growth of temperature of the subject from reference value t 0 to temperature t 0 + δt . after the termination of heating the subject cools down and the interference fringes on the interferogram of the subject , smoothly changing , disappear . when the subject temperature accepts reference value t 0 , in case of absence of irreversible deformations instead of interferogram the operator will observe only the subject &# 39 ; s hologram which means that the interference fringes completely will disappear . interference fringes that are observed in the course of heating of the subject , in some approach , represent lines of equal temperature moves of a surface of the subject . these moves have size , commensurable with length of a wave of radiation of the laser , which are the tenth shares and units of micrometers . transition from the one interference fringes to the next corresponds to change of moves in corresponding points on size about 0 , 2 microns . presence in the subject of defects like , types of cracks , foreign impurities , changes of physical mechanical and geometrical characteristics leads to that the field of moves of its surface under identical conditions of the temperature and registration interferogram differs from moves for ideal ( defect less ) object . very high sensitivity of an arrangement the interference fringes to moves of a testing surface leads to that the operator can observe easily visually difference in an arrangement of fringes on tested subject in comparison with ideal ( defect less ). the arrangement form of the interference fringes for defect less subject can be received or settlement by , or hologram recording by obviously defect less subject . objects of the testing considered in a given technique represent axial - symmetric structure in the geometrical plan and under physic - mechanical characteristics . therefore at axial - symmetric heating of object and by using axial - symmetric schemes of registration of hologram on real - time interferogram for ideal objects of the testing interference fringes should be close to coaxial circles . their quantity is defined by heating temperature . if there are cracks , foreign impurities in object of the testing or it &# 39 ; s thickness changes , axial symmetry of the interference fringes is broken . presence of cracks and foreign impurities leads to rupture or sharp change of curvature of the interference fringes . presence of smooth change of a thickness ( wedge - shape ) leads to change of density and infringement of the axial - symmetry of the interference fringes . the analysis of results of the testing and the general data on the form of the interference fringes are as follow . objects of the testing considered in a given technique represent axial - symmetric structure in the geometrical plan and under physic - mechanical characteristics . therefore at axial - symmetric heating of object and by using axial - symmetric schemes of registration of hologram on real - time interferogram for ideal objects of the testing interference fringes should be close to coaxial circles . their quantity is defined by heating temperature . if there are cracks , foreign impurities in object of the testing or it &# 39 ; s thickness changes , axial symmetry of the interference fringes is broken . presence of cracks and foreign impurities leads to rupture or sharp change of curvature of the interference fringes . presence of smooth change of a thickness ( wedge - shape ) leads to change of density and infringement of the axial - symmetry of the interference fringes . then the test article or sample ( for example , a disk - shaped electrode component ) is evenly and instantaneously impulse - loaded by heating along its external radius by infrared or laser irradiation . a more detailed description of the invention is provided by using the example of a test article comprising a disk shaped plate with the hole in the center . three different schemes of samples loading by temperature are possible : the uniform heating of its inner contour around of hole . the uniform circular heating of its outer contour the uniform heating of the whole surface simultaneously . the power of the irradiation used is depended on the properties of the material to be heated . for example , for the anode of thermal batteries , the power would be one suitable value . the power used to heat the cathode may be another suitable value , and the power used to heat the plate of solid electrolyte could be a third suitable value . in the case of thermal batteries , these parameters are determined experimentally for each thermal battery component design . by means of optical lenses and a system of masks it is possible to provide both a uniform heating of the whole electrode surface and a uniform circular heating close to its inner or outer contour or surface . in the some case the samples of the electrode and solid electrolyte were placed in a transparent container that was filled with argon . then the sample was exposed to local heating by 1 to 2 degrees near the inner opening . under the influence of thermal loading there occurred temperature - induced deformations of the sample . these deformations were registered by the non - contact method of holographic interferometry . after a period of heating ( for example t ≈ 1 . 5 seconds ) a hologram of the heat loaded component surface is recorded and the recorded information sent to a computer . time t depends on the power of infrared or laser irradiator , thermal conductivity of the test article component material or structure of interest and its geometric size , and is determined by preliminary study in the course of development of control technique to be used . appearance of 10 to 15 interference bands on the interference portrait serves as criterion for the correct amount of irradiation energy or power , and irradiation time . time duration for the various components of interest depends on the rate of propagation of the thermal front . the sensitivity of the method used can allow detection of dimensional changes or displacements of as little as 0 . 03 microns . results of the measurement are visually assessed according to the distribution of interference bands on the surface of the sample . if a sample is homogeneous and isotropic , then lines in the pattern display a gradually changing curvature . if there are heterogeneities , these show up as local drastic changes in interference band curvature . if necessary , visual control based on the method of holographic interferometry can be automated . using software , two holograms ( initial and loaded state ) are added to one another and “ interference portrait ” of the controlled component ( test article ) is obtained . then using specific algorithms , interference band shapes are analyzed ( in manual mode it is done by the operator ) as to the presence of sections of the controlled component that are characterized by abrupt change in interference band curvature . the screening criterion or condition for distinguishing between high - quality controlled components and defective components is set by specification . the process can be automated . in an automated configuration on a conveyor assembly line for example , a signal is sent from the analysis unit to an executive mechanism . as a result , a given component either passes through for assembly or , if it has inadmissible flaws , is rejected from the conveyor . all operations are executed in a specially designed box in an inert atmosphere ( for example , in an argon atmosphere ). the holographic interference portraits were recorded in real time by using a photo - thermoplastic recorder . thus , a hologram of the heated object was obtained , whereupon , while watching through the cell of a photo - thermoplastic device the movement of the interference bands on the electrode surface , the distribution of the bands was recorded and transmitted into the computer by means of a digital camera . the use of the real time method permitted selection of heating times for which the density of the interference bands was optimal . all the three of the above described methods of applying the thermal load yield similar results . that is , the defects on the electrode being studied were detected in all cases . in contrast to the local heating that had been used earlier , the axially symmetric methods of heating permitted detection of a defect on one of the electrodes in the form of a crack propagating to the outer contour of the electrode . this is evident in fig2 . 5 as a sharp change of the curvature of the interference bands . this indicates that the thermo - mechanical properties of the electrode in this location differ from the properties in other locations , while the discontinuities of the interference bands indicate the presence of a crack in a given location . the use of the axially symmetric method of thermal loading , on an isotropic uniform metallic plate of geometric dimensions identical of those of the electrode , yielded much better results in comparison to local loading . on an equally loaded reference electrode , the axially symmetric interference bands to be observed will be identical to those that are shown in fig6 , thus the process of rejecting faulty articles becomes much simpler . to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method of the present invention , fig7 shows an interference pattern portrait of a thin round plate that has intentionally created defects in the form of three radial cracks . the holographic interference portraits were recorded on a real time scale by using a photo - thermoplastic recorder . thus , a hologram of the heated object was obtained , whereupon , while watching through the cell of a photo - thermoplastic device the movement of the interference bands on the electrode surface , the distribution of the bands was recorded and transmitted to the computer by means of a digital camera . the use of the real time method permitted selection of the heating time at which the density of the interference bands was optimal . a thermal battery electrode was evaluated using holographic interferometry . a test article sample was placed in a transparent container which was filled with argon . then the sample was exposed to local heating by 1 to 2 degrees near the inner opening . under the influence of thermal loading there occurred temperature - induced deformations of the sample . to control for effects of experiment conditions on test results , the container with the electrode was continuously rotated in the plane normal ( 90 degrees ) to the installation axis , its interference portrait being registered at each revolution . the interference line images or “ portraits ” obtained are shown in fig1 ( a - r ) and fig2 ( a - r ). these portraits show local heterogeneities along the radial axis . the arrows show distortion zones of interference bands that indicate locations of electrode defects . in the center , the three yellow segments of straight lines show the position of the elements used for heating of the electrodes . the location of heterogeneities in relation to the optical installation scheme changes with rotation . this fact confirms presence of , and points at the location of , heterogeneities in the electrodes being studied . electrode 3 was evaluated using holographic interferometry according to the conditions described on example 1 . the interference line images or “ portraits ” obtained are shown in fig2 ( a - r ). these portraits show local heterogeneities along the radial axis . the arrows show distortion zones of interference bands that indicate locations of defects in the electrode . in the center , three yellow segments of straight lines show spirals for heating of electrodes . the location of heterogeneities in relation to optical installation scheme changes with rotation . this fact confirms presence of , and points at the location of , heterogeneities in the electrodes being studied . to control the test the method used , a stainless steel plate that had geometric dimensions similar to those of the electrodes was made and tested . the result is presented on fig3 . as shown in fig3 , the type of the interference bands displays gradually changing curvature that did not depend on the position of the plate in relation with the optical installation scheme . this is evidence of both the heterogeneity and isotropic properties of the test a stainless steel plate . it appears that the axially symmetric thermal loading of an object is the most effective for holographic flaw detection in circular - shape electrodes . while various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects . the appended claims are therefore intended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .	6
the braking system illustrated in fig1 consists essentially of an actuating device 1 , a pressure supply device 2 , wherein the actuating unit and the pressure supply device form a brake booster , and a brake master cylinder or tandem master cylinder 3 , which is effectively inserted downstream of the brake booster and the pressure spaces ( not shown ) of which can be connected to the chambers of a first pressure medium reservoir 18 , said chambers being at atmospheric pressure . on the other hand , the pressure spaces are connected to wheel brake circuits i , ii , which supply the wheel brakes 5 - 8 of a motor vehicle with hydraulic pressure medium via a known abs or esp hydraulic unit or a controllable wheel brake pressure modulation module . the wheel brake pressure modulation module 4 is assigned an electronic control and regulation unit 41 . the actuating device 1 , which is arranged in a housing 20 , to which the tandem master cylinder 3 is attached , can be activated by means of a brake pedal 9 , which is effectively connected to a first piston 11 of the actuating device 1 by an actuating rod 10 . the actuating travel of the brake pedal 9 is detected by means of a travel sensor 19 , which is preferably of redundant design and which detects the travel of the first piston 11 . however , the same purpose can also be served by using a rotation angle sensor which detects the rotation angle of the brake pedal 9 . the first piston 11 is arranged in a second piston 12 , delimiting a pressure chamber 14 that accommodates a compression spring 15 , the latter bringing the first piston 11 to bear on the second piston 12 when the brake pedal 9 is unactuated . as an alternative or in addition , a pedal return spring can be provided in the region of the push rod 10 or of the brake pedal 9 . in the unactuated state of the actuating device 1 , the pressure chamber 14 is connected to a chamber 38 of a second pressure medium reservoir 38 , 39 , which is assigned to the actuating device 1 . the second piston 12 interacts with a third piston 13 , which can form the primary piston of the tandem master cylinder 3 , wherein a pressure intensifying piston 16 is arranged between the second piston 12 and the third piston 13 in the example illustrated . bounded between the second piston 12 and the pressure intensifying piston 16 is an interspace 21 , the admission to which of a hydraulic pressure holds the second piston 12 against a stop 22 formed in the housing 20 , while the pressure intensifying piston 16 and hence the primary piston 12 of the tandem master cylinder are acted upon to give a pressure build - up in the tandem master cylinder 3 . a movement of the pressure intensifying piston 16 resulting from this loading is detected by means of a second travel sensor 23 . moreover , the second piston 12 delimits a hydraulic chamber 17 in the housing 20 , the function of this chamber being explained in the text which follows . a first line 34 is connected to the hydraulic chamber 17 , said line being connected via a normally open ( no ) shutoff valve 33 to a second line 35 , which is connected to the abovementioned pressure chamber 14 . it can furthermore be seen from fig1 that the abovementioned pressure chamber 14 is connected via a connecting line 24 that can be shut off to a hydraulic simulator chamber 25 , which is delimited by a simulator piston 26 . in this arrangement , the simulator piston 26 interacts with a simulator spring 27 and with an elastomer spring 28 arranged in parallel with the simulator spring 27 . in this arrangement , the simulator chamber 25 , the simulator piston 26 , the simulator spring 27 and the elastomer spring 28 form a pedal travel simulator , which gives the vehicle driver the accustomed pedal feel corresponding to a conventional brake pedal characteristic when the braking system is actuated . this means that , when the brake pedal travel is small , the resistance rises slowly and , when the brake pedal travel is relatively large , it increases disproportionately . to damp the movement of the simulator piston 26 , damping means ( not shown ), e . g . pneumatic damping means , can be provided . the hydraulic connecting line 24 between the simulator chamber 25 and the pressure chamber 14 and the chamber 38 of the second pressure medium reservoir is shut off by a movement of the second piston 12 in the actuating direction of the brake master cylinder 3 , thereby switching off the pedal travel simulator in terms of its effect . the first piston 11 , the spring 15 , the hydraulic chamber 14 , the hydraulic connection 24 , the simulator chamber 25 , the simulator piston 26 , the simulator springs 18 and 27 and the damping means ( not shown ) together form the simulation device which , together with a chamber 38 at atmospheric pressure in the second pressure medium reservoir is assigned to a first brake booster pressure medium circuit , which is completely separate from the wheel brake circuits i , ii . the abovementioned electrohydraulic pressure supply device 2 consists essentially of a hydraulic cylinder - piston assembly 29 and of an electromechanical actuator 30 , which is formed , for example , by an electric motor with a reduction gear which provides a translatory movement of a hydraulic piston 31 , resulting in a hydraulic pressure build up in a pressure space 36 of the hydraulic cylinder - piston assembly 29 . the electromechanical actuator 30 is supplied with power by an electric energy storage device , which is provided with the reference sign 49 . the movement of the piston 31 is detected by means of a travel sensor , which is provided with the reference sign 32 . on the one hand , the pressure space 36 is connected to the interspace 21 and , on the other hand , can be connected by means of a normally open ( no ) 2 / 2 - way valve 37 to a chamber 39 at atmospheric pressure in the second pressure medium reservoir . in this arrangement , the pressure supply device 2 , the interspace 21 and the chamber 39 of the second pressure medium reservoir are assigned to a second brake booster pressure medium circuit , which is completely separate both from the first brake booster pressure medium circuit and from the wheel brake circuits i , ii . a pressure sensor 40 is used to detect the pressure supplied by the pressure supply device 2 and prevailing in the interspace 21 . the abovementioned shutoff valve 33 makes it possible to shut off the chamber 17 from the pressure chamber 14 , thereby preventing a movement of the second piston 12 in the actuating direction . the chamber 17 , the first pressure medium line 34 , the shutoff valve 33 , the second pressure medium line 35 , the pressure chamber 14 , the connecting line 24 , the simulator chamber 25 and the second pressure medium reservoir 38 form a second brake booster pressure medium circuit , which is completely separate from the first brake booster pressure medium circuit and from the two wheel brake circuits i , ii . said elements are assigned a dedicated electronic control unit 42 , which interacts with the abovementioned electronic control and regulation unit 41 and serves to detect sensor data , to process said data , to exchange data with other control units ( not shown ) present in the vehicle , to activate the electromechanical actuator 30 and to activate the brake lights of the vehicle . the operation of the braking system described above is known , for example , from the international patent application of the applicant cited above in respect of the prior art and does not need to be explained in detail in the text which follows . the basic structure of a control system that can be used in the braking system illustrated in fig1 is shown schematically in fig2 . it consists essentially of the function blocks “ driver requirement detection ” 100 , “ target value selection ” 200 , “ controller selection ” 300 and a “ pressure / actuator position control ” 400 , which is followed by an “ actuator speed control ” 500 . in the case of an actuator having an electric motor , the “ actuator speed control ” 500 corresponds to the rotational speed control of the electric motor . the actuator speed / rotational speed can be calculated from the actuator position ( block 90 : “ rotational speed calculation ”). the functional unit “ driver requirement detection ” 100 determines the driver requirement from the sensors assigned to the pedal unit and , from this , calculates a signal for the target booster pressure p v , soll , drv of the linear actuator . depending on the embodiment of braking system , one or more sensor signals are available here to represent the driver requirement . in the illustrative braking system described in connection with fig1 , the pedal position is determined in a redundant manner ( signal x ped ) and the pedal force produced by the driver is determined by means of a pressure sensor ( signal p drv ). in the example , the driver requirement detection unit 100 thus has two physically independent items of information for the driver actuation representing the driver &# 39 ; s braking requirement for target value generation of the required braking force intensification by means of the actuator . the output variable of the functional unit “ driver requirement detection ” 100 is a pressure target value ( pressure target value of the actuator , signal p v , soll , drv ) determined on the basis of the driver pedal actuation , said value corresponding at least statically to the brake pressure in the wheel brakes as long as there are no interventions by the higher - ranking pressure control system ( e . g . antilock system , vehicle dynamics control system or the like ), e . g . esp pressure control system ( esp : electronic stability program ). as an option , the functional unit “ driver requirement detection ” 100 is supplied with the vehicle speed v kfz . the pressure target value p v , soll , drv can then be additionally modified in accordance with the vehicle speed v kfz . the functional unit “ driver requirement detection ” 100 is described in greater detail in connection with fig3 . as already mentioned above , the functional unit “ driver requirement detection ” 100 determines the driver requirement from the sensors assigned to the pedal unit and , from this , calculates a signal for the pressure target value p v , soll , drv of the actuator . improved driver requirement detection is achieved by additionally taking into account the pedal depression speed v ped . in contrast to known braking assistant functions , which adjust to the maximum pressure as soon as the trigger criteria , which are decisively determined by the pedal depression speed , are met , account is now taken here of the degree to which the trigger threshold is exceeded . fig3 shows a basic structure of an illustrative driver requirement detection unit , which is expanded by the calculation and superimposition of a dynamic pressure component . the function block 101 “ driver requirement calculation ” illustrated in fig3 supplies a static pressure target value component p v , soll , drv , stat based on known functions / methods . for example , the static pressure target value component p v , soll , drv , stat can be determined from one or more variables by means of a model , using a predetermined functional relationship f . thus , for example , the static pressure target value component can be calculated from the pedal position / actuation x ped using a function p v , soll = f ( x ped ) or , more generally , from the pedal position x ped , the pedal force ( or corresponding pressure ) p drv , and the vehicle speed v kfz using a function p v , soll = f ( x ped , p drv , v kfz ). the pedal depression speed v ped can be determined , for example , from the pedal position x ped or the time variation thereof ( function block 103 “ calculation of pedal speed ”). the function block “ calculation of dynamic pressure component ” 102 determines , essentially from the pedal speed v ped , a dynamic pressure target value component p v , soll , drv , dyn , which depends decisively on the extent to which the pedal speed threshold has been exceeded . as can be seen from fig3 , the two pressure target value components p v , soll , drv , stat and p v , soll , drv , dyn are added together in an adder 103 to give a pressure target value p v , soll , drv . the block diagram shown in fig4 shows the formation of the pedal speed threshold v ped , limit mentioned in the previous paragraph . the speed threshold v ped , limit can be defined as a preset value or can be determined in accordance with the pedal travel x ped in the form using a functional relationship v ped , limit = f sw ( x ped ). here , the functional relationship f sw ( x ped ) can be defined in the form of a static equation ( function f sw ) or , alternatively , as a table . as is apparent from fig4 , it is also possible additionally to scale the speed threshold v ped , limit that has been defined or determined on the basis of the pedal travel x ped in accordance with the vehicle speed v kfz . scaling is performed in a multiplier , which is indicated by the letter x and is provided with the reference sign 104 . by this means , it is possible , for example , to ensure that this dynamic pressure component does not take effect or takes effect only in an attenuated way at relatively low vehicle speeds or when stationary , while coming fully into play when traveling , depending on the design criterion . the formation , illustrated in fig4 , of the pedal speed threshold v ped , limit is represented in fig5 by function block 110 . as a measure of the extent to which the current pedal speed threshold v ped , limit determined is exceeded , said threshold being determined in block 110 in accordance with the pedal travel x ped , the quotient of the pedal speed v ped and the pedal speed threshold v ped , limit is formed ( block 111 ): in the case where the current pedal travel x ped represents the maximum pedal travel x ped , max occurring during the current brake actuation , this value is adopted as the new maximum x ped , max in function block 112 . in the following block 113 , the current maximum value determined for the pedal travel x ped , max is used to calculate a reference travel x ped , ref , which is obtained by subtracting a tolerance threshold ε x , ref from x ped , max . the reference travel x ped , ref represents a travel threshold that is relevant for the reduction of the dynamic target pressure component when the brake is released . in enquiry block 114 , a check is made to determine whether the quotient q p , dyn & gt ; 1 . if this condition is met , a dynamic pressure component is calculated in accordance with in the case where this component p v , soll , drv , dyn , aktuell represents the maximum of the dynamic pressure component , said maximum being calculated during the current brake actuation , this value is adopted as a new maximum p v , soll , drv , dyn , max ( function block 116 ). in function block 117 , the maximum thus determined for the dynamic pressure component is assigned to the variable p v , soll , dyn , which represents the signal for the dynamic pressure component , which , as the output variable of function block 102 , is then superimposed by addition on the target booster pressure p v , soll , drv , stat ( see fig3 ). when the brake is released ( i . e . v ped & lt ; 0 ), this dynamic pressure component p v , soll , drv , dyn is reduced again to the value 0 . for reasons of comfort , this reduction in the dynamic pressure target value takes place in accordance with the pedal travel , more specifically in such a way that , from the reference travel x ped , ref determined in block 113 during the brake actuation , said travel depending on the maximum pedal travel detected during the braking operation , a reduction is carried out in a linear manner with the travel x ped to the value x ped = x ped , dyn , 0 , reducing it to zero . fig5 illustrates this procedure in the form of a flow diagram ( blocks 118 - 122 ). if it is ascertained in enquiry block 114 that the quotient q p , dyn ≦ 1 , then the brake actuation concerned is one which does not require any further increase in the dynamic pressure component , or the brake is being released . first of all , a check is made in enquiry block 118 to determine whether the pedal travel x ped is greater than the lower threshold x ped , dyn , 0 . if this is not the case , this lower threshold has been undershot and the dynamic pressure target value is set to zero , p v , soll , dyn = 0 ( block 122 ). if the pedal travel x ped is greater than the lower threshold x ped , dyn , 0 , a check is made in enquiry block 119 to determine whether the upper threshold , given by the reference travel x ped , ref , which is necessary for the reduction of the dynamic pressure target value , has been undershot . if this is the case , then , in function block 120 , the maximum value p v , soll , drv , dyn , max determined during the braking operation is reduced in a linear manner with the pedal travel x ped and assigned to the signal p v , soll , drv , dyn , aktuell . if this value is less than the dynamic pressure target value p v , soll , drv , dyn ( k − 1 ) of the preceding sampling step ( k − 1 ), then , in function block 121 , this value p v , soll , drv , dyn , aktuell is assigned to the variable p v , soll , dyn , which represents the signal for the dynamic pressure component , and this in turn is then superimposed by addition , as the output variable of function block 102 , on the target booster pressure p v , soll , drv , stat ( see fig3 ). if it is ascertained in enquiry block 119 that the current pedal travel x ped is greater than or equal to the reference travel x ped , ref , the dynamic pressure target value p v , soll , drv , dyn ( k − 1 ) of the preceding sampling step ( k − 1 ) is retained unaltered . when the brake pedal is depressed rapidly , the above - described procedure for taking into account the pedal speed v ped leads to a shift in the relationship p v , soll = f ( x ped ) and p v , soll = f ( x ped , p drv , v kfz ) to ward higher booster and hence also higher brake pressures , this effect being all the more pronounced , the faster the driver actuates the brake pedal . in the case of fast brake pedal actuation , the target booster pressure p v , soll , drv in the linear actuator is already reached at shorter brake pedal travels x ped than is the case with a slow actuation . this leads to an increase in the dynamic response of the braking system combined with more rapid response from the brake to driver actuation ( shortening of the response time ). in the case of a slow pedal actuation ( v ped short ), or ( 0 & lt ; q p , dyn & lt ; 1 ), this dynamic pressure component is not present , and therefore the determination of the target booster pressure in this case can be designed primarily according to comfort criteria . if rapid brake responses are required by the driver , this is achieved by means of the component p v , soll , drv , dyn . it is likewise advantageous in terms of actuating comfort and ensuring predictable behavior that the dynamic component is not reduced abruptly when the brake or brake pedal is released but in a linear manner with the pedal travel back to the value 0 . in addition to the above - described target value p v , soll , drv based on driver pedal actuation , the higher - ranking pressure control system can also demand a pressure target value p v , soll , esc in accordance with its control strategy ( abs ( antilock system ), tcs ( traction control system ), esp or the like ). a target value selection is therefore performed in block 200 ( fig2 ). the output variable of this function block 200 is the resulting pressure target value p v , soll . an illustrative target value selection is shown in fig6 . in enquiry block 201 , a check is made to determine whether a control signal req esc = 1 . if this condition is met , a check is made in enquiry block 202 to determine whether the inequality p v , soll , esc & gt ; p v , soll , drv is satisfied . in the case of an active demand , the pressure target value p v , soll is obtained from the maximum value of the two values p v , soll , esc and p v , soll , drv ( see function blocks 203 and 204 ). if the abovementioned condition is not met , there is no pressure demand from the higher - ranking control system , and therefore the signal p v , soll , drv is output as the target value for actuator control ( see function block 205 ). controller selection in function block 300 is performed in accordance with the pressure target value p v , soll determined ( see fig2 ). if the target pressure p v , soll & gt ; 0 bar , pressure / actuator position control ( function block 400 , fig2 ) is activated ( selection parameter s = 1 ), which sets the desired pressure . at the same time , the hydraulic connection between the actuator and the reservoir is interrupted ( e . g . by energizing the normally open control valve 37 arranged between the cylinder - piston assembly 30 and the reservoir 39 ( activation signal s cmd , bv ), which valve is therefore closed ). the actuator position controller ( block 400 ) is activated or a switch is made from the pressure controller to the position controller ( selection parameter s = 0 ) as soon as the target pressure is p v , soll = 0 bar and the current booster pressure p v , ist is less than a predefined minimum pressure threshold p v , ist , min . in this case , the abovementioned valve 37 is also opened again to enable the actuator to draw in an additional volume of fluid from the reservoir 39 if required . here , the target value for the actuator position corresponds to the zero position of the actuator , which is to be approached with a defined actuator speed and in which the actuator is in an unactuated state . in this position , the braking system does not build up any brake pressure . actuator position control is likewise activated , in the context of an initialization routine when starting the program , in order to determine the zero position of the actuator ( x akt , 0 ) by detection of the mechanical rear end position ( x akt , mech , 0 ). for this purpose , the position target value is ramped down slowly with the reservoir valve 37 open until the linear actuator reaches its rear end position . in this case , the movement of the actuator comes to a halt and the motor torque rises sharply . these two criteria are evaluated in order to detect x akt , mech , 0 . once this has been done , the zero position of the actuator x akt , 0 = x akt , mech , 0 + δx akt , 0 is adopted , likewise with the reservoir valve bv open . the offset value δx akt , 0 represents a defined safety clearance , which is intended to prevent the actuator from striking against the rear end position during normal operation of the brake control system ( e . g . due to undershooting by the control system ). by means of the selection parameter s , either the actuator position controller or the booster pressure controller is activated in block 400 . both controllers have a target value for the actuator speed as an output variable , this corresponding in the example to the motor speed ω akt , soll . the pressure controller is activated if there is a braking demand and a defined booster pressure p v , soll is to be set . an illustrative embodiment of a pressure controller 401 with a downstream actuator rotational speed controller 501 is illustrated schematically in fig7 . the pressure controller 401 adjusts the deviation δp , formed in a subtraction element 409 , between the requested target booster pressure p v , soll and the currently prevailing actual booster pressure p v , ist by specifying a target speed ω akt , soll , dr , ctrl . a controller with a proportional action is sufficient for the controller response . to increase the dynamic response of the pressure controller , two feedforward functions can be used : speed feedforward and motor torque feedforward . the speed feedforward function determines a target pressure speed from the pressure target value p v , soll by differentiation ( function block 402 : calculation of target pressure change ), which , weighted with an intensification factor k prs , 1 ( function block 403 ), superimposes an additional component ω akt , soll , dr , ffw on the output variable of the pressure controller ω akt , soll , dr , ctrl . the two rotational speed target value components ω akt , soll , dr , ffw , ω akt , soll , dr , ctrl are added together in an adder 404 and fed to a limiting function 405 for limitation to the minimum or maximum permissible target rotational speed ( ω min , ω max ). said minimum and maximum values for the rotational speed target values ω min , ω max are calculated in a rotational speed target value calculation module 406 , to which the signal x akt representing the actuator travel is fed as an input variable . the target value , limited in this way , for the rotational speed of the actuator is described by ω akt , soll , dr = ω akt , soll and , when pressure control is activated by the function block “ controller selection ” 300 ( fig2 ) with s = 1 , represents the output variable ω akt , soll of the function block “ pressure / actuator position control ” 400 . the second feedforward component for increasing the dynamic response of the controller comprises the calculation and direct stipulation of the motor torque m akt , pv corresponding to the pressure target value p v , soll by function block 407 (“ calculation of feedforward torque ”), to which the abovementioned system variables p v , soll , p v , ist and the output variable of the rotational speed target value calculation module 406 are fed as input variables . with the aid of the intensification factor k prs , 2 ( where k prs , 2 is between 0 and 1 ) ( function block 408 ), it is possible to define the weighting of this torque feedforward component ; in this case , a value of k prs , 2 = 1 signifies a 100 % weighting . the output variable of the torque feedforward function , which simultaneously also supports the rotational speed controller , is then the signal m akt , pv , ffw , which is processed in the rotational speed control unit 500 described below . as can furthermore be seen from fig7 , the output signal ω akt , soll of the rotational speed limiting function 405 is fed to a subtraction element 507 , in which the actual value of the actuator rotational speed ω akt is subtracted from ω akt , soll . the result δω of the subtraction is fed as an input variable to an actuator rotational speed controller 501 , the output variable m akt , soll , ctrl of which represents a target value for the abovementioned actuator torque , with an addition of the target value to the output value m akt , pv , ffw of the abovementioned function block 408 being performed in an adder 502 . the result of the addition is finally subjected to a torque limitation function 503 , the output variable m akt , soll of which represents the torque target value . the signal characteristics , which represent the dependence of the actuator rotational speed limiting values ω min , ω max on the actuator position x akt , mech , are illustrated in fig8 . in normal operation of the brake and of the pressure control system , the actuator is in a position in which no limitation of the target rotational speed ( especially in the direction of “ brake actuation ”) is active in the control system ( i . e . ω max = ω akt , max ). in this case , the motor torque m akt , pv is determined from the target value p v , soll for the booster pressure . when the actuator position approaches the mechanical front end position , the rotational speed limiting function 503 is activated . since it must be assumed in this case that the pressure target value p v , soll demanded cannot be set , the motor torque m akt , pv is then additionally determined on the basis of the current actual pressure value p v , ist . the resulting feedforward torque to be output to the rotational speed control system is then obtained from a weighted superimposition of the two component torque target values , wherein the weighting of the value determined from the pressure target value decreases , the greater the limitation , while the weighting of the variable determined from the actual pressure value increases to the same extent . in normal operation of the braking system , the actuator position controller is activated with s = 0 when the brake is supposed to be released ( see description of “ controller selection ” 300 , fig2 ). an illustrative basic structure 460 of the position controller 420 with a downstream actuator rotational speed controller 501 is illustrated in fig9 in the form of a block diagram . here too , a speed feedforward function 421 , 422 is superimposed in parallel on the position controller 420 in order to boost the dynamic response . since , in this controller mode , the pressure target value p v , soll = 0 bar , no torque feedforward is required here , for which reason this value is set to a defined value of m akt , pv , ffw = 0 nm ( function block 504 ). the task of the rotational speed controller 501 , which generally has a proportional - integral ( pi ) action , is to ensure as rapid and accurate as possible setting of the target rotational speed ω akt , soll demanded and compensation of the load torques acting on the actuator , said torques being caused , in the case of the actuator , essentially by the pressure set . to improve the controller structure described above , the function blocks “ controller selection ” 300 and “ pressure / actuator position control ” 400 are expanded in order to improve the pressure controller behavior in respect of the maximum pressure build up dynamics , especially in the case of a rapid pressure build up . for this purpose , combined pressure / position control is performed . by way of example , in certain braking situations ( e . g . in the case of a rapid pressure build up ), both controllers are simultaneously active and make a contribution , weighted by a factor , to the controller output , motor target rotational speed ω akt , soll . fig1 shows a block diagram of an illustrative combined pressure / position control system . the pressure target value p v , soll is used to determine an actuator travel target value x akt , soll corresponding to the pressure target value in function block 301 by means of a pressure model . various embodiments of actuator position controllers 460 and pressure controllers 450 are conceivable . as an option , the actual actuator position x akt is fed to the pressure controller 450 as an input variable ( in order to determine a rotational speed limiting target value ). the two controllers 460 , 450 operate in parallel and supply controller outputs ω akt , soll , lr and ω akt , soll , dr for the actuator rotational speed in accordance with the controller algorithm provided . the resulting controller output as a rotational speed target value ω akt , soll for the lower - ranking rotational speed controller is then obtained in the adder 304 by addition of the two component target values , which are multiplied by a weighting factor λ pos and λ druck respectively . the two weighting factors are determined in a function block 306 “ determination of controller weighting factor ”, upstream of which there is a function block 305 . here , it is advantageous if the following applies to the two weighting factors : λ druck + λ pos = 1 . the weighting factors λ druck and λ pos determine to what extent the individual controllers contribute . the function block “ simulation of pressure controller dynamic response ” 305 serves to determine a value for the pressure gradient dp v , ist , sim / dt on the basis of the current pressure target value p v , soll and a model for the dynamic behavior of the closed pressure control circuit , in particular taking into account the maximum possible pressure gradient . if a rapid pressure build up is required on the basis of the input information and if there are no control interventions by the higher - ranking esc control system ( status esc = 0 ), the controller output of the actuator position controller 460 is weighted with a large weighting factor λ pos ≈ 1 . as a result , the actuator moves in a controlled manner to a position value x akt , soll , which corresponds approximately to the target booster pressure p v , soll demanded , irrespective of the pressure information p v , ist ( and hence without being influenced by the backpressure information ). in the case of decreasing values of dp v , ist , sim / dt , the parameter λ pos becomes smaller , while λ druck increases in a corresponding manner . as a result , the pressure controller 450 is more heavily weighted and can ensure the steady - state accuracy of the overall control system on the basis of the available pressure information . in the case of slow pressure changes and in the case of a pressure reduction , the parameter λ pos approaches the value 0 , in which case only the pressure controller 450 is then active and sets the pressure target value demanded with greater accuracy on the basis of the measured pressure information . by means of this measure , it is ensured that the pressure controller behavior in the case of a rapid pressure build up is improved in respect of the maximum pressure build up dynamic response in comparison with a simple pressure controller . an illustrative mode of operation of the function block “ determination of controller weighting factor ” 306 illustrated in fig1 can be described by : λ pos = 1 and hence λ druck = 0 , i . e . only actuator position controller 460 when p v , soll = 0 and p v , ist & lt ; p v , ε ( release brake , x akt , soll = 0 ) when p v , soll & gt ; 0 and dp v , ist , sim / dt & gt ; dp v , ε2 and status esc = 0 , λ pos = 0 and hence λ druck = 1 , i . e . only pressure controller 450 when status esc & lt ;& gt ; 0 ( intervention by a higher - ranking pressure control system ) when p v , soll & gt ; 0 and dp v , ist , sim / dt & lt ; dp v , ε1 with predetermined parameter dp v , ε1 & gt ; 0 , 0 & lt ; λ pos = f ( dp v , ist , sim / dt )& lt ; 1 and λ druck = 1 − λ pos , i . e . combined pressure / actuator position control when status esc = 0 and p v , soll & gt ; 0 and dp v , ε1 & lt ; dp v , ist , sim / dt & lt ; dp v , ε2 with predetermined parameters dp v , ε1 and dp v , ε2 . fig1 shows an illustrative definition of a function f for determining the weighting factor λ pos of the actuator position controller 460 using the pressure gradient dp v , ist , sim / dt determined : in this specification and claims , variable subscripts are used from original text . the following variable subscripts may also be expressed and understood as : akt — current value , soll — nominal or target , druck — pressure , ist — present . while the above description constitutes the preferred embodiment of the present invention , it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification , variation and change without departing from the proper scope and fair meaning of the accompanying claims .	1
a plunger of a high pressure plunger pump in accordance with the present invention is identified with reference numeral 1 . the plunger 1 reciprocates between a front and a rear dead point by means of a not shown oscillating drive . the oscillating drive can be formed as a crank drive which drives the plunger through a double - holed capstan head . a sleeve 2 is floatingly supported on the plunger . in the shown embodiment the sleeve 2 is composed of sleeve parts 3 and 4 fixedly connected with one another by a shrinkage process . the sleeve part 3 is provided with an abutment shoulder 5 . a supporting ring 6 having an angular cross - section abuts against the abutment shoulder 5 and is loaded with a spring 7 . the other end of the spring 7 abuts against an insert ring 8 . the ring 8 has a central opening through which the plunger 1 extends . the sealing in the region of this opening is performed by means of sealing packings 9 . the latter are fixed by a pressure ring 10 in a ring chamber which opens toward the plunger . the pressure ring 10 is provided with an outer 22 . in the operating position shown in fig1 the sleeve 2 is supported on a wall surface 12 of a pump head 13 . the sleeve 2 limits a working chamber 14 of the high pressure plunger pump , which merges into an opening 15 of a pressure valve 16 . a pressure valve body 17 of the pressure valve 16 is arranged centrally and loaded with a spring 18 . the pressure valve body 17 is shown in fig1 in the closed position . the sleeve part 4 has a ring chamber 19 which is open toward the plunger . a stop bush is arranged in the ring chamber 19 . the stop bush has a front supporting ring 20 produced for example from bronze . a cylindrical helical spring 21 abuts against the supporting ring 20 and is associated at the opposite end with a supporting plate 22 . the other functional parts of the stop bush are held with a pre - stress under the action of the spring 21 . a rear supporting ring 23 is associated with a split ring 24 formed as an abutment . a plurality of packing rings 25 and 26 are arranged between the supporting plate 22 and the supporting ring 23 . the front supporting ring 20 is rounded in the front outer region and abuts against an arcuate transition from a front end surface 27 to an outer limiting surface 28 of the ring chamber 19 . also , the transition from the front end surface 27 to a central opening of the sleeve part 4 is arcuate , so that under the action of high liquid pressure on the sleeve 2 no notch tension occurs . the leakage fluid which penetrates into the receiving chamber for the spring 21 through the ring gap between the plunger and the sleeve part 4 during the working stroke of the plunger 1 forms in this chamber an additional pressure with which the remaining functional parts of the stop bush are pressed against the plunger so that the sealing is intensified . in the embodiment of fig2 a sleeve 2a floatingly supported on the plunger 1 is composed of two sleeve parts 3a and 4a . the sleeve is associated with a spring 7 as in the embodiment of fig1 . the spring 7 is arranged so that the sleeve is pressed against the inner surface 12 of the pump head 13 . the sleeve part 4a is provided with a ring chamber 29 which is open toward the side of the plunger 1 . a one - piece sealing bush 30 of metal is arranged in the ring chamber 29 . this sealing bush limits with the sleeve part 4a a ring chamber 31 from which an opening 32 extends in direction of the plunger 1 and opens into a ring gap between the plunger 1 and the sealing bush 30 . the leakage fluid flowing from the working chamber 14 during the pressure stroke of the plunger through the gap between the plunger 1 and the sleeve 2a to the region of the opening 32 has a pressure which is smaller than the working pressure of the pump . the leakage fluid under this lower pressure , in the ring chamber 31 , deforms the sealing bush 30 and improves the sealing between the sleeve and the plunger . at the front end of the ring chamber 29 for receiving the sealing bush 30 , a ring - shaped soft packing 33 is provided . it extends outwardly and inwardly beyond the end surface 34 of the ring chamber 29 . the sealing bush 30 has a ring flange 35 at its rear end . the ring flange 35 is formed as a mounting flange and provided with throughgoing openings for mounting screws 36 . these mounting screws are screwed in threaded openings 37 of the ring 38 which is screwed on the sleeve part 4 . it can be seen from fig1 and 2 that the stop bush or the sealing bush is provided in the central and / or rear region of the sleeve 2 , 2a . the aspirated liquid which is available in the suction chamber 39 flows around the sleeve 2 , 2a . when the plunger moves from the front dead point in direction toward the rear dead point , a negative pressure is formed in the working chamber 14 so that under the action of the supply pressure which acts in the suction chamber , the sleeve 2 , 2a is moved back against the action of the spring 7 from the pump head . thereby the front opening of the sleeve is released , so that the fluid can flow from the suction chamber 39 into the working chamber 14 . during the pressure stroke of the plunger the sleeve 2 , 2a assumes the position shown in fig1 and 2 , in which the sleeve abuts with its front end surface against the surface 12 of the pump head 13 . the heat which is produced during the pressure stroke of the plunger is withdrawn through the sleeve 2 , 2a into the fluid which flows around the sleeve . it will be understood that each of the elements described above , or two or more together , may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above . while the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a high pressure plunger pump , it is not intended to be limited to the details shown , since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention . without further analysis , the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can , by applying current knowledge , readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that , from the standpoint of prior art , fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention .	5
this invention overcomes the above - described problems and provides adaptive error concealment of high quality for dropouts affecting less than one video line . when the dropout affects less than one line , the error pattern of fig3 results . note that the surrounding pixels have been labeled with ( n ) denoting the erroneous pixel and pixels vertically aligned therewith , and that ( n + 1 ) and ( n - 1 ) denote pixels in columns immediately adjacent to the right and left respectively of the erroneous pixel . the subscripts t , m and b denote top , middle and bottom line respectively . the values ( amplitudes ) in digital form of pixels v t ( n - 1 ) and v t ( n + 1 ) are averaged , and compared with the value of pixel v t ( n ). similarly , the values of pixels v b ( n - 1 ) and v b ( n + 1 ) are averaged and compared with the value of pixel v b ( n ). if the average of v t ( n - 1 ) and v t ( n + 1 ) is close to v t ( n ), then no sharp horizontal transitions occur on the top line , and if the average of v b ( n - 1 ) and v b ( n + 1 ) is close to v b ( n ), then no sharp horizontal transitions occur on the bottom line . thus , a decision for adaptive concealment may be based on the more complete information available on adjacent scan lines . to again consider the example of a black horizontal line , using this method the top and bottom averages will be the same as the pixels v t ( n ) and v b ( n ) respectively , so the picture information is not in the horizontal direction , and the average of v m ( n - 1 ) and v m ( n + 1 ) may be used as a replacement pixel for v m ( n ). in the case of high frequency black and white vertical bars , the top and bottom averages will not agree with the pixels v t ( n ) and v b ( n ) respectively , so the picture information is in the horizontal direction , and the vertical average of v t ( n ) and v b ( n ) may be used as a replacement pixel . fig4 shows a block diagram of a system to implement the above described concept . eight - bit input terminal 10 ( 8 input terminals , one for each bit ) receives an 8 - bit digital television signal from a transmission channel , such as a dvtr . if the television signal is recorded with other than eight bits , then the input terminal 10 , as well as the remaining 8 - bit components of the system ( described below ), would have the corresponding number of bits ; however eight bits is the proposed standard number of bits for television signals . the input signal corresponds to the v b ( n + 1 ) pixel of fig3 and is applied to an 8 - bit adder 12 and to 8 - bit delay line 14 , which delays the signal by the time interval between consecutive sampling times ( the reciprocal of the sampling frequency ) called &# 34 ; d &# 34 ;. the output signal from delay line 14 comprises the v b ( n ) pixel and is applied to the subtracting input of 8 - bit adder 15 , to adder 90 , and also to 8 - bit delay line 16 , which has a delay of one sampling time . the output signal from delay line 16 comprises the v b ( n - 1 ) signal and is applied to adder 12 , as well as to 8 - bit delay line 18 . adder 12 averages its input signals to form a bottom estimate of v b ( n ) by adding them and dividing by two , the latter being accomplished using a hard - wired right shift of its output bits . the output signal of adder 12 is applied to 8 - bit adder 15 . the output signal from adder 15 represents the difference between the horizontal estimate and the actual sample value , and it is applied to absolute value circuit 91 . the resulting absolute value signal is applied to magnitude comparator 92 for comparison with a threshold signal t . if the accuracy of the horizontal estimate is less than t , comparator provides a one signal to or gate 93 . delay line 18 has a delay of one horizontal line time minus two sampling times , called &# 34 ; 1h - 2d &# 34 ;, and thus its output signal comprises v m ( n + 1 ). this output signal is applied to 8 - bit delay line 20 and to 8 - bit adder 22 . delay line 20 has a delay of one sampling time , and thus its output signal comprises v m ( n ), which signal is applied to 8 - bit input terminal 24 of 8 - bit ( 8pdt ) switch 25 and to 8 - bit delay line 26 . delay line 26 has a delay of one sampling time , and thus its output signal comprises v m ( n - 1 ), which signal is applied to 8 - bit delay line 28 and to adder 22 . the output signal from adder 22 is divided by two by shifting and comprises the middle line horizontal average v h , which signal is applied to 8 - bit input terminal 30 of 8 - bit , e . g . 8 - pole , switch 32 . delay line 28 has a time delay of one horizontal line time minus two sampling times , and thus its output signal comprises v t ( n + 1 ), which signal is applied to 8 - bit delay line 36 and 8 - bit adder 38 . delay line 36 has a delay of one sampling time , and thus its output signal comprises v t ( n ), which signal is applied to delay line 40 , the subtracting input of 8 - bit adder 42 , and also to adder 90 . adder 90 averages the signals v t ( n ) and v b ( n ) to produce a vertical average signal v v that is applied to 8 - bit input terminal 34 of switch 32 . delay line 40 has a time delay of one sample time , and thus its output signal comprises v t ( n - 1 ), which signal is applied to adder 38 . the output signal from adder 38 comprises the average of signals v t ( n - 1 ) and v t ( n + 1 ), and therefore is an estimate of v t ( n ). the actual signal v t ( n ) is subtracted from this average by adder 42 to provide an output signal that indicates the accuracy of the horizontal estimate in the top line . this signal is applied to absolute value circuit 44 , and the resulting absolute value signal is applied to magnitude comparator 46 , where it is compared with threshold signal of value t . if the absolute value signal is less than signal t , i . e . if the top average is close to v t ( n ), a one signal is provided to or gate 93 . gate 93 provides a one output signal if either the top or bottom line contains little high frequency horizontal information to switch 32 to control it to contact input 30 . thus the middle line horizontal average signal v h is applied to 8 - bit input terminal 48 . if neither the top nor the bottom lines have little horizontal information , i . e . both have significant amounts of horizontal information , then gate 93 provides a zero output signal , and switch 32 contacts input terminal 34 , and thus the vertical average signal v v is applied to input terminal 48 of switch 25 . it will be seen that the average time delays of signals v v or v h equals that of v m ( n ), which is necessary for the first two signals to serve as a replacement for the latter . selection between the signals at input terminals 24 and 48 is done by switch 25 under the control of dropout detector 27 , such detectors being known in the art . detector 27 receives at input terminal 37 the reproduced signal , delays it by 1h + 1d ( the average delay of v m ( n )) and provides an error signal to cause switch 25 to contact input terminal 48 when a dropout occurs . otherwise switch 25 engages input 24 . the valid or concealed video signal , as the case may be , is provided at 8 - bit output terminal 23 . it will be appreciated that or gate 93 used herebefore for the switch 32 control may be replaced with a different logic function ( such as an and ), and also that only the information from a single adjacent scan line might be used to select a direction of averaging . the system shown in fig4 is for a monochrome signal , or a signal channel , e . g . y , i , or q , of a color video system . the same technique of comparing horizontal estimates to actual pixels on adjacent lines , and using that comparison to control the direction of averaging to be used as a replacement for an erroneous pixel on the current line , can also be applied to composite video . for composite video applications more than two pixels may be averaged in each case , and the pixels that are averaged and the method of averaging must have a relationship that accounts for the proper subcarrier phase . a complete color component system using the invention could comprise three systems as shown in fig4 one for each of the channels y , i and q . however , in a so called &# 34 ; 4 : 2 : 2 &# 34 ; digital video system , wherein the ratio numerals indicate the ratio of the sampling frequencies for each component , the chroma channels are interleaved and may share a single set of hardware which runs at the luminance rate of &# 34 ; 4 &# 34 ;, and only a minor change in the delay line taps is required for this implementation . however , two full systems substantially as shown in fig4 are still required . fig5 shows pixel locations during the first four scan lines of a television raster . if the television signal is recorded using a system such as shown in u . s . patent application ser . no . 241 , 925 filed mar . 9 , 1981 , and assigned to the assignee of the present application , then originally horizontally adjacent pixels are no longer adjacent on the tape . therefore a burst - type dropout affects non - adjacent pixels when the pixels are rearranged into their original order after playback . this can be seen in fig5 wherein erroneous pixels are circled . thus on line 2 , which contains dropouts , pixels y 1 and i 1 are to be concealed simultaneously , as are pixels y 5 and i 3 , etc . when y 3 , y 7 , y 11 etc . are to be concealed , the chroma channel has valid data and no concealment is required in chroma . when q 1 , q 3 , q 5 etc . are to be concealed , the luminance channel has valid data , and no concealment is required in luminance . note also in fig5 that a horizontally adjacent pixel in the original picture of one particular chroma component occurs two pixels away , e . g . i 2 is two pixels away from i 1 . fig6 shows a block diagram of a system for implementing dropout correction with a recording format as shown in said last recited prior application . box 50 is identical to the system of fig4 and thus has been given corresponding reference numbers on the input and output terminals . input terminal 10 receives the luminance signal , and output terminal 23 provides the correct or concealed erroneous y signal as the case may be . output 51 provides the output signal from or gate 93 of fig4 to control 8 - bit switch 32c as described below since it is assumed that the direction of resolution in the chroma channel is the same as that of the luminance channel . the remaining portion of fig6 shows circuitry for dropout concealment of the chroma components . components of the chroma channel have been given reference numerals corresponding to those of fig4 with a &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; suffix added . input terminal 10c receives the chroma components and applies them to 8 - bit delay lines 14c , 16c , 18c , 20c , 26c , 28c , and 36c , which have respective time delays of two sampling times , two sampling times , one horizontal line time minus four sampling times , two sampling times , two sampling times , one horizontal line time minus four sampling times , and two sampling times . it will be noted that the one and two sampling delays of the delay lines in fig4 are now two and four sampling time delays due to said two pixels distance of adjacent pixels of the same component , and that no delay line corresponding to delay line 40 is needed in the chroma channel portion of fig6 . the delay lines of fig6 produce chroma output signals that correspond to those shown in fig4 . thus , 8 - bit adder 22c provides the horizontal average chroma signal c h to terminal 30c of switch 32c , 8 - bit adder 90c provides the vertical average chroma signal c v to input terminal 30c , and delay line 20c provides the center pixel c m ( n ) to contact 24c of switch 25c . switch 32c is controlled by gate 93 of system 50 . thus 4 adders , 2 absolute value circuits , 2 magnitude comparators , and an or gate have been eliminated from the chroma channel . the final selection of actual or concealed pixels is performed by 8 - bit switch 25c under the the control of dropout detector 27c that receives the reproduced chroma signal at input terminal 37c . dropout detector 27c operates independently of detector 27 , since e . g . on line 2 y 3 must be concealed but not i 2 . the embodiment of fig4 has been shown for purposes of clarity . however , since a bottom line becomes a top line two lines later , the calculation of the horizontal resolution is unnecessarily performed twice in fig4 . it is therefore possible to eliminate delay line 40 , adders 38 and 42 , absolute value circuit 44 , and comparator 46 . in this case , the top line horizontal resolution signal can be derived from comparator 92 by using a 2h delay line ( not shown ) to provide the lower ( as viewed in fig4 ) input signal to gate 93 . the upper input signal to gate 93 is derived directly from comparator 92 as is shown in fig4 .	7
the invention is now explained in more detail in an exemplary manner with reference to the attached drawings . however , the exemplary embodiments only represent examples that are not intended to restrict the inventive concept to a specific arrangement . before the invention is described in detail it should be noted that it is not restricted to the respective components of the device and the respective method steps , since these components and methods can vary . the terms used here are only intended to describe particular embodiments and are not used to be restrictive . moreover , when the singular or indefinite article is used in the description or in the claims , this also relates to the plural of these elements , unless the overall context clearly indicates something different . a clock control 1 . 1 , e . g . an appropriately programmed microcontroller , delivers pulses to at least one transmitting light source 1 . 8 and a second light source 1 . 9 located in direct proximity to the receiver that serves as a reference light source . the light sources can be light - emitting diodes or laser diodes or a selective combination of both types . at least one of the two light sources is adjustable in its phase and amplitude by a determinable amount . the transmitting light source 1 . 8 emits a pulse of 100 ns every 10 ms , for example . this passes through the light path 1 . 24 and 1 . 25 to the object and from the object 1 . 26 to a receiver such as e . g . the photodiode 1 . 10 and without further measures would appear as an individual pulse in the amplifier 1 . 11 . the above mentioned problems would now occur in the prior art for detection of the instant of arrival . for this reason , in the invention a reference pulse 2 . 1 is firstly emitted according to fig2 . this is conducted from the second light source 1 . 9 directly over a short path into the photodiode 1 . 10 . after the end of the reference pulse 2 . 1 , the actual transmitted pulse 2 . 2 ( fig2 ) of the transmitting light source 1 . 8 firstly follows closely . a further reference pulse 2 . 3 emitted by the second light source 1 . 9 preferably follows closely after the end of the transmitted pulse 2 . 2 . the transmitted pulse 2 . 2 is thus embedded between two reference pulses . however , the described method also works with only one reference pulse , or the references pulses can also be forwarded directly as electrical reference signals to the preamplifier 1 . 10 or the subsequent regulating means . however , quickly changing extraneous light influences can then lead to momentary measured value errors . the light of the transmitting light source 1 . 8 and the light of the reference light source 1 . 9 firstly arrive at the photodiode 1 . 10 with different intensity . this means that the transmitted pulse 2 . 2 is either larger ( received signal 2 . 8 in fig2 with non - regulated phase and amplitude ) or smaller than the reference pulses . at the same time , a time lag occurs as a result of the longer distance over the light paths 1 . 24 and 1 . 25 to and from the reflecting object 1 . 26 . moreover , the receiver converts the received signal , i . e . the received transmitted signal 2 . 2 , and possibly the at least one received reference signal 2 . 1 , 2 . 3 respectively into an electrical transmitted signal 2 . 5 or an electrical reference signal 2 . 4 , 2 . 6 . the electrical reference signal can alternatively also be brought into the circuit and the following regulation means directly without being diverted via a light path . the photodiode amplifier , the preamplifier 1 . 11 , is firstly actively connected during the time period of all the pulses by means of the control line 1 . 30 . as a result of this measure only the time range , in which the light sources are active , is considered . falsifications of the received signal as a result of the light rise in the case of the first reference pulse 2 . 1 and the light decay at the end of the second reference pulse 2 . 3 are excluded as a result of this . a breakdown of the received signal according to fig2 into clock pulse sections a , b , c , d , e shows , on the one hand , two regions b , d with clock pulse change signals between adjacent pulses 2 . 1 , 2 . 2 or 2 . 2 , 2 . 3 and , on the other hand , the regions a , c , e , in which the clock pulse change signal has decayed and only pure amplitude information remains . the amplitude differences in the regions a , e are now firstly compared with the region c with the signal path switches 1 . 17 and 1 . 18 . for this , the signal path switch 1 . 17 switches region a , e to a first input 1 . 19 a of a comparator 1 . 19 . region c is inverted to regions a + e by means of inverter 1 . 12 and passed with signal path switch 1 . 18 to the same input 1 . 19 a of the comparator 1 . 19 . the second input 1 . 19 b of the comparator 1 . 19 connects to a means formed by two identical resistors 1 . 13 for forming the mean value from the direct and the inverted signal of the preamplifier 1 . 11 . since the two signals of equal magnitude cancel one another out with respect to alternating voltage , a pure direct voltage component occurs at the sum point between the two resistors . only a direct voltage drift of the output voltage from the preamplifier 1 . 11 and the inverter 1 . 12 is communicated to the sum point and therefore to the second input 1 . 19 b of the comparator . the influence of a temperature - based direct voltage drift of the amplifier 1 . 11 and the inverter 1 . 12 is offset in the comparator 1 . 19 as a result of this measure . the comparator 1 . 19 can itself be configured as high - amplification operational amplifier with integration 1 . 31 of the input signal . the purpose of this comparator 1 . 19 is to detect such a small difference of the input values and provide it as control value 1 . 29 at the output 1 . 19 c . this control value can be evaluated for the detection of changes at or as a consequence of the object and therefore serves , for example , to detect the position , location and movement of the object 1 . 26 . the connections 1 . 31 of the comparators 1 . 16 , 1 . 19 and 1 . 22 correspond to an integrating “ sample and hold ” function . for comparator 1 . 19 , for example , this means that the mean value of the signal scanned with the signal path switch 1 . 17 or 1 . 18 is stored until the next clock cycle . thus , the amplitude values of the reference pulses 2 . 1 and 2 . 3 are compared with the amplitude values of the transmitted pulse 2 . 2 in the comparator 1 . 19 . a difference between the two values leads to a control voltage 1 . 29 at the output 1 . 19 c of the comparator 1 . 19 . at least one of the two light sources 1 . 8 and 1 . 9 is readjusted in its amplitude with this control voltage until no or at least only a minimal difference in the input voltages is present at the comparator 1 . 19 . in the exemplary embodiment , the reference light source 1 . 9 is regulated directly by means of the amplitude regulation 1 . 6 , whereas the transmitting light source 1 . 8 is regulated inversely by means of the amplitude regulation 1 . 7 and the inverter 1 . 12 . in the case of weak reflection at the object 1 . 26 , the transmission stage is regulated to high power , for example , whereas the reference light source 1 . 9 is adjusted down until the reference pulses 2 . 1 , 2 . 3 appear in the receiver 1 . 10 to be equal in magnitude to the transmitted pulse 2 . 2 . if we leave the time lag resulting from the light paths 1 . 24 and 1 . 25 out of consideration , the total transmitted pulse is not visible as such in the received signal consisting of the first reference signal 2 . 1 , the transmitted signal 2 . 2 and the second reference signal 2 . 3 . it has “ disappeared ”, as it were . while as a result of this measure the transmitted pulse is so embedded in a second signal environment that it is no longer visible , the time that this pulse has covered on the light paths 1 . 24 and 1 . 25 should be determined in the case of a light transit time measurement . assuming that the light path 1 . 24 is 15 cm long and therefore the return distance is 30 cm , in the case of a pulse transit time of 300 000 km / s , in round figures , the pulse needs one nanosecond . the pulse arrives in the receiver with a “ delay ” of one nanosecond . this state is shown in the representation in fig2 of the received signal 2 . 4 of the first reference pulse 2 . 1 , the received signal 2 . 5 of the transmitted pulse 2 . 2 arriving delayed by one nanosecond and the received signal 2 . 6 of the second reference pulse 2 . 3 . the delay is represented in the drawing as excessive , but in practice a delay of 1 nanosecond is barely visible in relation to the transmitted pulse length . however , between the received signal 2 . 4 of the first reference pulse 2 . 1 and the received signal 2 . 5 of the incoming transmitted pulse 2 . 2 a short gap of one nanosecond will occur , in which no light from one of the two light sources 1 . 8 and 1 . 9 will enter the photodiode 1 . 10 . analogously hereto , there will be an overlap of both pulses of one nanosecond at the transition of the received signal 2 . 5 of the transmitted pulse 2 . 2 to the received signal 2 . 6 of the reference pulses 2 . 3 . this means : in the received signal a short negative pulse of one nanosecond appears at the transition between the first reference pulse 2 . 1 and the transmitted pulse 2 . 2 and an equally long positive pulse appears at the transition of the transmitted pulse 2 . 2 to the second reference pulse 2 . 3 . a “ slow ” photodiode and a “ slow ” preamplifier are no longer able to resolve this short pulse . since , additionally , the rise times in commercially available light - emitting diodes and driver stages in cmos technology are certainly longer than one nanosecond , in the best case there would appear at the output of the preamplifier 1 . 11 a greatly blurred pulse , the amplitude of which can be poorly determined . however , if the transit time of the light signal is determined according to the method described here , an accurate measurement of the received light pulse is no longer mandatory . instead , it is even an advantage if the received pulse is “ blurred ” by a limitation of the photodiode or preamplifier bandwidth . the energy of the pulse is not lost during the blurring , i . e . during passage through an amplifier with a reduced bandwidth . then , from a pulse of one nanosecond and a pulse height of 10 mv , for example , there results a pulse height of 10 microvolts , but with a length of 1000 nanoseconds . this “ small ” but long pulse can now be amplified without problem using cmos technology . with an amplification of 80 db , a pulse height of 100 mv then results . the photodiode amplifier 1 . 11 can also be configured as a high - amplification limiting amplifier . while the temporally precise allocation of the receiver pulse 2 . 5 is lost , it is not in fact needed in the method described here . the signal 2 . 9 in fig2 shows the received signal regulated in amplitude , but not yet in time at the output of the preamplifier 1 . 11 . from the very short pulses at the transition between the transmitted and reference pulses a long and easily processed pulse has now resulted . in a further step the received signal 2 . 9 is now checked for these pulses . for this , the amplitude differences in the regions b and d are compared with the signal path switch 1 . 14 and 1 . 15 . the signal path switch 1 . 14 switches to a first input 1 . 16 a of a comparator 1 . 16 during region b . region d is inverted to region b with signal path switch 1 . 15 and passed onto the same input 1 . 16 a of the comparator 1 . 16 . the second input 1 . 16 b of the comparator 1 . 16 connects to a means formed by two identical resistors 1 . 13 for forming a mean value from the direct and the inverted signal of the preamplifier 1 . 11 . since the two signals of equal magnitude cancel one another out with respect to alternating voltage , a pure direct voltage is present at the sum point between the two resistors . only a direct voltage drift of the output voltage of the preamplifier 1 . 11 and inverter stage 1 . 12 is communicated to the sum point and therefore the second input 1 . 16 b of the comparator 1 . 16 . the influence of a temperature - based direct voltage drift of the amplifier 1 . 11 and the inverter 1 . 12 is offset in the comparator 1 . 16 by this measure . the comparator can be identical in configuration to comparator 1 . 19 , i . e . a high - amplification operational amplifier with integration of the input signal . the configuration of the comparators described here can also be of a different type , it is only essential that they compare two signals with one another and have a high amplification in so doing . a difference between the two input values of the comparator 1 . 16 leads to a control voltage 1 . 27 at the output of the comparator 1 . 16 . in the exemplary embodiment the data from sections b and d are compared directly with one another , as is also shown in fig1 . however , it has been shown in practice that properties of the light - emitting diodes can falsify the result . a possibility of reducing this influence is to eliminate or minimise the amplitude of only one clock pulse change signal in relation to the amplitude of a reference value present at the output 1 . 11 b of the preamplifier 1 . 19 in the stabilised state of the amplitude regulation . the control voltage 1 . 27 is passed to a control voltage processing means 1 . 2 . in dependence on the control voltage 1 . 27 , this stage shifts the phases of the reference pulses 2 . 1 , 2 . 3 and the transmitted pulse 2 . 2 in relation to one another by means of the analog or digital phase shift controls 1 . 3 , 1 . 4 , 1 . 5 so that the pulses present at the preamplifier 1 . 11 disappear in the time sections b and d . it is sufficient if only the transmitted pulse 2 . 2 or also only the reference pulses 2 . 1 and / or 2 . 3 are shifted in time , but transmitted and reference pulses can naturally also be shifted in relation to one another . in the described example of a distance of the reflecting object 1 . 26 of 15 cm away , the reference pulses and the transmitted pulse must be shifted by exactly one nanosecond in relation to one another . the clock change pulses of the transmitted signal 2 . 9 are then eliminated according to signal 2 . 10 and only the amplifier noise without any clock - synchronous components is now still present at the output 1 . 11 b of the amplifier 1 . 11 . in the addition stage 1 . 23 , the first and the second reference pulse are combined and passed to the amplitude regulation 1 . 16 . the information of the light transit time is then contained in the control voltage 1 . 27 . however , the value of the light transit time can also be obtained as a digital value . a determination of the light transit time using the method described thus far has the advantage of a very high detection sensitivity with a very high dynamic range of reflection . if need be , the described method also works with only one reference pulse . however , quickly changing extraneous light influences can then lead to momentary measured value errors . fig4 shows the advantage of two reference pulses . in the case of a quick rise of the extraneous light component 4 . 1 , the received signals 2 . 4 , 2 . 6 of the reference pulses and the received signal 2 . 5 of the transmitted pulse are also influenced . since the mean value 4 . 2 for the first reference pulse , the mean value 4 . 3 for the transmitted pulse and the mean value 4 . 4 for the second reference pulse are formed in the integration circuit 1 . 31 , the resulting joint mean value of the reference pulses 2 . 4 and 2 . 6 equals the mean value 4 . 3 of the transmitted pulse . therefore , quick extraneous light changes do not have an influence on the measurement . other pulse sequences than those represented in the exemplary embodiment can naturally also be used . thus , only the one reference pulse , for example , can also be embedded between two transmitted pulses . when using light sources with different reaction times , the received signal cannot be precisely eliminated in the time sections b and d . this difference in the rise and decay times occurs , for example , in the case of light - emitting diodes of different charges or when using a laser diode as transmitter and an led as reference light source for reasons of cost . fig3 represents this state in the signals 3 . 1 , 3 . 2 and 3 . 3 . the output signal 3 . 4 of the preamplifier 1 . 11 shows an asymmetric course without time correction of the reference or the transmitted pulse . while the desired symmetry results after levelling by means of comparator 1 . 16 , a residual error remains in the clock pulse regions b and d . with strong reflection ( retroreflector in direct proximity of the sensor ) and a strong extraneous light influence ( sunlight with 100 klx directly into photodiode ), measurement errors can occur because of the then resulting instances of non - linearity in the photodiode and the not fully eliminated signal . to prevent this , clock pulse sections a , c and e are compared with clock pulse sections b and d by means of a further comparator 1 . 22 . for this , the signal path switch 1 . 20 switches clock pulse sections a , c , e to an input 1 . 22 a of the comparator 1 . 22 , whereas the signal path switch 1 . 21 switches clock pulse sections b , d to the other input 1 . 22 b . the output 1 . 22 c of the comparator 1 . 22 is connected to the control voltage processing means 1 . 2 . if the comparator 1 . 22 detects a difference in the clock pulse sections a , c , e in relation to b , d , then the control voltage processing means 1 . 2 acts on the phase shift control so that the transmitted pulse , for example , is lengthened or shortened until the residual error 3 . 5 is completely eliminated and once again only the amplifier noise without clock - synchronous components is present at the photodiode amplifier 1 . 11 . in this case , it is immaterial whether the length of the transmitted pulse or the reference pulses is influenced in relation to time or the reference pulses are shifted in position . all three adjustments , i . e . amplitude , time lag and compensation of the reaction time , can be active simultaneously without interfering with one another . to obtain a digital value for the light transit time , a digital signal delay can be used for this . a desired resolution of e . g . 1 . 5 mm then means a step size of 10 picoseconds . corresponding to this , the clock rate of a possible microprocessor would then theoretically amount to 100 gigahertz : a clock frequency that is not yet possible at present . a solution to the clock pulse displacement in the picosecond range is shown in fig5 . a clock pulse 5 . 4 that can be taken from the clock pulse generator 1 . 1 with quartz crystal accuracy is passed through a specific number of gates 5 . 1 in an ic . each of the gates passed through delays the clock pulse by a short time , e . g . 10 picoseconds . any desired tapping between the gates can be selected by means of the switches 5 . 8 . an analog / digital converter 5 . 3 receives the control voltage from the comparator 1 . 16 . this selects a corresponding switch , depending on the control voltage . the binary value for the adjusted delay can then be picked up , for example , at output 5 . 7 . the delay time of a gate is dependent on temperature and supply voltage . to get around this problem , after passing through all the gates the clock pulse 5 . 11 is compared with an input clock pulse 5 . 4 in a phase comparator 5 . 2 . with a corresponding number of gates , the clock pulse that has passed through all the gates and the input clock pulse 5 . 4 can then have the same phase . a phase difference is detected in the phase comparator 5 . 2 and emitted as control voltage gate transit time 5 . 9 . this controls the delay time of the gates . in the simplest case , the control voltage of the gates is influenced to control the signal delay . one of the two input signals of the phase comparator 5 . 2 can also be inverted ( 5 . 10 ), in this case only half the gates are needed . this is illustrated in fig6 . after passage through all the gates , the original input clock pulse 6 . 2 is delayed by half a period and is thus again equal in phase with the inverted input signal 5 . 10 . therefore , a clock pulse delay in the picosecond range is possible with quartz crystal accuracy . to keep the number of switches 5 . 8 as low as possible , the gate transit time can be combined in blocks of e . g . 10 or 1 nanoseconds and 100 or 10 or 1 picoseconds . a direct binary control can also be achieved with a corresponding division of the gates . the closed control loop comprising the photodiode 1 . 10 , preamplifier 1 . 11 , signal path switches 1 . 14 and 1 . 15 , comparator 1 . 16 , control voltage processing means 1 . 2 , phase shift controls 1 . 3 , 1 . 4 and 1 . 5 and light sources 1 . 8 and 1 . 9 independently assures a displacement of the reference or transmission phase by precisely the value of the light transit time in the path 1 . 24 and 1 . 25 . therefore , a simple determination of the light transit time and thus the distance to the reflecting object 1 . 26 is provided . it is clearly understood that this description can be subject to a wide variety of modifications , changes and adaptations that fall within the area of equivalents to the attached claims .	6
preferred peptides of this invention are those of formula i as previously defined , wherein x 1 is selected from a group consisting of : asp - tyr - leu - asn - lys - x 4 , where x 4 is selected from the group consisting of val , pro , gly , ser and asp ; wherein each of the above - designated amino acids may be a d - or l - amino acid . additional preferred peptides of this invention are those of formula ii where x 2 is selected from the group consisting of asp - tyr , tyr , and null ( signifying no amino acid ), wherein each of the amino acids may be a d - or l - amino acid . still addition preferred peptides of the invention are those of formula iii where x 3 is selected from the group consisting of wherein each of the amino acids may be a d - or l - amino acid . also preferred are peptides having formula i as previously defined , wherein y 1 is selected from a group consisting of tyr , tyr - val , tyr - trp , x 5 - x 6 - val -, where x 5 and x 6 are each independently an aromatic or hydrophobic amino acid ; and null ( signifying no amino acid ), where each of the amino acids may be a d - or l - amino acid . additional preferred peptides are those of formula ii where y 2 is selected from the group consisting of tyr - val , tyr , and null ( signifying no amino acid ), wherein each of the amino acids may be a d - or l - amino acid . still additional preferred peptides are those of formula iii where y 3 is selected from the group consisting of tyr - tyr - val , tyr - tyr , tyr , and null ( signifying no amino acid ), wherein each of the amino acids may be a d - or l - amino acid . representative examples of specifically preferred peptides include the following &# 34 ; preferred peptides &# 34 ; ( seq id nos : 1 - 42 ): __________________________________________________________________________ ( seq id no : 1 ) asp -- tyr -- leu -- asn -- lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- tyr -- t yr -- val - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 2 ) tyr -- leu -- asn -- lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- tyr -- tyr -- v al - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 3 ) leu -- asn -- lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- tyr -- tyr -- val - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 4 ) asn -- lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- tyr -- tyr -- val - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 5 ) lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- tyr -- tyr -- val - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 6 ) asp -- tyr -- leu -- asn -- lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- tyr -- t yr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 7 ) val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- tyr -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 8 ) leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- tyr -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 9 ) lys -- thr -- leu -- pro -- phe -- ser -- ser -- tyr -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 10 ) val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- tyr -- tyr -- val - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 11 ) val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 12 ) lys -- val -- leu -- ala -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- tyr -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 13 ) lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- ala -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- tyr -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 14 ) lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ala -- tyr -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 15 ) lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- ala -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 16 ) lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- thr -- tyr -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 17 ) lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- thr -- ser -- tyr -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 18 ) asp -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- tyr -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 19 ) lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- gly -- ser -- ser -- tyr -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 20 ) lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- arg -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- tyr -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 21 ) asn -- thr -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- ser -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 22 ) lys -- val -- gln -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- tyr -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 23 ) glu -- tyr -- leu -- asn -- ser -- ile -- leu -- ser -- tyr -- ser -- pro -- ser -- tyr -- t yr -- trp - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 24 ) asp -- tyr - cyclo ( cys -- asn -- lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- c ys )-- tyr -- val - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 25 ) tyr - cyclo ( cys -- asn -- lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- cys )-- tyr -- val - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 26 ) asp -- tyr - cyclo ( cys -- asn -- lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- c ys )-- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 27 ) asp -- tyr - cyclo ( cys -- asn -- lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- c ys )- nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 28 ) tyr - cyclo ( cys -- asn -- lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- cys )-- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 29 ) cyclo ( cys -- asn -- lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- cys )-- tyr - - val - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 30 ) cyclo ( cys -- asn -- lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- cys )-- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 31 ) cyclo ( cys -- asn -- lys -- val -- leu -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- ser -- cys )- nh . su b . 2 ;( seq id no : 32 ) asp -- tyr -- leu -- asn -- lys -- val - cyclo ( cys -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- cys )-- tyr -- tyr -- val - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 33 ) tyr -- leu -- asn -- lys -- val - cyclo ( cys -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- cys )-- tyr -- tyr -- val - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 34 ) leu -- asn -- lys -- val - cyclo ( cys -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- cys )-- tyr -- tyr -- val - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 35 ) asn -- lys -- val - cyclo ( cys -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- cys )-- tyr -- tyr -- val - n h . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 36 ) lys -- val - cyclo ( cys -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- cys )-- tyr -- tyr -- val - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 37 ) asp -- tyr -- leu -- asn -- lys -- val - cyclo ( cys -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- cys )-- tyr -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 38 ) asp -- tyr -- leu -- asn -- lys -- val - cyclo ( cys -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- cys )-- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 39 ) asp -- tyr -- leu -- asn -- lys -- val - cyclo ( cys -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- cys )- n h . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 40 ) tyr -- leu -- asn -- lys -- val - cyclo ( cys -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- cys )-- tyr -- tyr - nh . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 41 ) leu -- asn -- lys -- val - cyclo ( cys -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- cys )-- tyr -- tyr - n h . sub . 2 ;( seq id no : 42 ) leu -- asn -- lys -- val - cyclo ( cys -- pro -- tyr -- tyr -- ser -- cys )-- tyr - nh . sub . 2 . __________________________________________________________________________ table i shows the ability of certain preferred peptides to inhibit binding of human neutrophils to human p - selectin at a peptide concentration of 300 μm . table i______________________________________ % inhibition at 0 . 3 μmstructure peptide conc . ______________________________________dylnkvlpyyssyyv - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 1 ) 71ylnkvlpyyssyyv - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 2 ) 101lnkvlpyyssyyv - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 3 ) 100nkvlpyyssyyv - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 4 ) 80kvlpyyssyyv - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 5 ) 102dylnkvlpyyssyy - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 6 ) 61vlpyyssyy - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 7 ) 11lpyyssyy - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 8 ) 15ktlpfssyy - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 9 ) 33vlpyyssyyv - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 10 ) 66vlpyyssy - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 11 ) 25kvlayyssyy - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 12 ) 68kvlpayssyy - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 13 ) 20kvlpyysayy - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 14 ) 18kvlpyyssay - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 15 ) 12kvlpyystyy - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 16 ) 22kvlpyytsyy - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 17 ) 32dvlpyyssyy - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 18 ) 57kvlpygssyy - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 19 ) 34kvlpryssyy - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 20 ) 19ntlpyspyyy - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 21 ) 39kvqpyyssy y - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 22 ) 29eylnsilsyspsyyw - nh . sub . 2 ( seq id no : 23 ) 54______________________________________ as used herein , the term &# 34 ; alkyl &# 34 ; includes branched , straight - chain , and cyclic saturated hydrocarbons . the term &# 34 ; lower alkyl &# 34 ; means an alkyl having from one to six carbon atoms , such as methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , isobutyl , t - butyl , pentyl , isopentyl , neopentyl , cyclopentylmethyl and hexyl . the term &# 34 ; alkanoyl &# 34 ; means ## str1 ## wherein r 6 is a alkyl group . wherein r 7 is an aryl group . the term &# 34 ; aryl &# 34 ; means an aromatic or heteroaromatic structure having between one and three rings , which may or may not be ring fused structures , and are optionally substituted with halogens , carbons , or other heteroatoms such as nitrogen ( n ), sulfur ( s ), phosphorus ( p ), and boron ( b ). the term &# 34 ; terminal α - amino group of x &# 34 ; refers to the α - amino group of the n - terminal amino acid of x . the peptides of the invention can be used in the form of the free peptide or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt . amine salts can be prepared by treating the peptide with an acid according to known methods . suitable acids include inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid , hydrobromic acid , perchloric acid , nitric acid , thiocyanic acid , sulfuric acid , and phosphoric acid , and organic acids such as formic acid , acetic acid , propionic acid , glycolic acid , lactic acid , pyruvic acid , oxalic acid , malonic acid , succinic acid , maleic acid , fumaric acid , anthranilic acid , cinnamic acid , naphthalenesulfonic acid , and sulfanilic acid . carboxylic acid groups in the peptide can be converted to a salt by treating the peptide with a base according to known methods . suitable bases include inorganic bases such as sodium hydroxide , ammonium hydroxide , and potassium hydroxide , and organic bases such as mono -, di -, and tri - alkyl and aryl amines ( e . g ., triethylamine , diisopropylamine , methylamine , and dimethylamine and optionally substituted mono -, di , and tri - ethanolamines . as referred to herein , the amino acid components of the peptides and certain materials used in their preparation are identified by abbreviations for convenience . these abbreviations are as follows : ______________________________________amino acidabbreviations______________________________________l - alanine ala ad - alanine d - ala al - arginine arg rd - arginine d - arg rd - asparagine d - asn nl - asparagine asn nl - aspartic acid asp dd - aspartic acid d - asp dl - cysteine cys cd - cysteine d - cys cl - glutamic acid glu ed - glutamic acid d - glu el - glutamine gln qd - glutamine d - gln qglycine gly gl - histidine his hd - histidine d - his hl - isolelucine ile id - isolelucine d - ile il - leucine leu ld - leucine d - leu ll - lysine lys kd - lysine d - lys kl - phenylalanine phe fd - phenylalanine d - phe fl - proline pro pd - proline d - pro pl - pyroglutamic acid pglud - pyroglutamic acid dpglul - serine ser sd - serine d - ser sl - threonine thr td - threonine d - thr tl - tyrosine tyr yd - tyrosine d - tyr yl - tryptophan trp wd - tryptophan d - trp wl - valine val vd - valine d - val vl - alloisolucine allod - alloisolucine d - allo______________________________________reagents abbreviations______________________________________trifluoroacetic acid tfamethylene chloride ch . sub . 2 cl . sub . 2n , n - diisopropylethylamine diean - methylpyrrolidone nmp1 - hydroxybenzotriazole hobtdimethylsulfoxide dmsoacetic anhydride ac . sub . 2 odiisopropylcarbodiimide dic______________________________________ amino acids preceded by l - or d - refer , respectively , to the l - or d - enantiomer of the amino acid , whereas amino acids not preceded by l - or d - refer to the l - enantiomer . the term &# 34 ; aromatic amino acid &# 34 ; as used herein means an amino acid containing , or substituted with , an aryl group . aromatic amino acids include phenylalanine , tyrosine , tryptophan , histidine , and naphthylalanine . the term &# 34 ; hyrophobic amino acid &# 34 ; as used herein means amino acids containing non - polar groups that tend to decrease water solubility . hydrophobic amino acids include , but are not limited to , leucine , isoleucine , valine , phenylalanine , alanine and naphthylalanine . the peptides can generally be prepared following known techniques , as described , for example , in the cited publications , the teachings of which are specifically incorporated herein . in a preferred method , the peptides are prepared following the solid - phase synthetic technique initially described by merrifield in j . amer . chem . soc ., 85 , 2149 - 2154 ( 1963 ). other techniques may be found , for example , in m . bodanszky , et al , peptide synthesis , second edition , ( john wiley & amp ; sons , 1976 ), as well as in other reference works known to those skilled in the art . appropriate protective groups usable in such syntheses and their abbreviations will be found in the above text , as well as in j . f . w . mcomie , protective groups in organic chemistry , ( plenum press , new york , 1973 ). the common protective groups used herein are t - butyloxycarbonyl ( boc ), fluorenylmethoxycarboyl ( fmoc ), benzyl ( bzl ), tosyl ( tos ), o - bromo - phenylmethoxycarbonyl ( brcbz ), phenylmethoxycarbonyl ( cbz ), 2 - chloro - phenylmethoxycarbonyl ( 2 - cl - cbz ), 4 - methoxy - 2 , 3 , 6 - trimethylbenzenesulfonyl ( mtr ), trityl ( trt ), formyl ( cho ), and tertiary butyl ( t - bu ). general synthetic procedures for the synthesis of peptides of the invention by solid phase methodology are as follows : ______________________________________ repetitions time______________________________________a . general synthetic procedures for solid phase peptidesynthesis using n . sup . α - boc protection1 . 25 % tfa in ch . sub . 2 cl . sub . 2 1 3 min . 2 . 50 % tfa in ch . sub . 2 cl . sub . 2 1 16 min . 3 . ch . sub . 2 cl . sub . 2 5 3 min . 4 . 5 % diea in nmp 2 4 min . 5 . nmp 6 5 min . 6 . coupling step 1 57 min . a . preformed boc - amino acid - 37 min . hobt active ester in nmp b . dmso 16 min . c . diea 5 min . 7 . 10 % ac . sub . 2 o , 5 % diea in nmp 1 9 min . 8 . ch . sub . 2 cl . sub . 2 5 3 min . b . general synthetic procedure for solid phase peptidesynthesis using n . sup . α - fmoc protection1 . 50 % piperidine in nmp 1 1 min . 2 . 50 % piperidine in nmp 1 12 min . 3 . nmp wash 7 1 min . 4 . coupling 2 30 min . fmoc amino acid dissolved in hobt / nmp followed bythe addition of dic ( di - isopropylcarbodiamide ) innmp . 5 . nmp wash . 2 1 min . ______________________________________ n - terminal acetylation on the deprotected n . sup . α - amino group of peptides synthesized using either boc or fmoc strategies is accomplished with 10 % ac 2 o and 5 % diea in nmp , followed by washing of the peptide resin with nmp and / or ch 2 cl 2 . the peptides can also be prepared using standard genetic engineering techniques known to those skilled in the art . for example , the peptide can be produced enzymatically by inserting nucleic acid encoding the peptide into an expression vector , expressing the dna , and translating the dna into the peptide in the presence of the required amino acids . the peptide is then purified using chromatographic or electrophoretic techniques , or by means of a carrier protein which can be fused to , and subsequently cleaved from , the peptide by inserting into the expression vector in phase with the peptide encoding sequence a nucleic acid sequence encoding the carrier protein . the fusion protein - peptide may be isolated using chromatographic , electrophoretic or immunological techniques ( such as binding to a resin via an antibody to the carrier protein ). the peptide can be cleaved using chemical methodology or enzymatically , as by , for example , hydrolases . peptides of the invention can also be prepared using solution methods , by either stepwise or fragment condensations . an appropriately alpha amino - protected amino acid is coupled to an appropriately alpha carboxyl protected amino acid ( such protection may not be required depending on the coupling method chosen ) using diimides , symmetrical or unsymmetrical anhydrides , bop , or other coupling reagents or techniques known to those skilled in the art . these techniques may be either or enzymatic . the alpha amino and / or alpha carboxyl protecting groups are removed and the next suitably protected amino acid or block of amino acids are coupled to extend the growing peptide . various combinations of protecting groups and of chemical and / or enzymatic techniques and assembly strategies can be used in each synthesis . pharmaceutical compositions of this invention comprise a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent and an effective quantity of one or more of the peptides of the invention or an acid or base salt thereof . the carrier or diluent may take a wide variety of forms depending on the form of preparation desired for administration , e . g ., sublingual , rectal , nasal , oral , or parenteral . in preparing the compositions in oral dosage form , any of the usual pharmaceutical media may be employed , for example , waters , oils , alcohols , flavoring agents , preservatives , and coloring agents , to make an oral liquid preparation ( e . g ., suspension , elixir , or solution ) or with carriers such as starches , sugars , diluents , granulating agents , lubricants , binders , and disintegrating agents , to make an oral solid preparation ( e . g ., powder , capsule , or tablet ). controlled release forms or enhancers to increase bioavailability may also be used . because of their ease in administration , tablets and capsules represent the most advantageous oral dosage unit form , in which case solid pharmaceutical carriers are employed . if desired , tablets may be sugar coated or enteric coated by standard techniques . for parenteral products , the carrier will usually be sterile water , although other ingredients to aid solubility or as preservatives may be included . injectable suspensions may also be prepared , in which case appropriate liquid carriers and suspending agents can be employed . the peptides can also be administered locally at a wound or inflammatory site by topical application of a solution or cream . alternatively , the peptide may be administered in liposomes or microspheres ( or microparticles ). methods for preparing liposomes and microspheres for administration to a patient are known to those skilled in the art . u . s . pat . no . 4 , 789 , 734 describes methods for encapsulating biological materials in liposomes . essentially , the material is dissolved in an aqueous solution , the appropriate phospholipids and lipids added , along with surfactants if required , and the material dialyzed or sonicated , as necessary . a review of known methods is by g . gregoriadis , chapter 14 , &# 34 ; liposomes &# 34 ;, drug carriers in biology and medicine , pp . 287 - 341 ( academic press , 1979 ). microspheres formed of polymers or proteins are well known to those skilled in the art , and can be tailored for passage through the gastrointestinal tract directly into the bloodstream . alternatively , the peptide can be incorporated and the microspheres , or composite of microspheres , implanted for slow release over a period of time , ranging from days to months . see , for example , u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 906 , 474 , 4 , 925 , 673 and 3 , 625 , 214 . the peptides are generally active when administered parenterally in amounts above about 1 μg / kg body weight . the peptides are generally active when administered parenterally in amounts above about 1 μg / kg body weight . effective doses by other routes of administration are generally those which result in similar blood level to i . v . doses above about 1 μg / kg . for treatment to prevent organ injury in cases involving reperfusion , the peptides may be administered parenterally in amounts from about 0 . 01 to about 10 mg / kg body weight . generally , the same range of dosage amounts may be used in treatment of other diseases or of conditions where inflammation is to be reduced . this dosage will be dependent , in part , on whether one or more peptides are administered . peptides that are biologically active are those which inhibit binding of neutrophils , monocytes , subsets of lymphocytes or other cells to p - selectin , or which inhibit leukocyte adhesion to endothelium that is mediated by elam - 1 and / or the homing receptor . peptides can be screened for their ability to inhibit adhesion to cells , for example , neutrophil adhesion to purified p - selectin immobilized on plastic wells , using the assay described by geng , et al ., nature 343 , 757 - 760 ( 1990 ). human neutrophils are isolated from heparinized whole blood by density gradient centrifugation on mono - poly resolving media , flow laboratories . neutrophil suspensions are greater than 98 % pure and greater than 95 % viable by trypan blue exclusion . for adhesion assays , neutrophils are suspended at a concentration of 2 × 10 6 cells / ml in hanks &# 39 ; balanced salt solution containing 1 . 26 mm ca 2 + and 0 . 81 mm mg 2 + ( hbss , gibco ) with g mg / ml human serum albumin ( hbss / hsa ). adhesion assays are conducted in triplicate in 96 - well microtiter plates , corning , incubated at 4 ° c . overnight with 50 microliters of various protein solutions . p - selectin is isolated from human platelet lysates by immunoaffinity chromatography on antibody s12 - sepharose ™ and ion - exchange chromatography on a mono - q ™ column ( flpc , pharmacia fine chemicals ), as follows . outdated human platelet packs ( 100 units ) obtained from a blood bank and stored at 4 ° c . are pooled , adjusted to 5 mm edta at ph 7 . 5 , centrifuged at 4 , 000 rpm for 30 minutes in 1 liter bottles , then washed three times with 1 liter of 0 . 1 m nacl , 20 mm tris ph 7 . 5 ( tbs ), 5 mm edta , 5 mm benzamidine . the pellets are then resuspended in a minimum amount of wash buffer and made 1 mm in difp , then frozen in 50 ml screwtop tubes at - 80 ° c . the frozen platelets are thawed and resuspended in 50 ml tbs , 5 mm benzamidine , 5 mm edta ph 7 . 5 , 100 m leupeptin . the suspension is frozen and thawed two times in a dry ice - acetone bath using a 600 ml lyophilizing flask , then homogenized in a glass / teflon mortar and pestle and made 1 mm in difp . the nacl concentration is adjusted to 0 . 5 m with a stock solution of 4 m nacl . after stirring the suspension at 4 ° c ., it is centrifuged in polycarbonate tubes at 33 , 000 rpm for 60 minutes at 4 ° c . the supernatant ( 0 . 5 m nacl wash ) is removed and saved ; this supernatant contains the soluble form of p - selectin . care is taken not to remove the top part of the pellet with the supernatant . the pellets are then homogenized in extraction buffer ( tbs , 5 mm benzamidine , 5 mm edta , ph 7 . 5 , 100 μm leupeptin , 2 % triton x - 100 ). after centrifugation at 19 , 500 rpm for 25 minutes at 4 ° c ., the supernatant is removed . the extraction procedure is repeated with the pellet and the supernatant is combined with the first supernatant . the combined extracts , which contain the membrane form of p - selectin , are adjusted to 0 . 5 m nacl . the soluble fraction ( 0 . 5 m nacl wash ) and the membrane extract ( also adjusted to 0 . 5 m nacl ) are absorbed with separate pools of the monoclonal antibody s12 ( directed to p - selectin ) previously coupled to affigel ( biorad ) at 5 mg / ml for 2 hours at 4 ° c . after letting the resins settle , the supernatants are removed . the s12 affigel containing bound gmp - 140 is then loaded into a column and washed overnight at 4 ° c . with 400 ml of 0 . 5 m nacl , 20 mm tris ph 7 . 5 , 0 . 01 % lubrol px . bound p - selectin is eluted from the s12 affigel with 100 ml of 80 % ethylene glycol , 1 mm mes ph 6 . 0 , 0 . 01 % lubrol px . peak fractions with absorbance at 280 nm are pooled . eluates are dialyzed against tbs with 0 . 05 % lubrol , then applied to a mono q column ( fplc from pharmacia ). the concentrated protein is step eluted with 2 m nacl , 20 mm tris ph 7 . 5 ( plus 0 . 05 % lubrol px for the membrane fraction ). peak fractions are dialyzed into tbs ph 7 . 5 ( plus 0 . 05 % lubrol px for the membrane fraction ). p - selectin is plated at 5 micrograms / ml and the control proteins : human serum albumin ( alb ), platelet glycoprotein iib / iiia ( iib ), von willebrand factor ( vwf ), fibrinogen ( fib ), thrombomodulin ( tm ), gelatin ( gel ) or human serum ( hs ), are added at 50 micrograms / ml . all wells are blocked for 2 hours at 22 ° c . with 300 microliters hbss containing 10 mg / ml hsa , then washed three times with hbss containing 0 . 1 % tween - 20 and once with hbss . cells ( 2 × 10 5 per well ) are added to the wells and incubated at 22 ° c . for 20 minutes . the wells are then filled with hbss / hsa , sealed with acetate tape ( dynatech ), and centrifuged inverted at 150 g for 5 minutes . after discarding nonadherent cells and supernates , the contents of each well are solubilized with 200 microliters 0 . 5 % hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide , sigma , in 50 mm potassium phosphate , ph . 6 . 0 , and assayed for myeloperoxidase activity , ley , et al ., blood 73 , 1324 - 1330 ( 1989 ). the number of cells bound is derived from a standard curve of myeloperoxidase activity versus numbers of cells . under all assay conditions , the cells release less than 5 % of total myeloperoxidase and lactate dehydrogenase . inhibition is read as a lower percent adhesion , so that a value of 5 % means that 95 % of the specific adhesion was inhibited . since the selectins have several functions related to leukocyte adherence , inflammation , and coagulation , compounds which interfere with binding of p - selectin , e - selectin or l - selectin can be used to modulate these responses . for example , the peptides can be used to competitively inhibit leukocyte adherence by competitively binding to p - selectin receptors on the surface of leukocytes . this kind of therapy would be particularly useful in acute situations where effective , but transient , inhibition of leukocyte - mediated inflammation is desirable . chronic therapy by infusion of the peptides may also be feasible in some circumstances . an inflammatory response may cause damage to the host if unchecked , because leukocytes release many toxic molecules that can damage normal tissues . these molecules include proteolytic enzymes and free radicals . examples of pathological situations in which leukocytes can cause tissue damage include injury from ischemia and reperfusion , bacterial sepsis and disseminated intravascular coagulation , adult respiratory distress syndrome , tumor metastasis , rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis . reperfusion injury is a major problem in clinical cardiology . therapeutic agents that reduce leukocyte adherence in ischemic myocardium can significantly enhance the therapeutic efficacy of thrombolytic agents . thrombolytic therapy with agents such as tissue plasminogen activator or streptokinase can relieve coronary artery obstruction in many patients with severe myocardial ischemia prior to irreversible myocardial cell death . however , many such patients still suffer myocardial neurosis despite restoration of blood flow . this &# 34 ; reperfusion injury &# 34 ; is known to be associated with adherence of leukocytes to vascular endothelium in the ischemic zone , presumably in part because of activation of platelets and endothelium by thrombin and cytokines that makes them adhesive for leukocytes ( romson et al ., circulation 67 : 1016 - 1023 ( 1983 )). these adherent leukocytes can migrate through the endothelium and destroy ischemic myocardium just as it is being rescued by restoration of blood flow . there are a number of other common clinical disorders in which ischemia and reperfusion results in organ injury mediated by adherence of leukocytes to vascular surfaces , including strokes ; mesenteric and peripheral vascular disease ; organ transplantation ; and circulatory shock ( in this case many organs might be damaged following restoration of blood flow ). bacterial sepsis and disseminated intravascular coagulation often exist concurrently in critically ill patients . they are associated with generation of thrombin , cytokines , and other inflammatory mediators , activation of platelets and endothelium , and adherence of leukocytes and aggregation of platelets throughout the vascular system . leukocyte - dependent organ damage is an important feature of these conditions . adult respiratory distress syndrome is a devastating pulmonary disorder occurring in patients with sepsis or following trauma , which is associated with widespread adherence and aggregation of leukocytes in the pulmonary circulation . this leads to extravasation of large amounts of plasma into the lungs and destruction of lung tissue , both mediated in large part by leukocyte products . two related pulmonary disorders that are often fatal are in immunosuppressed patients undergoing allogeneic bone marrow transplantation and in cancer patients suffering from complications that arise from generalized vascular leakage resulting from treatment with interleukin - 2 treated lak cells ( lymphokine - activated lymphocytes ). lak cells are known to adhere to vascular walls and release products that are presumably toxic to endothelium . although the mechanism by which lak cells adhere to endothelium is now known , such cells could potentially release molecules that activate endothelium and then bind to endothelium by mechanisms similar to those operative in neutrophils . tumor cells from many malignancies ( including carcinomas , lymphomas , and sarcomas ) can metastasize to distant sites through the vasculature . the mechanisms for adhesion of tumor cells to endothelium and their subsequent migration are not well understood , but may be similar to those of leukocytes in at least some cases . the association of platelets with metastasizing tumor cells has been well described , suggesting a role for platelets in the spread of some cancers . recently , it was reported that p - selectin binds to tumor cells in a variety of human carcinoma tissue sections ( colon , lung , and breast ), and that p - selectin binds to the cell surface of a number of cell lines derived from various carcinomas , but not from melanomas . aruggo , a ., et al ., proc . natl . acad . sci . usa , 89 , 2292 - 2296 ( 1992 ). aruggo et al . also reference earlier work suggesting that e - selectin might be involved in tumor metastasis by mediating the adhesion of a colon carcinoma cell line ( ht - 20 ) to activated endothelial cells in vitro . platelet - leukocyte interactions are believed to be important in atherosclerosis . platelets might have a role in recruitment of monocytes into atherosclerotic plaques ; the accumulation of monocytes is known to be one of the earliest detectable events during atherogenesis . rupture of a fully developed plaque may not only lead to platelet deposition and activation and the promotion of thrombus formation , but also the early recruitment of neutrophils to an area of ischemia . another area of potential application is in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis . the criteria for assessing response to therapeutic modalities employing these peptides , and , hence , effective dosages of the peptides of this invention for treatment , are dictated by the specific condition and will generally follow standard medical practices . for example , the criteria for the effective dosage to prevent extension of myocardial infarction would be determined by one skilled in the art by looking at marker enzymes of myocardial necrosis in the plasma , by monitoring the electrocardiogram , vital signs , and clinical response . for treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome , one would examine improvements in arterial oxygen , resolution of pulmonary infiltrates , and clinical improvement as measured by lessened dyspnea and tachypnea . for treatment of patients in shock ( low blood pressure ), the effective dosage would be based on the clinical response and specific measurements of function of vital organs such as the liver and kidney following restoration of blood pressure . neurologic function would be monitored in patients with stroke . specific tests are used to monitor the functioning of transplanted organs ; for example , serum creatinine , urine flow , and serum electrolytes in patients undergoing kidney transplantation . the peptides can also be used for the detection of human disorders in which the ligands for the selectins might be defective . such disorders would most likely be seen in patients with increased susceptibility to infections in which leukocytes might not be able to bind to activated platelets or endothelium . cells to be tested , usually leukocytes , are collected by standard medically approved techniques and screened . detection systems include elisa procedures , binding of radiolabeled antibody to immobilized activated cells , flow cytometry , or other methods known to those skilled in the art . inhibition of binding in the presence and absence of the lectin domain peptides can be used to detect defects or alterations in selectin binding . for selectins , such disorders would most likely be seen in patients with increased susceptibility to infections in which leukocytes would have defective binding to platelets and endothelium because of deficient leukocyte ligands for p - selectin . the peptide is labeled radioactively , with a fluorescent tag , enzymatically , or with electron dense material such as gold for electron microscopy . the cells to be examined , usually leukocytes , are incubated with the labeled peptides and binding assessed by methods described above with antibodies to p - selectin , or by other methods known to those skilled in the art . if ligands for p - selectin are also found in the plasma , they can also be measured with standard elisa or radioimmunoassay procedures , using labeled p - selectin - derived peptide instead of antibody as the detecting reagent . the peptides can also be useful in in vivo imaging of concentrations of cells bearing selectin ligands . cells expressing selectin ligands whose abnormally high local concentrations or presence within the body such as cancer cells , is indicative of a disorder can be imaged using labeled peptides . these labels may be either intrinsic or extrinsic to the structure of the specific selectin peptide and may include , but not be limited to high energy emitters such as 111 in or non - radioactive dense atoms to enhance x - ray contrast . the following examples are presented to illustrate , not limit , the invention . in the examples and throughout the specification , parts are by weight unless otherwise indicated . the peptide was prepared on an abi model 431a peptide synthesizer using version 1 . 12 of the standard boc software . 4 - methyl benzhydrylamine resin ( 625 mg ) was used in the synthesis . the final weight of the resin was 2 . 2 g . the peptide was cleaved from the resin ( 2 . 2 g ) using 22 ml of hf and 2 . 2 ml of anisole for 60 min at 0 ° c . the resin was washed with ether and the peptide extracted with 50 % tfa / ch 2 cl 2 to give 1 . 65 g of crude peptide . the peptide was deformylated with 50 ml of 2 % aqueous piperidine at 4 ° c . for 2 hours . the crude peptide ( 1 . 60 g ) was purified on a vydac c - 18 column ( 15μ , 5 × 25 cm ) eluting with a 20 - 60 % gradient of 80 % acetonitrile in 0 . 1 % tfa over 120 min at a flow rate of 15 ml per min . fractions were collected , analyzed by hplc and pure fractions pooled and lyophilized to give 49 mg . amino acid analysis : asx 1 . 01 ( 1 ), glx 0 . 97 ( 1 ), ile 0 . 98 ( 1 ), leu 2 . 07 ( 2 ), pro 1 . 01 ( 1 ), ser 2 . 69 ( 4 ), tyr 3 . 30 ( 4 ). fab / ms : mh + 1884 . 9 the peptide was prepared on an abi model 431a peptide synthesizer using version 1 . 12 of the standard boc software . 4 - methyl benzhydrylamine resin ( 0 . 631 g , 0 . 5 mmol ) was used in the synthesis . the final weight of the resin was 2 . 476 g . the peptide was cleaved from the resin ( 2 . 389 g ) using 24 ml of hf and 2 . 4 ml of anisole for 60 min at 0 ° c . the resin was washed with ether and the peptide extracted with a 1 : 1 solution of tfa / ch 2 cl 2 to give 1 . 044 g of crude peptide . the crude peptide ( 944 mg ) was purified on a vydac c - 18 column ( 15μ , 5 . 0 × 25 cm ) by using four 230 mg injections , eluting with a 15 - 75 % gradient of 80 % acetonitrile in 0 . 1 % tfa over 120 min at a flow rate of 15 per min . fractions were collected , analyzed by hplc and pure fractions pooled and lyophilized to give 238 mg . amino acid analysis : asx 2 . 03 ( 2 ), leu 2 . 04 ( 2 ), lys 0 . 97 ( 1 ), pro 1 . 01 ( 1 ), ser 1 . 46 ( 2 ), tyr 4 . 64 ( 5 ), val 1 . 97 ( 2 ). fab / ms : mh + 1886 __________________________________________________________________________ # sequence listing - ( 1 ) general information :- ( iii ) number of sequences : 42 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 1 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 15 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 1 :- asp tyr leu asn lys val leu pro tyr tyr se - # r ser tyr tyr val # 15 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 2 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 14 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 2 :- tyr leu asn lys val leu pro tyr tyr ser se - # r tyr tyr val # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 3 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 13 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 3 :- leu asn lys val leu pro tyr tyr ser ser ty - # r tyr val # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 4 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 12 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 4 :- asn lys val leu pro tyr tyr ser ser tyr ty - # r val # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 5 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 11 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 5 :- lys val leu pro tyr tyr ser ser tyr tyr va - # l # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 6 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 14 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 6 :- asp tyr leu asn lys val leu pro tyr tyr se - # r ser tyr tyr # 14 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 7 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 9 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 7 :- val leu pro tyr tyr ser ser tyr tyr 1 5 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 8 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 8 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 8 :- leu pro tyr tyr ser ser tyr tyr 1 5 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 9 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 9 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 9 :- lys thr leu pro phe ser ser tyr tyr 1 5 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 10 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 10 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 10 :- val leu pro tyr tyr ser ser tyr tyr val # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 11 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 8 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 11 :- val leu pro tyr tyr ser ser tyr 1 5 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 12 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 10 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 12 :- lys val leu ala tyr tyr ser ser tyr tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 13 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 10 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 13 :- lys val leu pro ala tyr ser ser tyr tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 14 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 10 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 14 :- lys val leu pro tyr tyr ser ala tyr tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 15 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 10 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 15 :- lys val leu pro tyr tyr ser ser ala tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 16 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 10 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 16 :- lys val leu pro tyr tyr ser thr tyr tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 17 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 10 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 17 :- lys val leu pro tyr tyr thr ser tyr tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 18 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 10 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 18 :- asp val leu pro tyr tyr ser ser tyr tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 19 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 10 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 19 :- lys val leu pro tyr gly ser ser tyr tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 20 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 10 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 20 :- lys val leu pro arg tyr ser ser tyr tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 21 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 10 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 21 :- asn thr leu pro tyr ser pro tyr tyr tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 22 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 10 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 22 :- lys val gln pro tyr tyr ser ser tyr tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 23 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 15 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 23 :- glu tyr leu asn ser ile leu ser tyr ser pr - # o ser tyr tyr trp # 15 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 24 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 15 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 3 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 13 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 24 :- asp tyr cys asn lys val leu pro tyr tyr se - # r ser cys tyr val # 15 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 25 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 14 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 2 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 12 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 25 :- tyr cys asn lys val leu pro tyr tyr ser se - # r cys tyr val # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 26 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 14 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 3 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 13 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 26 :- asp tyr cys asn lys val leu pro tyr tyr se - # r ser cys tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 27 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 13 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 3 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 13 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 27 :- asp tyr cys asn lys val leu pro tyr tyr se - # r ser cys # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 28 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 13 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 2 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 12 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 28 :- tyr cys asn lys val leu pro tyr tyr ser se - # r cys tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 29 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 13 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 1 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 11 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 29 :- cys asn lys val leu pro tyr tyr ser ser cy - # s tyr val # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 30 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 12 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 1 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 11 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 30 :- cys asn lys val leu pro tyr tyr ser ser cy - # s tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 31 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 11 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 1 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 11 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 31 :- cys asn lys val leu pro tyr tyr ser ser cy - # s # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 32 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 15 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 7 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 12 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 32 :- asp tyr leu asn lys val cys pro tyr tyr se - # r cys tyr tyr val # 15 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 33 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 14 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 6 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 11 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 33 :- tyr leu asn lys val cys pro tyr tyr ser cy - # s tyr tyr val # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 34 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 13 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 5 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 10 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 34 :- leu asn lys val cys pro tyr tyr ser cys ty - # r tyr val # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 35 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 12 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 4 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 9 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 35 :- asn lys val cys pro tyr tyr ser cys tyr ty - # r val # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 36 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 11 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 3 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 8 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 36 :- lys val cys pro tyr tyr ser cys tyr tyr va - # l # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 37 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 14 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 7 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 12 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 37 :- asp tyr leu asn lys val cys pro tyr tyr se - # r cys tyr tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 38 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 13 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 7 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 12 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 38 :- asp tyr leu asn lys val cys pro tyr tyr se - # r cys tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 39 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 12 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 7 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 12 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 39 :- asp tyr leu asn lys val cys pro tyr tyr se - # r cys # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 40 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 13 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 6 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 11 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 40 :- tyr leu asn lys val cys pro tyr tyr ser cy - # s tyr tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 41 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 12 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 5 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 10 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 41 :- leu asn lys val cys pro tyr tyr ser cys ty - # r tyr # 10 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 42 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acid residueslength : 11 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : ( d ) topology : unknown - ( ii ) molecule type :# terminateda ) description : amide - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : modified - sit - # e ( b ) location : 5 # cysteine forms disulfide bondn : with cyst - # eine at position 10 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 42 :- leu asn lys val cys pro tyr tyr ser cys ty - # r # 10__________________________________________________________________________	2
referring now in specific detail to the draawings in which like referenced numerals identify similar or identical elements throughout the several views , and initially to fig1 a novel method for creating a sculpture or a sculpting system 10 is shown including creating a line drawing 20 , using a computer system 30 to convert the line drawing into a computerized image , and using cutting means 40 to cut a sculpture 15 , and finishing 70 the surface of sculpture 15 . referring now to fig1 and 2 , an artist creates line drawing 20 on paper using a medium such as a pencil , charcoal , ink , felt tipped pen , or marker suitable for creating lines having varying weights . the varying weight or width of the lines is used to artistically show depth in a two dimensional representation of three dimensional space , shading , the relative fineness of a particular object relative to other objects , or creative expression , for example . each line of drawing 20 is connected to at least one other line of drawing 20 . drawing 20 preferably has a single color , but drawing 20 can be made in any color or combinations of colors . a scanner of computer system 30 is used to convert line drawing 20 into a computer image in a standardized computer file format 32 suitable for defining the lines and arcs of the drawing in a two - dimensional or three - dimensional coordinate system . the standardized file format 32 produced by a computer aided design software program can include a dxf type file , for example , suitable for conversion to a computer numeric control format 34 . alternatively , the artistic line drawing 20 is created on a computer system 30 using software suitable for artistic expressions in the form of line drawngs 20 . the file format of the computer based drawing 20 is converted either directly to the standardized file format 32 and then to computer numeric control format 34 or directly to the numeric control format 34 . any conversion process is accompanied by a review and evaluation of the image / or initial developmental aristic model by the artist to ensure the artistic quality has not been degraded by the conversion process . degradation of the conversion process can create undesirable effects , such as rough edges , on the lines that will be converted with the desirable attributes of the artistic lines and then again undesirbly replicated through the computer numeric controlled cutting means 40 . for example , once the paper based artistic line drawing 20 is converted to standardized file format 32 , the computer generated line drawing is reviewed and evaluated by the artist to ensure that the artistic integrity of drawing 20 is adequately represented by the computer generated version . the artist ensures the computer depicted lines all have at least one point in common with another line . further , the artistic feel of the lines is verified by the artist to ensure the weight and flow of the computer image of the drawn lines is consistent with the artist &# 39 ; s intent . any roughness in the edges of the lines is also smoothed out by the artist and additional artistic creation can take place . the result is a computerized artist &# 39 ; s drawing 20 having flowing lines of variable weight such as that of a marker or felt tipped pen . computer numeric control format 34 is used to direct cutting means 40 . in a first preferred embodiment , cutting means 40 is a waterjet device suitable for cutting a steel plate material 50 approximately one eighth or 0 . 125 of an inch in thickness . while it is preferred material 50 is a single solid unitary piece , material 50 can include different materials or have more than one piece integrated together . sculpture 15 can be fabricated using materials 50 having a wide range of widths from thousandths of an inch to approximately 18 inches as long as suitable structural integrity for sculpture 15 is provided by material 50 . cutting means 40 also encompasses devices suitable for cutting sculpture 15 from natural and / or man made materials such as any type of metal , metal alloys , wood , plastic , composites , or stone such that sculpture 15 retains sufficient rigidity to sustain its shape when mounted on a structure . cutting means 40 includes devices such as , but not limited to laser , plasma , ultrasound , hot - wire , band saw , and waterjet suitable for cutting the desired material . after sculpture 15 has been sculpted using cutting means 40 , sculpture 15 is dried prior to finishing 70 . sculpture 15 , including mounting means 60 as appropriate , undergoes surface treatment or finishing 70 using a belt sander or a similar treatment device or mechanism to smooth rough edges from the cut and prepare the outer surface for treatment . finishing 70 can include a simple buffing and / or applying a sealant or paint . painting processes such as a powder coating type paints that resist chipping are preferred . in one preferred embodiment , the entire sculpture surface is finished including a front side , a reverse side , and means for mounting 60 . means for mounting 60 preferably includes positioning a stud on the reverse side of sculpture 15 . the stud is preferably attached using a stud welder type device , but it can be any type of bonding mechanism to include adhesives that are not readily visible from the front of sculpture . the stud is then connected to a spacer for securely positioning sculpture 15 to a structure and , as desired , to provide a stand off from the structure for the sculpture . mounting means 60 preferably positions the face of sculpture 15 approximately 1 and ½ inch from the structure . mounting means 60 includes a washer on the end of the spacer for connecting to structure . the spacer and stud are configured to be substantially concealed when sculpture 15 is positioned on the structure . sculpture 15 is configured such that it can be mounted in any relationship to the structure . mounting means 60 support function can include alternative supporting mechanisms such as a wire , vertical suspension using a clear thin plastic line , or a piece of plastic that is not readily visible from the front of sculpture . referring now to fig3 the configuration of sculpture 15 including the varying width of the artistic lines , the relative flatness of the sculpture , positioning of the sculpture a finite distance from the wall , and a generally contrasting color , preferably black , to that of a background structure has an optical effect of appearing as if it is uneven felt tipped line drawing marked directly on the structure of a wall when viewed from a first perspective that is generally perpendicular to the face of the sculpture . this visual effect is particularly noted when the mounting means positions the face of the sculpture approximately one and a half inches from the structure using mounting means 60 and has the function of making the sculpture appear as a graffiti type drawing made by a marker . the visual effect is eye catching to viewers and attracts their interest because it appears to be hand drawn uneven lines drawn with a felt tipped pen . alternately , the configuration of sculpture 15 including the varying width of the artistic lines , the relative flatness of the sculpture , the positioning a finite distance fron the wall , and a generally contrasting color , preferably black , to that of a background structure has demonstrated an unexpected optical effect of appearing as if it is a free floating artistic line drawing marked in the air when viewed from a second perspective that is generally not perpendicular to the face of the sculpture . this additional unexpected visual effect functions similarly when the sculpture is positioned approximately one and a half inches from the structure by mounting means to make the sculpture appear as a marker type drawing positioned in mid air . the visual effect , again , is eye catching to viewers and attracts their interest . although the illustative embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to those precise embodiments , and that various other changes and modifications may be affected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure . al such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure .	6
various embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to a number of drawings . fig1 is a block diagram of a semiconductor memory according to a first embodiment . the first embodiment is designated by the general reference character 100 and is shown to include a cell region 102 , and the surrounding vicinity . a first sense amplifier bank 104 - 0 is situated on one side of cell region 102 , while a second sense amplifier bank 104 - 1 is situated on the other side of cell region 102 . a number of channel registers 106 - 0 to 106 - 3 are also illustrated in fig1 . the channel registers ( 106 - 0 to 106 - 3 ) are arranged into two groups , with a first group including channel registers 106 - 0 and 106 - 1 and a second group including channel registers 106 - 2 and 106 - 3 . the channel registers ( 106 - 0 to 106 - 3 ) are coupled to the cell region 102 by a data transfer bus 108 . a data transfer bus 108 can include bus line pairs 110 - 00 / 01 and 110 - 10 / 11 . in the arrangement of fig1 data is placed on bus line pairs ( 110 - 00 / 01 and 110 - 10 / 11 ) by activating one of every four sense amplifiers in a bank ( 104 - 0 and 104 - 1 ). that is , in each sense amplifier bank ( 104 - 0 and 104 - 1 ) there are four sense amplifiers for every bus line pair ( 110 - 00 / 01 and 110 - 10 / 11 ). while not set forth in detail in fig1 the sense amplifiers can be connected to the bus line pairs by gate circuits or the like . examples of such connections will be described with reference to fig2 and 4 . the sense amplifiers are labelled to identify particular groups of sense amplifiers within each bank ( 104 - 0 and 104 - 1 ). the sense amplifiers of bank 104 - 0 are labelled sa 1 to sa 4 and the sense amplifiers of bank 104 - 1 are labelled sb 1 to sb 4 . each group of sense amplifiers can be associated with a corresponding transfer bus line ( 110 - 00 / 01 and 110 - 10 / 11 ). in the arrangement of fig1 the sense amplifiers can be connected to digit lines , four of which are shown as da 1 n , da 1 t , db 1 n and db 1 t . the digit lines can be connected to columns of memory cells within memory cell region 102 . a sense amplifier within a particular group can be selected by an associated sense amplifier select signal . in fig1 the sense amplifiers sa 1 - sa 4 can - be selected by sense amplifier select signal ssa 1 to ssa 4 , respectively , and sense amplifiers sb 1 - sb 4 can be selected by sense amplifier select signal ssb 1 to ssb 4 , respectively . also included in fig1 are switching circuits 112 - 0 and 112 - 1 connected to transfer bus line pairs 110 - 00 / 01 and 110 - 10 / 11 , respectively . each switching circuit 112 - 0 and 112 - 1 can be conceptualized as being associated with cell region 102 . further , each switching circuit 112 - 0 and 112 - 1 can be conceptualized as dividing its respective transfer bus line pair ( 110 - 00 / 01 and 110 - 10 / 11 ) in the vertical direction of fig1 . as just one example , switching circuit 112 - 0 may have an “ on ” state and an “ off ” state . in the off state , switching circuit 112 - 0 can divide transfer bus line pair 110 - 00 / 01 into an upper bus line pair portion 114 - 00 / 01 and a lower bus line pair portion 116 - 00 / 01 . transfer bus line pair 110 - 10 / 11 can be divided into an upper bus line pair portion 114 - 10 / 11 and a lower bus line pair portion 116 - 10 / 11 by switching circuit 112 - 1 . sense amplifiers from bank 104 - 0 can be connected to upper bus line pair portions ( 114 - 00 / 01 and 114 - 10 / 11 ) and sense amplifiers from bank 104 - 1 can be connected to lower bus line pair portions ( 116 - 00 / 01 and 116 - 10 / 11 ). in this way , the first embodiment 100 can transfer two sets of data values by dividing a set of transfer bus lines ( 110 - 00 to 110 - 11 ) with switching circuits ( 112 - 0 and 112 - 1 ). in this way , transfer bus lines ( 110 - 00 to 110 - 11 ) can be shared . the switching circuits ( 112 - 0 and 112 - 1 ) are shown to receive a bus division signal sw . the switching circuits ( 112 - 0 and 112 - 1 ) can provide a high impedance path when turned off and a low impedance path when turned on . one of the many possible configuration for a switch circuit can include two transistors that are turned on and off according to the sw signals . another of the possible configurations can include a transfer gate having complementary devices , such as two n - channel transistors and two p - channel transistors . it is noted that the block diagram of fig1 can be conceptualized as including circuit cell portion that is logically arranged into a “ bank .” the bank structure of fig1 is indicated by the reference character 118 . referring now to fig2 a circuit diagram is set forth illustrating a sense amplifier arrangement that may be used in the first embodiment of fig1 . fig2 can be considered to correspond to the four sense amplifiers sal to sa 4 that are associated with transfer bus line pair 110 - 00 / 11 . the arrangement of fig2 is designated by the general reference character 200 and is shown to include sense amplifiers 202 - 1 to 202 - 4 , that can be conceptualized as corresponding to sense amplifiers sa 1 to sa 4 . each sense amplifier ( 202 - 1 to 202 - 4 ) can receive and amplify input signals on corresponding digit line pairs 204 - 10 / 11 to 204 - 40 / 41 . in fig2 each sense amplifier ( 202 - 1 to 202 - 4 ) can include a “ flip - flop ” section 206 - 1 to 206 - 4 and a transfer section 208 - 0 to 208 - 4 . each “ flip - flop ” section 206 - 1 to 206 - 4 can include two p - channel metal ( conductor )- oxide ( insulator )- semiconductor ( pmos ) transistors ( p 200 / p 202 ) and two n - channel mos ( nmos ) transistors ( n 200 / n 202 ). the flip - flop sections ( 206 - 1 to 206 - 4 ) can amplify signals on the digit line pairs ( 204 - 10 / 11 to 204 - 40 / 41 ). each transfer section ( 208 - 1 to 208 - 4 ) can include two nmos transistors n 204 / n 206 . transfer sections 208 - 1 to 208 - 4 can be turned on by sense amplifier selection signals ssa 1 to ssa 4 , respectively . when turned on , a transfer section ( 208 - 1 to 208 - 4 ) can couple its associated digit line pair ( 204 - 10 / 11 to 204 - 40 / 41 ) to a transfer bus line pair 210 - 0 / 1 . the sense amplifiers ( 202 - 1 to 2024 ) can be commonly activated by a first enable signal sap and a second enable signal san . one skilled in the art would recognize that the san and sap signals can supply an activating potential that enables the amplifying function of the sense amplifiers . referring now to fig3 a block diagram is set forth of a semiconductor memory according to a second embodiment . the second embodiment is designated by the general reference character 300 . the second embodiment 300 can differ from the first embodiment 100 in that it sets forth a more than one cell region and a “ common ” sense amplifier bank . a common sense amplifier bank can be a sense amplifier bank that is coupled to more than one cell region . the block diagram of fig3 is shown to include cell regions 302 - 0 and 302 - 1 , an upper sense amplifier bank 304 - 0 , a middle common sense amplifier bank 304 - 1 , and a lower sense amplifier bank 304 - 2 , and channel registers 306 - 0 and 306 - 1 . in the view of fig3 channel registers ( 306 - 0 and 306 - 1 ) are coupled to the cell regions ( 302 - 0 and 302 - 1 ) by a data transfer bus line pair 310 - 0 / 1 . the data transfer bus lines 310 - 0 / 1 can be divided by the operation of switching circuits 312 - 0 to 312 - 1 . in the arrangement of fig3 the switching circuits 312 - 0 to 312 - 1 can divide the data transfer bus lines 310 - 0 / 1 into an upper transfer bus portion 314 - 0 / 1 , a middle transfer bus portion 316 - 0 / 1 and a lower transfer bus portion 318 - 0 / 1 . switching circuits 312 - 0 and 312 - 1 are controlled by bus division signals ssw 1 and ssw 2 , respectively . the sense amplifiers of common sense amplifier bank 304 - 1 are shared by cell regions 302 - 0 and 302 - 1 . within the sense amplifier banks ( 304 - 0 to 304 - 2 ), the sense amplifiers can be conceptualized as being arranged into groups that are coupled to the data transfer bus lines 310 - 0 / 1 . the sense amplifier group of bank 304 - 0 are labelled sa 1 to sa 4 , the sense amplifier group of bank 304 - 1 are labelled ss 1 to ss 2 , and the sense amplifier group of bank 304 - 2 are labelled sb 1 to sb 4 . a sense amplifier within each group can be selected according to sense amplifier select signals . in particular , sense amplifiers sa 1 to sa 4 can be selected by sense amplifier select signals ssa 1 to ssa 4 , respectively , sense amplifiers ss 1 to ss 4 can be selected by sense amplifier select signals sss 1 to sss 4 , respectively , and sense amplifiers sb 1 to sb 4 can be selected by sense amplifier select signals ssb 1 to ssb 4 , respectively . data provided by a selected sense amplifier can be connected to a data transfer bus line pair by wiring structures . in particular , the sense amplifiers of banks 304 - 0 to 304 - 2 can be coupled to the data transfer bus line pair 310 - 0 / 1 by wiring line pairs 320 - 00 / 01 to 320 - 20 / 21 , respectively . an example of the operation of the second embodiment 300 will now be described . the operation includes the selection of a word line 322 within cell region 302 - 0 . bus division signals ssw 1 and ssw 2 can be turned on , and the transfer bus lines 310 - 0 and 310 - 1 set to a predetermined potential . corresponding to the selection of word line 322 , bus division signal ssw 1 is turned off . bus division signal ssw 2 can remain on , resulting in transfer bus lines 310 - 0 and 310 - 1 being divided into two portions , one portion including upper portion 314 - 0 / 1 the other portion including middle and lower portions 316 - 0 / 1 and 318 - 0 / 1 . the operation can proceed with the cell region 302 - 0 outputting cell data onto digit lines , one of which is shown as item 324 . sense amplifiers , selected by sense amplifier selection signals , can amplify the cell data on the digit lines . in the described example , with word line 322 selected , a sense amplifier in sense amplifier bank 304 - 0 can be selected according to sense amplifier selection signals ssa 1 to ssa 4 , and / or a sense amplifier in sense amplifier bank 304 - 1 can be selected according to sense amplifier selection signals sss 1 to sss 4 . data from the selected sense amplifier can be connected to a portion of the transfer bus lines 310 - 0 and 310 - 1 . for example , if sense amplifier sa 1 is selected , data from the sense amplifier can be connected to an upper transfer line portion ( formed by 314 - 0 / 1 ) through wiring line pair 320 - 00 / 01 . if common sense amplifier ss 1 is selected , data from the sense amplifier can be connected to a lower transfer line portion ( formed by 316 - 0 / 1 and 318 - 0 / 1 ) through wiring line pair 320 - 10 / 11 . when a word line 322 in cell region 302 - 0 is selected , sense amplifier select signals ssb 1 to ssb 4 can be deselected to avoid applying data from two cell regions ( 302 - 0 and 302 - 1 ) to common transfer line portions ( 316 - 0 / 1 and 318 - 0 / 1 ). it is noted that the block diagram of fig3 can be conceptualized as including a circuit cell portion that is logically arranged into a “ bank .” the bank structure of fig3 is indicated by the reference character 326 , and is shown to include multiple cell portions . as shown by fig3 the second embodiment can include multiple cell regions that can be accessed by a dividable transfer bus and a bank of common sense amplifiers . referring now to fig4 a circuit diagram is set forth illustrating a sense amplifier arrangement that may be used in the second embodiment of fig3 . fig4 can be considered to correspond to the four common sense amplifiers ss 1 to ss 4 set forth in fig3 . the arrangement of fig4 is designated by the general reference character 400 and is shown to include sense amplifiers 402 - 1 to 402 - 4 , that can be conceptualized as corresponding to sense amplifiers ss 1 to ss 4 . each sense amplifier ( 402 - 1 to 402 - 4 ) can receive and amplify input signals on digit line pairs 404 - 10 / 11 to 404 - 40 / 41 associated with one cell region , and digit line pairs 404 - 50 / 51 to 404 - 80 / 81 associated with another cell region . each sense amplifier ( 402 - 1 to 402 - 4 ) can include a “ flip - flop ” section 406 - 1 to 406 - 4 and a transfer section 408 - 1 to 408 - 4 . each “ flip - flop ” section 406 - 1 to 406 - 4 can include two pmos transistors ( p 400 / p 402 ) and two nmos transistors ( n 400 / n 402 ). the flip - flop sections ( 406 - 1 to 406 - 4 ) can amplify signals on the digit line pairs ( 404 - 10 / 11 to 404 - 40 / 41 or 404 - 50 / 51 to 404 - 80 / 81 ). the sense amplifiers ( 402 - 1 to 402 - 4 ) can be commonly activated by sense amplifier select signals san and sap . each transfer section ( 408 - 1 to 408 - 4 ) can include two nmos transistors n 404 / n 406 . transfer sections 408 - 1 to 408 - 4 can be turned on by sense amplifier selection signals sssl to sss 4 , respectively . when turned on , a transfer section ( 408 - 1 to 408 - 4 ) can couple its associated digit line pair ( 404 - 10 / 11 to 404 - 80 / 81 ) to a transfer bus line pair 410 - 0 / 1 . the arrangement of fig4 further includes first transfer gates 412 - 01 to 412 - 04 and second transfer gates 412 - 11 to 412 - 14 . first transfer gates ( 412 - 01 to 412 - 04 ) can connect digit line pairs 404 - 50 / 51 to 404 - 80 / 81 to sense amplifiers 402 - 1 to 402 - 4 . first transfer gates ( 412 - 01 to 412 - 04 ) can include two nmos transistors n 408 and n 410 that are controlled by a transfer gate signal tg 1 . second transfer gates ( 412 - 11 to 412 - 14 ) can connect digit line pairs 404 - 10 / 11 to 404 - 40 / 41 to sense amplifiers 402 - 1 to 402 - 4 . second transfer gates ( 412 - 11 to 412 - 14 ) can include two nmos transistors n 412 and n 414 that are controlled by a transfer gate signal tg 2 . fig5 is a block diagram of a semiconductor memory device according to a third embodiment . the third embodiment is designated by the general reference character 500 , and can differ from the first and second embodiments ( 100 and 300 ) in that it includes a plurality of banks . referring now to fig5 the third embodiment 500 is shown to include a first register group 502 - 0 , a second register group 502 - 1 , a first bank ( bank a ) 504 - 0 , and a second bank ( bank b ) 504 - 1 . a data transfer bus 506 can connect first and second banks ( 504 - 0 and 504 - 1 ) to first and second register groups ( 502 - 0 and 502 - 1 ). the banks ( such as 504 - 0 and 504 - 1 ) of the third embodiment 500 , as just two examples , can have structures like those of the first embodiment bank 118 and / or the second embodiment bank 326 . it is understood that in one particular arrangement , that the data transfer bus 506 can be separated into portions according to switching circuits within the banks . in the arrangement of fig5 switching circuits within the first bank 504 - 0 can be controlled by bus division signals ssw 1 a and ssw 1 b . switching circuits within the second bank 504 - 1 can be controlled by bus division signals ssw 2 a and ssw 2 b . in particular , switching circuits can divide the data transfer bus according to a prefetch or restore signal received from a memory controller . a prefetch or restore signal can direct data transfers between channel registers ( within register groups 502 - 0 and 502 - 1 ) and sense amplifiers ( within banks 504 - 0 and 504 - 1 ). operations for one version of the third embodiment will now be described in conjunction with fig3 and 5 . for the purposes of this description it is assumed that the third embodiment 500 includes a bank having the structure of the second embodiment 326 . when a memory cell is not selected , switching circuits ( such as 312 - 0 and 312 - 1 ) are turned on , and the data transfer bus 506 is set to a predetermined potential . a word line can be selected ( such as 322 ) and data can be amplified by sense amplifier banks ( 304 - 0 and 304 - 1 ) situated at opposing ends of the cell region 302 - 0 containing the selected word line 322 . amplification of sense amplifier data can be accomplished by sense amplifier enable signals such as sap and san . the bus division signals ssw 1 a , ssw 1 b , ssw 2 a and ssw 2 b can be deselected at this time , dividing the transfer bus 506 into a number of sections . further , sense amplifier select signals ( such as sss 1 to sss 4 ) are also deselected . a control signal can then be received from an external controller to initiate a data transfer between a bank ( 504 - 0 and 504 - 1 ) and the register groups ( 502 - 0 and 502 - 1 ). in the event a word line has been selected within first bank 504 - 0 , bus division signal ssw 1 a can be turned off , while bus division signal ssw 1 b can be turned on . further , the bus division signals associated with the second bank 504 - 1 ( ssw 2 a and ssw 2 b ) can be turned on . in this way , the data transfer bus 506 can be divided into one portion coupled to a first register group 502 - 0 and another portion coupled to a second register group 502 - 1 . in this way , memory cell data can be accessed in a bank ( 504 - 0 and 504 - 1 ), and then transferred via a divided data transfer bus 506 to first and second register groups ( 502 - 0 and 502 - 1 ). it is noted that in the cases of the first and second embodiments ( 100 and 300 ), the switching circuits ( such as 112 - 0 and 112 - 1 and 312 - 0 and 312 - 1 ) can divide a transfer bus ( 110 - 00 to 110 - 11 and 310 - 0 / 310 - 1 ) in response to the selection of a word line . the third embodiment 500 can differ from the first and second embodiments ( 100 and 300 ) in that the data transfer bus 506 can be divided by switching circuits in response to a prefetch or restore signal that can initiate a data transfer between register groups ( 502 - 0 and 502 - 1 ) and banks ( 504 - 0 and 504 - 1 ). for example , if an arrangement such as that of fig5 includes data transfer bus division according to word line selection , word lines may be selected in both banks at the same time . in such a case , the data transfer bus could be divided into three portions , preventing the desired data from being transferred to the register groups ( 502 - 0 and 502 - 1 ). accordingly , by dividing the data transfer bus 506 in response to a prefetch or restore signal , a switching circuits within one bank can be turned off , while those in another bank can be turned on . for example , if a transfer is to occur between the first bank 504 - 0 and register groups 504 - 0 and 504 - 1 , a set of switching circuits within first bank 504 - 0 can be turned off by deselecting the ssw 1 a or ssw 1 b signal . at the same time the ssw 2 a and ssw 2 b signals can be selected . in this arrangement , data in the first bank 504 - 0 can be transferred to both channel registers ( 502 - 0 and 502 - 1 ). it is understood that while various descriptions have described accesses to the first bank 504 - 0 , similar accesses can occur to the second bank 504 - 1 . as described in the various embodiments , a semiconductor memory according the present invention can advantageously reduce the number of transfer bus lines while maintaining data transfer speeds of a virtual channel memory . such a semiconductor memory device may be advantageously employed in image processing applications . it is also noted that while the various arrangements have illustrated sense amplifier arrangements having a ratio of 4 : 1 with respect to corresponding channel registers , such a configuration should not be construed as limiting the invention thereto . the particular arrangement of memory device components can also be subject to variation . as but one example , while the switching circuits ( 112 - 0 and 112 - 1 ) of fig1 are illustrated as being situated between sense amplifier bank 104 - 1 and cell region 102 , one or all of such switching circuits ( 112 - 0 and 112 - 1 ) can be situated at various locations between sense amplifier banks 104 - 0 and 104 - 1 . it is further understood that while the various figures have illustrated arrangements that include a limited number of data transfer lines , many such lines can be arranged in parallel to form a larger bus structure . the present invention has been described in conjunction with a number of embodiments . however , a semiconductor memory of the present invention should not be construed as being restricted to such embodiments . various modifications to the disclosed embodiments are included in the range of the present invention . as just one example , a semiconductor memory of the present invention is not limited to a virtual channel memory , but can also be employed in a general - purpose memory . it is thus understood that while various particular embodiments set forth herein have been described in detail , the present invention could be subject to various changes , substitutions , and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the present invention is intended to be limited only as defined by the appended claims .	6
the following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention . various modifications to the embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown , but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein . fig4 a and 4b are side views of respective first and second accelerometers 60 a and 60 b of an accelerometer pair according to an embodiment of the invention . referring to fig3 the accelerometers 60 a and 60 b are mounted to a disc such as the disc 30 and are spaced π radians apart like the accelerometers 38 a and 38 b . but unlike the ideally oriented accelerometers 38 a and 38 b , the accelerometers 60 a and 60 b have respective input axes 62 a and 62 b that , perhaps through manufacturing irregularities , are not parallel to the disc , and thus may introduce additional acceleration terms into equations ( 2 )-( 9 ). each accelerometer 60 a and 60 b has a coordinate system with an origin 64 a and 64 b , respectively . referring to the accelerometer 60 a , the z a axis is parallel to the z s spin axis of the disc , the y a axis is parallel to the disc and is orthogonal to the radius of the disc at the origin 64 a , and the x a axis is coincident with the radius of the disc that intersects the origin 64 a , and thus is normal to the drawing page at the origin 64 a . likewise , referring to the accelerometer 60 b , the z b axis is parallel to the z s spin axis of the disc , the y b axis is parallel to the disc and is orthogonal to the radius of the disc at the origin 64 b , and the x b axis is coincident with the radius of the disc that intersects the origin 64 b , and thus is normal to the drawing page at the origin 64 b . referring to fig4 a , the accelerometer 60 a measures a component of accelerations that occur along the z a axis , and thus will add to the acceleration terms in equations ( 2 )-( 9 ). unless these accelerations are removed from the acceleration measurements , they will introduce errors into the calculation of the gravity tensor elements . specifically , the input axis 62 a of the accelerometer 60 a makes a nonzero angle β a with the y a axis — unlike the input axis 40 a of the accelerometer 38 a ( fig3 ), which makes a zero angle ( β a = 0 ) with its y a axis ( not shown in fig3 ). therefore , because the input axis 62 a has a projection along the z a axis , the accelerometer 62 a will measure an acceleration term aaz of aa in response to an acceleration az a along the z a axis according to the following equation : therefore , to accurately reflect the effect of axial misalignment , β a , in the calculation of the gravitational field , the term aaz should be included in the right - hand sides of equations ( 2 )-( 5 ). similarly , referring to fig4 b , the accelerometer 60 b will measure an acceleration term abz of ab in response to an acceleration az b ( that is , an acceleration along the z b axis at location 64 b ) according to the following equation : and to accurately reflect the effect of β b , the term abz should be included in the right - hand side of equation ( 6 ). referring to fig1 a , and 4 b and assuming that the accelerometers 60 a and 60 b are mounted to the disc 30 in place of the accelerometers 38 a and 38 b , one cause of accelerations az a and az b along the z a and z b axes is a nonrotational acceleration along the z body axis , and thus along the spin axis z s . for example , the vehicle carrying the gradiometer 10 may be accelerated along the z axis by a gust of wind . in this case az a = az b = az s an established technique for canceling the terms aaz and abz introduced into the equations ( 2 )-( 9 ) by such a nonrotational acceleration is to mount the accelerometers 60 a and 60 b on the disc 30 such that β b =− β a . because the accelerations aa and ab are summed together per equation ( 7 ), then aaz + abz = az s sin β a + az s sin β b = az s sin β a − az s sin β a = 0 . and even if one cannot mount the accelerometers 60 a and 60 b such that β b exactly equals − β a , often one can get β b close enough to − β a such that aaz + abz is negligible and aaz and aab can be eliminated from equations ( 2 )-( 9 ). but in general aaz + abz is not negligible and the misalignments β a and β b are too small to identify using conventional accelerometer calibration techniques . therefore , one method developed for gradiometer use is to inject a common ( i . e . non - rotational ) acceleration along the z s axis and through examination of the accelerometer summation signal identify the common part of the misalignments . this acceleration can be injected by a calibration machine during pre - shipment calibration of the gradiometer . alternatively , the gradiometer can self calibrate by using accelerations provided by the vehicle in which it is mounted . in this way the axial misalignment of one arbitrarily selected accelerometer can be adjusted to make the net effect from all accelerometers equal zero . that is sin β a + sin β b + sin β c + sin β d = 0 , where sin β c and sin β d represent the acceleration terms from another pair of accelerometers that are respectively similar to the accelerometers 60 a and 60 b but are mounted to the disc 30 in place of the ideal accelerometers 38 c and 38 d ( fig3 ). for cases where the ability to calibrate this net misalignment is better than our ability to realign the accelerometers ( that is , where sin β a + sin β b + sin β c + sin β d ≠ 0 ), one can alter the measurement processing algorithms in processor 20 ( fig1 ) to include compensation for the net effect of aaz , abz , acz and adz ( acz and adz being the accelerations from the other pair of accelerometers ) in equation ( 9 ) and hence improve the resulting measurements . these established practices , although helpful in rejecting common axial acceleration ( z s ), do nothing to identify or reduce the effects of the individual axial misalignments . therefore , as discussed below , one embodiment of the invention addresses this failure . referring to fig1 a , 4 b , and 5 and again assuming that the accelerometers 60 a and 60 b and a corresponding pair of accelerometers are mounted to the disc 30 in place of the accelerometers 38 a , 38 b , 38 c , and 38 d , another cause of an acceleration az a along the z a axis is a rotational acceleration ( α = dω / dt where ω = rotational rate as discussed above ) about the x or y body axes of the gradiometer 10 . unfortunately , as discussed below , one cannot reduce or eliminate the acceleration terms introduced by these rotational accelerations by setting β b =− β a . fig5 is an end view of the disc 30 taken along lines a — a of fig3 where the accelerometers 38 a and 38 b are replaced by the accelerometers 60 a and 60 b of fig4 a and 4b , the accelerometers 38 c and 38 d are replaced by accelerometers that are similar to the accelerometers 60 a and 60 b and whose input axes make respective angles β c and β d with the z c and z d axes , and the acceleration terms introduced by a rotational acceleration α are included in the equations ( 2 )-( 9 ) according to an embodiment of the invention . the normal position of the disc 30 is drawn in solid line . in the normal position when ωt = 0 , the x d and y d ( normal to drawing page ) disc axes are parallel and coincident with the x and y ( normal to drawing page ) body axes , respectively , and the z s spin axis is parallel to the z body axis . when a rotational acceleration occurs , for example a counterclockwise acceleration α y about the y body axis , then the disc 30 is accelerated toward a position that is drawn in dashed line . if β a and β b have opposite signs , then the acceleration component aaz ( α y ) measured by the accelerometer 60 a is reinforced by the acceleration component abz ( α y ) measured by the accelerometer 60 b . more specifically , referring to fig4 a , because the input axis 62 a of the accelerometer 60 a has a projection on the positive z a axis , the accelerometer 60 a measures a positive acceleration aaz ( α y ) in response to the rotational acceleration α y . similarly , referring to fig4 b , because the input axis 62 b of the accelerometer 60 b has a projection on the negative z b axis , the accelerometer 60 b measures a positive acceleration abz ( α y ) due to the rotational acceleration α y . consequently , unlike the terms aaz and abz ( equations ( 11 ) and ( 12 )) introduced by a nonrotational acceleration as discussed above in conjunction with fig4 a and 4b , the term aaz ( α y ) introduced by the rotational acceleration α y tends to be reinforced by , and not cancelled by , the term abz ( α y ) introduced by α y . this is true even if β b =− β a exactly . referring to fig3 a , and 5 , the acceleration term aaz ( α y ) introduced by α y is a function of the length of the moment arm 52 and the projection of the input axis 62 a on the z a axis , and is thus given by the following equation : aaz ( α y )=− α y r cos ω t sin β a ( 13 ) and the acceleration term aaz ( α x ) introduced by a rotational acceleration α x about the x body axis is given by the following equation : aaz ( α x )=+ α x r sin ω t sin β a ( 14 ) similarly , the error acceleration terms for the remaining accelerometer 60 b and the other pair of accelerometers are given by the following equations where α x ( the angular acceleration about the x body axis ) is appropriately scaled to account for the axis x d being parallel to , not coincident with , the body axis x : abz ( α y )=+ α y r cos ω t sin β b ( 15 ) abz ( α x )=− α x r sin ω t sin β b ( 16 ) acz ( α y )=+ α y r sin ω t sin β c ( 17 ) acz ( α x )=+ α x r cos ω t sin β c ( 18 ) adz ( α y )=− α y r sin ω t sin β d ( 19 ) adz ( α x )=− α x r cos ω t sin β d ( 20 ) a similar analysis can be made for discs lying in or parallel to the x - z or y - z planes . by including the above acceleration terms in equation ( 9 ) along with measurements from the rotational sensor assembly 18 ( fig1 ), the processor 20 can account for these measurement errors in terms of the axial misalignments of the accelerometers : β a , β b , β c , and β d . including the terms of equations ( 14 )-( 20 ) in equation ( 9 ) and subtracting the ideal result ( the right - hand side of equation ( 9 )) leaves the following formulation of errors induced by rotational accelerations : signal errors induced by rotational accelerations =(( α x sin ω t − α y cos ω t )( sin β a − sin β b )−( α x cos ω t + α y sin ω t )( sin β c − sin β d )) r / 2 ( 21 ) in a manner analogous to the error correction for non - rotational accelerations described above , this information can be used in several ways to improve the gradient measurement . if the misalignments β a , β b , β c , and β d have been calibrated , then the resulting errors can be simply calculated and removed by the processor 20 . conversely , a calibration of these misalignments can be implemented by obtaining an optimal fit between the error gradients obtained during a calibration procedure and the measurements obtained by the rotational sensor assembly 18 ( fig1 ). as discussed above , a rotational calibration acceleration can be injected by a calibration / test machine during pre - shipment calibration of the gradiometer . alternatively , the gradiometer can self calibrate by using rotational accelerations provided by the vehicle in which it is mounted . furthermore , the technique is similar for discs that lie in the x - z or y - z planes . other embodiments of the invention are contemplated . for example , the rotational sensor assembly 18 ( fig1 ) may be partially or wholly located on the rotating disc 30 . in this case the resolution of the sensed rotations into the frame of the accelerometers , implied by the sin ( ωt ) and cos ( ωt ) terms in equation ( 21 ), is unnecessary . furthermore , equations ( 11 )-( 21 ) can be modified according to known mathematical principles where a disc lies in a plane that is not coincident with or parallel to one of the x - y , x - z , or y - z body - axis planes . moreover , one can determine the angles β a and β b by conventional techniques such as spinning the disc 30 about the y d axis at a known rotational acceleration when the disc is in the ωt = 0 position .	6
the system of the present invention will be described and its use exemplified in the context of an automotive soft top as illustrated in fig1 . the system is particularly desirable for convertible automotive tops . it will be understood , however , that the invention described and claimed herein may be used in connection with many types of barrier structures having at least one “ soft ” portion including , but not limited to , soft tops for boats , folding travel trailers , tents , porch coverings , and the like . consequently the description which follows should not be considered as limited only to automobiles . fig1 shows a vehicle 20 having a soft top or convertible top 22 enclosing the passenger area . typically , the soft top 22 may be folded into or deployed on the vehicle 20 either by hand or an automated mechanism ( not shown ). when in the deployed or erected position as shown in fig1 the soft top 22 serves as a weatherproof enclosure for the vehicle &# 39 ; s passengers , fulfilling substantially the same role as a steel hard top . however the soft top , being retractable or removable , enables the vehicle user to select between an open and an enclosed vehicle at any time . the soft top 22 is generally constructed of canvas , leather , rubber or some other relatively lightweight , durable , flexible material . the soft top 22 usually has a number of windows 24 . the windows 24 are usually constructed of a soft flexible material such as clear vinyl , but for best optical performance the windows 24 usually comprise a generally flat panel of a rigid material such as safety glass , lexan or plexiglas . as seen in fig1 the vehicle 20 may have one or more removable doors 26 which have a soft side portion 28 constructed from a flexible material similar to that used to make the soft top 22 . the soft side portion 28 also mounts a window 24 and can make the removable door 26 lighter and easier to handle . furthermore , the soft side portion 28 ( together with its window 24 ) may itself be removable from the door 26 or folded down as a further option for providing an open passenger compartment for the vehicle 20 . fig2 , 4 a and 4 b show a preferred embodiment of a window suspension 30 which may be used to mount the window 24 in the soft side portion 28 . however , it will be appreciated that the suspension 30 can be used to mount the window in other portions of the soft top 22 , such as the rear or even on the roof . the window suspension 30 comprises a window grip 32 , preferably formed from a flexible , durable material such as canvas or other high - strength fabric , which surrounds the perimeter of the window 24 and holds the edges of the window 24 between two layers or extensions 52 , 54 ( best seen in fig4 b ). each extension 52 , 54 comprises a fold of the material making up the grip 32 , and forms an apex 64 at an inner edge 34 , opposite an outer edge 36 of the grip 32 . a cable 38 , made of stainless steel , nylon , kevlar , or other suitable material , is disposed within each extension 52 , 54 of the window grip 32 near the apex 64 . each cable 38 is tensioned by use of a turnbuckle 40 or some other tensioning device , and applies tension to the inner edge 34 of the grip 32 in a manner which tends to contract the perimeter of the grip 32 at the inner edge 34 , i . e . in the manner of a drawstring . thus , under the tension of the cables 38 each extension 52 , 54 is drawn tightly against the corresponding face of the window 24 , the edges of which are thereby firmly retained between the extensions 52 , 54 . a cover flap 42 is provided to permit selective access to the turnbuckle 40 as seen in fig3 . when the turnbuckle 40 is not in use , the end of the cover flap 42 may be tucked under the window grip 32 so as to promote a neat appearance for the window suspension 30 . in addition , the window grip 32 may have a series of cutouts 44 at its corners to facilitate proper attachment of the grip 32 to the soft side portion 28 or other part of the soft top 22 . to permit accumulated moisture to drain from the window grip 32 a number of drain holes 45 may be cut into the either of the extensions 52 , 54 . fig4 a and 4b show a cross - section of the window suspension system 30 along the line 4 — 4 in fig3 . the window grip 32 has a grip portion 46 which receives the window 24 as described above , an anchor portion 48 which is bonded to the soft side portion 28 or any other part of the soft top 22 by stitching , gluing , or other suitable attachment . as best seen in fig4 b , the window grip 32 is preferably formed from a sleeve 50 of the window grip material which is folded back upon itself several times to form an anterior extension 52 and a posterior extension 54 . the two extensions form a channel 56 therebetween , that receives the edges of the window 24 . thus the anchor portion 48 and the grip portion 46 of the window grip 32 attain a y - shaped cross section suitable for holding the window 24 and attaching to the soft top 22 . to retain this y configuration , the window grip 32 is preferably bonded , by stitching , gluing , or other suitable techniques , at an anchor bond 58 on the anchor portion 48 , and an anterior bond 60 and a posterior bond 62 on the anterior and posterior extensions 52 , 54 , respectively . thus bonded , the window grip 32 will maintain its shape ( especially as regards the relative lengths of the extensions 52 , 54 ) if the cables 38 are unevenly tensioned with respect to each other , as is often the case when replacing the window 24 . a gasket 65 of rubber or other suitable material may be placed between the window 24 and the window grip 32 to provide a substantially weatherproof , fluid - tight seal . fig5 shows the preferred arrangement of the cable 38 , turnbuckle 40 and cover flap 42 in greater detail . the cable 38 may be attached to either end of the turnbuckle 40 via a loop 66 that is formed at either end of the cable and fastened with a cable crimp 68 . a screw 70 or other suitable fastener may be used to connect the loop 66 to either end of the turnbuckle 40 . alternatively , the cable can be crimped directly into either end of the turnbuckle 40 . with the cable 38 connected to both ends of the turnbuckle 40 , the user can tighten or loosen the cable by operating the main bolt 71 of the turnbuckle 40 to draw the ends of the turnbuckle 40 together or push them apart . thus the turnbuckle 40 is suitable for removing / replacing the window 24 entirely , or tightening the cable 38 and grip 32 as needed from time to time . the cover flap 42 lays over the turnbuckle 40 and may be tucked under the grip portion or the window grip 32 to promote a neat appearance . fig6 shows a quick release tensioner 72 which may be used as an alternative to the turnbuckle 40 , for applying tension to the cable 38 . the quick release tensioner 72 preferably has a generally rigid base 74 having a cable attachment 76 at one end and a hinge support 78 opposite the cable attachment 76 . the hinge support 78 cooperates with an axle 80 to pivotally attach a quick release lever 82 to the base 74 . the quick release lever 82 may rotate as necessary on the axle 80 between a loosened position a and a tensioned position b against the base 74 , in the direction marked by the arrow c . the cable 38 is attached to the quick release lever 82 at a point 84 between the axle 80 and the end of the quick release lever 82 . when the user rotates the quick release lever 82 from the loosened position a to the tensioned position b , the cable 38 is stretched by a tension distance d , applying the necessary tension to the cable 38 . the tension in the cable 38 holds the quick release lever 82 in the tensioned position b against the base 74 , as in the tensioned position b the attachment point 84 of the cable 38 is located on a side of the axle 80 adjacent the base 74 . this arrangement of the attachment point 84 and axle 80 causes the quick release handle to press firmly against the base 74 under a tension f in the cable 38 . to permit occasional tightening of the cable 38 and grip 32 , the cable attachment 76 may comprise a threaded fitting that allows lateral movement of an endpoint of the cable 38 as is done at either end of the turnbuckle 40 . as described above the suspension system permits quick , easy mounting or replacement of a window 24 in the soft top 22 . to replace the window 24 , the user operates the turnbuckle 40 , quick release tensioner 72 , or other tensioning device to loosen one or both of the cables 38 . upon loosening the cable ( s ) 38 , one or both of the extensions 52 , 54 becomes sufficiently slack to permit easy removal of the edges of the window 24 from the channel 56 between the extensions . after removing the original window 24 , the user can then place a second window in the channel 56 and apply a tension to the cable ( s ) 38 by using any of the tensioning devices detailed above , to securely retain the window in the grip 32 . those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the mounting of windows in a “ soft ” barrier structure . rather , the invention is equally useful for mounting many other substantially flat , rigid panel - like structures , such as a screen or a sheet of clear vinyl having a substantially rigid perimeter frame , or an opaque or translucent decorative or protective panel made of stiff plastic , stained glass , wood , metal , or the like . although this invention has been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments and examples , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and / or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof . thus , it is intended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above , but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims that follow .	1
fig1 shows a protective device according to the invention for a display device 1 , such as monitors for displaying heart rates , blood pressure , ecg , eec or visual body part displays , at a medical working environment . the display facility 1 features one or a number of screens , which are delimited by an image surface 2 of the working environment . to protect the image surface 2 , a protective element 3 is available , which is arranged in the exemplary embodiment at a minimal distance in front of the image surface 2 . the protective element 3 is designed as a transparent film and is prepared for use in a medical working environment by means of sterilization . as a result of the vicinity of the image surface 2 to an operating table 11 , contamination of the image surface 2 by bodily fluids or secretions cannot be ruled out . the protective element 3 thus also comprises a fluid - rejecting surface , so as to reduce the ultimately remaining contamination on the protective element 3 by draining the fluid , in the case of fluid squirting onto the protective element surface . in addition , an anti - reflecting layer is applied to the side of the protective element 3 facing away from the image surface 2 , so as to reduce disturbing reflections of the operating theatre lighting ( not shown ) in the region of the image surface 2 of the display facility 1 . the protective element 3 is mounted in a dispenser 4 as a film reel roll . the dispenser 4 can be fixed here to the display facility 1 , on a suitable frame 12 or another suitable fixing option such as a wall . by means of traction , the protective element 3 can be passed out of the dispenser 4 in front of the image surface 2 . this can be carried out manually or with the aid of an electrical drive for instance . a fixing facility 5 for the protective element 3 can be positioned for instance on the side of the display facility 1 facing the dispensing facility 4 . the options mentioned for the dispenser 4 can be transferred for securing the fixing facility 5 . the protective element 3 is stretched in front of the image surface 2 by means of the fixing facility 5 , in order to ensure constant examination conditions for the used protective element segment . if the contamination on the protective element 3 results in the legibility of the screen content being impaired , the contaminated protective element 3 can be removed by means of traction . the used protective element 3 is removed by means of traction and the unused protective element 3 is fed out of the dispenser 4 at the same time . the used protective element 3 can be removed from the unused protective element 3 by means of a separation device 6 , for instance , in which the used protective element 3 is passed over a tear - off edge or a cutting facility . if the used protective element 3 is mechanically undamaged , this must not necessarily be removed by a separation device 6 . instead it can by gathered by a roll - up facility 7 , so as to reuse it subsequently after removing the contamination and renewing the conditioning . the roll - up facility 7 for the used protective element 3 can also function here as a fixing device 5 . in the presence of a roll - up facility 7 , the use of a cleaning facility 8 advantageously proves itself , which can be arranged for instance between fixing device 5 and roll - up facility 7 . the cleaning facility 8 enables a cleaned and optionally conditioned protective element 3 to be rolled up in the roll - up facility 7 . the protective element 3 wound up in the roll - up facility 7 can be directly fed to the dispenser 4 if necessary . in fig2 , the arrangement of the display facility 1 , frame 12 , fixing device 5 , separation device 6 , cleaning facility 8 and roll - up facility 7 is shown as an enlarged cross - section . the said means as well as the dispenser 4 can be fixed to the frame 12 . the use of a roll - up facility 7 allows the fixing device 5 and the separation device 6 to be removed for instance , since the roll - up facility 7 can assume the function of the fixing device 5 , and a separation of the protective element is only necessary in exceptional cases , namely when the protective element 3 is mechanically damaged . for this purpose , a separation device 6 can be an integral part of the roll - up facility 7 . possible variants of the protective device with a minimal space requirement are shown in fig3 and fig4 . the image surface 2 of the display facility 1 is protected by a protective element 3 which comprises an adhesive layer 9 which can be removed from the image surface 2 . in this exemplary embodiment , the protective element 3 can be designed as a film . the adhesive layer 9 can be present on the protective element 3 over the whole surface or also in a structured fashion . in fig3 , the size of the protective element 3 is adjusted to the size of the image surface 2 and can be directly applied to the image surface 2 . the adhesive layer 9 adheres the protective element 3 to the image surface 2 and protects this against contamination . if the contamination of the protective element 3 results in a reduction in the legibility of the image contents , the protective element 3 can be easily detached from the image surface with the aid of a tab 10 and can be replaced by a new protective element 3 . alternatively , in fig4 the protective element 3 is dimensioned larger than the image surface 2 , approximately to the size of the frame of the display facility 1 , and is structured with an adhesive layer 9 , and in fact such that the adhesive points of the protective element 3 correspond to the screen frame dimensions of the display facility 1 . the protective element 3 is accommodated in front of the image surface 2 and thus fixed so that it completely adheres to the screen frame for instance . the protective element 3 can only cover a partial front of the display facility 1 or the entire front of the display facility 1 . if an interfering contamination of the protective element 3 occurs by blood spraying for instance , the protective element 3 can be removed from screen frames of the display facility 1 with the aid of a tab 10 , and can be replaced by a new protective element 3 .	0
during the following discussion , reference should be had to table a for the compositions of the discussed beryllium samples . table a______________________________________materials usedcomposition ( percent by weight - remainder be ) alloy beo al mg si fe c______________________________________rr242 2 . 01 0 . 0035 0 . 0030 0 . 0205 0 . 0650 0 . 0370rr243 1 . 56 0 . 0016 0 . 0030 0 . 0036 0 . 0550 0 . 0200btp5 2 . 64 0 . 0033 0 . 0200 0 . 0150 0 . 0975 0 . 0560bsp9 ( w9 ) 1 . 06 0 . 0154 0 . 0042 0 . 0159 0 . 0250 0 . 0520bsp10 0 . 99 0 . 0265 0 . 0105 0 . 0390 0 . 0915 0 . 1040w17a 1 . 03 0 . 0155 0 . 0045 0 . 0160 0 . 0300 0 . 03501353 3 . 37 0 . 0050 0 . 0080 0 . 0470 0 . 0730 0 . 06401363 3 . 37 0 . 0080 0 . 0050 0 . 0550 0 . 0720 0 . 06701707 3 . 52 0 . 0095 0 . 0175 0 . 0550 0 . 0870 0 . 04501720 2 . 88 0 . 0060 0 . 0020 0 . 0470 0 . 0795 0 . 03801721 2 . 95 0 . 0065 0 . 0020 0 . 0350 0 . 0770 0 . 04208084 3 . 57 0 . 0080 0 . 0020 0 . 0290 0 . 1340 0 . 0850ingot 0 . 02 0 . 0020 0 . 0050 0 . 0060 0 . 0120 0 . 02209227 1 . 87 0 . 0270 0 . 0445 0 . 0400 0 . 1350 0 . 10009602 1 . 57 0 . 0990 0 . 0290 0 . 0480 0 . 1900 0 . 1000xn50 0 . 64 0 . 0210 0 . 0035 0 . 0210 0 . 0640 0 . 042bop56 0 . 51 0 . 0030 0 . 0030 0 . 0090 0 . 0186 0 . 028______________________________________ referring more particularly to fig1 beryllium powder always contains oxide particles resulting from oxidation of the surface of the powder in the atmosphere . the oxide particles remain around the beryllium powder during hot pressing and after pressing are found mainly in the grain boundaries . the oxide particles are brittle and crack easily under an applied load , thereby causing premature failure of the beryllium . a large oxide particle is particularly detrimental since it will cause a larger initial crack than a small particle and produce failure of the beryllium at an earlier stage . because of this effect , tensile elongation is increased if the median grain boundary beryllium oxide particle size is minimized while other factors are maintained constant as shown in fig1 . as therein shown the beryllium oxide particle size is preferably 150 nm or less to realize tensile elongations ( the average value of the longitudinal and transverse directions ), of three precent and greater . all specimens were heat - treated in accordance with applicants &# 39 ; subsequent teachings to realize maximum elongations . applicants have determined the mechanism of growth of the oxide particles and , as a result , are able to define techniques which will limit oxide particle growth and enable beryllium bodies with higher ductility to be produced . since beryllium alloys inherently contain beryllium oxide , all beryllium bodies , both beryllium and beryllium alloys , will realize the benefit of applicants &# 39 ; invention . this mechanism requires a grain boundary phase which is liquid at the pressing temperature . because the melting point of beryllium , 2340 ° f , is well above the pressing temperature , liquid phases are only produced in impure materials . significant impurities causing low melting phases to occur are aluminum , silicon and magnesium . as shown in fig2 the matrix beryllium oxide particle size is essentially independent of pressing temperature whereas grain boundary oxide particles show significant increase in size for increasing pressing temperatures . hence , for purposes of the invention , the effect of matrix oxide particles on ductility can be ignored . fig2 also shows the gross impurity level effect on oxide size which is set forth more particularly in fig3 . fig3 shows that as the temperature of pressing and annealing is increased , the impurity level has increasing significance on oxide size . since , impurity concentration and temperature are interdependent , it is possible , within limits , to realize a maximum oxide size of 150 nm by decreasing temperature as concentration increases and vice versa . as will be subsequently discussed in conjunction with fig5 and 6 , a maximum useful temperature is in the order of 2250 ° f . accordingly , from fig3 a maximum practical impurity concentration is in the order of 200 ppm for this temperature . as will be subsequently discussed in conjunction with fig6 and 7 , a temperature in the order of 2250 ° f is the maximum tolerable temperature and lowering the impurity level below 200 ppm will not permit increased temperatures . it has been determined that while the maximum temperature should be in the order of 2250 ° f , consolidation of the beryllium powder to full density should occur under temperatures preferably not exceeding about 1400 ° f . this temperature minimizes the effect of a liquid phase and thereby maintains a median oxide particle size in the hot pressed body not exceeding 150 nm . at this temperature , the effect of the liquid phase and its associated particle growth is localized . after achieving full density at approximately 1400 ° f , heating may be continued up to the maximum temperature of about 2250 ° f ; such additional heating constituting the annealing portion of the instant invention . alternatively , when desired , the densified body may be cooled to room temperature and then annealed at temperatures in excess of 1400 ° f up to the maximum temperature of about 2250 ° f , as described in conjunction with fig5 and 6 . the achievement of full density at temperatures not exceeding about 1400 ° f is achievable by hot isostatic pressing which uses pressures in the order of 15 ksi . use of conventional hot pressing techniques at pressures of approximately 1 ksi would necessitate stepwise loading sequences where pressure is applied at a constant temperature less than the maximum pressing temperature until the maximum density achievable at that temperature is reached . several steps of this kind at increasing temperatures below the maximum pressing temperature are required . the use of a low pressing temperature coupled with a higher annealing temperature has been determined to be consistent with the teachings of the invention since it has been determined that oxide growth after the attainment of full density is less than where liquid movement is unrestricted and oxide agglomeration accordingly more widespread . as shown in fig4 utilizing alloy rr243 , ductilities of three percent and higher are realized if the beryllium oxide content of the starting powder is limited to a maximum volume fraction of about 1 . 6 percent and preferably one percent . micrographs of room temperature fractures indicate that a low beryllium oxide content increases ductility by reducing the number of grain boundary oxide clusters that initiate failure . the manufacturing techniques for reducing the amount of beryllium oxide , such as removal of fines less than 5 to 10 nm , are well known . if this reduction in oxide content is not accompanied by an increase in oxide efficiency due to a reduction in oxide particle size to a maximum of about 150 nm , however , an increased grain size will result . for example , in the article by b . b . lumpany et al , conference international sur la metallurgie du beryllium , grenoble , may 17 - 20 , 1965 , 565 - 577 , presses universitaires alloys with 1 to 2 . 5 percent beryllium oxide produced grain sizes in the range of 22 to 37 um whereas with a refined oxide particle size of 100 um in accordance with the invention , applicants have produced stable grain sizes less than 4 um for 1 . 5 percent oxide and 10 nm for 1 percent oxide . it is widely accepted that a reduction in grain size increases tensile elongation of beryllium if other factors are maintained constant . however , in normal practice the degree of grain refinement possible is limited by grain growth and / or recrystallization during pressing or annealing . grain growth and recrystallization are controlled by the beryllium oxide particles formed on the surface of each beryllium powder particle . applicants have determined that the efficiency of these particles in this respect is inversely proportional to their size if the volume fraction is maintained constant . because of this , materials processed according to applicant &# 39 ; s procedure for producing a fine oxide size can stabilize a finer grain size or require less oxide to stabilize a given grain size than a conventional oxide dispersion . while a initial fine grain size should be utilized , this is readily achieved in practice simply by selection of fine starting powder . the beneficial effect of grain refinement on three dimensional ductility in hot pressed beryllium block is seen from fig5 to be related to the amount of beryllium oxide that is required to attain the grain size . as shown , if over about 1 . 6 percent oxide is used , the embrittling effect of the oxide negates the beneficial effect on grain refinement . based on the preceeding and striking a balance between grain size and oxide volume fraction , the starting beryllium particle size should preferably be between - 200 mesh and - 400 mesh . during the manufacture of starting beryllium powder from ingot blocks , a high degree of cold work is left in the powder particles . a residual portion is found to exist in hot pressed beryllium bodies , for example such bodies conventionally formed by hot isostatic pressing where temperatures are typically less than 1800 ° f . this is revealed microstructurally by the presence of subgrains , and / or a high dislocation density , and by hardness and yield strength measurements . applicants have discovered that beryllium ductility is further increased if the dislocation density is lowered by annealing the hot pressed body . fig6 shows that , for a typical bsp 9 alloy , an annealing temperature of at least 2000 ° f is required to noticeably increase ductility . fig7 shows that , for a typical rr 243 alloy , the maximum annealing temperature is about 2250 ° f above which a significant decrease in ductility commences . the upper limited of about 2250 ° f for the annealing temperature is set by several factors : ( i ) the onset of grain growth in the beryllium , ( ii ) void growth due to trapped gases , and ( iii ) beryllium oxide particle size growth . it has been determined that a median oxide particle size no greater than about 150 um is realized at an impurity concentration level of about 200 ppm if the annealing temperature does not exceed about 2100 ° f . as the impurity level is lowered , the annealing temperature can be increased up to about 2250 ° f without increasing particle size above 150 nm . above 2250 ° f , however , decreasing impurity level will not obviate a significant lowering in ductility due to the onset of grain growth and void growth due to trapped gases . regarding void growth , during the manufacture of beryllium block by hot isostatic pressing it is inevitable that some absorbed gases are trapped within the block . these gases are present after pressing as very small voids uniformly distributed throughout the body . in this form , their effect on ductility is minimal . however , annealing above about 2250 ° f causes the voids to grow to such an extent that ductility is impaired . the maximum annealing temperature may also be limited to less than 2250 ° f in cases where deliberate impurity additions are made to the beryllium powder . for example , silicon is on occasion added in the form of trichlorosilane as a sintering aid and becomes concentrated at the grain boundaries . silicon in this form has been found to be two to three times as detrimental as silicon uniformly dispersed throughout the beryllium oxide particle agglomeration . depending on the trichlorosilane concentration , it may not be possible to anneal at applicants &# 39 ; minimum temperature of about 2000 ° f without offsetting the otherwise beneficial effect of the anneal on ductility . typically , maximum ductility is attained for anneals of one to five hours duration . however , in view of the vast number of beryllium alloys susceptible of being processed by the instant invention , the specific temperature - time relationship for a given alloy is readily ascertainable in accordance with the preceeding teachings .	1
the present invention provides a floor box cover which sits on top of an electrical box positionable in a floor . the electrical box may include connections for power or voice / data devices . the floor box cover of the present invention provides an improved resistance to water thereby maintaining the covered electrical connections dry and free from contamination . water resistance is achieved through use of a channel which diverts water away from the cover and the electrical box below . with reference to fig1 - 4 , floor box cover assembly 10 includes a cover 12 which is securable to flange 14 such that cover 12 is movable to selectively cover and uncover an opening 16 to provide access to electrical connectors 11 held within the outlet box 13 . in the preferred embodiment , cover 12 is pivotably attached to flange 14 by hinge 18 . flange 14 is preferably a generally annular member having a central opening 16 through which access to the electrical connectors 11 is obtained . it is within the contemplation of the invention that flange 14 could be of any one of a variety of shapes , e . g ., round , square , rectangular , etc ., to conform to the shape of the outlet box 13 disposed below . cover flange 14 which may be formed of a metallic or plastic material includes tabs 20 having apertures 22 to permit fasteners ( not shown ) to pass through and into corresponding apertures in the outlet box 13 . flange 14 provides a transition from the surrounding floor to the outlet box and may be placed over a variety of floor surfaces including carpet , wood or tile . referring additionally to fig1 b , flange 14 includes an annular channel 30 extending about opening 16 and has a bottom 32 peripherally bounded by an upstanding outer wall 34 and an upstanding inner wall 36 . extending radially beyond outer wall 34 is an annular beveled surface 38 which ends at the peripheral edge 39 of the flange 14 . when an electrical box 13 is installed , cover flange 14 and cover 12 are slightly raised above the surface of the floor . beveled surface 38 provides a smooth tapered transition from the floor to prevent tripping . flange 14 further includes a plurality of slots 40 formed in the outer wall 34 and beveled surface 38 which creates interruptions in outer wall 34 . channel 30 and slots 40 provide a water resistance feature to the present invention which will now be described . floor boxes may be subjected to water that is used in floor cleaning or from accidental spillage . floor box cover assembly 10 provides resistance to the intrusion of water into opening 16 and protects the electrical connectors 11 found beneath the cover in the outlet box 13 . when cover 12 is in the closed position , a radially outer portion 42 of the cover extends over a portion of channel 30 to restrict water from entering channel 30 . accordingly , most of the water will run off the cover and down the beveled surface 38 of cover flange 14 . a narrow gap 50 exists between the outer edge of cover 12 and cover flange 14 . with cover 12 is in the closed position , water that is not shed directly off will instead be diverted to channel 30 through gap 50 . inner wall 36 , which extends above channel bottom 32 and the bottom of slots 40 , restricts the water collected in channel 30 from entering the opening 16 . the water in channel 30 will then drain out through slots 40 . accordingly , when the cover 12 and cover flange 14 are exposed to water such as when the floors are cleaned or when a liquid is spilled , the liquid will be shed away and not permitted to seep into the opening 16 to the electrical connectors 11 . channel 30 may be pitched such that any water that enters the channel 30 is directed to the slots 40 . furthermore , due to the use of the channel 30 and slots 40 , no gasket is necessary between cover 12 and flange 14 in order to prevent water from intruding . cover 12 may be employed in carpeted floors which may be subjected to cleaning water such as from steam cleaning . in an alternative preferred embodiment shown in fig1 a , a gasket 52 may be placed between cover 12 and cover flange 14 to create an even greater resistance to water infiltration . cover 12 may include a groove disposed in the undersurface thereof . gasket 52 may be sized to fit within groove and be held in place by a friction fit or adhesive . when cover 12 is in the closed position , gasket 52 is engaged and a waterproof seal is created between cover 12 and flange 14 . accordingly , any water which enters channel 30 is not only drained away through the slots but is also prevented from entering the opening by a gasket - tight seal . even if water should get past the gasket it still may be drained out through the slots 40 , thereby preventing water from entering opening 16 . this embodiment provides an even higher degree of water intrusion resistance and would be suitable for use in tile floor applications which could be subjected to standing water . referring fig2 and 5 - 6 , in the preferred embodiment , cover 12 rotates between the open and closed position by way of hinge 18 which provides the pivotal connection between cover 12 and flange 14 . hinge 18 may also assist in retaining cover 12 in the closed position . hinge 18 may include a pin 54 extending between and secured in a pair of spaced tabs 56 extending from the back edge 58 of the cover 12 . pin 54 may be formed of a resilient material such as steel . flange 14 may include a hinge seat 60 in which tabs 56 and pin 54 may be disposed . a retainer 62 may be positioned over pin 54 and be fastened to flange 14 via screw 63 . retainer 62 includes an under surface including a longitudinally extending groove 64 for receiving pin 54 . groove 64 may include a central portion 68 which fits in close relationship to pin 54 to hold the pin 54 against translational movement . groove 64 also includes a pair of peripheral portions 66 extending from central portion 68 to the edged of the retainer 62 . groove 64 in peripheral portions 66 is widened such that a clearance is provided around the pin 54 to permit translational movement of pin 54 . with the hinge 18 formed in this manner , translational movement of cover 12 by a force f in a direction toward hinge 18 , causes pin 54 to flex and cover 12 to translate as shown in fig6 . when pin 54 is flexed , it creates a biasing force b acting against the rearward movement of cover 12 and urges cover 12 to a forward position . the front edge of cover may include a projection 70 which includes a corresponding recess 72 in flange 14 . when cover 12 is rotated in to the closed position , projection 70 engages a portion of flange 14 causing cover 12 to translate against the biasing force of pin . as shown in fig4 , when cover 12 is moved to the final closed position , projection 70 enters recess 72 and cover translates forward . projection 70 is positioned in recess 72 thereby restricting the movement of cover 12 into the open position . referring additionally , to fig3 , in order to open cover 12 to obtain access to the electrical connections 11 lying below , a user would move cover in a direction toward hinge 18 and against the biasing force of pin 54 . gap 50 created between cover 12 and the outer wall 34 of flange 14 permits a degree of translational movement of cover 12 . cover projection 70 moves out of recess 72 and cover 12 may be rotated toward the open position . this opening procedure may be easily done by inserting a screwdriver or similar tool into a notch 74 formed in flange 14 and prying up cover 12 . it is also within the contemplation of the present invention that the hinge connection between cover 12 and flange 14 may include a variety of known hinge structures including tabs supported on the cover 12 having protrusions insertable within indentations in flange 14 . also , the pin 54 could be securely retain throughout its length and not permitted to flex as in the preferred embodiment . the locking mechanism could include a rotary latch such as a ¼ turn latch or other latching device known in the art . in an alternative embodiment shown in fig7 to 11 , floor box cover assembly 100 may include a split cover with the cover 102 being formed of two sections 104 , 106 pivotably mounted to a flange 108 . cover 102 covers up an opening 109 which creates access to electrical connectors . in the embodiment shown , opening 109 includes a formed section 109 a which provides cutouts 109 b to accommodate the electrical connectors . the two cover sections 104 and 106 include adjoining edges , 104 a and 106 a respectively , which when closed form a seam 120 running down the center of the cover 102 . flange 108 includes a tapered edge 110 which is partially covered by cover sections 104 and 106 when in the closed position . water will run off the cover sections onto tapered edge 110 away from cover 102 . in order to prevent water from entering the opening 109 through the center seam 120 one of the cover sections 104 , includes an upwardly facing u - shaped groove 122 extending along the straight adjoining edge thereof . the other cover section 106 includes a corresponding grooved edge 126 which is inverted with respect the grooved edge 122 of cover section 104 . when in the closed position the grooved sections 122 , 126 interlock . this creates a restriction for water to enter between the cover sections 104 , 106 and most water falling upon the cover 102 will be diverted away . any water which enters through the center seam 120 between the cover sections will enter the upwardly facing groove 122 of cover section 104 . groove 122 has two ends 128 which terminate over tapered slots 116 formed in flange 108 . water that may collect in the groove 122 will be channeled to the outer periphery of the cover 102 where it falls into one of the slots 116 which are aligned with the ends of seam 120 . accordingly , water will be diverted away from the opening keeping the electrical connections dry . in this embodiment cover sections 104 , 106 may be pivotably attached to the flange 108 such that they lay substantially flat on the floor when in the fully open position as shown in fig9 and 11 . each cover section 104 , 106 is attached with a similarly formed hinge 130 , therefore , hinge 130 will be described with respect to one cover section . with reference to fig1 , a portion of flange 108 outer surface may include a pair of spaced upstanding hinge structures 132 which include indentations 134 . cover section 104 includes an extension 136 having a pair of spaced flexible resilient tabs 138 each having a pin 140 extending outwardly in opposing directions . the pins 140 may be snap fit into the indentations 134 of the hinge structures 132 thereby creating a pivotable connection between the cover section 104 and flange 108 . between the hinge structures 132 , the flange 108 tapers downwardly creating a pocket 152 for receiving the hinge section 136 extending from the cover 104 section . this permits the cover section 104 to rotate approximately 180 degrees and lie flat against the surrounding floor when in the fully open position . preferably , cover section 104 when open extends no higher than the top of flange 108 . this flat orientation limits interference with surrounding structures . in order to maintain cover sections in the closed position , pocket 152 may include a depression 150 which cooperates with a bump 154 on cover extension 136 . as cover section 104 is moved into the closed position , the bump 154 snaps into the depression 150 . some effort must be exerted on the cover section to then move it out of the closed position as the bump 154 is captured in the depression 150 . cover sections 104 , 106 are preferably formed of a resilient material such as plastic or metal such that a degree of flexibility exist allowing the snap fit cooperation between bump 154 and depression 150 . in an alternative embodiment ( not shown ), the bump may be formed on the flange and the cooperating depression formed on the cover . referring to fig1 , a further alterative embodiment is shown having a single cover 204 when in the open position is allowed to lie flat . the cover assembly 200 has a flange 208 with a cover 204 attached using hinge 230 . flange 208 has a similar channel 210 as described in the embodiment shown in fig1 - 4 having an inner wall 212 , an outer wall 214 and a slot 216 to allow water trapped within channel 210 to drain away from cover 204 . hinge 230 may be similarly constructed as the hinge described in the embodiment shown in fig7 - 11 which has two upstanding extensions 232 having indentations ( not shown ). cover 204 also includes an extension 236 which has pins ( not shown ) which are inserted into the indentations in the upstanding extensions 232 . the pins allow for pivotal movement of the cover 204 to be from a closed to open position . as in the prior embodiment , flange 208 tapers down to form a pocket 250 for receiving the extension 236 of the cover 204 when it is in an open position and can lie substantially flat and rotate approximately 180 ° so that it is in contact with the surrounding floor . preferably , the cover section 204 extends no higher than the top of the hinge extension 232 . this flat orientation limits interference by the cover 204 with any objects around the cover assembly 200 when in an open position . although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments and that various other changes and modifications may be affected herein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention , and that it is intended to claim all such changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the invention .	8
initially for purposes of illustration and comprehension some context and examples are presented to highlight and illustrate the techniques being presented herein and below . when a parallel dbms and hadoop ™ distributed file system ( dfs ) are deployed on the same node sharing processors and memory , local data can be transferred from the hadoop ™ dfs to the parallel in a highly efficient way . the network can be a bottleneck however , if access module processors ( amps ) have to read a large scale amount of data stored from remote nodes . on the other hand , each amp can be assigned nearly the same amount of workload when the parallelism is concerned , especially when the hdfs ( hadoop ™ dfs ) data are distributed across a cluster . usually in the cluster , each dbms node is configured with the same number of amps and all amps have the same performance . for purposes of illustration , it is assumed that each node has exactly one amp in the descriptions that follow . also , as used herein the terms , “ node ” and “ amp ” may be used synonymously interchangeably with one another . given a set of m nodes ( one amp per node ) and a set of n data blocks b ={ b_ 1 , b_ 2 , . . . , b_n }, each block has k copies on k different nodes . formally , an assignment of n blocks to m amps , is denoted as a set , a ′={ a_ 1 , a_ 2 , . . . , a_m }, such that the following requirements are satisfied : a_i is a set of blocks { b_i 1 , b_i 2 . . . } assigned to amp i ; all blocks should be assigned , in an assignment , a data block , b_ij is called a local assignment to a_i if it has a copy in the node where amp i is . otherwise , b_ij is a remote assignment to a_i , which causes data transferring through network . correspondingly , a cost ( a ′) is used to measure the number of remote assignments occurring to a ′. furthermore , an “ even assignment ” is defined as an assignment , which has ∥ a_i \|−\| a_j ∥& lt ; 2 for any a_i and a_j . in other words , an even assignment gives each amp almost the same amount of workload . conceivably , multiple even assignments can exist when assigning n blocks to m amps , but their remote assignments may not be the same . the goal is to achieve one of the even assignments with the minimal cost ( a ′). remote costs can be huge if a naïve approach is employed . for instance , if a module operator is used to decide the assignment of each block , then b_i is assigned as amp k (= i mod m ). so , a cost of module approach can be up to one third of the total using the approach visually illustrated in the fig1 . the problem of finding an even assignment with the minimal cost can be solved in the framework of network theory . specifically , a bipartite network g =( s , t , v_ 1 , v_ 2 , e ) can be used to describe the assignment problem . i . two sets of vertices v_ 1 and v_ 2 represent the data blocks and amps respectively , thus v_i in v_ 1 ( or v_ 2 ) denotes block b_i ( or amp i ). ii . an edge directs from v_i in v_ 1 to v_j in v_ 2 . 1 . the associated cost is 0 if block b_i has a copy on the node where amp j is ; otherwise , the cost is 1 . 2 . the associated capacity ranges from 0 to 1 . iii . there is no an edge between any pair of vertices in v_ 1 ( or in v_ 2 ). iv . vertices s and t are newly introduced as the source and target of the network correspondingly , such that source s has an edge reaching all vertices in v_ 1 , and all vertices in v_ 2 connect with target t . 1 . the cost associated with these edges is 0 . 2 . the edge starting from s has the capacity exactly as 1 , for all blocks should be assigned . 3 . the edge ending at t has the capacity from because of the even - assignment requirement , where n =\| v_ 1 \| and m =\| v_ 2 \|. the example shown in the fig1 is modeled as a bipartite network in the fig2 . the assignment problem can be converted into the problem of finding the min - cost flow in the bipartite network g =( s , t , v_ 1 , v_ 2 , e ). traditionally , cycle - canceling algorithm is one of the most popular algorithms for solving the min - cost flow problem . the cycle - canceling algorithm improves a feasible solution ( i . e ., an assignment ) by sending augmenting flows along directed cycles with negative cost ( called negative cycles ). specifically , it searches for the negative cycles existing in the residual graph of the feasible solution , and adjusts the flow along the negative cycles to reduce flow cost . adjusting flows along the negative cycles does not change the total flow capacity , because there is not any external flow introduced ; the block assignment is improved correspondingly . the dash lines in the fig3 display a min - cost flow for the network defined in fig3 . those connecting vertices in v_ 1 with that in v_ 2 give the same assignment as fig2 . according to algorithm 1 , the complexity of cycle - canceling algorithm is composed of two parts : the cost of finding a feasible solution and the part of improving the feasible solution for a min - cost network flow . the focus here is on the second part , because the cost of finding a feasible solution can be relatively much cheaper ( i . e ., o ( n )). finding a negative cycle in the bipartite network g =( s , t , v_ 1 , v_ 2 , e ), has a complexity of o ( m 2 n ), whereas there exist at most n negative cycles . therefore the complexity of the algorithm can be described as o ( m 2 n 2 ). the idea of converting the assignment problem into a min - cost flow problem and using cycle - canceling to obtain the optimal solution , is cost effective to implement . however , the complexity of the algorithm is not always satisfying . for instance , it can take over 10 seconds to assign 3565 blocks to 100 amps when a macbook ® pro with 2 . 4 ghz intel ® core 2 duo cpu and 4 gb ddr3 memory is used for the execution . in some cases , a number of remote block transferring can be allowed to complete the assignment with less time cost , as long as the even assignment is guaranteed . therefore , approximation approaches are achievable . one such approach is now presented as an “ approximate - greedy algorithm ” ( aga ) to solve the even - assignment problem . the aga obtains an even assignment much faster than the cycle - canceling algorithm usually , but its cost may not be minimal . the basic idea of the algorithm is to assign a block to amps having its copies , otherwise to an amp with minimum assignments so far . it can be described as algorithm 2 below : for each amp a j containing a replica of b i ; if a j is not saturated and a j has the minimum load : assign b i to a j , and continue to step 1 ; for each amp a j containing a replica b i : for each block b i assign to a j : for each amp a g containing a replica of b i ; if ag is not saturated and a g has the minimum load : assign b i remotely to an amp with minimum load . the loop from line 2 to line 4 tries to assign a block ( e . g ., b_i ) to an amp with its local copies , if possible . if all amps having b_i are saturated , the blocks that have been assigned to those amps are considered for re - assignment : if one of these blocks can be assigned to any other amp having its copies , it is moved to that amp and at the same time b_i takes its place . but when re - assignment is impossible , b_i is assigned to an amp with minimum assigned blocks currently , as a remote assignment . the instinct behind the aga is that the probability of finding a re - assignment is very high when the number of blocks ( i . e ., n ) is far larger than that of amps ( i . e ., m ). this can be explained by the diagram presented in the fig4 . to assign block b_ 0 , the amps ( a_ 0 , a_ 1 , . . . , a_k at the second level ) are first considered to see if they have its local copies . if all these amps are saturated , blocks ( b ′ _ 0 , b ′ _ 1 , . . . , b ′ _l at the third level , where are checked for re - assignment . then , the amps ( a ′ _ 0 , a ′ _ 1 , . . . , a ′ _g at the fourth level ) having their local copies must be considered . assume that all blocks including their copies are randomly distributed across amps initially ; the probability that the value of ‘ g ’ being equal to m can be close to 1 in most cases . the complexity of the aga is also composed of two parts : the first and in the worst case all other blocks are considered for re - assignment in modeling the assignment problem as the min - cost network flow problem makes it possible to apply existing efficient algorithms . adapting the existing cycle - canceling approach , a negative cycle - canceling algorithm is proposed , which is cost - effective to implement and can achieve the optimal solution in polynomial time . furthermore , the approximation is used as an alternative , when a number of remote data transferring is allowed to obtain a rather good solution within much lower time cost . moreover , the aga is simple to implement and is effective enough when the number of blocks is far more than that of amps . with the above detail of the techniques presented , various embodiments are now presented with the discussion of the fig5 - 7 . fig5 is a diagram of a method for data assignment to an external dfs to a dmbs , according to an example embodiment . the method 500 ( hereinafter “ data assignment manager ”) is implemented as instructions within a non - transitory computer - readable storage medium that execute on one or more processors , and the processors are specifically configured to execute the data assignment manager . moreover , the data assignment manager is programmed within a non - transitory computer - readable storage medium . the data assignment manager is also operational over a network ; the network is wired , wireless , or a combination of wired and wireless . the data assignment manager presents another and in some ways an enhanced processing perspective to what was discussed and shown above with respect to the fig1 - 4 . at 510 , the data assignment manager receives an initial assignment of first nodes to second nodes in a bipartite graph , such as the bipartite graph shown above with respect to the fig2 . the first nodes representing data blocks in an external distributed file system , such as a hdfs , and the second nodes representing amps of a parallel dbms . according to an embodiment , at 511 , the data assignment manager organizes the first nodes and the second nodes in the bipartite graph . continuing with the embodiment of 511 and at 512 , the data assignment manager weights each edge of the bipartite graph . at 520 , the data assignment manager constructs a residual graph with a negative cycle having an initial assignment . that is , the process associated with constructing the graph is given an initial assignment with a negative cycle . at 530 , the data assignment manager iterates the residual graph such that with each iteration the initial assignment is adjusted to eliminate negative cycles of the residual graph . finally , there is no negative cycles present in the residual graph . this situation was discussed above with reference to the fig3 . in an embodiment , at 531 , the data assignment manager ensures that each data block is assigned to a single specific access module processor in each iteration of the residual graph . at 540 , the data assignment manager returns a final assignment for each of the data blocks to one of the amps as an assignment flow . in other words , the graph includes assignments for each data block to a specific amp . in an embodiment , at 550 , the data assignment manager populates the data blocks to the amps in accordance with the final assignment . in a scenario , at 560 , the data assignment manager integrates the distributed file system with the dbms via the data blocks on the assigned amps . fig6 is a diagram of another method 600 for data assignment to an external dfs to a dmbs , according to an example embodiment . the method 600 ( hereinafter “ workload assignment manager ”) is implemented as instructions within a non - transitory computer - readable storage medium that execute on one or more processors , and the processors are specifically configured to execute the workload assignment . moreover , the workload assignment manager is programmed within a non - transitory computer - readable storage medium . the workload assignment manager is also operational over a network ; the network is wired , wireless , or a combination of wired and wireless . the workload assignment manager presents yet another view of the processing discussed above with respect to the fig1 - 5 . at 610 , the workload assignment manager obtains data blocks for an external distributed file system . according to an embodiment , at 611 , the workload assignment manager generates a source node and a target node for organizing the graph . continuing with the embodiment of 611 and at 612 , the workload assignment manager ensures that the source node includes first edge connections to each of the first nodes of the first set of nodes . still continuing with the embodiment of 612 and at 613 , the workload assignment manager ensures that the target node includes second edge connections to each of the second nodes in the second set of nodes . continuing with the embodiment of 613 and at 614 , the workload assignment manager assigns costs to each edge connection for each first node from the first set of nodes to each second node from the second set of nodes . still continuing with the embodiment of 614 and at 615 , the workload assignment manager increases the cost for a particular edge between a particular first node and a particular second node when the particular second node already includes an existing edge connection to the particular first node . this was discussed in detail above with reference to the fig1 - 3 . at 620 , the workload assignment manager acquires amps for a dbms . at 630 , the workload assignment manager organizes a first set of nodes to represent the data blocks and a second set of nodes as the amps within a bipartite graph . at 640 , the workload assignment manager uses the first set of nodes and the second set of nodes to produce a minimum cost graph with each of the first set of nodes assigned to a specific one of the second nodes in the second set of nodes . according to an embodiment at 641 , the workload assignment manager processes a cycle - canceling algorithm to produce the minimum cost graph . continuing with the embodiment of 641 and at 642 , the workload assignment manager initiates the cycle - canceling algorithm with an initial negative cycle and initial assignment of the first nodes to the second nodes . at 650 , the workload assignment manager provides the minimum cost graph as a final assignment for the first set of nodes mapped to the second set of nodes . fig7 is a diagram of yet method 700 for data assignment to an external dfs to a dmbs , according to an example embodiment . the method 700 ( hereinafter “ block assignment manager ”) is implemented as instructions within a non - transitory computer - readable storage medium that execute on one or more processors , the processors specifically configured to execute the block assignment manager . moreover , the block assignment manager is programmed within a non - transitory computer - readable storage medium . the block assignment manager is also operational over a network ; the network is wired , wireless , or a combination of wired and wireless . the block assignment manager presents another perspective and some aspects enhancements to the processing show above with respect to the fig1 - 6 . at 710 , the block assignment manager generates a graph having a source node , first nodes , second nodes , and a target node . at 720 , the block assignment manager represents each first node as a block of data from an external file system , such as hdfs , and each second node as an amp on a parallel dbms . at 730 , the block assignment manager processes an approximate - greedy algorithm on the source node , the first nodes , the second nodes , and the target node to produce a modified graph having assignments between the first nodes and the second nodes . this was described above with reference to the fig4 . according to an embodiment , at 731 , the block assignment manager selects the approximate - greedy algorithm when the total number of the data blocks is greater than the total number of amps by a predetermined threshold value . in a scenario , at 732 , the block assignment manager permits specific data blocks to be assigned to specific amps that already have copies of those specific data blocks . in another case , at 733 , the block assignment manager configures a minimum load for each amp before initiating the approximate - greedy algorithm . at 740 , the block assignment manager returns a pointer to the modified graph . according to an embodiment , at 750 , the block assignment manager populates the amps with specific databases for the external file system , which are identified by edge connections in the modified graph . the above description is illustrative , and not restrictive . many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description . the scope of embodiments should therefore be determined with reference to the appended claims , along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled .	6
the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure , its application , or uses . for purposes of clarity , the same reference numbers will be used in the drawings to identify similar elements . as used herein , the phrase at least one of a , b , and c should be construed to mean a logical ( a or b or c ), using a non - exclusive logical or . it should be understood that steps within a method may be executed in different order without altering the principles of the present disclosure . as used herein , the term module refers to an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), an electronic circuit , a processor ( shared , dedicated , or group ) and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs , a combinational logic circuit , and / or other suitable components that provide the described functionality . misfiring of cylinders caused by lean air and fuel mixtures can be prevented by selectively injecting additional fuel only into cylinders that misfire . selectively injecting additional fuel only into the cylinders that misfire and not into cylinders that perform optimally can improve the longevity , emissions , and / or the fuel economy of internal combustion engines . referring now to fig1 , a functional block diagram of an exemplary engine control system 100 is shown . the engine control system 100 comprises an engine 102 , an intake module ( im ) 104 , a throttle 106 , cylinders 108 , a fuel system 110 , an ignition system 112 , pistons 114 , an engine control module 116 , and sensors 120 . air is drawn into the intake module 104 through the throttle 106 and distributed into the cylinders 108 of the engine 102 . the fuel system 110 injects fuel into the cylinders 108 . the air mixes with the fuel in the cylinders 108 to form an air / fuel mixture that is compressed and ignited by the ignition system 112 to drive the pistons 114 . the pistons 114 drive a crankshaft ( not shown ) of the engine 102 to provide a drive torque output . the engine control module 116 controls the operation of the engine control system 100 based on various operating parameters detected by one or more sensors 120 . the operating parameters may include , for example , humidity , temperature , and / or air pressure . the sensors 120 generate one or more signals based on the operating parameters . the engine control module 116 controls the engine 102 and the fuel system 110 based on the signals generated by the sensors 120 . referring now to fig2 , a functional block diagram of an exemplary engine control module 116 is shown . the engine control module 116 includes a high drivability index ( hidi ) fuel detection module 202 , a misfire detection module 204 , and a fuel control module 206 . the hidi fuel detection module detects whether the fuel supplied to the engine 102 has the hidi . when the fuel has the hidi , the misfire detection module 204 detects cylinders that misfire . when the misfired cylinders are detected , the fuel control module 206 selectively injects additional fuel only into the misfiring cylinders . the hidi fuel detection module 202 determines the drivability index of the fuel when the engine 102 is cranked on . the hidi fuel detection module 202 receives an engine status signal and an engine torque signal from the engine 102 . one or more of the sensors 120 may generate the engine status signal and the engine torque signal when the engine 102 is cranked on . additionally , the hidi fuel detection module 202 receives an engine speed signal from one of the sensors 120 when the engine 102 is cranked on . the engine speed signal may indicate the engine speed in revolutions - per - minute ( rpm ). the engine status signal includes an engine start signal that is received when the engine 102 is started ( i . e ., when the engine 102 is cranked on ). one or more of the sensors 120 may generate the engine start signal . the engine start signal may be asserted for a predetermined period of time . for example , the predetermined period of time may be 1 - 5 minutes . the predetermined period of time may be determined based on various ambient parameters . for example , the ambient parameters may include outdoor humidity and outdoor temperature . the hidi fuel detection module 202 is enabled when the engine status signal includes the engine start signal . when enabled , the hidi fuel detection module 202 determines whether the fuel has the hidi based on the rpm and the engine torque signals . for example only , hidi fuel detection module 202 may determine that the fuel has the hidi when the product of a delta rpm ratio and an engine torque ratio is greater than a predetermined value . when the fuel has the hidi , the hidi fuel detection module 202 enables the misfire detection module 204 . when enabled , the misfire detection module 204 determines if any of the cylinders 108 has misfired . the commonly assigned u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 390 , 974 titled “ misfire detection apparatus for internal combustion engine based on piston speed ” filed on mar . 28 , 2006 discloses systems and methods for detecting misfiring cylinders . the application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . the misfire detection module 204 detects the number of cylinders 108 that misfire ( hereinafter misfiring cylinders ). for example , the misfire detection module 204 may count a number of times any of the cylinders 108 misfires ( i . e ., a misfire count ). the misfire detection module 204 generates a control signal for each of the misfiring cylinders when the misfire count for any of the misfiring cylinders is greater than zero ( i . e ., when the cylinder misfires ). the misfire detection module 204 may reset the misfire counts of the misfiring cylinders after a predetermined number of engine cycles ( e . g ., 100 engine cycles ). the fuel control module 206 receives information that includes the number of misfiring cylinders , the misfire counts for the misfiring cylinders , and the control signals from the misfire detection module 204 . based on the information and the control signals , the fuel control module 206 determines whether the number of misfiring cylinders is greater than or equal to a predetermined number . when the number of misfiring cylinders is greater than the predetermined number , the fuel control module 206 determines that a majority of the cylinders 108 are misfiring . when the majority of the cylinders 108 are misfiring , the fuel control module 206 generates a first fuel control signal . the fuel system 110 enriches ( i . e ., injects more fuel into ) all of the cylinders 108 when the fuel system 110 receives the first fuel control signal . when the number of misfiring cylinders is less than the predetermined value , the fuel control module 206 generates a second fuel control signal . the fuel system 1 10 enriches only the cylinders 108 that misfire when the fuel system 110 receives the second fuel control signal . when the majority of the cylinders 108 misfire , the fuel system 110 enriches or injects a predetermined amount of fuel into all of the cylinders 108 . when less than the majority of the cylinders 108 misfire , the fuel system 110 enriches or injects the predetermined amount of fuel into only the cylinders 108 that misfire ( i . e ., the misfiring cylinders ). when the fuel system 110 enriches all or only the misfiring cylinders , the fuel control module 206 determines a total amount of enrichment ( i . e ., a cumulative or total amount of fuel ) used to enrich the cylinders . a maximum enrichment is a predetermined maximum amount of fuel that may be used to enrich the cylinders . when the total enrichment is greater than or equal to the maximum enrichment , the misfire detection module 204 determines whether any of the cylinders being enriched are still misfiring . if any of the cylinders being enriched continue to misfire despite the maximum enrichment , the fuel control module 206 aborts enriching the cylinders . the enrichment is aborted since the enrichment does not prevent , correct , and or reduce the misfiring . referring now to fig3 , a flowchart depicting exemplary steps performed by the engine control module 116 is shown . control begins in step 302 . control determines in step 304 whether the engine is running . control ends in step 306 if the result of step 304 is false . control proceeds to step 308 if the result of step 306 is true . in step 308 , control determines the rpm and the engine torque . in step 312 , control determines the fuel quality based on the rpm and the engine torque . in step 314 , control determines whether the fuel has the hidi . control ends in step 306 if the result of step 314 is false . control proceeds to step 316 if the result of step 314 is true . in step 316 , control determines the number of misfired cylinders . in step 320 , control determines total enrichment . in step 322 , control determines whether the total enrichment is greater than or equal to the maximum enrichment and whether the number of misfired cylinders is not decreasing . control ends in step 306 if the result of step 322 is true . control proceeds to step 324 if the result of step 320 is false . in step 324 , control determines if the number of misfired cylinders is greater than or equal to a predetermined number . control proceeds to step 326 if the result of step 324 is false . control proceeds to step 328 if the result of step 324 if true . control enriches only the misfiring cylinders in step 326 . control enriches all of the cylinders 108 in step 328 . at the end of step 326 or 328 , control returns to step 316 . those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms . therefore , while this disclosure includes particular examples , the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings , the specification , and the following claims .	8
[ 0012 ] fig1 is a block diagram of a first example embodiment of an n - to - n − 1 clock ratio data synchronizer 1 in accordance with the present invention . the data is input to the synchronizer 1 at input terminal 2 and is sampled by the higher clock domain , n . in this example , the ratio of n - to - n − 1 is 5 : 4 . clock a corresponds to the higher clock domain and clock b corresponds to the lower clock domain . this means that for every 5 clock a cycles there will be 4 clock b cycles . in the higher frequency clock domain , it is known by the upstream logic that on a particular cycle , data cannot be transferred from the clock a domain to the clock b domain . this can be better understood from the timing diagram of fig2 . [ 0013 ] fig2 shows the relationship between clocks a and b 21 and 22 , respectively , the data in 23 , which is data being clocked into the synchronizer 1 at the clock a rate , and data out 24 , which is data being clocked out of the synchronizer 1 and the clock b rate . in the example shown in fig2 the upstream logic knows that it cannot send the “ b ” data of the data in 23 and therefore will either continue sending the a data that proceeds the b data for two clock a cycles or will send the a data for one clock a cycle and the c data for two clock cycles . this will occur whenever the rising edges of clocks a and b line 20 up , which corresponds to edges 26 a and 26 b and edges 27 a and 27 b in fig2 . thus , where clocks a and b are aligned at edges 26 a and 26 b , the d 1 signal 25 , which corresponds to the output of flip flop 5 in fig1 will be held at the value of the a data for two clock a cycles . similarly , where clocks a and b are aligned at edges 27 a and 27 b , the d 1 signal 25 corresponding to the output of flip flop 5 in fig1 will be held at the value of the f data for two clock a cycles . therefore , neither the b or g data received at the data in terminal 2 will propagate through to the output of the flip flop 5 , which corresponds to the d 1 signal . however the d 0 signal is output from the flip flop 7 at the clock a rate because the flip flop 6 outputs a signal whenever the clock a signal is high and the flip flop 7 outputs a signal whenever the clock a signal is low due to the inverter 4 . since there are two latches 6 and 7 placed in series that receive the data from the clock a frequency domain , the output do 26 will be delayed by one and one half clock cycles . the manner in which the output of flip flop 5 is controlled to hold the output d 1 25 of the flip flop 5 at a particular value for two clock a cycles is controlled by the enable signal , which is labeled 27 in fig2 . the enable signal 27 controls multiplexer 3 . when the rising edges of clocks a and b are aligned , as is the case at edges 26 a and b and 27 a and b , the enable signal 27 is high just long enough to cause the a data from the data in terminal ( waveform 23 in fig2 ) to be input to the flip flop 5 . the enable signal 27 goes low before the next rising clock a edge and stays low until after that rising edge of clock a . this causes the output d 1 25 of flip flop 5 to hold the input a data value for two clock a cycles , i . e ., for the clock a cycles intended to gate in the a and b data . thus , the waveform 25 corresponding to d 1 shows no b value , but shows two a values followed by a c value . the same occurs with d input value shown in the data in waveform 23 . the enable signal 27 stays high until just before the rising edge of clock a that precedes the rising edges 27 a and b of clocks a and b that coincide . by keeping the enable signal 27 high during this period , the output d 1 25 of flip flop 5 tracks the data in input 23 of the synchronizer at the clock a rate . in the clock cycle before edges 27 a and b , the enable signal 27 is low so that the d data value is held for two clock cycles . just before the rising edges of clocks 27 a and 27 b coincide , the enable signal goes high for a long enough amount of time to gate the f value into flip flop 5 and then goes low until after the next rising edge of clock a , thereby causing the f data value to be held as the d 1 signal 25 for two clock a cycles , i . e ., for the f and g clock a cycles . therefore , the d 1 waveform 25 shows no g data value , but instead shows two sequential f data values . the d 1 and d 0 data values are presented to the multiplexer 8 . when the select signal 28 is low , the d 0 data value is gated through to the output of the flip flop 9 . when the select signal 28 is high , the d 1 data value is gated through to the output of the flip flop 9 . the output of flip flop 9 is shown in fig2 and is represented by waveform 24 . it can be seen that , due to the timing of the select and enable signals , the data out waveform 24 includes all data values input into the synchronizer 1 except for the b and g data values . it can also be seen by a comparison of the data out waveform 24 to the data in waveform 23 that the data out waveform 24 corresponds to the clock b cycle whereas the data in waveform corresponds to the clock a cycle . this is also apparent from the fact that the flip flop 9 is controlled by clock b . the upstream logic has a signal going to it that tells it when the clock a and clock b edges are aligned , which allows the upstream logic to know that it can hold back the b data for one clock a cycle and that there is no need for the upstream logic to back up the b data . in order to ensure that all of these things occur , the timing of the select signal 28 and of the enable signal 27 is important . the select signal 28 needs to be high prior to the rising edge of clock b that occurs when the rising edges of clocks a and b coincide . it then needs to go low before the rising edges of clocks a and b line up and remain low until after the next rising edge of clock b . it should be high at all other times . the low time and location remain fixed for different clock ratios , but the high time will vary . the enable signal 27 needs to be low prior to the rising edge of clock a that occurs one cycle before the rising edges of clocks a and b that are coincidental . it then needs to be high prior to the rising edge of clock a that occurs when the clock edges are coincidental . it then needs to be low prior to the rising edge of clock a that occurs one clock cycle after the clock edges coincide . it should be high at all other times . these timing relationships also ensure that the d 1 data value 25 will not be changing as the select signal 28 is changing . [ 0020 ] fig3 is a block diagram of the n − 1 - to - n portion 30 of the synchronizer of the synchronizer of the present invention . as in the example embodiment of fig1 n = 5 and n − 1 = 4 . therefore , in this case , the data is being transferred from a lower clock frequency domain to a higher clock frequency domain . in this example , the c data is repeated for two clock a cycles and the clock a logic ( i . e ., the downstream logic ) will take this into account based on knowing when the two clock cycles are in alignment ( i . e ., when the clock a and clock b edges are coincidental ). the circuit 30 shown in fig3 will be described with reference to the timing diagram of fig4 and with respect to the block diagram of fig3 . the circuit 30 comprises a first input flip flop 31 , which receives the data in and clock b signals 41 and 42 , respectively , shown in the timing diagram of fig4 . on the rising edge of clock b , one of the data values shown in the data in waveform 41 is sampled by the flip flop 31 and gated through to the output , q , of the flip flop 31 . this output is simultaneously made available to the multiplexers 32 and 33 . the multiplexers 32 and 33 are controlled by the enable 0 and enable 1 signals 43 and 44 , respectively . when the enable 0 signal 43 is high , the output of flip flop 31 is made available to flip flop 34 . when the clock a signal 45 goes low , the inverter 35 inverts the clock a signal , thereby causing the flip flop 34 to sample the data output from the multiplexer 32 and gates it to the output of flip flop 34 . on the next rising edge of the clock a signal , the output of flip flop 34 is sampled by flip flop 36 and gated through flip flop 36 to its output d 0 , which corresponds to waveform 46 in fig4 . therefore , the d 0 signal 46 corresponds to the data in value delayed by two clock a cycles . when the enable 0 signal is low , the output of the flip flop 34 is held at its current value . when the clock a signal 45 goes high , the value being held at the output of flip flop 34 is again sampled by flip flop 36 and gated to the output of flip flop 36 , which corresponds to the d 0 signal 46 . therefore , while the enable 0 signal 43 is low , the value of d 0 will remain the same . as shown in fig4 the enable 0 signal 43 is high just before and just after the edges of clocks a and b coincide . specifically , the enable 0 signal 43 goes high prior to the falling edge of clock a that occurs just before when the rising edges of clocks a and b are coincident . it goes low prior to the second falling edge of clock a that occurs after the coincident rising edges of clocks a and b . the high time is fixed at two clock a cycles , but the low time will vary with the ratio of the clock frequencies . the coinciding clock edges are represented in fig4 by numerals 51 a and b and 52 a and b . the timing of the enable 0 signal 43 with respect to the coincidental rising edges 51 a , 51 b , 52 a and 52 b of clocks a and b causes the d 0 signal 46 to maintain the a data value of data in 41 for four clock a cycles ( i . e ., for the a data value cycle and for the b and c data value cycles of the data in 41 ). identically , this timing causes the d 0 signal 46 to maintain the e data for the e data value cycle and for the f and g data value cycles . this can be clearly seen from the data values of the d 0 waveform 46 shown in fig4 . with respect to the multiplexer 33 , when the enable 1 signal 44 is high and the clock a signal goes high , the data value at the output of flip flop 31 is sampled by flip flop 37 and gated through to the output of flip flop 37 , which corresponds to the d 1 signal 47 . when the enable 1 signal 44 is low , the output of the flip flop 37 is maintained at its current value and thus the d 1 signal 47 is maintained at that same value . the enable 1 signal 44 goes low before the rising edge of clock a that occurs one clock a cycle before when the rising edges of clock a and clock b coincide . it goes high before the rising edge of clock a that occurs two clock a cycles after the coinciding rising edges of clocks a and b . the low time is fixed at three clock a cycles , but the high time will vary with the ratio of the clock frequencies . the flip flop 37 delays the data in signal value output from flip flop 31 by one clock a cycle . the first value of the data in signal 41 that appears in the d 1 signal waveform 47 in fig4 is the b value . the enable 1 signal 44 is low for the next three clock a cycles after the c value is gated through to the output of the flip flop 37 , the d 1 signal 41 maintains the c data value for four successive clock a cycles ( i . e ., for the c data value cycle , for the d data value cycle and for the e data value cycle ). this is indicated in the do waveform 47 shown in fig4 . the select signal 48 is timed to control the multiplexer 38 to select either the d 0 or d 1 signal to be output to the clock a frequency domain as data out 49 . the select signal 48 goes low just after the coinciding rising edges of clocks a and b . it then goes high just after the rising edge of clock a that is two cycles after when the rising edges of clock a and clock b coincided . the low time of the select signal 48 is fixed at two clock a cycles , but the high time will vary based on the ratio of the clock frequencies . it is easy to see from the waveforms d 0 46 , d 1 47 and select 48 in fig4 how the data out waveform 49 contains the data values shown . it can be seen from the data out waveform 49 that the c data value is output for two consecutive clock a cycles . as stated above , this is not a problem because the downstream logic ( i . e ., the logic of the clock a domain ) knows when this will occur because it knows when the rising edges of the clocks will coincide and thus does not try to interpret the c data twice . one of the advantages of the synchronizer of the present invention is that , because it uses flip flops instead of latches , the upstream logic is provided one full clock cycle for a signal to propagate through the upstream logic in the data in path . as stated above , in previous synchronizer designs , latches have been used rather than flip flops , which resulted in variations in the amount of time available to the upstream logic . these variations , in turn , resulted in reduced setup time margins for the upstream logic . flip flops only change their outputs upon the occurrence of a particular triggering event , such as the rising edge of a clock . for example , a typical flip flop has a master - slave design and will sample the input while the clock is low , but the output will not change to reflect the sampled input until the rising edge of the clock . in contrast , whatever is on the input of a latch is reflected on the output of the latch when the latch is in the “ transparent mode ”. in the non - transparent mode of the latch , the output holds whatever value was on the output at the time that the signal that triggered the latch was removed . the transparent nature of the latch can potentially cause problems in the upstream logic in terms of the amount of time that the upstream logic has to make the data in value valid . in other words , it is possible that the upstream logic will not be able to meet setup time requirements . because flip flops are used in the synchronizer design of the present invention , the data in value does not have to be valid until the very end of a clock cycle , since it will not be sampled until the rising edge of the next clock cycle . therefore , the setup time requirements only need to take into account the rising edge of the clock cycle of the frequency domain of the upstream logic . another advantage of this large setup time margin is that it allows more logic to be placed in the path in the upstream logic that is feeding data in of the input flip flop of the synchronizer . another advantage of the synchronizer of the present invention is that , because flip flops are used in the synchronizer , more skew is allowed between the two clocks . this is due to the fact that data is only being allowed to change on the edge of a clock , as opposed to being allowed to change during the time period when the clock is high and / or during the time period when the clock is low . for example , in the embodiment of fig1 d 1 is only changing on the rising edge of clock a and d 0 is only changing on the falling edge of clock a . this allows for a larger clock skew margin than with previous synchronizer designs . yet another advantage of the synchronizer of the present invention is that data out is provided a full clock cycle before it needs to be valid . this , in turn , provides the downstream logic in the path of data out with a full clock cycle before it needs to be ready to receive data , which results in greater setup time margins for the downstream logic . as with the upstream logic , this allows more logic to be placed in the path of data out , if desired . it should be noted that the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments . however , as will be understood by persons skilled in the art in view of the discussion provided herein , the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein . for example , it is well known that logic can be implemented in different ways and with different components to achieve the same result . therefore , it will be understood that the particular logic designs shown in fig1 and 3 have logical equivalents that are also covered by the present invention although they have not been specifically described herein . for example , flip flops can be added to either of the circuits shown in fig1 and 3 without changing the logical results , albeit the latency of the circuits might be changed . also , inverters can be used in various ways without changing logical end results . these and other modifications are within the scope of the present invention .	7
the enclosed figures illustrate an equipment that makes aeration holes in the stabilising covering , obtained by wrapping palletised loads p with an extensible plastic film . in the example given , said equipment configures as a perforation station 1 of an industrial packing line , to be placed downstream the palletised loads p wrapping station ; it could , however , also be used in the actual wrapping station and start working straight after the wrapping machine so the palletised load p needs no further handling . the station 1 comprises a conveyor device 2 fitted with three sliding belts 20 on which the palletised loads p stand — their job being to move the loads in a straight feeding line a — and a perforating machine 3 on the side of said conveyor device 2 . the perforating machine 3 consists of a fixed base 30 on which the sliding frame 31 is mounted which , operated by a jack 32 , moves with a reciprocating motion in a straight line b orthogonal to the feeding direction a of the palletised loads p . a substantially vertical supporting side 33 on the front of the frame 31 , that is , on the side facing the conveyor device 2 and which follows the movement of the frame 31 , can selectively approach or move away from the palletised loads p . in particular , said supporting side 33 is hinged to the frame 31 so it can oscillate in relation to the latter , turning around a rotational axis c , horizontal and orthogonal to the direction of movement b of the frame 31 ; said oscillation is limited by a pair of opposing stops 42 positioned on an intermediate cross bar 43 fixed to the frame 31 ( see fig2 and 4 ). in detail , the supporting side 33 comprises a perimeter frame 34 stiffened by a pair of horizontal beams 35 and closed at the rear by a panel 36 , plus a set of vertical rods 37 with their ends connected to the top and bottom of said perimeter frame 34 . a row of perforating punches 4 is fixed to each vertical rod 37 projecting from the supporting side 33 , facing the palletised loads p . in the example shown , said perforating punches 4 are elongated elements , each fitted with a heatable head 40 with a controlled and adjustable temperature ( using a thermostat ). they are pushed against the stabilising covering of the palletised loads p to make the hole . said perforating punches 4 can however be different like , for instance , a cutter or perforating head . in detail , the ends of the vertical rods 37 are secured to the perimeter frame 34 by sliding joints 38 that engage inside the horizontal guides 39 fixed to the top and bottom of the perimeter frame 34 so that the rows of perforating punches 4 can alternately approach / move away ; in addition , said perforating punches 4 are , in turn , fixed to the vertical rods 37 with clamp devices 41 so their reciprocal vertical distance can be varied . the supporting side 33 also includes a pair of horizontal stop bars 5 on the opposite side of the horizontal axis hinge c that connects the supporting side 33 to the frame 31 . the purpose of said stop bars 5 is to go against the palletised load p as the supporting side 33 approaches so as to define the correct position of the perforating punches 4 in relation to the stabilising covering and to make the supporting side 33 oscillate around the rotational axis c if its inclination does not coincide with that of the side of the palletised load p facing it . in detail , the stop bars 5 are connected to the perimeter frame 34 of the supporting side 33 , each one by means of a pair of sliding joints 50 that , engaging in a vertical guide 51 , make it possible to adjust their position and reciprocal distance . in addition , each stop bar 5 supports its own proximity sensor 52 , preferably a microswitch that , when it comes into contact with the palletised load p , emits an electrical signal that is sent to the control means ( not shown ) of the perforating machine 3 . in particular , when both microswitches 52 emit said signal , the supporting side 33 stops instantly and retracts from the palletised load p . as the supporting side 33 stops , a timer can be operated which , appropriately set , makes it move back after a certain length of time , sufficient for the heatable heads 40 of the perforating punches 4 to make the holes in the palletised load &# 39 ; s p wrapping . when using , before starting the process , the position of the perforating punches 4 on the supporting side 33 needs to be adjusted according to the form , type and layout of the load on the pallet so said punches 4 cannot accidentally damage the load during perforation . the palletised loads p wrapped previously with the extensible plastic film are positioned on the conveyor device 2 one at a time . said palletised loads p are normally parallelepiped in shape and , therefore , positioned on the conveyor device 2 so two opposite sides are parallel with the feeding direction a . the conveyor device 2 moves the palletised loads p forward intermittently so that for each feeding phase a palletised load p is in the perforating position , that is , in a suitable position for the perforating machine 3 . in the example shown , the perforating position for the palletised load p is in front of the perforating machine 3 so that one of its opposite sides , parallel with feeding direction a , faces the supporting side 33 and , hence , the perforating punches 4 projecting from the latter . during the stopping time of the palletised load p the jack 32 operates the frame 31 so that said supporting side 33 makes an approach stroke towards the palletised load p . when the perforating punches 4 move close the stabilising covering , it is locally softened by the heatable heads 40 so that when the supporting side 33 moves forward again , the perforating punches 4 can mechanically perforate the film . in this way , when a perforating punch 4 is facing a portion of the stabilising covering made of several overlapping layers of plastic film , the heat of the heatable head 40 also seals said layers together locally , strengthening the wrapping of the palletised load p even more ; in addition , said head also creates an edge of melted plastic material around the hole that , cooling down , strengthens it . when the stop bars 5 come into contact with the side of the palletised load p , the perforating punches 4 have already made the holes in the stabilising covering . in particular , when said side of the palletised load p slants differently from the normal inclination of the supporting side 33 , the contact of the stop bars 5 is not simultaneous and therefore the first stop bar 5 that comes into contact with the palletised load p makes the supporting side 33 rotate , gradually becoming parallel with the side it faces , until the second stop bar 5 also comes into contact with the palletised load p . the instant both microswitches 52 on the stop bars 5 send the signal of contact , the frame 31 stops moving forward and , if used , the timer starts , defining the time needed by the perforating punches 4 to finish the holes in the stabilising covering . the jack 32 is then operated again , retracting the frame 31 and moving the supporting side 33 away for a new feeding phase of the conveyor device 2 that moves the palletised load p away with its perforated wrapping , placing a new palletised load p in the perforating position . for example , the perforating equipment could be made of a plurality of perforating machines 3 that make aeration holes on several sides of the palletised load p simultaneously . in particular , according to a preferred form of embodiment of the invention , the perforating station 1 could comprise two perforating machines 3 , opposite each other and positioned on opposite sides of the conveyor device 2 , working simultaneously on both sides of the palletised load p , parallel with the feeding direction a . in addition , according to an alternative form of embodiment of the invention , the supporting side 33 of perforating machine 3 could have just one vertical row of perforating punches 4 and the feeding system could be made to move the palletised loads p forward in steps shorter than their length . in this way in fact , by making the supporting side 33 perform one approach stroke each time the palletised load p stops , it would be possible to make all the aeration holes in the stabilising covering even using a device that is very simple and small in size . many practical - application changes can be made to the invention described above without losing sight of the inventive idea as claimed below .	1
to understand the modified dft and the modified error recovery technique , it will first be useful to remind ourselves of the conventional dft and the error recovery technique disclosed in bl . if x ( i )( i = 0 . . . n − 1 ) is a series of n samples , the dft x ( k ) is defined by x  ( k ) = 1 n  ∑ i = 0 n - 1   x  ( i )  exp   ( 2   π   jki n ) where j is the square root of − 1 . for reasons which will become apparent later we rewrite this as x  ( k ) = 1 n  ∑ i = 0 n - 1   x  ( i )  exp  ( jkiq ) the inverse transformation is x  ( i ) = 1 n  ∑ k = 0 n - 1  x  ( k )  exp  ( - jikq ) . in the known error concealment technique , we originally have a series of samples { circumflex over ( x )}( i ) and we form the dft { circumflex over ( x )}( k ). we then set m consecutive ones of the dft coefficients equal to zero to form a new dft x ( k ) such that x ( k )={ circumflex over ( x )}( k ) for k ∉ μ and x ( k )= 0 for kεμ , where μ is the set of coefficients set to zero . then we form the inverse dft x ( i ) which is a filtered version of { circumflex over ( x )}( i ). in fact , if we choose μ so that the coefficients set to zero correspond to the highest frequency components , it is a low - pass filtered version . in the case of error correction , we stuff m zeroes into the spectrum instead of setting m coefficients to zero , so no information is lost , but x ( i ) is not simply a filtered version of { circumflex over ( x )}( i ). in what follows we discuss only the case of error concealment , but the principles can equally be applied to error correction . the signal that is transmitted is x ( i ), which contains redundancy , since it is known a priori that the m components of x ( k ) corresponding to values of k that are in μ are equal to zero . now we assume that the received signal d ( i ) is equal to x ( i ) except for a set of samples x ( i m ) which are known to have been incorrectly received and which are therefore discarded . we wish to use the redundancy in x ( i ) to interpolate the missing samples and recover x ( i ). we write the number of discarded samples as sτ where s is the frame length used for transmission and τ is the number of discarded frames . the missing samples can be recovered if sτ is less than or equal to m . we define the error e ( i )= x ( i )− d ( i ) and its dft e ( k ). note that e ( i )= 0 for i ∈{ i m } and e ( i m )= x ( i m ) for all i m . knowing the positions i m of the missing samples , we can construct a polynomial ( the “ error locator polynomial ”) as a product h  ( z ) = ∏ m = 1 s   τ   ( z - z i m ) ( 1 ) where z i = exp ( jiq ), and we can rewrite this as a sum h  ( z ) = ∑ t = 0 s   τ   h t  z t . ( 2 ) in practice , an efficient way of calculating the coefficients h t is by calculating h ( z ) using the product form ( 1 ) for at least sτ + 1 values of z equally spaced on the unit circle and using the fft algorithm . note that h ( z i m )= 0 for all of the positions of the discarded samples . therefore , we can multiply h ( z i m ) in the form of equation ( 2 ) by e ( i m ) z i m r and sum over m to get ∑ m = 1 s   τ   e  ( i m )  ∑ t = 0 s   τ   h t  z i m t + r = 0 reversing the order of summation gives ∑ t = 0 s   τ   h t  ∑ m = 1 s   τ   e  ( i m )  z i m t + r = 0 , which can be rewritten ∑ t = 0 s   τ   h t  e  ( t + r ) = 0 . this can be rearranged to give e  ( r ) = - 1 h 0  ∑ t = 1 s   τ   h t  e  ( r + t ) . ( 3 ) thus , given any sτ consecutive known values of e ( r + t ) we can calculate another contiguous value and so calculate all the values recursively . but we know that for kεμ , x ( k )= 0 , so e ( k )=− d ( k ). therefore we have m ≧ sτ consecutive known values to start with and can calculate all the others . given the dft of the errors e ( k ) we can easily calculate the non - zero dft coefficients of the samples x ( k )= d ( k )+ e ( k ) and thereby recover the samples x ( i ). other ways of recovering the lost samples include matrix inversion and lagrange interpolation as discussed in st , but the method just outlined is the presently preferred one , since it is less computationally intensive . the problem with the technique described above is that it becomes unstable for large block sizes , and this is believed to be connected with the fact that the set μ of coefficients set to zero must be contiguous , at least for the above recursive method and the lagrange interpolation method , and to be certain that the matrix to be inverted is non - singular . the present invention is based on the observation that the whole of the reasoning set out above , including fourier &# 39 ; s theorem itself , still holds if , instead of defining q = 2   π n we define q = 2   π   p n where p and n are mutually prime integers and p & gt ; 1 . the modified dft is now defined as x p  ( k ) = 1 n  ∑ i = 0 n - 1   x  ( i )  exp  ( 2   π   jpi n ) . this is equivalent to a permutation of the coefficients , so that where p ( k )≡ pk mod n . thus , when we use the modified transform and set m consecutive coefficients to zero , it is equivalent to using the conventional dft and setting components p ( k ) to zero where k takes on m consecutive values . if p is suitably chosen , this has the effect of scattering the zeroes across the spectrum , which makes the recovery process much more stable , even for large block sizes . besides the fact that p and n have to be relatively prime , there are two contradictory requirements for the choice of p , the first one is that we need a p such that the decoding is stable . for stability , it is necessary that the error locator polynomial spans the unit circle , i . e ., z i for iεμ should be spread over the unit circle . in other words , we require pm ≧ n . on the other hand , filtering in the new transform domain creates some distortion on the original source signal . in order to reduce this distortion , p has to be chosen such that the coefficients set to zero are low energy coefficients . if p is around n / 2 , almost half of the high frequency coefficients of fft remain in the high frequency region of the new transform . however , the transform is not very stable ( though not as bad as the conventional dft ). also , we can show that the transform for p = n / 2 + e is the conjugate of n / 2 − e for even n . therefore , a compromise value for p in the range n m ≤ p & lt ; n 2 can be chosen by listening tests . for example , to be able to replace one missing frame where n = 480 and s = 160 , so that m = 160 is required , p = 197 can be found experimentally to be the best compromise . in addition to the recursive method , the reasoning in st which shows that matrix inversion can be carried out ( i . e . that the matrix to be inverted is non - singular ) and that the x ( i ) can be recovered by lagrange interpolation , is still valid with the modified dft . these methods therefore could be used instead of the recursive method , although they , and particularly matrix inversion , are more computationally intensive and are not preferred . fig1 shows a fast fourier transform ( fft ) processor 1 arranged to receive a sampled speech signal { circumflex over ( x )}( i ) in blocks of n samples and to produce fourier coefficients { circumflex over ( x )}( k ). the output signal from the fft processor 1 is passed through a distortion processor 2 to inverse fft processor 3 to produce a filtered signal x ( i ). the distortion processor sets certain of the coefficients { circumflex over ( x )}( k ) equal to zero . in the known technique described in bl this would be a set of m consecutive coefficients corresponding to high frequency components of the signal , but in the present technique it is the coefficients numbered p ( k ) where k takes on m consecutive values . thus , whereas in the known technique x ( i ) is a low - pass filtered signal , in the present technique the filtering applied to the signal is more subtle , consisting of a number of narrow frequency notches scattered across the spectrum . the output signal from the inverse fft processor 3 is then applied to a conventional speech encoder 4 and a conventional channel encoder 5 which arranges the signal into frames for transmission . fig2 shows a conventional channel decoder 6 arranged to receive the transmitted signal from the apparatus of fig1 . the channel decoder 6 undoes the frame structure of the signal and identifies frames i m that have become corrupted in transmission or not received . the samples corresponding to such frames are set to zero and a signal i m identifying these lost samples is produced . the output from the channel decoder is passed to a conventional speech decoder which is the counterpart of the speech coder 4 of fig1 and produces the signal d ( i ) which , if no frames have been corrupted or not received , should be the same as the filtered signal x ( i ), but otherwise is the filtered signal x ( i ) with one or more frames - full of samples set to zero . the signal d ( i ) is passed to an error concealer processor 8 which is also connected to receive the signal i m identifying the lost samples . the error concealer processor 8 carries out the recursive process to recover the lost samples and reconstruct the filtered signal x ( i ). fig3 shows in more detail one embodiment of the error concealer processor 8 of fig2 . a coefficient calculator processor 9 is arranged to receive the signal i m identifying the lost samples from the channel decoder processor 6 of fig2 and to calculate the coefficients h t of the error locator polynomial h ( z ) as given by equation ( 2 ). it does this by calculating h ( z ) using equation ( 1 ) for a number of values of z equally spaced around the unit circle and calculating the coefficients h t using an fft processor . when h ( z ) is calculated , the values of z i = exp ( jiq ) need to be calculated using q = 2πp / n , so the positions of the zeroes are different in the modified method . an fft processor 10 is connected to receive the signal d ( i ) from the speech coder processor 7 of fig2 and derives the dft d ( k ). a modified recursion processor 11 is connected to receive the dft d ( k ) from the fft processor 10 and the coefficients h t from the coefficient calculator processor 9 and derives the error dft coefficients e ( k ) using the modified form of the recurrence relation ( 3 ), starting from the values corresponding to the a priori known values of x ( p ( k ))= 0 for kεμ . the modified form of equation ( 3 ) reads : e  ( p  ( r ) ) = - 1 h 0  ∑ t = 1 s   τ   h t  e  ( p  ( r + t ) ) . a correction processor 12 is connected to receive the error dft coefficients e ( k ) from the coefficient calculator processor 9 and the dft coefficients d ( k ) from the fft processor 10 and adds e ( k ) and d ( k ) to calculate the dft coefficients x ( k ) of the recovered filtered signal . an inverse fft processor 13 is connected to receive the dft coefficients x ( k ) and calculates the recovered filtered signal x ( i ). fig4 shows an alternative embodiment of the error concealer processor 8 of fig2 . in this case the recursion processor 11 uses the unmodified form of the recurrence relation ( 3 ), but the fft processor 10 and the inverse fft processor 13 are modified in that the modified fft processor 10 carries out the normal fft algorithm followed by a permutation as shown in equation ( 4 ) and the modified inverse fft processor carries out an inverse permutation followed by the normal fft algorithm . if we denote the dft by f , the permutation by p and the recursive step by r , both embodiments carry out the process f − 1 p − 1 rpf , but the embodiment of fig3 does it in the form f − 1 r ′ f where r ′= p − 1 rp and the embodiment of fig4 does it in the form f ′ − 1 rf ′ where f ′= pf . the processors required for the apparatus described above can be implemented as executable code in association with a microprocessor or signal processor chip or a combination of both .	7
while the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms , there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described first and second embodiments of the invention , with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention , and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated . with reference now to fig1 and 2 , therein are illustrated a playing card 10 and a master game card 12 embodying the present game system . playing card 10 is intended as exemplary , in that the present game system includes a substantial plurality of such playing cards . each of these playing cards is purchased by a game player , with certain ones of the players being eligible to participate in selection of a bonus award on the master game card 12 . each of the playing cards 10 preferably comprises a lamination of upper and lower plies of material 14 and 16 , such as comprising paper or the like . each of the playing cards displays a plurality of groups of game symbols 18 , which symbols are displayed on the inside surface of the lower ply 16 of the card . this type of card is typically referred to as a &# 34 ; break - open &# 34 ; playing card , in that flap - like portions 20 of the upper ply 14 can be selectively removed from each of the groups of game symbols 18 in order to reveal the game symbols after the card has been purchased . however , it will be understood that a game embodying the principles of the present invention may include playing cards and a master game card otherwise configured , such as including &# 34 ; scratch - off &# 34 ; arrangements for initially concealing game symbols . in its first level of play , the present game system provides awards to those players having cards which display predetermined winning groups of award symbols . in its two additional levels of play , the present system permits selected ones of the players to become eligible for a bonus award , and thereafter at least one of the players plays for the bonus , through use of the master game card 12 . the master game card 12 preferably comprises a lamination of upper and lower plies of material 24 and 26 . to assist players in ascertaining winning cards at the first level of play , a listing 28 of winning groups is preferably provided on the master game card . the second level of play of the present game system entails establishing selected game players who become eligible for the bonus award , with these players then listed on the master game card 12 in the illustrated embodiment . to this end , the master game card 12 includes an arrangement 30 for listing the selected , eligible players . in the illustrated embodiment , the eligibility of these selected players is established by those players having cards having predetermined selected ones of the game symbols . in the illustrated embodiment , such predetermined game symbols comprise numeric designations ( i . e ., 013 , 113 , 213 , etc .). in addition , the illustrated game permits the player who purchases the last playing card of the set to be eligible for the bonus award by entry in the &# 34 ; last sale &# 34 ; listing . the master game card further includes an arrangement whereby at least one of the listed , eligible players is identified , with that player then being eligible to play for the bonus award . this is provided by at least one bonus player identifier 32 on the inside surface of the lower ply 26 of the master game card , with this identifier concealed by a selectively removable flap - like portion 34 ( shown partially cut - away ) of the upper ply 24 of the master game card . as will be noted , the identifier 32 corresponds to a predetermined one of the selected game symbols , such as the numeric symbol 113 , or to the &# 34 ; last sale &# 34 ; designation . as will be appreciated , the bonus player identifier 32 is not revealed until all of the eligible selected players have been established , and entered at listing 30 , if provided . when the identifier 32 is revealed , that one player then becomes eligible for the bonus award , which award is determined by the &# 34 ; bonus section &# 34 ; of the master game card . in addition , the 10 player identified may automatically win a predetermined award ( i . e ., $ 300 . 00 in the illustrated embodiment ). while the illustrated embodiment includes a single identifier 32 , a plurality of such identifiers can alternately be provided , whereby a like plurality of the eligible players become further eligible to play the &# 34 ; bonus section &# 34 ;. the bonus section of the master game card 12 provides the third level of play of the present system , and identifies a plurality of awards 36 on the inside surface of lower ply 26 , each of which is concealed by a respective flap - like portion 38 of the upper ply 24 . it is contemplated that the bonus player will open only one of the flap - like portions 38 , with only one ( or optionally more than one ) of the awards 36 corresponding to the &# 34 ; bonus award &# 34 ;, while the other awards will be relatively nominal in nature . the value of the &# 34 ; bonus award &# 34 ; is preferably prominently displayed at 40 on the master game card so that all game players are aware of the potential bonus they might win . referring to fig3 an alternate embodiment of the master game card 12 is illustrated . in this embodiment , an additional fourth level of play is provided by a &# 34 ; jackpot section &# 34 ;, eligibility for play of which is determined at the &# 34 ; bonus section &# 34 ;. specifically , the &# 34 ; jackpot section &# 34 ; includes a plurality of jackpot section awards 42 displayed on the inside surface of the lower ply of the card , with a plurality of flap - like portions 44 respectively concealing the award values 42 . in this embodiment , at least one of the bonus section awards 36 specifies &# 34 ; advance to jackpot section &# 34 ;, thus entitling the selected player to open one of the flap - like portions 44 in the &# 34 ; jackpot section &# 34 ;. in turn , at least one of the jackpot section awards 42 specifies &# 34 ; jackpot award &# 34 ;, which award is preferably prominently displayed at 46 on the game card . as will be appreciated , variations of the present system can be made within the purview of the present invention . as noted , the playing cards 10 can be otherwise configured , as can the master game card 12 . if desired , more than the disclosed three or four levels of play can be provided . additionally , plural arrangements can be provided for establishing the eligibility for bonus play of selected players . for example , two listings of eligible players can be provided on the master game card , with two different criteria identified for establishing eligibility . from the foregoing , it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations can be effected without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concept of the present invention . it is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein 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 .	8
one embodiment of the invention is shown diagrammatically in fig2 . at the receiver &# 39 ; s end (“ alice ”), it is composed of two parts . the first part consists of a light source s that sends a stream of horizontally polarized ( h ) photons , detectors ( d 1 , d 2 and d 3 ), and a polarizing beam - splitter pbs 0 which only reflects vertically polarized photons v ( as do all the pbs in the figure ). the second part comprises two tandem michelson interferometers . it includes two pbss , two switchable polarization rotators ( sprs ), two switchable mirrors ( sms ) that can be switched on and off by external means , and two normal mirrors ( mrs ). this part of the setup allows the signal photon to have a very large probability of staying at the receiver &# 39 ; s end . on the other side , the message sender &# 39 ; s setup (“ bob ”) also includes two parts . in the first part , the sender , with the help of pockel cell pc b , can either switch the polarization of the incoming h photon to a v photon or keep the polarization state h unchanged . the pbs b reflects v photons to a detector d 4 ( effectively blocking the communication channel ) and allows h photons to be reflected back by the mirror mr b . the second part is a time delay system whose purpose is to defend the sender against an attack from an eavesdropper (“ eve ”). the sender can send a stream of logic 0 &# 39 ; s and 1 &# 39 ; s by either keeping the polarization state h unchanged ( logic 0 ) or switching it to polarization state v ( logic 1 ). the sender &# 39 ; s choice of logic 0 and 1 leads to a click at detectors d 1 and d 2 , respectively with almost unit probability and with almost no photon in the public channel , thus leading to direct counterfactual communication . this setup may be implemented using current technology . however , before explaining how the setup works , it is useful to discuss an equivalent mach - zehnder type setup shown in fig3 which helps to understand the working principle of the invention . in the mach - zehnder setup illustrated in fig3 , bs stands for beam - splitter and sw stands for ideal switches . in the transmission channel , the photon is accessible to the eavesdropper . as shown in the portion of fig3 indicated as ( b ), by using a chained version of the setup shown in portion ( a ), direct counterfactual quantum communication can be achieved . there are two kinds of beam splitters bss , which have large reflectivity . one is bs m , for m big cycles . the other is bs n for n small cycles within each m cycle . there are a total of m × n cycles for one signal . as discussed below , the probability of finding a signal photon in the transmission channel is nearly zero . clicks at d 1 or d 2 reveal to the receiver (“ alice ”) the sender &# 39 ; s (“ bob &# 39 ; s ”) bit choices . initially a photon is sent by the receiver from the left such that the input state ( before the top beam - splitter ) is \| h . the state transformation at the beam - splitters may be described by where cos θ =√{ square root over ( r )} with r being the reflectivity of the bs . at the sender &# 39 ; s end , ideal switches ( sw ) allow the sender to pass the photon ( logic 0 ) or to block it ( logic 1 ). there are two steps to achieve the direct counterfactual communication . one basic idea is utilizing the quantum zeno effect , which refers to the fact that repeated measurement of a gradually evolving quantum state leaves it unchanged . in the first step [ see fig3 ( a )], a large number ( n ) of beam - splitters with a very small transmissivity , i . e ., θ = π / 2n are used . when the sender allows the receiver &# 39 ; s photon to pass , by switching off all sws at his end , the initial state \| 10 evolves coherently . after n cycles , the state of the photon can be written as thus , at the end of n cycles ( n = n ), the final state is \| 01 and the detector d 2 clicks . on the other hand , if the sender blocks the photon by switching on all sws , the photonic state after n cycles is where n is assumed to be large and cos n θ ≈ 1 . here the square of the overall factor cos 2 ( n − 1 ) θ represents the probability of having the state \| 10 after n − 1 cycles . in this case the detector d 1 clicks . as a result , the sender &# 39 ; s blocking causes detector d 1 to click , while passing the photon causes detector d 2 to click . this means that , in the ideal limit , the receiver can read the sender &# 39 ; s bit choices with arbitrarily large efficiency . this is the first step towards direct counterfactual quantum communication . although the mach - zehnder set - up , shown in fig3 ( a ), enables direct communication , the protocol is not counterfactual . in the case when the sender does not block , the photon &# 39 ; s final state \| 01 implies the photon passing through the transmission channel with unit probability at nth cycle , where the risk that the receiver &# 39 ; s signal photon is stolen becomes very high . the protocol is also not counterfactual as the photon travels through the public channel in the case where the sender does not block the photon . the present invention uses a protocol that leads not only to direct communication between the sender and the receiver but is also counterfactual . a chained version of the quantum zeno effect ( cqze ) is used , as shown in fig3 ( b ). the signal photon passes through “ m ” big cycles separated by bs m s with θ m = π / 3m . for the m - th cycle ( m ≦ m ), there are “ n ” beam - splitters bs n s with θ n = π / 2n . as a result of beam - splitter transformations , now , there exist three photon states \| i , j , k ; where \| i , \| j and \| k correspond to the photon states at the left hand - side arms of the outer chain , at the left hand - side arms of the inner chain , and at the right hand - side arms of the inner chain , respectively . by using the results shown in equations ( 2 ) and ( 3 ), it is easy to see that if the sender passes the receiver &# 39 ; s photon , for the m - th big cycle , one would have , it may be assumed that initially the receiver sends a single photon as shown in fig3 ( b ) where all unused ports are in the vacuum state . the initial state of the total system is \| 110 . we can see the evolution by including results from equations ( 2 ) and ( 3 ). first , consider the case when the sender (“ bob ”) does not block at any stage ( logic 0 ). after the m - th cycle , the resulting photon state is it is clear that after m big cycles and n small cycles detector d 1 clicks . a click at the detector d 1 ensures counterfactuality as any photon in the public channel would lead to a click at one of the detectors d 3 [ see eq . ( 2 )]. the probability of click at d 1 is obtained by collecting all the contributions that are reflected from all the beam - splitters bs m &# 39 ; s and is given by p 1 = cos 2m θ m . on the other hand , if the receiver blocks throughout ( logic 1 ), one would have ( for the m - th cycle ) where it is assumed n & gt ;& gt ; 1 . after the m - th cycle , the photon state is thus , after m big cycles and n small cycles , detector d 2 clicks . again the counterfactuality is ensured by a click at d 2 as any photon in the public channel would be absorbed by the blocking device and would not be available for detection at d 2 . the probability of click at the detector d 2 is given by p 2 =\| y { m , 0 } \| 2 where y { m , 0 } can be obtained from the recursion relations x m + 1 = a m x m − b m y { m , n } , y { m + 1 , 0 } = b m x m + a m y { m , n } , y { m , n } = a n y { m , n − 1 } = a n y { m , n − 1 } − b n z { m , n − 1 } and z { m , n } = c ( b n y { m , n − 1 } + a n z { m , n − 1 } ) where a n ( m ) = cos θ n ( m ) , b n ( m ) = sin θ n ( m ) , and c = 0 with x 1 = a m , y , 0 } = b m and z { m , 0 } = 0 . obviously , if c = 1 , one can get the probability d 1 clicking ( p 1 =\| x m \| 2 ) for the case the sender encoding “ 0 ”. in fig4 a and 4 b the probabilities p 1 and p 2 ( which are the probabilities of d 1 and d 2 clicking , respectively ) are plotted using the above recursion relations . p 1 and p 2 are plotted against different number of cycles m and n for the sender unblocking the receiver &# 39 ; s photon ( fig4 a ) and the sender obstructing the receiver &# 39 ; s photon ( fig4 b ). it may clearly be seen that p 1 is above 0 . 90 for m & gt ; 25 and is independent of n . however , a value of p 2 above 0 . 90 requires not only m & gt ; 25 but a much larger value of n . numerical estimates indicate ( p 1 = 0 . 906 , p 2 = 0 . 912 ) for ( m = 25 , n = 320 ); ( p 1 = 0 . 952 , p 2 = 0 . 953 ) for ( m = 50 , n = 1250 ); and ( p 1 = 0 . 984 , p 2 = 0 . 982 ) for ( m = 150 , n = 10000 ). this shows that a perfect counterfactuality is possible , albeit for large values of m and n . this may be complicated for the mach - zehnder setup described so far . however a michelson interferometer - based implementation offers significant practical advantages . thus , after elucidating the essential features of this direct counterfactual quantum communication protocol , we revert to a discussion of the michelson - type configuration shown in fig2 . this allows a better practical realization of the protocol , with a massive saving of resources . here , the function of bs is replaced by the combination of pbs and spr . assume the state of an h photon is \| h , and the state of a v photon is \| v . then , each time the photon passes through one spr , the polarization evolves as follows \| h → cos / β i \| h + sin β i \| v and \| v → cos β i \| v − sin β i \| h , where β represents the rotation angle with the subscript i = 1 , 2 corresponding to different sprs . the mirror sm 1 ( 2 ) is switched off initially to allow the photon to be transmitted but it remains on during m ( n ) cycles and is turned off again after m ( n ) cycles are completed . the initial photon emitted by the light source is \| h . since the signal photon passes through sms twice each cycle , one may set β 1 ( 2 ) = π4m ( n ). it is not difficult to see that , if the sender blocks the photon , detector d 2 clicks . also , if the sender passes the photon , detector d 1 clicks . next , the effect of the imperfections of the system and the noise in the transmission channel on the performance of the counterfactual communication are considered . there are two kinds of imperfections . the first one only affects the efficiency of the communication , but does not cause the measurement errors . the imperfection coming from the sensitivity of the detectors d 1 , d 2 and d 3 is an example of this imperfection . if the sensitivity of these detectors is η , then the efficiency of the communication also reduces to η . however , the second kind of imperfection , which mainly comes from the switchable polarization rotators ( sprs ), results in the measurement errors . during each cycle , sprs should rotate the signal photon with a certain angle , but in practical situations there can be a slight error in the angle . it may be supposed that the error for the spr in the inner cycle is δθ n = s n ( θ n / n ), namely , the photon state is rotated with an additional angle s n θ n after n cycles . the corresponding coefficient for the error of the spr in the outer cycle is s m . their influence may be estimated numerically by replacing θ n ( m ) with θ n ( m ) + δθ n ( m ) for fixed n and m in the recursion relations given above . fig5 a is a plot of the detector d 1 and d 2 clicking rates for different values of s describing the imperfection of the switchable polarization rotators ( setting s = s n = s m ). the red lines are plotted for the case m = 50 , n = 1250 . the black lines are plotted for the case m = 25 , n = 320 . it is clear that the performance is still good if the factor s is less than two . another source of noise results when the photon in the transmission channel is blocked by some object other than message sender &# 39 ; s . the noise rate may be defined as b . this represents the signal being blocked in each cycle by any object other than message sender &# 39 ; s . it is easy to see if the sender chooses to block his path , the result at the receiver &# 39 ; s end does not change . for the case when the sender allows the photon component to be reflected , the result does not change appreciably if there is blocking only in one cycle . however , the noise may cause a problem if the blocking takes place in multiple cycles . fig5 b is a plot of the probability of d 1 clicking ( the sender passing the photon ) with different noise b defined by the blocking rate of each cycle by any object except the sender . the red lines are plotted for the case m = 50 , n = 1250 . the black lines are plotted for the case m = 25 , n = 320 . to simulate the noise , random numbers between 0 to 1 may be created each time the photon component passes through the transmission channel . if the number is less than b , the signal photon may be regarded as being blocked out of the communication system ( set c = 0 for that cycle , otherwise c = 1 ). the figure shows that the blocking rate b should be suppressed under 0 . 2 %. it should be noted that the time control of switchable mirrors ( sms ) is also very important . suppose the distance between the sender and the receiver is l . the control time of these switchable mirrors should be less than 2l / c 0 ( c 0 being the light speed ). the emphasis here is on the counterfactual nature of direct communication that brings about the essential difference between classical and quantum communication . the secure issue is important but also very complicated . here for simplicity , some possible attacks by an eavesdropper (“ eve ” in the drawing figures ) and how to overcome them are discussed . the first is an intercept - resend attack whereby for the case where the sender blocks the quantum channel the eavesdropper unblocks the channel by replacing the sender &# 39 ; s setup , ideally at the last outer cycles . the eavesdropper then measures and resends upon detection . however , provided the number of cycles n and m are kept secret by the receiver , it can be proved that the eavesdropper cannot , on average , intercept the receiver &# 39 ; s photons and resend them without being detected herself . it is not difficult to see , without the knowledge of n and m , the random replacement for the sender &# 39 ; s setup will decrease the probability the eavesdropper catching the receiver &# 39 ; s test photon . meanwhile , the chance d 3 clicking will increase anomalously . the second attack by the eavesdropper involves using a similar counterfactual setup ( avoiding clicking d 4 ) to read out the sender &# 39 ; s information . since the sender cannot distinguish the source of the photon , the eavesdropper can attack the sender &# 39 ; s setup almost whenever she wants to . this attack can be avoided by means of the time delay setup shown in fig2 . the red dashed line is a classical channel used by the receiver to control an optical gate positioned before the sender &# 39 ; s setup . the component of the receiver &# 39 ; s photon ( with almost zero probability amplitude ) can pass through it only if the gate is open . a long optical delay ( od 3 ) is added into the transmission path before the gate . it takes time t for the photon component to go through od 3 , which means that the signal in the classical channel is always faster than that in the quantum channel with a time difference τ . if the receiver needs the gate opened in order to pass her photon component , the control signal in the classical channel should be delayed by time τ . suppose that it takes time t for the photon component to pass through the quantum channel . the transmission time from the eavesdropper to the sender is t ′ ( assuming the eavesdropper knows exactly the distance between her and the sender ). the opening time for the gate will depend on how much time the photon spends in the receiver &# 39 ; s setup , plus instrument error . its maximum value is designated as δt . now , the eavesdropper has to utilize this time δt . since she does not know when the receiver will send her photon component in , the eavesdropper needs to measure the control signals in the classical channel in order to get gate information . suppose the eavesdropper can catch the control signal and resend it straight on . she immediately starts her counterfactual attack on the sender . it takes t ′+ τ time for her photon component to reach the gate . however , the gate opening time is from t ′ to t ′+ δτ . thus if τ & gt ;& gt ; δt , it is impossible for the eavesdropper &# 39 ; s photon to get into the sender &# 39 ; s setup . for the next gate opening time ( the next photon cycle ), the receiver can still change the optical distance in her setup . this means the eavesdropper cannot know the correct gate opening time . there are two more important issues to be addressed . that is to see what happens when the eavesdropper sends a fake control photon into the public channel , or continuously attacks the gate counterfactually ( avoiding clicking d 4 ). in the former case , the sender and the receiver expose this kind of attack simply by publicizing their photons &# 39 ; departure and arrival times . for the latter case , since counterfactual attack needs the eavesdropper &# 39 ; s test photon bouncing between the eavesdropper and the sender a sufficiently large number of times , if the gate opening time can be made random and controlled by the receiver , the eavesdropper &# 39 ; s test photon may pass through the gate for one time , but it is impossible for it passing through in each following cycles . thus , it would not be possible for the eavesdropper to avoid her photon being blocked by the gate . two kinds of attacks by the eavesdropper have been discussed . both can be defended successfully by ( 1 ) adding a gate at the sender &# 39 ; s end that is controlled by the receiver , ( 2 ) by choosing n or m randomly by the receiver before the communication ( during the communication these numbers could be fixed ), and ( 3 ) by controlling the optical path length of each cycle by the receiver . of course these features take away from the simplicity and the beauty of the invention but they may be required if one insists on security . although particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , they are not intended to limit what this patent covers . one skilled in the art will understand that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as literally and equivalently covered by the following claims .	7
the invention is described more fully hereinafter . 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 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 features , integers , steps , operations , elements , and / or components , but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , integers , steps , operations , elements , components , and / or groups thereof . as used herein , the term “ 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 . as used herein , the term “ aromatic polycarboxylic acid ” is meant to refer to an aromatic group with two or more carboxylic acid functional groups pendant therefrom . any suitable polycarboxylic acid may be used , but exemplary polycarboxylic acids include terephthalic acid , isophthalic acid , naphthylene dicarboxylic acid , phthalic acid , and the like . the anhydrides of the aromatic polycarboxylic acids may also be used . as used herein , the term “ unsaturated aliphatic polycarboxylic acid ” is meant to refer to a non - aromatic molecule with one or more alkene or alkyne bonds and further including two or more carboxylic acids . any suitable unsaturated aliphatic polycarboxylic acid may be used , but exemplary aliphatic polycarboxylic acids include fumaric acid , maleic acid and hydride , citraconic acid , itaconic acid , glutaconic acid , and the like . as used herein , the term “ aliphatic diol ” is meant to refer to a non - aromatic molecule with two hydroxy functional groups . any suitable aliphatic diol may be used , but exemplary aliphatic diols include ethylene glycol , propylene glycol , diethylene glycol , neopentyl glycol , 1 , 4 - cyclohexanedimethanol , 1 , 3 - propanediol , 1 , 4 - butanediol , 1 , 5 - pentanediol , 1 , 6 - hexanediol , 1 , 8 - octanediol , 2 , 2 , 4 - trimethyl - 1 , 3 - pentanediol , 2 , 2 , 4 , 4 - tetramethyl - 1 , 3 - cyclobutanediol , and the like . as used herein , the term “ glycidyl ester of an alkanoic acid ” is meant to refer to an alkanoic acid , such as straight or branched hexanoic acid , heptanoic acid , octanoic acid , nonanoic acid , decanoic acid , undecanoic acid , dodecanoic acid , and the like , that is esterified by a group that includes a glycidyl functionality . an exemplary glycidyl ester of an alkanoic acid is a glycidyl ester of neodecanoic acid , such as glydexx n - 10 ®. as used herein , the term “ branching agent ” is meant to refer to a multifunctional carboxylic acid ( or its corresponding anhydride ) or a polyol that is added to a resin composition to provide branched polyesters . suitable branching agents include trimellitic acid , trimellitic anhydride , pyromellitic dianhydride , trimethylolpropane , glycerol , pentaerythritol , citric acid , tartaric acid , 3 - hydroxyglutaric acid , and the like . as used herein , the term “ epoxy ” is meant to refer to a monomer or polymer that includes epoxy functional groups . exemplary epoxies include , glycidyl methacrylate / acrylic acid copolymers glycidyl methacrylate / styrene copolymer and novalac epoxies . the term epoxy does not include epoxies that include bisphenol a . according to some embodiments of the present invention , polyester toner resins may include 40 to 65 weight percent of an aromatic polycarboxylic acid ; 0 to 15 weight percent of an unsaturated aliphatic polycarboxylic acid ; 6 to 50 weight percent of at least one of an aliphatic diol and a glycidyl ester of an alkanoic acid ; 2 to 5 weight percent of a branching agent ; and 1 to 5 weight percent of an epoxy . in some embodiments of the present invention , up to 25 weight percent of alkoxylated bis a may be included in the composition . as used herein , the terms bis - a and bisphenol a , refer to the following compound : according to some embodiments of the invention , polyester toner resins may include 0 to 25 weight percent of alkoxylated bisphenol a ; 8 to 40 weight percent of an aliphatic diol ; 5 to 30 weight percent of an unsaturated aliphatic polycarboxylic acid ; 10 to 50 weight percent of an aromatic polycarboxylic acid ; 2 to 5 weight percent of a branching agent ; and 1 to 5 weight percent of an epoxy . also provided according to some embodiments of the invention are polyester toner resins that may include 0 to 25 weight percent alkoxylated bisphenol a , 2 - 5 weight percent of a branching agent , and 1 to 5 weight percent of an epoxy ; wherein the polyester toner resin may have an acid value between 18 and 35 , a t g between 58 and 75 ° c ., a t 1 / 2 between 120 and 180 ° c ., and in some embodiments , a charge per mass of between − 25 and − 32 μc / g . the polyester toner resins according to embodiments of the present invention are herein described with reference to the monomers / molecules that are reacted to form the polyester toner resin . thus , as one of ordinary skill in the art will understand , the final resin may include only the resulting crosslinked or non - crosslinked polymer formed from the reaction of the components and may not include any of the starting molecules / monomers . however , in some embodiments , unreacted monomer may still be present in the composition . according to some embodiments of the present invention , toner compositions that include a polyester toner resin according to an embodiment of the invention are provided . additional additives known by skilled artisans may also be employed with the toner resin compositions of the present invention , including , for example , paraffins , rheology modifying agents , inhibitors , lubricants , colorants , charge control agents , carrier materials , and shrink - reducing additives , to name a few . any of the various suitable percentages of these additives can be used in conjunction with the toner resin composition . according to some embodiments of the present invention , methods of producing a polyester toner resin of the invention are provided . la some embodiments , a mixture of an aromatic polycarboxylic acid , an unsaturated aliphatic polycarboxylic acid , an aliphatic diol and a branching agent are reacted to form a polymer ; and then that polymer is reactively extruded with the epoxy to form a polyester toner resin according to an embodiment of the invention . in other embodiments , bis a may be added to the mixture . for example , in some embodiments of the invention , methods of producing a polyester toner resin according to an embodiment of the invention may include reacting 40 to 65 weight percent of an aromatic polycarboxylic acid , 0 to 15 weight percent of an unsaturated aliphatic polycarboxylic acid , 6 to 50 weight percent of at least one of an aliphatic diol and a glycidyl ester of an alkanoic acid , and 2 to 5 weight percent of a branching agent , to form a polymer ; and reactively extruding the polymer with 1 to 5 weight percent of an epoxy to form the polyester toner resin . in addition , in some embodiments of the present invention , methods of producing a polyester toner resin according to an embodiment of the invention include reacting the 0 to 25 weight percent of alkoxylated bisphenol a , 10 to 50 weight percent of an aromatic polycarboxylic acid , 5 to 30 weight percent of an unsaturated aliphatic polycarboxylic acid , 8 to 40 weight percent of an aliphatic diol and 2 to 5 weight percent of a branching agent , to form a polymer ; and reactively extruding the polymer with 1 to 5 weight percent of an epoxy to form the polyester toner resin . the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the following examples . however , these examples are given for the purpose of illustration and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention . in a 5 liter four - neck glass flask equipped with a thermometer , stainless steel stirrer , nitrogen inlet , and condenser were placed 921 . 3 g of propoxylated bisphenol a ( kh - 52 ), 373 . 7 g of ethylene glycol ( eg ), 656 . 7 g of propylene glycol ( pg ), 99 . 9 g of trimethylol propane ( tmp ), 1 . 85 g of dibutyltin oxide , and 1888 . 3 g of terephthalic acid ( tpa ). the materials were reacted under a nitrogen stream at 190 ° c . for 3 hours , 220 ° c . for 3 hours and 230 ° c . for 2 hours , at which point the reaction mixture became clear . the temperature was reduced to 170 ° c ., and 1 . 85 g of hydroquinone and 710 . 5 g of fumaric acid ( fa ) were added into the flask and the reaction continued at 190 ° c . for 2 hours and at 230 ° c . for 4 hours . the obtained resin was a light yellow solid and had dsc tg : 60 ° c . ; acid value : 24 ; gpc molecular weight of mn : 4 , 118 , mw : 38 , 526 and molecular weight distribution ( mw / mn ): 9 . 4 ; shimadzu ( scan rate : 6 c / min ; load : 10 kg ; die : 1 mm ) t s : 78 ° c ., t fb : 88 ° c ., t 1 / 2 : 113 ° c ., and t end : 120 ° c . ; ares dma storage modulus g ′@ 120 ° c . is 2 , 507 pa , as measured at 1 hz , complex viscosity eta @ 120 ° c . : 15 , 919 poise and tan delta @ 120 ° c . : 3 . 9 ; ceast melt index @ 125 ° c ./ 2 . 16 kg : 15 . 42 grams / 10 minutes . the polyester resins in examples a2 - a8 were prepared using the methods described with reference to example a1 , except that the mole ratios of the reactants were varied . each of the examples used 20 weight percent of the bis a monomer . the compositions ( mole ratios ) and properties of the polyesters are summarized in table 1 . in examples a9 , trimellitic anhydride ( tma ) replaced tmp as the branching agent in a one step reaction . the resin in example a9 was prepared by the following method . in a 5 liter four - neck glass flask equipped with a thermometer , stainless steel stirrer , nitrogen inlet , and condenser were placed 978 g of propoxylated bisphenol a ( kh - 52 ), 397 g of ethylene glycol ( eg ), 695 g of propylene glycol ( pg ), 1 . 85 g of dibutyltin oxide , 1 . 9 g , of hydroquinone , 1745 g of terephthalic acid ( tpa ), 665 g of fumaric acid ( fa ) and 141 g of trimellitic anhydride ( tma ). the reaction was carried out under nitrogen at 190 ° c . for 2 hours , 220 ° c . for 4 hours and 230 ° c . for 6 hours . the obtained resin was a light yellow solid and had dsc tg : 61 ° c . ; acid value : 23 ; gpc molecular weight of mn : 4 , 345 , mw : 84 , 315 and mw / mn : 19 . 4 ; shimadzu ( scan rate : 6 c / min ; load : 10 kg ; die : 1 mm ) t s : 74 ° c ., t fb : 97 ° c ., t 1 / 2 : 129 ° c ., and t end : 140 ° c . ; ares dma storage modulus g ′@ 120 ° c . is 7 , 646 pa , as measured at 1 hz , complex viscosity eta @ 120 ° c . : 28 , 066 poise and tan delta @ 120 ° c . : 2 . 1 ; ceast melt index @ 125 ° c ./ 2 . 16 kg : 5 . 29 grams / 10 minutes . the polyester resins in examples a10 - a13 do not include bis a . the resin in example a10 was prepared in the following manner : in a 5 liter four - neck glass flask equipped with a thermometer , stainless steel stirrer , nitrogen inlet and condenser were placed 403 . 3 g of ethylene glycol ( eg ), 847 . 9 g of propylene glycol ( pg ), 212 g of glydexx n - 10 ( n - 10 ), 177 . 6 g of trimethylol propane ( tmp ), 2 . 1 g of dibutyltin oxide and 2383 g of terephthalic acid ( tpa ). the reaction was carried out in nitrogen stream at 190 ° c . for 3 hours , 220 ° c . for 3 hours and 230 ° c . for 3 hours at which time the reaction became clear . the temperature was then reduced to 170 ° c . and 2 . 1 g of hydroquinone and 555 g of fumaric acid ( fa ) was added into the flask . the reaction was continued at 190 ° c . for 2 hours and at 230 ° c . for 4 hours . the obtained resin was a light yellow solid and had dsc tg : 57 ° c . ; acid value : 27 ; gpc molecular weight of mn : 3 , 787 , mw : 28 , 250 and mw / mn : 7 . 5 ; shimadzu ( scan rate : 6 c / min ; load : 10 kg ; die : 1 mm ) t s : 76 ° c ., t fb : 89 ° c ., t 1 / 2 : 113 ° c ., and t end : 121 ° c . ; ares dma storage modulus g ′@ 120 ° c . is 2 , 517 pa , as measured at 1 hz , complex viscosity eta @ 120 ° c . : 18 , 047 poise and tan delta @ 120 ° c . : 4 . 4 . example a11 was prepared in the same manner as example 10 , except that the ratio of fa to tpa was 20 : 80 . in examples a12 and a13 , neopentyl glycol ( npg ) was used to replace glydexx n - 10 ( n - 10 ). the data is summarized in table 2 . the polyester resins in the example a were crosslinked with different level of gma acrylic ( fine - tone ® a - 266a , manufactured by reichhold inc .) during extrusion . by controlling the level of crosslinker , extrusion temperature , or feed rate , the properties of the crosslinked polyesters can be adjusted the polyester resin a1 was crosslinked with 2 wt % gma acrylic fine - tone a - 266a during extrusion in a twin - screw extruder under the following conditions : feed rate : 0 . 75 ; rpm : 300 ; temperature profile : 65 ° c ./ 180 ° c ./ 210 ° c ./ 230 ° c ./ 230 ° c ./ 230 ° c ./ 230 ° c ./ 230 ° c . the obtained crosslinked polyester was a light yellow solid and had dsc tg : 61 ° c . ; acid value : 22 ; gpc molecular weight of mn : 3 , 937 , mw : 74 , 600 and mw / mn : 19 ; shimadzu ( scan rate : 6 c / min ; load : 10 kg ; die : 1 mm ) t s : 75 ° c ., t fb : 100 ° c ., t 1 / 2 : 136 ° c ., and t end : 147 ° c . ; ares dma storage modulus g ′@ 120 ° c . is 7 , 795 pa , as measured at 1 hz , complex viscosity eta @ 120 ° c . : 27 , 157 poise and tan delta @ 120 ° c . : 2 . 0 ; ceast melt index @ 135 ° c ./ 12 . 5 kg : 50 . 4 grams / 10 minutes . the polyester resin a1 was crosslinked with different levels of gma acrylic fine - tone ® a - 266a , manufactured by reichhold inc ., ( 1 , 3 and 5 wt %) during extrusion under the following conditions : feed rate : 1 . 0 ; rpm : 300 ; temperature profile : 65 ° c ./ 120 ° c ./ 150 ° c ./ 180 ° c ./ 180 ° c ./ 190 ° c ./ 200 ° c ./ 220 ° c . the data is summarized in table 3 the polyester resin a2 was crosslinked with 2 wt % gma acrylic fine - tone ® a - 266a , manufactured by reichold inc ., during extrusion under the following conditions : feed rate : 0 . 7 ; rpm : 300 ; temperature profile : 65 ° c ./ 180 ° c ./ 210 ° c ./ 230 ° c ./ 230 ° c ./ 230 ° c ./ 230 ° c ./ 230 ° c . the obtained crosslinked polyester was a light yellow solid with a dsc tg : 62 ° c . ; acid value : 22 ; gpc molecular weight of mn : 3 , 101 , mw : 53 , 143 and mw / mn : 17 ; shimadzu ( scan rate : 6 c / min ; load : 10 kg ; die : 1 mm ) t s : 86 ° c ., t fb : 102 ° c ., t 1 / 2 : 139 ° c ., and t end : 150 ° c . ; ares dma storage modulus g ′@ 120 ° c . is 12 , 156 pa , as measured at 1 hz , complex viscosity eta @ 120 ° c . : 39 , 327 poise and tan delta @ 120 ° c . : 1 . 8 ; ceast melt index @ 135 ° c ./ 12 . 5 kg : 20 . 2 grams / 10 minutes . the polyester resin a3 was crosslinked with different levels of gma acrylic fine - tone ® a - 266a , manufactured by reichhold inc ., ( 2 - 3 wt %) during extrusion under different conditions . the data is summarized in table 4 . the polyester resin a10 ( no bis a ) was crosslinked with different levels of gma acrylic fine - tone ® a - 266a , manufactured by reichhold inc ., and extruded under different conditions . the data is summarized in table 5 . the polyester resin a11 was crosslinked with 2 . 5 wt % gma acrylic fine - tone ® a - 266a , manufactured by reichhold inc ., while extrusion under the following conditions : feed rate : 0 . 5 ; rpm : 300 ; temperature profile : 65 ° c ./ 180 ° c ./ 210 ° c ./ 230 ° c ./ 230 ° c ./ 230 ° c ./ 230 ° c ./ 230 ° c . the obtained crosslinked polyester was a light yellow solid with a dsc tg : 63 ° c . ; acid value : 24 ; gpc molecular weight of mn : 3 , 380 , mw : 64 , 255 and mw / mn : 19 ; shimadzu ( scan rate : 6 c / min ; load : 10 kg ; die : 1 mm ) t s : 87 ° c ., t fb : 103 ° c ., t 1 / 2 : 136 ° c ., and t end : 146 ° c . ; ares dma storage modulus g ′@ 120 ° c . is 17 , 611 pa , as measured at 1 hz , complex viscosity eta @ 120 ° c . : 58 . 196 poise and tan delta @ 120 ° c . : 1 . 8 ; ceast melt index @ 135 ° c ./ 12 . 5 kg : 27 . 1 grams / 10 minutes . the crosslinked polyester resins in example b were formulated into toners with 5 wt % carbon black , 3 wt % wax and 1 wt % charge control agent ( n4p ) through extrusion under the following conditions : rpm : 150 , feed rate : 0 . 5 , and temperature profile : 65 ° c ./ 85 ° c ./ 105 ° c ./ 120 ° c ./ 120 ° c ./ 120 ° c ./ 120 ° c ./ 120 ° c ./ 120 ° c . using a1 ( low bis a , no crosslinker ) and a12 ( no bis a , no crosslinker ) as controls , gma acrylic ( crosslinker ) was added and its effects on the properties of toners were assessed . toner properties evaluated included : dsc tg , shimadzu temperatures , ares dma storage and complex viscosity and charge per mass ( q / m ). the data is summarized in table 6 . as can be seen from the data presented above , compared to the 0 % gma acrylic toner samples , 3 - 5 % gma acrylic improved the charge per mass ( q / m ) of the toners from − 25 . 7 or − 27 . 5 μc / g to − 30 . 8 or − 32 μc / g . the 3 - 5 % gma also improved the theological properties of the toners , including the shimadzu t 1 / 2 , dma storage modulus and complex viscosity , all of which may be important in hot offset resistance . although selected embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes , those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications , additions and substitutions are possible , without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims .	2
normally , plastic boxes or containers are self - supporting , the joint strength and rigidity existing between the side walls and the bottom just sufficing thereto , and which allows only a certain amount of pressure upon said side walls and bottom , its filling capacity being limited to the strength generated by certain volume of product and its specific density that exerts pressure on the side walls , which tends to open and distort the box or container , making difficult their piling up and stability , ad may cause said walls and bottom to break . this specification relates to a system comprising a couple of plastic ties , their ends having holes , each forming a first portion of a clasp , and which runs from a protuberance forming a second portion of a clasp system located close , or at one of the four vertexes of a regular rectangular plastic box , to another protuberance or second portion of a clasp system located close or at the vertex diagonally opposite to said plastic box , said ties increasing the rigidity and stability of the entire box , the box keeping its rectangular shape , causing the side walls and the box or container to distort less . in another embodiment of the present application , the fastening of the ties to the box may be made by way of screws , a clip or any other mechanism used to fasten the ties to the box . fig3 shows the mechanism through which the tie is fastened to the box or container . fig4 shows the whole box or container and the way the ties are installed . the present utility model comprises two plastic ties each comprising a central bar ( 2 ), which , in turn , has two ends ( 3 ) having a hole or a first portion of a clasp ( 4 ) at each one of said ends ( 3 ). these ties are installed by locating them diagonally , joining two diagonally opposite vertexes of the box or container ( 1 ), as shown in fig4 . a protuberance or second portion of a clap is located at , or close to , one of the vertexes of the box or container , the hole ( 4 ), being located at one of the ends ( 3 ) of the ties being pressure - inserted thereon . the action is then repeated with the other tie by using protuberances or second portions of a clasp in the box being diagonally free .	1
a benefit of the present invention is that the composition is stable , which means that it is not prone to supersaturation or crystallisation during its pharmaceutical shelf life . this may be contrasted with transdermal patches in which crystallisation of the active agent has presented a problem in the past . thus the composition of the present invention can be held in a primary container during the shelf life without encountering shelf - life problems of the prior art transdermal patches . the composition of the present invention may contain from about 0 . 1 % to about 10 % of the physiologically active agent , from about 0 . 1 % to about 10 % of the dermal penetration enhancer , and from about 85 % to about 99 . 8 % of the volatile solvent by weight . preferably , the dermal penetration enhancer is non - irritating to the skin of a recipient . thus , terpenes , benzyl alcohol and other solvent based enhancers may not be suitable for use in the compositions of the present invention because they irritate the skin by penetrating into the viable regions of the skin in appreciable quantities . optionally , the vehicle may have additional pharmaceutical excipients , for example gelling agents , such as carbopol and cellulose derivatives . the release rate profile of the physiologically active agent from the amorphous deposit into the systemic circulation may be deliberately modified to adjust the delivery profile of the physiologically active agent within the systemic circulation to achieve a desired therapeutic effect . a zero order release rate profile is achieved by forming an amorphous deposit that has a higher proportion of dermal penetration enhancer relative to the physiologically active agent and / or alternatively selecting a dermal penetration enhancer or combination of dermal penetration enhancers for which the physiologically active agent has a higher saturated solubility . in this way , the leaving tendency of the physiologically active agent from the amorphous deposit is modified and the initial burst of physiologically active agent across the skin is limited . the absolute amount of physiologically active agent can also be increased in the skin reservoir so as to reduce the extent of the plateau in the release rate profile toward the latter half of the dosage interval . the relative amount of crystalline to amorphous deposit may also be modified to achieve the desired release rate profile . the release rate profile of the physiologically active agent from the amorphous deposit into the systemic circulation preferably approaches zero order in nature so as to reduce the ratio of maximum concentration ( c max ) to the average concentration ( c avg ) for the physiologically active agent over the dosage interval . in this way it is possible to reduce potential side effects associated with elevated c max to c avg ratios . for example c max to c avg ratios less than 2 and more preferably less than 1 . 5 . conversely a first order release rate profile can be achieved by selecting a dermal penetration enhancer or combination of dermal penetration enhancers in which the physiologically active agent has a lower saturated solubility thus increasing the leaving tendency of the physiologically active agent from the amorphous deposit , and increasing the initial burst of physiologically active agent across the skin . the absolute amount of physiologically active agent per unit area can also be reduced in the skin reservoir so as to increase the extent of the plateau in the release rate profile toward the latter half of the dosage interval . the relative amount of crystalline to amorphous deposit may also be modified to achieve the desired release rate profile . preferably , the release rate profile of the physiologically active agent from the amorphous deposit into the systemic circulation is substantially first order in nature so as to increase the ratio of c max to c avg and decrease the time for maximum systemic concentration ( t max ) for the physiologically active agent over the dosage interval . in this way it is possible to decrease the time to onset of therapeutic response or increase the therapeutic response after a single dose interval . for example c max to c avg ratios greater than 1 . 5 and more preferably greater than 2 and t max less than 4 to 6 hours and more preferably less than 2 to 3 hours . the invention will now be described with reference to the following examples . it is to be understood that the examples are provided by way of illustration of the invention and that they are in no way limiting to the scope of the invention . the method of in vitro diffusion of various physiologically active agents across human skin was used in accordance with the invention to assess the effect of addition of the various dermal penetration enhancers on transdermal drug delivery . the methods of differential scanning calorimetry ( dsc ) and brightfield microscopy were used in accordance with the invention to assess whether or not a composition is amorphous after evaporation of the volatile liquid and where necessary the extent of amorphous material present . in vitro diffusion experiments were performed using stainless steel flow - through diffusion cells , using human epidermis maintained at 32 ° c . the receptor solution consisted of either 10 % ethanol in 0 . 002 % sodium azide . the non - occlusive composition was added to each of four cells at a finite dose of 5 μl per cell . samples were collected at appropriate time points and analysed by reverse - phase high performance liquid chromatography ( rp - hplc ). dsc is used to determine changes in physicochemical properties of compounds in combination with a dermal penetration enhancer after volatile liquid evaporation . this enables determination of the optimum ratio of drug to enhancer , which results in an altered amorphous form to enhance percutaneous absorption ( i . e . enhance transdermal drug delivery ). the amorphous nature of a mixture of compounds is evident in a depressed melting point of the mixture of compounds relative to the melting point of any of the individual components of the mixture . in addition , a decrease in peak height and heat of enthalpy along with a broadening of the melting transition temperature are also characteristics inherent of amorphous compounds . firstly , mole ratio mixtures of the physiologically active agent and dermal penetration enhancer shown were prepared in 95 % ethanol as per the compositions shown . a 10 μl aluminium micro dsc pan was placed in a 50 μl dsc aluminium pan , and 5 μl aliquots of each formulation were pipetted into the 10 μl dsc pan . the volatile liquid ( 95 % ethanol ) was allowed to evaporate and further aliquots were re - applied until a sufficient quantified residue of physiologically active agent and dermal penetration enhancer remained . the pans were maintained at ambient temperature and 33 % relative humidity for 24 hours ( which simulated a typical in - use daily dosage interval ), after which the pans were covered and hermetically sealed . dsc was then performed under a stream of nitrogen , at 10 ° c . per minute , within the temperature range that was drug dependent . brightfield microscopy was used to determine the crystallisation / amorphous solid potential of various physiologically active agents in combination with a dermal penetration enhancer after volatile liquid ( 95 % ethanol ) evaporation . this enables a determination of the optimum ratio of drug to enhancer in conjunction with dsc . 5 μl aliquots of each formulation were pipetted onto a clean , glass slide at 32 ° c ./ ambient relative humidity . after evaporation of the volatile liquid vehicle ( 95 % v / v ethanol ), the slide was viewed under a leica wild microscope , linked to spot diagnostics camera , at 1 and 24 hours . the nature of the mixture remaining after 24 hours is assessed and the proportion by volume of amorphous material may be visually estimated . fig1 shows the organic and inorganic values for typical penetration enhancers that can be used in accordance with the invention ( determined by the method described by fujita in “ production of organic compounds by a conceptional diagram ” chem . pharm . bull , tokyo 1954 2 : 163 ). area 1 being solvent based dermal penetration enhancers which are prone to irritate the skin or evaporate off it when using non - occlusive percutaneous or transdermal drug delivery systems . the preferred penetration enhancers are taken from the area 2 of the conceptional diagram ( as originally proposed by hori et al j . pharm . pharmacol 1990 42 : 71 - 72 ). the preferred area spans an inorganic value of from about 0 to about 200 and an organic value of about 200 to about 400 . this example examines compositions of the invention formed by the combination of buspirone with a range of penetration enhancers having a range of organic and inorganic characteristics . the physicochemical properties of buspirone are shown in the following table : the penetration enhancers examined in this example were 2 - n - nonyl , 1 , 3 - dioxolane ( sepa ), dodecyl 2 -( n , n - dimethylamino )- propionate ( ddaip ) and cylclopentadecanone ( cpl ). referring to fig1 there is shown a plot of inorganic index against organic index for potential penetration enhancers . the organic and inorganic values are determined according to the procedure of fujita a chem . pharm . bull ( tokyo ) 2 : 173 ( 1954 ). the compounds 2 - n - nonyl , 1 , 3 - dioxolane , dodecyl 2 -( n , n - dimethylamino )- propionate ( ddaip ) and cylclopentadecanone demonstrate a range of organic , inorganic index in area 2 generally defining organic index between 0 and 200 and an organic index between 200 and 400 . all formulations were prepared by accurately weighing the appropriate amount of physiological active and penetration enhancer into a volumetric flask and made up to volume with ethanol ( 95 % v / v ). all enhancer containing ( test ) formulations were prepared as 1 : 1 and 4 : 1 mole ratios of drug : enhancer unless stated . 2 - ethyl acetate ( ea ) which has a molecular weight of 88 . 1 da and boiling point of 77 . 1 ° c . is included as an example of a solvent based dermal penetration enhancer which is not preferred for use in this invention because it is prone to irritate the skin or evaporate off it when using non - occlusive percutaneous or transdermal drug delivery systems . dsc profiles were determined for the control and test formulations pure buspirone and buspirone with several particular enhancers with a mole ratio of 1 : 1 . solvent evaporation , for each formulation , resulted in a melting point reduction . fig2 demonstrates characteristics inherent of amorphous compounds , for example the decrease in melting point , ah and peak height , and the broadening of the melting transition temperature . dsc analysis of buspirone with each enhancer , at mole ratio of 1 : 1 and 4 : 1 , showed a reduction in melting point , with buspirone : azone 1 : 1 ratio remaining as an oil thus presenting no melting point ( fig3 ). fig3 also shows the inability of the solvent based enhancer ( 2 - ethyl acetate ) to reliably reduce the melting point of buspirone . this disadvantage combined with its propensity to irritate the skin is why solvent based enhancers are not preferred for the non - occlusive transdermal delivery system of this invention . microscopy of each binary mixture confirmed the part - amorphous state of buspirone . in most cases an unevenly spread oily film was observed , with occasional few small crystals present or some compositions with some needle shaped crystals protruding . diffusion experiments ( table 2 ) were performed on various 95 % ethanol formulations containing buspirone and 2 - n - nonyl , 1 , 3 - dioxolane ; buspirone diffusion through human skin ( epidermis ) confirms an increase in buspirone permeability at the 1 : 1 mole ratio with 2 - n - nonyl , 1 , 3 - dioxolane of 2 . 6 . however , the 4 : 1 ratio demonstrated no significant enhancement ( table 2 , fig4 ). fig5 shows the cumulative amount of buspirone diffused across human epidermis with time from a control containing buspirone in volatile liquid ( 95 % ethanol ) and a composition containing buspirone and octyl salicylate penetration enhancer in the same volatile liquid . addition of the octyl salicylate to the transdermal spray formulation caused a significant marked increase in the amount of buspirone diffusing across the skin over 24 hours ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). the amorphous deposit formed in situ by the compositions of examples 2 and 3 result in an enhanced delivery of buspirone across the skin . the delivery profile across the skin for these enhanced amorphous compositions can be either a zero order delivery profile or a first order delivery profile , whichever of these situations is desired for the particular pharmacological therapy . the composition without the enhancer shows poor penetration enhancement of buspirone across the skin and consequent low amounts of drug penetrating across the skin . fig6 a depicts the diffusion profile that may be obtained by transdermal zero and first order administration of buspirone in accordance with the invention and fig6 b shows the approximated plasma concentration profile that would correspond to each delivery rate profile shown in fig6 a . the diffusion profiles of amorphous deposits investigated confirm an increase in the delivery of the active across the skin . the rate of delivery may be modified to suit the desired pharmacological therapy by either changing the dermal penetration enhancer used in the composition or by changing the ratio of drug to enhancer in the composition . fig7 and 8 demonstrate the ability to modify the fentanyl delivery rate by changing penetration enhancer . therefore , the leaving tendency may be modified to suit the desired delivery rate . a stable zero order delivery rate in the case of fentanyl would be desirable for the treatment of chronic pain . fig9 and 10 demonstrates the ability the ability to modify the granisetron delivery rate by changing penetration enhancer and / or the ratio of drug to enhancer in the composition . the drug to enhancer ratio was varied to modulate the delivery rate of testosterone in vitro using transdermal spray vehicles . varying concentrations of testosterone ( tes ) and the dermal penetration enhancers octyl salicylate ( osal ) or padimate o ( pado ) were applied to shed snake skin in vitro from a finite vehicle volume ( 5 μl / cm 2 ) designed to mimic in vivo dosing . the rate and extent of drug permeation was modelled to a single compartment model with a first - order rate constant ( kubota , k . j . pharm . sci . 1991 , 80 , 502 - 504 ). the in vitro diffusion model allowed accurate and rapid characterisation of the diffusion profiles using three parameters alone , total % absorbed ( a , units μg ), rate constant ( α , units h − 1 ) and lagtime ( l , units h ). varying tes to osal ratio changed a and l significantly ( p & lt ; 0 . 001 ) and increased tes loading in a pado formulation resulted in zero - order delivery in vitro over 48 h as shown in fig1 ( suggesting the drug solubility in the enhancer plays a role in drug release ). for practical formulation development purposes a simple compartmental diffusion model can be used to optimise the drug to enhancer ratio in order to modulate drug permeation across the skin . the plasma concentrations of free testosterone were determined in postmenopausal women at steady state from a transdermal spray composition containing testosterone 5 % w / v and octyl salicylate 8 % w / v in 95 % ethanol . a zero - order delivery profile was obtained and is shown in fig1 . fig1 shows the results for a pharmacokinetic study in 6 normal healthy male volunteers which studied a single transdermal spray dose followed by washout period ; then a single oral dose of buspirone 15 mg ( 3 × 5 mg tablets ; buspar ) was given followed by washout period after which the volunteers received multiple transdermal doses once daily until steady state was achieved . the daily transdermal dosage applied was 4 × 91 μl sprays of the buspirone metered - dose transdermal spray ( mdts ®) containing 4 % w / v buspirone and 5 % w / v octyl salicylate applied to the forearm . for a single dose of the oral buspirone tablet ( 15 mg ) the mean half - life was 2 hours and mean tmax was 0 . 9 hours . the mean cavg was 0 . 15 ng / ml and mean cmax was 1 . 3ng / ml , with the calculated ratio of cmax to cavg having a value of 8 . 7 . in contrast , following once - daily dosing of the buspirone transdermal spray of the invention the mean cavg was 0 . 32 ng / ml and mean cmax was 0 . 49 ng / ml , with the calculated ratio of cmax to cavg having a value of 1 . 5 and a mean tmax of 9 . 3 hours . the buspirone composition of this example could be expected to have particular advantages for the use in humans or animals for the treatment of general anxiety disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder whereupon the stable zero order transdermal delivery of the drug and avoidance of a high cmax concentration provided by the invention would beneficially result in a reduction in side effects such as gastrointestinal disturbances , drowsiness , impaired driving or motor ability and / or impaired cognitive function .	0
a multi - port memory device in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig2 is a diagram of a package ball out configuration of a multi - port memory device having a serial i / o interface in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention . the package ball out configuration in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention includes a first package ball out region 100 and a second package ball out region 200 , which are arranged at the left and right sides of a vertical center line , respectively . balls 110 for a serial i / o interface part and balls 150 for a clock interface part are arranged in the first package ball out region 100 , and balls for a dram interface part are arranged in the second package ball out region 200 . in the first package ball out region 100 , the balls 110 for the serial i / o interface part include serial data balls 111 and serial power / ground balls 112 . the serial data balls 111 are used for serial data communication tx 0 +/ tx 0 −, rx 0 +/ rx 0 −, tx 1 +/ tx 1 −, rx 1 +/ rx 1 −, tx 2 +/ tx 2 −, rx 2 +/ rx 2 −, tx 3 +/ tx 3 − and rx 3 +/ rx 3 −. the serial power / ground balls 112 are used to supply power voltage vddq and ground voltage vssq to the serial data balls 111 . the balls 150 for the clock interface part include clock interface balls 151 and clock power / ground balls 152 . the clock interface balls 151 are used to transfer clock signals ck and / ck , and the clock power / ground balls 152 are used to supply power voltage vdda and ground voltage vssa to the clock interface balls 151 . in the package ball out configuration of fig2 , the first package ball out region 100 having the power / ground balls vddq and vssq of the high - speed serial i / o interface is independently separated from the second package ball out region 200 having the power / ground balls vdd and vss of the low - speed dram part . this makes it easy to configure the power layer of the package . in addition , the serial data balls 111 are arranged in a differential structure ( tx +/ tx −, rx +/ rx −) for data i / o operation . the data i / o parts of the serial i / o interface are separated into the transmit pins ( tx +, tx −) and the receive pins ( rx +, rx −) in each port . therefore , the stability of the data i / o operation can be secured . that is , because tx 0 +/ tx 0 −, rx 0 +/ rx 0 −, tx 1 +/ tx 1 −, rx 1 +/ rx 1 −, tx 2 +/ tx 2 −, rx 2 +/ rx 2 −, tx 3 +/ tx 3 − and rx 3 +/ rx 3 − are separately arranged , the loads of the i / o package ball out can be equal to one another . fig3 illustrates a package ball out configuration of a multi - port memory device having a serial i / o interface in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention . the package ball out configuration in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention includes a first package ball out region 300 and a second package ball out region 400 , which are arranged at the left and right sides of a vertical center line , respectively . balls 310 for a serial i / o interface are arranged in the first package ball out region 300 . balls 450 for a clock interface part and balls 410 for a dram interface part are arranged in the second package ball out region 400 . since the package ball out configuration of fig3 is different from that of fig2 only in terms of the arrangement of the balls 450 for the clock interface part , its detailed description will be omitted for conciseness . as described above , the power layer of the package can be easily configured by separately arranging the high - speed serial i / o interface part and the low - speed dram part . moreover , the data i / o configuration of the independent serial i / o interface part is separately arranged , thereby securing the data stability . the present application contains subject matter related to korean patent application no . 2006 - 33049 , filed in the korean intellectual property office on apr . 12 , 2006 , the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . while the present invention has been described with respect to certain preferred embodiments , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims .	7
a specialist of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following description of the present invention is illustrative only and not in any way limiting . in fig1 an example block diagram of a self - calibrating programmable vernier using a plurality of delay lines is shown . a chain 5 of delay elements 7 ( 1 )- 7 ( n ) with a multiplexer 6 , which can be implemented as a set of pass - through transistors with appropriate decoder , is used to delay an input signal for a predetermined time interval which is set by control line . the delays may be implemented in , e . g . cmos buffers with capacitive load . typical delay circuit topologies are discussed in detail by mark horowitz , chih - kong ken yang and stefanos sidiropoulos , in high speed electrical signalling : overview and limitations ( iv . synchronization circuits ), computer systems laboratory , stanford university , stanford , calif . 94305 , 1998 . an auxiliary delay circuit 1 is incorporated in the same silicon die to allow the most accurate maintenance of the delay interval , which is sensitive to process , temperature and voltage fluctuations . the auxiliary delay is loaded by a similar multiplexer 2 with the same control data to provide a load identical to the main delay line 5 . the vernier includes a first tapped delay line 5 formed by a chain of differential or single - ended buffers 7 ( 1 )- 7 ( n ) connected in series for successively delaying the t input signal to produce a set of n “ tap ” signals tap 7 ( 1 )- tap 7 ( n ) at the buffer outputs . n may be any value larger than 1 and is determined by the number of buffers forming delay line 5 . in the example illustrated in fig1 n is 16 . each successive tap signal tap 7 ( 1 )- tap 7 ( n ) is delayed from its preceding tap signal by the inherent delay of a buffer 7 . multiplexer 6 selects one of its input signals tap 7 ( 1 )- tap 7 ( n ) and provides it as an output signal t output . to avoid variation in buffer delay due to supply voltage fluctuations , process or environmental differences between the buffers , the auxiliary tapped delay line 1 is provided . the auxiliary tapped delay line 1 is formed by a set of differential or single - ended buffers 4 ( 1 )- 4 ( m ) identical to the buffers 7 ( 1 )- 7 ( n ) and is connected in series for successively delaying the reference clock signal to produce a set of signals tap 4 ( 1 )- tap 4 ( m ) at the buffer outputs . m may be any value larger than 1 and is determined by the number of buffers forming delay line 1 . in the example illustrated in fig1 m is equal n . each successive tap signal tap 4 ( 1 )- tap 4 ( m ) is delayed from its preceding tap signal by the inherent delay of a buffer 4 . reference clock signal having a period of t o and the same reference signal delayed by an auxiliary delay line 1 ( tap 4 m ) are applied as input to a conventional phase detector 3 that provides a bias signal which , after being filtered in a low pass filter 8 , is supplied to each buffer 4 and , similar , each buffer 7 . the bias signal controls the inherent delay of each buffer 4 and 7 . phase detector 3 adjusts the bias signal so that the tap 4 m signal is phase locked to the input reference clock signal . thus , the total delay between the reference clock signal and tap 4 m is equal to the period t o . therefore , when all buffers 4 ( 1 )- 4 ( m ) are identical , each buffer &# 39 ; s delay is substantially equal to t 0 / m . the tap signals tap 4 ( 1 )- tap 4 ( m ) are loaded to multiplexer 2 which is identical to multiplexer 6 . since each main buffer element is identical to each of the auxiliary buffer elements having the similar load and is controlled by the same bias , each buffer delay 7 ( 1 )- 7 ( n ) is substantially equal to t 0 / m as well . the vernier is supplied with a precise reference clock having low jitter , e . g . from a crystal clock oscillator from brookdale frequency controls ( 25 ppm frequency stability of a 100 mhz oscillator means 0 . 25 ps accuracy ). an arbitrary signal having period t input is applied to the input of the vernier . in case of m identical delay elements , t input = mt i , where ti is the delay of each delay element . the input signal will be delayed by a time interval t d defined by a control data line plus the inherent delay of the multiplexer 6 , i . e . t d = kt o / m + t mux , where k is supplied by the control line . assuming t mux is negligible comparing to the total delay , td = kt 0 / m . suppose , the die temperature is increasing , so that the delay of each delay element is increasing too . this causes the feedback circuitry to change bias to compensate for the increasing delay in order to keep phases of signals t o and tap 4 ( m ) synchronised . at the same time , the changing bias supplied to the main delay line 5 adjusts delays provided by each of the buffers 7 ( 1 )- 7 ( n ), thereby maintaining the resulting signal delay constant . to the contrary , when the temperature of the die is lowering , the delays of each buffer element are decreasing , that causes feedback to change the bias signal so as to keep signals to and tap 4 ( m ) at the same level , and similarly to adjust delays of the buffers 7 ( 1 )- 7 ( n ), thereby maintaining the resulting signal delay at a constant level . when the supply voltage is reduced , the delay of each of the delay elements 4 ( 1 )- 4 ( m ) increase , thereby causing feedback circuit to change bias so as to compensate the increase of delays and keep the signals at the same level . the same mechanism is applicable when the supply voltage at the input of the vernier rises . thus , the claimed apparatus provides a steady - state delays compensated for temperature and supply voltage variations thus eliminating calibration operations that are required in the known prior art solutions . in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention shown in fig2 the auxiliary multiplexer 2 is controlled by a separate controlling signal l and the output of the multiplexer 2 is input to a phase detector 3 . the output of the phase detector 3 after filtering in a low pass filter 8 is used to bias the main delay line 5 and auxiliary delay line 1 to compensate for temperature and supply voltage fluctuations as described above in connection with the embodiment of fig1 of the invention . according to this interconnection , the multiplexer 2 provides a load equivalent to the load of the multiplexer 6 . also , in this embodiment , the total delay between a reference clock signal arriving at the input of delay element 4 ( 1 ) and a signal at the output of the multiplexer will include the delay of each delay element 4 through which it passes to become the selected tap ( m ) signal , and the inherent delay of multiplexer 2 in passing the selected tap ( m ) signal . thus , in this case , t d = kt i , ( assuming t m is negligible comparing to the total delay ), where k is the number of delay elements selected by the multiplexer . as far as the total delay is defined as t 0 = mt i ( assuming l = m ), the resulting t d = kt 0 / m . thus , it becomes possible to provide such a delay of the auxiliary delay line 1 that is required to compensate for the temperature and supply voltage variations in the main line . in case l ≠ m , the amount of the delay t i provided by each delay element can be determined as t o / l , where l is m , m − 1 , m − 2 and so on , while l is not more than m , and the total delay provided by the delay line 1 will be : according to the third example embodiment of the present invention shown in fig3 to increase the resolution in defining delay t d , two self - calibrating verniers are connected in series in a nonius - like manner , with the number of delay elements in the first and the second verniers differing in one element . as shown in fig3 the reference clock is supplied both to the first vernier consisting of a main circuit comprising a delay line 5 and a multiplexer 6 and an auxiliary circuit comprising delay line 1 , multiplexer 2 , phase detector 3 and low pass filter 8 , and to the second vernier consisting of a main circuit comprising delay line 15 and multiplexer 16 and an auxiliary circuit comprising delay line 11 , multiplexer 12 , phase detector 13 and low pass filter 18 . if the number of delays 4 ( 1 )- 4 ( n ) of the first vernier is n , then the number of delays in the second vernier will be n + 1 ( or , n − 1 ). both verniers are supplied with a precise reference clock having low jitter . a reference signal having period t 0 is applied to reference inputs of both verniers . in case all the delay elements are identical , t i = t o / n , where ti is a delay value of each delay element 7 ( 1 )- 7 ( n ) of the main delay line 5 and auxiliary delay line 1 of the first vernier , and t j = t o /( n + 1 ), where t j is the delay of each delay element of the main delay line 11 and the auxiliary delay line 15 of the second vernier . the input signal will be delayed by a time interval t d defined by control data as follows : t d = kt o / n + lt 0 /( n + 1 ), where k and l are supplied by the control lines k and l , respectively . thus , the delay resolution is t 0 /( n ( n + 1 )), i . e . much smaller than in the embodiments of fig1 and 2 . suppose , the die temperature is increasing , so that the delay of each delay element is increasing too . this causes the feedback circuitry to change bias to compensate for the increasing delay in order to keep phases of signals t o and tap 4 ( n ) and , respectively , t 0 and tap 4 ( n + 1 ), synchronised . at the same time , the changing bias supplied to the main delay lines 5 and 15 adjusts delays provided by each of the buffers 7 ( 1 )- 7 ( n ), 17 ( 1 )- 17 ( n + 1 ), thereby maintaining the resulting signal delay t d constant . to the contrary , when the temperature of the die is lowering , the delays of each buffer element are decreasing , that causes feedback circuitry 3 , 8 and 13 , 18 to change bias signals so as to keep signals t o and tap 4 ( n ) and tap 14 ( n + 1 ) at the same level , and similarly to adjust delays of the buffers 7 ( 1 )- 7 ( n ) and 17 ( 1 )- 17 ( n + 1 ), thereby maintaining the resulting signal at a constant level . the above technical solution may be applied to the communication equipment or ate to maintain the precise controllable signal delay to be independent from the ambient temperature and supply voltage fluctuations . while the forgoing specification has described preferred embodiment ( s ) of the present invention , one skilled in the art may make many modifications to the preferred embodiment without departing from the invention in its broader aspects . thus , for example , other compensation circuits may be used to provide a similar conditions for both the main and auxiliary delay lines . the appended claims therefore are intended to cover all such modifications as fall within the true scope and spirit of the invention .	7
systems and methods in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention can utilize a phased approach to deployment . the deployment of an application can happen in at least two phases , referred to in this embodiment as a “ preparation ” phase and an “ activation ” phase . this is similar to a two - phase approach for transactions , such as is described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 975 , 590 entitled “ data replication protocol ”. a system administration component can drive the deployment across a domain , cluster , or network , for example . such a component can invoke a preparation operation on an application container for network or cluster nodes on which the application is to be deployed . the preparation of these nodes can either succeed , fail , or in some cases partially succeed . the preparation can also succeed on some nodes and fail on others . a system administration component can be used to control whether or not the deployment continues if the deployment fails for any of the nodes . one of the problems overcome by systems in accordance with the present invention involves heterogeneous deployments , or concurrent deployments of different applications . in such a situation , different nodes can end up with different versions or packages of software when some deployments succeed on some nodes but fail on others . while it may be desirable in some situations to allow for partial deployments , there can be a need to ensure consistency between the nodes . to achieve such consistency , a system can go through the preparation phase to attempt to initialize an application on the nodes on which the application is to be deployed . then , based on the results , the decision can be made to either begin activation or roll back the preparation . the application container can break the preparation and activation phases down into additional phases for various modules within an application . this breakdown is shown , for example , in fig2 . for instance , the preparation phase 200 can be broken down into two phases , such as “ init ” 202 and “ prepare ” 204 . the init phase 202 can involve the reading of the application descriptors . if the application descriptors are adequate , the prepare phase 204 can begin in which the application will actually be initialized . one reason to break down the preparation phase is that there may be modules with interdependencies . while these interdependent modules are initializing , they can still require access to the descriptors for the other modules . the init phase can be used to read the module descriptors and make the descriptors available to the rest of the modules in the application . the activation phase 206 can also be broken down into two sub - phases , such as an “ activate ” phase 208 and a “ start ” phase 210 . the activate phase 208 for a module can be used to inform the module that it should be ready to receive input or requests . the start phase 210 can be used to actually start any actions required for the deployment . as seen in fig2 , a system can use the two - phase approach , as well as a four - phase approach using the sub phases for both the preparation phase and the activation phase . also , a combination of approaches may be used , in which only the preparation or only the activation phase is broken down into sub - phases . when undergoing a phase change , such as from the preparation phase to the activation phase , the application directories can be switched as well . one approach to switching directories during phase change can “ stage ” an active directory . if a user is doing updates , for example , the user may need separate directories into which the updates can be staged before the changes go active . this can allow a user to have side - by - side updates of an application . a class loader can also be switched , in addition to the directory . a class loader is an object that can be used by java to store class definitions for an object . applications can run in a java class loader of a system class loader . the java class loader can be switched when going from stage to active , for example , to allow two versions of the application to run at the same time . there can be one application running and one application to which the system can switch when the application is updated . in one embodiment , such as the system shown in fig1 , a deployment tool 114 , such as a standalone application or an administration console , can contact a master deployer 104 in the administration server 102 and point it to the source 100 of an application archive file or directory . the master deployer 104 can send this path to slave deployers 108 , 112 in any relevant managed servers 106 , 110 . a slave deployer can pull the file into a staging directory , explode the archive , and attempt to load the archive . this is an implementation of the “ preparation ” phase , which in this implementation can be thought of as a “ load - and - validate ” phase . slave deployers can inform the master deployer about the success of the load . if every managed server reports a successful load , the master deployer can direct all relevant slaves to activate the installation . the slave deployers can copy or move the files from their staging to the production directories . the newly deployed application can then start accepting client requests . there can be many degrees of freedom in the above system , which can allow the system to address the varied needs of users or applications such as developers , large - scale deployments , and content - management systems . for example , a sourcepath directive , if left unspecified , can implicitly point back to an administration (“ admin ”) server to mimic a scheme of file distribution where the admin server supplies the files . if specified , the sourcepath can also point to a shared directory or a local directory per server . during development , unnecessary copying can be eliminated by configuring the sourcepath , the staging directory , and the production directory to point to the same path . in addition , the servers can be explicitly instructed , such as through configuration , to avoid managing files . for large - scale deployments with identically configured servers , one staging directory can be shared between all servers , as well as a single production directory . this can allow files to be managed externally , such that the servers are told to avoid copying any files . a deployer can enumerate a subset of files that have changed , such that it is up to the various containers in the managed servers to react to the change by , for example , updating class loaders , copying files , renaming files , or invalidating data caches . to make matters more simple , a deployer can even choose to supply wildcards instead of enumerating files . an “. ear ” file can be used as the basic unit of deployment . an . ear file is an enterprise archive file that can contain information necessary to deploy an enterprise application on an application server . an . ear file can contain both a “. war ” or web archive file that contains the web component of the application , as well as a . jar ( java archive ) file . there can also be some deployment descriptor files in xml . a tool can wrap a “ raw ” ejb or web application into its own . ear file using the name of the jar itself . a deployment tool can accept a file system path of the archive file . to redeploy a small subset of the files , a tool can also accept the names or wild - card patterns of the specific files that were touched . a java - based deployment tool can be supplied that provides a command - line and equivalent java interface , such as where the command - line is merely a main ( ) routine wrapped around a public java interface . much of this functionality , except for example the user - interface layer , can live in an admin server to allow a common code base between a command - line tool and the console . an example of a deploy tool command - line structure is as follows : java weblogic . deploy admin server directives - adminurl & lt ; admin server url & gt ; [- user & lt ; admin user name . default : “ system ”] [- password & lt ; admin password . default prompt at run - time ] deployment directives - file & lt ; name of ear file & gt ; [- sourcedir & lt ; directory where the deployment lives & gt ; default : infer from - file , if absolute path . if relative p a t h , u s e & lt ; adminurl & gt ;/ applications ] [- type & lt ; ear \| war \| rar & gt ; default : look at the suffix first , then at the structure of the contents ] [- delta & lt ; comma - separated wild - card specification ] [- name & lt ; application name . default : extract from - file & gt ;] [- targets & lt ;[ component1 @ server1 , server2 ; component2 @...]& gt ;. & lt ; server1 , server2 ,...& gt ; default : all servers ] task management options [- id & lt ; deployment id & gt ;] [- prepare ] [- activate ] [- deactivate ] [- cancel ] [- remove ] [- query ] [- list ] automatic polling [- poll ] default : no polling [- pollinterval ] & lt ; seconds & gt ; default : 5 switches can be case sensitive , and can be spelled out just enough to make them unique . for example , “- i ” can be used for “ list ”, and “- ad ” for “- adminurl ”. an “- adminurl ” option can use the http or https protocol , for example , and can allow a deploy tool to communicate with an admin server . it will not necessarily convey the location of the application archive file , as the sourcedir can be used for that purpose . a “- file ” directive can specify the name of the archive file or directory to deploy . if a directory is deployed , the directory must have the same structure as the corresponding archive file . the filename can be an absolute or relative path name . a “- sourcedir ” option can be given to the managed server to specify the directory where the archive is present . if the - sourcedir option is not present , it can be inferred . if the - file option contains a absolute path , the - sourcedir can be clear from the filename . if - file contains a relative path , the managed server can ask the admin server for the file and the admin server can look under its applications directory for the filename . in some embodiments , - sourcedir is implemented from the point of view of the managed server , such that the server pulls the file . in this case , it is not implemented from the point of view of the deploy tool . the ability of the tool to see the file does not necessarily mean that the managed servers can see the file using the same path . a “- type ” option can be used to specify the type of archive file or directory . in the absence of this option , an admin server can infer the file from the suffix , such as “. ear ”, and by examining the archive file or the structure of the directory . a “- delta ” option can be used to tell the managed server which files have actually changed . this option can be a comma - separated list of file names and wild - card patterns . this option can be ignored if the admin server has not previously seen this ear file . the deploy tool may not supply the information regarding what is to be done with the files . a “- name ” option can be used to supply the application name , in case there are multiple applications configured with the same ear filename . in such a situation , it can be considered an error not to provide such a name . if different applications have different archive files , the name of the archive can derive the application name by default . a “- targets ” option can be used to accept a comma - separated list of server or cluster names , which can apply to any component in the application . this option can be used to target different components in an application to different servers . each target can be separated by a semi - colon . if the application has been configured before , this list can replace the original list of targets . otherwise , it can create a new application mbean and allow any server in the domain to be a target . this can ease development as it is not necessary to configure an application before the application is deployed . options such as “- prepare ” and “- activate ” can allow a deployer to manually handle the installation and activation phases of deployment . a user - supplied string identifier , such as a deployment id , can be supplied with “- id ” to identify a particular deployment task that can be used to remove , activate , or query the status of that task . the identifier can be unique , can be one that the admin server has not encountered , or one for which the prepare command has been rejected . internally , this identifier can be used in communications between the admin and the managed servers to convey the status of a particular deployment . if these options are absent , the master deployer in the admin server can drive the two - phase deployment automatically , such as with an internally generated id . one example of a way to take advantage of these embodiments is to prepare a deployment on a large number of servers , which can take a substantial amount of time , and activate the deployment at 9 : 00 on monday morning . another way would involve preparing a deployment on just one server , then activating it to a number of servers by modifying the - targets list . the activate phase can implicitly handle the prepare phase if it is not done already . a “- poll ” option can be used to tell a deploy tool to periodically scan the source directory itself , if provided or capable of being inferred , and can issue the deploy command when some archive is touched or introduced . this option can be used to mimic the behavior of an admin server . new or updated archive files can be noticed and automatically deployed in their entirety . changes to specific files within the archive may not be noticed . in some embodiments , the - poll option cannot be used with task management options such as - prepare and - activate . a console can support the same functionality as the deploy tool . the console can allow the deployer to submit new or updated applications and to query the status and remove pending deployments . any other tool can use the deploy tool &# 39 ; s published interfaces , such as the command - line or java interfaces . each managed server can be aware of , and can have at least some knowledge about , a staging directory and / or a production directory . a staging directory can be used to store files that are being tested . when an activate command is issued by a master deployer , such as in an admin server , the files can be copied over to a production directory , or renamed if possible , and the appropriate class loaders can be notified of the change . this can allow the classloaders to look at the production directory in the future without having to unload any of the files that might have been loaded earlier , such as in the prepare phase . many choices can be made available to a deployer , such as through server configuration options or server mbean (“ servermbean ”) properties . for instance , directories can be specified using stagingdirectoryname and productiondirectoryname . these directories can utilize the same path , which can avoid the need for copying , but such a configuration may be useful only during development time , since it may not be possible to undo a write file . these directories can also be shared with other managed servers as well as an admin server , but this may be known only to the deployer . sharing may not be explicitly indicated to the server . boolean flags such as autocopyfromsourcetostaging and autocopyfromstagingtoproduction can be used to tell a managed server to copy from the source directory to a staging directory before the preparation phase , and from staging to production before the activation phase . some of these copies can be avoided if the directories are the same , or if a prepare is omitted and the activate is issued directly , such that there is no need to copy into the staging area first . these flags can be turned off if the staging and production areas are shared , to avoid having the managed servers stepping on each other &# 39 ; s files . in this case , the deployer can assume the responsibility of copying the files over through external means . it can be expected that all archives are exploded recursively in the staging and production areas , regardless of who manages the files and moves or copies them between the different areas . this can allow the application to be incrementally updated . a few files can be touched without having to worry about jar files being kept locked and rendered inaccessible . when an archive is exploded , the containing directory can be given the name of the archive itself , such as to preserve the structure . for example , an archive file foo . ear can become a directory staging / foo . ear . if foo . ear contains baz . war , this can get exploded into the directory staging / foo . ear / baz . war . when an application is initially deployed , the application can go from an undeployed state , through a prepared state , and into an activated state . this can be more complicated in a redeployment or update scenario . in this case , the application can have one version in production and a newer version in staging getting ready for production . the constraints can be that both versions are not in production at the same time , nor in a prepared state at the same time . fig3 shows state transitions that an application can undergo in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the application can be in one of three states shown when there is only one deployment : undeployed 300 , prepared 302 , and activated 310 . the state labeled “ activated and prepared ” 318 indicates that the application has one active deployment and another that has been prepared to take over . there is a state transition from state 318 unto itself , such as upon an activate notification 326 , which can remove the currently activated deployment and replace it with a newly staged deployment . when the application is undeployed 300 , it can undergo a prepare operation 304 to go to a prepared state 302 , or can go to the prepared state 302 through an implicit prepare when receiving an activate operation 306 . an application in a prepared state 302 can undergo a remove operation 308 and return to the undeployed state 300 . an application in the prepared state 302 can undergo an activate operation 312 to transition to an activated state 310 . an application in an activated state 310 can undergo a deactivate operation 314 or a remove operation 316 . deactivate can cause the application to revert to a prepared state 302 . remove can continue on through the prepared phase 302 until the application is undeployed 300 . in certain instances , an activated phase 310 can undergo a prepare operation 320 which will place the application in the activated and prepared phase 318 mentioned above , which can undergo an activate operation 326 on itself . this application state can also undergo a cancel 322 or remove 324 operation . a prepare notification can be issued by the deploy tool through the master deployer . the command can be accompanied by , for example , a source directory path , an optional delta specification , and a deployment id . a slave developer can copy the appropriate files into the staging directory , taking wildcards into account . the slave developer can call all internally - registered observers with a list of files or pattern . this list of observers can include the ejb and web containers , and possibly the application itself . the containers can be responsible for identifying whether new classloaders are needed , or whether existing ones need to be bumped . in certain systems , there can be one classloader per . ear file and one sub - classloader for each web application . each jsp ( java server page ) can be in its own classloader , which can in turn be a child of the web application classloader . if a class file is part of the delta specification , the slave developer can easily figure out , from the application name , which ear classloader is affected . similarly , if a jsp changes , it can be narrowed down to the appropriate jsp classloader . if a utility class loaded by the web application classloader is modified , the web application classloader can be marked for reloading . all other files can be assumed to trigger no classloader changes . once all containers have been notified , a new set of classloaders can exist if one or more class files have been updated . these containers can be given a chance to validate the new set of classes . web applications may not need to do anything , while the ejb container can look for potential jndi conflicts and verify that cmp beans and the corresponding database tables are fine . once the deployment has been prepared , the managed server may still have several old classloaders serving out application requests . the managed server may can also have a new set of classloaders and ejb homes that have validated the new installation in the staging directory . at this point , the slave developer can respond to the master deployer with the status of the prepare phase . a master deployer can wait for all relevant managed servers to respond to a prepare message . if these managed servers do not respond in time , the master deployer can issue a cancel command to the servers . the deployer can also choose a different deployment policy for using prepare and activate commands , such as one that would find a deployment acceptable if a majority of the targets are able to prepare successfully . when all slave deployers respond with a “ prepare successful ” or equivalent message , the master deployer can issue an activate command . the activate command can actually be a “ prepare and activate ” command . if a deployment has not been prepared , the deployment can go through an implicit prepare stage . the activation phase may not be automatically triggered if the deploy tool has been called with only the — prepare option . depending on the extent of the change , the containers can decide to assimilate the changes directly into the already active deployment . if any classes have changed , the corresponding classloaders can get bumped . in this case , the active deployment can be deactivated first . this can involve such tasks as unbinding jndi and web contexts , as well as getting a serialized snapshot of all session states to feed the new deployment . the files can then be copied or renamed over to the production directory , and the containers can be informed of the change . the classloaders can be made to point to the production directory . classes that were loaded from the staging directory during prepare may not need to be touched , while newer ones can be loaded from the production directory . the web classloader can also be told about the new context root and fed the serialized session state . all containers can get rid of the older classloaders , such as those for which replacements have been identified , and can advertise the new deployment publicly . ejbs can advertise themselves on jndi , and the new web applications can register their new context root . a cancel notification can dispose of a prepared deployment , if any , as well as any corresponding files in the staging directory . a cancel notification cannot cancel an active deployment in some embodiments , which can require active deployments to be removed . a deactivate notification can be used to move the deployment from an active state to a prepared state . this can work in some embodiments only if the system has exactly one deployment that is in an active state . if the system has one deployment in production and another in staging , the command will fail even if it contains the correct deployment id . this can prevent two deployments of the same application in a “ prepared ” state . in one situation that can occur without the system having exactly one deployment in an active state , a user can activate deployment 1 and prepare deployment 2 . the user can also deactivate 1 and activate 2 . files corresponding to 2 are then copied over from the staging directory to the production directory . deployment 1 cannot be activated again because its files have been overwritten . a fundamental constraint in one embodiment is that files only move in one direction , from staging to production , without the possibility of undo . this can be true of mbeans as well . a remove command or notification can be implemented to remove all deployments , whether activated or prepared . the command can be a “ deactivate and remove ” command , either implicit or explicit . both production and staging directories can be purged of this deployment &# 39 ; s files . the use of phased deployment phases can also be useful , for example , in handling message - driven enterprise javabeans ( ejbs ). a message - driven ejb can invoke on a second ejb . if the second ejb is completely initialized in one phase , the message - driven ejb can get something from the queue and try to invoke on an ejb that is uninitialized in the application . the foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant arts . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application , thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications that are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims and their equivalence .	6
the storage system of the present invention is shown in fig1 and designated generally at 10 . the storage system 10 is contained within a vehicle 12 which includes a body 14 . the body 14 forms a cargo compartment 16 . within the cargo compartment there is a generally horizontal floor 18 , a rear upright wall 20 and spaced left and right side walls 22 , of which only the left upright side wall is shown . the floor and the upright wall 20 are preferably both part of the structure of the body 14 of the vehicle 12 . that is , the floor 18 and upright wall 20 would be preferably present in the vehicle 12 even if the vehicle 12 did not have the storage system 10 . by forming the storage system 10 using the structure of the body 14 of the vehicle 12 , the cost of fabricating the storage system 10 is reduced . in addition , the design and fabrication of the storage system 10 is less complex . the storage system 10 is formed by one or more covers 24 which are attached to the floor 18 by a pivot mechanism , such as a hinge 26 , described in greater detail below . two covers 24 are shown . the hinge 26 is spaced from the upright wall 20 . the covers 24 extend from the hinge 26 upward and toward the wall 20 and rest upon the wall 20 when the covers 24 are in the closed positions as shown in fig3 . the covers 24 rest upon the wall 20 at a location spaced above the floor 18 . thus , when the covers are in closed positions , the covers 24 , floor 18 and upright wall 20 , together define an enclosed storage space 28 . the storage system 10 is shown extending laterally across the trunk along the rear wall 20 . the storage system 10 extends from the left side wall 20 to the right side wall 22 . the side walls 20 , 22 thus form lateral ends to the storage space 28 . the invention is not limited to use along a rear upright wall 20 of the trunk but could be used along the side walls 22 or a front wall of the trunk if desired . with the cover 24 closed , items can be contained within the storage space 28 and be completely enclosed therein . with reference to fig4 the hinge 26 is shown in greater detail . the hinge 26 includes a pivot block 30 which is attached to the vehicle floor screws 32 . the pivot block 30 has a channel 34 in the lower surface of the pivot block 30 which extends along the length of the pivot block . a pivot rod 36 is captured within the channel 34 . the pivot rod 36 extends beyond the length of the pivot block 30 and is seated into a hinge portion 38 at the lower end of the cover 24 . the pivot rod 36 can be insert molded into the cover 24 or can be subsequently installed within a bore 40 within the cover hinge portion 38 . the hinge mechanism 26 allows the cover 24 to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the pivot rod 36 between the open and closed positions shown in fig2 and 3 . at least one pivot block will be used for each cover 24 . other hinge or pivot mechanisms can be used , such as a conventional hinge with a pair of leaves rotatably coupled to a pin . the covers can each be molded with aligned pivot pins fixed to brackets mounted to the floor 18 for rotation about the pivot pin axis . the floor 18 of the vehicle cargo compartment is formed with raised skid rails 42 along which cargo can be slid into and out of the cargo compartment . the skid rails 42 are formed by a raised portion 44 in the floor 18 with an aluminum or other metal plate 46 attached thereto . the raised portion 44 forms a cavity beneath the metal plate 46 . the plate 46 has a plurality of spaced slots 48 for receiving the end of a tie down member , such as a bungee cord , to secure cargo to the floor 18 . the rear end of each skid rail 42 is formed with an inclined surface 50 . the covers 24 are formed with raised ribs 52 which are aligned with the skid rails 42 on the floor 18 . at the upper and lower ends of the raised ribs 52 , the ribs have tapered surfaces 54 . the tapered surfaces 54 at the lower hinge end of the cover 24 , engage the inclined surfaces 50 at the end of the skid rails 42 when the cover 24 is rotated to its open position . the engagement of the cover 24 with the skid rail 42 forms a rotation stop for the cover 24 in the open position . as shown , this open position is a substantially upright position whereby the cover 24 forms an upright wall intermediate the trunk front end and the rear wall 20 . cargo items , such as a grocery bag , which do not fit within the storage space 28 with the cover 24 closed , can be placed in the storage space 28 between the trunk rear wall 20 and the open cover 24 . the cover 24 retains the grocery bag within the space 28 and prevents the bag from tipping forward during hard braking or otherwise shifting within the vehicle cargo compartment 16 . milk bottles , and other liquid containers , can be maintained in an upright position to avoid tipping and possible leaking within the cargo compartment . the hinge 26 can include a detent to hold it in the upright position and provide resistance to returning to the closed position . the covers 24 can be equipped with a latch to hold the covers in closed positions . the covers may also have slots in the raised ribs 52 as tie down attachments . an alternative embodiment of the pivot block 30 is shown in fig5 . there , the pivot block 56 has a hook shaped snap finger 58 forming a channel 60 for the pivot rod 36 . the pivot rod 36 can be removed from the channel 60 . the pivot block 56 can thus be used to removably mount the cover 24 to the floor 18 . such a removable mounting of the cover 24 enables the cover to be removed from the floor 18 in the event that larger cargo needs to be placed in the cargo compartment 16 which would intrude into the storage space 28 . by removing the cover 24 , the storage space 28 can be joined with the remainder of the cargo compartment 16 to carry the larger items . as shown in fig6 a mounting hook 62 can be provided on the side wall 22 to enable the removed cover 24 to be attached to the side wall and held in place . by shaping the cover 24 to the same shape as the side wall 22 , the cover 24 can be stored along the side wall 22 in substantially surface to surface contact and not occupy an excessive amount of space within the storage cargo compartment 16 . an alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig7 . there , a secondary storage space 64 is formed in a recess in the side wall 22 . the side wall extends into the cargo compartment 16 around the rear wheel and tire of the vehicle ( not shown ). behind the rear wheel and tire a recess is formed in the side wall 22 . a cover 66 can be placed over the space 64 . the cover 66 has a lower wall 68 fixed to the cargo compartment side wall 22 . an upper wall is 70 is hinged to the lower wall 68 and rotates between a closed position shown in fig7 and an open position shown in fig8 . the lower wall 68 , fixed to the cargo compartment side wall 22 , forms the end of the storage space 28 described above . the lower wall 68 can be formed with an outwardly extending flange 72 which aligns with the cover 24 when the cover 24 is in the closed position , forming an end portion of the storage compartment 28 . the secondary storage compartment 64 can be used to store small items that are typically kept within the trunk such as bungee cords for use with the skid rails 42 , oil cans , jumper cables , etc . this keeps these items contained within the cargo compartment and out of the way . the primary storage space 28 can then be used to contain items that are being transported home from the store and only in the vehicle for one or two trips . the storage space 28 can be formed with a single cover 24 or multiple covers 24 whereby only one portion of the storage space 28 is opened at a time . when multiple covers are used , they are preferably identical to one another to minimize separate part numbers and inventory . by using a rigid panel cover which can be made of stamped metal , molded plastic or formed fiber board , etc ., the cover 24 maintains its shape and can be easily opened and closed with one hand while holding a grocery bag or other object in the other hand . the storage system of the present invention thus facilitates storage and transportation of cargo within a motor vehicle . the upright wall is preferably formed by a structural component of the vehicle body . as used herein , the body structure broadly includes such items as a seat back as well as body side walls , rear body panels , front body panels , liftgates and door closures , either sliding or hinged . the upright wall 20 need not be fixed to the floor 18 but simply located adjacent to the floor and extending upwardly above the floor . the wall need not be perpendicular to the floor either . the wall 20 could be formed by a movable door closure or a seat back . the terms &# 34 ; cargo compartment &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; trunk &# 34 ; have been used interchangeably herein . the invention is not limited to the trunk of a sedan type passenger vehicle . the invention can be used in a hatchback , van or sport utility vehicle in the cargo compartments thereof . hence , the term &# 34 ; cargo compartment &# 34 ; is intended to have a broader meaning than the term &# 34 ; trunk &# 34 ;. it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction illustrated and described above , but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims .	1
one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 and 2 . in this embodiment , a wire 1 passing through a damper 2 is brought into a capillary 3 . a torch electrode 4 is fastened to a torch electrode holding member 6 by a fastening screw 7 with an insulating member 5 in between . the torch electrode holding member 6 is attached to the output shaft 9a of a rotary motor 9 , and this rotary motor 9 is fastened to a bonding head ( not shown ) via a motor supporting member 10 . the rotary motor 9 is , for instance , a pulse motor , and the output shaft 9a is vertically oriented . the torch electrode 4 is connected to a high - voltage power supply ( not shown ) via a high - voltage output line 8 . as seen from fig2 the torch electrode 4 operated by the rotary motor 9 can take three ( 3 ) horizontal positions : a discharge position during bonding that is indicated by the solid line , a retracted position during bonding that is indicated by the one - dot chain line referred to by the reference numeral 4a , and a stopping position indicated by the two - dot chain line referred by the reference numeral 4b . during the ball formation process , the rotary motor 9 rotates , and the torch electrode 4 connected to the output shaft 9a of the rotary motor 9 via the torch electrode holding member 6 is pivoted about the output shaft 9a and moved from the retracted position indicated by the one - dot chain line 4a to a position beneath the tail 1a of the wire extending from the tip end of the capillary 3 as indicated by the solid line . then , a discharge is performed on the tip end of the tail 1a of the wire 1 by the torch electrode 4 , thus forming a ball 1b on the wire 1 . afterward , the rotary motor 9 rotates in reverse , and the torch electrode 4 is returned to the retracted position indicated by the one - dot chain line 4a . thus , since the torch electrode 4 is operated directly by way of the rotation of the rotary motor 9 , the stopping position of the torch electrode 4 can be freely selected . accordingly , there is no need for providing a stopper such as the one used in conventional systems , and the system operates quietly . furthermore , since the torch electrode 4 is directly driven by the output shaft 9a of the rotary motor 9 , the system can operate at a high speed . moreover , the degree of freedom of the range of movement of torch electrode 4 is high , and the torch electrode 4 can be brought to any desired position . thus , when for instance the wire is to be inserted into and passed through the capillary 3 and also when the capillary is replaced , the rotary motor 9 is driven so that the torch electrode 4 is brought to a position away from the capillary 3 as indicated by the two - dot chain line 4b . in other words , the torch electrode 4 does not become an obstruction of various operation , providing superior working characteristics for , for example , wire passing and capillary replacement . as described above , a high voltage is applied to the torch electrode 4 . accordingly , when the rotary motor 9 is connected to the torch electrode 4 as described above , it is necessary to install an insulating member between the output shaft 9a of the rotary motor 9 and the torch electrode 4 . accordingly , in the above embodiment , the torch electrode holding member 6 is fastened to the output shaft 9a , and the torch electrode 4 is connected to this torch electrode holding member 6 with the insulating member 5 in between . in other words , the torch electrode 4 is fastened to the torch electrode holding member 6 via the insulating member 5 so that the torch electrode 4 and the torch electrode holding member 6 form an integral unit . a direct connection of the torch electrode 4 to the rotary motor 9 is thus obtained . fig3 and 4 illustrate another embodiment of the present invention for a direct operation of the torch electrode 4 by the rotary motor 9 . constituting elements which are the same as or correspond to those in the previous embodiment will be referred to using the same reference symbols . in this embodiment shown in fig3 and 4 , a ring - form insulating member 5 in which a split groove 5a is formed is installed on the output shaft 9a of the rotary motor 9 , and the torch electrode 4 is fastened to the output shaft 9a by a fastening screw 7 with this insulating member 5 in between . more specifically , a split groove 4a is formed in the torch electrode 4 , and a threaded part 4b is provided near this split groove 4a so that the fastening screw 7 screw - engages with the threaded part 4b in order to tighten the split groove 4a . a ring - form terminal 11 to which the high - voltage output line 8 is attached is passed through the fastening screw 7 , and the fastening screw 7 is tightened in the threaded part 4b of the torch electrode 4 . as a result , the torch electrode 4 is fastened to the output shaft 9a of the rotary motor 9 with the insulating member 5 in between . substantially the same advantage as in above - described embodiment shown in fig1 and 2 is obtained by this construction as well . in the above - described embodiments , the torch electrode 4 is directly operated by the output shaft 9a of the rotary motor 9 . however , the torch electrode 4 can be arranged so as to be driven by the rotary motor 9 via a linkage , belt , gears , etc . nonetheless , when the output shaft 9a of the rotary motor 9 is arranged so as to directly operate the torch electrode 4 as in the shown embodiments , the number of parts required is reduced , the cost of the apparatus is reduced , and the useful life can be extended . as seen from the above , according to the present invention , the torch electrode is driven by a rotary motor . accordingly , the present invention provides a quiet operation , high degree of freedom of the range of movement of the torch electrode , and superior working characteristics ; and it further provides high - speed operation . also , since the rotary motor directly operates the torch electrode , the number of parts required is reduced , assuring a low cost and an extended useful life .	7
exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which exemplary embodiments are shown . this invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein . these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those of ordinary skill in the art . moreover , all statements herein reciting embodiments , as well as specific examples thereof , are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof . additionally , it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future ( i . e ., any elements developed that perform the same function , regardless of structure ). thus , for example , it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the diagrams , schematics , illustrations , and the like represent conceptual views or processes illustrating systems and methods embodying this invention . the functions of the various elements shown in the figures may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing associated software . those of ordinary skill in the art understand that the exemplary hardware , software , processes , methods , and / or operating systems described herein are for illustrative purposes and , thus , are not intended to be limited to any particular named manufacturer . the exemplary embodiments describe methods , systems , and products for providing an ecosystem of merchants . when a merchant participates in this ecosystem , the merchants share business information amongst all the members of the community . all the merchants are interrelated , in that each merchant shares sales information ( such as a sales price and a sale quantity ) with the entire community . each merchant is informed of each sale of every merchant participating in the community . each merchant , then , knows every other merchant &# 39 ; s sales , pricing , and inventory of every other merchant . because each merchant knows the sales , pricing , and inventory of every other merchant , the merchants collectively resemble an ecosystem in which all the participants are interrelated . fig1 is a schematic illustrating an operating environment in which the invention may be implemented according to exemplary embodiments . an ecosystem module 20 comprises methods , systems , computer programs , and / or computer program products that provide services to an online , interrelated community of merchants . the ecosystem module 20 operates within any computer system , such as a computer server 22 . the ecosystem module 20 receives and stores business information 24 from multiple merchants 26 . the business information 24 is typically communicated via a communications network 28 . the communications network 28 may be a distributed computing network , such as the internet ( sometimes alternatively known as the “ world wide web ”), an intranet , a local - area network ( lan ), and / or a wide - area network ( wan ). the communications network 28 may alternatively or additionally include a cable network operating in the radio - frequency domain and / or the internet protocol ( ip ) domain . the communications network 28 , however , may also include portions of the public switched telephone network ( pstn ). the communications network 28 may include coaxial cables , copper wires , fiber optic lines , and / or hybrid - coaxial lines . the communications network 28 may even include wireless portions utilizing any portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and any signaling standard ( such as the various cellular standards cdma , tdma , gsm , and / or the i . e . e . e . 802 family of standards ). the ecosystem module 20 obtains and stores business information 24 . the ecosystem module 20 resembles a central repository for each merchant &# 39 ; s business information . the business information 24 may be any information that is generated in the course of business . the business information 24 , for example , includes each merchant &# 39 ; s sales , pricing , and inventory records . the ecosystem module 20 stores and / or manages each sale for each merchant 26 . the ecosystem module 20 may also store and / or manage each merchant &# 39 ; s inventory records , payroll records , health care and other benefits records , accounts receipts / receivables , banking records , returns records , non - completed sales transactions , sales with special promotions / discounts , sales with credit cards / debit cards / checks / cash , and any other information generated during the course of each merchant &# 39 ; s business . the ecosystem module 20 stores and / or manages all these records on behalf of each merchant 26 . the ecosystem module 20 , however , also provides some or all of this business information 24 to the entire community of merchants . the ecosystem module 20 return communicates some or all of this business information 24 to every other merchant participating in the community . most likely the ecosystem module 20 periodically communicates a summary 30 to each participating merchant 26 . this summary 30 informs each merchant 26 of the sales , pricing , and inventory of every other merchant participating in the community . the ecosystem module 20 thus informs each merchant 26 of the commercial activity of the entire community . because each merchant 26 knows the sales , pricing , and inventory of every other merchant , the merchants resemble an ecosystem in which all the participants are interrelated . this ecosystem will , in time , force prices to their lowest competitive level at which each participating merchant best competes . because the each merchant &# 39 ; s business information is shared amongst the other participants , each participant is competitively forced to offer the best product / service for the lowest price . if any merchant enjoys an attractive margin of profit , other participating merchants will quickly compete . this ecosystem , then , will force each participating merchant to offer the lowest price at which other merchants decline to compete . because each merchant is competitively forced to the lowest price , in time , each participating merchant will specialize in a good or service , at the lowest price , at which no other participating merchant wishes to compete . once the competition is eliminated , the merchant may even be able to raise prices to improve margins . should the merchant &# 39 ; s margins become too large , and thus attractive , the merchant will invite competition from another participating merchant . each merchant , then , will eventually specialize in a product or service at a price at which no other participant wishes to compete . fig2 is a schematic further illustrating the exemplary embodiments . fig2 illustrates that the ecosystem module 20 may also provide trends , recommendations , and patterns to each merchant . because the ecosystem module 20 receives and stores the business information ( shown as reference numeral 24 in fig1 ) of each merchant 26 , the ecosystem module 20 may also analyze each merchant &# 39 ; s business information . the ecosystem module 20 may also analyze the commercial activity of the entire community . knowing each merchant &# 39 ; s business information , and that of the entire community , the ecosystem module 20 can analyze and compare the merchant to the entire community . the ecosystem module 20 , for example , could provide each merchant 26 a purchasing behavior 32 of a customer accessing the community of merchants . the ecosystem module 20 could provide individualized suggestions 34 to each merchant . these suggestions 34 would help the merchant select merchandise , lower costs , and / or move product . the ecosystem module 20 could suggest the merchant promote a good or service based on a sales trend within the online community . the ecosystem module 20 could also suggest pricing information to reduce excess inventory . the ecosystem module 20 provides business management functions for each merchant 26 . the ecosystem module 20 allows each merchant to understand the commercial activity of the entire ecosystem . the ecosystem module 20 may permit a customer that shops within the community to see / view the inventory of all the participating merchants . the ecosystem module 20 tracks the customer &# 39 ; s browsing behavior and purchasing behavior . the ecosystem module 20 knows what customer is searching for what product or service and which customers eventually purchase . by analyzing sales and inventory , the ecosystem module 20 also knows what product or service is selling at any certain period of time . the ecosystem module 20 may then inform each merchant , or a particular merchant , of the products / services that are selling within the community . the ecosystem module 20 may even analyze customer returns and develop a return behavior that is likewise shared . the ecosystem module 20 , for example , may make suggestions based on category sales . suppose , for example , that a particular category of items is selling very well at a particular moment in time . the ecosystem module 20 could provide merchants with that category and an average selling price in the marketplace . the ecosystem module 20 may then suggest what a merchant 26 should promote to capitalize on the category sales trend . if automobiles , for example , are briskly selling , the ecosystem module 20 might suggest a particular merchant promote automotive - related items ( e . g ., cleaners , waxes , additives , performance products , and other automotive - related accessories ). if the merchant has inventory that matches or compliments the briskly - selling category , the ecosystem module 20 may suggest promoting those items . the ecosystem module 20 may provide price elasticity information . the ecosystem module 20 , as mentioned above , tracks the customer &# 39 ; s browsing behavior and purchasing behavior . the ecosystem module 20 knows what products or services receive customer inquiries . the ecosystem module 20 also knows what merchants have excess inventory . because the ecosystem module knows what is purchased and at what price points , the ecosystem module 20 may generate price elasticity curves . this price elasticity information is provided to merchants having excess inventory of that product . the merchant , knowing this price elasticity information , can make an informed decision as to how to best to promote the business and at what price point moves product . the price elasticity information provides more than a range of pricing , but the price elasticity information includes a statistical distribution and a median price . an elasticity curve relates to an optimum price point . the ecosystem module 20 , then , informs each merchant of the entire size of the ecosystem and the merchant can immediately decide to compete . the ecosystem module 20 may provide all manner of data to the community . the ecosystem module 20 , for example , may provide pricing distributions ( such as a gaussian or “ bell ” curve ) for the entire market . these pricing distributions may even be provided for geographic segments of the market or groupings of merchants . the ecosystem module 20 may provide statistics regarding the effectiveness of a merchant &# 39 ; s advertising , a group of merchants advertising , or the community &# 39 ; s advertising . the ecosystem module 20 may analyze purchases by product , by geography , and / or by demographics ( such as household income ). the ecosystem module 20 may also analyze and determine a ratio of inquiries to purchases by product and / or by customer demographics . a user interface for the merchant supplies summaries and / or reports and provides the ability to select products by merchant codes and sic codes and other category codes . according to an exemplary embodiment , the ecosystem module 20 provides real - time market information . the ecosystem module 20 provides each merchant with real time market statistics and quantitative market behavior . the ecosystem module 20 observes the entire community of merchants and provides management and information services to each merchant . the ecosystem module 20 has the benefit of receiving and analyzing all the business information 24 of the entire community of merchants . the ecosystem module 20 observes every transaction within the community and relates those transactions to market data . this market data is based on actual transactions and quantitative research on a product - by - product basis across the entire ecosystem . this information is fed back to each individual merchant participating in the community . the ecosystem module 20 , for example , may notice that a merchant &# 39 ; s website receives many “ clicks ” or “ hits ,” but the merchant does not have corresponding sales . the ecosystem module 20 might then suggest , or even automatically implement , a price reduction to spur sales . if the price reduction is still ineffective , the ecosystem module might determine that the merchant &# 39 ; s current advertising or promotion is ineffective . the ecosystem module 20 notifies the merchant and makes an alternate suggestion . the ecosystem module 20 may provide an advertising behavior for the entire market community . the ecosystem module 20 , however , also benefits the customer . as soon as the customer enters the community ( such as by accessing the community via a single website portal ), the ecosystem module 20 informs the customer of each merchant &# 39 ; s specials . as soon as a merchant posts or runs a special price for a product or service , the ecosystem module 20 may immediately inform the customer . the ecosystem module 20 may also inform the customer of another merchant &# 39 ; s related products , comparative or complimentary products , substitute products , or even competing products . the ecosystem module 20 may even provide a qualitative factor for alternative products , thus allowing the customer to select trusted or perceived brands ( such as the perceived quality of a trusted brand of product verses a generic brand ). the ecosystem module 20 , then provides the customer a natural , and participatory , deflationary environment . the ecosystem module 20 can even track distribution channels . the community of merchants may be accessible via a website , and preferably a single website portal . this website portal provides access to all the merchants participating in the community . some merchants , however , may also have a bricks and mortar store . that physical store can be linked to the ecosystem module 20 . that is , the ecosystem module 20 receives the business information 24 from online sources and from retail stores . the ecosystem module 20 provides sales , pricing , and inventory management systems for both the merchant &# 39 ; s online presence and the merchant &# 39 ; s bricks and mortar location . if a customer purchases from the physical location , the ecosystem module 20 observes that purchase . the ecosystem module 20 , then , observes not only the sale but also that sale &# 39 ; s distribution method . the ecosystem module 20 may be offered by a service provider . this service provider receives business information from a community of merchants . this business information may include each merchant &# 39 ; s sales , the price for each sale , and the merchant &# 39 ; s inventory . the service provider then shares this business information with the community . each participating merchant is thus informed of every other participating merchant &# 39 ; s sales . each participating merchant is informed of a sales price for each sale of every merchant participating in the community . each participating merchant may also be informed of an inventory of every merchant participating in the community . the service provider may analyze the commercial activity of the entire community and provide summaries to each merchant . the service provider may analyze each merchant &# 39 ; s sales , pricing , and inventory to provide any of the information discussed in relation to the ecosystem module 20 . each merchant may report their sales , pricing , and inventory on a per - transaction basis , on an hourly basis , on a daily or monthly basis , or at any other interval of time . the service provider may query each participating merchant for the merchant &# 39 ; s business information 24 . the service provider offers feedback on what is going on in the overall community . the service provider offers feedback on the merchant &# 39 ; s advertising and the customer &# 39 ; s browsing , clicking , and purchasing behavior . the service provider bills for this feedback service . the ecosystem module 20 , and / or the service provider , may also provide a business management system for the participating merchants . the ecosystem module 20 may comprise one or more software products that provide solutions for inventory management , pricing , billing , and advertising . these software products can be offered to the participating merchant , thus allowing the service provider to store and manage all the merchant &# 39 ; s business records . fig3 depicts another possible operating environment for the exemplary embodiments . fig3 is a block diagram showing the ecosystem module 20 residing in a computer system 60 . the computer system 60 may be any computing system , such as the computer server ( shown as reference numeral 22 in fig1 & amp ; 2 ), an ip network element such as an ip router / switch / hub / gateway / proxy , or any other computer device . as fig3 shows , the ecosystem module 20 operates within a system memory device . the ecosystem module 20 , for example , is shown residing in a memory subsystem 62 . the ecosystem module 20 , however , could also reside in flash memory 64 or a peripheral storage device 66 , or in firmware or hardware , or in any combination . the computer system 60 also has one or more central processors 68 executing an operating system . the operating system , as is well known , has a set of instructions that control the internal functions of the computer system 60 . a system bus 70 communicates signals , such as data signals , control signals , and address signals , between the central processor 68 and a system controller 72 ( typically called a “ northbridge ”). the system controller 72 provides a bridging function between the one or more central processors 68 , a graphics subsystem 74 , the memory subsystem 62 , and a pci ( peripheral controller interface ) bus 76 . the pci bus 76 is controlled by a peripheral bus controller 78 . the peripheral bus controller 78 ( typically called a “ southbridge ”) is an integrated circuit that serves as an input / output hub for various peripheral ports . these peripheral ports are shown including a keyboard port 80 , a mouse port 82 , a serial port 84 and / or a parallel port 86 for a video display unit , one or more external device ports 88 , and networking ports 90 ( such as scsi or ethernet ). the peripheral bus controller 78 also includes an audio subsystem 92 . those of ordinary skill in the art understand that the program , processes , methods , and systems described in this patent are not limited to any particular computer system or computer hardware . those of ordinary skill in the art also understand the central processor 68 is typically a microprocessor . advanced micro devices , inc ., for example , manufactures a full line of athlon ™ microprocessors ( athlon ™ is a trademark of advanced micro devices , inc ., one amd place , p . o . box 3453 , sunnyvale , calif . 94088 - 3453 , 408 . 732 . 2400 , 800 . 538 . 8450 , www . amd . com ). the intel corporation also manufactures a family of x86 and p86 microprocessors ( intel corporation , 2200 mission college blvd ., santa clara , calif . 95052 - 8119 , 408 . 765 . 8080 , www . intel . com ). other manufacturers also offer microprocessors . such other manufacturers include motorola , inc . ( 1303 east algonquin road , p . o . box a3309 schaumburg , ill . 60196 , www . motorola . com ), international business machines corp . ( new orchard road , armonk , n . y . 10504 , ( 914 ) 499 - 1900 , www . ibm . com ), and transmeta corp . ( 3940 freedom circle , santa clara , calif . 95054 , www . transmeta . com ). those skilled in the art further understand that the program , processes , methods , and systems described herein are not limited to any particular manufacturer &# 39 ; s central processor . an operating system that may be used , according to an exemplary embodiment , is the unix ® operating system ( unix ® is a registered trademark of the open source group , www . opensource . org ). other unix - based operating systems , however , are also suitable , such as linux ® or a red hat ® linux - based system ( linux ® is a registered trademark of linus torvalds , and red hat ® is a registered trademark of red hat , inc ., research triangle park , n . c ., 1 - 888 - 733 - 4281 , www . redhat . com ). other operating systems , however , are also suitable . such other operating systems would include a windows - based operating system ( windows ® is a registered trademark of microsoft corporation , one microsoft way , redmond wash . 98052 - 6399 , 425 . 882 . 8080 , www . microsoft . com ). and mac ® os ( mac ® is a registered trademark of apple computer , inc ., 1 infinite loop , cupertino , calif . 95014 , 408 . 996 . 1010 , www . apple . com ). example operating systems of ip network elements including ip routers / switches / hubs / gateways / proxies include cisco ios ( internet operating system ), vxworks , various proprietary operating systems , and variations of unix . those of ordinary skill in the art again understand that the program , processes , methods , and systems described herein are not limited to any particular operating system . the system memory device ( shown as memory subsystem 62 , flash memory 64 , or peripheral storage device 66 ) may also contain an application program . the application program cooperates with the operating system and with a video display unit ( via the serial port 84 and / or the parallel port 86 ) to provide a graphical user interface ( gui ). the graphical user interface typically includes a combination of signals communicated along the keyboard port 80 and the mouse port 82 . the graphical user interface provides a convenient visual and / or audible interface with a user of the computer system 60 . the ecosystem module may be physically embodied on or in a computer - readable medium . this computer - readable medium may include cd - rom , dvd , tape , cassette , floppy disk , memory card , and large - capacity disk ( such as iomega ®, zip ®, jazz ®, and other large - capacity memory products ( iomega ®, zip ®, and jazz ® are registered trademarks of iomega corporation , 1821 w . iomega way , roy , utah 84067 , 801 . 332 . 1000 , www . iomega . com ). this computer - readable medium , or media , could be distributed to end - users , licensees , and assignees . these types of computer - readable media , and other types not mention here but considered within the scope of the claims , allow the ecosystem module to be easily disseminated . a computer program product for participating in an online ecosystem comprises a computer readable medium including computer - readable instructions . these instructions participate in a sale of a good or service in an online community of merchants . each merchant sells the good or service via a single web portal providing access to the online community of merchants . the instructions share sales information with the online community such that each merchant is informed of each sale of every merchant participating in the community . fig4 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of participating in an online ecosystem . a merchant sells a good or service in an online community of merchants ( block 100 ). the merchant may sell the good or service via a single web portal providing access to the online community of merchants ( block 102 ). the merchant shares sales information with the online community such that each merchant is informed of each sale of every merchant participating in the community ( block 104 ). the merchant may also share pricing information such that each merchant is informed of a sales price for each sale of every merchant participating in the community ( block 106 ). the merchant may also share inventory information such that each merchant is informed of an inventory of every merchant participating in the community ( block 108 ). the merchant receives a purchasing behavior of a customer accessing the online community of merchants ( block 110 ). the merchant receives a suggestion to promote a good or service based on a sales trend within the online community ( block 112 ). the merchant may also receive pricing information to reduce excess inventory ( block 114 ). while exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described with respect to various features , aspects , and embodiments , those skilled and unskilled in the art will recognize the invention is not so limited . other variations , modifications , and alternative embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention .	6
referring to fig1 - 5 , the numeral 10 generally designates a vertical diverter assembly of the present invention . diverter assembly 10 includes a frame 12 and upper and lower conveyor sections 14 and 16 . conveyor sections 14 and 16 include upper and lower conveying surfaces 18 and 20 defined by conveyor belts 19 and 21 , respectively . diverter assembly 10 comprises a modular diverter assembly which can be placed between the discharge end of a first conveyor section 22 and the charge ends of two vertically spaced conveyor sections 24 and 26 for diverting packages from the conveyor path defined between conveyor sections 22 and 26 to the conveyor path defined between conveyor sections 22 and 24 . as will be more fully described below , conveyor sections 14 and 16 are movable between a first orientation ( shown in fig1 ) in which their respective conveying surfaces are aligned to provide a co - linear conveying surface or conveyor path for directing packages to upper conveyor section 24 and a second position in which lower conveying surface 20 is moved to a generally horizontal position to align with and direct packages to lower conveyor section 26 ( fig2 ), while upper conveying surface 18 is moved to a generally horizontal position to align with conveyor section 24 . referring to fig6 lower conveyor section 16 includes a frame 30 that supports conveyor belt 21 . frame 30 includes a pair of spaced apart , opposing vertical sides 32 and 34 and a belt support 39 . sides 32 and 34 provide vertical guide surfaces for articles being transported by belt 21 . referring to fig8 belt support 39 comprises a plurality of transverse frame members 40 and upper plate members 42 , which are supported by transverse frame members 40 . plate members 42 and transverse frame members 40 are mounted to sides 32 and 34 , such as by welding . frame 30 supports a pair of rollers 36 and 38 , which are mounted to frame 30 at opposed ends of belt support 39 . referring again to fig8 upper plate members 42 extend between rollers 36 and 38 and are generally aligned with the upper surfaces of rollers 36 and 38 to provide substantially continuous support to belt 21 . belt 21 comprises a closed loop belt that extends over rollers 36 and 38 and over belt support 39 to define lower conveying surface 20 . roller 36 is mounted to the charge or input end of conveyor section 16 and is motorized to drive belt 21 . suitable motorized rollers are available from vandergraaf of toronto , canada . roller 38 comprises an idler roller and is mounted to the output end or discharge end of conveyor section 16 . mounted to the input end of sides 32 and 34 are rocker arms 46 and 48 . as will be more fully described in reference to drive assembly 130 , crank or rocker arms 46 and 48 pivot conveyor section 16 about frame to move conveyor section 16 from its first position , in which conveyor surface 20 is aligned with conveyor surface 18 , and its second position in which conveyor surface 20 is aligned with conveyor section 26 ( fig2 ). in the illustrated embodiment , roller 36 includes rod ends 50 which are supported in c - shaped blocks 51 mounted in slotted openings 32 a and 34 a of sides 32 and 34 and in corresponding slotted openings 46 a and 48 b of rocker arms 46 and 48 . rod ends 50 are rotatably mounted in blocks 51 by clamp bars 51 a , which are secured to c - shaped blocks 51 by fasteners 51 b . aligned with rods 50 is a pair of mounting collars 52 . each mounting collar 52 includes a mounting flange 52 b , through which fasteners 52 a extend to mount mounting collar 52 onto a respective rocker arm 46 , 48 , and a pivot cylinder 52 c . pivot cylinders 52 c mount lower conveyor section 16 in frame 12 , as will be more fully described in reference to fig1 - 17 . therefore , when rocker arms 46 and 48 are pulled or pushed by drive assembly 130 , lower conveyor section 16 will pivot about pivot cylinder 52 c and also about the rotational axis 36 a of pulley 36 . in order to provide adjustment for the tension on belt 21 , at least pulley 38 is mounted to side frame members 32 and 34 in a slotted opening 32 b , 34 b with its respective rod extending into a roller adjuster 54 . roller adjuster 54 provides linear adjustment of pulley 38 to increase or decrease the tension on belt 21 as will be understood by those skilled in the art . referring to fig7 upper conveyor section 14 similarly includes a frame 60 that supports belt 19 . frame 60 includes a pair of opposed , spaced apart sides 62 and 64 and a belt support 69 . sides 62 and 64 similarly provide generally vertical guide surfaces for article being conveyed on belt 19 . in addition , sides 62 and 84 preferably align with sides 32 and 34 when conveyor sections 14 and 16 are pivoted to their first position ( fig1 ). in order to minimize interference between sides 62 , 64 and 32 , 34 , sides 32 and 34 may include flexible extensions or panels 33 and 35 ( fig1 ), which deflect as needed to accommodate potential interference between the sides . however , extensions 33 and 35 should have sufficient stiffness to provide continuous vertical guide surfaces for the articles being transported between the sides . mounted between side frame members 62 and 64 are a pair of rollers 66 and 68 . roller 68 is mounted to discharge end of conveyor section 14 and comprises a motorized roller with a drum motor to drive belt 19 . preferably , both rollers 36 and 68 continuously drive belts 19 and 21 so as to maintain the flow of articles along the conveying path , whether it is defined between conveyor 22 , conveyor section 16 , and conveyor 26 or between conveyor 22 , conveyor sections 14 , 16 , and conveyor 24 . roller 66 comprises an idler roller and is mounted to charge or input end of conveyor section 14 . referring to fig1 , belt support 69 is of similar construction to belt support 39 and includes a plurality of transverse members 80 which extend transversely between sides 62 and 64 and which are mounted thereto , for example , by welding . extending over transverse members 80 is a pair of plate members 82 . again referring to fig1 , plate members 82 generally align with the upper surface of rollers 66 and 68 to provide continuous support for belt 19 and are secured to sides 62 and 64 , such as by welding or the like . referring again to fig7 upper conveyor section 14 includes a pair of rocker arms 86 and 88 that are mounted to side frame members 62 and 64 . similarly , referring to fig1 , rod ends 90 of roller 68 are supported in c - blocks 91 mounted in slotted openings 62 a and 64 a of sides 62 and 64 and slotted openings 86 a and 88 a of rocker arms 86 and 88 . rod ends 90 are rotatably mounted in blocks 91 by clamp bars 91 a that secure to blocks 91 by fasteners 91 b . similar to conveyor section 16 , conveyor section 14 includes a pair of mounting collars 92 mounted to sides 82 and 84 at rocker arms 86 and 88 , which are aligned with rod ends 90 of roller 68 . mounting collars 92 include a mounting flange 92 a , which is secured to rocker arms 86 and 88 by fasteners , and a pivot cylinder 92 c , which is journaled in frame 12 to provide a pivot joint for conveyor section 14 , as will be more fully described below . thus , when rocker arms 82 and 88 are pivoted , upper conveyor section 14 will pivot about rotational axis 68 a of roller 68 . referring to fig1 - 17 , frame 12 includes base frame members 100 , 102 , which are interconnected by a medial transverse member 104 and a transverse plate member 106 that provides a cover for at least a portion of the drive assembly 130 , which will be more fully described below in reference to fig1 - 20 . frame 12 further includes a plurality of vertical frame members 108 a , 108 b , 108 c , and 110 a , 110 b , 110 c , which are mounted to base frame members 100 , 102 and which are secured to and provide support for side rails 112 and 114 . side rails 112 and 114 each include a pair of roller mounts 116 , 118 , 120 , 122 , respectively , at their opposed ends in which upper and lower conveyor sections 14 , 16 are mounted by pivot cylinders 52 c and 92 c of mounting collars 52 and 92 , respectively . in the illustrated embodiment , frame 12 is assembled using conventional structural members , such as rectangular tubing ; however , it should be understood that frame 12 may be assembled using other structural members . furthermore , the structural members forming frame 12 may be connected using fasteners , welds or rivets as is conventionally known . in the illustrated embodiment , roller mounts 116 , 118 , 120 , and 122 comprise plate members 124 with transverse openings 126 , with pivot cylinders 52 c and 92 c journaled in openings 126 to define pivot axes for conveyor sections 14 and 16 . plate members 124 are secured to rail members 112 and 114 , for example by fasteners . however , it should be understood that roller mounts 116 , 118 , 120 , and 122 may be mounted to rail members 112 and 114 by rivets or welds or the like . in addition , frame 12 optionally includes threaded , leveling feet 129 mounted to base frame members 100 and 102 that provide adjustment and leveling for diverter assembly 10 . referring again to fig1 and 2 and as noted above , cylindrical members 52 c and 92 c of mounting collars 52 and 92 extend into roller mounts 116 , 118 , 120 , and 122 to thereby pivotally mount upper and lower conveyor sections 14 and 16 on frame 12 so that conveyor sections 14 and 16 can be pivoted about axes 36 a and 68 a to move conveying surfaces 18 and 20 between their two positions shown in fig1 and 2 . conveyor sections 14 and 16 are moved about pivot axes 36 a and 68 a by a drive assembly 130 . referring to fig1 - 4 and 18 - 20 , drive assembly 130 includes a motor 132 and a drive shaft 134 . motor 132 is coupled to drive shaft 134 by a belt 136 that extends around the output drive pulley 138 of motor 132 and over a timing pulley 140 , which is mounted to drive shaft 134 . in addition , in the illustrated embodiment , drive assembly 130 includes a clutch brake 141 , such as is available form warner , which provides a brake and further permits disengagement of motor 132 from drive shaft 134 in the event of a jam or the like . referring to fig1 , clutch brake 141 is supported by a clutch brake plate 141 a . as best understood from fig1 , clutch brake plate 141 a rests on and is supported by a transverse support 135 , which extends between and is mounted to base frame members 102 . shaft 134 is supported by a pair of bearing blocks 150 , such as pillow blocks , which in turn mount to supports 152 , such as angle members , that are secured to plate member 106 between vertical frame members 108 a and 110 a by fasteners , welds , rivets or the like . mounted to opposed ends of drive shaft 134 is a pair of crankshaft assemblies 142 . crank shaft assemblies 142 each include a crank disk 144 and crank pin 146 that is mounted to crank disk 144 offset from the rotational axis 134 a of drive shaft 134 . referring to fig1 and 4 , crank pins 146 are coupled to rocker arms 46 and 48 of lower conveyor section 16 by tie rods 150 , which are mounted to distal end portions 46 a and 48 a of rocker arms 46 and 48 . rocker arms 46 and 48 are interconnected by tie rods 150 a and 150 b ( fig1 ), which extend through rockers arms 46 and 48 to provide mounts for tie rods 150 . in this manner , when tie rods 150 push or pull on rocker arms 46 , 48 , conveyor section 16 pivots about axis 36 a . as best seen in fig1 when crank disks 142 rotated such that crank pins 146 are positioned at a three o &# 39 ; clock position ( as viewed in fig1 ), lower conveyor section 16 is rotated upwardly . as best seen in fig4 medial portions of rocker arms 46 and 48 are connected to the respective lower portions of rocker arms 86 and 88 by tie rods 154 . rocker arms 86 and 88 are interconnected by a tie rod 154 a , which projects through rocker arms 86 and 88 to provide mounts for tie rods 154 . in this manner , when rocker arms 46 and 48 are rotated about rotational axis 36 a of roller 36 by the movement of tie rods 150 , rocker arms 86 and 88 simultaneously pivot upper conveyor section 14 to align with lower conveyor section 16 . in this manner , conveying surfaces 20 and 18 define a substantially continuous path for article which is to be diverted from the generally horizontal conveying path defined between conveyor sections 22 and 26 to the second conveying path defined between conveyor section 22 and 24 . similarly , when crank disks 142 are rotated in a clockwise direction to move crank pin 146 to the nine o &# 39 ; clock position , tie rods 150 push on distal portions 46 a and 48 a of rocker arms 46 and 48 to pivot lower conveyor section 16 to a generally horizontal position as shown in fig2 . at the same time , tie rods 154 pull on lower portion of rocker arms 86 and 88 to pivot upper conveyor section 14 upwardly so that as shown in the illustrated embodiment , conveying surface 18 is generally aligned with the conveying surface of conveyor section 24 . in this manner , articles , which are supported on conveying surface 18 , may be continued to be processed and directed to conveyor section 24 while articles on conveying surface 20 may be continued to be carried and processed on conveying surface 20 of lower conveyor section 16 for delivery to conveyor section 26 . it can be appreciated from the foregoing that the diverter assembly of the present invention provides a diverter that can sort articles at varying speeds , including sortation speeds for articles , such as luggage , of at least 30 bags per minute , including 40 bags per minute . while one form of the invention has been shown and described , other forms or modifications will now be apparent to those skilled in the art . for example , conveyor sections 14 , 16 may comprise roller conveyor sections . in addition , one or more external motors may drive rollers 36 and 68 . furthermore , the structural members comprising the assembly frame ( 12 ) and frames 30 , 60 for conveyor sections 14 , 16 may be substituted with other conventional structural components . while several forms of the invention have been shown and described , other forms will now be apparent to those skilled in the art . for example , as noted , the diverter assembly may incorporate a single driver to drive both belts or may incorporate a driver for each belt . furthermore , each conveyor section may be pivoted by its own driver . the present invention also has application with rollers defining the conveying surface of the diverter assembly . therefore , it will be understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes , and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention , which is defined by the claims , which follow as interpreted under the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents .	1
steel was smelted in a 500 kg vacuum furnace . the chemical composition ( wt %) of the slab comprised 0 . 035 % c , 3 . 05 % si , 0 . 020 % s , 0 . 008 % als , 0 . 0010 % n , 0 . 60 % cu , 0 . 15 % mn , balanced by fe and unavoidable inclusions . the slab of this composition was hot rolled by heating it to 1280 ° c . and holding this temperature for 3 hours . the rolling was ended at 930 - 950 ° c . after rolling , the resultant steel was cooled by laminar flow , and then coiled at 550 ° c .± 30 ° c . to form band steel of 2 . 5 mm in thickness . after shot blasting and acid washing , the band steel was cold rolled to a thickness of 0 . 65 mm and then subjected to middle annealing to reduce carbon to 30 ppm or less . after shot blasting and acid washing , three processes are carried out respectively . ( 1 ) the band steel was subjected to secondary cold rolling to 0 . 30 mm , the thickness of the final product , coated with an annealing separator comprising al 2 o 3 slurry as the main component and dried . thereafter , the steel band was coiled and subjected to high - temperature annealing in an atmosphere of mixed nitrogen and hydrogen or pure hydrogen at 1200 ° c . which was held for 20 hours . after uncoiled , the steel band was coated with insulating coating and stretch - leveling annealed . ( 2 ) the band steel was subjected to secondary cold rolling to 0 . 30 mm , the thickness of the final product , coated with an annealing separator comprising mgo as the main component . thereafter , the steel band was coiled and subjected to high - temperature annealing in an atmosphere of mixed nitrogen and hydrogen or pure hydrogen at 1200 ° c . which was held for 20 hours . after uncoiled , the steel band was coated with insulating coating and stretch - leveling annealed . ( 3 ) the band steel was subjected to secondary cold rolling to 0 . 30 mm , the thickness of the final product , annealed at 700 ° c . in a wet atmosphere of nitrogen and hydrogen , coated with an annealing separator comprising mgo as the main component . thereafter , the steel band was coiled and subjected to high - temperature annealing in an atmosphere of mixed nitrogen and hydrogen or pure hydrogen at 1200 ° c . which was held for 20 hours . after uncoiled , the steel band was coated with insulating coating and stretch - leveling annealed . the magnetic and coating performances of the resultant products are shown in table 1 . steel was smelted in a 500 kg vacuum furnace . the chemical composition ( wt %) of the slab comprised 0 . 032 % c , 3 . 15 % si , 0 . 016 % s , 0 . 012 % als , 0 . 0092 % n , 0 . 48 % cu , 0 . 20 % mn , balanced by fe and unavoidable inclusions . the slab of this composition was hot rolled by heating it to 1280 ° c . and holding this temperature for 3 hours . the rolling was ended at 930 - 950 ° c . after rolling , the resultant steel was cooled by laminar flow , and then coiled at 550 ° c .± 30 ° c . to form band steel of 2 . 5 mm in thickness . after shot blasting and acid washing , the band steel was cold rolled to a thickness of 0 . 65 mm and then subjected to middle annealing at 850 ° c . under the conditions given in table 2 . after shot blasting and acid washing , the band steel was subjected to secondary cold rolling to 0 . 30 mm , the thickness of the final product , coated with an annealing separator comprising al 2 o 3 slurry as the main component and dried . thereafter , the steel band was coiled and subjected to high - temperature annealing in an atmosphere of mixed nitrogen and hydrogen or pure hydrogen at 1200 ° c . which was held for 20 hours . after uncoiled , the steel band was coated with insulating coating and stretch - leveling annealed . the magnetic and coating performances of the resultant products are shown in table 2 , wherein the adhesion was evaluated according to the method and standard defined in national standards gb / t 2522 - 1988 . steel was smelted in a 500 kg vacuum furnace . the chemical composition ( wt %) of the slab comprised 0 . 032 % c , 3 . 15 % si , 0 . 016 % s , 0 . 012 % als , 0 . 0092 % n , 0 . 48 % cu , 0 . 20 % mn , balanced by fe and unavoidable inclusions . the slab of this composition was hot rolled by heating it to 1280 ° c . and holding this temperature for 3 hours . the rolling was ended at 930 - 950 ° c . after rolling , the resultant steel was cooled by laminar flow , and then coiled at 550 ° c .± 30 ° c . to form band steel of 2 . 5 mm in thickness . after shot blasting and acid washing , the band steel was cold rolled to a thickness of 0 . 65 mm and then subjected to middle annealing at 850 ° c . under the conditions given in table 3 . after shot blasting and acid washing , the band steel was subjected to secondary cold rolling to 0 . 30 mm , the thickness of the final product , coated with an annealing separator comprising al 2 o 3 slurry as the main component and dried . thereafter , the steel band was coiled and subjected to high - temperature annealing in an atmosphere of mixed nitrogen and hydrogen or pure hydrogen at 1200 ° c . which was held for 20 hours . after uncoiled , the steel band was coated with insulating coating and stretch - leveling annealed . the magnetic and coating performances of the resultant products are shown in table 3 . steel was smelted in a 500 kg vacuum furnace . the chemical composition ( wt %) of the slab comprised 0 . 032 % c , 3 . 15 % si , 0 . 016 % s , 0 . 012 % als , 0 . 0092 % n , 0 . 48 % cu , 0 . 20 % mn , balanced by fe and unavoidable inclusions . the slab of this composition was hot rolled by heating it to 1280 ° c . and holding this temperature for 3 hours . the rolling was ended at 930 - 950 ° c . after rolling , the resultant steel was cooled by laminar flow , and then coiled at 550 ° c .± 30 ° c . to form band steel of 2 . 5 mm in thickness . after shot blasting and acid washing , the band steel was cold rolled to a thickness of 0 . 65 mm and then subjected to middle annealing at 850 ° c . under the conditions given in table 4 . after shot blasting and acid washing , the band steel was subjected to secondary cold rolling to 0 . 30 mm , the thickness of the final product , electrostatically coated with an annealing separator comprising al 2 o 3 as the main component . thereafter , the steel band was coiled and subjected to high - temperature annealing in an atmosphere of mixed nitrogen and hydrogen or pure hydrogen at 1200 ° c . which was held for 20 hours . after uncoiled , the steel band was coated with insulating coating and stretch - leveling annealed . the magnetic and coating performances of the resultant products are shown in table 4 . steel was smelted in a 500 kg vacuum furnace . the chemical composition ( wt %) of the slab comprised 0 . 032 % c , 3 . 15 % si , 0 . 016 % s , 0 . 012 % als , 0 . 0092 % n , 0 . 48 % cu , 0 . 20 % mn , balanced by fe and unavoidable inclusions . the slab of this composition was hot rolled by heating it to 1280 ° c . and holding this temperature for 3 hours . the rolling was ended at 930 - 950 ° c . after rolling , the resultant steel was cooled by laminar flow , and then coiled at 550 ° c .± 30 ° c . to form band steel of 2 . 5 mm in thickness . after shot blasting and acid washing , the band steel was cold rolled to a thickness of 0 . 65 mm and then subjected to middle annealing at 850 ° c . under the conditions given in table 5 . after shot blasting and acid washing , the band steel was subjected to secondary cold rolling to 0 . 30 mm , the thickness of the final product , coated with an annealing separator comprising zro 2 slurry as the main component and dried or electrostatically coated directly with an annealing separator comprising zro 2 fine powder as the main component . thereafter , the steel band was coiled and subjected to high - temperature annealing in an atmosphere of mixed nitrogen and hydrogen or pure hydrogen at 1200 ° c . which was held for 20 hours . after uncoiled , the steel band was coated with insulating coating and stretch - leveling annealed . the magnetic and coating performances of the resultant products are shown in table 5 . according to the invention which inherits the advantages of heating slab at medium temperature , the process in which no underlying layer is formed during high - temperature annealing is utilized , and the decarburizing annealing process and the high - temperature annealing process are controlled strictly , so that mirror - like grain - oriented silicon steel without underlying layer is obtained . the final product with tension coating has good appearance and electromagnetic characteristics , and enhanced stamping performance . the method of the invention has reduced procedures and enhanced productive efficiency , and produces products with stable performances . the devices used herein are conventional devices for producing grain - oriented silicon steel , wherein the technologies and control means are simple and practical .	2
referring to the drawings , and more particularly to fig1 to 4 , 11 generally designates a typical photographic print washing apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention . the apparatus 11 comprises a generally rectangular tank 12 having a bottom wall 13 , vertical front and rear walls 14 and 15 , and vertical opposite end walls 16 and 17 . rigidly secured to and extending through the upper marginal portion of rear wall 15 , and located adjacent to end wall 16 is a transverse water inlet pipe 18 . rigidly communicatively connected to inlet pipe 18 are three spaced longitudinally extending , substantially identical , vertical spray loops 19 , 20 and 21 , each having a horizontal longitudinal top arm 22 , a depending vertical right end arm 23 , as viewed in fig1 a horizontal longitudinal bottom arm 24 , an upstanding vertical left end arm 25 , and an intermediate longitudinal sealed - end inner horizontal arm 26 , each of said spray loops being contained in a respective longitudinal vertical plane , the parallel planes of the spray loops being spaced apart to define spaces therebetween adapted to receive print - supporting racks 27 , in the manner shown in fig3 . the oppositely - facing portions of the arms of the spray loops are provided with evenly spaced water jet apertures 28 for delivering water jets to the opposite surfaces of upright photographic prints 29 contained in the racks 27 . said jets are provided by a suitable normally pressured water supply source connected to the water inlet pipe 18 . rigidly secured to and extending through the upper intermediate portion of rear wall 15 , at a level a short distance below that of inlet pipe 18 , is a siphon discharge pipe 30 to which is connected a vertical pipe 31 extending upwardly from a transverse bottom pipe 32 having a plurality of longitudinal open - ended drain pipes 33 connected thereto , located in a horizontal plane near bottom wall 13 . the water collection pipes 33 extend perpendicularly to the transverse drain pipe 32 and are located respectively in longitudinal vertical planes spaced substantially midway between the vertical planes of the spray loops 19 , 20 and 21 , whereby the longitudinally extending open - ended collection pipes 33 serve as bottom supports for the print racks 27 in the manner illustrated in fig3 . as shown in fig4 a typical print rack 27 may comprise a wire cage structure having spaced transverse u - shaped loops 34 with flaring top arm portions 35 , 35 , rigidly connected at their top ends by longitudinal rods 36 , 36 . the bottom corners of the loops 34 are rigidly connected by longitudinal bottom rods 37 . cross rods 38 rigidly connect the side arms of the loops 34 at vertically spaced locations , to serve as end closure elements of the wire basket structure thus defined . the flaring top arm portions 35 are relatively flexible and are adapted to yieldably engage with the top arms 22 of the two rack - receiving compartments defined between the three spaced vertical spray loops 19 , 20 and 21 . it will be noted that the spray loops 19 , 20 and 21 define generally rectangular , longitudinally - elongated spiral configurations with jet apertures spaced so as to substantially simultaneously wash relatively evenly - distributed areas of opposite sides of a print 29 supported in an upright position in a rack 27 arranged in the manner shown in fig3 . in operation , water is admitted into the tank via input pipe 18 and forms jets by discharging from the apertures 28 , washing both sides of the rack - supported prints 29 , as above described . the water fills the tank , and , with a sufficient intake rate , may establish a top level such as that shown at 39 in fig3 . the water discharges from the tank via the drain pipes 33 , 32 , 31 and 30 , under continuous flow conditions . due to the elevation of the discharge pipe 30 relative to the bottom of the tank , a siphon action is provided which enables most of the water to be automatically discharged from the tank following shut - off of the water supply to the input pipe 18 . thus , the drain system , with its siphon arrangement , permits rapid filling of the tank , and also provides fairly complete emptying after the water supply has been turned off . the print holding cages 27 prevent the photographic prints from drifting away from the jets of wash water . part of the holes 28 may be directed away from the locations of the photographic prints . this is done to insure thorough circulation and to prevent chemical - laden water from lingering in quiet corners of the tank . during operation , water enters the system in the form of jets through the holes 28 , which are arranged to flood the fronts and backs of the prints in the cages 27 . the siphon drain system starts to operate when the tank fills , and draws waste water from the bottom of the tank . the four inlet ports of the drain system , shown at 40 , are close to the bottom of the tank , for ease of assembly , and because the chemical - laden wash water is substantially heavier than fresh water . the four drain ports 40 are in widely separated parts of the tank bottom portion and induce more uniform water circulation than that which would be provided by a single drain port . fig5 to 9 illustrate another embodiment of the present invention , generally designated at 41 . the apparatus 41 comprises a generally rectangular tank 42 having a bottom wall 43 , vertical front and rear walls 44 and 45 , and vertical opposite end walls 46 and 47 . rigidly secured to and extending through the upper marginal portion of rear wall 45 is a transverse water inlet pipe 48 , located adjacent to end wall 46 . a drain system similar to that employed in the first - described embodiment is provided in the tank 42 , said drain system comprising the transverse drain pipe 32 extending through and rigidly secured to the bottom portion of rear wall 45 and having the four open - ended longitudinally extending collection pipes 33 with intake ports 40 . a perforated vertical central longitudinal partition wall 49 is provided in the tank , said partition wall having oppositely extending perforated bottom flanges 50 , 50 overlying the drain pipes 32 and 33 , and being employed as bottom supports for upright photographic prints to be washed in the apparatus . communicatively connected to the transverse water inlet pipe 48 adjacent to and on opposite sides of the partition wall 49 are respective generally rectangular vertical spiral spray loops 61 , 51 similar to those employed in the first - described embodiment , and communicatively connected to said inlet pipe 48 respectively inwardly adjacent to the front and rear walls 44 , 45 are similar spray loops 52 , 53 . the respective compartments defined between the spray loops 61 , 52 and 51 , 53 are relatively narrow and are adapted to receive photographic prints therein in upright positions for washing by the water jets provided by the spray loops , in substantially the same manner as in the first - described embodiment of the invention . the apertures , shown at 54 , in the bottom supporting flanges 50 , 50 allow free descent of the wash water to the bottom of the tank for drainage through the drain system . the siphon arrangement employed with tank 42 is located externally , whereby to minimize the front - to - rear depth of the tank and reduce the amount of water required . thus , as shown in fig6 and 8 , the outer end of drain pipe 32 is connected to a vertical external siphon pipe 55 rising almost to the level of water inlet pipe 48 . a short horizontal pipe 56 connects the top end of pipe 55 to a descending vertical pipe 57 ( see fig8 ), whose lower end is in turn connected to a waste water discharge conduit 58 . the arrangement thus described provides substantially the same siphon action as is obtained with the siphon system of the first - described embodiment of the invention . in the embodiment of fig5 to 9 , no print cages are needed because the relatively narrow enclosures defined between the respective pairs of spiral spray loops 52 , 61 and 51 , 53 , with their associated bottom supporting flanges 50 , 50 keep the prints in the required upright positions . also , since the tank is smaller in front - to - rear depth than in the first - described embodiment , although of similar height and width , an equal or greater number of water changes per minute can be obtained , with a lower flow rate . since there are fewer quiet corners , the previously described additional jets of water for extra circulation need not be employed . a removable drain plug 59 is provided in the lower portion of end wall 47 , close to bottom wall 43 , to enable substantially complete emptying of the tank at the conclusion of its use , so as to maintain the tank dry between uses thereof and thereby prevent the growth of algae therein . an overflow aperture 60 is provided in the top portion of rear wall 45 to limit the maximum water level in the tank . for convenient use , the tank may be placed in a large sink or similar receptacle having water drain or run - off means , thereby eliminating the need for connecting a drain conduit to the outlet of the tank drain system . while certain specific embodiments of an improved photographic print washing apparatus have been disclosed in the foregoing description , it will be understood that various modifications within the scope of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art . therefore it is intended that adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments .	6
[ 0013 ] fig1 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of an advertising system . display units 170 are provided at the advertising venues . an advertising venue may be a retail outlet or practically any other area capable of accommodating such display units . for example , display units 170 may be provided along an aisle inside a shopping mall . in one embodiment , the display units are kiosks which provide audio and video advertising to consumers . in one embodiment , a plurality of display units 170 b - d may be connected to a single receiving port unit 160 . the port unit 160 may support any number of display units . the use of a port 160 unit may be preferable in , for example , a large store having numerous display units . also , the port 160 may be useful if a single grocery chain , for example , wishes to link the advertisements in all the stores in its chain . the display units 170 and the port units 160 are connected to a public network 150 . the network may include any type of electronically connected group of computers including , for instance , the following networks : internet , intranet , local area networks ( lan ) or wide area networks ( wan ). in addition , the connectivity to the network may be , for example , remote modem , ethernet ( ieee 802 . 3 ), token ring ( ieee 802 . 5 ), fiber distributed datalink interface ( fddi ) or asynchronous transfer mode ( atm ). note that computing devices may be desktop , server , portable , hand - held , set - top , or any other desired type of configuration . as used herein , an internet includes network variations such as public internet , a private internet , a secure internet , a private network , a public network , a value - added network , an intranet , and the like . in a preferred embodiment , the public network 150 is the internet computer network . the display units 170 and the port units 160 subscribe to an advertising service implemented on an advertising system 100 , which may be remotely located from all display units 170 , is also connected to the public network 150 . the advertising system 100 comprises a central advertising server 120 . in one embodiment , the advertising system 100 further comprises a plurality of servers 110 a - c connected to the central advertising server 120 via a telecommunications network . in a preferred embodiment , the telecommunications network is an intranet . each server 110 , 120 can be a conventional computer system , such as one based on intel , sun , ibm or other computer server vendor running server software such as windows nt or apache . the link between multiple computer servers is preferably based on the ethernet standard for providing high throughput communications between each server . the servers 110 , 120 may be capable of providing load balancing in providing digital advertising to display units 170 . the servers 110 , 120 in the advertising system 100 can store video , text and audio data corresponding to each of a plurality of advertisements . in one embodiment , each advertisement is stored on the servers 110 , 120 as a web page . for example , the stored advertisement may contain hypertext markup language ( html ) text and integrated graphic , audio , video or animation data . portions or all of the advertisement may be stored in a compressed format . for example , the video data may be stored as an mpeg file that is displayed via a shockwave - compatible plug - in module . details concerning the shockwave modules may be found at www . shockwave . com . the advertisement , in the form of a web page , may thus be viewed using a web browser such as microsoft internet explorer or netscape navigator . [ 0019 ] fig2 illustrates one example of an advertisement in the form of a web page . the advertisement 200 comprises text 210 and graphics , video or animation 220 . as noted above , the text 210 is in html format . the sailboat graphic 220 may be a still graphic , a looped video clip or a looped animation . referring again to fig1 the central advertisement server 120 comprises a database ( not shown ) of client display units 170 and receiving port units 160 . each display unit 170 and port unit 160 is identified in the database by a unique alphanumeric naming code . the naming code may be indicative of such parameters as customer name and location of the display unit or port unit . the display units 170 a - d may be supported by a personal computer running a display software and a content update software . the personal computer is capable of either storing advertisement files or accessing such files from another device , such as a server or a disk storage . each display unit 170 and / or a corresponding port unit 160 is equipped with a device such as a modem for dial - up or fixed access to the network 150 . in one embodiment , the display units 170 a - d are equipped with web - enabled cameras . the cameras may be aimed at the display itself , thus allowing the administrator of the advertisement system to monitor the display . for areas with multiple display units , a single camera may be used to monitor a plurality of display units . [ 0023 ] fig3 is a flow chart illustrating the distribution of a new advertisement to the subscribing display units . at state 310 , an advertisement is created and stored on one of the servers 110 , 120 in the advertisement system 100 illustrated in fig1 . the advertisement may be supplied in electronic form to the administrator of the advertisement system 100 by the advertiser . at state 320 , the administrator determines which display units are to display the particular advertisement . the display units may be selected to target a particular market , a particular geographic area or a particular demographic , for example . a list of selected display units may be supplied by the advertiser . at state 330 , the advertising system accesses the above - described database to obtain the alphanumeric identification code of each of the selected display units . the database may also include a list of the advertisements currently existing on each display unit . the database may also include a file or an entry indicating the connection through which the advertisement system and the display unit communicate . for example , the connection may be a fixed internet , dial - up internet or direct dial - up connection . at state 340 , the advertising system contacts each of the selected display units and uploads the files containing the advertisement . along with the data files , the advertising system may also upload a display schedule for the advertisement for each unit . for example , the display schedule may indicate the times at which the advertisement is to be displayed or a percentage of the operational time during which the advertisement is to be displayed . thus , the advertising system &# 39 ; s servers can initiate the process of updating the advertisement files on the client display units without receiving a request from the clients first . the uploading may occur either during a fixed schedule ( e . g ., once per day ) or whenever the advertising administrator initiates an upload process . each display unit may also initiate an upload if , for example , it had become disconnected from the network . in one embodiment , the uploading is accomplished by transferring the files through a network via the file transfer protocol ( ftp ). in one embodiment , the uploading process is initiated by the central advertisement server . the central server contacts each display unit to inform that display unit that an update to its files is required . in response , each display unit connects to one of the servers in the advertisement system to obtain the upload . the server to which the display unit connects may be one that has been previously designated to that display unit . this prevents a large number of display units directly contacting the central server at once . at state 350 , the advertising system automatically updates the database to reflect the addition of the advertisement at each of the selected display units . in one embodiment , the database is a set of directories , each directory corresponding to a particular display unit . the database , or directory , may contain an update flag file . the update flag file indicates to the display unit whether or not the advertisement system is requesting to update the advertisement files existing on the display unit . in another embodiment , the advertisements may be created at the display units themselves . thus , the merchant at each display unit , for example , may add his own advertisements to those uploaded by the central advertisement server . once the advertisement has been uploaded to the individual display units , it may be modified by simply modifying the appropriate file . in one embodiment , the advertiser can remotely modify the advertisement by connecting to the display unit via a network such as the internet . updating of a display unit may be performed through a content wizard . the content wizard is a windows - based application which allows a user to select and sequence display files into the display sequence for the selected unit . upon selection and sequencing of the content for a display unit , the updated material may be submitted to the display unit . the display units execute a display engine to display the advertisements . the advertisements may comprise multimedia files of varying types . in one embodiment , the advertisements may be stored in synchronized multimedia integration language ( smil ) files . since the necessary advertisement files and the required software exist on each display unit , the display units are capable of autonomous operation . thus , even if the display unit is not always connected to the advertisement system , its browser will continue to display all of the advertisements that have been uploaded to it by the servers . each display unit is capable of displaying broadcast - quality , world wide web - quality , or still slide advertisements . the size of the display unit may be varied as appropriate for the venue . thus , the invention provides tremendous advantages in speed and flexibility . for example , if a new advertiser wishes to have their ads placed within a series of supermarkets , only one advertising page is created and stored on the server . as soon as the advertising page is stored , it can be transmitted to each of the designated supermarkets for display . as can be imagined , the system includes software for determining which display will show a particular advertisement . for example , if one of the advertisements relates to a special on safeway frozen food , that advertisement is only shown on display units within safeway stores . another advantage of the invention is the ability to show advertisements on a predetermined schedule in order to comply with particular contracts . thus , one chain of supermarkets may agree to allow the display units on their premises with the promise that their own ads would run 50 % of the time . the system would simply determine the ad cycle for each individual supermarket display and then time the advertisements so that 50 % of the ads were from the supermarket . each advertisement preferably only runs for a few seconds . of course , advertisers that wanted their ad to stay resident on the display screen for longer periods of time would pay a greater amount of money . as noted above , most advertisements would be a compilation of text and a short video with sound . this would allow each advertiser the ability to present a short message to the public . the short message would then be repeated throughout the day on the video screen . because each advertisement is preferably stored locally on the display units , each display unit can be programmed to display varying patterns of ads . the supermarket display units can advertise for services and products from its local area , along with its own supermarket ads . on the other hand , a hardware store may display ads from its own store , along with service and products appropriate for hardware store customers . the combination of servers , with appropriate redundancy , ensure that the display units in the field operate with the highest possible reliability . the combination of servers is designed in such a way as to ensure that appropriate load - balancing occurs . this becomes a greater issue for the system as broadcast - quality video streams become the norm , rather than the exception . the system is constructed to ensure that the display units are updated in a timely manner , depending on the type of the update and the venue of the display unit . for example , to update a full motion video into a running display unit within a high - traffic merchant would not be appropriate and , therefore , would occur during off hours only . as a second example , a small real estate advertisement that reflects a change in a home price or a just - sold condition may be updated at once by the delivery system . the foregoing description details certain embodiments of the invention . it will be appreciated , however , that no matter how detailed the foregoing appears , the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics . the described embodiment is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive and 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
the following description is of the best - contemplated mode of carrying out the invention . this description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense . the scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims . fig2 shows an embodiment of the invention . the current source 200 comprises a first node 210 , a second node 216 , a current driver 202 , a level shift unit 204 and voltage regulator device 206 . the current driver 202 comprises a current generator 208 and a first resistor r 1 . in the embodiment , the current generator 208 is implemented by a transistor q 1 . the current generator 208 is coupled to the first resistor r 1 in series via the first node 210 . according to the voltage difference between a control terminal 212 ( the base of transistor q 1 ) and the first node 210 ( the emitter of transistor q 1 ), the transistor q 1 generates a supply current i o for a load 214 . the level shift unit 204 is coupled between the first node 210 and the second node 216 to generate a rated voltage difference therebetween . the voltage level of the first node 210 is lower than that of the second node 216 . in the embodiment , a tlv431 regulator ic 1 is implemented as the voltage regulator device 206 . the reference input terminal and the cathode of the tlv431 regulator ic 1 are the input terminal and the output terminal of the voltage regulator device 206 , respectively . the voltage regulator device 206 may be implemented by other chips such as ts 431 ( st ), lmv431 ( ns ), rc431a ( fairchild ), apl431l ( anpec ), at431 ( aimtron ), cat431l ( catalyst ) and others . the reference terminal and the cathode of the tlv431 regulator ic 1 are coupled to the second node 216 and the control terminal 212 , respectively . if the voltage level of the second node 216 deviates from a first voltage level v ref , the tlv431 regulator ic 1 adjusts the voltage level of the control terminal 212 to change the supply current i o . the voltage level of the first node 210 varies with the supply current i o . the control loop can maintain the voltage level of the first node at the first voltage level v ref , and the supply current i o is maintained at a constant value . the level shift unit 204 comprises a constant current source i g and a second resistor r 2 . the first node 210 is coupled to the second node 216 by the second resistor r 2 . the magnitude of the constant current source i g and the second resistor r 2 are defined by the user . the constant current i g flows through the second resistor r 2 and generates a constant voltage difference v r2 ( i g ) across the second resistor r 2 . when the current supply 200 is in stable , the voltage level of the first node is a constant value of v ref - v r2 ( i g ), and the supply current i o is constant . when the constant current i g is 0 . 94 ma and the second resistor r 2 is 1 kohm , the rated voltage between the second and the first nodes 216 and 210 is 0 . 94v . when the first voltage level v ref is 1 . 24v , the voltage level of the first node is 0 . 3v ( 1 . 24v − 0 . 92v ). if the supply current i o is 1 a , the first resistor r 1 approximates 0 . 3 ohm . the power consumption of the first resistor r 1 approximates 0 . 3 watt ( p = i · v ). the power consumption of the first resistor r 1 of the current source 200 is much lower than that of the conventional current source 100 ( which requires 1 . 24 w to generate a supply current of 1 a ). the novel current source can generate high supply current for high power application . the level shift unit 204 may be implemented by other devices which can maintain the voltage level of the first node 210 at a value lower than the first voltage level v ref and decrease the power consumption of the first resistor r 1 . fig3 shows another embodiment of the invention . the difference between the current sources 200 and 300 is the level shift unit . in fig3 , the level shift unit 304 comprises a second resistor r 2 , a constant current source i g , a third resistor r 3 , and a variable voltage source s v . there is a rated voltage difference between the second and the first nodes . the constant i g flows through the second resistor r 2 and generates a constant voltage difference v r2 ( i g ) across the second resistor r 2 . the variable voltage source s v generates a current i v , ( s v - v ref )/ r 3 , through the third resistor r 3 . the current i v generates a voltage difference v r2 ( i v ), varying with the output voltage level of the variable voltage source s v , across the second resistor r 2 . the rated voltage difference between the second and the first nodes is ( v r2 ( i g )+ v r2 ( i v )). the variable voltage source s v controls the rated voltage difference to control the voltage level of the first node 310 . the voltage level of the first node 310 is v ref -( v r2 ( i g )+ v r2 ( i v )). when the output voltage of the variable voltage source s v exceeds the first voltage level v ref , v r2 ( i v ) is positive and the rated voltage difference ( v r2 ( i g )+ v r2 ( i v )) exceeds v r2 ( i g ), the voltage level of the first node is lower than v ref - v r2 ( i g ). when the output voltage of the variable voltage source s v is lower than the first voltage level v ref , v r2 ( i v ) is negative and the rated voltage difference ( v r2 ( i g )+ v r2 ( i v )) is lower than v r2 ( i g ), the voltage level of the first node exceeds v ref - v r2 ( i g ). the higher the output voltage of the variable voltage source s v , the lower the voltage level of the first node 310 and the lower the supply current i o . in the embodiment , the voltage level of the first node 310 may exceed the first reference voltage level v ref if the output voltage of the variable voltage source s v is too small . in such a situation , the third resistor r 3 has to be far larger than the second resistor r 2 to prevent the voltage level of the first node 310 from exceeding the first reference voltage level v ref . in general , we select the third resistor r 3 is about 10 times than the second resistor r 2 . fig4 shows another embodiment of the invention . the difference between the current sources 300 and 400 is the level shift unit . in fig4 , the level shift unit 404 comprises a second resistor r 2 , a third resistor r 3 , and a variable voltage source s v . the current i v through the third resistor r 3 is ( s v - v ref )/ r 3 . the current i v generates a rated voltage difference v r2 ( i v ) across the third resistor r 3 . the voltage level of the first node 410 varies with the rated voltage difference v r2 ( i v ) which varies with the output voltage of the variable voltage source s v . when the output voltage of the variable voltage source s v exceeds the first voltage level v ref , the voltage level of the first node 410 is lower than that of the second node . when the output voltage of the variable voltage source s v is lower than the first voltage level v ref , the voltage level of the first node 410 exceeds that of the second node . the magnitude of the supply current i o can be controlled by the variable voltage source s v . the supply current i o decreases with increasing output voltage level of the variable voltage source s v . fig5 shows another embodiment of the invention . unlike that shown in fig2 , the current source 500 here further comprises a current source switch 518 which is coupled to the control terminal 512 . the current source switch 518 can couple the control terminal 512 to a second voltage level ( such as ground ) to shut down transistor q 1 to stop the supply current i o and shut down the current source 500 . the current source switch 518 can control the supply current i o to be a pulse wave by intermittently coupling the control terminal 512 to ground . the current source switch 518 comprises a pulse voltage source s p and a switch 520 . the switch 520 comprises a fourth resistor r 4 , a fifth resistor r 5 , and a transistor q 2 . the fourth resistor r 4 is coupled between the output of the pulse voltage source s p and the base of the transistor q 2 . the fifth resistor r 5 is coupled between the base and the emitter of the transistor q 2 . the collector and the emitter of the transistor q 2 are coupled to the control terminal 512 and ground , respectively . when the output of the pulse voltage source s p is at a first level ( a high voltage level ), the transistor q 2 is turned on and the control terminal 512 is coupled to ground via the transistor q 2 , and current source 500 is shut down . when the output of the pulse voltage source s p is at a second level ( a low voltage level ), the transistor q 2 is turned off . the current source 500 can normally generate the supply current i o . the current source switch 518 can also be introduced to the current sources 300 and 400 to generate supply current in pulse form . any embodiment of the invention can adopt the current source switch 518 . the current sources comprising the current source switch 518 coupled at the control terminal to turn on / off the current source or to generate a supply current in a pulse form are in the scope of the disclosure . the voltage difference between the cathode and the anode of the tlv431 regulator ic 1 must exceed a minimum operating voltage to ensure the correct operation of the tlv431 regulator ic 1 . fig6 shows another embodiment of the invention . unlike current source 200 , the current source 600 here further comprises a diode d 1 and a sixth resistor r 6 . the anode and the cathode of the tlv431 regulator ic 1 are coupled to the cathode of the tlv431 regulator ic 1 ( 622 ) and the control terminal 612 , respectively . when the transistor q 1 is conducting , the voltage difference provided by the diode d 1 , the base - emitter of the transistor q 1 and the first resistor r 1 must exceed the minimum operating voltage to ensure the correct operation of the tlv431 regulator ic 1 . the technique disclosed in fig6 can be applied to other embodiments of the invention to ensure correct operation of the voltage regulator device . fig7 shows another embodiment of the invention . unlike current source 200 , the current generator of the current source 700 is here implemented by a darlington circuit . the current generator of all embodiments of the invention can be replaced by the darlington circuit or any circuit having similar function . while the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto . to the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements ( as would be apparent to those skilled in the art ). therefore , the scope of the appended claims should be accorded to the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements .	6
a metal plate for a wire grid and a method for manufacturing the wire grid according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to fig2 to 4 . fig2 is a plan view of a wire grid 100 according to the first embodiment . this wire grid 100 is obtained by attaching a textile to a ring frame body 20 , the textile including a plurality of stainless steel wires ( hereinafter , simply referred to as stainless wires ) 11 extending vertically and silk yarns 12 extending horizontally while crossing one by one alternately with respect to the stainless wires 11 . when the wire grid 100 shown in fig2 is used as a polarizer or analyzer , electromagnetic waves are made incident in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the wire grid 100 . with incident electromagnetic waves having a plane of polarization parallel to the stainless wires 11 of the wire grid 100 , the electric field component of the electromagnetic waves generates an electric current in the stainless wires 11 . therefore , the electric field component is reflected or absorbed and the electromagnetic waves are not transmitted . on the other hand , since the width ( diameter ) of the stainless wires ( 11 ) is significantly shorter than ( about 1 / 10 or less of ) the wavelength , the loss due to an electric current flowing in the stainless wires 11 can be mostly ignored with incident electromagnetic waves having a plane of polarization perpendicular to the stainless wires 11 . therefore , the electromagnetic waves are transmitted as they are . in this way , the wire grid 100 acts as a polarizer or analyzer . fig3 ( a ) is a plan view ( photograph ) of a wire grid fabric for use in the wire grid 100 shown in fig2 , whereas fig3 ( b ) is an enlarged view ( photograph ) of the wire grid fabric . the wire grid fabric 10 shown in fig3 ( a ) is a textile made by using a loom with a stainless wire as warp yarn and a silk yarn as weft yarn . first , a warp yarn feeding mechanism is set so that a stainless wire ( warp yarn ) wound around a yarn feeder such as a bobbin is fed to a loom while keeping a predetermined tension , and plain weave is carried out by alternating pull up and down of a heddle and passing of a shuttle for a silk yarn ( weft yarn ). as this loom , jacquard loom can be used . the pitch for the stainless wires 11 a , 11 b is selected within the range of 30 μm to 3 mm so that electromagnetic waves of 10 ghz to 10 thz can be polarized and analyzed . when the pitch is 30 μm , the wavelength is 120 μm in the case of 30 μm for the ¼ wavelength , thus allowing a 2 . 5 thz frequency band to be polarized and analyzed . alternatively , when the pitch is 3 mm , the wavelength is 12 mm in the case of 3 mm for the ¼ wavelength , thus allowing a 25 ghz frequency band to be polarized . this textile is made by plain weave as shown in fig3 ( b ) , in such a way that the stainless wires 11 a , 11 b are arranged at a predetermined pitch and the stainless wires 11 a , 11 b and silk yarns ( twine of silk fibers ) 12 a , 12 b are crossed one by one . in this example , the pitch for the stainless wires 11 a , 11 b as warp yarn and the pitch for the silk yarns 12 a , 12 b as weft yarn have a relationship of about 1 : 5 . this pitch is determined in view of issues as described next . the smaller the ratio of the pitch for the silk yarns 12 a , 12 b to the pitch for the stainless wires 11 a , 11 b is , the relatively more the stainless wires 11 a , 11 b is flexed . the degree of the flexing is affected by the thicknesses and degrees of hardness of the stainless wires 11 a , 11 b and silk yarns 12 a , 12 b . for example , when the stainless wires and silk yarns can be woven by using a loom for nishijin silk fabrics , it is preferable that the ratio between the pitches be 1 : 1 or more . furthermore , the larger the ratio of the pitch for the silk yarns 12 a , 12 b to the pitch for the stainless wires 11 a , 11 b is , the larger the interval between the positions of supporting the stainless wires 11 a , 11 b by the silk yarns 12 a , 12 b is , and the stainless wires 11 a , 11 b will be thus likely to undergo deflection . the degree of the deflection is affected by the thicknesses and degrees of hardness of the stainless wires 11 a , 11 b and silk yarns 12 a , 12 b . for example , when the stainless wires and silk yarns can be woven by using a loom for nishijin silk fabrics , it is preferable that the ratio between the pitches be 1 : 10 or less . furthermore , it is preferable that the diameter of the stainless wire be adjusted so that when the pitch dimension and diameter of the stainless wire are respectively denoted by d and a , the ratio d / a has a value on the order of 2 to 4 . when this value is less than 2 , the transmittance of electromagnetic waves in the polarization direction desired to be transmitted will be less than a transmittance generally required by a polarizer or analyzer for electromagnetic waves of 10 ghz to 10 thz . when this value is greater than 4 , the transmittance of electromagnetic waves in the polarization direction desired to be blocked will be greater as compared with the transmittance generally required by a polarizer or analyzer for electromagnetic waves of 10 ghz to 10 thz . the wire grid shown in fig2 is obtained by fitting the wire grid fabric 10 as shown in fig3 ( a ) in the frame body 20 . the wire grid fabric 10 may be any wire grid fabric as long as the size of the wire grid fabric is larger than the opening of the frame body 20 , and it is also possible to cut the wire grid fabric 10 . thus , the wire grid 100 of arbitrary size can be easily made depending on the size of the frame body 20 . according to this embodiment , because the warp yarn is able to keep the arrangement pitch constant with a high degree of accuracy as compared with the weft , a wire grid with a high - precision grid pitch is obtained by using a stainless wire ( conductive yarn ) for the warp yarn and a silk yarn ( insulating yarn ) for the weft yarn . according to the present invention , for example , a textile ( piece goods ) with a width of 1 m or more and a length of 1 m or more can be made at one time . thus , the present invention provides a quite high production efficiency , and allows reduction in cost . furthermore , the present invention eliminates the need for a frame body for applying a tension to fine metal wires to arrange the wires , as in conventional wire grids . furthermore , with the textile as a whole , a wire grid of predetermined size can be easily manufactured by cutting the textile . moreover , the textile can be shaped into a three - dimensional structure such as , for example , a parabolic shape . fig4 is a diagram showing an example of polarization and analysis characteristics of the wire grid according to the first embodiment . in fig4 , the horizontal axis indicates the frequency of an incident electromagnetic wave , whereas the vertical axis indicates a transmittance %. in fig4 , a indicates the transmittance of electromagnetic waves ( light ) with the electric field direction of incident light perpendicular to the stainless wire , whereas b indicates the transmittance of electromagnetic waves ( light ) with the electric field direction of incident light parallel to the stainless wire . in this example , the diameter and pitch of the stainless wire were 30 μmm and 10 wires / mm . thus , polarized waves were allowed to be transmitted at a transmittance of 80 % or more over a range of 10 ghz to 1000 ghz , and polarized waves were blocked at a transmittance of 5 % or less over a range of 100 ghz to 650 ghz . it is to be noted that while the single stainless wire is used as the conductive fine line in the example described above , other metal wires such as tungsten wires , carbon twine including carbon fibers , further , conductive organic fibers , etc . can be also be similarly applied . furthermore , while the silk yarn is used as the insulating yarn , in addition , natural fibers such as cotton yarn and wool , as well as synthetic fibers such as polyethylene and polyester can also be similarly applied . in general , the use of a synthetic fiber increases the durability , and suppresses changes in characteristics with respect to environmental changes since the synthetic fiber is less hygroscopic . moreover , while the conductive yarn and the insulating yarn are used respectively for the warp yarn and weft yarn , the insulating yarn and the conductive yarn may be reversely used respectively for the warp yarn and weft yarn . more specifically , weaving may be carried out by using a loom with the use of the insulating yarn such as a silk yarn for the warp yarn and of the conductive yarn such as a stainless wire for the weft yarn . a metal plate for a wire grid and a method for manufacturing the wire grid according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to fig5 . while the wire grid fabric with the insulating yarns left in place is used in the first embodiment , this second embodiment provides a wire grid fabric fixed in a frame body with insulating yarns removed . fig5 is a plan view of a wire grid 101 according to the second embodiment . this wire grid 101 is obtained by attaching a textile to a ring frame body 20 and then removes the silk yarns , the textile including a plurality of stainless wires 11 extending vertically and silk yarns 12 extending horizontally while crossing one by one alternately with respect to the stainless wires 11 . specifically , processing such as burning the insulating yarns causes the yarns to substantially disappear . alternatively , chemically soluble yarns are used as the insulating yarns , and the insulating yarns are dissolved in a liquid , with the wire grid fabric fixed in the frame body . as described above , the wire grid 101 configured to have only the conductive yarns arranged at a predetermined pitch is not to be electromagnetically affected by the insulating yarns . therefore , the electromagnetically influential insulating yarns can also be used to weave textiles , and the wire grid 101 thus has higher degrees of freedom for the material , thickness , arrangement pitch , and the like of the insulating yarns . while the textile with the conductive yarns and the insulating yarns is used in the first and second embodiments , the third embodiment uses conductive yarns for both warp yarn and weft yarn . fig6 is a plan view of a wire grid 102 according to the third embodiment . this wire grid 102 is obtained by attaching a textile to a ring frame body 20 , the textile including a plurality of stainless wires 11 extending vertically and stainless wires 13 extending horizontally while crossing one by one alternately with respect to the stainless wires 11 . the pitch for the stainless wires 11 as warp yarn is made to have the ¼ wavelength of a wavelength to be polarized and analyzed , whereas the pitch for the stainless wires 13 as weft yarn is made 10 times as long as a wavelength to be polarized . when the pitch for the stainless wires 13 as weft yarn is 5 or more times as long as the wavelength , the increase in loss due to the existence of the stainless wires 13 can be suppressed to an increase on the order of several %, and the loss is further reduced by making the pitch 10 or more times as long as the wavelength . with this configuration , the stainless wires 13 as weft yarn have no adverse effect on polarization and analysis characteristics for the target wavelength , the increase in loss due to the existence of the stainless wires 13 can be mostly ignored , and the wire grid can be directly used for a wire grid for polarization and analysis of electromagnetic waves . while the pitch for the weft yarn is greater than the pitch for the warp yarn in the example shown in fig6 , the reverse relationship may be employed . it is to be noted that while the plain - woven textile includes warp yarn and weft yarn in each embodiment described above , twill weave or satin weave may be employed besides plain weave when the conductive yarn is used as the warp yarn . alternatively , even when the conductive yarn is used as the weft yarn , twill weave or satin weave may be employed in such a way that the conductive yarn is arranged at a predetermined pitch . furthermore , a plating process such as gold plating may be applied to the conductive yarns after the textile is made . the application of the plating process allows the conductivity to be increased , and suppresses degradation in characteristics due to aged deterioration and environment .	6
crash sensors have a linear or other type of characteristic curve with which crash signals are detected . external crash sensors transmit this data in coding to an airbag control unit . the measuring range is linearly mapped on the individual digital transmission values . the fact that the measuring range is linearly distributed on the individual admissible transmission values results in a fixed , constant resolution across the entire measuring range . however , this is disadvantageous since certain ranges of values having a higher resolution than others should be available for analysis . in a pressure sensor , the range , for example , in which the separation between triggering and non - triggering takes place , is of greater interest than the pressure characteristics which clearly lie above the triggering threshold anyway . such triggering thresholds may be fixed or may be adaptively changed , i . e ., they are adaptively changed as a function of the crash - characterizing values . the change is then maintained for a certain amount of time in order to be changed again as applicable as a function of the crash characteristics . it is frequently not possible to transmit the entire range of values at a higher resolution for economic reasons . the range of values of a sensor is divided into different ranges in which the values are linearly redistributed on the existing triggering values . however in the case of a pressure sensor , for example , the measuring range is divided into two even halves , for example . the first half having the lower pressure signals is distributed on ¾ of the possible transmission values , while the second half having the higher pressure signals is linearly distributed on the remaining ¼ of the possible transmission values . this results in the lower pressure values having a higher resolution , while the high pressure values are transmitted at a lower resolution . the values in the range are distributed in a different and adapted manner in certain intervals depending on the sensor and the accuracy requirement . this distribution may be implemented via the interface , i . e ., the transmitter module of the sensor . in the case of pressure values , for example , the bit width of the data transmission may be reduced at least from 16 bits to 8 bits , which makes substantial cost savings and data reduction possible . additional application examples for this method are , for example , up - front sensors , peripheral acceleration sensors , and acceleration sensors in the control unit . due to the higher resolution of the signals of the up - front sensor at lower accelerations , they may also be used for pedestrian protection , for plausibility with other sensors , contact sensors , for example . a truck underride may also be better detected in this manner . in the case of peripheral acceleration sensors and the sensors in the control unit , the plausibility and the crash onset may be determined more accurately due to a better resolution in small signals . the sensors may then also be used for determining vehicle - dynamic variables , i . e ., for roll - over sensing and esp . determining the mounting direction for checking the installation direction is thereby also made easier . the method according to the present invention is also advantageous here , since the pre - crash sensor generates a great data flow . fig1 shows a block diagram of the transmission from a sensor to a control unit . a pressure sensor pps is shown here as the sensor having a sensor element 10 including downstream electronics and a transmitter module 11 for transmitting the sensor values . the sensor values are transmitted to transmitter module 11 by the sensor element . transmitter module 11 executes the division of the sensor values according to the present invention as a function of a variable relevant for the control unit . as an example , the range of values , in which the threshold values for analyzing the pressure signal lie , is transmitted at a higher resolution . rougher divisions are also possible , e . g ., only the lower half of the pressure sensor values is transmitted at a higher resolution . the transmitted sensor values are subsequently received by a receiver module 12 in control unit sg . the resolution of the sensor values is reversed here , i . e ., the resolved sensor values are mapped again on the original sensor values which are subsequently analyzed in a processor 13 of control unit sg . the analysis takes place in a triggering algorithm in order to activate connected restraining means ( not shown ) in the event of deployment . instead of a pressure sensor pps , it is alternatively possible to use the method according to the present invention in peripheral acceleration sensors in the side section or in the front - end section of the vehicle or also sensors in the control unit itself . instead of a control unit for restraining means as shown here , control units for a vehicle dynamics control system are also possible . a kinematic sensor platform may also use the method according to the present invention for transmitting its sensor values . fig2 explains in an illustration the distribution of the sensor values on the transmission values . sensor values from 0 to 200 may be generated in sensor element 10 , as illustrated in first section 20 . however , the threshold values in control unit sg lie in range 22 which ranges from 0 to 50 , i . e ., the other range 23 from 50 to 200 is not so interesting since this range results in an unambiguous resolution because these values are well above the threshold values . therefore , range 22 is transmitted at a higher resolution . this takes place via mapping on possible transmission values 21 . transmission values 21 are 8 bits here , from 0 to 255 . in first range 24 of the transmission values , which ranges from 0 to 180 , the values from range 22 are linearly mapped and are thus transmitted at a higher resolution . range 23 is mapped on range of values 24 and is thus transmitted to control unit sg at a lower resolution . the corresponding resolution may be signaled in the data message from sensor pps to control unit sg . fig3 uses a flow chart to explain the procedure of the method according to the present invention . the sensor values are generated by sensor element 10 in method step 300 and are amplified , digitized , and filtered in the associated electronics . the sensor values , digitized in this way , are subsequently supplied to transmitter module 11 which divides the sensor values according to the present invention in method step 301 . transmitter module 301 executes the division of the sensor values as a function of the variable relevant for the control unit , the possible threshold values for the triggering algorithm in this case . transmitter module 11 selects the range of values , in which the threshold values may appear , for transmission at a higher resolution , while it transmits the outlying range of values at a lower resolution . the sensor values , divided in this way , are transmitted in method step 302 . in method step 303 , the sensor values are received by control unit sg via receiver module 12 and supplied to processor 13 for processing in the triggering algorithm . according to fig2 , a sensor value 48 which lies in range 22 is generated as an example . therefore , this measured value 48 is transmitted from range 24 at a higher resolution . transmission values 168 to 171 are then used for this measured value 48 as an example .	1
one embodiment of the hitch system 10 of the present invention is illustrated in fig1 . the hitch system includes an upright support member 12 having a plate member 14 secured to its upper end . attached to the plate member is a yoke 16 having a relative flat base 17 and outwardly protruding shafts or fingers 18 ( one extending outwardly from each side of the yoke , as shown ). the yoke is attached ( by means of fingers 18 ) to the legs 32 of a receiver 30 . the receiver includes a pathway 34 for guiding the king pin 42 of trailer 40 to a lockable ( i . e . latch ) position in the receiver where latch 36 captures the king pin . lever 37 enables the user to unlatch the king pin when desiring to unhook the trailer from the towing vehicle . because the receiver is attached to the yoke solely by means of the fingers on the sides , the yoke allows for pivoting action of the receiver in the longitudinal direction but not in a side - to - side or lateral direction the yoke is attached at the center of its base to the central portion of the support plate 14 by means of bolts 20 which extend through corresponding holes in the yoke base and the plate 14 . a spring 21 encircles the bolt and provides a biasing action when yoke 16 is tilted to one side or the other away from the center of the support plate . the tension on the spring can be increased ( or decreased ) by means of tightening or loosening nut 22 on the upper end of bolt 20 . as shown in fig1 , the support plate may have a central portion 15 which is raised relative to the rest of the support plate . this may be by means of a crease in the plate or by means of an arc in the plate . in either event , a gap 24 is created between each side portion of the plate and the base of the yoke . the gap is preferably at least about 0 . 5 inch but could larger ( e . g . about 1 inch ). the gap on each side of the plate enables the yoke 16 to be tilted either to the right or to the left ( e . g . when the trailer or the towing truck go over bumps or holes in the roadway , or when the truck turns off from one road onto another and the roadways are at different elevations ). this avoids harmful twisting of the trailer while towing . fig2 is an elevational view ( partially cut - away ) of another embodiment of hitch system of the invention where the upright support member 50 is bolted to the frame 60 below bed 62 of a towing vehicle by means of bolts 52 . the support member 50 includes a plate 54 to which the yoke member 16 is attached by means of bolts 20 . a gap 24 is shown between the side portions of the support plate 54 and the yoke member 16 . fig3 is an elevational view ( partially cut - away ) showing another embodiment 70 of hitch system of the invention . in this embodiment the lower end of the upright support member 72 is releasably connected to a conventional ball 80 secured in the bed 82 of a towing vehicle . the connection is made by means of locking pins 71 which are adapted to move in separate guideways 71 a between retracted and extended positions to lock the support member to the ball 80 . the locking pins are located on opposite sides of the ball , as shown . rotatable cam members ( which are pivotably mounted to ears 75 ) are caused to push the locking pins upwardly against the ball by means of threaded screws 74 . a support plate 76 is secured to the upper end of the support member 72 , and yoke 16 is attached to the support plate by means of bolts 20 ( as described in connection with fig1 ). a gap 24 is shown between the side portions of the plate 76 and the yoke 16 . the receiver 32 for the hitch system is attached to the ears 18 of the yoke , as described in connection with fig1 . the embodiment shown in fig3 is especially useful when it is desired to use the existing ball - type hitch in a towing vehicle in order to tow a trailer which has a fifth - wheel type hitch . thus , it is not necessary to purchase a relatively heavy and expensive framework for a conventional fifth - wheel hitch arrangement . also , with the embodiment shown in fig3 , the upright support member can be easily and quickly detached from the ball hitch so that the towing vehicle can use the ball hitch for towing gooseneck trailers . fig4 a and 4b are elevational views illustrating two different manners in which the side portions of the support plate are lower than the central portion of the plate . in fig4 a the support plate 14 is curved so that the outer portions of the plate form a gap 24 on each side , as shown . preferably the gap is in the range of about 0 . 5 to 1 inch . in fig4 b the support plate 14 a includes a central ridge 15 a ( with the ridge extending along the center of the plate in a longitudinal direction of the towing vehicle ). gap 24 is therefore provided between the outer portions of the support plate and the yoke 16 . the extent of the crease forming the ridge may vary , but typically a crease of about 5 degrees is sufficient to provide the desired gap on each side . as previously stated , the presence of the gaps on the sides of the plate enable the yoke ( and , thus , the trailer ) to rock or tilt to one side or the other when the trailer and towing vehicle go over bumps or uneven ground . fig5 a and 5b illustrate other embodiments of the hitch system wherein the support plate 11 is planar , and the yoke member has been modified so that a gap 25 is defined at each side edge between the yoke and the support plate . in fig5 a the yoke 32 a is provided with a slightly rounded or curved bottom surface , as shown . in fig5 b the yoke 32 b has been provided with a creased bottom , as shown , with the crease running in the longitudinal direction . fig6 illustrates one type of bracing which may be used in conjunction with the hitch system which is connected to a conventional ball - type hitch in a towing vehicle . the bracing includes elongated base member 100 having a central opening 101 to accommodate the ball 80 secured in truck bed 82 . the base member 100 lies on the bed of the truck and may include elongated leg extension members 92 positioned on opposite sides of the base member and bolted thereto by means of bolts 103 , for example . brace members 93 are positioned forwardly and rearwardly of the upright support member 12 . the lower end 93 a of each brace is secured to the base member 100 with bolts 96 which extend through the lower end of the brace and through elongated slots 102 in the base . the upper ends 93 b of the braces are positioned , respectively , against the forward and rearward sides of the upright support member 12 beneath stop members 95 ( which may be , for example , metal bars welded or otherwise secured to the support post 12 on the forward and rearward surfaces , as shown ). turnbuckles 94 are attached at opposite ends thereof to the two braces 93 . when the turnbuckles are tightened , the upper ends 93 b of braces 93 are drawn upwardly against stop members 95 , and the lower ends 93 a are pulled toward the support post 12 ( sliding the bolts 96 in the slots 102 ) to complete triangular bracing of the support post . in this manner , the support post is very rigidly held in a straight upright position during use . it is very easy to remove the bracing when it is necessary to remove the hitch system from the truck bed . other variants are possible without departing from the scope of this invention .	1
it should be noted that the following description and drawings are for purposes of illustration , not limitation . for example , the weapon prevention device is not limited to a handgun , and could also be used with a rifle or shotgun . in addition , the present invention is not limited to firearms or even devices that propel projectiles . for example , taser guns , acoustic wave weapons , laser weapons would be within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims . in addition , virtually any handheld or hand controlled device that a user must grip could be used for the prevention of unauthorized access , and there is no requirement that such device must primarily comprise a weapon . for example , the invention could also be used as an anti - theft device in automobiles where the authorized user ( s ) grip on the steering wheel could be recognized as a signature , which overrides an ignition or fuel cutoff switch . finally , it is noted that u . s . pat . nos . ( 1 ) 6 , 185 , 851 b1 , ( 2 ) 5 , 316 , 479 , ( 3 ) 5 , 603 , 179 , and ( 4 ) 4 , 870 , 819 are hereby incorporated by reference as disclosing background material regarding safety locks , trigger locks , and electronic / electro - mechanical pressure detection system known in the prior art . fig1 shows a firearm 100 , which in this particular example is a handgun having a revolver design . the firearm is provided with a handgrip 120 and is fired when firing mechanism 130 is actuated . the firing mechanism 130 includes trigger 140 , which is pivotally mounted in the frame of the gun at 150 . movement of the trigger 140 will cause a hammer 160 to be cocked and released , thus firing a bullet ( not shown ) stored in the cylinder 170 . the firearm 100 is provided with equipped with a safety , which is moved in and out of position to prevent and permit the actuation of the firing mechanism 130 . as shown here , the safety is a sliding latch member 180 adapted to engage a portion 190 on trigger 140 , which extends under the latch member 180 . latch member 180 is biased by a spring 185 to a position in which it is it is adjacent to portion 190 , thereby preventing trigger 140 from being pulled , in which case it pivots around pivot 150 into the fired position . in effect , latch member 180 prevents actuation of the firing mechanism . this handgun is further provided with a solenoid 195 into which an end of latch member 180 is placed . when energized , solenoid retracts latch member 180 , overcoming biasing force of spring 185 , which removes the latch member 180 from the path of portion 190 . with latch member 180 out of the path of portion 190 , the trigger can be pulled , actuating the firing mechanism to discharge the firearm . the retraction of the solenoid , or any type of interlock system , is dependent upon recognition of the users as being authorized to use the weapon . fig2 provides a block diagram of illustrating how the unauthorized user device of the present invention can operate . sensor array 125 , which is arranged in the handle of the weapon and may also be arranged in the trigger , or are part of a special retrofit grip for weapons made prior to the present invention , provide feedback information regarding the position , pressure , and duration of a person gripping the handle of the weapon . for all of the discussion in this application , the term “ handgrip ” is defined as the grip applied to the handle of a device ( presumably but not necessarily limited to a weapon ) that may also include the pressure asserted on the trigger as well as the pressure asserted on the handle of the weapon . the output from the sensors is provided to comparator 210 , which compares these values with values previously stored in storage member 215 . when the comparator 210 finds a match ( according to a predetermined variation either built into the device or chosen by user according to a sensitivity switch ( not shown )) of the output with a value in storage , the comparator indicates this match to the control unit 220 . the indication that there is a match could be , for example , a logic 1 or a logic 0 that is received by the control unit . in turn , the control unit will signal release interlock 230 so that the weapon can be fired . in the case of the example illustrated in fig1 the control unit / cpu 220 would energize the solenoid 195 and retract the latch member 180 . it is possible that the control unit ( which may or may not be separate from the cpu ) could be programmed to have a limited sequence in which the weapon could be used , and once that time has passed , the control unit would again lock the interlock 230 and prevent the firing of the weapon . the control unit / cpu 220 processes the electrical signals to develop a pressure signal profile including : 1 ) hand position of the user &# 39 ; s handgrip on the particular device as indicated by a change in pressure on the sensorarray / pressure sensors ; and 2 ) pressure as a function of position on the gun handle ; and with regard to the three items disclosed above to develop a pressure signal profile , items 1 and 2 provide information regarding the area over which pressure is exerted by a given person , i . e .— the outline of the hand , the outline of the fingers ( item 1 ) pressure on the handgrip , as manifested by the position of the hand on the handgrip , and any variances in the pressure applied by over the area ( item 2 ). item 3 shows pressure as a function of time , which is also critical because the duration that each person applies pressure by squeezing the grip varies greatly . the pressure signature profile can permit a user to wear thin gloves and still be recognized as the authorized user , which would not be possible in fingerprint recognition systems of the prior art . together , the three elements of the profile ( items 1 - 3 ) provide a unique pressure signal profile that no more than 1 % of the population - at - large would possess . the sensors , including the piezoelectrics described above , produce a continuous analog output signal that varies in repeatable manner with applied load , and has a unique output for each level of applied pressure . the “ pressure signature profile ” is a composite signal that includes voltage changes , oscillation frequency changes , and frequency composition changes . the identification of an individual is performed using a statistical classifier that includes a set of computed weights and thresholds which separate the “ pressure signature ” of an individual from that of the rest of the population . when a force is applied to the handgrip the sensors output an electrical signal to the control unit . in one embodiment the control unit may be a microprocessor located within the firearm , for example , within the handgrip . the control unit compares it to the signal stored as the pressure profile of the lawful owner or authorized user . the microprocessor simultaneously reads the signals from all of the sensors and continuously searches for the dynamic pattern corresponding to the valid “ pressure signature .” components of the sensor signal are multiplied by the computed weights and stored thresholds are applied . if the signal exceeds these computed thresholds then the firearm is allowed to fire during predetermined time interval ( e . g . 500 milliseconds ). once the pressure signal profile has been identified as that of an authorized user , the decision as to how long such an authorized user would be allowed to use the device could be based on a number of factors that could be programmable according to an individual &# 39 ; s preference . for example , police officers sometimes pull weapons at armed perpetrators and order them to freeze . sometimes there can be a “ standoff ” where the police have a weapon pointed at a particular perpetrator , who is not putting down his weapon nor has his hands in the air , prior to being handcuffed . if the time permitted to fire the weapon is too short , the gun could reset and the police officers would be unable to defend against a subsequent attack by the perpetrator ( or possible accomplices ) until the gun was gripped again , or reactivated by pressing an “ on ” switch , etc . if the time is set for too long , the weapon could be wrestled from the authorized user and fired by an unauthorized user . a motion sensor ( not shown ) could also be included both to begin the process by activating the device , and after a certain period of time without any motion , to end it . since a firearm is typically pointed down while in a holster , a predetermined tilt angle could be programmed in to activate the detection , or the mere squeezing of the grip while induce a voltage in the piezoeletric type sensors that could turn on the device . in the above embodiment , to insure that the handgun is fired only by the lawful owner or other authorized user , the handgrip 120 of the firearm 100 is provided under its surface with an array of sensors 125 that are provided on all four sides of the handgrip 120 . however , while providing sensors on all four sides of the handgrip ( and including a large number of them ) will tend to allow a greater degree of sensitivity in terms of detection as to whether a user is authorized , there is not an absolute requirement that sensors must be arranged on all sides of the item being gripped , nor must the sensor total a particular number . in one aspect of the invention , a number of sensors ( less than 20 ) are used in locations that maximally distinguish between subjects hand size and pressure patterns . in another aspect of the invention , a high density of pressure sensors are used to full and uniformly cover the grip area of the handgun , or item to be gripped , as the case may be . in another embodiment , suitable sensors include a sensing element into which a piezoelectric element has been embedded . suitable piezoelectric elements include quartz crystals . other suitable piezoelectric materials including lead titinate and lead zirconate , could be used in either a crystalline or film form . the pressure signal could also be measured using strain gauges or micro - machined pressure sensors ( mems ). systems employing piezoelectric materials , such as the crystals described above , produce an electrical output when they experience a change in load , i . e ., pressure . making use of this phenomenon , an embodiment of the present invention includes the transmission of electrical signal from the sensors , in response to pressure applied when a person grips the handle of the firearm , to a control unit located within the firearm . a purpose - built electronic circuit is used to convert the voltage and frequency changes measured from the sensors into a digital signal read by the processor . an electrostrictive system could also be employed . in addition , the sensors could comprise acoustic resonators , which sense the resonance properties in the pressure differential caused by the particular grip . acoustic resonance is a known phenomenon exhibited by an acoustic system , in which the response of the system to sound waves becomes very large when the frequency of the sound approaches a natural vibration frequency of the air in the system . this “ pressure signature ” signal is programmed into the handgun by an independent station that is held by the authority that registers handguns . such authority , for example , could be a state or local entity , or even an authorized third party . the owner of the handgun fires the gun ten to twenty times , and the pressure patterns unique to that individual are computed by a purposely - built data acquisition and analysis system . it is protected from abuse by one of several possible mechanisms , including encryption of the stored signal and tamper detection systems that can completely disable the firearm . grip pattern signals from sensing means 125 are fed from the firearm 100 over a line 129 to the host computer . a jack 131 in the butt of firearm handgrip 120 permits line 129 to be connected to the firearm . the pressure sensors and central processing unit / control unit within the handgun are powered by a power source , typically a battery system ( not shown ) that could be located in the ammunition clip of the handgun . this arrangment allows the battery to be recharged in empty ammunition clips that are not in use . it is understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art that a power source could be arranged in any internal location of the weapon / device , such as in the handle . there could be a small external plate that may allow the gun to be recharged while either in a carrying case or holster . in a “ wrap around ” version , where the unauthorized user prevention device is fitted onto or around a handle of the weapon , the power source would be external to the weapon handle but would be at least partially covered by the wrap around material , that could be , for example , a flexibile material such as a plastic or a rubber . furthermore , in order to reduce the need to charge or replace batteries , there can be a motion sensor ( not shown ) arranged in or on the weapon , the motion sensor turning on the power only when the handgun is not stationary . fig3 shows a graph of pressure versus time . a person of ordinary skill in the art would know the values in p . s . i . or its metric equivalent for the given timeframe . on the y axis are the separate pressure sensor and the x axis represents time . it can be seen at approximately 160 ms the several are indicating a change in pressure differential by the voltage change , which would occur when a user grips the handle and causes , for example , piezoelectric material to resonate at a particular frequency that causes a voltage change sensed by a comparator . as previously disclosed , this detected grip may be from the pressure applied to the handle and may or may not include , the actual pulling of the trigger ( to the extent it would be movable despite having an interlock preventing movement sufficient to fire the weapon . it is also within the spirit and scope of the invention that the trigger may contain pressure sensors as well , and the pressure signature profile would be the outputs of the sensors from the handle and on the trigger . in addition , when the user pulls on the trigger , that action could either activate the unauthorized prevention device to turn on / supply power to the control unit / cpu , etc . it should be noted that in such a system , once an identification is made while the user is squeezing the trigger , the interlock could be released and the weapon inadvertently fired by a user who only desired to make the gun capable of being fired , but did not necessarily intend to fire it as soon as it became capable . for example , a police officer could be pointing the weapon at a perpetrator , but not desiring to actually discharge the weapon unless further aggression or advancement is made by the perpetrator . accordingly , the desirability of having the unauthorized user device automatically retract a mechanical safety latch , or merely having the device remove constraints so that the authorized user may then physically push / pull or manually disengage the lock , are both achieved by the present invention . presumably , the additional manual step of moving a safety after the unauthorized user prevention device has , for example , retracted a solenoid , would to some degree take more time before the authorized user could actually discharge the weapon . this type of system would also reduce the possibility of the accidental firing than a version which , for example , also automatically disengages the safety after detecting that the user is authorized . as shown in fig3 there are elevated levels of pressure sensed by the pressure sensors while pressure is applied . the duration of the grip , the duration of the elevated pressure levels , and the specific sensors which sense the elevated pressure are used in determining the pressure signature profile . according to the present invention , a pressure signature profile is based on the above three items that are feed back to the control unit / cpu from the sensors . according to the present invention , persons applying the same amount of pressure but having a differently positioned grip , or applying pressure for a different duration of time ( within predetermined criteria ) would have a different pressure signature signal profiles than the example shown in fig3 . accordingly , such a pressure signal profile would be compared against the profile ( s ) in storage to determine whether a user is authorized . it is envisioned that only a limited number of attempts would be permitted before “ locking out ” the device until reset by a central controller . this would reduce the possibility of someone attempting to apply various positions and pressures until they stumble upon a successful outcome . according to the present invention , even with a 1 % chance of two people having the same pressure profile signature , the odds of a child having a pressure signature profile which matches that of an adult would be significantly less than 1 %; in fact the odds would be nearly astronomical . a young child normally has a much smaller hand than the average adult ( both length and girth of fingers and palm ), so that the many of the pressure sensors experiencing a change in pressure when a child squeezes the handle would be not be the same as when an adult squeezes the handle , and a child would not normally have the same strength of grip as an adult . factoring in the third item ( time ) with the other two items , the device would effectively prevent children from being able to fire the weapon . finally , a limited number of retries would prevent a more mature child ( i . e . teenager ) from trying to figure out the pattern . fig4 a shows one way that the present invention may work on a semi - automatic weapon 400 , having an internal trigger lock 410 . the trigger 420 would be prevented from movement by a safety latch 425 , which is received in a through - hole of the trigger lock 410 . on the opposite end , the latch extends from solenoid 430 and after a matching pressure profile is detected , the solenoid would retract the latch 425 , thus permitting the trigger to be moved back toward the handle to fire the weapon . the solenoid would be controlled by a control unit / cpu 440 similar to the description of the unauthorized user prevention device described for a revolver . the user &# 39 ; s grip of the handle would be sensed in a similar manner as described above . a battery ( not shown ) could be in the ammunition clip or separately located in a compartment . further , the solenoid would remain extended in the case of a dead battery , so that if a child should inadvertently find a weapon stored somewhere in the house for a period of time where it was unattended or forgotten , there would be no possibility of firing the weapon . as a precaution for the authorized user , battery indicators ( not shown ), which are known in the art , are envisioned as an optional feature . the indicator might comprise a display and / or beep when the power is low ( similar to some smoke detectors ) to warn the authorized user of an impending deactivation of the weapon . it should also be noted that in any of the above variations of the present invention , a solenoid is not the only way to extend / retract a latch , and any other suitable switching device could be employed . by way of illustration and not limitation , a motor , a relay , or any type of electro - mechanical switch could serve as a substitute for the solenoid . reliability and a quick response time to activate / deactivate the switch are far more important than whether the switch is , for example , a solenoid . fig4 b shows a semi - automatic pistol 440 having an external safety latch 445 that is pivotable against the portion 448 of trigger 450 in a locked position so as to prevent the weapon from being fired . the user prevention device according to the present invention may use a any known device , such as a motor , magnet , spring loaded switch , relay or any electro - mechanical switch to move the external safety latch from the locked position against the portion 448 of the trigger to an unlocked position shown in fig4 b . the signal to move the safety latch would be from the control unit / cpu after detecting that the user is authorized . a external system similar to u . s . pat . no . 6 , 185 , 852 could also be used to prevent the latch from movement , except that instead of using a “ blocking disk ” which is a shield that covers the external access to the latch , a magnet can hold the safety latch in the locked position until a signal is received by the control unit after a user &# 39 ; s pressure signature is a match . fig4 c shows a push - button type safety switch 460 that prevents the trigger from being activated . this type of switch can be blocked internally , by a rod / latch system connected to a solenoid , or any other type of electro - mechanical switch that in one position would prevent the switch from being moved to an unlocked position . fig5 is a flowchart illustrating the steps of a method for preventing an unauthorized user from operating a device . at step 510 , the storage of an authorized user &# 39 ; s pressure signature profile based on ( 1 ) position of a user &# 39 ; s hand on a handle of the device ; ( 2 ) pressure as a function of position on the handle of the device ; and ( 3 ) pressure as a function of time . while it is envisioned in this embodiment that the storage is in the device , it could be remotely stored , and even transmitted via rf to a central unit . at step 520 , there is sensing the pressure of a user gripping the handle of the device to compile a pressure signature based on the criteria recited in step 510 . at step 530 , there is a comparing the pressure profile in step 520 with pressure profiles in storage . at step 540 , there is deactivating the safety interlock of the device if the comparison in step 530 finds a matching profile in storage . although not shown in fig5 there is an optional step 525 , which is a decision box which asks whether the number of previous non - matching attempts has exceeded a predetermined threshold . if the answer to step 525 is no , the flowchart would proceed to step 530 . if the answer to step 525 is yes , the flowchart would proceed to a step parallel to step 540 ( i . e . step 540 b ), which would permanently disable the weapon until reset by an authorized agent , such as a gun dealer , and / or state agency , etc . this version would also include an additional substep , which would be to update a counter if the user is unauthorized . this method will prevent an unauthorized user from trying to guess the pressure profile signature of an authorized user . fig6 shows a different application of an authorized user prevention device according to the present invention . a steering wheel 610 of a vehicle may either have sensors built in , or a steering wheel cover ( not shown ) could be attached over the steering wheel . the unauthorized user prevention device could be located anywhere in the automobile , for example , in the steering column , under the dashboard , under the hood , in the trunk , etc . the device could be powered by the vehicle &# 39 ; s battery . similar to the pressure profile used for preventing unauthorized users from activating a weapon , a pressure profile from squeezing the steering wheel based on the three items ( position , pressure and time ) can be stored . there can be an ignition cutoff switch 620 , fuel cutoff switch , etc . that would only be deactivated when the user squeezing the steering wheel matches a profile in storage , thus being an authorized user . the user could squeeze the wheel with a “ secret handshake ” ( which can also be used with a weapon ) that could be anywhere from just one finger to all ten . the number of possibilities , based on in part on the number of sensors and the number of combinations of fingers squeezing different areas at different pressure for different time periods would result in the chance of an unauthorized user gaining access as extremely remote being one in thousands or tens of thousands , as opposed to one in one hundred . a control unit or cpu 630 would compare the profiles and deactivate the interlock . fig7 also shows how the unauthorized user prevention device could work on a “ keyless ” door handle 710 . a series of sensors 720 could be embedded in the door handle ( it could also be a round knob ( not shown ) or a long handle ( french style ). similar to the above device descriptions , the user gripping the door would create a pressure profile based on position , pressure and time . this profile could be compared with stored pressure profiles that would release the lock if the person gripping the door handle matches one of the profiles in storage . the cpu or control unit could be remotely located , and the sensor feedback could be transmitted to the control unit by wire , fiber optics , or rf . various modifications can be made to the above disclosure that would be within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims . for example , the unauthorized user prevention device has been shown for uses on handguns , but clearly can be used with rifles , shotguns , any projectile launching weapon , and even non - projectile type weapons . as also illustrated in fig6 and 7 and described above , the device and method can be used to prevent unauthorized access in vehicles , boats , or any apparatus having is a hand control that can be squeezed , such as a steering wheel , gearshift knob , joystick , throttle , brake handle etc . in fact , in a vehicle , the sensor could even be located in the dashboard or a door handle , and a user would simply squeeze a portion for access to start the engine .	4
with reference to fig1 and 2 , one embodiment of the inventive tunable spring is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 . in fig1 the tunable spring 10 is shown in the extended position , fig2 showing the tunable spring in the retracted or compressed position . the tunable spring includes a cylinder 1 having an end cap 3 on one end with a plug 5 on the other end . the cap 3 can be secured to the cylinder 1 in any conventional fashion . the end cap 3 includes a valve assembly 5 such as a schrader valve or a tire valve which are known in the art . the function of the valve will be described below . slidably mounted within the cylinder which is tubular in shape is a transfer piston assembly 7 . the transfer piston assembly 7 includes a transfer piston 9 and a transfer spacer 11 . the spacer 11 can be made integrally part of the transfer piston 9 , the shock absorber piston described below or can be separate therefrom and attached in any known manner . the transfer piston also includes a transfer plug 13 and an o - ring seal 15 or other known sealing means , the functions thereof being described below . also slidably mounted within the tubular cylinder 1 is a assembly 16 comprising a piston 17 with a piston rod 19 threadably engaged thereto . of course , the piston rod could be integrally formed so with the piston , such as by welding or riveting , if desired . the piston rod is sized to travel between a bore 21 in the plug 5 , the bore sealed by o - ring or rod seal 22 . the piston 17 includes desired valving components which are schematically represented by bores 19 therethrough . the function of the bores 19 will also be described below . referring to fig1 the cap 3 and transfer piston 9 form a main spring chamber 23 that is pressurized with a gas , preferably air . control of the gas pressure is achieved using the valve 5 . the tunable air spring includes a volume of oil 25 which occupies the space between the underside of the piston 17 designated by the reference numeral 27 and a space above the piston designated by the reference numeral 29 . the space 29 is formed by the cylindrical spacer 11 but can be formed by any type of a spacer . the spacer could have perforations or openings therein to allow oil flow therethrough . the transfer piston 9 , transfer piston spacer 11 and piston 17 can also be made of one - piece construction also . the oil 25 and transfer piston 9 form a counter spring chamber 33 disposed between the underside of the transfer piston 9 and the upper level of the oil 31 . the bores 19 in the piston 17 allow flow through of the oil 25 between the spaces 27 and 29 during longitudinal translation of the piston 17 and piston rod 19 . although two bores are depicted as valving components in the piston 17 , any known valving component could be utilized to permit the flow of oil 25 between the spaces 27 and 29 . it should be understood that these valving components , e . g . spring loaded check valves , are conventional in the shock absorber art and do not require further detail . the chamber 33 is also gas filled and pressurized to a desired level . the chamber 33 pressure can be varied , in one embodiment , using the plug 13 in the transfer piston 9 when done during assembly of the unit . otherwise it is done at will after assembly these valves 53 in which case plug 13 is not necessary . ( fig6 ) the function of the tunable air spring will now be described . first , referring to fig2 wherein the piston 17 and piston rod 19 are in an extended position , a shock compresses the tunable air spring a certain stroke . this compression results in the transfer of the shock to the piston rod and piston 17 . the shock absorber piston 17 then pushes the transfer piston 9 by means of the transfer piston spacer 11 . this movement of the transfer piston causes the main spring air volume in the main spring chamber 25 to decrease and hence increase the pressure in the main spring chamber . this increase in pressure follows the general law of gases wherein : ## equ1 ## plotting the pressure in the main spring chamber 23 against stroke , a curve is generated as shown in fig3 . this figure is typical of prior art air springs which are commonly used but exhibit a very narrow band of spring rate values , vehicle height settings and a usable suspension travel . as is evident from fig3 the usable spring rate extends over only a portion of the curve . referring again to fig1 and 2 , as the piston 17 is compressed , the volume of oil 29 above the piston 17 has to flow through the bores 19 in the piston 17 to the space 27 to keep it full . this oil movement causes the air in chamber 33 to expand and the pressure in chamber 33 decreases according to the general law of gases described above . fig4 depicts the plot of pressure against stroke for chamber 33 , i . e ., the counter spring chamber of the inventive tunable air spring . as can be seen from fig4 the pressure decreases with stroke . with the inventive tunable spring combining the main spring chamber 23 with the counter spring chamber 33 in one device , a spring having a usable rate all the way of the stroke is produced . referring to fig5 a plot of pressure versus stroke is shown when combining the main spring and counter spring . the resulting spring action designated by the reference numeral 35 exhibits a usable spring rate which is vastly extended over that shown in fig3 . in another aspect of the invention , the tunable air spring includes the capability of adjusting or tuning the spring rate . that is , the volume and / or pressure of the main spring chamber 23 can be varied using the valve 5 . likewise , the counter spring chamber 33 pressure and / or volume can also be varied for a given spring . by adjusting the initial pressure in either or both of these chambers , the usable spring rate can be adjusted for a given application . thus , the inventive tunable spring is adaptable to fit a very wide range of spring rates , preloads ( for setting vehicle height ) and usable suspension travels . this adjustment can be easily achieved by a simple pressure and / or volume adjustment in one or both of the spring chambers 23 and 33 . with reference to fig6 an alternative embodiment of the tunable air spring is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 &# 39 ;. in this embodiment , a piston and piston rod assembly 16 &# 39 ; is provided to facilitate pressurizing counter spring chamber 33 . the piston and piston rod assembly 16 &# 39 ; includes a piston 17 &# 39 ; and piston rod 19 &# 39 ;. the assembly 16 &# 39 ; also includes a tubular member 51 which extends through the piston rod 19 and oil volume 29 into the chamber 33 . with the tubular member 51 and valve 53 , ( similar to valve 5 ) the volume and / or pressure of the chamber 33 can be adjusted to a desired spring rate remotely . the piston rod 19 &# 39 ; can be hollow to receive the tubular member 51 or can have a bore sized to receive the member 51 . fig7 shows an exemplary mounting arrangement for the tunable air spring 10 . an outer housing 60 is provided which is sized to receive the cylindrical spring 10 . the piston rod 19 extends through an opening in a bottom plate 61 of the housing . the piston rod is secured to the housing 60 by nut 63 threadably engaging complementary threads on the end of the rod 19 . upper and lower guide bushings , 65 and 67 , respectively are provided between the cylinder 1 and housing 60 . these bushings allow for a slidable movement of the cylinder 1 within the outer housing 60 . the end 69 of the cylinder 1 is shown mounted to the mass 71 to be suspended . this mounting can be done in any conventional fashion , for example , bolts , screws , ball joints or the like . the housing 60 can then be mounted to a nonsuspended mass using either of the flanges 71 or 71 &# 39 ; as desired . of course , other mounting means or configurations could be employed to attach the housing 60 to the non - suspended mass . for example , the flange 71 could be attached to the axle or some other structural component connected to the wheel of a vehicle with the end 69 of the cylinder 1 attached to the vehicle frame . the inventive tunable air spring provides a greater degree of flexibility over more commonly used springs such as coil springs , leaf springs , torsion bars or air springs . the inventive tunable spring allows for the capability of achieving a wide range of a usable spring rates so that the tunable air spring is adaptable for different load applications , vehicles or the like . as such , an invention has been disclosed in terms of preferred embodiments thereof which fulfill each and every one of the objects of the present invention and provides a new and improved tunable air spring . of course , various changes , modifications , and alterations from the teachings of the present invention may be contemplated by those skilled in the art without departing from the intended spirit and scope thereof . accordingly , it is intended that the present invention only be limited by the terms of the appended claims .	1
the present invention provides an oral preparation useful in vaccination against gram negative bacterial infection and method of its use . the same general preparation can also be used to treat gram negative bacterial infection by increasing the in vivo antibody response . the basic process for producing the oral preparation of the invention commences with growth and harvest of the bacteria , inactivation , preferably but not exclusively with formaldehyde , and lyophilization of the whole cells . this process appears to maintain the antigenic integrity of the bacteria . because of the feculent nature of the cells , the preferred diluent contains an aromatic oil , preferably a peppermint oil or a cherry - flavored oil , encapsulated in a non - phospholipid liposome ( novasome ®) to enhance the palatability of the vaccine . these flavored novasomes are composed of glycerol monostearate , soya sterols , soybean oil , cherry or peppermint oil , polysorbate 60 , oleic acid , and water for injection . details for preparation of lipid vesicles containing oil are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 911 , 928 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . however , other materials constituting the lipid vesicles , and other production methods , could be used so long as the flavor masking provision is met . an additional advantage of using the lipid vesicles described herein is that these vesicles appear to provide adjuvant activity in addition to their flavor masking capability . while such adjuvant activity is not necessary for practice of the invention , it may raise antibody titers , as described in u . s . ser . no . 08 / 201 , 346 , entitled &# 34 ; vaccines containing paucilamellar lipid vesicles as immunological adjuvants &# 34 ;, incorporated herein by reference . the following example shows a lyophilized , formalin - inactivated e . coli 0157 : h7 oral vaccine , reconstituted with cherry - flavored lipid vesicles in water for injection , which has been tested in animal models for both safety and immunogenicity . the vaccine is safe and immunogenic in mice and rats using a two - dose gavage regimen . this example illustrates the steps in preparing an oral vaccine of the invention , as well as tests for its safety . the e . coli 0157 : h7 vaccine described herein is a sterile , formalin - inactivated whole bacteria , lyophilized product in a single - use vial containing 300 mg bacterial protein in phosphate - buffered saline , ph 7 . 5 . the vaccine is stored at - 20 ° c . until reconstitution with 10 ml of the novasome - wfi water for invention ! diluent . the reconstituted vaccine should be administered within one hour . the novasome - wfi diluent is a paucilamellar , non - phospholipid liposome containing cherry - flavored oil to enhance the palatability of the e . coli 0157 : h7 vaccine . this novasome preparation is composed of glycerol monostearate ( 7 . 9 %), soya sterols ( 2 . 2 %), soybean oil ( 9 . 2 %), cherry oil ( 4 . 5 %), polysorbate 60 ( 2 . 1 %), oleic acid ( 0 . 1 %) and water for injection ( 74 %). after production of the novasome lipid vesicles , they are diluted with wfi in a ratio of novasomes : wfi of 1 : 32 ( v / v ). the final percentage of water in the novasome - wfi diluent is 99 . 2 %. the resultant novasome - wfi diluent is a sterile novasome suspension in water for injection in a single use vial . the novasome - wfi diluent is stored at room temperature . ten milliliters of the novasome - wfi diluent are utilized to reconstitute each bottle of the e . coli 0157 : h7 vaccine . ______________________________________glycerol monostearate 13 . 72 gpolysorbate 60 ( tween 60 ) 3 . 64 ggenerol 122 ( refined soya sterols ) 3 . 84 goleic acid 240 μlcherry oil 8 . 0 gsoybean oil 16 . 0 g______________________________________ all raw materials were added to a depyrogenated vessel which was then heated on a heating plate with agitation until all materials were melted . the lipid solution was then transferred to a sterile 50 ml conical centrifuge tube which was placed in an 85 ° c . circulating water bath for one hour . 3 . 7 ml sterile water for injection for each 5 ml of novasome preparation . for each preparation , the sterile water for injection was drawn up in a 5 cc syringe which was placed in an incubator and heated to 65 ° c . a syringe mixing machine using 5 cc syringes was set for a lipid / oil to diluent ratio of 1 . 3 : 3 . 7 . the speed controlling the force of pressure for mixing was adjusted to 70 . this instrument is described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 895 , 452 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . the heated lipid was drawn into a 5 cc luerlok syringe and connected to the diluent syringe by way of a two - way stainless steel connector . the syringes were then positioned into the teflon mixing block and placed on the mixing machine . the solutions in the syringes were allowed to mix by pushing the liquids back and forth from one syringe to the other under pressure for 10 strokes at room temperature and then rapidly cooled using co 2 for 90 strokes . several 5 cc novasome lipid vesicle preparations were combined into a single solution in a depyrogenated vessel . samples of the final pooled novasome preparation were taken for usp sterility testing , endotoxin testing , ph determination , stability testing , and sub - micron particle sizing . more particularly , usp sterility testing was performed on a 1 . 0 ml sample of the pooled novasome preparation . no bacterial growth was observed in the liquid medium . 4 , 850 ml of sterile water for injection was filtered through a 0 . 2 μm filtering unit into a depyrogenated vessel containing a stir bar . 150 ml of pooled novasome preparations was aseptically added to the diluent . the suspension was placed on a stir plate and allowed to mix for 24 hours . three 5 l bottles of novasome - wfi diluent were prepared . samples were taken from each 5 l novasome - wfi diluent bottle for usp sterility testing , endotoxin testing , and sub - micron particle sizing . a 10 μl sample of the vaccine was plated onto tsa which was incubated for 48 hours at 37 ° c . as a test for sterility of the larger batch of diluent . again , there was no growth observed on the solid or liquid medium . e . coli 0157 ; h7 vaccine manufacturing and control data preparation of e . coli 0157 ; h7 active substance the escherichia coli 0157 : h7 active material was derived from the escherichia coli strain 0175 : h7 ( atcc 43894 ). the seed was stored in 15 % glycerol trypticase soy broth at - 70 ° c . and identified prior to initiating the starter culture . culture identification was established by incubating the culture overnight on trypticase soy agar with 5 % sheep blood and macconkey &# 39 ; s agar . the culture showed a homogenous smooth colonial morphology and revealed only gram negative rods by gram stain . the api biochemical profile was consistent with e . coli 0157 : h7 . one colony from the tsa ii plate of the seed culture was used to inoculate each of two 15 ml tubes of trypticase soy broth ( bbl ). the cultures were grown on a rotor for 2 hours at 37 ° c ., after which a subculture was taken for identity check . 12 ml from the trypticase soy broth culture was used to inoculate a fernbach flask containing 1 l of lauria broth medium . the culture was grown on an incubator shaker at 150 rpm 37 ° c . for 3 . 5 hours after which a subculture was taken for identity check . the culture was incubated overnight on trypticase soy agar with 5 % sheep blood and macconkey &# 39 ; s agar . the culture showed a homogenous smooth colonial morphology and revealed only gram negative rods by gram stain . the api biochemical profile was consistent with e . coli 0157 : h7 . lauria broth medium ( ph 7 . 0 ) was used for the starter culture flask , as well as the fermentation process . the medium consisted of : the starter flask medium was sterilized in a steam autoclave for 30 minutes at a temperature setting of 121 ° c . the fermentation medium was sterilized in the fermentor at a temperature setting of 121 ° c . for 30 minutes . samples of both media were taken for sterility testing prior to initiating the starter culture or the fermentation . deionized water was added to a clean batch vessel . the ingredients for lauria broth medium were added with sufficient agitation for mixing and sufficient additional deionized water was then added to obtain 40 l . the solution was mixed , pumped into a 50 l b . braun fermento ( model biostat u - 50 ) and chased with sufficient deionized water to achieve a 50 l batch volume . the unit was sealed and the sterilization cycle started . 4 l of a 40 g / l dextrose solution was prepared and sterilized using a 0 . 2 μm membrane filter . the feed transfer line was aseptically connected to the fermentor and the dextrose feed was added . the incubation conditions ( ph 7 . 0 +/- 0 . 02 , temperature 37 ° c . +/- 1 ° c ., dissolved oxygen ( d . o .) .+/- 50 %, air flow 80 +/- 5 slpm , agitation d . o . cascade , 300 rpm / min .) were automatically maintained . the ph was maintained with an automatic controller utilizing 20 % glacial acetic acid and 4n sodium hydroxide . foaming was automatically controlled utilizing ppg 2000 in an addition vessel . the 1 l starter culture was used to inoculate the fermentor . the e . coli bacteria cells were allowed to ferment into log phase for 10 hours . samples were obtained hourly for optical density ( od ) measurement . when absorbance approached 1 . 0 , dilutions were performed . dextrose usage and foaming were monitored . subcultures were taken from the starter flask and at the end of the fermentation run for identity testing of the isolate . bacterial count ( cfu / ml ), ph , dextrose analysis and od were performed on the final product . cells were harvested using a heraeus varifuge ( model 20 rs ) continuous centrifuge for 5 . 25 hours . speed of the continuous rotor was controlled at 15 , 000 rpm and temperature was controlled to less than 25 ° c . supernatant samples were analyzed periodically during centrifugation for optimization of centrifugation . 250 g of cell paste was then aseptically transferred to each of 5 1 l nalgene centrifuge bottles for further processing . centrifuge bottles were weighed prior to addition of cell paste and the weight was recorded . six liters of 1 . 5 % formaldehyde solution were prepared using phosphate buffered saline ( pbs ) ( 146 mm na - 10mm po 4 ) diluent . samples of pbs were taken for usp sterility and endotoxin testing as well as ph determination . the 1 . 5 % formaldehyde pbs solution was added to each centrifuge bottle to achieve a weight of 1 , 035 g . the paste was resuspended by agitation after which centrifuge bottles were allowed to stir at 4 ° c . on a stir plate for 96 hours . samples from each centrifuge bottle were taken at 24 and 96 hours and plated on tsa ii plates for monitoring of viability . after 96 hours , the formaldehyde inactivated paste was centrifuged for 4 hours at 4000 rpm 4 ° c . in a beckman refrigerated centrifuge ( model j - 6b ). supernatant was discarded and sufficient pbs was added to each bottle to achieve the initial weight . paste was resuspended by agitation , after which bottles were centrifuged for 4 hours at 4000 rpm at 4 ° c . in a beckman refrigerated centrifuge ( model j - 6b ). the supernatant from this centrifugation was discarded and the wash process was repeated . samples of pbs were taken for usp sterility and endotoxin testing ( see ipc ) as well as ph determination . there was no growth observed in the liquid medium . an endotoxin assay was also performed using the limulus lysate assay ( cape cod associates ). the endotoxin level was at an acceptable level of & lt ; 0 . 03 eu / ml . as an additional check on the viability , a 10 μl sample of the product was taken at 24 and 96 hours after formalin inactivation and plated onto tsa ii which was incubated for 48 hours at 37 ° c . there was no growth observed on the solid medium . the formaldehyde inactivated bacterial paste was resuspended by agitation in pbs at a concentration of 1 g / 5ml of pbs . samples were taken from each centrifuge bottle of the final product for usp sterility testing . usp sterility testing was performed on a 1 . 0 ml sample of the resuspended formaldehyde inactivated paste . a 10 μl sample of the vaccine was also plated onto tsa which was incubated for 48 hours at 37 ° c . there was no growth observed on the solid or liquid medium . the formaldehyde inactivated vaccine was aseptically filled into 50 ml vials using a sepco filling machine with presterilized syringe and robing apparatus , with 10 ml of the paste placed in each vial . the product was frozen to - 40 ° c . on the lyophilizer shelf . the lyophilization chamber was evacuated to 100 μm and the product remained at - 20 ° c . for 16 hours . the temperature was then elevated to 0 ° c . for 7 hours , after which it was elevated to 25 ° c . for 14 hours . 40 samples were taken for usp sterility testing and 10 samples were analyzed for residual moisture assay . the vaccine passed both tests . the lyophilized vaccine was stored at - 20 ° c . mice were divided into 4 groups of 10 mice each . all the mice in a group received the e . coli 0157 : h7 vaccine reconstituted in cherry - flavored novasome - wfi diluent at doses of 7 . 50 , 1 . 875 , 0 . 9375 , and 0 . 1875 mg of protein , respectively . vaccine doses were given on day 0 and day 30 and were administered by garage . the animals were prebled 4 days before receiving their first vaccine dose , and were test - bled on days 14 , 28 , 44 , and 58 . two animals died during the course of the study : one in the 1 . 875 mg dose group died on day 30 , and one in the 0 . 9375 mg dose group died on day 5 . mouse sera were tested by elisa for the presence of antibody to e . coli 0157 : h7 lps . test sera were serially diluted in flat - bottomed elisa plates previously coated with e . coli 0157 : h7 lps and blocked . after two hours of incubation at room temperature , the plates were washed and incubated with enzyme - labeled goat anti - mouse igm or anti - mouse igg second antibody for 1 hour . after further washing , the plates were developed with a colorigenic substrate , and read using an automated elisa plate reader . anti - lps antibody titers were the reciprocal of the serum dilution producing an optical density ( od ) reading 3 × the od reading of the homologous prebleed . the igg subclass response was determined by using enzyme - labeled second antibodies specific for mouse igg 1 , igg 2a , igg 2b , and igg 3 . sera showing high pre - bleed elisa titers against e . coli 0157 : h7 lps were screened for antibody specificity by western blot . purified e . coli 0157 : h7 lps was separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and electrophoretically transferred to nitrocellulose sheets , which were then blocked , cut into strips , and dried . for screening , strips were incubated with a 1 : 100 dilution of the test serum for 2 - 4 hours , washed , incubated with an enzyme - labeled second antibody , rewashed , and developed with a precipitating colorigenic substrate . both the lps - specific igm and igg titers at day 58 were dose - dependent . the two higher doses of vaccine produced igm tilers on day 58 that were roughly equivalent ( fig1 ), as were the 58 - day igg titers at the same two doses ( fig2 ). in both cases , the tiers resulting from the lower doses of vaccine were correspondingly lower . the 58 - day igg titers were approximately 10 - fold higher than the igm titers . significant igm titers were obtained 14 days after the initial dose with the vaccine preparation at doses of 7 . 50 mg ( fig3 ) and 1 . 875 mg ( fig4 ). igm displayed an anamnestic response after the second vaccine dose . igg titers , which were low 28 days after the initial dose , rose dramatically after the second dose , and remained high at day 58 ( 28 days after the second dose ; fig3 and 4 ). this example illustrates a second oral vaccine of the invention . like the e . coli preparation of example i , this vaccine is also prepared using sterile formalin - inactivated whole bacteria . in this case , the bacteria is shigella flexneri 2a . the vaccine , 419 mg bacterial protein in pbs at ph 7 . 15 , is stored at - 20 ° c . until reconstituted with 10 ml of the novasome wfi diluent . the diluent and the vaccine are prepared according to the procedures set forth in example i . mice were divided into four groups of 15 mice each . the mice in each group received the s . flexneri 2a vaccine reconstituted in cherry flavored novasome diluent at doses of 10 . 47 mg , 2 . 618 mg , 1 . 309 mg , and 0 . 2618 mg of protein , respectively . vaccine doses were given on day 0 and day 30 , and were administered by garage . the animals were bled 4 days before receiving their first vaccine dose , and were test - bled on days 14 , 28 , 44 and 58 . sera showing high pre - bleed elisa titers against s . flexneri lps were screened for antibody specificity by western blot . purified s . flexneri lps was separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and electrophoretically transferred to nitrocellulose sheets , which were then blocked , cut into strips , and dried . for screening , strips were incubated with a 1 : 100 dilution of the test serum for 2 - 4 hours , washed , incubated with an enzyme - labeled second antibody , rewashed , and developed with a precipitating colorigenic substrate . both the lps - specific igm and igg titers at day 58 were dose - dependent . igg and igm liters rose dramatically after the second dose , and remained high at day 58 ( 28 days after the second dose ; fig5 and 6 ). this example illustrates a third oral vaccine of the invention . like the e . coli preparation in example i , this vaccine is also prepared using sterile formalin - inactivated whole bacteria . in this case , the bacteria is salmonella enteriditis . the vaccine , 653 mg bacterial protein in pbs at ph 7 . 15 , is stored at - 20 ° c . until reconstituted with 10 ml of the novasome wfi diluent . the diluent and the vaccine are prepared according to the procedures set forth in example i . mice were divided into four groups of 15 mice each . the mice in each group received the salmonella enteriditis vaccine reconstituted in cherry flavored novasome diluent at doses of 15 . 89 mg , 3 , 973 mg , 1 . 986 mg , and 0 . 397 mg of protein respectively . vaccine doses were given on day 0 and day 30 , and were administered by garage . the animals were bled 3 days before receiving their first vaccine dose , and were test bled on days 14 , 28 , 44 , and 58 . sera showing high pre - bleed elisa titers against s . enteriditis lps were screened for antibody specificity by western blot . purified s . enteriditis lps was separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and electrophoretically transferred to nitrocellulose sheets , which were then blocked , cut into strips , and dried . for screening , strips were incubated with a 1 : 100 dilution of the test serum for 2 - 4 hours , washed , incubated with an enzyme - labeled second antibody , rewashed , and developed with a precipitating colorigenic substrate . both the lps - specific igm and igg tilers at day 58 were dose - dependent . igg and igm titers rose dramatically after the second dose , and remained high at day 58 ( 28 days after the second dose ; fig5 and 6 ). from the foregoing , it is apparent that the orally administered , inactivated whole bacteria vaccines of the present invention are safe and immunogenic . the foregoing description of the invention is meant to be only exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention . the invention is defined by the following claims .	0
fig4 shows an illustrative embodiment of the present invention for realizing feedback fir filter 103 of fig1 in a manner which compensates for widely separated ghosts in a television channel . in this embodiment , incoming 9 - bit video signal samples are supplied on bus 401 to memory 402 and written in consecutive locations therein under the control of write signals on bus 403 . to conserve power , memory 402 is advantageously a random access memory ( ram ) having six sections designated as 402 - 0 through 402 - 5 . each section has the capacity to store 128 9 - bit samples , and the total capacity of memory 402 is at least equal to the expected time span between a received video signal and the last postcursor ghost associated with that received video signal . in the illustrative embodiment of fig4 the total capacity of memory 402 is 768 signal samples . the incoming signal sample rate is 14 . 32 mhz . to reduce the required clock speed , a plurality of signal samples is read out of memory 402 into one of second memory units 404 - 0 through 404 - 9 on each read signal coupled on bus 403 . more specifically , for this application , four contiguous signal samples from memory 402 are written into one of second memory units 404 - 0 and 404 - 9 on each read signal on bus 403 . in effect , then , each section of memory 402 from the standpoint of the read operation is viewed as storing thirty - two 36 - bit &# 34 ; quadruple samples &# 34 ;. the write and read signals are arranged on bus 403 so each write signal is followed by three read signals in each incoming signal sample period , i . e ., 1 / 14 . 32 mhz therefore , between five consecutive write signals there are twelve read signals . ten of these twelve read signals are used to control the reading out of signal samples from memory 402 into a different one of memory units 404 - 0 through 404 - 9 . the remaining two out of the twelve read signals are not used . it should be noted that the ten read operations are fully independent . each read operation accesses a different set of four consecutively stored samples from any of the sections of memory 402 and couples these samples to any one of memory units 404 - 0 through 404 - 9 . the above - described structure has many advantages . for example , this structure can advantageously be arranged via software to direct any set of four consecutively stored samples to any fir filter . as a result , multiple fir filters can be supplied with the appropriate samples so as to function as a single concatenated fir filter . in addition , since the fir filters need not have the same number of tap - weight coefficients , one or more such filters could have more tap - weight coefficients and be supplied with those samples necessary for cancelling more severe ghosts . while a plurality of signal samples is read out of memory 402 , it should be appreciated that due to the structure of a ram , only certain sets of four samples can be read out . that is , to retrieve multiple samples with each read , memory 402 is viewed as storing 192 36 - bit quadruple samples and each of these 192 quadruple samples can be retrieved and fed to memory units 404 - 0 through 404 - 9 . with such multiple retrieval , each of memory units 404 - 0 through 404 - 9 must be replenished with new samples at a submultiple of the incoming video sample rate if each such memory unit is to provide samples to its associated fir filter at the incoming video rate . in the disclosed embodiment , the incoming video sample rate is 14 . 32 mhz and the submultiple of the incoming video sample rate is ## equ1 ## however , due to the location of the ghosts in the time domain in a particular application , it may be necessary that the second , third or fourth one of the retrieved quadruple samples coupled to one of the memory units 404 - 0 through 404 - 9 is processed by its associated fir filter at the same time that the first of the four samples in another one of such memory units is processed by its associated fir filter . to provide this capability , the present invention advantageously utilizes a &# 34 ; fine - addressing &# 34 ; scheme in connection with each of the memory units 404 - 0 through 404 - 9 . as mentioned , the resolution of ghost locations using the addressing of the memory 402 is limited to an increment of n , where n is four in the illustrative embodiments . therefore , alignment of ghost locations within memory 402 is limited to l / n positions , where l is the span of memory 402 , i . e ., 768 signal samples . to provide cancellation of ghosts with a finer resolution , the embodiment of fig4 utilizes fine addressing apparatus 405 . apparatus 405 includes a plurality of memories 406 - 0 through 406 - 9 wherein each such memory is associated with a different one of memories 404 - 0 through 404 - 9 and is the same size as its associated memory . apparatus 405 also includes a common counter 407 , offset stores 408 - 0 through 408 - 9 and modulo n adders 409 - 0 through 409 - 9 wherein the offset stores and adders are respectively associated with memories 406 - 0 through 406 - 9 . it should be appreciated that the determination of the offset counts provided by offset stores 408 - 0 through 408 - 9 are determined using well - known techniques and are a function of the ghost spacing . common modulo n counter 407 counts by ones from 0 to n - 1 and then resets or &# 34 ; wraps &# 34 ; around to 0 . the counter output is supplied as an input to each modulo n adder . the other input to each adder is provided by a different associated one of offset stores 408 - 0 through 408 - 9 . each modulo n adder sums the current count of common counter 407 with the offset count provided by the associated offset store and resets or overflows upon reaching the sum n . upon overflow , adders 409 - 0 through 409 - 9 respectively generate a signal on leads 410 - 0 through 410 - 9 . the overflow signal provided by each adder serves as a signal to respectively write the samples from a different one of memories 404 - 0 through 404 - 9 to the associated one of memories 406 - 0 through 406 - 9 . the sum provided by each modulo n adder on leads 411 - 0 through 411 - 9 is coupled to the associated one of memories 406 - 0 through 406 - 9 and serves as a read pointer for that memory . accordingly , by storing the appropriate offset value for each of memories 406 - 0 through 406 - 9 , any of the four samples in one of these memories can be simultaneously read out with any of the four samples stored in a different one of these memories . each of fir filters 412 - 0 through 412 - 9 is associated with a different one of memories 410 - 0 through 410 - 9 . each sample read out of the memories 410 - 0 through 410 - 9 is coupled to its associated fir filter . each fir filter includes a tapped delay line into which the received signal samples are successively stored and forwarded therethrough . the received signal sample stored in each separate storage location or &# 34 ; tap &# 34 ; is respectively multiplied by an associated tap - weight coefficient and the products thus formed are summed . the tap - weight coefficients each have a value which is a function of the ghost characteristics and which may be determined using well - known techniques . summer 413 combines the outputs from each of the fir filters 412 - 0 through 412 - 9 to provide the feedback fir filter output on lead 414 . alternative structures which provide the fine addressing capability of apparatus 405 are also possible . such alternative structures are shown in fig5 and 6 . in fig5 the operation of memories 402 and 404 - 0 through 404 - 9 are identical to that described with respect to fig4 . to provide fine addressing capability , a number of fir elements are added to each of fir filters 412 - 0 through 412 - 9 . in general , the number of such fir elements added to each fir filter is equal to n - 1 . in the disclosed embodiments , n = 4 and the additional fir elements are designated in fig5 as 501 , 502 and 503 . each of these additional fir elements as with each of fir elements of the tapped delay line following element 503 provides a data delay of the reciprocal of the incoming video sample rate and has an associated tap - weight coefficient . we may view these tap - weight coefficients of the expanded tapped delay line , i . e ., including elements 501 - 503 , as forming an ordered sequence with the tap - weight coefficient associated with fir element 501 as the first coefficient in such sequence . now , depending on the offset count required in fig4 based on ghost spacing , certain of the tap - weight coefficients in the ordered sequence will be zero . for example , to provide the equivalent effect of a stored offset count of 3 in fig4 the first tap - weight coefficient associated with fir element 501 will be non - zero as will be that associated fir element 502 , etc ., until the last three tap - weight coefficients in the ordered sequence which will be zero . similarly , to provide the equivalent effect of a stored offset count of 2 , 1 and 0 in fig4 then the first non - zero tap - weight coefficient is respectively associated with fir elements 502 , 503 and the first fir element in the tapped delay line following element 503 . fig6 shows third and fourth possible arrangements for providing the fine addressing capability of fig4 . in fig6 the operation of memories 402 , 404 - 0 through 404 - 9 and fir filters 412 - 0 through 412 - 9 operate as in hg . 4 . to provide the n - 1 desired offset , a programmable delay element 601 - 0 through 601 - 9 is respectively disposed between fir filters 412 - 0 through 412 - 9 and summer 413 . each programmable element can provide a delay of between zero and n - 1 signal sample periods wherein the amount of such delay is equal to the n - 1 minus the desired offset . alternatively , the position of programmable delay elements 601 - 0 through 601 - 9 could also be respectively disposed before fir filters 412 - 0 through 412 - 9 . these alternative positions of the delay elements are shown by dotted lines in fig6 . it should , of course , be understood that while the present invention has been described in reference to the disclosed embodiments , other arrangements may be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . for example , while in the disclosed embodiments , memory 402 is a single port ram which utilizes shared access of read and write signals via bus 403 , a dual - port ram could be used so that the read and write signals could be independent of one another and , as a result , the number of fir filters could be increased from the maximum of 12 in the disclosed embodiments . furthermore , while in the disclosed embodiments , the writing of signal samples into memory 402 is done at the incoming signal sample rate , an additional buffer could be disposed in front of memory 402 so that the writing operation for memory 402 could be done at a submultiple of the incoming signal sample rate . this would also allow an increase in the number of hr filters . moreover , while in the disclosed embodiments , each of the fir filters has been described as incorporating a tapped delay line , multipliers and a summer , the function of such filters can be provided by one or more appropriately programmed general - purpose processors , or special - purpose integrated circuits , or digital signal processors , or an analog or hybrid counterpart of any of these devices . finally , while the disclosed application of the present invention has been described in reference to the cancellation of ghosts in television transmission applications , the present invention is not limited to such applications and , indeed , may be utilized for the cancellation of signal dispersion in a wide variety of communications systems .	7
for a full understanding of the inventive system disclosed herein , it must first be appreciated that a specimen such as a semiconductor wafer may undergo a variety of processes and / or evaluations to determine the quality of the circuit located thereon . in most circumstances , a complete scan of the specimen is required to determine the quality of the specimen and the processing which has occurred . in certain limited circumstances , a subset of the entire wafer or specimen may be advantageous to determine the general quality of the wafer as opposed to the detailed quality of the individual circuits etched thereon . for purposes of this invention , the initial general scan comprising an evaluation of a subset of the specimen surface is differentiated from a complete scan of the entire surface of the specimen . the present invention is primarily directed to the former rather than the latter . fig1 illustrates a conceptual drawing of the current invention . as shown in fig1 a low coherence light source 101 is employed to generate a low coherence light beam 102 . the low coherence light beam strikes a collimator 103 which collimates the light beam and transmits light energy to a first transmission grating 104 . first transmission grating 104 splits the received light energy into multiple order components , including but not limited to a zero order component and at least one first order component . the zero order component may optionally be blocked in the arrangement shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 first transmission grating 104 generates a positive and negative first order component that is directed in a preferential orientation toward a reference mirror 105 and the wafer or specimen 110 . the first order components strike the reference mirror 105 and the specimen 110 and are directed toward second transmission grating 106 , which combines the two first order components and directs the resultant light energy toward decollimator 107 . decollimator 107 collects the light energy and decollimates the energy . energy transmitted by decollimator 107 is received by camera optics 108 and transmitted to imaging sensor 109 , which may be a ccd . while the positive and negative first order components are preferably used as the test and reference arms of the interferometer , and the zero order blocked or optimized for zero intensity , the system may be configured or operated such that a tilt of the gratings 104 and 106 causes varying orders of the light energy to strike the target surface and / or the reference surface . tilting the gratings 104 and 106 may in certain environments provide enhanced imaging and resolution . alternately , the system may be varied to provide different angles of incidence on the reference surface or the target surface . altered angles of incidence may provide enhanced resolution in certain conditions , and may be used to cause zero , first , or higher order light components to strike the reference or target surface . the planarization process for a copper cmp ( chemical mechanical planarization ) processed wafer requires first subjecting an unfinished wafer to the process and subsequently examining the wafer for defects . different effects from the cmp process provide different anomalies on the surface of the specimen . for example , certain processes can cause global planarization anomalies , with differences in surface height measurable only by determining heights over large areas of the wafer . smaller sections of the specimen may suffer from field local erosion , wherein small areas are lower than other proximate areas . finally , lines formed of metal can wear away during the cmp process , resulting in local line dishing and requiring higher spatial resolution to determine the defects . in this environment , it is advantageous to examine less than the entire surface of the wafer to determine the anomalies present on a particular wafer that result from the cmp process . typical scanning of the surface involves a multiple point inspection , typically a five point inspection , of the surface of the specimen to determine as many anomalies as possible with the least amount of points examined as possible . in operation , the device of fig1 measures a single side of the specimen 110 . the aperture of the low coherence light source is reduced to smaller than 50 by 50 millimeters to permit measurement of a 300 by less than 50 millimeter striped area on a 300 millimeter wafer . this less than 50 millimeter wide area covers an area large enough toperform a scan of a copper damascene cmp mask , as well as one or more masks at different locations on the wafer . by rotating the cmp processed wafer , the use of the swath of light energy described herein to illuminate the specimen from edge to edge . the ability to examine the wafer from at least the center of the wafer to the edge thereof permits examination of any point on the wafer by simply rotating the wafer such that the point of interest is within the swath of light energy . rotation permits a comparison between two or more points on the surface of the cmp mask . a floor plan for a typical copper damascene cmp mask is presented in fig2 . as shown in fig2 various “ pitch ” sections , or blocks , of the mask are filled with vertical lines ranging from 10 micrometers to 200 micrometers at a fixed density of 50 per cent . in the “ density ” blocks , each block has a specified density with vertical lines at fixed pitches of 3 micrometers and 5 micrometers . density is equal to copper linewidth divided by the pitch . the three blocks s 1 d , s 2 d , and s 3 d provide a continuity test on different linewidths having fixed linespace . further , the s 1 d , s 2 d , and s 3 d blocks serve as density blocks for minimum and fine pitch values , i . e . 0 . 35 / 0 . 35 . the s 2 and s 3 blocks are employed for a continuity test . sc 1 is a combined serpentine and comb structure . c 2 and c 3 are comb - like structures for non - shorting ( among different copper lines ) testing . each structure is 0 . 775 millimeters in width . the purpose of the floor plan of fig2 is to provide a standard area wherein the effects of global planarization , local erosion , and local dishing may be assessed . the varying pitches , wire densities , linewidths , and line spaces provide a variety of situations a cmp processed wafer may encounter . thus , observation of a floor plan as shown in fig2 presents a significant baseline for determining the errors present on the entire wafer due to the cmp process . as shown in fig2 a typical floor plan is approximately a 15 millimeter square , with sections ranging up to 3 millimeters square . these dimensions afford a baseline for examination by inspecting a portion of the wafer surface rather than the entire surface . hence the current device affords scanning of the wafer including a scan of the copper cmp floor plan of fig2 . from the system of fig1 the light energy transmitted onto the surface of the specimen is an approximately 300 millimeter by less than 50 millimeter swath , an area large enough to characterize and monitor the effects of the planarization process . a smaller area than 300 by 50 millimeters may be sufficient , such as one covering the floor plan of fig2 i . e . a stripe or swath in excess of 15 millimeters in width . using the system illustrated in fig1 the stripe is measured in a single step ( imaging ) and no scanning is required . the specimen may be oriented in either a vertical or a horizontal manner . in operation , the wafer or specimen is held either vertically or horizontally during measurement . the diverging light of the low coherence light source is collimated and diffracted by the transmission grating into plus and minus first order components , among other components . one order illuminates the specimen , while the other order illuminates a plano reference mirror substantially parallel to the wafer surface and at a distance to the wafer which provides a common path length for both the positive and negative first orders . the suggested angle of incidence is approximately 80 degrees on both the wafer surface and reference surface , where 80 degrees is measured from normal to the wafer or reference surface down to the light beam . other grazing angles may be employed while remaining within the scope of this invention . after reflecting both orders from the surfaces , the two first order components are recombined to the zero order by the second transmission grating . the decollimator and lens system image the swath or stripe observed on a high resolution ccd imaging sensor . the system employs phase shifting to acquire height information , and digital image processing to calculate phase information . the system unwraps the phase and filters the resultant height information from the wafer topography to evaluate local and global flatness uniformity for different spatial wavelengths . in this configuration , grazing incidence enlarges the dynamic measuring range necessary to measure large areas on bowed wafers . low coherence reduces noise problems from multiple reflected orders due to different diffraction patterns on wafers . the second diffraction grating used to recombine the positive and negative first order components also acts to filter out the pattern generated diffraction orders . in the system illustrated in fig1 reference surfaces and specimen surfaces are positioned such that the reference wave fronts and specimen wave fronts travel the same path length . phase shifting may be established by moving the reference surfaces , the diffraction gratings , or the light source . thus the overall effect of the system illustrated in fig1 is to decrease the required spatial coherence between the reference wave fronts and the specimen wave fronts . the camera system or camera optics 108 is an anamorphic imaging system having an aspect ratio of on the order of 2 : 1 . in essence , the wafer in the configuration illustrated optically appears as a tilted object , and in the arrangement shown has an elliptical projection ratio of approximately 6 : 1 . the camera system used should preferably resolve this elliptical projection ratio into an image having an aspect ratio closer to 1 : 1 . maintaining the aspect ratio of 6 : 1 can prevent detection of relatively significant magnitude . an illustration of the 6 : 1 relationship in the projection of the swath or stripe of light energy is presented in fig3 wherein specimen or wafer 110 receives and reflects light energy . the overall configuration of the anamorphic imaging system used in the system disclosed herein is shown in fig4 . from fig4 the projection of the image has an elliptical aspect ratio of 6 : 1 . the anamorphic imaging system 401 receives the elliptical image 402 and conveys the image to a viewing location , such as a ccd ( charged coupled device ) such that the received image 403 has an aspect ratio of 2 : 1 . this ratio provides the maximum utilization of a square image when imaging each of the wafer stitching regions . different anamorphic imaging arrangements may be employed while still within the scope of the current invention ; the intention of the anamorphic system and function thereof is to provide a sufficient image based on the surfaces being scanned and the size and quality of defects expected , as well as the resolution capability of the overall system . in order to measure certain anomalies created by the cmp process , such as dishing , the system has micrometer range spatial resolution . dishing anomalies are measured over roughly two millimeters within multiple fields of varying line densities , thus requiring this micrometer range spatial resolution . the camera system 108 therefore has zoom capability to accurately measure these dishing attributes . using a zoom capability and therefore reducing the field of view require an x / y translation of the specimen , an x / y translation of the interferometer , or an x / y translation of the imaging system . this translation of components permits enhanced dishing measurement using the zoom capability of the camera system 108 . the wafer is translated by mechanical or automated means known to those of skill in the art , while the interferometer and imaging system translation is performed by releasing , moving , and fixing the position of the appropriate components , or by other translation procedures and devices known to those skilled in the art . a simplified drawing of the system from the wafer to the camera arrangement is presented in fig5 . fig5 is not to scale . from fig5 wafer or specimen 110 reflects the light energy toward second diffraction grating 501 , which passes light to collimator 502 and to a camera arrangement 503 . camera arrangement 503 comprises seven imaging lenses used to resolve the 6 : 1 image received into a 2 : 1 image for transmission to imaging sensor or ccd 109 . any lensing arrangement capable of producing this function is acceptable , and the camera arrangement 503 is therefore not limited to that illustrated in fig5 . imaging of the specimen is generally performed in accordance with pct application pct / ep / 03881 to dieter mueller , currently assigned to the kla - tencor corporation , the assignee of the current application . the entirety of pct / ep / 03881 is incorporated herein by reference . this imaging arrangement is illustrated in fig6 and 7 , and is employed in conjunction with the arrangement illustrated and described with respect to fig1 herein . fig6 and 7 , as well as fig1 are not to scale . as shown in fig6 and 7 , the light energy directing apparatus employed in the current invention comprises a light source in the form of a low coherence laser 601 . the light emitted from the laser 601 is conducted through a beam waveguide 602 . the light produced by the laser 601 emerges at an end 603 of the beam waveguides 602 so that the end 603 acts as a punctual light source . the emerging light strikes a deviation mirror 604 wherefrom it is redirected onto a collimation mirror 607 in the form of a parabolic mirror by two further deviation mirrors 605 and 606 . deviation mirrors 605 and 606 are oriented at an angle of 90 ° relative to each other . the parallel light beam p reflected from the parabolic mirror 607 reaches a beam splitter 608 through the two deviation mirrors 605 and 606 . the beam splitter 608 is formed as a first diffraction grating . the beam splitter 608 as shown is arranged in the apparatus in a vertical direction and the parallel light beam p strikes the diffraction grating in a perpendicular direction . as may be appreciated by those of skill in the art , the specimen may be oriented in the horizontal direction , thereby requiring a simple re - orientation of the optical components . a beam collector 610 in the form of a second diffraction grating is disposed from the first diffraction grating 608 and parallel thereto . behind the beam collector 610 is located a decollimation lens and the light beam leaving the decollimation lens is deflected and focused onto a ccd camera 616 , through deviation mirrors 612 , 613 , and 614 , and through lens 615 . in the arrangement shown , the beam splitter 608 is supported transversely to the optical axis and further comprises a piezoelectric actuating element 617 for shifting the phase of the parallel light beam p by displacing the diffraction grating . as noted , in order to provide for inspection of a portion of the wafer surface in - line during the overall specimen inspection process , the orientation of the system may differ from that shown in fig6 and 7 . for example , it may be preferable to provide a horizontal orientation of the wafer to reduce the need for human interaction . alternately , as shown in fig6 and 7 , the specimen may be vertically oriented . in either orientation , the reference mirror 105 of fig1 or 651 of fig6 must be provided substantially parallel to the wafer surface and providing a common path length between the transmission gratings . to facilitate the inspection , a holding device 630 may be provided between the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating . a wafer or specimen 609 to be measured may be held on the holding device 630 such that both plane surfaces 631 and 632 are arranged in vertical direction parallel to the light beam p . the wafer 609 is supported by the support post substantially at its vertical edge 633 only so that the surface 632 is not substantially contacted by the support post and are freely accessible to the interferometric measurement . moreover , an optional receiving device ( 630 , 625 ) may be provided for measuring the wafer 609 . this receiving device ( 630 , 625 ) provides for arrangement of the wafer in line in the system . the wafer can be inserted into the receiving device in a horizontal position . by means of a tilting device 626 the wafer 609 may be tilted from its horizontal position into the vertical measuring position , and the wafer 609 may be transferred , by means of a positionable traveller into the light path between the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating so that the surfaces 609 and 632 to be measured are aligned substantially parallel to the undiffracted light beam p and in a substantially vertical direction . in operation the wafer or specimen 609 to be measured may be first inserted into the wafer receiving device 625 . the surfaces 631 and 632 are horizontally arranged . by means of the tilting device and of the traveller 619 the wafer to be measured is brought into the holding device 630 where it is arranged so that the specimen 609 is vertically oriented . a diffraction of the parallel light beam p striking the first diffraction grating 608 of the beam splitter produces partial light beam or narrow swath or stripe a , whereby the first order component of the partial light beam a having a positive diffraction angle strikes one surface 632 of the wafer 609 and is reflected . the first order component of partial light beam a strikes the reflective surface or flat 651 . the 0 - th diffraction order of the parallel light beam p passes through the first diffraction grating 608 and is not reflected at the surface 632 of the wafer 609 . this partial light beam p serves as a reference beam for interference with the reflected wave fronts of beam a . the 0 - th order beam is preferably blocked by blocking surface 653 . in the second diffraction grating 610 , the beam collector and the reflected first order components of partial light beam a is combined with the reference beam p and focused , in the form of partial light beam a + p onto the focal planes of the ccd camera 616 through decollimation lens 611 and deviation mirrors 612 , 613 and 614 as well as positive lens 615 . during the exposure of the surfaces the phase of the parallel light beam p is repeatedly shifted by multiples of 90 ° and 120 ° by displacing the diffraction grating . this produces phase shifted interference patterns . the defined shift of the interference phase produced by the phase shifter 617 is evaluated to determine whether there is a protuberance or a depression in the measured surface 631 . it should be noted that in the manner illustrated in the preferred embodiment and in general the wafer specimen is able to be rotated such that data may be acquired for any location on the specimen . while one particular wafer holding apparatus is illustrated , it is to be understood that any type of wafer holding device is generally acceptable that provides for relatively simple rotation and data acquisition . using such a wafer holding apparatus , the swath of light can cover and examine a strip extending at least from the center of the specimen to the edge of the specimen . use of the term “ center ” means a point approximately central to a generally round specimen , or at a non - edge point in a non - circular specimen . the system and method disclosed herein provide for examination of global planarization , erosion , and dishing on the cmp processed wafer surface . the system and method can be integrated into the cmp process line , and various cmp processed wafers are successfully examined using the invention described herein , including but not limited to unpatterned wafers with film , patterned test wafer with test mask , patterned production wafer with combination of product and test mask , and patterned production wafers free of test masks . while the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof , it will be understood that the invention is capable of further modifications . this application is intended to cover any variations , uses or adaptations of the invention following , in general , the principles of the invention , and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known and customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains .	6
referring now to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the views , and particularly referring to fig1 there is illustrated a schematic diagram of a refrigeration circuit 20 incorporating the invention . the refrigeration circuit 20 is divided into two segments 20a and 20b . the segment 20a comprises that portion of the refrigeration circuit 20 which contains certain conventional elements . these elements include a compressor 21 having a suction line 22 and a discharge line 23 . in the suction line 22 there is a suction pressure regulator 24 which establishes a constant head for the inlet of the compressor 21 to prevent overloading of the compressor . in the discharge line 23 there is a condenser 25 for condensing the compressed refrigerant vapor coming from the compressor 21 , and an expansion valve 26 for flashing a portion of pressurized liquid refrigerant into a vapor thereby lowering the temperature and pressure of the remaining unvaporized refrigerant . preferably the refrigerant is a halogenated hydrocarbon fluid . the segment 20b comprises that portion of the refrigeration circuit 20 incorporating the present invention . to complete the refrigerant circuit 20 , an evaporator 27 is connected between the discharge line 23 and the suction line 22 . the details of evaporator 27 comprise significant features of the invention , as will be described hereinbelow . gaseous refrigerant is compressed , condensed to a liquid and then expanded , in the form of a liquid spray into the evaporator 27 . heat transferred into the liquid refrigerant causes it to evaporate . the evaporated refrigerant passes through suction line 22 back to the compressor 21 . fig1 also illustrates the water supply circuit used to provide water to the evaporator 27 for making ice . a water supply manifold 28 sprays a continuous stream of water across the surface of the evaporator 27 . the water which is not frozen at the freezing sites 29 while crossing the evaporator surface is collected below in a collection trough 30 . the water then flows back into a tank or reservoir 31 a constant level of water is maintained in the reservoir 31 by means of a float valve 32 which regulates flow from the water supply 33 . a drain solenoid valve 34 is provided to periodically drain the reservoir 31 to insure purity of the water . a pump 35 circulates water from the reservoir 31 to the water supply manifold 28 . also shown in fig1 is a pump 36 and a reservoir 37 for holding heat transfer fluid 38 . the pump 36 and the reservoir 37 are used in the operation of the evaporator 27 as will be described . fig2 is an exploded view of the evaporator 27 . starting from the back , the evaporator 27 is comprised of a serpentine length of copper tubing 50 through which the refrigerant passes . the copper tubing 50 is connected directly to a copper plate 51 so that there is good conduction of heat between the tubing and the plate . tubing 50 and plate 51 are preferably soldered together . adjacent to the plate 51 , but not physically attached to it , is a layer or sheet of insulating material 52 . this insulating layer 52 has cut in it a series of holes 53 which define the freezing sites ---- those areas where ice can be formed . the rest of the insulating layer 52 inhibits heat transfer . the size and shape of the holes 53 determine the cross - sectional size and shape of the ice cubes produced by the present invention . thus ice cubes of any desired cross - sectional shape can be made simply by inserting an insulating layer 52 with holes cut to the shape desired for the ice cube . also on the surface of the plate 51 will be a peripheral gasket 54 . in front of the gasket 54 and the insulating layer 52 is the flexible freezing surface 55 ( e . g ., a thin ( approximately 0 . 001 inch thick ) sheet of stainless steel in the preferred embodiment ). as will be explained more fully hereinafter , ice is formed on the front side of the flexible freezing surface 55 . the space between the freezing surface 55 and the plate 51 ( enclosing the insulating layer 52 between them ) is sealed by gasket 54 and another gasket 56 to define a sealed chamber therebetween . the entire assembly is held in place by a retaining frame 57 which can be fastened to the plate 51 by bolts or other retaining means . fig3 is a cross - sectional view of the evaporator 27 when assembled . line 70 carries heat transfer fluid from the evaporator 27 to the pump 36 shown in fig1 . this heat transfer fluid fills the chamber 71 between the flexible freezing surface 55 and the copper plate 51 and provides good heat transfer between the freezing surface and the refrigerated plate 51 . the heat transfer fluid also prevents water or moisture from collecting and freezing in the chamber 71 . pump 36 functions to remove the heat transfer fluid from chamber 71 causing the freezing surface 55 to be drawn into near contact with the plate 51 ( a very thin layer of the heat transfer fluid remains between the two surfaces and enhances heat transfer ). when pump 36 is turned off , heat transfer fluid may flow freely back into the chamber 71 , allowing the flexible freezing surface 55 to flex so that the ice can be easily removed from the freezing surface 55 . fig3 also illustrates the preferred embodiment of an ice removing assembly 72 , comprised of a stainless steel frame 73 supported on a hinge 74 . attached to the frame 73 are electrical resistance heating wires 75 , which are normally de - energized and at ambient temperature . the wires 75 are connected to an electrical current source ( not shown ). the frame is also connected to springs 76 and 77 and a solenoid 78 which are used to pivot the ice removing assembly 72 toward or away from the freezing surface 55 as desired . in the alternative , an independent ice removing assembly for each individual freezing site 29 could be provided . this alternate ice removing means may be necessary on larger evaporator assemblies where there can be a significant discrepancy in the heat transfer rates between different freezing sites , resulting in much thicker ice layers on some freezing sites than others . independent ice removing means for each individual freezing site can better accommodate the different thicknesses of the ice layers in this situation . referring now to fig4 - 10 , the sequence of operation of the present invention will now be described . fig4 shows a fragmentary cross - sectional view of the evaporator 27 . shown is the copper plate 51 , the insulating layer 52 , the flexible freezing surface 55 , the chamber 71 which is filled with heat transfer fluid and the resistance heating wires 75 . fig4 also shows water 90 flowing across the surface of the freezing surface 55 in the direction of the arrow . to initiate the freezing process , the compressor 21 and the water circulating pump 35 are started , and the heat transfer fluid pump 36 is turned on to pull the fluid from chamber 71 . as the heat transfer fluid is drawn out of chamber 71 by pump 36 , the freezing surface 55 is brought into intimate contact with the plate 51 for good heat transfer between the two . heat is then conducted from the warm water , through the freezing surface 55 , through the refrigerated plate 51 , and into the refrigerant . this causes the water 90 to cool down to its fusion temperature ( 32 degrees f , 0 degrees c ), after which ice begins to form at the freezing sites 29 . heat transfer from the water 90 in areas other than the freezing sites 29 is prevented by the insulating layer 52 . fig5 shows a freezing site 29 after the heat transfer fluid has been pumped out of the chamber 71 causing a first layer of ice 91 to form . while the first layer of ice 91 is forming , the resistance heating wires 75 are brought into contact with the freezing surface 55 . the first layer of ice 91 freezes over the wires 75 so that the wires are imbedded in the ice layer . once the first ice layer 91 , as shown in fig6 has reached the desired thickness , pump 36 is turned off allowing the heat transfer fluid to return to chamber 71 thus making it easier for the wires 75 to be retracted to disengage the first layer of ice 91 from the freezing surface 55 . the flexible nature of the freezing surface 55 allows ice to be pulled free , which would not be possible with a rigid surface . the ice layer 91 is still firmly attached to the wires 75 after the ice has released from the freezing surface 55 . fig7 shows the first ice layer 91 having been separated from surface 55 and retracted , but supported on wires 75 , and the heat transfer fluid again pumped out of chamber 71 . a second layer of ice 92 has been formed . fig8 shows ice layers 91 and 92 brought together by moving the resistance heating wires 75 to the freezing surface 55 . held in this position , the two ice layers will freeze ( or laminate ) together , forming a single , thicker piece of ice . this new single ice layer is then removed so that more layers can be formed and then laminated into a large piece of ice . fig9 shows the laminated ice cube 93 resulting from repeatedly performing steps illustrated in fig5 through 8 . when the laminated ice has enough layers to form a cube of the desired size , it is removed from the freezing surface 55 for harvesting by applying a voltage to resistance heating wires 75 . this causes the cube 93 to melt free of the wires 75 and drop into an ice storage bin as shown in fig1 . while the ice cube 93 is melting free of the resistance heating wires 75 , drain solenoid valve 34 opens , allowing the water in the water supply reservoir 31 to drain out . float valve 32 opens re - filling reservoir 31 with warmer fresh water . in addition to flushing the water supply , this warmer water will inhibit the formation of new ice layers until the ice cubes 93 have completely melted free and the resistance heating wires 75 can be brought back into contact with the flexible freezing surface 55 as shown in fig5 . when the ice cubes have completely melted free , the drain valve 34 is closed and the voltage is removed from the resistance heating wires 75 . the freezing process then repeats until the ice storage bin has been filled with ice cubes . fig1 is a flow - chart of the control logic for the freezing process in the present invention . it begins when the power to the ice machine is turned on . immediately , the compressor 2 -, water circulating pump 35 and the heat transfer fluid pump 36 are turned on . the drain solenoid valve 34 is held closed , the resistance heating wires 75 are off , and the solenoid 78 controlling the position of the ice removing assembly 72 is in ( so that the wires 75 are in contact with the freezing surface ). after a suitable time delay of x seconds , adjustable in accordance with the thickness of each ice layer , the solenoid 78 is pulled in ( this is a redundant command at start - up since the solenoid is already in ). the apparatus then waits a time delay of y seconds ( the delay needed to insure that the ice layers are fused ---- again not needed at start - up ). the heat transfer fluid pump 36 is then turned off ( disabling freezing and allowing ice removal ) and the solenoid 78 is commanded out . an ice sensor to detect the presence of an ice layer ( described later in fig1 , 13 and 14 ) will then indicate whether there is an ice layer on the wires . at start - up there will be no ice , so the ice layer counter ( i ) is set to zero , the solenoid 78 is commanded back in to the freezing surface 55 and the heat transfer fluid pump 36 is restarted to enable freezing . the process repeats until an ice layer is sensed on the wires 75 . when ice is sensed on the wires 75 , the ice layer counter ( i ) is incremented by one . at this point the solenoid 78 is out , holding an ice layer away from the freezing surface , and the pump 36 is turned back on to enable freezing . after x seconds , the first ice layer 91 is brought into contact with the second ice layer 92 for y seconds to fuse the two layers together , the pump 36 is turned off , and the two layers now laminated together are drawn away from the freezing surface . the ice layer counter is again incremented by one , another ice layer is frozen and laminated onto the previous layer . this repeats until the desired number of layers ( j ) have been laminated ( i = j ). when i = j , with the solenoid 78 out so the wires 75 and attached ice cubes 93 are away from the freezing surface 55 and the heat transfer fluid pump 36 on , the wires are turned on and the drain valve 34 is opened . this causes the ice cubes 93 to begin melting free of the resistance heating wires 75 and the water to drain from the water supply reservoir 31 while fresh water refills the reservoir from valve 32 . when the ice cubes 93 have melted completely free of the wires 75 , as indicated by the ice sensor , the solenoid 78 will be commanded in , returning the wires to the position needed to begin growing the first ice layer of the next cube . the resistance heating wires 75 are then turned off , and the drain valve 34 is closed . the process then starts again . this sequence repeats until the ice storage bin has been filled . fig1 through 14 illustrate a preferred embodiment of an ice sensing assembly 110 , and the operation thereof , which is used to determine the presence of an ice layer attached to the resistance heating wires . fig1 shows an ice removing assembly 72 comprising the stainless steel frame 73 which is hinged at 74 , the resistance heating wires 75 , springs 76 and 77 , and solenoid 78 . the ice sensing assembly 1210 comprises a stainless steel rod 111 which is also hinged at 74 and which is attached to switch 112 and spring 113 . fig1 shows the position of the ice removing assembly 110 when it is in contact with the freezing site 29 . when the ice removing assembly 110 is in this position , switch 112 is closed indicating no ice . fig1 shows the ice sensing assembly 110 when it has been pulled away from the freezing site 29 and there is no ice . in this situation , rod 111 does not change position and switch - 12 remains closed indicating no ice . fig1 shows the ice sensing assembly 110 when it has been pulled away from the freezing site 29 and an ice layer 91 is attached to the resistance heating wires 75 . in this situation , the ice layer 91 mechanically interferes with rod 111 pulling it out of its previous position . this causes switch 112 to open , thus indicating the presence of an ice layer . in addition to sensing the presence of an ice layer when it is initially formed , the ice sensing assembly 11o has two other functions : ( 1 ) the rod 111 tends to pull the ice layer 91 ( due to the force of spring 112 ) off the wires 75 , thus facilitating the removal of the ice layer when the wires are heated , and ( 2 ) it indicates when the ice layer 91 has been completely removed from the wires 75 at the completion of an ice cube forming cycle . fig1 shows an alternate embodiment wherein the freezing sites as defined by holes in an insulating layer are replaced instead by raised freezing sites 120 on the refrigerated plate 51 . the raised freezing sites 120 can comprise integral bosses or separate pieces of copper attached to the surface 55 . otherwise , fig1 is identical to fig5 . although this method does not allow the ice cube cross - sectional shapes to be as easily reconfigured as does the preferred embodiment , it is appropriate when the flexible freezing surface is less pliable ( e . g ., when it is made of 0 . 001 stainless steel ). another alternate embodiment is similar to the preferred embodiment except that instead of simply turning off the heat transfer fluid pump 36 to disable freezing and allow ice removal , the pump is actually reversed . this causes the flexible freezing surface to be pushed out by fluid pressure into a convex shape ( relative to the ice ) facilitating ice removal when the flexible freezing surface is less pliable . from the foregoing it will thus be apparent that the present invention comprises an improved ice making machine and method having numerous advantages over the prior art . the primary advantages is that no hot gas defrost is utilized . other advantages will be evident to those skilled in the art . although particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description , it will be understood that the invention is not limited only to the embodiments disclosed , but is intended to embrace any alternatives , equivalents , modifications , and / or rearrangement of elements falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims .	5
dimerized and trimerized urea compounds were synthesized by the following synthetic methods . general synthetic methods are shown below . a monoisocyanate compound ( 2 . 2 eq .) was dissolved in ethyl acetate ( or acetone ). into the solution , a solution of a diamine compound ( 1 . 0 eq ,) in ethyl acetate ( or acetone ) was dropped . after stirring for a predetermined time , generated precipitate was filtered , and washed with ethyl acetate , n - hexane , hot water , and methanol in this order until 1 spot was obtained on tlc ( thin layer chromatograph ) to obtain a urea compound . a diisocyanate compound ( 1 . 0 eq .) was dissolved in ethyl acetate ( or acetone ). into the solution , a solution of a monoamine compound ( 2 . 2 eq .) in ethyl acetate ( or acetone ) was dropped . after stirring for a predetermined time , generated precipitate was filtered , and washed with ethyl acetate , n - hexane , hot water , and methanol in this order until 1 spot was obtained on tlc to obtain a urea compound . a triisocyanate compound ( 1 . 0 eq .) was dissolved in ethyl acetate ( or acetone ). into the solution , a solution of a monoamine compound ( 3 . 3 eq .) in ethyl acetate ( or acetone ) was dropped . after stirring for a predetermined time , generated precipitate was filtered , and washed with ethyl acetate , n - hexane , hot water , and methanol in this order until 1 spot was obtained on tlc to obtain a urea compound . in the following description , unless otherwise noted , part and % indicate part by weight and % by weight , respectively . as shown below , thermal recording sheets were produced using 3 - n , n - diethylamino - 6 - methyl - 7 - anilinofluorane ( odb ) as a dye precursor and the dimerized urea compound ( or trimerized urea compound ) of the present invention ( table 1 , table 2 , table 3 ) as a developer . specifically , a color developer dispersion ( solution a ) and a dye precursor dispersion ( solution b ) of the following compositions were milled by a sand grinder to an average particle diameter of 1 micron . ______________________________________solution a : color developer dispersioninventive dimerized urea compound 6 . 0 parts ( or trimerized urea compound ) 10 % aqueous polyvinylalcohol solution 18 . 8water 11 . 2solution b : dye precursor dispersion3 - n , n - diethylamino - 6 - methyl - 7 - 2 . 0 partsanilinofluorane ( odb ) 10 % aqueous polyvinylalcohol solution 4 . 6water 2 . 6______________________________________ then , the solution a ( color developer dispersion ), the solution b ( dme precursor dispersion ), and a kaolin clam dispersion were mixed in the following ratio to obtain a coating color . ______________________________________solution a ( color developer dispersion ) 36 . 0 partssolution b ( dye precursor dispersion ) 9 . 2kaolin clay ( 50 % dispersion ) 12 . 0______________________________________ the coating color was coated on one side of a 50 g / m 2 base paper to a coating coverage of 6 . 0 g / m 2 , dried , and supercalendered to a flatness of 500 to 60 seconds to obtain a thermal recording sheet . thermal recording sheets were produced using the dye precursors other than odb and using the same procedure as in examples 1 - 48 ( table 5 ). first , a dye precursor dispersion ( solution c ) of the following composition was milled by a sand grinder to an average particle diameter of 1 micron . ______________________________________solution c : dye precursor dispersion______________________________________above dye precursor 2 . 0 parts10 % aqueous polyvinylalcohol solution 4 . 6water 2 . 6______________________________________ then , the color developer dispersion used in example 4 ( or example 6 ), solution c , and a kaolin clay dispersion were mixed in the following ratio to obtain a coating color . ______________________________________color developer dispersion of example 6 using the 36 . 0 partcompound a8 ( or color developer dispersion ofexample 4 using the compound a6 ) solution c : dye precursor dispersion 9 . 2kaolin clay ( 50 % dispersion ) 12 . 0______________________________________ the coating color was coated on one side of a 50 g / m 2 base paper in an amount of 6 . 0 g / m 2 and dried , and the sheet was supercalendered to a flatness of 500 to 600 seconds to obtain a thermal recording sheet . thermal recording sheets for comparative tests were prepared usin g the known compounds shown below as color developers and using the same procedure as in examples 1 - 48 . table 4______________________________________known color developer compounds______________________________________bisphenol a ( b1 ) bisphenol s ( b2 ) 4 - hydroxy - 4 &# 39 ;- iso - propoxydiphenylsulfone ( b3 ) 4 - hydroxy - 4 &# 39 ;- n - propoxydiphenylsulfone ( b4 ) phenylurea ( b5 ) described in japanese opi 58 - 211496dimerized urea ( b6 ) described in japanese opi 5 - 147357amidephenol derivative ( b7 ) ## str7 ## ( b1 ) ## str8 ## ( b2 ) ## str9 ## ( b3 ) ## str10 ## ( b4 ) ## str11 ## ( b5 ) ## str12 ## ( b6 ) ## str13 ## ( b7 ) ______________________________________ specifically , dispersions of the above individual known color developer compounds of the following composition were milled by a sand grinder to an average particle diameter of 1 micron . ______________________________________solution d : color developer dispersion______________________________________known color developer compound ( b1 - b7 ) 6 . 0 parts10 % aqueous polyvinylalcohol solution 18 . 8water 11 . 2______________________________________ then , solution d ( color developer dispersion ), the dye precursor ( odb ) dispersion ( solution b ) used in examples 1 - 48 , and a kaolin clay dispersion were mixed in the following ratio to obtain a coating color . ______________________________________solution d : color developer dispersion 36 . 0 partssolution b : dye precursor dispersion 9 . 2 ( odb dispersion ) kaolin clay ( 50 % dispersion ) 12 . 0______________________________________ the coating color was coated on one side of a 50 g / m 2 base paper in an amount of 6 . 0 g / m 2 and dried , and the sheet was supercalendered to a flatness of 500 to 600 seconds to obtain a thermal recording sheet . thermal recording sheets for comparative tests were prepared using hisphenol a as a color developer , and odb - 2 and new - blue and using the same procedure as in examples 49 - 56 . ( table 5 ) the resulting thermal recording sheets were tested for basic properties by a recordability test using a thermal printer , a ground color thermal stability test , and an oil ink adaptability test . to test the recording adaptability , the thermal recording sheet was recorded using a word processor printer ( rupo - 90f : trade mark of word processor made by toshiba co ,. ltd .) at a maximum energy , and the recorded portion was measured by a macbeth densitometer ( rd - 914 , an amber filter used . hereinafter density was measured in this condition ). in this case , the greater the macbeth value , the higher the recording density and the better the recording adaptability . to test the thermal stability of ground color , the recording sheet was pressed against a hot plate heated individually at 90 ° c ., 120 ° c . and 150 ° c . at a pressure of 10 g / cm 2 for 5 seconds , and the treated sheet was measured by a macbeth densitometer . in this case , the smaller the macbeth value , the smaller the coloring of ground color and the higher the thermal stability of ground color . oil ink adaptability test ( discoloration of ground color by oil ink ): the recording sheet was written with a felt pen of red oil ink magic ink no . 900 / teranishi kagaku co ,. ltd ., and visually measured for a degree of discoloration compared to a conventional red ink . the evaluation results of the basic properties of examples 1 - 56 using the dimerized or trimerized urea compounds of the present invention as color developers , and comparative examples 1 - 9 using the conventional color developer compound are shown in tables 1 to 5 . table 1______________________________________ ground thermal stabilitycolor color recorda - of ground color oil ink deve - before bility 90 ° 120 ° 150 ° adapta - entry loper recording test c . c . c . bility______________________________________ex . 1 a3 0 . 03 1 . 34 0 . 03 0 . 03 0 . 04 aex . 2 a4 0 . 02 1 . 12 0 . 02 0 . 03 0 . 04 aex . 3 a5 0 . 03 1 . 28 0 . 03 0 . 03 0 . 05 aex . 4 a6 0 . 02 1 . 26 0 . 02 0 . 03 0 . 04 aex . 5 a7 0 . 03 1 . 35 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 6 a8 0 . 02 1 . 21 0 . 02 0 . 03 0 . 05 aex . 7 a10 0 . 04 1 . 15 0 . 04 0 . 04 0 . 04 aex . 8 a12 0 . 02 1 . 16 0 . 02 0 . 03 0 . 08 aex . 9 a14 0 . 06 1 . 28 0 . 06 0 . 06 0 . 06 aex . 10 a15 0 . 02 1 . 16 0 . 03 0 . 03 0 . 05 aex . 11 a16 0 . 03 1 . 07 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 06 aex . 12 a17 0 . 02 1 . 29 0 . 02 0 . 04 0 . 24 aex . 13 a19 0 . 03 1 . 31 0 . 03 0 . 05 0 . 74 aex . 14 a28 0 . 03 1 . 28 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 79 aex . 15 a31 0 . 03 1 . 15 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 16 a32 0 . 03 1 . 24 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 05 a______________________________________ note : odb used as a dye table 2______________________________________ ground thermal stabilitycolor color recorda - of ground color oil ink deve - before bility 90 ° 120 ° 150 ° adapta - entry loper recording test c . c . c . bility______________________________________ex . 17 a33 0 . 04 0 . 92 0 . 04 0 . 05 0 . 06 aex . 18 a34 0 . 03 0 . 91 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 19 a49 0 . 04 1 . 22 0 . 04 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 20 a50 0 . 03 1 . 16 0 . 03 0 . 03 0 . 05 aex . 21 a51 0 . 03 0 . 98 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 22 a52 0 . 04 1 . 11 0 . 04 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 23 a53 0 . 03 1 . 10 0 . 03 0 . 03 0 . 05 aex . 24 a54 0 . 05 1 . 35 0 . 05 0 . 06 0 . 16 aex . 25 a55 0 . 03 1 . 23 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 26 a56 0 . 04 1 . 24 0 . 04 0 . 04 0 . 06 aex . 27 a63 0 . 03 0 . 82 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 28 a64 0 . 04 0 . 87 0 . 05 0 . 05 0 . 05 aex . 29 a65 0 . 10 0 . 83 0 . 10 0 . 12 0 . 02 aex . 30 a66 0 . 04 0 . 86 0 . 04 0 . 05 0 . 06 aex . 31 a68 0 . 03 0 . 81 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 32 a69 0 . 04 0 . 93 0 . 04 0 . 05 0 . 07 a______________________________________ note : odb used as a dye table 3______________________________________ ground thermal stabilitycolor color recorda - of ground color oil ink deve - before bility 90 ° 120 ° 150 ° adapta - entry loper recording test c . c . c . bility______________________________________ex . 33 a79 0 . 05 0 . 85 0 . 05 0 . 06 0 . 12 aex . 34 a82 0 . 12 0 . 80 0 . 12 0 . 13 0 . 14 aex . 35 a90 0 . 03 0 . 85 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 36 a92 0 . 03 0 . 85 0 . 03 0 . 03 0 . 03 aex . 37 a100 0 . 02 1 . 14 0 . 02 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 38 a101 0 . 03 1 . 09 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 39 a103 0 . 02 0 . 90 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 06 aex . 40 a104 0 . 02 0 . 92 0 . 02 0 . 04 0 . 28 aex . 41 a111 0 . 03 1 . 00 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 42 a112 0 . 04 0 . 81 0 . 04 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 43 a120 0 . 05 0 . 82 0 . 05 0 . 05 0 . 08 aex . 44 a124 0 . 02 0 . 74 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 45 a186 0 . 04 1 . 07 0 . 04 0 . 04 0 . 04 aex . 46 a200 0 . 02 1 . 16 0 . 02 0 . 03 0 . 05 aex . 47 a201 0 . 03 1 . 03 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 48 a203 0 . 04 1 . 03 0 . 05 0 . 07 0 . 09 a______________________________________ note : odb used as a dye table 4__________________________________________________________________________ ground thermal stability color color before recordability of ground color oil inkentry developer recording test 90 ° c . 120 ° c . 150 ° c . adaptability__________________________________________________________________________comp . ex . 1 b1 0 . 06 1 . 44 0 . 21 1 . 51 1 . 53 dcomp . ex . 2 b2 0 . 06 1 . 30 0 . 08 0 . 21 0 . 58 dcomp . ex . 3 b3 0 . 04 1 . 50 0 . 13 1 . 55 1 . 56 dcomp . ex . 4 b4 0 . 04 1 . 52 0 . 04 0 . 13 1 . 55 dcomp . ex . 5 b5 0 . 03 1 . 01 0 . 04 0 . 06 0 . 94 acomp . ex . 6 b6 0 . 06 1 . 14 0 . 07 0 . 11 1 . 02 acomp . ex . 7 b7 0 . 07 0 . 79 0 . 08 0 . 49 0 . 68 c__________________________________________________________________________ note : odb used as a dye table 4__________________________________________________________________________ ground thermal stability color color before recordability of ground color oil inkentry dye developer recording test 90 ° c . 120 ° c . 150 ° c . adaptability__________________________________________________________________________ex . 49 odb - 2 a8 0 . 05 1 . 26 0 . 05 0 . 05 0 . 07 aex . 50 cvl a8 0 . 03 0 . 82 0 . 03 0 . 04 0 . 05 aex . 51 new - blue a8 0 . 07 0 . 98 0 . 07 0 . 08 0 . 10 aex . 52 i - red a8 0 . 03 1 . 02 0 . 03 0 . 05 0 . 06 aex . 53 odb - 2 a6 0 . 05 1 . 30 0 . 05 0 . 06 0 . 07 aex . 54 cvl a6 0 . 04 0 . 84 0 . 04 0 . 05 0 . 06 aex . 55 new - blue a6 0 . 08 0 . 90 0 . 08 0 . 09 0 . 09 aex . 56 i - red a6 0 . 03 0 . 80 0 . 03 0 . 05 0 . 06 acom . ex . 8 odb - 2 b1 0 . 05 1 . 30 0 . 27 1 . 31 1 . 36 dcom . ex . 9 new - blue b1 0 . 04 1 . 34 0 . 29 1 . 33 1 . 39 d__________________________________________________________________________ then , to test for additional properties , the thermal recording sheet was subjected to a heat lamination test and a reversible recording test . using a simple lamination apparatus ( ms pouch h - 140 / meiko shokai ), the thermal recording sheet was put between pouch films to prepare a laminated thermal recording sheet , and the ground color thereof was measured by a macbeth densitometer . in this case , the smaller the macbeth value shows the better the ground color stability . in other words , the sheet can be laminated without coloring . the thermal recording sheet using the dimerized or trimerized urea compound of the present invention was able to be laminated with a stable ground color . as in the recordability test , the thermal recording sheet was recorded by a word processor printer , the recorded sheet was passed between 180 ° c . heat rolls at a speed of 30 mm / sec , and the recorded portion and the ground color portion were measured by a macbeth densitometer . in this case , the smaller the macbeth value of the recorded portion shows the higher the erasability . after that , the sheet was again recorded by the word processor printer , and the recorded portion was measured for macbeth density . evaluation results of additional properties of the examples using the dimerized or trimerized urea compound of the present invention as a color developer and comparative examples 1 - 8 using a known color developer compound are shown in tables 8 to 9 . table 6__________________________________________________________________________ heat reversible recordability testcolor lamination recorded erasing re - entry developer test portion ( recorded portion ground color ) recording__________________________________________________________________________ex . 1 a3 0 . 10 1 . 34 0 . 20 0 . 04 1 . 31ex . 2 a4 0 . 11 1 . 12 0 . 13 0 . 04 1 . 09ex . 3 a5 0 . 12 1 . 28 0 . 18 0 . 04 1 . 24ex . 4 a6 0 . 11 1 . 26 0 . 16 0 . 04 1 . 24ex . 5 a7 0 . 12 1 . 35 0 . 19 0 . 05 1 . 27ex . 6 a8 0 . 11 1 . 21 0 . 14 0 . 04 1 . 19ex . 7 a10 0 . 12 1 . 15 0 . 14 0 . 04 1 . 10ex . 8 a12 0 . 11 1 . 16 0 . 32 0 . 16 1 . 11ex . 9 a14 0 . 14 1 . 28 0 . 13 0 . 06 1 . 20ex . 10 a15 0 . 10 1 . 16 0 . 37 0 . 04 1 . 11ex . 15 a31 0 . 12 1 . 15 0 . 20 0 . 04 1 . 10ex . 16 a32 0 . 12 1 . 24 0 . 19 0 . 04 1 . 18ex . 17 a33 0 . 13 0 . 92 0 . 22 0 . 06 0 . 88ex . 18 a34 0 . 10 0 . 91 0 . 13 0 . 04 0 . 86ex . 19 a49 0 . 14 1 . 22 0 . 19 0 . 04 1 . 19__________________________________________________________________________ note : odb used as a dye table 7__________________________________________________________________________ heat reversible recordability testcolor lamination recorded erasing re - entry developer test portion ( recorded portion ground color ) recording__________________________________________________________________________ex . 20 a50 0 . 15 1 . 16 0 . 20 0 . 05 1 . 11ex . 21 a51 0 . 12 0 . 96 0 . 40 0 . 05 0 . 93ex . 22 a52 0 . 13 1 . 11 0 . 22 0 . 04 1 . 05ex . 23 a53 0 . 14 1 . 10 0 . 21 0 . 05 1 . 02ex . 25 a55 0 . 11 1 . 23 0 . 28 0 . 05 1 . 17ex . 27 a63 0 . 13 0 . 82 0 . 50 0 . 06 0 . 78ex . 28 a64 0 . 14 0 . 87 0 . 50 0 . 05 0 . 83ex . 31 a68 0 . 12 0 . 81 0 . 44 0 . 05 0 . 79ex . 33 a79 0 . 12 0 . 85 0 . 40 0 . 09 0 . 81ex . 35 a90 0 . 12 0 . 79 0 . 35 0 . 05 0 . 72ex . 37a100 0 . 12 1 . 04 0 . 44 0 . 06 0 . 99ex . 38a101 0 . 12 1 . 09 0 . 43 0 . 04 1 . 01ex . 43a120 0 . 16 0 . 72 0 . 30 0 . 08 0 . 70__________________________________________________________________________ note : odb used as a dye table 8__________________________________________________________________________ reversible recordability test color heat recorded erasing re - entry developer lamination portion ( recorded portion ground color ) recording__________________________________________________________________________comp . ex . 1 b1 1 . 96 1 . 44 1 . 58 1 . 50 -- comp . ex . 2 b2 0 . 37 1 . 30 1 . 43 0 . 93 -- comp . ex . 3 b3 1 . 86 1 . 50 1 . 57 1 . 54 -- comp . ex . 4 b4 0 . 28 1 . 52 1 . 54 1 . 49 -- comp . ex . 5 b5 0 . 29 1 . 03 1 . 05 0 . 96 -- comp . ex . 6 b6 0 . 28 1 . 14 1 . 11 0 . 99 -- comp . ex . 7 b7 0 . 64 0 . 79 0 . 44 0 . 15 0 . 73__________________________________________________________________________ note : odb used as a dye table 9__________________________________________________________________________ color heat revers . recordability test re - entry dye developer lamination recorded - erasing ( recorded portion ground color ) recording__________________________________________________________________________ex . 49 odb - 2 a8 0 . 09 1 . 26 0 . 10 0 . 05 1 . 25ex . 50 cvl a8 0 . 10 0 . 82 0 . 11 0 . 05 0 . 80ex . 51 new - blue a8 0 . 10 0 . 98 0 . 09 0 . 05 0 . 98ex . 52 1 - red a8 0 . 11 1 . 02 0 . 15 0 . 06 0 . 98comp . ex . 8 odb - 2 b1 1 . 84 1 . 30 1 . 56 1 . 48 -- comp . ex . 9 new - blue b1 1 . 79 1 . 34 1 . 49 1 . 43 -- __________________________________________________________________________ the thermal recording sheet of example 1 was subjected to 100 repetitions of a reversibility test by a heat roll . the macbeth densities of the recorded portion and ground color of the 100th time were 1 . 20 and 0 . 07 , respectively . the thermal recording sheet of example 3 was subjected to 100 repetitions of a reversibility test by a heat roll . the macbeth densities of the recorded portion and ground color of the 100th time were 1 . 18 and 0 . 07 , respectively . the thermal recording sheet of example 4 was subjected to 100 repetitions of a reversibility test by a heat roll . the macbeth densities of the recorded portion and ground color of the 100th time were 1 . 04 and 0 . 08 , respectively . the thermal recording sheet of example 6 was subjected to 100 repetitions of a reversibility test by a heat roll . the macbeth densities of the recorded portion and ground color of the 100th time were 1 . 09 and 0 . 08 , respectively . the thermal recording sheet of example 49 was subjected to 100 repetitions of a reversibility test by a heat roll . the macbeth densities of the recorded portion and ground color of the 100th time were 1 . 12 and 0 . 07 , respectively . the thermal recording sheet of example 51 was subjected to 100 repetitions of a reversibility test by a heat roll . the macbeth densities of the recorded portion and ground color of the 100th time were 0 . 94 and 0 . 09 , respectively . the thermal recording sheet of example 56 was subjected to 50 repetitions of a reversibility test by a heat roll . the macbeth densities of the recorded portion and ground color of the 50th time were 0 . 76 and 0 . 11 , respectively . the thermal recording sheet of example 3 was recorded by a word processor printer , and the recorded surface was wiped out with ethanol . the recorded portion had a macbeth density of 0 . 23 . the thermal recording sheet of example 9 was recorded by a word processor printer , and the recorded surface was wiped out with ethanol . the recorded portion had a macbeth density of 0 . 16 . the thermal recording sheet of example 18 was recorded by a word processor printer , and the recorded surface was wiped out with ethanol . the recorded portion had a macbeth density of 0 . 19 . the thermal recording sheet of example 3 was toner recorded by a copier ( np6060 / canon co ,. ltd ). no change in the ground color was noted . the thermal recording sheet of example 5 was toner recorded by a copier ( np6060 / canon co ,. ltd ). no change in the ground color was noted . the thermal recording sheet of example 28 was toner recorded by a copier ( np6060 / canon co ,. ltd ). no change in the ground color was noted . the thermal recording sheet of example 53 was toner recorded by a copier ( np6060 / canon co ,. ltd ). no change in the ground color was noted . production of thermal recording sheet containing the optical absorbent . as described above , an optical recording sheet was produced using 3 - n , n - diethylamino - 6 - methyl - 7 - anilinofluorane ( odb ) as a dye precursor , the dimerized urea compound ( or the trimerized urea compound ) of the present invention as a color developer , and a heat melt ( optical absorbent a ) of a bis - dithiobenzylnickel complex and a sensitizer as an optical absorbent . ( table 10 ) specifically , 94 parts of 4 - biphenyl - 9 - tolylether was mixed with b parts of bi - dithiobenzylnickel complex , heated to 100 ° to 150 ° c . to melt , and then crushed to obtain an optical absorbent . an optical absorbent dispersion of the following composition was milled by a sand grinder to an average particle diameter of 1 micron . ______________________________________ ( solution e : optical absorbent dispersion ) ______________________________________optical absorbent 4 . 0 parts10 % aqueous polyvinylalcohol solution 10 . 0water 6 . 0 . ______________________________________ then , the color developer dispersion ( solution a ) used in examples 1 - 48 , the dye precursor ( odb ) dispersion ( solution b ) used in examples 1 - 48 , solution e ( optical absorbent dispersion ), and a kaolin clay dispersion were mixed in the following ratio to obtain a coating color . ______________________________________solution a ( color developer dispersion ) 36 . 0 partssolution b ( dye precursor dispersion ) 9 . 2solution e ( optical absorbent dispersion ) 20 . 0kaolin clay ( 50 % dispersion ) 12 . 0______________________________________ the coating color was coated on one side of a 50 g / m 2 base paper in an amount of 6 . 0 g / m 2 and dried , and the sheet was supercalendered to a flatness of 500 to 600 seconds to obtain an optical recording sheet . an optical recording sheet was produced using nk - 2612 ( nippon kanko shikiso kenkyusho ) ( optical absorbent b ) as an optical absorbent in place of the heat melt of bis - dithiobenzylnickel complex and a sensitizer . ( table 10 ) ______________________________________ ( solution f : aqueous optical absorbent solution ) ______________________________________ nk - 2612 0 . 04 parts water 3 . 96 . ______________________________________ then , the color developer dispersion ( solution a ) used in examples 1 - 48 , the dye precursor ( odb ) dispersion ( solution b ) used in examples 1 - 48 , solution e ( optical absorbent dispersion ), and a kaolin clay dispersion were mixed in the following ratio to obtain a coating color . ______________________________________solution a ( color developer dispersion ) 36 . 0 partssolution b ( dye precursor dispersion ) 9 . 2soluti ; on f ( optical absorbent solution ) 4 . 0kaolin clay ( 50 % dispersion ) 12 . 0______________________________________ the coating color was coated on one side of a 50 g / m 2 base paper in an amount of 6 . 0 g / m 2 and dried , and the sheet was supercalendered to a flatness of 500 to 600 seconds to obtain an optical recording sheet . an optical recording sheet was produced using toluenedithiolnickel complex ( optical absorbent c ) as an optical absorbent in place of the heat melt of bis - dithiobenzylnickel complex and a sensitizer . first , an optical absorbent dispersion ( solution g ) was milled by a sand grinder to an average particle diameter of 1 micron . ______________________________________solution g ( optical absorbent color developer dispersion ) ______________________________________compound a6 ( or compound a8 or a66 ) 6 . 0 partstoluenedithiolnickel complex 1 . 010 % aqueous polyvinylalcohol solution 18 . 8water 10 . 2 . ______________________________________ then , the optical absorbent color developer dispersion ( solution g ), the dye precursor ( odb ) dispersion ( solution b ) used in examples 1 - 48 , and a kaolin clay dispersion were mixed in the following ratio to obtain a coating color . ______________________________________solution g ( optical absorbent color 36 . 0 partsdeveloper dispersion ) solution b ( dye precursor dispersion ) 9 . 2kaolin clay ( 50 % dispersion ) 12 . 0______________________________________ the coating color was coated on one side of a 50 g / m 2 base paper in an amount of 6 . 0 g / m 2 and dried , and the sheet was supercalendered to a flatness of 500 to 600 seconds to obtain an optical recording sheet . using odb - 2 or new - blue as a dye precursor in place of odb , the same procedure as in examples 7114 77 was used to obtain an optical recording sheet . using odb - 2 or new - blue as a dye precursor in place of odb , the same procedure as in examples 78 - 81 was used to obtain an optical recording sheet . using new - blue or i - red as a dye precursor in place of odb , the same procedure as in examples 82 - 84 was used to obtain an optical recording sheet . evaluation of optical recording sheets the resulting optical recording sheets were subjected to a recordability test . recordability test ( optical recording ): using a laser plotter described in japanese opi 3 - 239598 , the optical recording sheet was irradiated with a laser light , and the recorded portion was measured by a macbeth densitometer . using a 30 mw semiconductor laser lt015md ( sharp ) with an oscillation wavelength of 830 nm as a recording light sources , an aspheric plastic lens ap4545 ( konica ) with a numerical aperture of 0 . 45 and a focal length of 4 . 5 mm as an optical converging lens , a recording speed of 50 mm / sec , and a recording interval of 50 microns , a 1 cm square overall recording was obtained . the evaluation results are shown in table 10 . table 10______________________________________ color optical recorda - entry developer dye absorbent bility test______________________________________example 71 compound a3 odb absorbent a 1 . 38example 72 compound a6 odb absorbent a 1 . 28example 73 compound a8 odb absorbent a 1 . 25example 74 compound a19 odb absorbent a 1 . 40example 75 compound a39 odb absorbent a 1 . 00example 76 compound a49 odb absorbent a 1 . 22example 77 compound a68 odb absorbent a 1 . 02example 78 compound a6 odb absorbent b 1 . 26example 79 compound a7 odb absorbent b 1 . 33example 80 compound a16 odb absorbent b 1 . 10example 81 compound a63 odb absorbent b 1 . 04example 82 compound a6 odb absorbent c 1 . 27example 83 compound a8 odb absorbent c 1 . 26example 84 compound a66 odb absorbent c 1 . 01example 85 compound a6 odb absorbent a 1 . 27example 86 compound a6 odb absorbent a 1 . 02example 87 compound a6 odb absorbent b 1 . 26example 88 compound a6 odb absorbent b 1 . 00example 89 compound a6 odb absorbent c 1 . 01example 90 compound a8 odb absorbent c 0 . 98______________________________________ absorbent a : bisdithiobenzylnickel complex / sensitizer absorbent b : nk2612 absorbent c : toluenedithiolnickel complex as described above , it can be seen that the dimerized or trimerized urea compound of the present invention is an epoch - making color developer that can provide a recording with a practical image density by a thermal head or the like while without a substantial change in ground color at environmental temperatures of 120 ° to 150 ° c . therefore , the present invention has the following effects . ( 1 ) a thermal recording sheet superior in storage stability such as heat resistance and solvent resistance compared to conventional thermal recording sheets . ( 2 ) the thermal recording sheet can be used under severe conditions ( e . g . at temperatures of 90 °- 150 ° c .) at which conventional products could not be used . ( 3 ) since the thermal recording sheet does not undergo discoloration when written with an oil ink , it can be freely written using these writing means . ( 4 ) the thermal recording sheet can be simply heat laminated by a simple laminator or the like . cards and the like can also be easily prepared . ( 5 ) the thermal recording sheet can be toner recorded since the ground color is stable even when passed through a heat roll . further , the thermal recording sheet having an erasing function has the following advantages : ( 6 ) a new recording system , which enables repeated color recording and erasing , which leads to resource - saving . ( 7 ) some types of the sheet can be erased merely by passing through a heat roll , without strict temperature control . ( 8 ) unlike liquid crystals , the thermal recording sheet can be used a simple display means that can be recorded and erased using different thermal energies . the thermal recording sheet of the present invention can also be incorporated with an optical absorbent for use as an optical recording sheet having similar effects .	2
it is frequent , in geosciences and other disciplines , to represent an uncertain 3d system using : 1 . a fixed discretisation of space ( grid ). 2 . sets of equi - probable realizations of high order , 3d , discrete properties which sample , on the pre - defined support of information , the prior knowledge of 3d discrete property boundary location . such sets of equi - probable realizations are often derived from geo - statistical processes . 3 . geo - statistical laws controlling the 3d distribution of low order , continuous properties for each value of the high order , discrete properties . in such setting , multiple realizations of low order , 3d , continuous properties conditioned to high order , discrete properties are obtained in what is often referred to as a “ cookie cutter ” approach . in the cookie cutter approach , previously determined 3d low order property fields are sampled as a function of the high order , discrete 3d property realization . a typical example consists of geological uncertainties being represented by a corner point geometry grid , with facies realizations governing net - to - gross , porosity and x , y and z permeability realizations . an ensemble of models built using such an approach are often used : in uncertainty analysis to infer , using a simulator imbedding physical laws , the impact of simulator input ( model ) uncertainties on simulated variables of technical or economic significance . as input for global inversion ( assisted history match ) processes in which an algorithm is used to infer , from analysis of simulation results over a range of model realizations , the changes to input models which minimize the difference between true and simulated observations . it is typically the grid and the low order , continuous properties which actually control the simulation output , not the discrete , high order properties ; these high order properties are only used as intermediate step in the modelling process . it is routinely assumed in such processes that the association of a fixed grid with sets of properties is dependent only on the high order properties , where the sets of properties associate equi - probable high order discrete realizations of one or more discrete properties with secondary continuous properties . following this . it is further assumed that the cookie cutter approach constitutes an unbiased representation of a priori uncertainties . however , this is not the case . this representation represents a biased capture of the knowledge described in bullet points 1 to 3 above . indeed , the representation comprises only models in which the discrete property boundary coincides with a grid cell boundary , while no such hypothesis is present in bullet points 1 to 3 above . the statistical laws controlling the 3d distribution of low order continuous properties for each value of the high order discrete properties do not allow direct estimation of low order properties for cells not belonging with certainty to and / or entirely within a single high order property . in such common circumstances , the representation of uncertainty is biased , and such bias typically ignored . the bias , in turn , leads to an incorrect estimation of uncertainties on simulated variables ( in an uncertainty analysis setting ) or an incorrect estimation of match actions in an assisted history match setting ( inducing in turn a lower observation fit and / or stronger change than necessary to prior model ). it can be shown that such bias has likely limited consequences in one - pass uncertainty analysis processes , and might have more detrimental consequences on iterative inversion processes . it is proposed to use a class of processes collectively referred to herein as a conditional property interface filter ( copif ). using these processes , a set of model realizations built using the same inputs as per bullet points 1 to 3 above and employing ( for example ) the traditional cookie cutter approach , can be corrected ( under certain circumstances ) in an additional modelling step . this creates a new ensemble of realizations of low order properties devoid of the bias that a facies boundary is only at a cell face . various variants of the approach have also been identified . the copif is applicable to each realization separately but is proposed as an ensemble correction method . when applied to a single regularization , it will blur the single image , while improving it statistically . the copif can be applied to sets of properties associating multiple high order , discrete properties ( e . g . facies ) with multiple low order , continuous properties . for the sake of simplicity , the following text will limit the description to a single high order property controlling multiple low order properties . however , it should be appreciated that the copif is equally applicable to other scenarios , including those more complex . the copif is applicable to structured grids in which cells have a fixed number of neighbours and strictly defined cell shapes ( e . g . corner point geometry ) and also to unstructured grids comprising cells which have a variable number of neighbours and more freedom in cell shapes ( including a mixture of cell shapes , for example : tetrahedron , hexahedron , octahedron , etc .). the copif can be applied before or after application of the cookie cutter approach ( as further explained below ); in the former case the copif essentially acts as a replacement for the cookie cutter approach . the main steps of the process are provided below , described in terms of two sub - processes : 1 ) the splitting of cells into elementary volumes and 2 ) the attributing low order cell properties to the elementary volumes : define each cell centre , typically as the barycentre of the cell volume . an alternative to defining the cell centre as the barycentre may comprise deriving the cell centre from a global grid box , knowing average cell sizes in three directions and ignoring local cell size variations . if the cell sizes do not vary too much around the mean , approximate “ centres ” can be defined faster or more easily in this way . determine , for each cell face of each cell , the volume linking the cell face to the cell barycentre . define intermediate points at a common intermediate distance from each point at a cell face and the cell barycentre - the intermediate point may be the mid - euclidian distance between the point at the cell face and the cell barycentre - and : define each half base elementary volume ( peripheral sub - cells ) as being defined by each cell face and an intermediate face defined by the corresponding ensemble of intermediate points between a single face and the barycentre . define each half top elementary volume ( central sub - cells ) as being defined by the intermediate face as defined above and the cell barycentre . a fast way of defining the elementary volumes is to define intermediate points at a common intermediate distance between each face vertex and the barycentre . these intermediate points define the vertices of the intermediate face , which can then define the elementary volumes as already described . half top elementary volumes have attributed thereto the input low order properties of the cell being considered , corresponding to the discrete high order property for the cell being considered . half base elementary volumes have attributed thereto : where the base of the half base elementary volume is adjacent a neighbouring cell having the same high order discrete property value : the input low order properties of the cell being considered corresponding to the discrete high order property of the cell being considered . where the base of the half base elementary volume is adjacent a neighbouring cell having a different high order discrete property value : the input low order properties of the cell being considered corresponding to the discrete high order property of the adjacent cell . compute cell - scale properties from elementary volume properties . this step may take into account the relative elementary volume sizes , and compute weights accordingly . fig1 is a very simple 2d example illustrating the above method compared to a traditional approach . fig1 a illustrates the traditional cookie cutter approach for background . it shows three adjacent cells labelled 1 , 2 and 3 in full and the cells neighbouring cells 1 , 2 , 3 in part . each cell 1 , 2 , 3 , and their neighbours have attributed thereto a high order property : facies a or b ( e . g . sand or shale ). the table to the left is the mapping table which shows the corresponding low order conditional property for each cell , depending on its high order property ( facies a or facies b ). such a table is calculated in advance and maintained . when populating the grid , the value attributed to a particular cell is the value corresponding to the appropriate high order value for that cell as logged in the table . in the specific example here , as cell 1 comprises facies a , it has attributed to it the low order property value “ c ” from the table . similarly , cells 2 and 3 have attributed to them the low order property values “ d ” and “ z ” respectively . fig1 b illustrates the effect of application of the copif . first of all , each cell 1 , 2 , 3 , is divided in accordance with sub - process 1 ) above . of course , in this 2d example each cell is divided into four half top elementary areas 10 and four half base elementary areas 20 . considering sub - process 2 ) in terms of cell 1 , the four half top elementary areas 10 are assigned from the table with the low order property “ c ” for cell 1 having high order property a , as this is the high order property applicable to this cell . with regard to the half base elementary areas , consideration is made of the high order property of the neighbouring cell . here cell 1 is bordered on three sides ( top , bottom , right ) by cells of the same facies a and on one side ( left ) by a cell of a different facies b . where the half base elementary area borders a cell of the same high order property , it is attributed with the low order property value for its own cell . for example , these cells are attributed with the low order property value “ c ” in the case of cell 1 . considering now , the left half base elementary area of cell 1 , as this borders onto a cell of a different facies b , it is attributed with the low order property value it would have if it were itself facies b . therefore it is attributed with the value for cell 1 for property b , which is “ x ” in this example . the final value for the cell 1 can then be an average of the values within the half areas . at its most basic this may be a straight average ( and in this specific example the cell would be attributed a low order value of ( 7c + x )/ 8 . other averaging methods which take into account the relative area sizes ( or volumes in the 3d situation ) can be used . appropriate scale up methods are discussed in more detail below the other cells 2 , 3 are treated similarly . all the half top elementary areas , and the half base elementary areas bordering a cell of the same high order property are attributed with the low order property for that cell with facies unchanged . in this example all but two of the half elementary areas of cells 2 and 3 fall into these categories . cell 2 and 3 are themselves of different high order properties , and therefore the half base elementary areas adjacent their common boundary have their facies ( high order ) property switched , as shown . in some circumstances , depending on the software being used or storage available , the conditional property mapping data for each realization may not be available . the conditional property mapping data is the data mapping the appropriate conditional property value to a cell in dependence of the high level discrete property value of that cell . a variant of sub - process 2 ) has been devised for such circumstances and essentially comprises applying the copif before applying the cookie cutter approach . in this alternative embodiment , the low order property value for each possible high order property value is unknown for a given realization for a particular cell . all that is known is the low order property values of the actual cells for only the specific high order property value attributed thereto . the low order values corresponding to a cell , were it a different facies , is not known . therefore , when the high level properties of adjacent half base elementary areas are switched , the appropriate low order value for those cells will not be known . in this embodiment , when this happens , the low level value is assumed to be equal to the value in the neighbouring cell of same property and the half base elementary volumes are attributed by directly sampling the pre - defined discrete class - specific low order properties of the considered cell for the discrete class of the adajacent cell . the half top elementary volume is sampled from the class - specific low order properties 3d realization of the class of the considered cell . fig2 is a very simple 2d example illustrating this embodiment . here , all the half top elementary areas , and the half base elementary areas bordering a cell of the same high order property are attributed with the low order property for that cell . considering the cells which border a cell of different high order property , for example the boundary between cell 0 and cell 1 , the appropriate low level values for the half base elementary areas adjacent the boundary ( cell 1 , facies b and cell 0 , facies a ) are unknown . therefore the low level values themselves are switched . this can be seen at the boundary between cell 0 and cell 1 and the boundary between cell 2 and cell 3 . any scale - up method can be applied . scale up methods are typically specific to physical properties being handled . only the very simplest methods are described herein for the explicit purpose of showing practical applicability of the approach . embodiments of the invention are not limited to any specific scale up method . the concepts disclosed herein may be used in conjunction with any applicable scale up method , whether disclosed herein or otherwise . an exemplary scale up method is described by the following steps : transform set of properties into sets of scalable properties . this may comprise substituting a property within a set of properties with the product of the property being considered and another property . example : transforming the following set of properties net to gross ( ntg ), porosity ( phi ) and permeability ( k ) into the following set : ntg , product of ntg and phi ( ntg . phi ), product of ntg and k ( ntg . k ). volume weighted arithmetic averaging . example : ntg and ntg . phi . properties suitable to a volume weighted geometric averaging . example : ntg . k . . . . or any other method suitable to the geometry and property considered , such as volume weighted harmonic averaging , flow simulation based scale - up , etc . transform back set of properties into original properties . this may comprise dividing an upscaled property by another . example : transform the following set : ntg , ntg . phi , ntg . k to the following set : ntg , phi and k by dividing for each cell the result of the scale up of ntg . phi by ntg to obtain scaled - up phi and the result of ntg . k by scale - up k to obtain scaled - up k . the computational cost of the process can be reduced by a range of methods in combination or on a stand alone basis including the following : parallel processing of high and low order properties ; screening cells differing from their neighbour ( or screening faces or vertices associated to such cells ) for the purpose of limiting cell split , property attribution and scale - up computations to those cells . leveraging specifics of the type of grid being handled ( e . g . using a constant elementary volume in case of a grid displaying similar cell geometry in all cells ). it should be noted that the methodology disclosed herein relies upon volume calculations performed on grids but is not a specific volume calculation method . volume calculations typically rely upon triangulation of cell faces and volumes . it is typical that specific rules or processes apply to volume calculations or cell face definition on certain types of grids . the copif can be used while respecting those specific volume calculation rules , and / or respecting rules applicable to specific cell face geometric definitions . it can also be used with generic volume ( and / or cell face decomposition ) calculation methods or a combination thereof . it is possible to voluntarily limit the application of the copif to a specific region of the grid based , for example , upon knowledge that the bias is only present there . similarly it is possible to specifically exclude filtering across a specific cell face region in relation with prior knowledge that the facies boundary location is not uncertain at those specific locations . it has actually been shown that , where there is no uncertainty ( or a very small uncertainty ) of the facies boundary location , application of the copif can have a detrimental effect . the copif brings value when the location uncertainty is above a certain threshold . one or more steps of the methods and concepts described herein may be embodied in the form of computer readable instructions for running on suitable computer apparatus , or in the form of a computer system comprising at least a storage means for storing program instructions embodying the concepts described herein and a processing unit for performing the instructions . as is conventional , the storage means may comprise a computer memory ( of any sort ), and / or disk drive , optical drive or similar . such a computer system may also comprise a display unit and one or more input / output devices . the concepts described herein find utility in all aspects of surveillance , monitoring , optimisation and prediction of hydrocarbon reservoir and well systems , and may aid in , and form part of , methods for extracting hydrocarbons from such hydrocarbon reservoir and well systems . it should be appreciated that the above description is for illustration only and other embodiments and variations may be envisaged without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , while the concepts are described in terms of a 3d grid , it is equally applicable to a 2d , or 1d grid .	6
the following description is of the best - contemplated mode of carrying out the invention . this description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense . the scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims . extended gate field effect transistor ( egfet ) is developed from isfet . a sensing membrane of an egfet extends from a gate of an isfet . however , the structure of the metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor is isolated from the solution , avoiding instablity of semiconductor devices and signal interference within the solution . as shown in fig2 , a titanium oxide thin film 11 is deposited on a p - type silicon substrate 14 of the egfet , and the conducting wire 12 is connected to a gate of a mosfet 13 . preferably , resistivity of the semiconductor substrate ranges from 8 - 12 ω - cm and crystal orientation thereof is ( 1 , 0 , 0 ). in addition , the conducting wire is preferably a aluminum wire . the sensing device is covered by epoxy 10 except part of the titanium oxide membrane 11 , which is exposed to the solution . the titanium oxide thin film absorbs hydrogen ions from the solution to generate an electrical signal . the electrical signal controls a channel width of the mosfet , and concentration of hydrogen ions is obtained from current of the mosfet . fig3 is a schematic diagram of a system of measuring i - v curves of the titanium oxide egfet according to an embodiment of the invention . a sensing device 18 of the titanium oxide egfet is immersed in a buffer solution 21 such as phosphate buffer solution in a container . source and drain of the sensing device 18 are connected to a semiconductor parameter analyzer 15 , such as the keithley 236 , through two conducting wires 25 and 26 such that electrical signals from the mosfet 16 can be further processed . a reference electrode 23 , such as ag / agcl , is immersed in the buffer solution 21 to provide a stable voltage . the reference electrode 23 is also connected to semiconductor parameter analyzer 15 via a conducting wire 24 . a set of heaters 20 are disposed outside the container and connected to the temperature controller 19 . the temperature controller 19 directs the heaters 20 to adjust temperature of the buffer solution 21 . a thermometer 17 connected to the temperature controller 19 detects temperature of the buffer solution 21 . the disclosed elements such as the buffer solution 21 and the heater 20 are placed in a light - isolated container 22 to minimize influence of light on measured data . a method of measuring sensitivity of the titanium oxide egfet is provided . the method compriss immersing the titanium oxide membrane of the disclosed titanium oxide egfet in a solution . ph value of the buffer solution is adjusted between ph1 and ph 11 at a fixed temperature , typically 25 ° c . a semiconductor parameter analyzer provides a voltage of 1 - 6v to the gate of the titanium oxide egfet , and sets the drain - source voltage at 0 . 2v . the semiconductor parameter analyzer records curves of drain - source current versus gate voltage of the titanium oxide egfet . sensitivity of the titanium oxide egfet at the fixed temperature is obtained from the curves of drain - source current versus gate voltage . fig4 shows curves of the source - drain current versus gate voltage of the titanium oxide egfet . the curves shift in parallel with ph value of the buffer solution . this is ascribed to the threshold voltage shift towards a positive value with increasing ph concentration . next , a fixed current ( 200 μa ) of the curve is selected to obtain a curve of gate voltage versus ph value at a fixed temperature ( 25 ° c .) as shown in fig5 . in fig5 , sensitivity of the titanium oxide egfet at 25 ° c . is 57 . 43 mv / ph . it is found that the gate voltage of the titanium oxide egfet is directly proportional to the ph value of the buffer solution and slope of the curve is the sensitivity of the titanium oxide egfet at the fixed temperature . while the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto . to the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements ( as would be apparent to those skilled in the art ). therefore , the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements .	6
fig1 is a cross - sectional view of a high - frequency integrated circuit device c according to a first embodiment . fig1 is a perspective view showing the three - dimensional arrangement of a multilayer structure in the high - frequency integrated circuit c . as shown in fig1 there is provided a multilayer structure 2 consisting of first to fourth substrates 2a to 2d composed of a ceramic material and stacked in layers . the central portion of the above multilayer structure 2 is provided with a rectangular cavity 12a formed by removing the central portions of the first to third substrates 2a to 2c except the lowermost fourth substrate 2d . it is assumed here that , in the following description , the uppermost layer of the multilayer structure 2 corresponds to a region over the top face of the uppermost first substrate 2a , the lowermost layer corresponds to a region over the back face of the lowermost fourth ceramic substrate 2d , middle layers correspond to regions lying between the individual substrates 2a to 2d , and a side layer corresponds to a region over outer side faces of the individual substrates 2a to 2d . if the multilayer structure 2 is inverted , the order in which the individual substrates 2a to 2d are stacked as shown in fig1 is reversed but , in that case also , the opening side of the cavity 12a is assumed to be the upper side and the bottom side of the cavity 12a is assumed to be the lower side for the sake of convenience . the above cavity 12a is formed by removing the respective central regions of the first and second substrates 2a and 2b so that the resulting hollow portions have the same configuration and by removing the central region of the third substrate 2c so that the resulting hollow portion is narrower than the hollow portions formed in the first and second substrates 2a and 2b and that a mezzanine face 14 is included in the top face of the third substrate 2c . a semiconductor chip 1 such as a transistor is bonded onto the fourth substrate 2d forming the bottom face 13 of the cavity 12a with the use of a high - melting - point soldering material 5 . electrodes ( not shown ) on the semiconductor chip 1 are connected to interconnect electrodes ( not shown ) formed on the mezzanine face 14 via bonding wires 8 . the semiconductor chip 1 , the bonding wires 8 , and the like are hermetically sealed with a potting resin 7 . a chip component 3 such as a chip capacitor is bonded onto the uppermost first substrate 2a positioned around the cavity 12a of the multilayer structure 2 with the use of a low - melting - point soldering material 6 . there are also provided : an edge electrode 4 formed along the outer side faces of the individual substrates 2a to 2d of the multilayer structure ; a heat dissipating electrode 15 formed by plating on the back face of the fourth substrate 2d of the multilayer structure 2 ; a protective coating material 16 covering the top face of the uppermost first substrate 2a ( except for the land portion for solder bonding and the portion corresponding to a microstrip line for matching adjustment ) of the multilayer structure 2 and substantially the entire top face of the potting resin 7 ; and a metal case 17 attached to the upper end face of the edge electrode 4 and covering the multilayer structure 2 while maintaining a given spacing with the protective coating material 16 . fig2 is a circuit diagram schematically showing an equivalent circuit to the high - frequency integrated circuit device c according to the first embodiment . as shown in the drawing , the high - frequency integrated circuit comprises : two field - effect transistors ( fets ) 20 functioning as first and second amplifiers , respectively ; drain bias circuits 21 for the respective fets 20 ; three high - frequency matching circuits 22 functioning as an input matching circuit , an interstage matching circuit , and an output matching circuit , respectively ; and gate bias circuits 23 for the respective fets 20 . each of the fets 20 is provided in the semiconductor chip 1 shown in fig1 . in the present embodiment , the fets 20 are formed on a semi - insulating gaas substrate . the high - frequency matching circuit 22 consists of the above chip component 3 and a microstrip line ( interconnect layer having its impedance matched with a characteristic impedance ) formed on the first substrate 2a . filter circuits composing the drain bias circuits 21 ( collector bias circuits in the case of using bipolar transistors ) and the gate bias circuits 23 may be provided in the uppermost layer or the middle layer of the multilayer structure 2 . in the present embodiment , the filter circuits are provided between the second substrate 2b and the third substrate 2c . thus , by providing the filter circuits and the high - frequency matching circuits in discrete layers , the area occupied by the mounted circuit components does not become excessively large even when a wiring pattern with a large line width of 200 μm or more is used . consequently , not only the line width but also integration degree can be increased , thereby achieving an interconnection resistance of 0 . 4 ω or lower . although the drain bias circuits 21 are designed to serve as filters for a high - frequency wave , the characteristics of the filters are determined by the length of a transmission line relative to the wavelength of a high - frequency wave to be propagated . for example , if the length of the transmission line is set to 1 / 4 of the wavelength of a fundamental frequency and the termination is short - circuited with respect to a high - frequency signal , the drain bias circuit 21 has an infinite impedance with respect to the fundamental frequency , while having an impedance in a short - circuited state with respect to double the fundamental frequency . hence , in the case of composing such filters , when a fundamental wave is set at a low wavelength , the length of the transmission line is increased , which increases the high - frequency integrated circuit device c in size and reduces the integration degree thereof . in the case of using an alumina substrate with a relative dielectric constant of 10 , the length of a transmission line equal to 1 / 4 of a wavelength for a 800 mhz signal actually becomes about 30 mm . as a result , if the width of the transmission line and the volume of the integrated circuit is to be limited to 200 μm or more and to 0 . 5 cc or less , respectively , the minimum fundamental frequency is approximately 800 mhz . accordingly , by setting the operating frequency of the high - frequency integrated circuit at 800 mhz or more , a loss as a filter can be reduced to a low value of 1 db or less without excessively increasing the area occupied by the mounted circuit components . in the arrangement of the present embodiment , the respective highest portions of the bonding wires 8 are sufficiently lower in level than the uppermost layer of the multilayer structure 2 and the potting resin 7 entirely covering the semiconductor chip 1 and the bonding wires 8 is lower in level than the uppermost layer of the multilayer structure 2 . with the arrangement , the entire surface is substantially planarized with no projection formed in the multilayer structure 2 . moreover , since the entire surface is substantially planarized , the creamed solder as the low - melting - point soldering material 6 for soldering the chip component 3 can be applied with the use of a flat mask for soldering , so that the chip component 3 can be mounted even in the vicinity of the semiconductor chip 1 . consequently , the integration degree is increased and the high - frequency integrated circuit can be reduced in size . as a result , the volume of the high - frequency integrated circuit device becomes 0 . 2 cc or less , while the volume of the conventional high - frequency integrated circuit device having equal numbers of active and passive components and using the single - layer substrate is 0 . 4 cc , which indicates that the overall volume is reduced to 1 / 2 or less . next , a description will be given to the manufacturing process for implementing the structure of the high - frequency integrated circuit device c according to the above first embodiment . initially , the multilayer structure 2 having the cavity 12a is formed and then the semiconductor chip 1 is die bonded to the bottom face 13 of the cavity 12a formed in the multilayer structure 2 with the use of a soldering material with a melting point of 215 ° c . or higher . between the uppermost layer and middle layer of the multilayer structure 2 , there is formed an interconnect layer for providing interconnection between the foregoing various circuits . on the back face of the lowermost substrate 2d of the multilayer structure 2 , the heat dissipating electrode 15 is formed by plating . for the heat dissipating electrode 15 , a soldering material containing an au - sn alloy as the main component with a lowest melting point in the vicinity of 215 ° c . is used . next , wire bonding is performed by providing the wires 8 connecting the semiconductor chip 1 to the interconnect layer formed on the mezzanine face 14 , followed by the hermetical sealing of the semiconductor chip 1 and the wires 8 with the potting resin 7 . then , the creamed solder composing the low - melting - point soldering material 6 having a melting point of 215 ° c . or lower is applied by screen printing onto the first substrate 2a . after the chip component 3 is mounted on the low - melting - point soldering material 6 , the low - melting - point soldering material 6 is caused to reflow , thereby bonding the chip component 3 . subsequently , the protective coating material 16 is applied onto a region over the first substrate 2a , chip component 3 , potting resin 7 , and the like , followed by the attachment of the metal case 17 in the form of a cap . according to the foregoing process , the low - melting - point material 6 has not been formed when wire bonding is performed , so that such problems as displacement of the chip component 3 does not arise even when the temperature is raised to approximately 200 ° c . consequently , the wire exhibits a satisfactory tensile strength with no application of an ultrasonic wave , while a pitch on the order of 100 μm or less is achieved between the wire bonds . on the other hand , there can be performed a second manufacturing process for implementing the structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention , which will be described below . first , the multilayer structure 2 is prepared in which the various circuits and interconnect layer described above are formed in the uppermost layer and in the middle layer and the heat dissipating electrode 15 is formed by plating in the lowermost layer ( on the back face of the lowermost fourth substrate 2d ). next , the creamed solder composing the low - melting - point soldering material 6 is applied onto a surface of the first substrate 2a by screen printing , followed by the mounting of the chip component 3 on the low - melting - point soldering material 6 . the low - melting - point soldering material 6 is then caused to reflow , thereby bonding the chip component 3 . subsequently , the semiconductor chip 1 is die bonded onto the bottom face 13 of the cavity 12a with the use of a resin - based paste containing boron nitride or silver and having a thermal conductivity of 2 . 5 × 10 - 3 cal / cm · sec .° c . or higher . thereafter , wire bonding , hermetical sealing with the potting resin 7 , the application of the protective coating material 16 , and the attachment of the metal case 17 in the form of a cap are sequentially performed , similarly to the above first manufacturing process . in the foregoing second manufacturing process , a thermal resistance sufficiently low for use in a power amplifier of 500 mw or more can be achieved by reducing the thickness of the paste material between the semiconductor chip 1 and the bottom face 13 of the cavity 12a to 5 μm or less . in other words , a minimum thermal stress is given to the semiconductor chip 1 according to the second manufacturing process . in the high - frequency integrated circuit device c according to the first embodiment , the cavity 12a is formed in the multilayer structure 2 so that the semiconductor chip 1 is mounted on the bottom face 13 of the cavity 12a . accordingly , when the high - frequency integrated circuit device of hybrid type according to the present embodiment is mounted on the substrate of equipment , the thickness of each of the substrates composing the multilayer structure 2 lying between the semiconductor chip 1 and the equipment is reduced . even when an alumina substrate is used , for example , an excellent heat dissipating ability can be obtained since the thermal resistance is reduced accordingly by a reduction in the thickness of the layer between the semiconductor chip and the substrate of the equipment . in the present embodiment , in particular , only the fourth substrate 2d underlies the cavity 12a shown in fig1 and the thickness of the fourth substrate 2d accounts for 1 / 4 of the total thickness of the multilayer structure 2 . consequently , the thermal resistance of the multilayer structure 2 can also be reduced to 1 / 4 , so that a power amplifying circuit consuming high power of 500 mw or more can be formed . as shown in fig1 since the heat dissipating electrode 15 is formed on the back face of the fourth substrate 2d located immediately below the semiconductor chip 1 in the present embodiment , heat generated from the semiconductor chip 1 can be dissipated with a high efficiency to the substrate of the equipment on which the high - frequency integrated circuit device is mounted . in addition , since the heat dissipating electrode 15 is plated with a solder or the like for the convenience of soldering , the heat dissipating ability is further improved . although each of the substrates 2a to 2d composing the multilayer structure 2 is composed of alumina in the present embodiment , the present invention is not limited thereto . for example , the substrates 2a to 2d may be composed of aluminum nitride . when the substrates 2a to 2d are composed of aluminum nitride , the thermal resistance of the multilayer structure 2 can be reduced to 1 / 9 of that of the multilayer structure 2 composed of alumina , since aluminum nitride has a high thermal conductivity of 150 mw / mk which is about nine times the thermal conductivity of alumina , resulting in a structure sufficiently applicable to a high - power device . in the present embodiment , moreover , the chip component 3 soldered onto the uppermost first substrate 2a of the multilayer structure 2 is covered with the protective coating material 16 composed of a resin - based material or a glass - based material . with the arrangement , a loss of a high - frequency signal can be reduced by utilizing the characteristic of a reduced high - frequency loss of the resin - based material or glass - based material . furthermore , since substantially the entire surface of the substrate is coated with the protective coating material 16 , the low - melting - point soldering material 6 used to bond the chip component 3 is neither melted nor displaced during the process of solder reflow for mounting the high - frequency integrated circuit device c of hybrid type on the substrate of equipment , which prevents the high - frequency characteristics from changing . additionally , since the metal case 17 serving as a package is attached to the multilayer structure 2 in the present embodiment , the shielding of the fets 20 in the high - frequency integrated circuit device c from a radio wave can reliably be performed . although the multilayer structure 2 in the present embodiment has the three - dimensional arrangement shown in fig1 , the present invention is not limited thereto . the multilayer structure 2 may have other three - dimensional arrangements as shown in the following variations . as shown in fig1 for illustrating the first variation , the edge portion of the multilayer structure along one edge of each of the first to third substrates 2a to 2c may be removed to form a cavity 12b , so that the semiconductor chip 1 is mounted on the fourth substrate 2d forming the bottom face 13 of the cavity 12b . by providing the third substrate 2c wider than the first and second substrates 2a and 2b with the mezzanine face 14 , wire bonding can be performed between the semiconductor chip 1 and the interconnect layer formed on the mezzanine face , similarly to the case of using the arrangement shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 for illustrating the second variation , a region in the vicinity of one corner of each of the first to third substrates 2a to 2c may be removed to form a cavity 12c so that the semiconductor chip 1 is mounted on the fourth substrate 2d forming the bottom face 13 of the cavity 12c . as shown in fig1 for illustrating the third variation , the central region of each of the first to third substrates 2a to 2c may be removed along the length thereof so that the semiconductor chip 1 is mounted on the fourth substrate 2d forming the bottom face 13 of a cavity 12d . in the third variation , the semiconductor chip 1 is mounted on the fourth substrate 2d with intervention of bumps 19 by flip - chip bonding without forming a mezzanine face . next , a high - frequency integrated circuit device d according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to fig3 . in the present embodiment also , the multilayer structure 2 has the same three - dimensional arrangement as shown in fig1 illustrating the first embodiment . in the present embodiment , however , the multilayer structure 2 may also have any one of the arrangements shown in fig1 to 14 . the arrangement of the high - frequency integrated circuit device d according to the present embodiment is basically the same as the arrangement shown in fig1 illustrating the first embodiment except that , in the arrangement shown in fig3 each of the substrates 2a to 2d composing the multilayer structure 2 is composed of polycrystal phenylene oxide ( ppo ) giving a low transmission loss to a high - frequency wave . however , since ppo is lower in thermal conductivity than ceramic , a through hole 31 extending through the fourth substrate 2d is formed between the region in which the semiconductor chip 1 is mounted and the region in which the heat dissipating electrode 15 is formed , so that a thermal conductor is filled in the through hole 31 . with the arrangement , the ppo substrate exerts an increased heat dissipating effect , which enables the application of the high - frequency integrated circuit device d to a high - output power amplifier . there may be cases where the semiconductor chip 1 is mounted in a package or chip carrier . next , a high - frequency integrated circuit device e according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to fig4 . in the present embodiment also , the multilayer structure 2 has the same three - dimensional arrangement as shown in fig1 illustrating the first embodiment . in the present embodiment , the multilayer structure 2 may also have any one of the arrangements shown in fig1 to 14 . the arrangement of the high - frequency integrated circuit device e according to the present embodiment is basically the same as that of the first embodiment shown in fig1 except that , in the arrangement shown in fig4 the fourth substrate 2d of the multilayer structure 2 with the semiconductor chip 1 mounted thereon is composed of a ceramic material cofired at high temperature such as aluminum oxide or aluminum nitride , while the first to third substrate 2a to 2c are composed of a glass ceramic material sintered at low temperature . with the arrangement , a sufficient amount of heat radiation can be obtained from the semiconductor chip 1 generating a large amount of heat , while a cost reduction is achieved by using a low - cost glass ceramic to compose the first to third substrates 2a to 2c on which only passive components are mounted . below , a high - frequency integrated circuit device f according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to fig5 . in the present embodiment also , the multilayer structure 2 has the same arrangement as shown in fig1 . illustrating the above first embodiment . in the present embodiment , however , the multilayer structure 2 may also have any one of the arrangements shown in fig1 to 14 . the arrangement of the high - frequency integrated circuit device f is basically the same as that of the first embodiment shown in fig1 except that , in the arrangement shown in fig5 the thick protective coating material 16 is formed over the entire surface of the multilayer structure and a metal coating film 18 is further formed on the protective coating material 16 . the protective coating material 16 has a sufficient thickness of 0 . 5 mm or more to planarize the surface thereof . the metal coating film 18 overlying the protective coating material 16 functions as a metal case for shielding the fets 20 and the like from a radio wave , so that the step of attaching the metal case as shown in fig1 can be omitted advantageously . below , a high - frequency integrated circuit device g according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to fig6 . in the present embodiment also , the cavity 12a is formed in the same position of the multilayer structure 2 as in the first embodiment shown in fig1 . in the present embodiment , however , the cavity 12a is formed by removing only the first and second substrates 2a and 2b so that the third and fourth substrates 2c and 2d underlie the cavity 12a . in the present embodiment , the multilayer structure 2 may also have any one of the arrangements shown in fig1 to 14 . the arrangement of the high - frequency integrated circuit device g is different from that of the above first embodiment in that the semiconductor chip 1 is mounted on the fourth substrate 2d with intervention of bumps 19 by flip - chip bonding . consequently , the mezzanine face for bonding wires becomes unnecessary , while the cavity 12a has single - stage concave topography and the two substrates are left underneath the cavity , unlike the above first embodiment . as for the other components , they are the same as those used in the above fourth embodiment . with the arrangement of the present embodiment , the step of wire bonding can be omitted , while the area occupied by the cavity 12a is reduced , so that integration degree becomes higher than in the case of performing wire bonding . with the arrangement , moreover , it is not necessary to use a potting resin so that a loss due to the potting resin is eliminated at a frequency equal to or higher than 1 . 5 ghz . furthermore , since no wire is used , a gain reduction due to the inductance of a source wire can be prevented . in short , the electric characteristic of the high - frequency integrated circuit device can be improved . if the area occupied by the bumps 19 for connection is increased to 15 % or more of the area occupied by the semiconductor chip 1 in order to connect the face formed with the fets of the semiconductor chip 1 to the electrodes on the bottom face 13 of the cavity 12 , the thermal resistance becomes smaller by the thickness of the semiconductor chip 1 than in the case of adopting the wire bonding method , so that an excellent heat dissipating ability is obtained . next , a high - frequency integrated circuit device h according to a sixth embodiment will be described with reference to fig7 . in the present embodiment , the cavity 12a is formed by removing only the lowermost fourth substrate 2d . in the present embodiment also , the position in which the cavity is formed may be changed according to the arrangements shown in fig1 to 14 . the arrangement of the high - frequency integrated circuit device h of the present embodiment is characterized in that mounting is conducted by flip - chip bonding similarly to the above fifth embodiment and that the high - frequency integrated circuit device h is mounted on equipment with the back face of the semiconductor chip 1 kept in contact with a substrate 30 of the equipment . to keep the back face of the semiconductor chip 1 in contact with the substrate 30 of the equipment , the lowermost position of the multilayer structure 2 and the back face of the semiconductor chip 1 are made flush with each other . in addition , the chip component 3 is mounted on the uppermost first substrate 2a . in the present embodiment , since the cavity 12a is formed by removing only the fourth substrate 2d , the first to third substrates 2a to 2c are left over the cavity 12a , which further increases integration degree . moreover , since the high - frequency integrated circuit device h is mounted on the equipment with the back face of the semiconductor chip 1 kept in contact with the substrate 30 of the equipment , the semiconductor chip 1 can dissipate heat directly to the substrate 30 of the equipment , thus exhibiting an excellent heat dissipating ability even when each of the substrates 2a to 2d composing the multilayer structure 2 is composed of a comparatively low - cost versatile ceramic material such as alumina .	7
fig1 shows an automatic speed and tailing distance control system for maintaining a safe distance of vehicles from one another , this system being arranged on the bumper of the car . a powerful microcomputer 1 , comprising a central processing unit 2 , a random - access memory 3 , a read - only memory 4 , and an input / output unit 5 , receives from a radar or laser sensor 6 a signal which measures the information concerning the distance from at least one vehicle in front of it . increment disks 7 and 8 are arranged on the two front wheels ( not shown ) of the motor vehicle and are scanned with respect to the speed of rotation by wheel sensors 7 &# 39 ;, 8 &# 39 ; which are arranged opposite the increment disks 7 and 8 . these speed signals are also fed via an input and output unit 5 to the microcomputer 1 . the wheel sensors may be inductive transmitters or hall sensors . from the signals delivered by the laser sensor 6 ( tailing - distance signal and relative - speed signal ) and by means of the wheel speeds , the microprocessor 1 calculates the difference in speed between two vehicles and from this determines the safe minimum tailing distance . if this distance falls below the safe minimum tailing distance , the signal warns the driver when the warning function is activated . if the tailing - distance operation is turned on by the driver , then the distance from the car in front is automatically set at a selectable distance . by the depressing of a key on the control panel 9 , a desired speed and / or the desired tailing distance is set and stored , and is maintained by the system . upon approaching a slower vehicle , the microcomputer 1 , by automatically closing the throttle valve 13b , effects a decrease in the speed of the vehicle and in this way adjusts the desired distance from the preceding car which was set , in which connection the desired distance is always greater than or equal to the safe distance prescribed by law . in addition to the automatic closing of the throttle valve 13b , action on the brake 13a and / or control of the automatic transmission 13c is possible so as to reduce the speed of travel . when the road ahead is again free , the tailing - distance controller accelerates the vehicle to the maximum speed set . the distance control is always active upon the passing of a car . furthermore , the microcomputer 1 is connected with switches 10 of the vehicle brake and / or switches 11 the vehicle clutch . if the switches are actuated by the driver via the clutch pedal or the brake pedal , they disconnect the control in normal operation . in the microcomputer 1 , a closed - loop circuit forms a comparison between a desired value and the actual value of a control concept contained in software . if one is within the control range , then an output signal determined by the control item is given off by the microcomputer 1 . the throttle valve 13b , the brake 13a , and / or the transmission 13c are controlled via respective electric output stages 12a , 12b , and 12c . from the speed signals detected by the speed sensors 7 &# 39 ;, 8 &# 39 ;, the means formed in the microcomputer 1 for determining the tread determines the yaw rate φ of the vehicle . the yaw rate is determined as follows : δv fw is the difference in speed between the front wheels of the vehicle , with the aid of the yaw determined in this way , the track of the vehicle is now calculated from the curve radius r = v w / φ . the radius moved over by each front wheel is determined from the wheel speed v w of this front wheel divided by the yaw φ . the travel corridor is formed as a function of the radii r r and r l of the right and left front wheels . the width of the travel corridor is equal to at least the tread of the wheels . the increment disks 7 and 8 which are connected to the respective front wheels of the motor vehicle have , for instance , an even number of discontinuities . upon the rotation of the increment disk 7 or 8 , the discontinuities move past the hall sensor 7 &# 39 ; or 8 &# 39 ; respectively at a predetermined distance from it in such a manner that the magnetic flux between the disk 7 or 8 and the respective sensor 7 &# 39 ; or 8 &# 39 ; is changed . the output signal of each hall sensor 7 &# 39 ; or 8 &# 39 ; is a series of pulses , in which connection the front flanks or rear flanks of the pulses are counted . the discontinuities of the increment disks 7 and 8 form groups , each group having the same number of discontinuities . in the event , for instance , of 50 discontinuities n , each group i has , for instance , five discontinuities . a timer , preferably the piezoelectric quartz contained in the microcomputer 1 supplies an actual time signal . by means of the pulses n produced by the wheel sensor 7 &# 39 ;, 8 &# 39 ; as a function of the discontinuities , the actual time signals are entered into the random - access memory 3 as a function of the front flank of the corresponding pulse . the random - access memory 3 of the microcomputer 1 has as many register places as groups of discontinuities which have been selected . in order to be able better to utilize the storage capacity of the random - access memory 3 , the frequency of the piezoelectric quartz can be reduced . the method of the invention for determining the wheel speed will be now explained with reference to fig2 : in an initialization phase , which takes place during the first revolution of the wheel , the actual reading of the timer is entered , after occurrence of the first pulse of the first group of discontinuities , into the first register of the memory 4 of the microprocessor . upon the occurrence of the first pulse of the second group of discontinuities , the actual time reading at this time is stored in the second register of the memory 4 . this takes place in analogous manner for each first pulse of the corresponding group . upon the first pulse of the i - th group , the actual timer reading i is stored in the i - th register of the memory 4 . the initialization is concluded after one revolution of the wheel . during the normal operating condition , which follows the first revolution of the wheel , the speed of the wheel is determined as follows . upon the occurrence of the pulse of the first group of discontinuities , during the second revolution of the wheel at this time . the stored timer reading 11 is deducted from the actual timer reading 12 at this time and the wheel speed v is determined by means of this difference δt , the timer reading 11 is erased and the actual timer reading 12 is entered into the first register of the memory . upon the application of the first pulse of the second group of discontinuities , the stored timer reading 21 is deducted from the actual timer reading 22 and the instantaneous speed of the wheel is determined , as described , with the aid of this difference . the timer reading 21 is written over by the timer reading 22 . this takes place for each first pulse of each first group of discontinuities until the second revolution of the wheel has been completed . the method described is repeated upon each revolution of the wheels , the timer reading stored from the preceding revolution of the wheel being removed by the time reading of each group actually present . the formation of the difference described now takes place every five pulses by comparison of the timer reading actually present with the timer reading stored on the corresponding register . by this procedure , the determination of the speed of the wheel is very rapid . in another embodiment ( fig3 ), the wheel speed is detected by means of the speed sensors already present in the motor vehicle and is determined in accordance with the method described in an abs control unit 14 , which is also present in the vehicle . the abs control unit 14 has in this connection the same construction as the microprocessor 1 , which is not further shown . the control unit 14 transmits the wheel speeds determined over a bus system , for instance a can bus , to the microcomputer 1 , which determines the travel corridor from these data . since the speed of the two front wheels is determined independently , travel around curves or the change of a track can be precisely determined upon the calculation in advance of the travel corridor . the precision of the prediction can , however , be further improved if the wheel speed is determined for all four wheels of the motor vehicle .	1
as used herein , the terms &# 34 ; light &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; optic &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; optical &# 34 ; all refer to electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range including infrared , visible , ultraviolet and x rays . all the embodiments presented herein include a serial transmission medium , which is preferably but not necessarily a medium for the transmission of light signals , and the term &# 34 ; remote &# 34 ; as used herein to modify , i . e . describe , a thing indicates that the thing is located at an end of the transmission medium remote from the host bus . referring to fig1 a prior art local graphics display circuit and display monitor are illustrated . a host bus 2 communicates with a local video interface 4 . the &# 34 ; host bus &# 34 ; 2 can be any type of data processing bus such as those having an open architecture . examples are : sbus or sun - bus , multibus , isa bus , eisa bus , vlb bus and pci bus . the video interface typically has bus drivers and receivers , and a controller portion that receives data and commands from a data processor ( not shown ) via the bus and returns status and data to the data processor also via the bus . the data transfers are usually in a parallel format . the data 6 from the bus interface is stored in a video memory , such as a video frame buffer 8 , which typically comprises an array of random access memory ( ram ). the stored data is an ordered group of addresses , and periodically the stored addresses are accessed and communicated in a predetermined order to a color lut ( look - up table ) 9 which maps each address to a corresponding digital value , i . e . a pixel color value . a typical color lut allows for many possible colors but only a limited number of colors at any given time , the limited number being the values that get loaded into the color lut from the video interface via path 7 . the pixel color values 10 from the color lut are communicated to a digital - to - analog converter ( dac ) 11 which converts the digital values to an analog signal 12 . the analog signal is communicated to , and displayed on , a display device 14 such as a video display monitor that is local relative to the host bus . the rate at which the addresses in the frame buffer are read and applied to the color lut is controlled by a video pixel clock which for a standard video graphics array ( vga ) display having 640 columns by 480 rows is 25 . 175mhz . the typical frame refresh rate for a non - interlaced vga display is 60 hz . the local graphics display circuit is typically incorporated onto a motherboard or is made as an add - on card . referring to fig2 a first embodiment of the system according to this invention is illustrated to have a circuit 16a local to the host bus 2 . a video interface 4 performs basically the same functions as in the prior art , that is , it communicates with a data processor via the bus , responds to processor commands , and stores addresses 6 in a video frame buffer 22 . also as in the prior art the addresses are communicated to a color lut 26 which provides corresponding digital pixel color values (&# 34 ; video data &# 34 ;) 24 . however instead of converting the video data to an analog signal via a dac , this invention keeps the pixel color values in their digital form and stores them in a first - in / first - out memory ( fifo ) 28 . from there , through a multiplexer ( mux ) 30 , the video data is communicated to a serializer ( par ./ ser .) 32 that converts the data from parallel to serial form and communicates the serialized data to an optical transmitter ( optical xmitter ) 34 . the transmitter converts the serialized data to corresponding light signals and communicates them across a fiber optic cable 38 to a remote circuit 36a . referring again to fig2 the timing of the writing of video data 24 into the local circuit &# 39 ; s fifo 28 is controlled by a clock which can be separately generated or be derived from the video pixel clock discussed above in connection with fig1 . since there is no local display needing to be refreshed and since transfers from the video interface 4 to the frame buffer 22 are controlled by a conventional separate interface frequency source , the fifo write clock can be reduced in frequency from the video pixel clock without affecting the transfer rate between the processor , via the host bus , and the frame buffer . the timing of the video data transfers from the fifo and through the mux 30 to the serializer 32 is controlled by a frequency source ( e . g . crystal oscillator or phase locked loop ) which is selected to maximize the transfer rate of the serial link . referring again to fig2 at the remote circuit 36a the light signals transmitted across the optical link 38 by the local circuit 16a are sensed by an optical receiver ( optical rcvr ) 40 . the sensed signals are converted back to parallel form by a de - serializer ( ser ./ par .) 42 , and if the sensed signals contain video data , it is communicated to remote a video fifo 44 from which the video data 46 is shifted to a remote video frame buffer 48 . under the control of a microcontroller 50a and video controller 51 , the video data is read from the video frame buffer and provided to preferably a flat panel display monitor 52 at a sufficient rate to meet the refresh requirements of the display panel . since the data stored in the remote frame buffer are pixel color values , no remote color lut is needed , and since the display 52 is preferably digital , no remote dac is needed . a frequency source incorporated in the remote circuit 36a ( preferably crystal oscillator or phase locked loop ) is used to provide the timing for de - serializing the received data and for writing to the remote video fifo 44 . the first embodiment of fig2 also contains a feature by which a data processor , via the host bus , can send types of data (&# 34 ; non - video data &# 34 ;) other than color lut addresses to the remote circuit . when the processor sends non - video data over the bus , an output interface 18a is made aware of this fact according to the design of the bus . the output interface then loads this data into a temporary holding memory , illustrated as an output register 54a , and interrupts a transmit controller 55 . the transmit controller manages the reading of data from the fifo 28 , the selection of which mux 30 input passes through the mux , and further controls the serializer 32 . when so interrupted the transmit controller temporarily halts the reading of video data from the fifo , during the halt the controller causes : ( 1 ) the mux 30 to pass the non - video data from the output register to the serializer , and ( 2 ) the serializer to serialize and specially encode the non - video data . as will be explained , certain link commands that are encoded within the serial protocol of the link indicate to the remote circuit 36a that the data being transferred is non - video data . once serialized and so encoded , the non - video data is transmitted to the remote circuit . referring again to fig2 when non - video data is received by the remote circuit &# 39 ; s de - serializer 42 , it is recognized as non - video data by a receive controller 57 . this recognition causes the receive controller to write the data into a non - video fifo 56 rather than the video fifo 44 and raise an interrupt to the microcontroller 50a which remains as long as the fifo is not empty . the non - video data can be , for example , pan and zoom commands , that are processed by the controller to cause the video controller 51 to vary accordingly the way the video data is transferred from the frame buffer to the display . this process is more fully explained below with reference to the embodiment of fig3 . referring again to fig2 the overall rate at which frames of video data are obtained from the local color lut 26 , serialized , transmitted over the optical link 38 , sensed from the link , de - serialized and written into the remote frame buffer 48 via the remote video fifo 44 can be called the &# 34 ; frame transfer rate .&# 34 ; preferably the remote frame buffer is an array of video random access memory ( vrams ) that can be accessed for writes and reads asynchronously , and so frames of video data can be read from the remote frame buffer at a rate necessary to satisfy the refresh needs of the display ( e . g . 60 hz ) while frames of video data can be written into the frame buffer at the substantially reduced frame transfer rate . in practicing this invention , the frame transfer rate is selected according to the type of information that will be displayed on the remote monitor . for multimedia applications which include moving pictures , a transfer rate of thirty frames per second is probably adequate . for applications in which only alphanumerics are displayed , a transfer rate of ten frames per second is probably adequate . for combinations of the two , the higher rate is preferred . referring to fig3 a second embodiment is illustrated to have the same structure as the first embodiment but also to include a return path from the remote circuit 36b to the host bus 2 for operator inputs coming from the location of the remote display 52 . the operator inputs can be of any kind and number , but as illustrated they include inputs from a &# 34 ; mouse &# 34 ; 58 ( which can be any kind of pointing device ), a keyboard 60 , an rs - 232 serial port 59 , and an input from an audio source 61 . preferably one serial controller 62 receives inputs from the mouse and keyboard , and a second one provides the rs - 232 port , the two serial controllers being in communication with a microcontroller 50b via a microcontroller input / output bus 63 internal to the remote circuit . an audio controller 65 receives the audio signals and communicates them to the microcontroller also via the bus 63 . in this embodiment the microcontroller can either process the inputs directly or send the inputs back to the host bus , or a combination of both . for those inputs being sent back to the host bus , the microcontroller communicates them in parallel form , e . g . in bytes , to a serializer 66 and notifies a transmit controller 67 which in turn causes the inputs to be serialized and encoded . an optical transmitter 68 transmits the serialized and encoded inputs , via a second optical cable 64 , to an optical receiver 70 in the local circuit 16b . from there they are communicated to a local de - serializer 72 that puts the operator inputs back into parallel form and communicates the de - serialized inputs to one or more i / o registers 54b . a receive controller 71 that manages the de - serializer causes an i / o interface 18b to be aware that the i / o registers contain data from the remote circuit and what type of data has been received ( keyboard stroke , audio - in , mouse , rs - 232 , etc .). the i / o interface then communicates this information to the data processor according to the design of the bus , e . g . by raising an interrupt . the i / o interface and the i / o registers are similar to the output interface 18a and output registers 54a ( fig2 ) of the first embodiment , but further include the capacity to receive , temporarily hold , and make available to the host bus non - video data from the remote circuit . referring again to fig3 the microcontroller 50b preferably has some video functions it can perform without needing to send all operator inputs back to a processor on the host bus . for example , it can be programmed to perform pan and zoom functions and other display related functions . it can also be used to perform diagnostics including frame buffer memory tests . preferably the microcontroller is a programmable microcontroller , such as an 8031 , with some read / write memory ( not shown ) and some read - only memory ( not shown ) containing the programs to perform the above - described functions . the 8031 also has an integrated serial port which can be used for additional i / o devices , such as a trackball . the microcontroller performs all reads and writes to its peripherals and initializes them upon reset , but by this configuration a host bus processor has control to change any peripheral settings . preferably the serial controllers 62 are 85c30s and the audio controller 65 is a 79c30 digital subscriber controller providing an audio port for both audio in and audio out such as to speakers 73 . referring again to fig3 non - video data coming from a data processor on the host bus 2 is stored in the i / o registers 54b and multiplexed to the remote circuit between video data transfers . eventually it is stored in the non - video fifo 56 by the remote receive controller 57 . whenever data is present in the non - video fifo , an interrupt is issued to the microcontroller 50b indicating that the fifo is not empty . each item of non - video data preferably comprises two bytes : a first byte being an encoded command to the microcontroller , and the second byte being an operand . under this scheme the host processor can issue 256 different commands . for example , the first byte can a &# 34 ; write &# 34 ; command to the serial port , and the second byte can be the data to be written to the port . as another example , a first byte can be a peripheral address ( peripheral to the microcontroller ) and the second byte can define the type of function to perform . referring to fig4 a third embodiment is illustrated to include local circuit 16a that can be the same as the local circuit of the first embodiment ( fig2 ), but further includes a microcontroller 50c and peripherals of the microcontroller ( mouse , keyboard , etc .) similar to those of the second embodiment ( fig3 ). however this embodiment does not have a return path for operator inputs such as in the second embodiment . preferably the microcontroller is programmed to perform pan and zoom functions and other display related functions . it can also be used to perform diagnostics including frame buffer memory tests . preferably the microcontroller is a programmable microcontroller , such as the 8031 . the microcontroller performs all reads and writes to its peripherals and initializes them upon reset , but by this configuration a host bus processor has control to change any peripheral settings . like the second embodiment , preferably the serial controllers 62 are 85c30s and the audio controller 65 is a 79c30 digital subscriber controller providing an audio port for both audio - in and audio - out such as to speakers 73 . referring to fig2 - 4 , the serializers 32 and 66 are preferably implemented using amd am7968 transmitter devices or equivalents , and the de - serializers 42 and 72 are preferably implemented using amd am7969 receiver devices or equivalents . in this preferred embodiment the amd am7968 devices are operated in 9 - bit mode ( 3 bits per rgb ) and accept 9 - bit data and link commands under a strobe and acknowledgment handshaking protocol . an acknowledgment signal from an am7968 indicates it is ready to accept new data and link commands . if the command inputs are all logical zero , then a strobe signal communicated to the am7968 causes it to latch internally the signals applied to its data inputs . the data is then encoded ( 4 - bit / 5 - bit and nrzi ), serialized and shifted out the device &# 39 ; s serial outputs . if the command inputs are not all zero , the data inputs are ignored and a command symbol corresponding to the non - zero command inputs is sent via the serial outputs in response to the strobe signal . the am7969 devices accept the serial signals from the am 7968 &# 39 ; s via their serial inputs and decode them . if the received signal pattern is a command symbol , a corresponding command binary code is applied to the command output pins and a command strobe output is pulsed , the command strobe indicating to external circuitry that a command has been received and that the command code is available at the command output pins . if the received signal pattern is data , the data word ( in this case 9 - bits ) is applied to the data output pins and a data strobe is pulsed , the data strobe indicating to external circuitry that a data word has been received and that the data is available at the data output pins . these devices provide the means for asynchronous serial communication , and in the preferred embodiments data transfer rates of 135 megabits per second can be achieved . the optical transmitters 34 and 68 are preferably implemented using hewlett packard hfbr - 1414 transmitters , and the optical receivers 40 and 70 are preferably implemented using hewlett packard hfbr - 2416 optical receivers . external 12 , 888mhz crystals are preferably used for the internal oscillators of the am7968 &# 39 ; s and am7969 &# 39 ; s . referring to fig3 and 5 - 12 , the i / o interface 18b and the various controllers ( 51 , 55 , 57 , 67 and 71 ) are each preferably implemented using one or more programmable logic arrays , and each has a plurality of states , including a &# 34 ; ready &# 34 ; state from which other states originate and to which they all ultimately return . while in the ready state each controller is essentially waiting for one or more signals to prompt it to perform a certain function or series of certain functions , depending on the nature of the prompt signal . while explanation of these functions , i . e . states , which follows pertains to the embodiment of fig3 they can also apply to the embodiments of fig2 and 4 where appropriate . referring to fig3 and 5 , the i / o interface 18b preferably responds to at least three prompts via the host bus 2 during what are commonly called host bus cycles , and at least one prompt from the local receive controller 71 . the host bus prompts include an i / o write signal 74 , a request i / o read 76 signal and an i / o read signal 78 . the signals are termed &# 34 ; decoded &# 34 ; because for some conventional buses , such as the s - bus , the signals are produced by an address decoder ( not shown ) which decodes corresponding addresses sent via the host bus . the i / o write signal prompts the interface to set an i / o type flag for the benefit of the local transmit controller 55 , retrieve write data ( preferably two bytes of non - video data as described above ) from the host bus and put it into an i / o write register ( one of the registers 54b ), and send a request 80 to the local transmit controller to send the write data to the remote circuit . thereafter the interface returns to the ready state after completing the bus cycle . the request i / o read signal prompts the interface to set an i / o type flag and send a request to the local transmit controller to send an i / o read request 84 to the remote circuit in order to retrieve non - video data therefrom . when the remote circuit returns the requested data , as will be explained , the local receive controller 71 puts it into an appropriate i / o register 54b and sends an i / o read data valid signal 82 to the interface . this signal prompts the interface to determine the type of data sent and to generate an appropriate host bus interrupt . the i / o read signal 78 from the bus prompts the interface to retrieve the data from the i / o register in which it was stored , and put the data onto the host bus . referring to fig3 and 6 , the local transmit controller 55 preferably responds to at least two prompts from the i / o interface 18b , a prompt from the video fifo 28 , a prompt from the local receive controller 71 , and two pseudo horizontal ( h - sync ) and vertical ( v - sync ) synchronizing signals preferably generated by a local video generator . for example , the sbus uses an lsi 64825 ic . in response to a video fifo not empty signal 86 , indicating that the local video fifo 28 has unsent video data in it , the transmit controller retrieves and sends video data from the fifo to the serializer 32 via the mux 30 . this is what the transmit controller is normally doing . in response to the request i / o write signal 80 or the request i / o read signal 84 , from the i / o interface , the transmit controller stops sending video data for one cycle and selects the i / o registers 54b ( containing the non - video data pertaining to the request ) to pass through the mux 30 and be sent to the remote circuit 36b . for an i / o write request , the 1st byte of the non - video data is preferably an i / o write type of microcontroller command and the 2nd byte is an operand , e . g . the write data . for an i / o read request , the 1st byte is preferably an i / o read type of microcontroller command and the 2nd byte can either modify the first byte or simply be a dummy byte . the remote circuit recognizes the non - video data as such because the transmit controller also causes the serializer to include in the non - video data transmission a link command unique to such a transmission , preferably a code of 0x03 . referring again to fig3 and 6 , the i / o read data valid signal 82 from the local receive controller 71 ( described above in connection with fig5 ) prompts the local transmit controller 55 to send the remote circuit a signal 88 ( i / o read data received ) acknowledging receipt of the read data . it does this by causing the serializer to transmit a link command corresponding to the signal , preferably a code of 0x05 . the transmit controller is prompted by vertical ( v - sync ) and horizontal ( h - sync ) synchronizing signals that are produced by local frame row and column counters ( not show ) clocked by a local &# 34 ; pixel clock .&# 34 ; in response the transmit controller sends the remote circuit &# 34 ; new frame &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; new row &# 34 ; signals , respectively , by causing the serializer to transmit corresponding link commands , preferably 0x02 and 0x01 respectively . the transmit controller can also be prompted by a signal 89 from the i / o interface to send the remote circuit a signal to clear the non - video fifo of data , and it does this by causing the serializer to transmit a corresponding link command , preferably 0x04 . referring to fig3 and 7 , the remote receive controller 57 is prompted by signals from the remote de - serializer 42 that correspond to the above - described link commands , preferably 0x01 - 0x05 , caused to be sent by the local transmit controller 55 . for codes 0x01 and 0x02 , the remote receive controller generates new row 90 and new frame 92 signals , respectively . these signals are communicated to the video controller 51 for transferring video data from the remote video fifo to the remote video buffer . for code 0x03 , the receive controller writes the next two bytes of data received by the de - serializer 42 into the non - video fifo 56 rather than the video fifo , and it interrupts the microcontroller 50b to let it know that the non - video fifo is not empty . the microcontroller subsequently retrieves the two bytes from the fifo , decodes the command byte and acts accordingly . for code 0x04 , the receive controller clears the non - video fifo , and for code 0x05 it sets a &# 34 ; local reception acknowledge &# 34 ; flag . the flag informs the microprocessor that the last i / o read data , sent from the remote circuit to the local circuit , has been read by the host . referring to fig3 and 8 , following a reset the microcontroller 50b can run diagnostics if a diagnostic switch is set , or otherwise enter the ready state . the switch is preferably a jumper . when in the ready state the microcontroller waits for an interrupt . when an interrupt occurs , the microcontroller reads an interrupt status word to determine the source or sources of the interrupt . the interrupt status word comprises at least all external interrupts as constituent bits . if the current highest priority interrupt was caused by the non - video fifo not being empty , the microcontroller retrieves the next command data ( the preferable two bytes ) from the fifo and determines the type of i / o command or request signified by the command data . the microcontroller then communicates accordingly with the signified i / o device controller , e . g . the audio controller 65 , or one of the serial controllers 62 . the fifo not empty interrupts persists until it is empty . if the interrupt came directly from one of the i / o devices , the microcontroller services the interrupt by again communicating with the corresponding i / o device controller . preferably in the case of a trackball interrupt , the microcontroller computes a new frame starting location for panning and writes the address of the new location in a start register ( not shown ) which is used to define the origin of the display . referring to fig3 and 10 , a remote transmit controller responds to prompts from the microcontroller . a prompt 94 to send a byte of data from the external serial port results in the transmit controller causing the remote serializer 66 to send a corresponding link command , 0x05 , to the local receive controller 71 followed by the byte of data 96 that is provided by the microcontroller to the serializer . when the local receive controller receives the link command , it determines the type of i / o data being sent , writes the data byte following the link command into an appropriate i / o register 54b , and then communicates a signal 82 to the i / o interface 18b that the i / o read data is valid . as explained above with reference to fig5 this signal 82 causes the i / o interface to raise an appropriate host interrupt . in likewise fashion , prompts from the microcontroller to send keyboard , mouse , status and audio data to the local circuit result in the remote transmit controller causing the remote serializer to sent corresponding link commands ( 0x04 , 0x03 , 0x02 , 0x01 respectively ) each followed by a corresponding byte of data . all the data is subsequently stored by the local receive controller in appropriate i / o registers , for access by the host computer via the host bus , followed by the signal 82 informing the i / o interface of that fact . referring to fig3 and 11 , the remote video controller 51 as illustrated is prompted by the remote receive controller 57 , the remote video fifo 44 , and vertical ( v - sync ) and horizontal ( h - sync ) synchronizing signals produced by a remote pixel clock generator associated with the display 52 . for example , the v - sync can be at 60 hz and the h - sync can be at 25 . 175 mhz . the new row and new frame signals , 90 and 92 , from the remote receive controller prompt the video controller to : ( 1 ) clear a video - in column address counter in response to the former , and ( 2 ) clear the fifo , and video - in row and column address counters in response to the latter . the video - in row and column address counters ( not shown ) are pointers associated with the remote video buffer 48 for loading the video data into the buffer . the video controller is also prompted by a signal 98 whenever the fifo is not empty to perform writes , preferably fast page writes , from the fifo to the vram of the buffer according to the video - in row and column address counters until the fifo is empty . the video controller is prompted by the v - sync 100 to reset video - out row and column address counters to a start count as determined by the contents of a start register ( not shown ) which is set by the microcontroller . ( see fig8 state 102 .) the video - out row and column address counters ( not shown ) are pointers associated with the remote video buffer 48 for reading the video data from the buffer to be sent to the display . the video controller is prompted by the h - sync 104 to : ( 1 ) perform a read transfer from the buffer to the display by loading the current video - out row and column addresses into the vram and initiating a read , ( 2 ) increment the video - out row address counter depending on the current zoom level , and ( 3 ) refresh the vram depending on the specific requirements of the vram integrated circuits ( ics ) and the horizontal sweep rate . for a zoom of one - to - one , the video - out row counter would be incremented every h - sync , and the column counter would be incremented every pixel clock . for a zoom of two - to - one , the video - out row counter would be incremented once per two h - syncs , and the column counter would be incremented once per two pixel clocks . for a zoom of four - to - one , the video - out row counter would be incremented once per four h - syncs , and the column counter would be incremented once per four pixel clocks . the number of times the vram is refreshed per h - sync is preferably equal to , or greater than , the minimum refresh rate specified for the vram ics divided by the horizontal sweep rate . referring to fig3 and 12 , the video controller 51 as illustrated is also prompted by a signal 106 indicating times when video blanking for the display 52 is not being asserted . when blanking is not being asserted , the video controller reads video data from the remote video buffer 48 for transfer to the display and increments the column counter . for a selected zoom of greater than one - to - one , corresponding signals from the microcontroller 50b cause the video controller to wait a corresponding number of pixel clocks before transferring the next video data from the buffer to the display . in each of the embodiments , the rate at which digital bits are transferred across the serial link ( the &# 34 ; bit transfer rate &# 34 ;) depends not only on the frame transfer rate but also on the number of pixels per frame , the number of bits per pixel and the number and frequency of non - video data transfers . as an example , consider a case in which the selected frame transfer rate is thirty frames per second , each frame comprises 640 columns by 480 rows of pixels , each pixel is defined by a nine - bit value , and two additional bits are needed to asynchronously transfer each pixel value across the serial link ( e . g . 5b / 6b encoding of the four most significant bits of a byte and 4b / 5b encoding of the four least significant bits of the byte ). the minimum bit transfer rate is calculated as follows : 30 frames / sec . ×( 640 × 480 ) pixels / frame × 11 bits / pixel = 101 , 376 , 000 bits / sec . as explained above the preferred embodiments of the serial link have a 135 megabits / second capacity so the additional bandwidth ( approximately 34 megabits / second ) can be used to multiplex the non - video data transfers with the video pixel transfers without impacting the frame transfer rates . in each of these embodiments , the local circuit &# 39 ; s video frame buffer is updated at its regular rate , and the remote display monitor is refreshed at its normal rate . however , the video data can be transferred from the local circuit to the remote circuit at a much slower rate . this is because humans typically cannot perceive image changes occurring from one refresh to the next as long as the monitor &# 39 ; s normal refresh rate is maintained to avoid noticeable flicker . so the rate at which the remote circuit &# 39 ; s video frame buffer can be updated is a rate less then the remote display &# 39 ; s refresh rate , depending only on humanly perceptible display changes rather than the refresh rate required by the remote display . an important thing to note is that in all embodiments the video data transmitted to the remote circuit does not go through an analog stage . this is more efficient because typical transistor flat panel displays are inherently digital . in this way the analog stage is avoided entirely . it is also important to note that the video data are the digital values from the local color lut , and that there is no decrease in performance in communications between the graphics programs being run by a host processor and the lut . this is advantageous because conventional graphics programs typically manipulate the color lut ( write into and read from ) extensively . so from the standpoint of graphics programs , this invention is transparent because it behaves exactly as a conventional graphics circuit in so far as data transfers to and from the color lut . there are several other advantages . first of all , only a single or a double fiber optic cable is required rather than other types of cable . secondly , if , for some reason , the data link is disrupted , the remote terminal will still retain its last image . moreover , the remote video frame buffer allows the remote monitor refresh to be asynchronous with the host computer &# 39 ; s data transfers into the local video frame buffer . the foregoing description and drawings were given for illustrative purposes only , it being understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed , but is intended to embrace any and all alternatives , equivalents , modifications and rearrangements of elements falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims . for example , each of the host buses illustrated in the drawings need not be an open bus , but rather can be a closed bus or even a dedicated communication channel . as another example , the remote flat panel displays of all embodiments discussed above could be replaced by analog displays in which case a dac would be interposed between the remote frame buffers and the analog displays .	6
the suspended pixelated seating structure generally refers to an assembly of multiple ( e . g ., three ) cooperative layers for implementation in or as a load bearing structure , such as in a chair , bed , bench , or other load bearing structures . the cooperative layers include multiple elements , including multiple independent elements , to maximize the support and comfort provided . the extent of the independence exhibited by the multiple elements may depend upon , or be tuned according to , individual characteristics of each element , the connection type used to interconnect the multiple elements , or other the structural or design characteristics of the suspended pixelated seating structure . the multiple elements described below may be individually designed , positioned , or otherwise configured to suit the load support needs for a particular individual or application . in addition , the dimensions discussed below with reference to the various multiple elements are examples only and may vary widely depending upon the particular desired implementation and on the factors noted below . fig1 shows a portion of a suspended pixelated seating structure 100 . the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 includes a macro compliance layer 102 , a micro support layer 104 , and a load support layer 106 . the macro compliance layer 102 includes multiple primary support rails 108 , multiple expansion control strands 110 , and a support structure frame attachment 112 . each multiple primary support rail 108 may also include multiple secondary support rails 114 extending from the primary support rail 108 . the support structure frame attachment 112 may include a frame attachment rail 116 and multiple frame connectors 118 defined along the frame attachment rail 116 . the support structure frame attachment 112 also includes multiple rail attachment nodes 120 and multiple tensile expansion members 122 connected between the multiple frame connectors 118 and multiple rail attachment nodes 120 . the micro compliance layer 104 includes multiple spring elements 124 above ( e . g ., supported by or resting on ) the multiple primary support rails 108 . each of the multiple spring elements 124 includes a top 126 , a deflectable member 128 , and multiple spring attachment members 130 . in fig1 the multiple spring elements 124 are four sided tower springs . the multiple spring elements 124 may alternatively include a variety of spring types , as is discussed below . the load support layer 106 includes multiple pixels 132 . each of the multiple pixels 132 includes an upper surface 134 and a lower surface . the lower surface of each of the multiple pixels 132 may include a stem 136 which contacts with the top 126 of at least one of the spring elements 124 . the multiple pixels 132 may also include one or more openings 138 defined within the multiple pixels 132 . the openings 138 may increase the flexibility of the multiple pixels 132 . the openings 138 may also be positioned and / or defined to function as ventilation elements to provide aeration to the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 . the openings 138 may also be positioned and designed for aesthetic appeal . the multiple pixels 132 may be interconnected with multiple pixel connectors 148 . the macro compliance layer 102 connects to a support structure frame via the support structure frame attachment 112 . the support structure frame may be the frame of chair , bench , bed , or other load support structure . as described in this application , the macro compliance layer 102 may include the support structure frame attachment 112 . in other examples , the support structure frame attachment 112 may be separate from the macro compliance layer 102 . for example , the support structure frame may alternatively include the support structure frame attachment 112 . in yet other examples , the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 may omit the support structure frame attachment 112 . fig4 shows a close - up view of the support structure frame attachment 112 . the frame connectors 118 may define frame attachment openings 140 for connection to the support structure frame . the frame connectors 118 may alternatively include cantilevered elements for securing the support structure frame attachment 112 to openings defined in the support structure frame . as another alternative , the support structure frame attachment 112 may omit the frame attachment rail 116 . in this example , the frame connectors 118 may be independent of the adjacent frame connectors 118 , except through their respective connections to the support structure frame . the support structure frame attachment 112 may connect to the support structure frame via a snap fit connection , an integral molding , or other connection methods . the support structure frame attachment 112 also includes the multiple tensile expansion members 122 . the multiple tensile expansion members 122 may connect between the frame attachment rail 116 and the rail attachment nodes 120 . the multiple tensile expansion members 122 are flexible elements with high tensile strength , allowing the macro compliance layer 102 to effectively respond under light loads while remaining secure under heavier loads . the multiple tensile expansion members 122 include aligned material . the material may be the flexible material used to injection mold the support structure frame attachment , i . e ., tpe &# 39 ; s , pp &# 39 ; s , tpu &# 39 ; s , or other flexible materials . the material may be aligned using a variety of methods including compression and / or tension aligning methods . the multiple tensile expansion members 122 connect to multiple ends 142 of the multiple primary support rails 108 via the rail attachment nodes 120 . the multiple ends 142 of the multiple primary support rails 108 may be cantilevered ends 142 . the rail attachment nodes 120 may define an opening 146 for connection to the cantilevered ends 142 of each multiple primary support rail 108 . this connection may include a snap - fit connection , integrally molding the multiple tensile expansion members 122 to the ends 142 of the primary support rails 108 , or other connection methods . the support structure frame attachment 112 in fig1 may be injection molded from a flexible material such as a thermal plastic elastomer ( tpe ), including arnitel em400 or 460 , a polypropylene ( pp ), a thermoplastic polyurethane ( tpu ), or other soft , flexible materials . the support structure frame attachment 112 may be positioned around all or a portion of the perimeter of the macro compliance layer 102 . accordingly , the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 is suspended from the support structure frame . the multiple primary support rails 108 , multiple secondary support rails 114 , and multiple expansion control strands 110 shown in fig1 may be injection molded from a stiff material , such as glass fiber - reinforced polybutylene terephthalate ( gf - pbt ), glass fiber - reinforced polyamide ( gf - pa ), or other firm materials . the multiple primary support rails 108 shown in fig1 include multiple shafts 144 having four sides and the multiple ends 142 . the multiple primary support rails 108 , however , may include alternative geometries . for example , each of the multiple primary support rails 108 may include a cylindrical shaft , as shown in fig1 and 12 . alternatively , the multiple primary support rails 108 may include a series of nodes and / or tensile expansion members defined along the primary support rails 108 , as shown in fig1 . as described above , the ends 142 of the multiple primary support rails 108 may be cantilevered ends 142 , as shown in fig4 , for attachment to the support structure frame attachment 112 . alternatively , the ends 142 of the primary support rails 108 may define an opening for attachment to the multiple tensile expansion members 122 . as another alternative , the ends 142 may be integrally molded to the support structure frame attachment 112 . further , the ends 142 of the multiple primary support rails 108 may instead connect to the support structure frame . as yet another alternative , the support structure frame attachment 112 may be replaced by frame springs such that the multiple primary support rails 108 are suspended from the support structure frame via the frame springs . the frame springs may be conventional springs or other spring types . fig1 shows the multiple tensile expansion members 122 extending from and attaching to the ends 142 of the multiple primary support rails 108 . in other examples , including in those described below , the multiple tensile expansion members 122 may alternatively be defined along the multiple primary support rails 108 and / or along the multiple secondary support rails 114 . in such examples the ends 142 of the multiple primary and / or secondary support rails 108 and 114 may connect to the support structure frame attachment 112 . where the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 defines multiple tensile expansion members 122 along the multiple primary and / or secondary support rails 108 and 114 , the macro compliance layer 102 , including the multiple primary and secondary support rails 108 and 114 and multiple expansion control strands 110 , may be injection molded from the softer , flexible materials used to form the support structure frame attachment 112 discussed above . multiple tensile expansion members 122 defined along the multiple primary and / or secondary support rails 108 and 114 may be aligned using a variety of methods including compression and / or tension aligning methods . for example , in examples where the multiple tensile expansion members 122 are defined along the multiple primary and secondary support rails 108 and 114 , the aligned portions defined along the multiple primary support rails 108 may be compression aligned while the aligned portion defined along the multiple secondary support rails 114 may be tension aligned , or visa versa . the alternative suspended pixelated seating structures discussed below define the multiple tensile expansion members 122 along the multiple primary support rails 108 . in the examples discussed below , the multiple tensile expansion members 122 may be defined along substantially the entire length of the multiple primary support rails 108 or as discrete aligned segments along the length of the multiple primary support rails 108 . in each alternative example below , the multiple tensile expansion members 122 may alternatively be included in the support structure frame attachment 112 in the manner shown in fig1 . as the macro compliance layer 102 deflects downward when a load is applied to the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 , the multiple primary support rails 108 may spread apart from each other to facilitate adaptation to the load . the multiple expansion control strands 110 provide for controlled separation of the multiple primary support rails 108 to prevent the macro compliance layer 102 from excess separation , such as when a heavier load is applied . the multiple expansion control strands 110 may be non - linear , as shown in fig1 . in this manner , the multiple expansion control strands 110 can provide slack for the separation of the multiple primary support rails 108 . the amount of slack provided by the multiple expansion control strands 110 may be tuned in a variety of ways . for example , the number and / or degree of bends in the multiple expansion control strands 110 may affect the amount of slack provided . in addition , varying the type of material used to form the multiple expansion control strands 110 may affect the amount of slack . the multiple expansion control strands 110 may alternatively be linear , as shown , for example , in fig1 . fig1 shows the multiple expansion control strands 110 connected between the ends 142 of each adjacent primary support rail 108 . alternatively , the multiple expansion control strands 110 may connect between less than all adjacent primary support rails 108 . for example , the multiple expansion control strands 110 may connect between every other set of adjacent primary support rails 108 . the multiple expansion control strands 110 may also connect between adjacent primary support rails 108 at multiple positions along the length of the multiple primary support rails 108 , as shown , for example , in fig1 . the multiple secondary support rails 114 may provide further support to the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 . in particular , the multiple primary and secondary support rails 108 and 114 support the multiple spring elements 124 of the micro compliance layer 104 . the multiple spring elements 124 may be secured on adjacent primary support rails 108 and on adjacent secondary support rails 114 via the spring attachment members 130 . the spring attachment members 130 may be integrally molded to the primary and secondary support rails 108 and 114 , may attach via a snap - fit connection , or may be secured using other methods . the macro compliance layer 102 may or not be pre - loaded . for example , prior to connecting the macro compliance layer 102 may initially be formed , such as through the injection molding process , with a shorter length than is needed secure the macro compliance layer 102 to the support structure frame . before securing the macro compliance layer 102 to the support structure frame , the macro compliance layer 102 may be stretched or compressed to several times its original length . as the macro compliance layer 102 settles down after being stretched , the macro compliance layer 102 may be secured to the support structure frame when the macro compliance layer 102 settles to a length that matches the width of the support structure frame . as another alternative , the macro compliance layer 102 may settle down and then be repeatedly re - stretched until the settled down length of the macro compliance layer 102 matches the width of the support structure frame . the macro compliance layer may be pre - loaded in multiple directions , such as along its length and / or width . in addition , different pre - loads may be applied to different regions of the macro compliance layer 102 . applying different pre - loads according to region may be done in a variety of ways , such as by varying the amount of stretching or compressing at different regions and / or varying the thickness of different regions . fig1 shows an example of the micro compliance layer 104 in which the multiple spring elements 124 are four sided tower springs . the four sided tower spring is described below and shown in fig5 and 6 . the multiple spring elements 124 shown in fig1 have an approximate length and width of 40 mm × 40 mm and an approximate height of 16 mm . however , each of the multiple spring elements 124 may include alternative dimensions according to a variety of factors including the spring element &# 39 ; s 124 relative location in the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 , the needs of a specific application , or according to a number of other considerations . for example , the height may be varied to provide a three - dimensional contour to the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 , providing a dish - like appearance to the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 . in this example , the height of the multiple springs elements 124 positioned in the center portion of the micro compliance layer 104 may be less than the height of the multiple spring elements 124 positioned at the outer portions of the micro compliance layer 104 , with a gradual or other type of increase in height in the multiple spring elements 124 between the center and outer portions of the micro compliance layer 104 . alternatively , the micro compliance layer 104 may include a variety of other spring types . examples of other spring types , as well as how they may be implemented in a suspended pixelated seating structure , are described below and shown in fig9 - 18 . the spring types used in the micro compliance layer 104 may include alternative orientations . for example , the spring types may be oriented upside - down , relative their orientation described in this application . in this example , the portion of the spring described in this application as the top would be oriented towards and connect to the macro compliance layer . further , in this example the deflectable members may connect to the load support layer . the deflectable members may connect to the load support layer via multiple spring attachment members however , the examples discussed in this application do not constitute an exhaustive list of the spring types , or possible orientations of spring types , that may be used to form the micro compliance layer 104 . the spring elements 124 may exhibit a range of spring rates , including linear , non - linear decreasing , non - linear increasing , or constant rate spring rates . fig7 shows a plot of the approximate non - linear decreasing spring rate for the four side tower spring 124 . the micro support layer 104 connects on the macro compliance layer 102 . in particular , the spring attachment members 130 connect on the multiple primary support rails 108 and in some examples , on the multiple secondary support rails 114 . this connection may be an integral molding , a snap fit connection , or other connection method . the multiple spring elements 124 may be injection molded from a tpe , such as arnitel em460 , em550 , or el630 , a tpu , a pp , or from other flexible materials . the multiple spring elements 124 may be injection molded individually or as a sheet of multiple spring elements 124 . as the micro compliance layer 104 includes multiple substantially independent deflectable elements , i . e ., the multiple spring elements 124 , adjacent portions of the micro compliance layer 104 may exhibit substantially independent responses to a load . in this manner , the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 not only deflects and conforms under the “ macro ” characteristics of the applied load , but also provides individual , adaptable deflection to “ micro ” characteristics of the applied load . the micro compliance layer 104 may also be tuned to exhibit varying regional responses in any particular zone , area , or portion of the support structure to provide specific support for specific parts of an applied load . the regional response zones may differ in stiffness or any other load support characteristic , for example . certain portions of the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 may be tuned with different deflection characteristics . one or more individual pixels which form a regional response zone , for example , may be specifically designed to a selected stiffness for any particular portion of the body . these different regions of the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 may be tuned in a variety of ways . as described in more detail below with reference to the load support layer 106 , variation in the spacing between the lower surface of each pixel 132 and the macro compliance layer 102 ( referring to the spacing measured when no load is present ) may vary the amount of deflection exhibited under a load . the regional deflection characteristics of the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 may be tuned using other methods as well , including using different materials , spring types , thicknesses , geometries , or other spring characteristics for the multiple spring elements 124 depending on their relative locations in the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 . the load support layer 106 connects to the micro compliance layer 104 . the lower surface of each pixel 132 is secured to the top 126 of a corresponding spring element 124 . this connection may be an integral molding , a snap fit connection , or other connection method . the lower surface may connect to the top 126 of the spring element 124 , or may include a stem 136 or other extension for resting upon or connecting to the spring elements 124 . the top 126 of each spring element 124 may define an opening for receiving the stem 136 of the corresponding pixel . alternatively , the top 126 of each multiple spring element 124 , or of any other type of spring element described below , may include a stem or post for connecting to an opening defined in the corresponding pixel . whether the lower surface of each pixel 132 includes a stem 136 may depend on the type of spring element 124 used , a predetermined spring deflection level , and / or other characteristics or specifications . when a load presses down on the load support layer 106 , the multiple pixels 132 press down on the tops 126 of the multiple spring elements 124 . in response , the multiple spring elements 124 deflect downward to accommodate the load . as the multiple spring elements 124 deflect downward , the lower surfaces of the multiple pixels 132 move toward the macro compliance layer 102 . one or more multiple spring elements 124 may deflect far enough such that the lower surfaces of the corresponding pixels 132 abut on top of the macro compliance layer 102 . in this instance , the spring element 124 corresponding to the pixel 132 whose lower surface abuts with the macro compliance layer 102 may not deflect further , relative to itself . the amount of deflection exhibited by the spring element 124 before the lower surface of the corresponding pixel 132 abuts on top of the macro compliance layer 102 is the spring deflection level . relative to ground , however , the multiple spring elements 124 may deflect further in that the micro compliance layer 104 may deflect downward under a load as the macro compliance 102 layer deflects under a load . as such , the multiple spring elements 124 may individually deflect under a load according to the spring deflection level , and may also , as part of the micro compliance layer 104 , deflect further as the micro compliance layer 104 bends downward under a load . the spring element 124 may stop deflecting under a load when the lower surface of the pixel 132 abuts on top of some portion of the micro compliance layer 104 such as on top of the multiple spring attachment members 130 . this may be the case where the spring attachment members 130 are positioned above the macro compliance layer 102 , such as in the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 shown in fig1 . the spring deflection level may be determined before manufacture and designed into the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 . for example , the suspended pixelated seating structure may be tuned to exhibit an approximately 25 mm of spring deflection level . in other words , the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 may be designed to allow the multiple spring elements 124 to deflect up to approximately 25 mm . thus where the micro compliance layer 104 includes spring elements 124 of 16 mm height ( i . e ., the distance between the top of the macro compliance layer 102 and the top 126 of the spring element 124 ), the lower surfaces of the multiple pixels 132 may include a 9 mm stem . as another example , where the micro compliance layer 104 includes spring elements 124 of 25 mm height , the lower surfaces of the multiple pixels 132 may omit stems ; but may rather connect to the tops 126 of the multiple spring elements 124 . as explained above , the height of each spring element 124 may vary according to a number of factors , including its relative position within the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 . the multiple pixels 132 may be interconnected with multiple pixel connectors 148 . the l - shaped element shown in fig1 is a cross sectional portion of a pixel connector 148 . accordingly , fig1 shows the multiple pixels 132 interconnected at their sides via the multiple pixel connectors 148 . the load support layer 106 may include a variety of pixel connectors 148 , such as planar or non - planar connectors , recessed connectors , bridged connectors , or other elements for interconnecting the multiple pixels 132 , as described below . the multiple pixel connectors 148 may be positioned at a variety of locations with reference to the multiple pixels 132 . for example , the multiple pixels connectors 148 may be positioned at the corners , sides , or other positions in relation to the multiple pixels 132 . the multiple pixel connectors 148 provide an increased degree of independence as between adjacent pixels 132 , as well as enhanced flexibility to the load support layer 106 . for example , the multiple pixel connectors 148 may allow for flexible downward deflection , as well as for individual pixels 132 to move or rotate laterally with a significant amount of independence . the multiple pixels 132 may define openings 138 within the pixels 132 for added deflection of the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 . the openings 138 allow for added flexibility and adaptation by the multiple pixels 132 when placed under a load . the openings 138 may also be defined within the multiple pixels 132 to enhance the aesthetic characteristics of the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 . the load support layer 106 may be injection molded from a flexible material such as a tpe , pp , tpu , or other flexible materials . in particular , the load support layer 106 may be formed from independently manufactured pixels 132 , or may be injection molded as a sheet of multiple pixels 132 . the load support layer 106 may also connect to a support structure via support structure connection elements , as is described below and shown , for example , in fig2 . when under a load , the load may contact with and press down on the load support layer 106 . alternatively , the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 may also include a seat covering layer secured above the load support layer 106 . the seat covering layer may include a cushion , fabric , leather , or other seat covering materials . the seat covering layer may provide enhanced comfort and / or aesthetics to the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 . fig2 shows a broader view of the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 shown in fig1 . while fig2 shows a rectangular suspended pixelated seating structure 100 , the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 may include alternative shapes , including a circular shape . the support structure frame attachment 112 may be positioned around all or a portion of the perimeter of the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 . fig3 shows a portion of the macro compliance layer 102 . as noted above in connection with fig1 , the macro compliance layer 102 includes the multiple primary support rails 108 , multiple secondary support rails 114 , and multiple expansion control strands 110 . the multiple primary support rails 108 include multiple cantilevered ends 142 for attachment to the support structure frame attachment . the multiple primary support rails 108 are aligned substantially in parallel , but may adhere to other alignments depending on the desired implementation . the multiple primary support rails 108 may be of equal length , or of varying lengths . for example , the length of the multiple primary support rails 108 may vary where the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 is designed for attachment to a circular support structure . the multiple secondary support rails 114 extend between adjacent primary support rails 108 , but contact with one primary support rail 108 . alternatively , the multiple secondary support rails 114 may vary in length , including extending the entire distance between and contacting adjacent primary support rails 108 . as another alternative , the suspended pixelated seating structure 100 may omit secondary support rails 114 . the secondary support rails 114 may be linear or non - linear . non - linear secondary support rails may function as expansion control strands to provide for controlled separation of the multiple primary support rails 108 when a load is imposed . fig4 shows the support structure frame attachment 112 . as described above , the support structure frame attachment 112 includes the frame attachment rail 116 , the multiple frame connectors 118 , and the multiple rail attachment nodes 120 . the support structure frame attachment 112 also includes the multiple tensile expansion members 122 connected between the multiple rail attachment nodes 120 and the frame connectors 118 . fig4 shows circular openings 140 and 146 defined within the multiple frame connectors 118 and multiple rail attachment nodes 120 respectively . these openings 140 and 146 may alternatively include other geometrically shaped openings . as described above , the macro compliance 102 layer may include the support structure frame attachment 112 for connection to the support structure frame ; but may alternatively omit the support structure frame attachment 112 in connecting to the support structure frame . further , the support structure frame attachment 112 may omit the multiple tensile expansion members 122 , which may alternatively be defined , for example , along the multiple primary support rails 108 . fig5 shows a four sided tower spring 500 . the four sided tower spring 500 includes a top 502 , a deflectable member 504 , and multiple spring attachment members 506 . the top 502 connects to or supports the lower surface of a pixel of the load support layer . the top 502 may define an opening 508 to facilitate the connection or interaction with a portion of a pixel . the deflectable member 504 shown in fig5 includes four angled sides 510 . the angled sides 510 connect to the top 502 of the spring member 124 and angle downward from the top 502 toward bottoms 512 of the angled sides 510 . the deflectable member 504 may define gaps 514 between the adjacent angled sides 510 . in fig5 , each gap 514 begins at the top 502 of the spring member 124 and widens along the length of the angled sides 510 . the deflectable member 504 may also define deflection slits 516 along the angled sides 510 . the deflection slits 516 may begin at some point between the top 502 of the spring member 124 and the bottoms 512 of the angled sides 510 , where the width of each deflection slit 516 gradually widens downward toward the bottom 512 of the angled sides 510 . the gaps 514 defined between adjacent angled sides 510 , as well as the deflection slits 516 defined along the angled sides 510 , help facilitate deflection of the spring 500 under a load . the four sided tower spring 500 may be tuned with varying deflection characteristics depending on where they are positioned within the micro compliance layer . varying one or more of the design characteristics of the spring 500 may tune the spring element &# 39 ; s deflection characteristics , such as spring rate . the following are examples of design variations that may be used to tune the four sided tower spring 500 to exhibit certain deflection characteristics . the slope , length , thickness , material and / or width of the angled sides 510 may vary . the angled sides 510 may not define a deflection slit 516 , or alternatively , may define the deflection slit 516 beginning closer or farther from the top 502 of the spring 500 . similarly , the deflectable member 504 may not define gaps 514 between adjacent angled sides 510 , or alternatively , may define the gaps 514 beginning farther from the top 502 of the four sided tower spring 500 . other variations in design characteristics of the spring element 124 may also affect the spring &# 39 ; s 500 responsiveness to a load . at the bottoms 512 of the angled sides 510 the deflectable member 504 bends upwards and connects to the spring attachment members 506 for connection to the macro compliance layer . the spring attachment members 506 include a planar surface 512 in fig5 , but may alternatively include a non - planar , contoured , or other surface geometry . as described above , this connection may be an injection molding , a snap fit connection , or other connection method . fig6 shows the four sided tower spring 500 deflecting under a load . when a load is applied to the load support layer , the lower surface of each pixel presses downward onto the top 502 of the corresponding four sided tower spring 500 . the deflectable member 504 bends to accommodate the load as the top 502 of the spring 500 is pressed downward . as described above , the gaps 514 and deflection slits 516 facilitate deflection under a load . for example , as the four sided tower spring 500 deflects under a load , the gaps 514 widen in response . different initial gap 514 dimensions may be selected , among other deflection characteristics , to determine how far the four sided tower spring 500 deflects , as well as how much resistance to deflection the spring &# 39 ; s 500 own structure may provide . fig7 shows a plot 700 of the approximate spring rate of the four sided tower spring 500 . the plot 700 shows a non - linear decreasing spring rate 702 determined from a finite element analysis . according to the plot 700 , the force required to deflect the four sided tower spring 500 initially increases substantially linearly with respect to displacement , but substantially levels off when a designed amount of displacement has been achieved . fig8 shows a top view of the macro and micro compliance layers of a suspended pixelated seating structure 800 . fig8 shows multiple tensile expansion members 802 defined along multiple primary support rails 804 . the multiple tensile expansion members 802 may be defined along the entire length , or a substantial portion , of the multiple primary support rails 804 , as shown in fig8 . alternatively , the multiple tensile expansion members 802 may be defined along discrete segments of the multiple primary support rails 804 , such as in fig1 . the macro compliance layer includes the multiple primary support rails 804 , a support structure frame attachment 806 , and multiple secondary support rails 808 extending between and contacting adjacent multiple primary support rails 804 . the support structure frame attachment 806 includes a frame attachment rail 810 and frame connectors 812 defined along the frame attachment rail 810 . the frame connectors 812 shown in fig8 are openings 812 defined along the frame attachment rail 810 , but may alternatively be cantilevered elements or other elements for connecting the suspended pixelated seating structure 800 to the support structure frame . the support structure frame attachment 806 also includes multiple support rail connectors 814 for connecting the support structure frame attachment 806 to the multiple primary support rails 804 . this connection may be an integral molding , snap fit connection , or other connection method . as discussed above , where the macro compliance layer includes multiple tensile expansion members 802 defined along the multiple primary support rails 804 , the macro compliance layer may be injection molded from the more flexible materials , such as tpe &# 39 ; s , tpu &# 39 ; s , pp &# 39 ; s , or other materials described as being used to form the support structure frame attachment shown in fig1 . the multiple tensile expansion members 802 may be defined along the entire length of the multiple primary support rails 804 , or along segmented portions of the multiple primary support rails 804 . alternatively , the multiple tensile expansion members 802 may be defined along the multiple secondary support rails 808 instead of , or in addition to , being defined along the multiple primary support rails 804 . the multiple spring elements shown in fig8 are the four sided tower springs 500 described above . the spring attachment members 506 may include multiple spring connectors 816 . in fig8 , the multiple spring connectors 816 are openings defined within the spring attachment members 506 . the openings 816 may correspond to multiple support rail connectors 818 defined along the multiple primary and / or secondary support rails 804 , 808 . the multiple spring connectors 816 and multiple support rails connectors 818 may be openings , protrusions , or other elements for connecting the four sided tower springs 500 to the multiple primary and / or secondary support rails 804 , 808 . the multiple spring connectors 816 and multiple support rails connectors 818 may facilitate this connection through an integral molding , snap fit connection , or other connection method . fig9 shows a coil spring 900 . the micro compliance layer may include one or more coil springs 900 as the multiple spring elements . the coil spring 900 includes a top 902 , deflectable member 904 , and spring attachment members 906 . the top may define an opening 908 for connection to a load support layer . the deflectable member 904 includes spiraled arms 904 which spiral from the top 902 of the spring element down to the spring attachment members 906 . other sizes , shapes , and geometries of deflectable member may be additionally or alternatively implemented . fig9 shows elliptically shaped coil springs . the coil springs 900 may alternatively include other geometries , such as a circular geometry . under a load , the top 902 of the coil spring 900 is pressed down and the coil spring 900 deflects or compresses in response . the coil spring 900 may exhibit an approximately linear or non - linear spring rate . as described above with reference to the four sided tower spring 500 , the deflection characteristics of the coil spring 900 may be tuned for various applications . for example , variation in pitch , thickness , length , degree of curvature , material , or other spiraled arm design characteristics may be selected to tune the deflection characteristics of the coil spring 900 for any desired stiffness or responsiveness . fig9 shows the coil spring 900 having different major and minor diameters , with the diameter of the coil spring gradually decreasing from the bottom ( major diameter ) towards the top ( minor diameter ). the coil spring 900 may alternatively include a substantially uniform diameter throughout the height of the coil spring 900 or may include other alternative variations in diameter . fig1 shows a portion of a suspended pixelated seating structure 1000 in which the multiple spring elements are coil springs 900 . the pixelated seating structure includes a macro compliance layer 1002 , a micro compliance layer 1004 , and a load support layer . the macro compliance layer 1002 includes multiple primary support rails 1006 and a support structure frame attachment 1008 . the macro compliance layer 1002 also includes multiple tensile expansion members 1010 and multiple nodes 1012 defined along multiple primary support rails 1006 . the nodes 1012 include posts 1014 for connection to the micro compliance layer 1004 . the macro compliance layer 1002 further includes multiple expansion control strands 1016 extending between adjacent primary support rails 1006 . the support structure frame attachment 1008 includes a frame attachment rail 1018 and multiple frame connectors 1020 . the multiple frame connectors 1020 in fig1 include multiple openings 1020 defined along the frame attachment rail 1018 for connection to a support structure frame . each of the multiple expansion control strands 1016 include a u - shaped bend 1022 to allow slack for the controlled separation of adjacent primary support rails 1006 when under a load . the multiple expansion control strands 1016 may alternatively be linear . in other examples , the macro compliance layer 1002 may omit the multiple expansion control strands 1016 . the bend 1022 may be varied to provide different amounts of slack , such as by changing the number of bends 1022 , the degree of curve in the bends 1022 , the length of the bends 1022 , the material from which the bends 1022 are made , or other design characteristics . fig1 shows the multiple coil springs 900 positioned above the multiple expansion control strands 1016 . alternatively or additionally , one or more coil springs 900 may be positioned above the space 1024 defined between adjacent primary support rails 1006 and adjacent expansion control strands 1016 . the micro compliance layer 1004 includes the multiple coil springs 900 and multiple deflection control runners 1026 . the multiple deflection control runners 1026 connect to and extend between spring attachment members 906 of adjacent coil springs 900 . the multiple deflection control runners 1026 may run substantially parallel to the multiple primary support rails 1006 . the multiple deflection control runners 1026 include multiple bends 1028 for controlled deflection of the suspended pixelated seating structure 1000 . the multiple deflection runners 1026 may alternatively be linear , or may be omitted from the micro compliance layer 1004 . the multiple deflection control runners 1026 may also be varied , such as by changing the number of multiple bends 1028 , the degree of curve in the multiple bends 1028 , the length of the bends 1028 , the material from which the bends 1028 are made , or other design characteristics . fig1 shows multiple deflection control runners 1026 positioned over every other primary support rail 1006 . the deflection control runners 1026 may be positioned over all primary support rails 1006 , or over some smaller number of primary support rails 1006 . additionally , the deflection control runners 1026 may run continuously along the length of the corresponding primary support rail 1006 , or may run along the length of the corresponding primary support rail 1006 in discrete segments . as the suspended pixelated seating structure 1000 deflects down under a load , the multiple tensile expansion members 1010 allow expansion along the length of the multiple primary support rails 1006 . the multiple deflection control runners 1026 straighten as the multiple primary support rails 1006 deflect downward and become taut when the multiple primary support rails 1006 have deflected by a certain amount . the amount of deflection exhibited by the multiple primary support rails 1006 before the multiple deflection control runners 1026 tauten may be tuned by adjusting various characteristics of the deflection control runners 1026 , including thickness , number of bends , degree of curve in the bends 1028 , or other characteristics . each coil spring 900 defines an opening 1030 in each of the multiple spring attachment members 906 for receiving the multiple posts 1014 protruding up from the multiple nodes 1012 . the spring attachment members 906 may connect to the multiple posts 1014 with a snap fit connection , may be integrally molded , or may connect through a variety of other connection methods . alternatively , the coil springs 900 may include multiple posts protruding down from the spring attachment members 906 for connection to multiple openings defined in the multiple nodes 1012 . fig1 shows a broader view of the suspended pixelated seating structure 1000 shown in fig1 . fig1 shows a second support structure frame attachment 1100 connected to the multiple primary support rails 1006 . a load support layer connects on the micro compliance layer 1004 . fig1 shows a squiggle spring 1200 connected between adjacent primary support rails 1202 and adjacent secondary support rails 1204 . the squiggle spring 1200 may be used as a spring element in any of the seating structures . the squiggle spring 1200 includes a top 1206 and a deflectable member 1208 . the squiggle spring 1200 includes an opening 1210 defined within the top 1206 for connection to a load support layer . the deflectable member 1208 includes a shaft 1212 extending downward from the top 1206 and curved strands 1214 connected to and extending from the shaft 1212 . the shaft 1212 includes a base 1216 . the curved strands 1214 may connect to and extend between the base 1216 of the shaft 1212 and , extending from the base 1216 and connecting to the primary support rails 1202 and / or secondary support rails 1204 . in fig1 , the curved strands 1214 are integrally molded between the base 1216 and the support rails 1202 and 1204 . the curved strands 1214 shown in fig1 include an approximate 7 mm × 3 mm thickness . the curved strands 1214 include a multiple bends 1218 . as the top 1206 of the squiggle spring 1200 is pressed down under a load , the curved strands 1214 initially provide minimal resistance as the spring 1200 deflects downward . the spring 1200 continues to deflect downward until the curved strands 1214 become taut . when the curved strands 1214 tauten , the force necessary to continue deflecting the spring 1200 substantially increases . as such , the squiggle spring 1200 may provide a non - linear increasing spring rate . the spring rate may be tuned for various application , such as by varying the number of bends 1218 in the curved strands 1214 , the degree of curve in the bends 1218 , the number of curved strands 1214 connected between the shaft 1212 and the multiple primary and / or secondary support rails 1202 , 1204 , the thickness of the curved strands 1214 , or by varying other design characteristics . the height of the shaft 1212 may vary as well . for example , where the spring deflection level described above is defined as 25 mm , the shaft 1212 may extend up to 25 mm above the macro compliance layer . in this example , the top 1206 of the squiggle spring 1200 may connect to the lower surface of a corresponding pixel , rather than connecting to a stem extending from the lower surface of the pixel . where the suspended pixelated seating structure includes a load support layer including multiple stems , the height of the shaft 1212 may be designed such that when connected , the combined height of the shaft 1212 and corresponding stem equals the spring deflection level . fig1 shows the shaft 1212 as a cylindrical shaft 1212 . the geometry of the shaft 1212 , however , may vary . for example , the shaft 1212 may extend from the top 1206 with no slope , or with some amount of slope , giving the shaft 1212 a conical shape . the shaft 1212 may include other geometries or configurations as well . fig1 shows multiple expansion control strands 1220 extending from the multiple primary support rails 1202 and multiple recessed segments 1222 defined along the multiple primary support rails 1202 . each multiple expansion control strand 1220 may define an opening 1224 for connection to the corresponding recessed segment 1222 of an adjacent primary support rail 1202 . each recessed segment 1222 may also define an opening 1226 to facilitate this connection . the multiple expansion control strands 1220 may be non - linear . fig1 shows the top view of a portion of a suspended pixelated seating structure 1300 where the multiple spring elements are squiggle springs 1200 . fig1 shows an offset top view of the portion of the suspended pixelated seating structure 1300 shown in fig1 . the suspended pixelated seating structure using squiggle springs 1200 includes multiple primary support rails 1202 , multiple secondary support rails 1204 , and support structure frame attachments 1302 connected at opposite ends of the primary support rails 1202 . the suspended pixelated seating structure 1300 also includes multiple tensile expansion members 1304 defined along the multiple primary support rails 1202 . the squiggle springs 1200 shown in these figures are integrally molded between adjacent primary and secondary support rails 1202 , 1204 . fig1 shows a portion of a suspended pixelated seating structure 1500 where the micro compliance layer 1502 includes two sided tower springs 1504 . the two sided tower springs 1504 is another alternative for the spring element . the suspended pixelated seating structure also includes a macro compliance layer 1506 integrally connected to the micro compliance layer 1502 . the macro compliance layer 1506 includes multiple primary support rails 1508 and multiple expansion control strands 1510 . fig1 shows the primary support rails 1508 in cross - section , shown by the planar sides 1512 . the structure 1500 is a representative portion of a larger suspended pixelated seating structure . the suspended pixelated seating structure 1500 also includes multiple tensile expansion members 1514 and multiple unaligned segments 1516 defined along the multiple primary support rails 1508 . the multiple unaligned segments 1516 may alternatively be partially aligned , such as what aligning may incidentally result from aligning other portions of the multiple primary support rails 1508 . the multiple expansion control strands 1510 shown in fig1 are linear , but may alternatively be non - linear . the multiple expansion control strands 1510 have an approximate thickness of 1 . 5 mm . this thickness may be varied according to a number of factors , including whether the multiple expansion control strands incorporate one or more non - linear segments . the two sided tower springs 1504 include a top 1518 , a deflectable member 1520 including two sides , and multiple spring attachment members 1522 . the two sided tower springs 1504 may define an opening 1524 within the top 1518 for connection to the load support layer . the sides of the deflectable member 1520 include bottoms 1526 connected to the spring attachment members 1522 . the sides of the deflectable member 1520 extend downwards from the top 1518 towards their respective bottoms 1526 . the bottoms 1526 of the deflectable member 1520 curve upward and connect to the spring attachment members 1522 . the spring attachment members 1522 are integrally molded to the unaligned segments 1516 on adjacent primary support rails 1508 . alternatively , the spring attachment members 1522 may connect to the unaligned segments 1516 with a snap fit connection or other connection method . fig1 shows a broader view of the portion of the suspended pixelated seating structure 1500 shown in fig1 . fig1 shows the suspended pixelated seating structure 1500 further including support structure frame attachments 1600 positioned at opposite ends of the suspended pixelated seating structure 1500 . fig1 and 18 respectively show a top view and a side view of the suspended pixelated seating structure 1500 shown in fig1 . fig1 shows a portion of a load support layer 1900 that may be used in a suspended pixelated seating structure . the load support layer 1900 including multiple rectangular pixels 1902 interconnected at their corners with pixel connectors 1904 . each of the multiple pixels 1902 includes an upper surface 1906 and a lower surface . the multiple pixels 1902 are shown as rectangular , but may take other shapes , such as hexagons , octagons , triangles , or other shapes . the lower surface includes a stem 1908 extending from the lower surface for connection to the micro compliance layer . each multiple pixel connector 1904 interconnects four pixels 1902 at their respective corners . as described below and shown in fig2 - 22 , the multiple pixel connectors 1904 may alternatively interconnect the multiple pixels 1902 at their respective sides . as yet another alternative , the multiple pixels 1902 may be arranged in a brick pattern . in this alternative , the multiple pixel connectors 1904 may interconnect three pixels at the corner of two pixels and the side of a third pixel . fig1 shows the multiple pixel connectors 1904 as planar surfaces , recessed below the upper surface 1906 of the multiple pixels 1902 . alternatively , the multiple pixel connectors 1904 may be non - planar and / or contoured . the multiple pixels 1902 may also be positioned on even plane with the multiple pixels 1902 . the multiple pixels 1902 may define multiple openings 1910 within each pixel . the openings 1910 begin near the center of the pixel 1902 and gradually widen toward the edge of each pixel . the openings 1910 may add flexibility to load support layer 1900 in adapting to a load . fig1 shows a load support layer 1900 including eight triangular openings 1910 defined within each pixel . the load support layer 1900 , however , may define any number of openings 1910 within each pixel 1902 , including zero or more openings 1910 . additionally , each pixel 1902 within the load support layer 1900 may define a different number of openings 1910 or different sized openings 1910 , depending , for example , on the pixel &# 39 ; s 1902 respective position within the load support layer 1900 . fig1 shows circular connectors 1912 , each defining an opening at its center , positioned at the outside corners of the outside pixels 1902 . the circular connectors 1912 may provide anchor points for connecting the load support layer 1900 to the support structure . the circular connectors 1912 may be replaced by the multiple pixel connectors 1904 in other implementations . fig2 shows a side view of the load support layer 1900 shown in fig1 . fig2 shows the upper and lower surfaces 1906 and 2000 of the multiple pixels 1902 . as described above , the lower surface 2000 of each pixel 1902 may define or include a stem 1908 extending down toward the micro compliance layer . the stem 1908 includes a shaft 2002 and flaps 2004 extending outward from the shaft 2002 along the length of the shaft 2002 . the flaps 2004 may include a cutoff bottom edge 2006 for abutment with the top of a corresponding spring element . for example , the portion 2008 of the shaft 2002 that extends beyond the cutoff bottom edge 2006 may insert into an opening defined within the top of the spring element until the cutoff bottom edge 2006 is flush with the top of the spring element . in this manner , when a load is applied to the load support layer 1900 , the cutoff bottom edge 2006 presses down on the top of the spring element . the length of the shaft 2002 , or whether a stem 1908 is included at all , may depend on the spring deflection level , as described above . fig2 shows a load support layer 2100 including multiple rectangular pixels 2102 interconnected at their sides via pixel connectors 2104 . the multiple pixel connectors 2104 include u - shaped bends 2106 to provide slack for each pixel &# 39 ; s 2102 independent movement when a load is applied . other shapes , such as an s - shape , or other undulating shape may be implemented for the pixel connectors 2104 . the multiple pixel connectors 2104 may help reduce or prevent contact between adjacent pixels 2102 under deflection . the load support layer 2100 may alternatively omit the multiple pixel connectors 2104 to increase the independence of the multiple pixels 2102 . while fig1 and 21 show load support layers 1900 and 2100 including rectangular pixels 1902 and 2102 , a load support layer may alternatively include circular , triangular , or other shaped pixels . the multiple pixels 2102 may also include alternative arrangements , including a brick pattern , such as the brick pattern arrangement described above . fig2 shows a side view of the load support layer 2100 shown in fig2 . fig2 shows stems 2200 similar to the stems 1908 described above with reference to fig2 . other stem types may be used as well . for example , the end of the stem 2200 may define an opening for receiving a stem extending upwards from the top of the spring element . as described above , a lower surface 2202 of the pixel may omit a stem 2200 , but rather connect to the top of the spring element . fig2 shows a load support layer 2300 including multiple contoured pixels 2302 . the load support layer 2300 also includes multiple bridged connectors 2304 to facilitate the connections between adjacent pixels 2302 . in the example shown in fig2 , the bridged connectors 2304 are positioned at the corners of the pixels 2302 , but may alternatively be located at the sides of the pixels 2302 . the bridged connectors 2304 are described in more detail below and a close up of one bridge connector 2304 is shown in fig2 . the contoured pixels 2302 may provide enhanced flexibility , aeration , and / or aesthetics to the load support layer 2300 and are described in more detail below and shown in fig2 . the contoured pixels 2302 may include stems , such as the stems 1908 and 2200 described above , for connecting to a micro compliance layer . fig2 shows a side view of the load support layer 2300 shown in fig2 . fig2 shows the multiple contoured pixels 2302 including stems 2400 extending downward for connecting to a micro compliance layer . fig2 shows a close up of one of the contoured pixels 2302 shown in fig2 . the contoured pixel 2302 includes a pair of convex shaped sides 2500 and a pair of concave shaped sides 2502 . the contoured pixels 2302 are positioned such that every other pixel 2302 is rotated ninety degrees . in this manner the convex shaped sides 2500 of one pixel 2302 are adjacent to the concave shaped sides 2502 of an adjacent pixel 2302 , and visa versa . the contoured pixel 2302 may define multiple openings 2504 within the contoured pixel 2302 with a strip 2506 running between the openings 2504 . the strip 2506 running between the openings 2504 provides added flexibility to the pixel . the strip 2506 may be a non - linear strip 2506 ( e . g ., an undulating , s - shaped , u - shaped , or other shape strip ). in implementations in which the contoured pixel 2302 includes the stem 2400 for connecting to a micro compliance layer , the stem 2400 may connect to the center of the strip 2506 and extend downward toward the top of the corresponding spring element . the contoured pixel 2302 includes a hinge 2508 running perpendicular to the strip 2506 for enhanced compliance when a load is applied . the hinge 2508 may be defined by a cut - out portion of the lower surface of the contoured pixel 2302 to enhance the flexibility of the contoured pixel 2302 . fig2 shows four pixels 2600 - 2606 connected via the bridged connector 2304 shown in fig2 . the bridged connector 2304 includes a left u - shaped connector 2608 , a right u - shaped connector 2610 , and a bridge strip 2612 . the left and right u - shaped connectors 2608 and 2610 connect between the upper left and lower left pixels 2600 and 2602 and the upper right and lower right pixels 2604 and 2606 respectively . the left and right u - shaped connectors 2608 and 2610 bend downward , forming a left and a right u - shaped bend 2614 and 2616 respectively . the bridge strip 2612 includes cantilevered ends 2618 . the cantilevered ends 2618 connect above the left and right u - shaped bends 2614 and 2616 , forming a bridge between the two u - shaped bends 2614 and 2616 . fig2 shows a substantially linear bridge strip 2612 . the bridge strip 2612 may alternatively be non - linear . the bridged connectors 2304 provide an increased degree of independence as between adjacent pixels 2600 - 2606 , as well as enhanced flexibility to the load support layer 2300 . for example , the bridged connectors 2304 not only allow for flexible downward deflection , but also allow for individual pixels 2302 to independently move laterally in response to a load . fig2 shows a side view of a suspended pixelated seating structure 2700 including multiple bolstering support members 2702 . the multiple bolstering support members 2702 may provide increase responsiveness to a load at the outer portions of the suspended pixelated seating structure 2700 , such as at the portions of the suspended pixelated seating structure 2700 that connect to a support structure frame 2718 . when a load is applied , the multiple bolstering support members 2702 may deflect downward , allowing for increased response to a load at the outer portions of the suspended pixelated seating structure 2700 . in this manner , the bolstering support members 2702 may allow for increased comfort and support provided by the suspended pixelated seating structure 2700 . the suspended pixelated seating structure includes a macro compliance layer 2704 , a micro compliance layer 2706 , and a load support layer 2708 . the macro compliance layer 2704 includes multiple primary support rails 2710 , with multiple nodes 2712 and multiple tensile expansion members 2714 defined along the multiple primary support rails 2710 . the micro compliance layer includes multiple spring elements 2716 . fig2 shows the suspended pixelated seating structure 2700 including multiple coil springs as the multiple spring elements 2716 . the suspended pixelated seating structure 2700 , however , may use other spring types , such as the spring types described above . each bolstering support member 2702 includes an angled pad 2720 . each bolstering support member 2702 may also include multiple connectors 2722 for connecting the bolstering support member 2702 to the macro and micro compliance layers 2704 and 2706 . the connectors 2722 may include cantilevered elements , openings defined in the angled pad , or other elements for connecting the bolstering support members to the macro and micro compliance layers 2704 and 2706 . while fig2 shows only connectors 2722 for connecting the bolstering support member 2702 to the macro compliance layer 2704 , other examples of the bolstering support member 2702 may include connectors 2722 for connecting the bolstering support member 2702 to the micro compliance layer 2706 . alternatively , the macro and micro compliance layers 2704 and 2706 may connect directly to the angled pad 2718 . these connections may be a snap fit connection , an integral molding , or other connection method . the bolstering support member is positioned between the outer portion of the macro compliance layer 2704 and the outer portion of the micro compliance layer 2706 . for example , in fig2 , the bolstering support member 2702 is connected above the outer nodes 2712 of the multiple primary support rails 2710 via multiple connectors 2722 , and connected below the spring elements 2716 positioned at the outer portion of the micro compliance layer 2706 . the bolstering support member 2702 is positioned such that the angled pad 2720 angles upwards and outwards ( relative to the macro compliance layer 2704 ) from the outer nodes 2712 to which the bolstering support member 2702 is connected . the degree of slope exhibited by the angled pad 2720 may be tuned according to the desired comfort and support characteristics of the suspended pixelated seating structure 2700 . the multiple spring elements 2716 may be connected along all or a portion the entire length of the upper surface of the angled pad 2720 . the connection between the bolstering support member 2702 and the macro and micro compliance layers 2704 and 2706 may be an integral molding , a snap fit connection , or other connection method . in this manner , the angled pad 2720 may deflect downward when a load is applied , thus providing increased deflection at the outer portions of the suspended pixelated seating structure 2700 . while various embodiments of the invention have been described , it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of the invention . for example , the springs may be implemented as any resilient structure that recovers its original shape when released after being distorted , compressed , or deformed . accordingly , the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents .	0
fig1 to 3 illustrate a dual damascene process for forming an interconnection over a contact point . a contact point is , for example , a device on a substrate ( e . g ., gate , junction , etc .). alternatively , in a multi - level interconnection device configuration , the contact point also includes an underlying interconnection ( e . g ., an interconnection line ). a typical integrated circuit of a microprocessor may have , for example , five or more interconnection layers or lines stacked on one another , each insulated from one another by dielectric material . fig1 illustrates a cross - sectional , schematic side view of a portion of a circuit substrate structure . structure 100 includes substrate 110 of , for example , a semiconductor material such as silicon or a semiconductor layer on an insulator such as glass . substrate 110 , as viewed , may also include a device layer and one or more dielectric layers formed thereon with interconnections disposed therethrough . substrate 110 includes contact point 120 on a surface thereof . in one embodiment , contact point 120 is a portion of an underlying interconnect line ( e . g ., a metal trench ). a representative interconnect line is shown in dashed lines . overlying contact point 120 and substrate 110 , in one embodiment , is etch stop layer 130 . etch stop layer 130 is selected , in one embodiment , to be a material having a dielectric constant ( k ) less than on the order of about five . in the context of a contact point that is a copper interconnection ( e . g ., interconnection line ), etch stop layer 130 is selected to have relatively good copper diffusion characteristics ( i . e ., to inhibit copper diffusion ). etch stop layer 130 is also selected such that it is a material that has an etch characteristic such that it may be selectively etched or retained during an etch operation involving a subsequently introduced dielectric material , such as a dielectric material that , together with barrier material 130 , will serve as a pre - metal dielectric ( pmd ) or interlayer dielectric ( ild ) layer dielectric material . a suitable material for etch stop layer 130 is a material that will be sufficiently strong or sturdy to remain in the absence of a supporting material . a suitable material should also have a relatively low dielectric constant so that its contribution to an overall dielectric constant ( k eff ) is minimized . further , the material for etch stop layer 130 should be selectively etchable in the presence of another dielectric material . suitable materials include silicon dioxide ( sio 2 ) or silicon nitride ( si 3 n 4 ). each of these materials may be introduced by chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) and tend to serve as an inhibitor of copper diffusion when used as the barrier material in the context of copper . in one embodiment , etch stop layer 130 of either sio 2 or si 3 n 4 is introduced , according to current technologies , to a thickness on the order of 40 nanometers ( nm ) to 100 nm . the thickness is selected , in one example , to be sufficient to protect an underlying contact point ( e . g ., contact point 120 ( e . g ., device or copper interconnection line )), but not to unacceptably increase the capacitance between contact point 120 and , for example , an overlying or adjacent interconnection ( e . g ., thickness selected to minimize the contribution of etch stop layer 130 to k eff ). overlying etch stop layer 130 in the illustration shown in fig2 is dielectric layer 140 deposited to a thickness on the order of approximately 700 nanometers according to current technologies . the thickness of dielectric layer 140 will depend , in part , on size characteristics and scaling considerations for the structure . dielectric layer 140 is , in one embodiment , selected of a material that may decompose , for example , in response to a thermal treatment acceptable to substrate 110 and any device layers and / or interconnect layers formed thereon . thus , in one embodiment , dielectric material 140 is a sacrificial material that may be substantially removed in characterizing the final circuit structure . in one embodiment , a material for dielectric layer 140 has a glass transition temperature of at least 250 ° c . and a thermal decomposition temperature of at least 400 ° c . representatively , a suitable material for dielectric layer 140 has a thermal decomposition temperature between 400 ° c . and 500 ° c . in one embodiment , a material for dielectric layer is polymerizable such that it may be deposited in a monomeric state , or partially polymerized state , and then substantially or completely polymerize , for example , upon exposure to heat or radiation , on substrate 110 to form dielectric layer 140 . in one embodiment , a material for dielectric layer 140 , after polymerization , has an elastic modulus greater than 3 gigapascal ( gpa ) and a hardness greater than 0 . 3 gpa . a suitable material for dielectric layer 140 is a polycyanurate material . collectively , etch stop layer 130 and dielectric layer 140 define a composite dielectric layer . once dielectric layer 140 is deposited and formed ( e . g ., polymerized ), the material may be planarized , for example , with a polish ( e . g ., chemical - mechanical polish ). referring to fig3 , following the introduction of dielectric layer 140 , an opening is made to contact point 120 . in one embodiment , the opening includes via 160 and trench 170 formed , for example , by sequential photolithographic patterning and etching operations . representatively , what is shown is a dual damescene process where via 160 and trench 170 are formed as the opening and are filled with conductive material 150 such as a copper material and the conductive material in trench 170 serves as an interconnection line . thus , although not shown in the cross sectional view of fig3 , trench 170 may extend into the page as viewed to act as a trench for a conductive material interconnection line to reside therein . in addition to conductive material of , for example , a copper material in via 160 and trench 170 , one or more layers may be deposited along the sidewalls of via 160 and trench 170 to , for example , inhibit diffusion of the conductive material and / or improve adhesion of the conductive material . via 160 and trench openings are made through dielectric layer 140 and etch stop layer 130 . to form an opening through dielectric layer 140 , a suitable etch process is selected that does not substantially react or disrupt underlying etch stop layer 130 . in the case of dielectric layer 140 of a polycyanurate and etch stop layer 130 of si 3 n 4 , a suitable etching process to etch polycyanurate is , for example , a o 2 or sf 6 / o 2 plasma etching . with such an etching process , an etch of dielectric layer 140 will proceed through the material and substantially stop when etch stop layer 130 is exposed . a subsequent etch chemistry , such as a fluorine - carbon ( e . g ., cf 4 / o 2 / h 2 , c 2 f 6 , c 3 f 8 , or chf 3 ) plasma can then be used to form an opening through etch stop layer 130 and expose contact point 120 . fig4 shows the structure of fig3 following the deposition and formation of etch stop layer 180 . in one embodiment , etch stop layer 180 is similar to etch stop layer 130 ( e . g ., sio 2 , si 3 n 4 ) deposited to a similar thickness ( e . g ., on the order of 40 nm ). etch stop layer 180 overlies dielectric layer 140 and trench 170 ( as viewed ). in this manner , dielectric layer 140 is disposed between etch stop layer 130 and etch stop layer 180 . fig5 shows the structure of fig4 and illustrates the optional formation of subsequent interconnection layer or line , illustrated by conductive material 190 ( shown in ghost lines ) overlying conductive material 150 . it is appreciated that conductive material 190 of , for example , a via and trench , may be encapsulated in dielectric material , such as dielectric material similar to a dielectric material of dielectric layer 140 , at least initially ( see fig4 ). conductive material 190 may be connected to an underlying ( as viewed ) interconnection , such as conductive material in trench 170 . fig5 also shows a transformation of dielectric layer 140 . in one embodiment , structure 100 is disposed to a thermal treatment whereby the structure is heated to a temperature greater than the thermal decomposition temperature of a material for dielectric layer 140 and any subsequent similar dielectric layer . referring to fig5 , the thermal treatment decomposes a material serving as a dielectric layer , such as dielectric layer 140 leaving a void or an air gap between etch stop layer 130 and etch stop layer 180 . in one embodiment , any volatiles generated from the decomposition tend to defuse through the etch stop layer , such as etch stop layer 180 . fig5 shows air gap or void 185 . by leaving an air gap or void substantially in the volume previously occupied by dielectric layer 140 , the composite dielectric constant ( k eff ) may be substantially reduced ( e . g ., air providing a near zero contribution to k eff ). certain materials for dielectric layer 140 , such as polycyanurate tend to leave a char on decomposition . fig5 shows char 145 on etch stop layer 130 . in one embodiment , a material for dielectric layer 140 is selected such that any char 145 is not electrically conductive . fig6 illustrates the formation of a polycyanurate moiety suitable as a material for a dielectric layer , such as dielectric layer 140 illustrated above in fig1 - 4 . a polycyanurate material is formed , in this embodiment , from cyanate ester monomers . cyanate ester monomers may be dissolved in a solvent such as a methyl ethyl keytone ( mek ) solvent . the solution may be applied to a substrate , such as by spinning . once deposited on the substrate , any solvent may be thermally removed and the material cured to form cross - link polycyanurate moiety materials ( polymers ). table i shows properties of some suitable polycyanurate materials : cyanate ester monomers tg (° c .) peak weight loss rate temp (° c .) bisphenol a cyanate 257 468 ester bisphenol e cyanate 258 467 ester hexafluorobisphenol a 275 461 cyanate ester phenol novolac cyanate & gt ; 350 462 ester to study the electrical conductivity of a char formed after decomposition of a polycyanurate material , an experiment was conducted to determine an electrical resistance of the char . a novolac cyanate ester generally forms a char after decomposition . a novolac cyanate ester resin ( arocy xu - 371 , from vantico inc .) was coated on an aluminum foil , cured and thermally decomposed at about 475 ° c . the aluminum foil was then peeled off and a thin layer of char was used for electrical measurement . the electrical resistance of the char was measured using a keithley 580 ohm micrometer with a four - point probe which has a measurement range of 10 μohm to 200 kohm . results : the electrical resistance of the char exceeds the upper limit of the meter , which means the resistance is higher than 200 kohm and the char is not conductive . in the preceding detailed description , specific embodiments are described . it will , however , be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the claims . the specification and drawings are , accordingly , to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense .	7
a variable displacement compressor according to a first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig1 to 4 . the compressor is used in a vehicle . as shown in fig1 the housing of the compressor includes a front housing member 12 , a cylinder block 11 and a rear housing member 17 . a control pressure chamber 121 is defined by the front housing member 12 and the cylinder block 11 . a rotatable shaft 13 is supported by the front housing member 12 and the cylinder block 11 and is rotated by a vehicle engine ( not shown ). a swash plate 14 is supported by the rotatable shaft 13 in the control pressure chamber 121 . the swash plate 14 rotates integrally with and inclines relative to the rotatable shaft 13 . cylinder bores 111 , the number of which is six in this embodiment , are formed in the cylinder block 11 about the rotatable shaft 13 . a piston 15 is housed in each cylinder bore 111 . rotation of the swash plate 14 is converted into reciprocation of each piston 15 by shoes 16 . a rear housing member 17 is coupled to the cylinder block 11 . a rear housing member 17 is secured to the cylinder block 11 with a valve plate 18 , two valve flap plates 19 , 20 and a retainer plate 21 . a suction chamber 22 , which is a suction pressure zone , and a discharge chamber 23 , which is a discharge pressure zone , are defined in the rear housing member 17 . as shown in fig3 and 4 , the suction chamber 22 and the discharge chamber 23 are divided by a substantially annular wall 25 . the wall 25 extends from an end wall 24 of the rear housing member 17 in the axial direction of the compressor . the discharge chamber 23 is located radially outside of the suction chamber 22 . suction ports 181 are formed in the valve plate 18 . as shown in fig4 the suction ports 181 are located radially inside of the wall 25 . each suction port 181 corresponds to one of the cylinder bores 111 . the suction ports 181 are arranged on a circle c centered on a point 131 , which is on the axis of the rotatable shaft 13 . discharge ports 182 are formed in the valve plate 18 . the discharge ports 182 are located radially outside of the wall 25 . each discharge port 182 corresponds to one of the cylinder bores 111 . suction valve flaps 191 are formed on the suction valve flap plate 19 . discharge valve flaps 201 are formed on the discharge valve flap plate 20 . each suction valve flap 191 opens and closes the corresponding suction port 181 . each discharge valve flap 201 opens and closes the corresponding discharge port 182 . a gas introduction passage 30 is formed adjacent to the end wall 24 of the rear housing member 17 . the passage 30 extends from a circumferential wall 31 of the rear housing member 17 through the discharge chamber 23 and opens to the suction chamber 22 . an outlet 301 of the passage 30 is located in the vicinity of the center point 131 of the circle c . when each piston 15 is moved from the top dead center position to the bottom dead center position , refrigerant gas is drawn into the corresponding cylinder bore 111 from the suction chamber 22 through the corresponding suction port 181 and past the corresponding suction valve flap 191 . when each piston 15 is moved from the bottom dead center position to the top dead center position , the refrigerant gas is compressed in the cylinder bore 111 and is then discharged to the discharge chamber 23 through the corresponding discharge port 182 and past the corresponding discharge valve flap 201 . retainers 211 are formed on the retainer plate 21 to limit the opening degree of the discharge valve flaps 201 . refrigerant in the discharge chamber 23 then flows to the suction chamber 22 through the external refrigerant circuit 32 , which includes the condenser 33 , the expansion valve 34 , the evaporator 35 and the gas introduction passage 30 . the discharge chamber 23 is connected to the control pressure chamber 121 by a supply passage 26 . the supply passage 26 supplies refrigerant from the discharge chamber 23 to the control pressure chamber 121 . an electromagnetic displacement control valve 27 is located in the supply passage 26 . the control valve 27 is controlled by a controller ( not shown ). the controller determines the value of current supplied to the control valve 27 based on the vehicle compartment temperature , which is detected by a compartment temperature sensor ( not shown ), and a target temperature , which is set by a temperature adjuster ( not shown ). the control valve 27 then operates based on the suction pressure in the suction chamber 22 and sets the actual suction pressure to a value that corresponds to the value of the supplied current . when the value of the supplied current is increased , the control valve 27 decreases the flow rate of refrigerant from the discharge chamber 23 to the control pressure chamber 121 . since refrigerant flows to the suction chamber 22 from the control pressure chamber 121 through a pressure release passage 29 , the pressure in the control pressure chamber 121 decreases . accordingly , the inclination angle of the swash plate 14 is increased , which increases the displacement of the compressor . the increase in the compressor displacement lowers the suction pressure . when the value of the supplied current is decreased , the control valve 27 increases the flow rate of refrigerant from the discharge chamber 23 to the control pressure chamber 121 , which raises the pressure in the control pressure chamber 121 . accordingly , the inclination angle of the swash plate 14 decreases and the displacement is decreased . the decrease in the displacement raises the suction pressure . when the value of the current is zero , the opening degree of the control valve 27 is maximized , and the inclination angle of the swash plate 14 is minimized as illustrated by a broken line in fig1 . as shown in fig1 mounting members 36 , 37 are integrally formed with the front housing member 12 at the upper and lower surfaces . bolt holes 361 , 371 are formed in the mounting members 36 , 37 , respectively . the holes 361 , 371 extend parallel to each other and perpendicular to the rotatable shaft 13 . as shown in fig1 and 2 , a mounting member 28 is formed integrally with the rear housing member 17 at the rear surface of the end wall 24 . the mounting member 28 corresponds to the suction chamber 22 with the wall 24 in between . a bolt hole 281 is formed in the mounting member 28 . the hole 281 extends parallel to the holes 361 , 371 and perpendicular to the shaft 13 . as shown in fig2 bolts 38 , 39 , 40 are inserted into the holes 361 , 371 , 281 to fix the compressor to supporting parts 41 , 42 , 43 within a vehicle &# 39 ; s engine compartment . as shown in fig1 and 3 , the suction chamber 22 is surrounded by the wall 25 and the end wall 24 of the rear housing member 17 . an auxiliary chamber 44 is formed in the mounting member 28 . specifically , the auxiliary chamber 44 is formed by an axially extending recess in the end wall 24 at the location of the mounting member 28 . the auxiliary chamber 44 communicates with the suction chamber 22 , which increases the volume of the suction chamber 22 . an axial projection of the auxiliary chamber 44 includes the radial center of the suction chamber 22 . ( 1 - 1 ) the mounting members 28 , 36 , 37 are necessary for installing the compressor in the vehicle . the auxiliary chamber 44 is formed in the mounting member 28 . therefore , the volume of the suction chamber 22 is increased without increasing the weight and the volume of the compressor . the increase of the volume of the suction chamber 22 reduces the suction pulsation . accordingly , noise and vibration created in the evaporator 35 due to the pulsation are reduced . ( 1 - 2 ) the gas introduction passage 30 extends from the periphery of the compressor to the suction chamber 22 . therefore , the gas passage 30 is longer than the radial dimension of the discharge chamber 23 . the passage 30 functions as a restrictor that reduces the suction pulsation . ( 1 - 3 ) the outlet 301 of the passage 30 is near the center point 131 of the circle on which the suction ports 181 are located . the radial center of the suction chamber 22 lies within an axial projection of the auxiliary chamber 44 . the suction chamber 22 , which includes the auxiliary chamber 44 , is generally cylindrical . the location of the outlet 301 is therefore spaced substantially equally from each suction port 181 , which minimizes the pressure fluctuation at the outlet 301 . pressure fluctuations at the outlet 301 create suction pulsation , which is transmitted to the external refrigerant circuit 32 through the passage 30 . the evaporator 35 , which is located in the passenger compartment , is vibrated by an element of the pulsation that has a resonance frequency . however , since the pressure fluctuation is minimized , the suction pulsation is minimized . the noise caused by the vibration of the evaporator 35 is reduced , accordingly . a second embodiment will now be described with reference to fig5 and 6 . like or the same reference numerals are given to those components that are like or the same as the corresponding components of the embodiment of fig1 to 4 . in this embodiment , a bulge 45 is formed in the mounting member 28 . the bulge 45 however does not hinder the installation of the compressor due to its location . a second auxiliary chamber 451 is formed in the bulge 45 . the second auxiliary chamber 451 is a recess formed in the surface 241 of the end wall 24 that faces the suction chamber 22 . the auxiliary chambers 44 , 451 form part of the suction chamber 22 . a third embodiment will now be described with reference to fig7 . like or the same reference numerals are given to those components that are like or the same as the corresponding components of the embodiment of fig1 to 4 . in this embodiment , a discharge chamber 23 a is located radially inside in the rear housing member 17 and a suction chamber 22 a is located radially outside of the discharge chamber 23 a . a displacement control valve 27 a controls the flow rate of refrigerant supplied from the discharge chamber 23 a to the control pressure chamber 121 through a refrigerant supply passage 26 a . also , refrigerant flows from the control pressure chamber 121 to the suction chamber 22 a through a pressure release passage 112 , which has a throttle . the pressure in the control pressure chamber 121 is determined by the flow rate of refrigerant through the pressure release passage 112 and the flow rate of refrigerant from the control valve 27 a to the control pressure chamber 121 through the refrigerant supply passage 26 a . an auxiliary chamber 44 a is formed in a mounting member 28 a and extends from the surface 242 of the end wall 24 of the discharge chamber 23 a . the auxiliary chamber 44 a forms part of the discharge chamber 23 a . the volume of the discharge chamber 23 a is increased by the volume of the auxiliary chamber 44 a . the radial center of the discharge chamber 23 a lies within an axial projection of the auxiliary chamber 44 a . the auxiliary chamber 44 a , which is formed in the mounting member 28 a , increases the volume of the discharge chamber 23 a without increasing the weight and volume of the compressor . the augmentation of the discharge chamber 23 a reduces the discharge pulsation . it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . particularly , it should be understood that the invention may be embodied in the following forms . ( 1 ) in the illustrated embodiments , the auxiliary chambers 44 , 44 a extend from the surfaces 241 , 242 of the end wall 24 into the interior of the mounting members 28 , 28 a , respectively . however , as long as the chambers 44 , 44 a are formed by axially extending recesses in the end wall 24 at the location of the mounting members 28 , 28 a , the chambers 44 , 44 a need not extend into the interior of the mounting members 28 , 28 a . in this case , if the auxiliary chambers are formed by recesses in the end wall at locations not corresponding to the mounting members , the strength of the wall at those locations is lowered . however , in the present invention , such a problem does not occur , because the recesses are formed in the end wall at the locations of the mounting members . ( 2 ) in each illustrated embodiment , the chamber 22 or 23 a that is located inside is connected to the auxiliary chamber 44 , 44 a . however , if the rear housing member 17 has a mounting member that extends near both the suction chamber 22 , 22 a and the discharge chamber 23 , 23 a , two auxiliary chambers 45 a , 45 b may be formed to augment the suction chamber 22 , 22 a and the discharge chamber 23 , 23 a , respectively , as shown in fig8 and 9 . ( 3 ) the mounting members 28 , 28 a are integrally formed with the end wall 24 of the rear housing member 17 . however , the mounting member 28 , 28 a may be formed on the circumferential wall 31 . in this case , an auxiliary chamber may be formed in the mounting member to increase the volume of a peripheral chamber . that is , in the first and second embodiments , such an auxiliary chamber would increase the volume of the discharge chamber 23 . in the third embodiment , such an auxiliary chamber would increase the volume of the suction chamber 22 a . therefore , the present examples and embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein , but may be modified within the scope and equivalence of the appended claims .	5
fig1 a is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of a dc converter . incoming ac or dc is applied via inputs 1 & amp ; 2 , a circuit breaker cb , and a fuse f to a full wave diode rectifying bridge 1 . the polarity of incoming dc applied at inputs 1 & amp ; 2 is not particularly important since rectifying bridge 1 will correct the polarity , if required . rectifying bridge converts the incoming ac to dc ( if the input is ac ) or merely passes incoming dc . the dc output from the bridge 1 appears at a bus 3 , 4 , and is smoothed , if necessary , by a filter 2a comprising a choke inductor and a capacitor . the dc passing or converted by rectifying bridge 1 is thereafter converted to ac by an oscillator circuit which includes mosfets ( metal oxide silicon field effect transistors ) 5 - 8 . the ac voltage is stepped up by an autotransformer 9 and thereafter reconverted back to dc , which appears at an output bus 19 , 20 . the four mosfet switches 5 , 6 , 7 and 8 of the oscillator circuit are arranged in a bridge configuration in which only one pair of mosfets are gated on and therefore conducting at any given time ( that is , at most , only one pair of mosfets , either mosfets 5 and 6 or 7 and 8 are conducting at any given time ) causing current to alternate in the winding of an autotransformer 9 . the conduction by the mosfet switches 5 - 8 is pulse width modulated at a high frequency ( preferably greater than 15 khz so as to be inaudible and more preferably about 30 khz ) by controlling the gates of mosfet switches 5 - 8 by a gate drive transformer 10 which is driven a control circuit which will be subsequently described with reference to fig2 a . at 30 khz , gate drive transformer 10 is a convenient means of controlling the gates of mosfets 5 - 8 with the pulse width modulated signal available at nodes 25 and 26 . those skilled in the art will appreciate that other means of driving the gates can be used , including using optologic devices in a manner similar to that used ( and subsequently described ) with respect to mosfets 50 - 53 in fig3 . autotransformer 9 steps up the voltage received at its input and the resulting alternating current flows through and is rectified by diodes 11 and 12 connected at the output of autotransformer 9 . a filter , in this case a &# 34 ; t &# 34 ; filter comprising an inductor 14 , capacitor arrangement 15 and inductor 16 , filters and smooths the dc generated by diodes 11 and 12 . capacitor arrangement 15 is preferably a 1000 mfd 300 vdc capacitor 15a in series with a 5 ohm resistor 15b , which in turn are connected in parallel with a film capacitor 15c having high ripple current handling capabilities . inductor 14 is preferably a 300 microhenry choke and inductor 16 is preferably a 100 microhenry choke . the size of the capacitor 15a is preferably relatively large while the size of the inductors is preferably relatively small . the reason for this relationship will be discussed subsequently . during the time mosfets 5 - 8 are not conducting , current can be supplied to the filter 14 , 15 , 16 through an additional mosfet 17 and diode 18 . dc flows from output 19 of the dc converter to the input of an &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; bridge , which will be subsequently described with reference to fig3 . the dc returns via return 20 and then flows through a current sensing resistor 21 back to bus 4 . the voltage drop generated across the current sensing resistor 21 is applied to the gate drive control circuit of fig2 a and , as will be seen , is used to control the pulse width modulation applied to the mosfet gates 5 - 8 through transformer 10 . since the voltage drop across sensing resistor 21 is proportional to the current being supplied by the power supply , the pulse width modulation of mosfets 5 - 8 by the gate drive circuitry of fig2 a effectively controls the amount of current delivered by the power supply to the lamp . as previously mentioned , controlling the current to the lamp means that its color temperature is being controlled . mosfet switch 17 is gated on when the output voltage of the dc converter is higher than its input voltage and off when the output voltage is less than its input voltage . current is pumped to the output of the converter when mosfet switch 17 is on ( i . e . when the output voltage is higher than the input voltage ) during portions of the flyback of autotransformer 9 thereby increasing the efficiency of the circuit . thus , mosfet switch 17 reduces the amount of power required to be converted by the bridge mosfets 5 , 6 , 7 and 8 during normal running of the lamp when gated on or allows operation of the lamp at reduced voltage levels during warm up when gated off . as will be discussed subsequently , mosfet 17 also provides additional power during the re - ignition of a arc lamp , thereby increasing the speed by which such lamps can be re - ignited by the power supply . the input voltage to the dc converter can be as low as 90 volts and it will still function properly . lower voltages can be accommodated , if desired , by changing the winding ratio of autotransformer 9 to yield a higher voltage step up . the winding ratio of autotransformer is preferably 2 : 1 : 2 , but these ratios can , of course , be varied . the maximum voltage which can be accommodated is determined by the ability of the various components to withstand higher voltages . either ac or dc can be applied to the inputs 1 and 2 . thus , the power supply is capable of using either ac or dc in a wide range of possible voltages as its source of power . fig1 b through 1g are schematic diagrams of additional embodiments of a dc converter . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of fig1 b through 1g bear certain similarities to the embodiment of fig1 a and therefore components which perform essentially the same function as heretofore described bear the same identification numerals . components whose functions have changed somewhat are shown with a prime after their identification number and these components will be described in the following description . turning to fig1 b , there is shown a circuit schematic of a second embodiment of a dc converter . in this second embodiment , mosfets 6 &# 39 ;, 7 &# 39 ; and 8 &# 39 ; are arranged in a push / pull arrangement with autotransformer 9 . in operation , mosfets 6 &# 39 ;, and 8 &# 39 ;, are alternatively switched on to drive current through the autotransformer 9 onto the load . mosfet 7 &# 39 ; is on continuously when the unit is in normal operation , i . e ., the lamp to which the &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; bridge of fig3 is connected is hot and the output voltage from the power supply is high . when the output voltage must be low , mosfet 7 &# 39 ; is switched on and off at a rate twice that of either mosfet 6 &# 39 ; or mosfet 8 &# 39 ;. that is , the pulse width modulation signal which is used to drive mosfets 6 &# 39 ; and 8 &# 39 ; is also used to drive mosfet 7 &# 39 ; such that mosfet 7 &# 39 ; is on when either mosfet 6 &# 39 ; or 8 &# 39 ; is on . by using pulse width modulation control coupled to nodes 23 &# 39 ;, 25 and 26 , the output voltage can be controlled to be lower than that of the input voltage to the power supply . as in the case with the fifth mosfet 17 described with reference to fig1 a , mosfet 7 &# 39 ; in the embodiment of fig1 b is switched on when the output voltage is approximately equal to the input voltage . in operation , when mosfet 6 &# 39 ; conducts , current flows from mosfet 7 &# 39 ; ( which is also conducting ) into autotransformer 9 and through mosfet 6 &# 39 ; to the input return bus 3 . current also flows through diode 11 to the load . at the end of the duty cycle for mosfet 6 &# 39 ;, mosfet 6 &# 39 ; turns off and the current stops flowing through it . however , the load current can still flow through diodes 11 or 12 as required . mosfet 8 &# 39 ; turns on at the next duty cycle period and current is reversed in autotransformer 9 and flows from mosfet 7 &# 39 ; into autotransformer 9 and through mosfet 8 &# 39 ; to the input return . it also flows through diode 12 and to the load . the turns ratio of the autotransformer of fig1 b is preferably 1 : 1 : 1 : 1 , but these ratios can , of course , be varied . the control circuit for mosfets 6 &# 39 ;, 7 &# 39 ; and 8 &# 39 ;, which will be subsequently described with reference to fig2 a and 2b , senses the current and voltage requirements and adjusts the duty cycles of the mosfets accordingly . turning now to fig1 c , this is a circuit diagram of a third embodiment of the dc converter . this embodiment is similar to the embodiment of fig1 b , but in this case mosfet 17 is employed in the same manner as it is in fig1 a . thus , mosfet 17 is switched on whenever the output voltage of the power supply is approximately equal to its input voltage . mosfet 7 &# 39 ; can be controlled in the same manner as it is with reference to fig1 b or it can merely be switched on only when either mosfet 6 &# 39 ; or mosfet 8 &# 39 ; are also switched on . the reason for this is that in the embodiments of fig1 a and 1c , mosfet 17 supplies additional current through the filter 14 , 15 , 16 during the time the mosfets 5 - 8 are not conducting ( in the case of fig1 a ) or during the time mosfets 6 &# 39 ; and 8 &# 39 ; are not conducting ( in the case of fig1 c ). this function of mosfet 17 is generally handled by mosfet 7 &# 39 ; in the embodiment of fig1 b ; however , instead of supplying the extra current at the outputs of diodes 11 and 12 as is done in the case of fig1 a and 1c , the extra current is supplied via the autotransformer 9 in the embodiment of fig1 b . this can be a drawback if the autotransformer 9 has too high of an impedance -- it could interfere with the ability of the power supply to re - ignite a lamp since the desired surge of current might not be available . see the discussion near the end of this patent pertaining to lamp re - ignition . thus , the embodiment of fig1 b is probably less efficient compared to the embodiments of fig1 a or 1c ; however , on the other side of the coin , the embodiment of fig1 b is somewhat less expensive to construct since it uses a lesser number of mosfets . the winding ratio of the autotransformer 9 is again preferably 1 : 1 : 1 : 1 , but these ratios can , of course , be varied . fig1 d is a schematic diagram of a fourth and presently preferred embodiment of the dc converter . in this embodiment , mosfets 6 &# 39 ; and 8 &# 39 ; operate in push / pull fashion , but instead of using an autotransformer 9 , a transformer 9 &# 39 ; with isolated secondary is employed . mosfets 6 &# 39 ; and 8 &# 39 ; are connected to the primary winding which has a center tap connected to the supply bus 4 . the secondary of transformer 9 &# 39 ; is coupled via diodes 11 and 12 to filter 14 , 15 , 16 . a center tap on the secondary side of transformer 9 &# 39 ; is coupled to the return of bus 4 via a diode 13 and is also coupled to mosfet 17 . again , mosfet 17 is gated on whenever the output voltage exceeds the supply voltage and mosfets 6 &# 39 ; and 8 &# 39 ; are controlled by the pulse width modulation control circuit of fig2 a . in operation , a voltage is induced in the secondary of transformer 9 &# 39 ; which is higher than the input voltage which is applied through mosfet 17 . as in the case of the previously described embodiments , mosfet 17 is turned off to allow the output voltage of the supply to decrease below its input voltage , when required . when mosfet 17 is turned off , diode 13 connects the secondary center tap to return bus 4 allowing energy to flow in the secondary . a possible variation of this embodiment would be to pulse width modulate mosfet 17 at twice the rate of mosfets 6 &# 39 ; and 8 &# 39 ; to cause the output voltage to drop below the input voltage . as those skilled in the art would appreciate , the turns ratio of the transformer determines the maximum output voltage . we prefer to use a transformer with turns ratio of 1 : 1 . 8 ( primary to secondary ). fig1 e depicts a schematic diagram of a fifth embodiment of the dc converter . this embodiment is quite similar to the fourth embodiment , except that the mosfet 17 is coupled via diode 18 to the outputs of commonly connected diodes 11 and 12 as opposed to being coupled at the center tap of the secondary of transformer 9 &# 39 ;. as in the case of the preceding push / pull embodiments , mosfet 6 &# 39 ; and 8 &# 39 ; are pulse width modulated to control the output voltage and current . mosfet 17 is switched on during normal hot lamp operation , that is , when the output voltage of the power supply exceeds the input voltage . when the output voltage needs to be lower than the input voltage , mosfet 17 is switched off . the winding ratio of transformer 9 &# 39 ; is preferably at least 1 : 2 . fig1 f depicts a sixth embodiment of the dc converter which is similar to the embodiment of fig1 a in that a full bridge series of mosfets 5 - 8 are used at the input to transformer 9 &# 39 ;, but transformer 9 &# 39 ; in lieu of being an autotransformer has an isolated secondary similar to the embodiments of fig1 d and 1e . by using the full bridge arrangement of mosfets , this avoids the necessity for a center tap on the primary of transformer 9 &# 39 ;. the winding ratio is preferably 1 : 1 . 8 . fig1 g depicts yet another embodiment of the dc converter , which is generally similar to the embodiment of fig1 f , up to the input of transformer 9 &# 39 ;; but the output of the transformer 9 &# 39 ; and the connection of mosfet 17 is made similar to the embodiment of fig1 e . the winding ratio is preferably 1 : 2 or greater . fig2 a is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the gate drive control circuit . this circuit is preferably powered via supply lines 31 and 32 with stabilized d . c . voltage sources which are isolated from each other and from the main power circuits . indeed , a power supply having preferably four isolated 15 volt d . c . outputs is connected as follows : one output is connected at lines 3 & amp ; 4 : a second output is connected at lines 31 & amp ; 4 ; a third output is connected at lines 32 & amp ; 24 ; and the fourth output is connected at lines 64 & amp ; 20 ( see fig3 & amp ; 4 ). an amplifier integrated circuit ( ic ) 25 receives a portion of the voltage drop generated across current sensing resistor 21 ( fig1 a through 1g ), and amplifies it . the portion received is controlled and adjusted by a voltage divider 46 which includes a pot 45 . the output of ic 25 is applied to a pulse width modulating ic 26 , the outputs 27 , 28 of which are inverted and buffered by buffer ics 29 and 30 . the outputs of buffer ics 29 , 30 drive the primary winding of gate drive transformer 10 for the embodiments of fig1 a , 1f and 1g . the outputs of buffer ics 29 and 30 drive the mosfets 6 &# 39 ; and 8 &# 39 ; directly in the embodiments of fig1 b - 1e . in either case the current supplied by the power supply is controlled by changing the period of time the pairs of mosfets 5 & amp ; 6 and 7 & amp ; 8 ( in fig1 a , 1f and 1g ) or the mosfets 6 &# 39 ; and 8 &# 39 ; ( in the other figures ) are on , i . e ., by changing the width of the pulses provided by the gate drive circuitry to the gates of the mosfets . the preferred type numbers ( model numbers ) and manufacturers of ics 25 & amp ; 26 , and indeed of all the major ics used in the disclosed power supply are listed in table i . the voltage on bus 3 , which is the input voltage to the dc converter , is applied via a voltage divider formed by resistors 40 , 41 to one input of a comparator ic 35 . the divider supplies a portion of the voltage on bus 3 to ic 35 , the portion being within the normal input range of comparator ic 35 . similarly , the voltage outputted by the dc converter at node 22 is divided by resistors 42 , 43 and applied to the other input of ic 35 . the state of the comparator ic then indicates whether the input voltage is higher or lower than the output voltage of the dc converter . the output of comparator ic 35 is applied via a buffer ic 38 to an optologic isolator ic 39 . the output of the isolator ic 39 is amplified by a buffer ic 44 and applied to the gate 24 and source 23 of mosfet transistor 17 ( fig1 a and 1c - 1g ) so that it is turned on or off in response to the comparative levels of the input and output voltage of the power supply . as previously discussed , mosfet 17 is gated on when the output voltage of the dc converter is greater than its input voltage and off when the output voltage is less than the input voltage . fig2 b depicts another embodiment of the gate drive control circuit . this embodiment is similar to the embodiment of fig2 a , but in this case the output from the optologic isolator ic 39 is controlled not only by the results of the comparison done at ic 35 , but is also controlled according to the state of buffer ics 29 and 30 . this embodiment may be used in connection with the second embodiment of the dc converter shown in fig1 b to control the states of mosfets 6 &# 39 ;, 7 &# 39 ; and 8 &# 39 ;. for example , and with respect to fig1 b , it will be recalled that mosfet 7 &# 39 ; is turned on whenever either mosfet 6 &# 39 ; or mosfet 8 &# 39 ; is turned on . this function is accomplished by the connections from buffer ics 29 and 30 through or summing junction 35a to invertor 38 . also , mosfet 7 &# 39 ; in fig1 b is also turned on when the output voltage exceeds the input voltage of the power supply and this function is controlled by the state of comparator ic 35 as it , too , is connected via or gate 35a to buffer 38 . with respect to the embodiment of fig2 c , this circuit is also similar to the embodiment of fig2 a . this control circuit can be used to control mosfets 6 &# 39 ;, 7 &# 39 ;, 8 &# 39 ; and 17 of fig1 c . naturally , mosfet 7 &# 39 ; in fig1 c must be switched on whenever mosfets 6 &# 39 ; or 8 &# 39 ; are on , and this is accomplished through the action of or gate 35a ( the or summing juction 35a of fig2 b and the or gate 35a of fig2 c can be used interchangably ). the output of or gate 35a is connected via an invertor 38a , an optologic ic 39a and a buffer ic 44a to node 23 &# 39 ; ( which controls the gate of mosfet 7 &# 39 ; ). otherwise , the circuit of fig2 c is the same as the circuit of fig2 a . the schematic diagram of &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; bridge circuit is shown in fig3 . mosfet transistor switches 50 , 51 , 52 and 53 are alternately turned on and off in pairs so that the dc converter output current applied at bus 19 , 20 is caused to flow in alternating directions through the lamp head 95 ( fig5 ) which is connected at output terminals 54 and 55 . mosfets 50 and 51 cause the lamp current to flow in one direction and mosfets 52 and 53 cause it to flow in the other direction . the gates of the mosfets are driven by buffer ics 56 , 57 , 58 and 59 . buffer ics 56 and 59 , which drive the lower mosfets 51 , 53 in the &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; bridge , are driven alternatingly at nodes 60 , 61 directly from a bridge control circuit which will subsequently be described with reference to fig4 . the buffer ics 57 , 58 for the upper mosfets 52 , 50 are driven by optologic isolators ics 62 and 63 . the bias power for buffer ics 57 and 58 and the output side of the optologic isolator ics 62 and 63 is preferably derived from the fourth output of the aforementioned power supply at node 64 . this bias power is stored in capacitors 65 and 66 which are charged through diodes 67 and 68 and current limiting resistors 69 and 70 . this charging action occurs when the corresponding lower mosfet is switched on . the optologic amplifier devices 62 , 63 are alternatingly driven by the &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; bridge control circuit of fig4 . an output clamping circuit is connected across terminals 54 and 55 . it includes a capacitor 80 , diodes 81 and 82 and a bleeder resistor 83 . this clamp circuit protects mosfets 50 - 53 from voltage transients and spikes which can and will occur at terminals 54 and 55 . such spikes arise from the fact the arc lamp 100 typically is installed in a head 95 ( fig5 ) which has inductive components therein which generate voltage spikes when driven with a squarewave . a positive going spike is shunted to capacitor 80 by diode 81 or 82 . the charge on capacitor 80 is maintained by coupling capacitor 80 to capacitor 15 ( fig1 ) via node 22 and resistor 83 . positive going spikes will charge capacitor 80 to a higher potential than that which normally exists on capacitor 15 , but resistor 83 will discharge the difference before the next spike occurs . turning now to fig4 which is a schematic diagram of the control circuit for the &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; bridge of fig3 this control circuit has a timer ic 73 which drives a flip - flop ic 74 . the frequency outputted by ic 73 , nominally 60 hz , is set by resistors and capacitor arrangement 75 . the outputs of ic 74 are connected to inverting buffer ics 76 and 77 . these outputs and power supply lines 64 , 20 are coupled to the optologic isolators ics 62 and 63 of fig3 via control busses 71 and 72 . thus , the outputs of the inverting buffer ics 76 , 77 drive the various inputs of the &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; bridge circuit , that is , the inputs of buffer ics 56 and 59 and the inputs of optologic amplifier ics 62 and 63 ( fig3 ). the output applied to the lamp at terminals 54 , 55 is therefore 60 hz squarewave . since the turn off times of the mosfets 50 - 53 is longer than there turn on times , the output at terminals 54 , 55 momentarily shorts at each transition . this shorting can help to reduce voltage spikes which are generated when the current is quickly switched in an inductive load such as head 95 . spikes which still occur are handled by the previously described clamp circuit . the maximum positive and negative voltage of the squarewave is equal to the voltage on bus 17 , 18 ( less the voltage drops across the conducting mosfet switches 50 , 51 or 52 , 53 ). assuming that the power supply is connected to a 120 volt source ( either ac or dc ) and to an arc lamp head 95 such as that depicted in fig5 the voltage which must be generated to efficiently ignite the arc lamp 100 is on the order of 230 volts ( as an ac squarewave , preferably modified as previously discussed ). at this point , mosfets 5 - 8 or mosfets 6 &# 39 ; and 8 &# 39 ; as the case may be , will be oscillating and mosfet 17 ( mosfet 7 &# 39 ; in the case of fig1 b ) will be gated on to pump additional power into the lamp . at ignition , the output voltage will drop to approximately 30 volts , causing mosfet 17 to turn off ( and cause mosfet 7 &# 39 ; in the case of fig1 b to switch on and off in time with mosfets 6 &# 39 ; and 8 &# 39 ;.) the output voltage from the power supply will rise to approximately 120 volts in 30 to 40 seconds . as the output voltage of the power supply exceeds its input voltage , mosfet 17 ( mosfet 7 &# 39 ; in the case of fig1 b ) is again turned on by its gate control circuit and mosfet 17 ( mosfet 7 &# 39 ;, fig1 b ) will then again supply additional power to the arc lamp . the voltage will continue to rise to a steady state condition where the output voltage is approximately 210 volts . the time required to ignite a 4000 watt arc lamp ( model daymax dmi 4000 manufactured by ilc ) and come to full output voltage is approximately 90 seconds or less . those skilled in the art will appreciate that this is much faster than with prior art power supplies . if the arc lamp 100 is de - energized or becomes extinguished , and while it is still physically hot ( i . e . it only was recently de - energized or extinguished ), the arc lamp 100 can be brought back to full power ( and therefore full intensity light ) in approximately ten seconds . in approximately ten seconds , capacitor 15 is recharged to the maximum voltage available from the power supply , which will likely be 235 volts or greater . at the same time , mosfet 17 is on , thereby permitting the power supply to supply the necessary surge of current to re - ignite the arc lamp which is supplied when the re - ignite switch 90 is briefly closed and thereby connecting the voltage at output terminals 54 and 55 through a resistor 91 to an ignition coil in head 95 . the charge stored in capacitor 15 is dumped very quickly into the lamp , causing it to quickly re - ignite . since the inductance of inductor 16 is relatively small , it offers little impedance to the surge of current provided by capacitor 15 . the lamp 100 will promptly re - ignite and come to full power if the user waits approximately 10 seconds before momentarily closing switch 90 . those skilled in the art will appreciate that prior art supplies typically require more than one minute to re - ignite an arc lamp . the semiconductor devices used in the figure include both cmos and ttl type devices and therefore those skilled in the art will appreciated that appropriate level shifting devices will also have to be employed . alternatively , the devices can be changed to use , for example , exclusively cmos or ttl devices . the invention has been described in connection with a number of embodiments and certain modifications have been mentioned . further modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art . therefore , the invention is not intended to be limited to the disclosed embodiments , except as required by the appended claims . table i______________________________________preferred integrated circuit devicesitem partnumber ( s ) number description manufacturer______________________________________25 lm358 dual differential input motorola operational amplifier26 sg3525 pulse width modulator motorola29 , 30 , 38 , cd4049 cmos hex invertor rca38a , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 76 , 7735 lm339 quad comparator motorola35a cd4075b or gate rca39 , 39a , 740l6010 optologic opto - coupler general62 , 63 instrument44 , 44a cd4050 cmos hex buffer rca73 555 timer national semiconductor74 74c73 flip flop national semiconductor______________________________________	8
referring to fig1 to 4 of the drawings , reference numeral 10 generally indicates a device in accordance with the invention for use in the treatment of erectile dysfunction or for penile exercise . the device 10 includes a hollow generally cigar shaped vessel 12 defining an elongate primary or vacuum chamber 14 ( fig3 ). the device 10 further includes pumping means , generally indicated by reference numeral 50 for pumping air out of the vacuum chamber 14 . the vessel 12 has a generally cylindrical wall 13 . the pumping means 50 includes a cylindrical pumping member or sleeve 16 which is mounted on and slidingly displaceable relative to the vessel 12 in the directions of the arrows 18 , 22 ( fig2 and 3 ). referring , in particular , to fig3 the vessel 12 and the sleeve 1 6 are configured so that , together , they form an annular secondary or suction chamber 20 . as is also evident from fig3 displacement of the pumping member in the direction of the arrow 22 will increase the volume of the suction chamber 20 and displacement in the direction of the arrow 18 will decrease the volume of the suction chamber 20 . the pumping means 50 further includes sealing means in the form of a pair of o - rings 24 , 26 , described in further detail below , and pumping passages 28 in the wall 13 of the vessel 12 which provide a flow path for air to flow from the vacuum chamber 14 to the suction chamber 20 . four pumping passages 28 are provided , arranged in diametrically opposed pairs . the pumping means 50 includes upper exhaust passages , described in further detail below , indicated by the dotted lines 29 in fig3 which allow air in the suction chamber 20 to be discharged to atmosphere when the pumping member 16 is moved in the direction of the arrow 18 . the pumping means 50 further includes one way valve means in the form of a flat rubber band 32 , described in further detail below , extending around the cylindrical vessel 12 to cover the pumping passages 28 . the vessel 12 has an open bottom end or mouth opening 12 . 4 ( fig2 ) which leads into an end of the vacuum chamber 14 . seal means in the form of a sealing constriction ring 34 is mounted on the vessel 12 in the vicinity of the mouth opening 12 . 4 , as described in further detail below . as can be seen , in particular , in fig2 the cylindrical vessel 12 has a closed dome - shaped upper end 12 . 1 and a lower shoulder 12 . 2 adjacent the opening 12 . 4 with a narrower cylindrical part 12 . 3 extending from it and defining the opening 12 . 4 . as can be seen in fig3 the sleeve 16 comprises a top part 16 . 1 and a bottom part 16 . 2 which are screw - threadedly joined by complementary screw threads generally indicated by reference numeral 16 . 3 with a lower portion of the upper part 16 . 1 overlapping an upper portion of the lower part 16 . 2 at the screw threads 16 . 3 . this allows the device 10 to be disassembled . the upper part 16 . 1 has an upper inwardly directed collar 16 . 4 with a tapered upper face 16 . 5 . the lower part 16 . 2 has a complementary tapered lower face 16 . 6 . the lower part 16 . 2 has a circumferentially extending inwardly directed recess 16 . 7 and the o - ring 26 is positioned in the recess 16 . 7 . the o - ring 26 is configured so that it sealingly and slidingly abuts the wall 13 of the cylindrical vessel 12 to provide an airtight seal between the vessel 12 and the pumping member or sleeve 16 . a collar 12 . 7 projects outwardly from the wall 13 below the inwardly directed collar 16 . 4 of the sleeve 16 . the exhaust passages 29 are formed by spaced recesses in the collar 12 . 7 . a second outwardly projecting collar 12 . 8 is located below the collar 12 . 7 and the wall 13 of the vessel 12 between the collars 12 . 7 and 1 2 . 8 is recessed . the collar 12 . 7 projects slightly further from the wall 13 of the vessel 12 than does the collar 12 . 8 as can be seen , in particular , in fig3 . this allows the sleeve 16 to slide smoothly over the collar 12 . 7 which thus acts as a guide for accurate “ centering ” of the sleeve 16 . the collars 12 . 7 , 12 . 8 define between them an annular cavity 16 . 8 and the o - ring 24 is positioned in the cavity 12 . 8 . the o - ring 24 has a diameter which is selected so that it abuts slidingly and sealingly against the inside face of the sleeve 16 . a further recessed portion 38 in the wall 13 of the vessel 12 is provided below the collar 12 . 8 and the pumping passages 28 extend through the wall 13 of the vessel 12 in the recessed portion 38 . the rubber band 32 is located in the recessed portion 38 and covers the pumping passages 28 . a vacuum relief hole 17 is provided in the top part 16 . 1 of the sleeve 16 adjacent the upper o - ring 24 to release vacuum when the sleeve 16 is in its lowest position . a circumferentially extending rubber stop member 23 is provided above the collar 12 . 7 to dampen the sound of the sleeve when it is reciprocated . thus , in use , if the sleeve 16 is moved upwardly i . e . in the direction of the arrow 18 , the o - ring 24 is displaced upwardly so that it abuts against the collar 12 . 7 and is clear of the collar 12 . 8 . in addition , the volume of the exhaust chamber 20 is reduced and air in the exhaust chamber is driven past the o - ring 24 and the collar 12 . 8 and out through the exhaust passages 29 . when the sleeve 16 is moved in the direction of the arrow 22 , the o - ring 24 is displaced downwardly and abuts sealingly against the collar 12 . 8 thereby forming an airtight seal between the sleeve 16 and the vessel 12 . in addition , the volume of the exhaust chamber 20 is increased so that air is sucked via the pumping passages 28 , under and past the rubber band 32 , which acts as a one way valve by allowing air flow from the vacuum chamber 14 to the suction chamber 20 but preventing air flow in the opposite direction . on the return stroke of the sleeve 16 air is again exhausted via the exhaust openings 29 . the o - ring 24 hence functions as a one way valve . in this way by reciprocating movement of the sleeve 16 , air is drawn out of the vacuum chamber 14 thereby , when the mouth is closed , incrementally reducing the pressure in the vacuum chamber 14 . it will be appreciated that if desired the o - ring 26 can function as a one way valve in addition to the o - ring 24 . referring now to fig4 the constriction ring 34 comprises a body of rubber , e . g . silicone rubber . the ring 34 includes a central opening 34 . 1 surrounded by a tubular central portion or collar 34 . 2 , a circumferentially extending upwardly directed ring - shaped formation or skirt 34 . 3 and a flat annular connecting web or recessed portion 34 . 4 between the collar 34 . 2 and the ring - shaped formation 34 . 3 . the ring - shaped formation has an inner surface or wall 34 . 5 . the outside diameter of the constriction ring 34 is about 58 mm . the diameter of the wall 34 . 5 is about 47 mm . this diameter is slightly smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical part 12 . 3 of the vessel 12 so that the constriction ring 34 is sealingly received or engaged on the end of the cylindrical part 12 . 3 of the vessel 12 by a friction fit . in different embodiments of the invention , the opening 34 . 1 has a diameter of 13 to 24 mm . in use , the flaccid penis of a user ( not shown ) is drawn into the vessel 12 of the device 10 through the opening 34 . 1 of the constriction ring 34 by operating the sleeve 16 to reduce the air pressure in the pumping chamber 14 the penis is drawn into the vessel 12 and by virtue of the reduced pressure in the vacuum chamber 14 blood is drawn into the penis to achieve an erection of the penis in the vacuum chamber 14 . the constriction ring 34 seats sealingly around the penis . the pumping action causes a pressure drop in the vacuum chamber 14 to about − 0 . 4 bar . this is sufficient to draw the penis into the vessel 12 and to draw blood into the penis to cause an erection . the skirt 34 . 2 is deformed by the drawing of the penis into the opening 34 . 1 thereby causing the seal - penis contact area to be increased by the draping of the skirt 34 . 2 onto the penis , collar - fashion . once an erection is achieved , the vessel 12 is simply disengaged from the constriction ring 34 which remains in place on the erect penis . in this case the diameter of the opening 34 . 1 is selected by a user of the device 10 so that blood flow from the penis is constricted . in the case of penile exercise , the diameter of the opening 34 . 1 is selected by a user so that the constriction ring engages sealingly with the penis during the pumping action so that an erection is achieved but not so that blood flow from the penis is constricted when the vacuum is relieved . thus when the vacuum is relieved blood flow from the penis relaxes the erection . such penile exercise is believed to function as a treatment for erectile dysfunction . in an embodiment of the invention ( not shown ), the vessel 12 is provided with a removable vacuum gauge for measuring the vacuum inside the vessel 12 . once a user is familiar with the use of the device , the vacuum gauge may be removed . reference is now made to fig5 of the drawings , in which reference numeral 100 refers generally to another device in accordance with the invention for use in the treatment of erectile dysfunction or for penile exercise . unless otherwise indicated , the same reference numerals used above are used to designate similar parts . in this embodiment of the invention , the vessel 12 is formed in two parts 102 and 104 which are screw - threadedly connected together . the part 102 defines an annular shoulder 106 , the o - ring 24 being held captive between the shoulder 106 and the collar 12 . 7 . a seal 108 is provided between the two parts 102 , 104 . the shoulder 106 functions in the same manner as the collar 12 . 8 of fig1 to 3 such that the o - ring 24 cooperates with the shoulder 106 to form a non - return or one way valve means . the o - ring 26 is held captive between the lower part 16 . 2 and an annular insert 110 which is sandwiched between the upper part 16 . 1 and the lower part 16 . 2 when they are screwed together . if desired , the lower part 16 . 2 and insert 110 can be configured such that the o - ring 26 also functions as a non - return valve . this arrangement , the inventor believes , will facilitate manufacture of the device 100 . in addition , the device 100 includes vacuum restriction means , generally indicated by reference numeral 112 for restricting the vacuum which can be drawn in the vacuum chamber 14 . it will be appreciated that , in use , air will be drawn from the vacuum chamber 14 into the suction chamber 20 only when the pressure in the suction chamber 24 is below that in the vacuum chamber 14 . accordingly , by limiting the maximum vacuum which can be drawn in the suction chamber 20 the maximum vacuum which can be drawn in the vacuum chamber 14 is also limited . in order to achieve this , the vacuum restriction means 112 includes a stoke limiting member 114 which is positioned in the suction chamber 20 and is designed to limit the maximum stroke of the pumping member or sleeve 16 relative to the vessel 12 . it is hence a relatively simple matter to calculate the stroke volume of the sleeve 16 and hence the maximum vacuum which can be drawn . a further difference between the device 100 and the device 10 is that , in the case of the device 100 the pumping member or sleeve 16 is moved closer towards the mouth 12 . 4 and is arranged that at the extremities of its stroke it does not protrude beyond the ends of the vessel 12 . this reduces the risk that an article of clothing or a body part may be caught between the sleeve 16 and the vessel 12 . in this embodiment of the invention , even though the sleeve 16 is moved closer to the mouth 12 . 4 , at the limit of its pumping stroke , i . e . when closest to the mouth 12 . 4 , the sleeve 16 is spaced from the mouth end of the vessel as shown in fig5 . this reduces the risk that the sleeve 16 will strike the testes or another part of the body of a user . in addition , the diameter of the outer surface of the sleeve 16 increases towards the mouth 12 . 4 . as mentioned above , the maximum effort applied to the sleeve 16 is when it is being displaced in the direction of arrow 22 . accordingly this gentle taper of the sleeve 16 reduces the risk that a user &# 39 ; s hand will slip on the sleeve 16 . a further difference between the device 100 and the device 10 is that , in the case of the device 100 , the sealing constriction ring 34 is provided with a pair of annular ribs or gripping formations 34 . 6 which assist in removing the ring 34 on the vessel 12 . the device 100 will be used in substantially the identical fashion to the device 10 . the applicant believes that it is an advantage of the invention as illustrated that the device due to its size , form and simplicity of use can be easily used in an intimate situation . it is a particular advantage that the pumping vessel is easily detached from the constriction ring leaving the constriction ring in place . the applicant believes that it is a further advantage of the invention as illustrated that the sealing ring may be removably attached to the device to form a unit for ease of use .	0
referring now to the figures and in particular to fig1 , a substrate 13 and an embossing tool 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention are depicted . embossing tool 10 is used to form substrate 13 in a novel process that permits embedding circuits beneath the top surface of substrate 13 and isolating the circuits in channels . embossing tool 10 comprises a machine having a plate 11 for supporting a thin metal tool foil 12 . tool foil 12 is stamped to form an outline that conforms to a reverse image of desired contour of the top of substrate 13 after processing . a force f is applied between substrate 13 and plate 11 and the substrate material flows to conform to the contour of tool foil 12 . substrate 13 comprises a resin layer 14 that is deformable by the above - described embossing technique and a backing layer of copper 15 . while the embodiment of fig1 depicts single - sided embossing of a substrate having a backing layer , other embodiments of the invention extend to stand - alone substrates embossed from a resin material having no backing layer . both single - sided and double - sided embossing processes may be used and the resulting circuits may form plated - through holes , embedded circuit traces , etched circuit traces and vias . all of the techniques illustrated in the embodiments of the invention may be applied to both sides of a substrate that has no backing layer , or has resin layers deposited on both sides of a metallic backing layer . suitable materials for an embossable substrate are plastic resins such as plaskon smt - b - 1rc , nitto hc100xjaa or liquid crystal polymers ( lcps ) such as rogers r / max 3700 , r / max 3800 , biac cc , or superex . the embossing tool foil can be made with existing processes that are used in the formation of stamps for manufacturing compact discs ( cds ). in the cd manufacturing process , metal foil is stamped using a master that is created for the production of multiple foils . the foils are then attached ( embedded ) in a polymer resin to support the foils . to support the process of the present invention , metal foils can be made in the same manner , but may be reused . referring now to fig2 a , the first stage in the preparation of substrate 13 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . substrate 13 a has been deformed by tool foil 12 such that voids and indentations in accordance with the figure are generated in resin layer 14 . referring now to figure 2 b , copper plating 16 is seed plated or electrolytically deposited on the surface of substrate 13 a to form plated substrate 13 b . next , as depicted in fig2 c , a permanent etchant resist material is applied to substrate 13 b and is planed to conform to the top of copper plating 16 . then , as illustrated in fig2 d , the copper plating 16 is etched and the permanent resist is removed , leaving a circuit channel 16 a and a conductive post mounting area 16 b for mounting a flip chip mechanical bonding post . circuit channel 16 a can be used for electrically connecting terminals of a flip - chip package , or may be circuit traces extending out of the plane of the figures for routing circuit traces . while the figures illustrate two conductive circuit channels 16 a , the figures are depicting only a portion of the total substrate . more than a hundred circuit channels 16 a will generally be used in an integrated circuit design and may be oriented in any direction within the surface of substrate 13 . additionally , materials other than copper may be used , depending on the process used . for example if etching is not necessary for a particular circuit , gold foil may be applied to the channels formed in an embossed substrate . the present invention provides a process for forming circuits within channels in a substrate that are below the top surface of the substrate . this an improvement over the present state of the art , which generally provides only surface conductors . the channels formed by embossing place the conductors below the surface and the conductors are thereby insulated from adjacent conductors by the substrate . referring now to fig3 , an integrated circuit 30 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is depicted . a flip - chip die 31 having electrical terminal posts 32 and a mounting post 34 is attached to substrate 13 d by a solder ball 35 . the solder ball provides electrical and thermal connection from flip - chip die 31 to substrate 13 d via post mounting area 16 b formed from remaining copper conductor 16 . channels 16 a contact electrical terminal posts 32 , providing contact to the electrical terminals . since the circuits forming channels 16 a may extend in the plane of the figure to any point on substrate 13 d , routing of the electrical connections to terminal posts 32 may be made to other locations on substrate 13 d . multiple dies may be mounted on substrate 13 d and the channels 16 a used to interconnect the various dies . referring now to fig4 a , an alternative embodiment of the present invention is depicted . following the process of fig2 a – 2c , substrate 13 c may be prepared in an alternative process to that illustrated above . substrate 13 c of fig2 c is coated on both sides with a photo - sensitive etch resist material 41 . next as illustrated in fig4 b , portions of etch resist material 17 is removed by an imaging process , exposing copper plating 16 in areas for subsequent plating . then , as illustrated by fig4 c , the exposed areas of copper plating 16 are plated with a material resistant to chemical etchant such as nickel / gold to form wire bonding pads 42 . the remaining photo - etch resist material 17 is removed , yielding substrate 13 g of fig4 d . circuit material 16 is then etched to remove the portions uncovered by permanent etch resist , forming channels 16 b and interconnect 16 c of substrate 13 h of fig4 e . finally , the permanent etch resist material is removed , leaving the prepared substrate 13 j of fig4 f . referring now to fig5 , an integrated circuit 50 is depicted in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention . prepared substrate 13 j is connected to a die ( not shown ) by wires 51 that are bonded to wire bonding pads 42 , providing an electrical connection to the die . a ball grid array ( bga ) solder ball is applied to the plated area 42 a on the backside of substrate 13 j and is electrically connected to wire bonding pads 42 via interconnect 16 c . solder ball 35 a provides an electrical terminal for external connection to other circuits as in a typical bga arrangement . channels 16 b are used to route connections within substrate 13 j and may provide connection to flip - chip mounted dies in accordance with the earlier - described embodiment of the invention , forming a substrate that embodies both embodiments of the present invention . referring now to fig6 a , an alternative double - sided substrate preparation is disclosed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . embossing tool 10 b comprises a machine having a top plate 11 a for supporting a thin metal tool foil 12 a for forming the top of substrate 13 k . tool foil 12 a is stamped to form an outline that conforms to a reverse image of desired contour of the top of substrate 13 k after processing . embossing tool 10 c comprises a machine having a bottom plate 11 b for supporting a thin metal tool foil 12 b for forming the bottom of substrate 13 k . tool foil 12 b is stamped to form an outline that conforms to a reverse image of desired contour of the top of substrate 13 k after processing . a force f is applied between embossing tool 10 b and embossing tool 10 c , embossing substrate 13 k so that the substrate material flows to conform to the contour of tool foils 12 a and 12 b . substrate 13 k as depicted comprises a top resin layer 14 b and a bottom resin layer 14 c deposited over a metal layer 15 a of copper . the metal layer is perforated by an resist - etch process or other means , so that plated through holes may be made through substrate 13 k , but a double - sided substrate may be embossed without metal layer 15 a or with multiple metal layers . metal layer 15 a may be used to provide an electrical and thermal conductive path for devices mounted on substrate 13 k after the substrate is prepared . referring now to fig6 b , substrate 13 l is depicted after embossing in accordance with fig6 a . depressions are made through substrate 13 l for generation of plated - through holes , through to metal layer 15 a for contact vias to metal layer 15 a , and within resin layer 14 b for circuit traces . substrate 13 l is then plated by depositing metal , adding etch resist and then etching as described above for single - sided substrates . referring now to fig6 c , the final plated substrate is depicted . plated - through hole 17 b provides insulation from the metal layer 15 a , since the embossing process removed an area of substrate 13 l that was smaller in diameter than the perforation in metal layer 15 a , but contact could be made with metal layer 15 a for other plated - through connections . via 17 c provides contact to metal layer 15 a from one side of substrate 13 l and traces 17 c provide circuit paths . many combinations of embossing and etching may be used to provide multi - layer substrates with or without incorporated metal planes . referring now to fig7 a , an alternative double - sided substrate preparation without a metal layer is disclosed in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention . embossing tool 10 d comprises a machine having a top plate 11 c for supporting a thin metal tool foil 12 c for forming the top of substrate 13 m . tool foil 12 c is stamped to form an outline that conforms to a reverse image of desired contour of the top of substrate 13 m after processing . embossing tool 10 e comprises a machine having a bottom plate 11 d for supporting a thin metal tool foil 12 d for forming the bottom of substrate 13 m . tool foil 12 d is stamped to form an outline that conforms to a reverse image of desired contour of the top of substrate 13 m after processing . a force f is applied between embossing tool 10 d and embossing tool 10 e , embossing substrate 13 m so that the substrate material flows to conform to the contour of tool foils 12 c and 12 d . substrate 13 m as depicted comprises only a resin layer without metal layers . referring now to fig7 b , substrate 13 n is depicted after embossing in accordance with fig7 a . depressions are made completely through substrate 13 n for generation of plated - through holes , and within substrate 13 n for circuit traces . substrate 13 n is then plated by depositing metal , adding etch resist and then etching as described above for single - sided substrates . referring now to fig7 c , the final plated substrate is depicted . plated - through hole 17 d and circuit traces 17 e and 17 f have been added via the plating and selective etching processes described above for the single - sided embodiment of the invention . the above description of embodiments of the invention is intended to be illustrative and not limiting . other embodiments of this invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art in view of the above disclosure and fall within the scope of the present invention .	7
the frame of the water - jet propulsion unit , the water - jet propulsion unit , and the arrangement in a boat , according to fig1 a - 2 f , relate to boats and to water - jet propulsion units attached to them . hereinafter , the water - jet propulsion unit will be referred to by the term water jet . the arrangement 10 includes a boat 12 and a water jet 16 . the boat 12 includes a hull 11 and is equipped with an installation opening 14 for a water jet 16 , which is formed in the stern 44 and bottom 46 of the boat 12 . the water jet 16 is sealed to the stern 44 and bottom 46 of the boat 12 with the aid of an installation piece 42 , so that the boat 12 is once again watertight . the engine ( not in the figures ) driving the water jet is situated inside the boat , from where it is connected directly , with the aid of a shaft 20 and its coupling flange 70 , to the water jet 16 . the water jet 16 consists of a frame 15 , with the aid of which the water jet 16 is attached to the boat 12 , and a nozzle part 48 , by which the water jet of the water jet 16 is controlled and aimed . for control , the water jet 16 can include a hydraulic pump , which drives the control shaft 74 rotating the nozzle part 48 . the frame 15 of the water jet 16 for its part includes a flow channel 26 , a shaft support 22 and maintenance opening 28 on top of the flow channel 26 , an impeller 24 ( in fig1 b ), a stator 25 , and an annular sealing surface 33 forming a closed loop . in addition , the frame 15 includes an additional sealing surface 34 , which form a second closed loop . the additional sealing surface 34 is preferably formed in the shaft support 22 . the sealing surface 33 includes two parts , a first part 30 and a second part 36 . the sealing surface 33 is at an angle of 10 - 60 °, preferably 20 - 50 °, relative to the shaft 20 . the additional sealing surface 34 is preferably at right angles to the shaft 20 . the sealing surface 33 and the additional sealing surface 34 are equipped with attachment holes ( see fig3 ), through which the frame 15 is attached to the counter sealing surface 32 in the boat 12 , for example with the aid of bolts , screws , or similar attachment elements . according to fig1 a , 1 b , 2 a , 2 b , and 3 , the flow channel 26 is intended for taking water from the bottom of the boat and turning the flow in the longitudinal direction of the boat . for this purpose part of the flow channel 26 forms a slanting plane with the horizontal . the sealing surface 33 is formed on top of the flow channel 26 . the sealing surface 33 of the frame 15 of the water jet 16 lies essentially in the direction of the evenly rising main part of the flow channel 26 . the term the main part of the flow channel 26 refers to that part of the flow channel , which begins from as close as possible to the bow of the boat and continues at the same angle up to the part of the flow channel that curves to the horizontal . the second part 36 of the sealing surface is practically a continuation of the first part 30 , as clearly shown in fig3 . the flow channel 26 has an intake opening 45 , from which it takes water in , and an exit opening 47 , from which the water flow , accelerated with the aid of the impeller 24 , exits from the flow channel 26 . the impeller 24 is located in front of the exit opening 47 . the impeller 24 is attached to the engine shaft 20 , which in turn is taken , with the aid of a feed - through 38 , through the wall of the flow channel 26 . to make the shaft 20 sturdy , it is also supported by a vertical , plate - like shaft support 22 , which is situated on top of the flow channel 26 . the shaft 20 passes through the shaft support 22 and travels through the feed - through 38 . the part of the shaft 20 remaining under the maintenance opening 28 is bounded by the boat &# 39 ; s longitudinal walls , the flow channel 26 , and the shaft support 22 . there is direct access for servicing through the maintenance opening 28 to the shaft 20 and the impeller 24 attached to it . according to fig1 d and 2 d , the bottom 46 of the boat 12 includes a bottom plate 52 , to which the flow channel 26 of the water jet 16 is attached . the bottom plate 52 forms part of the bottom 46 of the boat 12 at the installation opening 14 of the boat 12 . for installation , an installation opening corresponding to the chosen installation method should be made in the boat . depending on the installation method , the maintenance opening is located in the installation either inside or outside the boat relative to the stern . in solutions according to the prior art , a special installation piece is used , with the aid of which the water jet is attached to the boat . in the arrangement according to the invention , an installation piece is also used , but the frame of the water jet is the same , irrespective of the installation method . the installation piece is intended to act as a counter sealing surface to the sealing surfaces of the frame of the water jet . in other words , the loop of the counter sealing surface of the boat is formed in the installation piece 42 . according to fig1 e and 2 e , a vertical flange 54 can be made around the installation opening 14 of the boat 12 , in which possible leakage water collects . the sealing surface 33 , the additional sealing surface 34 , and the counter sealing surface 32 are preferably surfaces forming a loop , which can have a width of 3 - 15 cm , preferably 5 - 10 cm . at least the coupling flange 70 of the shaft 20 , the cooler 78 , and the operating cylinder 76 of the reversing scoop remain within these loops . if the frame 15 of the water jet 16 is installed in such a way that the maintenance opening 28 remains inside the boat 12 relative to the stern 44 of the boat 12 , then the maintenance opening 28 also remains inside the loops of the sealing surface 33 and the counter sealing surface 32 . preferably , the surfaces used for sealing are smooth and treated for sealing . fig1 a - 1 f show an arrangement 10 according to a first embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention , in which the water jet 16 is installed in the boat 12 in such a way that the maintenance opening 28 remains inside the boat 12 relative to the stern 44 of the boat 12 . in this embodiment , the frame 15 of the water jet 16 is attached and sealed to the boat 12 onto the counter sealing surface 32 of the boat 12 , with the aid of the sealing surface 33 . because the second part 36 of the sealing surface 33 extends to the rear of the maintenance opening 28 on top of the flow channel 26 , both the first part 30 and the second part 36 of the sealing surface 33 can be used for the attachment . in this embodiment , the additional sealing surface 34 remains inside the stern 44 of the boat 12 . with the aid of the use of the sealing surface 33 , the frame 15 of the water jet 16 can be attached to the counter sealing surface 32 of the boat 12 for the whole length of the flow channel 26 . this makes the attachment of the water jet 16 to the boat 12 sufficiently strong . fig2 a - 2 f shown an arrangement 10 according to a second embodiment of the arrangement according to the invention , in which the water jet 16 is installed in the boat 12 in such a way that the maintenance opening 28 remains outside the boat 12 relative to the stern 44 of the boat 12 . in this embodiment , the frame 15 of the water jet 16 is attached and sealed to the boat 12 , onto the counter sealing surface 32 of the boat 12 , with the aid of the additional sealing surface 34 and the first part 30 of the sealing surface 33 . because the maintenance opening 28 is on top of the flow channel 26 , only the first part 30 of the sealing surface 33 extending to the shaft support 22 can be used for the attachment , the second part 36 not being available for attachment . in this embodiment , the second part 36 of the sealing surface 33 remains outside the boat 12 relative to the stern 44 of the boat 12 . the additional sealing surface 34 is attached to the counter sealing surface 32 of the installation piece 42 , parallel to the stern 44 of the boat 12 . thus in its entirety , the surface area available for sealing is nearly as large as in the embodiment according to fig1 a - 1 f . in the embodiments of fig1 a - 2 f , the sealing surface 33 can be formed as a plate attached to the frame 15 of the water jet 16 on top of the flow channel 26 . the plate is preferably of a corresponding width to the counter sealing surfaces 32 fitted to the installation opening 14 of the boat 12 . further , the plate is preferably parallel to the counter sealing surfaces , so that the attachment is made tight . the sealing surface is situated on top of the flow channel , so that it can be a unified plate structure , which ensures a strong construction . special sealing adhesives , for example silicon or similar , can be used as an aid in the sealing . according to fig1 e and 2 e , the counter sealing surface 32 is a planar component forming a loop , which includes installation holes for the attachment of the frame of the jet . the sealing surface and the additional sealing surface are also corresponding loops . when the water jet is installed in such a way that the maintenance opening is placed inside relative to the stern of the boat , the corresponding loop of the loop of the counter sealing surface is formed by the first part and the second part of the sealing surface . on the other hand , when the jet is installed in such a way that the maintenance opening is placed outside relative to the stern of the boat , the loop corresponding to the loop of the counter sealing surface is formed by the first part of the sealing surface and the additional sealing surface . the loops of both installation methods can be partly in common , but they can also be loops entirely separate from each other . in addition to the first part of the sealing surface , the loop of the counter sealing surface is formed either from the additional sealing surface or from the second part of the sealing surface . in other words , the loop branches after the first part of the sealing surface to either the additional sealing surface or the second part of the sealing surface . the frame 15 of the water jet according to the invention can be used in installations , in which the maintenance opening is alternatively inside or outside the stern of the boat . the alternative additional sealing surfaces ensure in both installation methods a sufficient sealing and attachment surface area for achieving qualitatively excellent sealing and attachment . by means of the arrangement according to the invention , the need to manufacture several different frames for a water jet can also be avoided , as now a single frame can be used in different installation methods . only the installation piece acting as a counter sealing surface in the boats or part of the mould of the frame should be a component designed especially for each installation method . alternative detachable parts can be designed for the hull of a reinforced plastic boat , by means of which a frame suitable for different installation methods can be obtained from the same basic mould . the frame of the water jet according to the invention can be made by casting from aluminium , or some other corresponding material , which is sufficiently resistant in strength and corrosion resistant . in the arrangement according to the invention according to fig3 , the sealing of the water - jet propulsion unit can be formed in two alternative ways with the aid of two closed loops , in such a way that the closed loop is formed either by the first part 30 and the second part 36 of the sealing surface 33 , or alternatively by the first part 30 of the sealing surface 33 and the additional sealing surface 34 . it should be noted that fig3 shows the structure of the water - jet propulsion unit in greater detail than in fig1 a - 2 f , in which a simplified construction is shown . in this connection , the term boat refers widely to watercraft , to which the water - jet propulsion device is suited .	1
initially referring to fig3 and 4 , a unitized check valve assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention , includes an outlet shroud 11 , a biasing spring 12 , a valve 18 , a wave spring 15 , and a valve body 16 . according to a preferred embodiment , valve 18 comprises a valve sealing disk 13 and a replaceable seal device 14 . referring now to fig5 valve body 16 includes a spherically profiled valve seat 56 , rotary bayonet connector tabs 52 , a load face 54 and a fluid inlet 58 . the profile of the spherical valve seat 56 can be described as the surface of intersection between the valve body 16 and an imaginary sphere 55 that includes a radius 57 and a center point 53 that lies on the center axis 59 of valve body 16 . referring now to fig6 and 7 , valve disk 13 preferably includes an outer diameter 38 , a disk surface 34 , an annular shoulder 40 , a seal diameter 33 , and a biasing spring seat 32 . the disk surface 34 is preferably spherical in profile and corresponds to the geometry of the valve seat 56 portion of the valve body of fig5 . a cutaway 36 is located at the bottom of the valve disk 13 and is for the purpose of reducing the overall weight of the disk . the seal pocket 39 defined between the outer diameter 38 and the seal diameter 33 is adapted to receive replaceable seal 14 . referring now to fig7 seal 14 includes a seal outer diameter 46 , an annular seal surface 42 , an annular v - notch 47 and an inner seal member 48 having an inner seal lip 49 . seal 14 is preferably constructed to have a smaller inside diameter than the outside seal diameter 33 of seal disk 13 . the seal 14 is installed on valve disk 13 by stretching it over shoulder 40 until it rests within seal pocket 39 . because the relaxed diameter of lip 49 is less than seal diameter 33 , seal member 48 is stretched and v - notice section 47 is compressed . this causes the inner seal lip 49 to press firmly against the seal diameter 33 thereby forming a fluid - tight seal between valve disk 13 and seal 14 . like disk surface 34 of valve disk 13 , seal surface 42 of seal 14 is preferably spherical in profile and also corresponds to the geometry of the valve seat 56 . because of its elasmeric characteristics , seal surface 42 of seal 14 can also be conical . once installed about valve disk 13 , seal surface 42 and disk surface 34 form the primary means to prevent reverse flow of the working fluid from the valve outlets 64 through the inlet 58 . because it is removable from valve disk 13 , seal 14 can be easily replaced as it becomes worn , thus allowing a longer working life for valve disk 13 . it will be understood that seal 14 can be omitted from the present design as shown in fig9 if desired . valve disk 13 itself can be made of an elastomer , if desired , or from any other material that is adapted to withstand the fluid flow , so long as it is capable of forming a seal with valve seat 56 . referring now to fig8 outlet shroud 11 includes valve outlet cutaways 64 located about the periphery and rotary bayonet connector hooks 68 corresponding to the bayonet connector tabs 52 of valve seat 16 . a disk stop 62 is included inside the outlet shroud to prevent displacement of the valve disk 13 beyond a specified maximum distance from valve seat 52 . referring again to fig3 and 4 , biasing spring 12 and wave spring 15 can be described . biasing spring 12 is a simple coil spring that , when compressed , acts to maintain a load between the outlet shroud 11 and the valve disk 13 . although an embodiment comprising a simple coiled metal spring with circular cross - section is shown , alternative embodiments of the invention include any suitable biasing means , including those of non - metallic composition or non - circular cross - section . additionally , an alternative embodiment of the invention can include a biasing member manufactured of a viscous elastic material , for example a soft rubber or elastomer , that provides a damping effect to the valve disk in addition to any spring effects of traditional spring devices . wave spring 15 is preferably manufactured from a flat metal ribbon of generally rectangular cross - section that is formed into a circular ring . around the circumference of this ring 15 , the ribbon material is upset into the sinusoidal geometry shown in fig4 . because of its sinusoidal configuration , appears to be “ wave ” shaped when viewed from the side . the wave spring 15 is equivalent in function to a typical coiled wire compression spring , but is dramatically reduced in height . the wave spring 15 is preferable to other styles of compact compression springs because of its simplicity of operation , its ease of assembly , and its ability to reliably provide a compression load that is not too high or too low . the unitized check valve shown in fig3 and 4 is assembled by placing valve disk 13 with assembled seal 14 on top of valve seat 56 portion of valve body 16 . wave spring 5 is then installed over the bayonet retaining tabs 52 and seated on the load face 54 of the valve body 16 . biasing spring 12 is placed into spring seat 32 of valve disk 13 and outlet shroud 11 is placed over biasing spring 12 . to complete the assembly , outlet shroud 11 is forced toward valve body 16 , compressing both biasing spring 12 and wave spring 15 . while both springs 12 and 15 are compressed , outlet shroud 11 is rotated until the bayonet connector hooks 68 are aligned with their counterpart tabs 52 on valve body 16 . once the tabs 52 and hooks 68 are aligned , springs 12 and 15 can be further compressed until outlet shroud 11 can be rotated to engage the bayonet connection . following assembly , the unit check valve can be placed into operation . the valve is designed to “ open ” and allow fluid passage when the force of the working fluid in the positive flow direction 60 exceeds the compressive load of biasing spring 12 that maintains valve 18 against the valve seat 56 . if flow pressure decreases or reverses direction , the biasing spring will act to close the valve 18 against the valve seat 56 and prevent reverse fluid flow . the disk stop 62 is included in the geometry of the outlet shroud 16 to prevent displacement of the valve disk 13 beyond a predetermined maximum allowable displacement . excessive displacement of the valve disk 13 may cause the disk to become stuck or reversed within the outlet shroud . a stuck or reversed valve disk 13 will prevent the valve assembly 10 from functioning properly . disk stop 62 prevents such excessive displacement . wave spring 15 serves to maintain the bayonet connection and to prevent undesired disassembly of check valve 10 during operation . in unitized check valves without assembly maintenance springs 15 , the main biasing spring 12 acts as the only means securing the bayonet connector . in the event of biasing spring 12 failure or weakening , the bayonet connector can come apart during use , with serious consequences . since the wave spring 15 of the present invention is not cycled with the opening and closing of the valve , it does not experience the fatigue experienced by conventional biasing springs 12 and can maintain the unity of the check valve 10 long after other components fail . the spherical valve seat 56 and spherical seal surfaces 34 and 42 are preferred because they allow positive sealing without requiring precise alignment of the mating components . prior art systems that utilize conical sealing surface geometries require alignment devices to ensure that the valve seats and seals effectively . because the invention does not require precise alignment of valve disk 13 with valve body 16 , no alignment devices is required . by removing the need for alignment guides , the flow through the apparatus is unobstructed , making the valve assembly 10 of the present invention less flow restrictive than prior designs . finally , since the primary sealing device 14 of the check valve 10 is replaceable , the lifetime of the valve assembly can be extended well beyond the lifetime of traditional valves by simply replacing worn seals . the replaceable seal design enjoys an advantage over its predecessors because of the range of materials that may be selected for seal 14 . depending on the composition of the fluid being flowed through the check valves , seal materials can be selected to maximize performance and durability for specific applications . although some aspects of the present invention are described with particular reference to a unitized check valve used with reciprocating pumps , it will be recognized that features thereof may be used or adopted to use in other applications and that the present invention can be used advantageously in any reciprocating pump application . while the preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described , modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and teachings of the invention . for example , the relative dimensions of various parts , the materials from which the components are made and other parameters can be varied . the embodiments described herein are exemplary only , and are not limiting . many variations and modifications of the invention and the principles disclosed herein are possible and are within the scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of protection is not limited by the description set out above , but is only limited by the claims that follow , that scope including all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims .	8
fig1 is an isometric front view of one embodiment of a simplified sonographic system 10 . switch 11 is a power on / off switch and is designed to be similar to on / off switches used on common consumer electronics , such as cell phones and the like . rotational dial 12 has indents positioned around its periphery . the dial 12 can be a mechanically rotatable switch or it can be a touch sensitive plate response to a human finger moving circularly within its confines . each different control position operates to adjust the parameters of different features . dial 12 also can be pressed to actuate a switch and , if desired , to change a parameter . face 50 is touch sensitive and allows the system to form control areas that can be touched by the user to control various functions . surrounding the device is protective bumper 101 which can be made from a soft elastomer and which serves to reduce shock resulting from the unit being dropped or placed heavily on a table or stand . the bumper can also act as a hand grip to allow the user to easily carry and position the device . if desired , hinged d - rings 33 can be positioned on one or more edges so that the device can be hung , for example , from a carbineer in a field hospital . in one embodiment , the form factor of device 10 is 11 inches by 8 inches by 2 inches and thus can easily be hand - held . bumper 101 can be designed to have different colors , or color patterns and thus can be used to distinguish a device arranged for one operational configuration from a different configuration , or to distinguish a device used by one user from a device used by another user . bumper 101 can act as a seal around the parameter of the device and help to keep the device sealed to prevent germs and other undesirable material from accumulating in and around the surface of the device . note that in the embodiment shown , all controls are located on touchscreen 14 and there are no mechanical controls . the face of the touchscreen is an elastomer bonded to the lcd display . the position of each control is not critical and the feature zones are shown for reference only and can be changed as desired . the type and location of each specific control may , if desired , be customized on a user by user basis . for example , a military physician may require more features than a picc nurse , emergency service technician ( ambulance ) or a veterinarian . note that the physical structure of the housing can be optimized around the function ( s ) to be performed by the ultrasound device and / or the user . one method for distinguishing a device optimized for a particular user from a device optimized for another user is to change the color of the bumper guard that defines the form factor of the device . another method for distinguishing device types is to change the form - factor slightly , such as by adding d - rings , a handle , such as handle 13 , etc . fig2 is an isometric top view of device 10 showing usb ports 22 - 1 and 22 - 2 . other interface connectors can be ported through port replicator connector 401 ( shown on fig3 ), and all transducers can be connected to the system via connector 36 ( fig3 ) on the back of the system . different transducers , such as transducer 53 ( fig5 ), can be used for different procedures , such as cardiac , abdominal , breast , etc . material 101 , facilitates vacuum closure of the device . device 10 has a battery case 35 which allows for battery placement and storage . the design of device 10 is such that it can be used across many configurations . fig3 is a back view of device 10 showing kickstand 31 ( shown in the folded - in position ) which allows device 10 to be positioned on a horizontal surface and allows the viewing angle of face 50 ( shown on fig1 ) to be adjusted as desired . as discussed , handle 13 , if added , serves to make device 10 easier to transport by hand . as shown , there are two d - rings 33 that can be folded out ( as shown in fig1 ) to be used in combination with a carabineer or a rope or a clip so that the system can be hung from a line or from a bed , or from a gurney , in a field hospital or the like . the external configuration of device 10 can be modified ( typically in the factory ) by removing or adding the bumper , adding or removing the handle , or adding the d - rings , changing bumper color ( or partial color ). this then allows the factory to pre - build devices and customize the exterior just before shipping . the ability to easily and quickly customize the exterior of the device to a customer &# 39 ; s specification results in manufacturing efficiencies thereby reducing the per unit manufacturing costs for sonography equipment and thus increasing the availability of such devices for medical diagnosis . fig4 a , 4 b and 4 c illustrate one embodiment ( top , side and front , respectively ) of port replicator 40 for use with the device shown in fig1 . the port replicator allows any number of external devices and power to become electronically connected to device 10 . power and recoding equipment are but two of such external devices that can be connected via the port replicator . the user can plug any number of different peripheral devices , such as a dvr or a printer , or external power , etc ) into port replicator 40 using one or more of sockets 420 - 1 to 420 - n or 421 . note that different arrangements of sockets can be installed on different replicators as desired . any type of socket type can be used as desired . the port replicator allows the peripheral devices to use their normal plugs , such as rca jacks , miniature or regular audio jacks , or even specialized plugs . socket 421 is the socket connecting the power cord to the system . the sockets of the replicator are connected to terminals in connector 41 ( fig4 c ) which , in turn , mate with port replicator connector 410 ( shown in fig3 ), on the ultrasound device . replicator 40 can be easily released from device 10 . thus , in an emergency situation the operator need not unplug each piece of peripheral equipment from the sonography device but may simply remove the port replicator from device 10 and transport the device to a patient located away from the peripheral devices where device 10 can be operated without connection to the peripheral devices . once removed from the port replicator , device 10 will run from its own internal power source . in the embodiment shown , peripheral devices , except devices using the usb ports , can only be plugged into the port replicator . if desired , different port replicators can be used for different operations . for example , one port replicator can be used for testing and / or changing the internal operations of a connected device 10 and another used for patient examination . if desired , different replicators can be tailored to different operating environments , such as a hospital setting or a military field setting . returning to fig1 , it can be seen that display 14 of device 10 is divided into different sections . along the right side there is status display area 17 which provides system status information . these display areas indicate to the user various pieces of information , such as what transducer is attached and what examination ( procedure ) is currently being undertaken based on various factors , such as the active transducer . one area can show battery status and whether or not the system is plugged into a power source . print and wireless indicators can be employed if desired . system banner 18 is shown along the top of the display , and displays the patient &# 39 ; s name , and any other information desired such as patient id number , institution name , physician initials , date and time . system mode data is displayed in the upper left hand corner of the display , in box 19 . this data includes system mode ( such as 2d ), current optimization setting , image enhancement settings , color mode ( if enabled ) and a color bar ( if color is enabled ). the high level system controls , such as controls that the user will interact with in preparation for or during a procedure are located , in this embodiment , on the bottom of the screen . this includes controls ( such as 15 - 1 to 15 - n ) to initiate scanning , view patient information , view system setup and , if desired , to freeze ( not shown ) a current scanned image . secondary system controls 16 - 1 to 16 - n are located along the left side of the display . some of these controls are menus that allow the user to select various operations such as depth , gain and auto - gain . the auto - gain uses , in one embodiment , an algorithm to look at all the parameters that are set . based on the totality of the settings the system will provide a “ best guess ” for the settings for the gain settings for a particular image . the auto - gain parameters can be over - ridden by the operator if desired . two of the controls , namely the depth and gain controls , are selectively connected to rotary dial 12 . in this manner , when either depth or gain is selected by the user , movement of the rotary dial will increase or decrease the selected parameter . the use of the rotary dial serves several purposes . first , it allows fine motor control for fine adjustment . second , it is easy to grasp by feel alone so that the user need not move his / her eyes from the display in order to find a “ soft ” button . third , rotary control provides tactile and sensatory feedback as to relative movement without the need for lines and scales . the indents of dial 12 allow the user to feel ( and perhaps hear ) the relative movement of the rotary dial thereby increasing the usefulness and ease of use of the dial . central area 14 of display 50 is where the image , as obtained via the ultrasound transducer ( not shown ) is displayed . the user may change the displayed image by manipulating the depth and / or gain buttons in conjunction with the rotary dial . along the side of display 14 can be , if desired , a depth scale calibrated , typically , in centimeters . in operation , if the user desires to see images already collected the user will select the freeze button or the patient button and use secondary menu controls , located along the left side of the touchscreen to view the images . in the multi - image display mode , the rotary knob would then be used to scroll though images . if desired , the rotary knob could have menu items in a circle around the knob . each menu item would then select what metric the knob will control . the user would turn the knob to select the desired function and then , for example , push in the knob for actual selection of the function . the display presentation would follow the selected menu item . this then avoids having the user touch the screen for selection because touching the screen leaves a residue which degrades sonographic imaging thereby reducing image quality . when it is desired to present color , such as with blood flow , a box comes onto the screen and the user moves the box to the area where the color is desired . in one embodiment , the user can simply drag the box to the desired location by a finger touch or by using a stylus . the stylus ( or a finger ) can also be used to measure an object simply by touching the object at the end points of the object to be measured . the portion between the touched end points can then be dragged to the measuring scale , such as to scale 54 ( fig5 ). if desired , to avoid physically touching the screen a stylus could be used to define the area to be moved and / or measured . the measurements can , for example , be displayed along the bottom of the touchscreen , just above the primary controls . another feature of the system is that the user can touch the screen to enable a zoom effect ( gain ) for a portion or the entire image . also , the movement of the finger ( stylus ) could cause a change in depth under the skin line to change , perhaps with the depth being dependant upon the movement of the finger along the screen or upon pressure or proportional to the number of quick screen taps by the user . fig5 shows an aspect of system 10 in which a cursor pointer is offset from a finger . the curser is positioned over the point of interest by moving the finger . in this manner , the finger does not obscure the point of interest . in the embodiment shown , finger tip 501 allows a user to select a point of interest , such as point 502 and cross - hair 51 ( or any other pointer mechanism ) appears on the screen at that point . cross - hair 51 is offset from the user &# 39 ; s finger so as not to obscure the point of interest . in operation , the user would select the modes & gt ; caliper button ( not shown ) and cursor pointer 51 would appear on the screen . the user can point anywhere on the screen , move his / her finger to move the cursor . when the first point is found , the user presses ‘ set point 1 ’ ( 55 - 1 ). the user then moves the pointer by moving his / her finger to the second position on the image and presses ‘ set point 2 ’ ( not shown ). a dotted line would then appear between the points and a measurement readout will appear on the screen . also shown in fig5 is sonographic transducer 53 connected to the system by cable 52 . any number of different transducers can be used with different cable types if desired . the system can have software code stored on storage media as desired or the system can be controlled by asics or a combination of asics and software . the software would be run on a processor ( not shown ) and could be changed , if desired , from time to time . the system may be mounted to a stand which will allow the user to position the system at different heights and angles . it will also allow the user to store transducers , gel , keyboard and other supplies in a basket or on a tray . the stand will also provide storage locations for a printer , dvd / dvo storage device , bar code reader or other peripheral equipment . the stand will allow the system to be easily moved to different locations . it will also have a quick release mechanism so that the user can quickly remove the system from the stand in order to carry it to another location . the system is mounted to the stand , or other mounting devices such as wall mount articulated arms , using the standard vesa mounting configuration . although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail , it should be understood that various changes , substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . moreover , the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process , machine , manufacture , composition of matter , means , methods and steps described in the specification . as one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention , processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps , presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention . accordingly , the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps .	0
fig1 is a perspective view of a human skull 10 showing the right eye orbit 20 with the orbit floor 30 , medial wall 32 , lateral wall 34 , posterior wall 36 , a facial bone structure 38 and the forehead 39 . a variety of bone fractures of the eye orbit 20 can occur due to accidents or congenital defects . such fractures may occur on one or more areas of the orbit floor 30 . bone area 40 on the orbit floor is intended to show only an example of a bone fracture of the orbit floor 30 , and represents any fracture type that may require a surgical implant to provide both the structural support to the orbit floor 30 and a certain amount of volume over such a structural support to compensate for a loss of volume for the eye or globe . in reality , many different types of fractures occur in the eye or other areas of the body . element 41 shows fractures or bone defects in the forehead that may require implants to provide both the bone support and volume compensation . thus , the apparatus of this invention is intended for use on all such fractures whether on the skull or any other bone area . also , any volume compensation provided by the implant is desired to remain in the implanted location . fig2 shows a cross - sectional view of an exemplary implant 50 according to one embodiment of the present invention . the implant 50 includes a base member ( plate , strip or panel ) 52 . the plate 52 may include any number of perforations 54 . the plate 52 is usually relatively thin ( typically about one mm ) and is made from a biocompatible material ( i . e ., an allopathic material ) suitable for use in humans or animals . the plate 52 may be made from titanium or any other suitable biocompatible material . titanium is an example of widely accepted biocompatible material for such applications . a plate 52 made from titanium , for example , or any other suitable relatively stiff material , can support itself when placed on a fractured area , such as a fractured orbital floor . platinum is another suitable material and is useful because it has low density and low elastic modulus ( stiffness ) compared to materials such as stainless steel or cobalt chromium . titanium plates also are pliable and corrosion resistant . however , for the purpose of this invention any material that will provide the desired or adequate support for the fractured bone portion may be used . materials such as teflon , supramid , tantalum , vitallium , polyethylene etc ., if suitable , may also be used . hybrid materials , including metallic and nonmetallic materials , may also be used . a pliable material is desirable because it can be trimmed to a desired shape and size with an instrument such as scissors prior to implanting the implant into the body . the implant also may be made in various anticipated sizes and shapes . the plate 52 may incorporate one or more provisions for securing it to a bone structure such as one or more extensions or fingers 56 , having a suitable through - opening or hole 58 for inserting a securing member , such as a bone screw , therethrough . the extension 56 may also be secured to the bone in any other suitable manner . the plate 52 , when placed on the orbit floor 30 and affixed to a bone structure , such as with surgical screws , rests on the orbit floor 30 to provide structural support to the orbit floor . the implant 50 also includes a second member 64 ( also referred herein as a volume member ) that is attached to a side 65 ( usually a top side ) of the plate 52 . the volume member 64 is attached to the plate 52 in a manner so that the volume member 64 will tend to remain ( or will remain substantially ) in place ( i . e ., not shift ) relative to the base plate 52 after the implant has been implanted . the combination member also is referred herein as a hybrid implant or device . the volume member 64 may be attached to the plate 52 by any suitable manner including , but not limited to , by an adhesive 60 or any bonding agent or material or by fusing the volume member on to the plate 52 . in another aspect the volume member 64 and the plate 52 may be bonded or attached to each other by a heating mechanism or by an electrochemical reaction . the bonding material may also be of a type that will dissolve over a time period after implantation of the device in the body . as the bonding material dissolves , this allows the body &# 39 ; s natural healing properties or mechanisms to ingrow or vaginate and keep the volume member substantially at its implanted position . examples of such bonding agents include products sold under the trade names “ cyanocrylate ” glue or “ dermabond ”. the volume member 64 may be a porous material having any desired shape and size . in the embodiment shown in fig2 , the volume member 64 has a substantially flat bottom surface 63 and a contoured top surface 68 that has sections 64 and 66 of different thicknesses . the volume member &# 39 ; s contour and the shape depend upon the amount and dimensions of the volume to be compensated . typically , the volume member 64 is thicker than the plate 52 . the volume member may be a porous member made from a non - metallic biocompatible material such as a polyurethane material . “ medpor ,” for example , is such a polyurethane material that is commonly used for compensation of volume in surgical implants . the volume material is usually not compressible by the pressure exerted thereon after the implant . the implant 50 , thus , is a hybrid implant that includes a relatively stiff member , usually a metallic member , that provides structural support to the fractured bone and a volume member 64 that provides for the compensation for loss of volume . fig3 shows a top or plan view of a hybrid implant that has a base plate 52 ′ that includes attachment extensions 56 having bone screw holes 58 . the volume member 64 ′ is suitably attached on a surface or side of the plate 52 , by man . fig6 shows another embodiment 55 a of a hybrid implant of the present invention . the implant 55 a includes a base plate 52 a suitable for a small longitudinal fracture having holes 54 a for securing it to the bone and a volume member 64 a suitably secured to the base plate . the plate 52 a has no extensions and may or may not have any perforations therein . fig5 shows an exemplary embodiment of a base plate 70 that may be used in the present invention . the base plate 70 includes a main section or body that has cuts or openings 74 on each side , opening 76 on the rear side of the plate 70 and opening 78 on the front side . these openings provide flexibility to the plate 70 and allow relatively easy shaping of the plate to match the orbit base or any other fractured bone area . the plate 70 also includes one or more extensions or fingers 80 here shown as an example ( on the front side of the plate 70 ), each such finger having an opening 82 to accommodate a bone screw therethrough . it should be noted that bone screw is one convenient manner to secure the plate to the bone . any other attachment device or method may be used to secure the plate 52 ( fig6 ) to the bone structure for the purpose of this invention . the plate 52 also may include perforations 72 that permit communication between the bone structure and surrounding tissue mass . as noted above , the plate 70 may be made from pure titanium , which has been determined to be suitable as an implant material or any other suitable biocompatible material . the plate 70 also may be coated with a suitable biocompatible to inhibit the in - growth of tissue in the perforations . fig4 shows the implant 50 of fig2 placed or implanted in the right orbit of a human skull . a hybrid implant that matches the need for a particular surgery is selected . the selected implant is then shaped , if necessary , and placed on the orbit floor 30 ( fig1 ) or other fractured bone as the case may be . the extensions 50 are then secured to the facial bone 38 ( fig1 ) by bone screws 90 ( fig6 ). once the plate 52 is secured or affixed to the facial bone 38 , the base plate 52 remains in its implanted position . further , since the volume member 64 ( fig2 ) is affixed on to the plate 52 , it will also remain in its initial location without shifting relative to the plate 52 . the base plate 52 , thus , provides the desired structural support to the fractured bone area and remains in its implanted location because it is secured to the bone structure , and the volume member 64 provides for the loss of volume and remains in its implanted location because it is affixed to the base plate 52 . in general , the hybrid implant may be made in any number of shapes and sizes during manufacturing . both the volume member and the base plate element may be modified after manufacture to conform to shape and size for individual situations . the volume member of a desired size and shape is affixed to a compliant base plate . the base plate may include one or more provisions for affixing it to a bone structure . the foregoing description is generally directed to embodiments relating to implants for eye orbit . for the purpose of illustration and explanation the implant of the present invention , however , may be used for any surgical procedure in humans or animals . the base plate may also be of any thickness compared to the volume member . it will also be apparent , however , to one skilled in the art that many modifications and changes to the embodiment set for the above are possible without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention . it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such modifications and changes .	0
the present invention relates to the preparation of improved zinc phosphate coating systems especially suitable for use with high - temperature performance topcoat systems , such as polyphenylene sulfide ( pps ), on metal surfaces , especially steels , such as cold - rolled carbon steel , or non - ferrous surfaces such as zinc and aluminum . these improvements can be achieved by employing one or more elements of the subject method . in a first element , improved zinc phosphating solutions are prepared by the addition of nickel , cobalt , copper , manganese or iron compounds to conventional zinc phosphate solutions . nickel and cobalt compounds are particularly suitable for many applications . in a second element , the improved zinc phosphating solutions have been modified by the addition of a ductile polyelectrolyte , such as polyacrylic acid [&# 34 ; p ( aa )&# 34 ;]. such polyelectrolyte modified zinc phosphate formulations are disclosed in sugama , etal . u . s . pat . no . 4 , 659 , 395 , herein incorporated by reference . in a third element , improved zinc phosphating solutions are prepared by thermal treatment of hydrous zinc phosphate coatings . a preferred zinc phosphating solution consists of about 0 . 3 - 5 . 0 weight % zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 . 2h 2 o , about 0 . 6 - 10 . 0 wt % h 3 po 4 and about 99 . 1 - 85 . 0 wt % water . this solution is modified by the addition of a source of cobalt or nickel ions , or a mixture of these ions . the source of the cobalt and nickel ions may be environmentally compatible cobalt or nickel compound , and is preferably a carbonate or nitrate . the term &# 34 ; environmentally compatible &# 34 ;, is to encompass all compounds whose discharge is not barred by law . the most preferred cobalt source is co ( no 3 ) 2 . 6h 2 o and the most preferred nickel source is ni ( no 3 ) 2 . 6h 2 o . the ratio of the cobalt source to the nickel source may be from 100 / 0 to 0 / 100 by weight respectively . the concentration of the cobalt and / or nickel compounds added to the conventional zinc phosphate solution is preferably in the range of from less than about 0 . 5 to about 2 . 0 % by weight of total solution , with the preferred concentration being at about 0 . 5 % by weight . the above preferred zinc phosphate solution may be modified by the addition of the polyelectrolyte at a concentration of about 0 . 5 - 5 . 0 % by weight of the total solution . a preferred thermal treatment can improve the coating by converting any hydrous zinc phosphate coating to an anhydrous form . thus , thermal treatment may be used with conventional zinc phosphate coatings , and with either conventional or electrolyte modified zinc phosphate coatings to which has been added a source of nickel , cobalt , copper , manganese , or iron ions or a mixture of such ions . thermal treatment is typically conducted at temperatures in the range of 300 °- 350 ° c . for approximately two hours , and causes dehydration of hydrous zinc phosphate to form anhydrous α - phase zn 3 ( po 3 ) 2 . the α - phase crystals contribute significantly to decreasing susceptibility to alkali - induced dissolution . when a zinc phosphate coating on a metal surface is thermally treated before the polymer coating is applied , the resulting anhydrous coating provides lower rates of cathodic determinations of the polymer topcoat . the improved zinc phosphating formulations are characterized primarily by their ductile nature resulting from the formation of a uniform array of plasticized fine , dense crystals and a primer action which results in formation of strong adhesive forces at the complex coating / protective polymer topcoat interface . these flexible crystalline coatings can be produced according to the following deposition procedures : steels , including galvanized and other plated or metal coated steels , or non - ferrous metals are treated by cleaning with washing reagents as a first surface modification stage , the cleaned metals are then immersed for up to roughly 30 minutes at around 80 ° c . in a zinc phosphating liquid which may be modified by the incorporation of an electrolyte , such as poly ( acrylic acid ) to which has been added a source of cobalt , nickel , copper , manganese , or iron ions or a mixture of such ions . cobalt and / or nickel are particularly preferred . the basic zinc phosphating liquid consists , preferably , of a solution of about 5 . 0 % by weight zinc orthophosphate dihydrate , about weight water and about 10 . 0 % by weight h 3 po 4 mixed with metal nitrate hydrates at a ratio of about 1 % by weight for each metal nitrate hydrate to the total zinc phosphate solution mass . the thus formed zn . ph - coated steel is then thermally treated at between 300 °- 350 ° c . for about two hours to convert hydrous zinc phosphate coating to the α - phase anhydrous form . if a polymer topcoat is desired , the resulting anhydrous zn . ph coated steel is dipped into an organic polymer , such as the high - temperature performance organic polymers polyphenylene sulfide , polyamide , polybenzimidazole or polyquinoxaline . the following examples are illustrative of the present invention &# 39 ; s improved zinc phosphate solutions and methods for preparing these solutions . high strength cold - rolled sheet steel manufactured by the bethlehem steel corporation was used as a metal substrate . the steel contained 0 . 06 wt % c , 0 . 6 wt % mn , 0 . 6 wt % si , and 0 . 07 wt % p . the formulation for the zinc phosphating liquid used in this study consisted of 5 . 0 wt % zinc orthophosphate dihydrate 10 . 0 wt % h 3 po 4 , and 85 . 0 wt % water . the zn . ph conversion coatings were prepared in the following manner . first , the steel surface was wiped with acetone - soaked tissues to remove any surface contamination due to mill oil . the steel was then immersed for up to 20 min in the conversion solution described above at a temperature of 80 ° c . after immersion , the surface was rinsed with water , and then dried in an oven at 60 ° c . for 30 min . to study phase transition and conversion of zn . ph coatings as a function of temperature up to 500 ° c . in air , the zn . ph crystal layers deposited on the steel surfaces were removed by scraping . they were then ground to a size of 325 mesh ( 0 . 044 mm ) for use in analyses performed using the combined techniques of thermogravimetric analysis ( tga ) coupled with differential thermal analysis ( dta ), infrared ( ir ) spectroscopy , and x - ray powder diffraction ( xrd ). the electrochemical testing for data on corrosion as performed with an eg & amp ; g princeton applied research model 362 - 1 corrosion measurement system . the electrolyte was a 0 . 5m sodium chloride solution made from distilled water and reagent grade salt . the specimen was mounted on a holder and then inserted into an eg & amp ; g model k47 electrochemical cell . the tests were conducted in the aerated 0 . 5m nacl solution at 25 ° c . ; the exposed surface area of the specimens was 1 . 0 cm 2 . the cathodic and anodic polarization curves were determined at a scan rate of 0 . 5 mv / sec in the corrosion potential range of - 1 . 2 to - 0 . 3 volts . alternations to the surface microtopography images and the changes in surface chemical components of the heat - treated zn . ph coatings before and after exposure to a 0 . 1m naoh solution for 1 hr , were explored used amr 100 å scanning electron microscopy ( sem ) associated with tn - 2000 energy - dispersion x - ray spectrometry ( edx ). materials and measurements for transition metal additives to conventional zn . ph solutions an aisi 1010 low - carbon steel supplied by the denman and davis co . was used as the metal substrate . the steel contained 0 . 08 - 0 . 13 wt % c , 0 . 30 - 0 . 60 wt % mn , 0 . 04 wt % p , and 0 . 05 wt % s . the formulation for the unmodified zinc phosphating liquid used in this study consisted of 5 . 0 wt % zinc orthophosphate dihydrate [ zn 3 ( po ) 2 . 2h 2 o ], 10 . 0 wt % h 3 po 4 and 85 . 0 wt % water . in the modification of this standard formulation , four metal nitrate hydrates , co ( no 3 ) 2 . 6h 2 o , ni ( no 3 ) 2 . 6h 2 o , mn ( no 3 ) 2 . 4h 2 o , supplied by aldrich chemical company , inc ., were employed as a source of ionic and / or elemental co , ni , mn , and ca atoms . these metal compounds at a concentration of 1 . 0 % by weight of a total zinc phosphating solution mass were added to the phosphating solution , and then stirred until they were completely dissolved . polyphenylene sulfide ( pps ), supplied by the phillips 66 company , was used as a high - temperature performance polymer topcoat . the &# 34 ; as - received &# 34 ; pps was a finely divided tan colored powder having a low molecular weight and high melt flow . this powder was used for slurry coatings which were fused and cured ( cross - linked and / or chain extension ) at a temperature of 350 ° c ., well above the 280 ° c . melting point of the polymer . the pps polymer film was deposited on the dehydrated zn . ph kα x - ray source operated at a constant power of 200 w ( 10 kv , 20 ma ). the vacuum in the analyzer chamber of the instrument was maintained at 10 - 9 tort throughout the experiments . the electrochemical testing for data on corrosion was performed with an eg & amp ; g princeton applied research model 362 - 1 corrosion measurement system . the electrolyte was a 0 . 5m sodium chloride solution made from distilled water and reagent grade salt . the specimen was mounted in a holder and then inserted into a eg & amp ; g model k47 electrochemical cell . the tests were conducted in the aerated 0 . 5m nacl solution at 25 ° c ., and the exposed surface area of the specimens was 1 . 0 cm 2 . the cathodic and anodic polarization curves were determined at a scan rate of 0 . 5 mv / sec in the corrosion potential range of - 1 . 2 to - 0 . 3 volts . the cathodic delamination tests for the pps - coated anhydrous zn . ph specimens were conducted in an air covered 0 . 5m nacl solution using an applied potential of - 1 . 5 volts vs . sce for a period of 3 days . a defect was made using a drill bit with a diameter of approximately 1 mm . after exposure , the specimens were removed from the cell and allowed to dry . the pps coating was removed by cutting , and a delaminated region which appeared as a light gray area adjacent to the defect was detected . materials and measurements for ni and co additives to electrolyte modified zn . ph solutions an aisi 1010 cold - rolled steel supplied by the denman and davis co . was used as the metal substrate . the steel contained 0 . 08 - 0 . 13 wt % c , 0 . 30 - 0 . 60 wt % mn , 0 . 04 wt % p , and 0 . 05 wt % s . the formulation for the unmodified zinc phosphate liquid was 5 . 0 wt % zinc orthophosphate dihydrate [ zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 . 2h 2 o ], 10 . 0 wt % h 3 po 4 and 85 . 0 wt % water . in the modifying this standard formulation , two metal nitrate hydrates , co ( no 3 ) 2 . 6h 2 o , ni ( no 3 ) 2 . 6h 2 o , supplied by aldrich chemical company , inc ., and 25 % p ( aa ) colloidal solution obtained from rohm and haas company , were employed as a source of the ionic co and ni atoms and the polyelectrolyte . the concentrations of these metal compounds and p ( aa ), ( molecular weight of approx . 60 , 000 ) added to the zinc phosphate solution were 1 . 0 % and 0 . 5 % by weight of total standard solution , respectively . five different ratios of co ( no 3 ) 2 . 6h 2 o to ni ( no 3 ) 2 . 6h 2 o ( 100 / 0 , 75 / 25 , 50 / 50 , 25 / 75 , and 0 / 100 by weight ) were used to compare their protective effects against corrosion . in preparing the samples , the steel surfaces were wiped with acetone - soaked tissues to remove any surface contamination from mill oil . the steel then was immersed for up to 20 min in these modified and unmodified conversion solutions at a temperature of 80 ° c . x - ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( xps ) was used to identify the chemical states and elemental compositions at the outermost surface site of the p ( aa )- zn . ph layers . the spectrometer used was a v . g . scientific esca 3mk ii with an al kα ( 1486 . 6 ev ) x - ray source . the surfaces of conversion coatings were examined by scanning electron microscopy ( sem ) with an energy - dispersion x - ray spectrometry ( edx ) attachment . the zn . ph crystal layers were scraped from the steel surfaces to study the phase compositions . they were then ground to a size of 325 mesh ( 0 . 044 mm ) for x - ray powder diffraction ( xrd ). measurements of corrosion were made in an eg & amp ; g princeton applied research model 362 - 1 . the specimen was mounted in a holder and then inserted into a eg & amp ; g model k47 electrochemical cell . the tests were conducted in an aerated 0 . 5m nacl solution at 25 ° c ., and the exposed surface area of the specimens was 1 . 0 cm 2 . the cathodic polarization curves were determined at a scan rate of 0 . 5 mv / sec in the corrosion potential range of - 1 . 2 to 0 . 3 volts . the zinc phosphate coatings modified by the addition of ni and / or co ions are prepared and applied as described in example 2 . sem and edx studies were performed on the zn . ph coated steels , producing sem micrographs coupled with edx spectra for crystalline zn . ph microstructures deposited on steel substrates by immersing them into metallic nitrate compound - modified and unmodified zinc phosphating solutions . the thickness of the conversion coating adhering to the substrates were determined using a surface profile measuring system . these results indicated that the coatings derived from the unmodified , co --, ni --, mn -- and ca - modified phosphating solution systems had thicknesses of ˜ 17 . 5 , ˜ 21 . 8 , ˜ 12 . 5 , and ˜ 17 . 5 μm , respectively . a standard zn . ph coating made using an unmodified solution is characterized by microstructure features which indicate an interlocking topography of rectangular - shape crystals precipitated on the steel . compared with this , the crystal morphology resulting from the inclusion of co in the phosphating solution was much different . in this case , a packed topography of plate - like crystals of a size & gt ;˜ 30 μm was formed . quantitative analysis of any selected elements which exist at the depths of several micron from the solid surface can be performed using the edx spectrum in conjunction with sem inspection . in this case , the elemental ratio of selected atom - to - zn peak counts per 30 sec was adapted as an approach to obtaining the quantitative information . for the coating film from the co - modified solution system , the edx data indicated an fe - to - zn ratio of 0 . 42 which was markedly lower than that for the control . in contrast , the p - to - zn element ratios were similar . since the fe can only originate from the steel substrate , it is possible to assume that the presence of the co atoms at the beginning of crystal growth serves to control the release of fe ions from the steel surface . the microstructure for the ni system - derived conversion coating revealed a dense morphology coexisting with wide plate crystals and small block - type crystals . the p / zn and fe / zn ratios were almost equal to those for the co system . the presence of ni in the crystals was barely detected since the ni / zn ratio was only 0 . 03 , i . e ., slightly lower than the co / zn ratio of 0 . 08 . in contrast , a mn / zn ratio of 0 . 15 was detected for the mn system - derived coating , suggesting that an appreciable amount of mn can be introduced into the crystal . although sem topographical and morphological features for the ca - derived conversion coating are quire similar to those for the control , it appears from the edx analysis that the crystal layers contained a large amount of fe , whereas , there was no indication of ca . based upon these results , it appears that the magnitude of diffusion and migration of these transition metal species in the crystal layer is in the following order : mn & gt ; co & gt ; ni . fig1 illustrates the xrd phase compositions of crystalline conversion coatings derived from the different metallic nitrate compound - modified phosphating solutions at a temperature of 80 ° c . the xrd tracings indicated that even though these metallic species were dissolved in the solution , only two crystal phases were distinguishable ; hopeits [ zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 . 4h 2 o ] and zinc orthophosphate dihydrate [ zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 . 2h 2 o ]. the relative proportions of the hopeits to zinc orthophosphate dihydrate depend upon the metallic species added to the solution . hence , unmodified solution yields a phase composition consisting of dihydrate - based zn . ph as a major component and hopeits as a minor one . when co --, ni --, and mn - modified solutions are used , they seem to promote the preferential precipitation of a single hopeits crystal layer . the data for the ca system , fig1 ( e ), indicate an almost equal proportion of dihydrate -- to tetrahydrate -- based zn . ph phases . from the above results and the edx data , it is reasonable to conclude that the metallic species embedded in the crystal layers are present as ionic and elemental metals , as well as colloidal oxides or hydroxides . tga curves for powder samples dried at 80 ° c . are depicted in fig2 . the onset temperature of decomposition was obtained by finding the intersection point of the two linear extrapolations . the curves for all of the samples indicate the presence of two thermal decomposition stages ; the first occurs at a temperature between ˜ 150 ° and ˜ 180 ° c . and the second in the range from ˜ 330 ° to ˜ 340 ° c . the first decomposition stage is possibly associated with liberation of water chemisorbed to the crystal faces , and the latter may be due to the removal of crystallized water . beyond a temperature of 340 ° c ., the curves level off , implying that the conversion processes of hydration to dehydration phases were essentially completed . at ca system - induced zn . ph exhibited a similar value . somewhat higher weight losses (˜ 11 . 3 %) were measured for the other zn . ph systems . thus , the major factors affecting the weight loss at temperatures up to 340 ° c . may be ( 1 ) the amount of water trapped by hydrogen bonding in the crystal layers , and ( 2 ) the number of crystallized water . xrd analyses were carried out to identify the phase assemblages of the dehydrated zn . ph compounds after heating for 2 hr at 340 ° c . the resultant xrd patterns arc illustrated in fig3 . it is clear that the phase compositions for all the samples consisted essentially of two anhydrous zn . ph components , the α - and γ - phases of zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 . no evidence for the presence of crystalline co , ni , mn , and ca compounds was found in these xrd tracings . for the control ( fig3 - a ), the anhydrous α - and γ - phases seem to be related to the original phases formed at 80 ° c . based on the information described above , studies were directed towards three subjects : ( 1 ) determinations if metal atoms incorporated into anhydrous zn . ph layers inhibit cathodic reactions , ( 2 ) measurements of the alkali resistance of α - and γ - zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 phases in high ph environments created by the cathodic half reaction during the corrosion of steel at defects , and ( 3 ) determination of possible correlations between the findings from the above two subjects and the cathodic delamination rates of pps topcoats from phosphated steel . referring to the first subject , studies were focused upon he chemical states of 340 ° c .- oxidized transition metal species incorporated into anhydrous crystal lattices , and the chemical transformation and conversion of the oxidized metal compounds after exposure to a 0 . 1m naoh solution . xps was used to obtain the information . xps high - resolution spectra for the co 2p3 / 2 , ni 2p3 / 2 , and mn 2p3 / 2 core levels of co --, ni -- and mn - incorporated zn . ph samples surfaces were determined . data were taken before and after exposure to the naoh . for the unexposed samples , the spectra for the co sample indicates a major peak at 782 . 7 ev which corresponds to the co in the coo formed by the oxidation of the co atom in the dehydration of zn . ph upon heating in air at 340 ° c . the peak emerging at 856 . 7 ev for the ni sample reveals the presence of two ni oxide compounds , nickel oxide ( nio ) and nickelic oxide ( ni 2 o 3 ). the formation of pyrolusite ( mno 2 ) and the surface of the oxidized mn sample can be recognized by the main signal at 642 . 5 ev in the mn 2p3 / 2 region . after exposure to naoh , no pronounce peaks were found in the spectra for the co 2p3 / 2 and ni 2p3 / 2 regions of the co and ni samples . this implies that a certain amount of co and ni atoms precipitates on the outermost surface sites of the zn . ph layers , but they do not diffuse into the layers . therefore , naoh - induced dissolution of the coating surfaces results in complete elimination of these atoms . fig4 shows typical cathodic polarization curves of log current density versus potential for the metal oxides - adsorbed and unabsorbed zn . ph sample , the current density for the coo - adsorbed zn . ph sample in the potential region between the - 1 . 1 and - 0 . 9 v , was significantly less . the next lowest current density for he same potential region was obtained from coatings containing ni oxides in the crystal lattices . in contrast , mno 2 existing on the zn . ph surface seems to play no effective role in shifting the current density to a lower site . since the indication of lower current density is attributed to a lower hydrogen reaction , this result is confirming evidence that the oxygen reduction reaction , h 2 o + 1 / 20 2 + 2e = 2oh , of the zn . ph - coated steel , was inhibited by incorporating the coo , nio , and ni 2 o 3 into the zn . ph . the co and ni cations serve to suppress the cathodic reaction on the zn . ph surfaces . a further question then is which one of two zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 phases , α and γ , is less susceptible to the alkali - induced dissolution . in order to address this question , metal oxide - incorporated and unincorporated zn . ph samples were exposed to a 0 . 1m naoh solution for up to 48 hrs . the weight loss caused by the alkali dissolution of zn . ph was measured as a functional of the exposure times . the results indicate that the weight loss in a crystal layer comprised of the γ - zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 phase as major crystal component progressively increases with an increase in the exposure time . in contrast , a significantly lower weight loss was determined for the crystal layer consisting of the mixed phases of both the α and γ , and the single α - phase as the major constituent . this clearly verified that the γ - phase has a considerably high magnitude in susceptibility to alkali dissolution , compared with that of α - phase . these results were related directly to the rates of cathodic delamination of pps topcoat films from the zn . ph - deposited steels . electrolyte modified zinc phosphate coatings containing ni and co were prepared and applied as described in example 3 . to investigate the effect of co 2 + , ni 2 + , and p ( aa ) additives on the promotion of crystal growth at the initial stage of zn . ph precipitation , the steel samples were immersed for only 5 min and the conversion products explored using xps and sem - edx . much of these data are reported in t . sugama and r . broyer surface and coatings tech ., 50 : 89 - 95 ( 1992 ), the contents of which is herein incorporated by reference . table 1 summarizes the xps data on changes in the elemental composition of the sample surface as a function of the co ( no 3 ) 2 . 6h 2 o - to - ni ( no 3 ) 2 . 6h 2 o ratio . for all of the samples , the principal element occupying the outermost surface sites was oxygen , in the concentration range of 43 to 55 %, and the second predominant element was carbon , corresponding to the hydrocarbon in p ( aa ) chemisorbed and diffused on the conversion product surfaces . by comparison with the elemental composition of the control sample , denoted as 0 / 0 ratio , the co - modified sample ( 100 / 0 ) was characterized by a conspicuous increase in concentration of zn and p atoms , with a concomitant reduction in the content of the fe atom which is representative of both the steel substrate and the fe - based conversion products . since zn and p atoms directly reflect the precipitation of z . ph on the steel , the co 2 + ions dissolved in the phosphating solution promote the precipitation of zn . ph crystals . table 1______________________________________surface chemical composition of unmodified , and co - and ni - modified conversion coatingsat the beginning of precipitation of zn . phco ( no . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 . 6h . sub . 2 o / ni ( no . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 . 6h . sub . 2 o atomic concentration , % ratio p c o fe zn______________________________________0 / 0 4 . 1 29 . 7 55 . 0 9 . 4 1 . 7100 / 0 12 . 2 24 . 8 51 . 6 4 . 8 6 . 575 / 25 12 . 7 25 . 9 50 . 6 4 . 8 6 . 050 / 50 10 . 9 33 . 3 43 . 3 7 . 5 4 . 9 0 / 100 10 . 7 32 . 7 44 . 6 7 . 7 4 . 3______________________________________ the chemical states and compounds in the conversion products of these samples were identified from the deconvoluted curve of the high - resolution xps spectra of c 1s , ni 2p , p 2p , and fe 2p3 / 2 signals . to set a scale in all the xps spectra , the binding energy ( be ) was calibrated with the c 1s , of the principal hydrocarbon - type carbon peak fixed at 285 . 08v as an internal reference standard . the resulting spectra are shown in fig5 and 6 . the curves a , b , c , d , and e correspond to samples with co / ni ratios of 0 / 0 , 100 / 0 , 50 / 50 , 28 / 75 , and 0 / 100 , respectively . in the c 1s regions ( see fig5 ), the spectrum of the control sample ( curve a ) reveals the three resolvable gaussian components at be of 285 . 0 , 288 . 1 , and 288 . 9 ev . the main peak at 285 . 0 ev as a principle components is attributable to the hydrocarbons in the main chain of 9 ( aa ). the peak emerging at 288 . 1 ev in a high be area can be ascribed to the carbon in the -- coo - zn 2 +- ooc - salt complex formation , and 288 . 9 ev is due to c originating from carboxylic acid , cooh , in the p ( aa ). the spectra for all of the co - and ni - incorporated zn . ph samples show a slight shift in the salt complex - related peak to a higher be site compared to that of the control . the assignments of the shifted peak at 288 . 4 ev appear to be due to the co - and ni -- ooc salt complexes . in fact , the o 1s core level ( not shown ) had a strong peak at 531 . 4 ev , which was ascribed to the formation of coo - metal complexes . this finding strongly suggested that the functional cooh groups in the p ( aa ) preferentially react with the co and ni ions to precipitate the salt complex , rather than reacting with the zn ions . the extent of reactivity of these metal ions with p ( aa ) appears to be in the following order co & gt ; ni & gt ; zn . in the p 2p core level spectra , see fig6 the curve for the control sample reveals only a single peak at 133 . 9 ev , reflecting the p in the zn . ph precipitated on the steel . the intensity of this peak markedly increased , as the control solution was modified by co . sup . 2 + ions . since such an intense peak represents the deposition of a large amount of zn . ph , it is clear that co ions have the significant effect on the acceleration of crystal growth and precipitation . sem micrographs coupled with edx spectra for the crystalline zn . ph microstructure deposited on steel substrates after immersion for 5 min into control solutions , and into co - modified zinc phosphate solutions at 80 ° c . were prepared . at the start of zn . ph crystal growth , a standard zn . ph coating made with the unmodified solution , was characterized by an irregular precipitation of rectangular - shaped plate crystals on the fe 2 o 3 surfaces . crystal morphology of conversion coatings derived from co - modified solution can be discriminated from that of standard coatings ; in the former the precipitation of large , well - formed plate - like crystals over 20 μm in size was observed . this change was due to the effect of co ions causing an increase in the rate of the zn . ph crystal growth and development . the particular microstructural feature of the ni system - derived conversion coatings , was a dense morphology with wide plate crystals coexisting with small block - type crystals . the edx spectrum for the large crystals is indicative of the formation of zn . ph containing a large amount of fe and a small amount of ni . the areas not covered with zn . ph deposits are composed of an amorphous fe - rich phosphate oxide compound superimposed on the fe 2 o 3 layers , no ni was found in these areas . fig7 presents typical cathodic polarization curves of log current density versus potential for the control , and co / ni 100 / 0 , 50 / 50 , and 0 / 100 ratio samples in an aerated 0 . 5m nacl solution . by comparison with the curve for the control , the striking characteristics of the cathodic curves for all the co - and ni - modified zn . ph samples are as follows : ( 1 ) a considerable reduction of current density in the potential region between - 0 . 95 and - 0 . 80 v , and ( 2 ) a large shift in e corr to less negative potentials . referring to the first characteristic ( 1 ), the indication of low current density is attributed to an inhibition of the cathodic reaction , particularly the oxygen reduction reaction . such a reaction appears to be inhibited by incorporating the co -- and ni - complexed p ( aa ) macromolecule and co and ni hydroxides in the zn . ph layers . the second characteristic ( 2 ) directly reflects the degree of coverage providing a conversion coatings on the entire steel surface ; namely , a good coverage providing a continuous nonporous coating , corresponds to the e corr value at a less negative site . the consequent e corr values for the control , 100 / 0 , 50 / 50 , and 0 / 100 samples were - 0 . 66 , - 0 . 57 , - 0 . 55 , and - 0 . 53 v , respectively . consequently , the most effective coverage of conversion coatings , which provide corrosion protection of steel , seem to be those prepared with ni - modified phosphate solutions . this finding strongly suggests that good protection performance of conversion coating systems is due to two important factors : 1 ) a high degree of coverage by packed crystal layers consisting of large -- and fine - crystal particles , and 2 ) the formation of amorphous fe - rich phosphate oxide compounds in the vicinity of fe 2 o 3 . fig8 illustrates the xrd phase compositions of crystalline conversion coatings prepared by immersing the steel for 20 min in the unmodified and modified phosphate solutions at 80 ° c . only two crystal phases were distinguishable ; zinc orthophosphate dihydrate [ zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 . 2h 2 o ] and hopeits [ zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 . 4h 2 o ]. the proportions of single zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 . 2h 2 o formation derived from the central solution system ( co / ni , o / o ) tended to be replaced by hopeits formation as the co / ni ratio was decreased . the microstructural view of well - converted crystal compounds for the ni - modified zn . ph disclosed an interlocking topography of growing crystals which uniformly covered the steel surfaces . the feature of edx spectrum for a part of the crystal was almost the same as that of the crystals formed at the beginning of the conversion process . all findings were correlated directly with the evaluation of e corr value for the conversion coating deposited on the steels after immersion for 10 and 20 min , respectively . the variation in e corr of the samples as a function of co / ni ratio is given in fig9 . the ability of the conversion coatings to protect steel against corrosion depends primarily on the co / ni ratio . the most promising protection coating system may be produced using ni - incorporated phosphate solutions ; an immersion time of 20 min . rather than of 10 min . leads to better coverage . improved zn . ph conversion coatings providing significant corrosion protection to steel may be prepared by immersing steel into a co 2 + and ni 2 + ions - incorporated p ( aa )- zinc phosphate solution system . formation of m 2 + ( m : co and ni )- p ( aa ) salt complexes containing -- coo - m 2 +- ooc - groups plays an important role in accelerating and promoting growth and development of zn . ph crystal layers over the steel , and introduces amorphous fe - rich phosphate conversion layers in the vicinity of fe 2 o 3 substrates . the electron trapping behavior of the m 2 + ions dissociated from the complex formations and m hydroxides in the nacl solution inhibited the cathodic reaction . in the final stages of the conversion process , the crystal phase of ni system - derived conversion coatings consisted of hopeits , [ zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 . 4h 2 o ] as the major component and zinc orthophosphate dihydrate [ zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 . 2h 2 o ] as the minor one . the uniform coverage of hopeite - zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 . 2h 2 o interlocked crystals over the steel resulted in a great reduction in the rate of corrosion . zinc phosphate conversion coatings were prepared , applied and thermally treated as described in example 1 . fig1 shows typical tga - dta curves for a powdered zn . ph conversion coating deposited on a steel surface after drying at 60 ° c . for 24 hr . the curve indicates that heating to 170 ° c . results in a weight loss of approximately 4 %. based upon the broad endothermic peak on the dta curve at the same temperature , weight loss is likely to be due to removal of evaporable water , such as free water and water adsorbed on the crystal . the curve also illustrates the kinetics of eliminating non - evaporable water upon heating zn . ph compounds . reduction in weight of approximately s % occurring over the temperature range 170 ° to 350 ° c . is probably associated with liberation of crystallized water existing in the zn . ph compounds , and appears directly related to the prominent dta endothermal peak at 345 ° c . beyond approximately 4 ° c ., the weight loss curve seems to level off , suggesting that conversion of hydrous zn . ph compound into an anhydrous zn . ph is completed . in addition to tga - dta studies , ir and xrd analyses were performed . these data are shown in fig1 and 12 , respectively . an estimate of the rate of liberation of crystallized water from the zn . ph compounds as a function of temperature was made by plotting variations in ir absorbance with temperature at a frequency of 1610 cm - 1 , which reveals the h -- o -- h bonding vibration of water of crystallization ( see fig1 ). as evident from the absorbance re . temperature curve , absorbance decreased rapidly upon heating to 300 ° c ., beyond this temperature it leveled off . this suggests that to a large extent , dehydration of zn . ph occurs in air at temperatures & lt ; 300 ° c . in fact , the xrd pattern ( see fig1 - 300 ° c .) for the diffraction range 0 . 256 to 0 . 371 nm , clearly indicates the formation of anhydrous α - zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 as the major phase and anhydrous γ - zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 as a minor phase . all xrd lines for samples treated at temperatures ≦ 200 ° c . are associated with the original zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 . 2h 2 o phase , implying that conversion to the anhydrous phases occurs at a temperature between 200 ° to 300 ° c . however , as indicated by the weak diffraction line at 0 . 293 nm which ascribes to the hydrous zn . ph compounds , the hydrous → anhydrous conversion was not complete at 300 ° c . this line disappeared when the sample was oven - heated at 400 ° c . for 1 hr . at 500 ° c ., the tracing indicates growth of line intensities at 0 . 279 and 0 . 343 rim , and weak peaks at 0 . 307 , 0 . 315 , and 0 . 360 nm . since the former two intense lines represent the presence of a relatively large amount of γ - zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 , it appears that heat treatment at 500 ° c . promotes α → γ phase transition processes . based upon the above information , a summary of the phase transition of zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 . 2h 2 o at temperatures up to 500 ° c . is given in table 2 . table 2______________________________________phase changes in conversion coating vs ecorrtemperature phase e . sub . corr ° c . major minor volt______________________________________100 zn . sub . 3 ( po . sub . 4 ). sub . 2 . 2h . sub . 2 o -- - 0 . 573200 zn . sub . 3 ( po . sub . 4 ). sub . 2 . 2h . sub . 2 o -- - 0 . 572300 α - zn . sub . 3 ( po . sub . 4 ). sub . 2 γ - zn . sub . 3 ( po . sub . 4 ). sub . 2 - 0 . 572400 α - and γ - zn . sub . 3 ( po . sub . 4 ). sub . 2 -- - 0 . 600500 γ - zn . sub . 3 ( po . sub . 4 ). sub . 2 α - zn . sub . 3 ( po . sub . 4 ). sub . 2 - 0 . 657______________________________________ in aerated 0 . 5 m nacl solutions . electrochemical corrosion tests were performed to investigate how various conversion phases affect ability of crystal coatings to protect steel from corrosion . this protective ability was estimated by making comparisons between the corrosion potential , e corr , values obtained from the potential axis at the transition point from the cathodic to anodic sites on the electrochemical polarization curves . as summarized in table 2 , no appreciable changes in the e corr value for samples treated at temperatures up to 300 ° were observed . a shift in e corr to a more negative site occurred when the samples were baked at 400 ° c ., indicating that hybrid layers of α - zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 and γ - zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 have less corrosion resistance . a further increase in treatment temperature to 500 ° c . resulted in a significant reduction in e corr . the corrosion - protective ability of the zn . ph layers is dependent upon the extent of the conversion from the a phase to the γ phase , but independent of the dehydration and elimination of crystallized water in the zn . ph layers which occurs at a temperature of approximately 300 ° c . in air . one possible reason for poor protective behavior of zn . ph layers containing the γ phase is increased porosity of the crystal layers . polarization curves for 100 °-, 300 °- and 500 ° c .- treated samples after exposure to a 0 . 1m naoh solution for 1 hr are given in fig1 . the shape of the curves represents the transition from cathodic polarization at the onset of the most negative potential to the anodic polarization curves at the end of lower negative potential . the potential axis at the transition point from cathodic to anodic curves is normalized as the corrosion potential , e corr . these polarization behaviors were determined in anaerated 0 . 5m nacl solution at 25 ° c . comparisons of cathodic polarization areas for 300 °- and 500 ° c .- treated samples with that for 100 ° c .- treated sample indicated the following : ( 1 ) at 500 ° c ., short - term steady - state current value in the potential region between - 1 . 0 and - 1 . 1 v is considerably higher , ( 2 ) heat treatment at 300 ° c . shifts e corr to a more positive site and decreases current density at the potential axis , and ( 3 ) treatment at 500 ° c . decreases e corr and enhances current density in the vicinity of e corr . although the 500 ° c .- treated zn . ph is less susceptible to alkaline dissolution , higher current density ( observation no . 1 above ) is indicative of high oxygen reduction kinetics which occur under the coating . a coating offering poor protection would be expected to display a lower e corr and a higher current density ( in agreement with observation no . 3 ). with regards to observation no . 2 , conversion to an anhydrous a phase at 300 ° c . yields a more stable layer and inhibits the oxygen reduction reaction . this appears to relate directly with the low - rate of alkaline dissolution . the following advanced zinc phosphate ( zn . ph ) conversion coatings possess good corrosion - protection performance ( salt spray resistance & gt ; 400 hr at 90 ° f . ), thermal stability at temperatures up to 400 ° c ., and may be deposited on cold - rolled steel surfaces . these zinc phosphating formulations contain free fe ions of 3 . 0 ± 0 . 5 ppm . two formulations are listed in table 3 . table 3______________________________________formulation and preparations of zn . phsolutions containing free fe ions of 3 . 0 ± 0 . 5 ppmmaterial wt % ______________________________________formulation 1zn . sub . 3 ( po . sub . 4 ). sub . 2 . 2h . sub . 2 o 4 . 685 % h . sub . 3 po . sub . 4 water 9 . 225 % p ( aa ) having molecular 2 . 0weight ( m . w .) 60 , 000co ( no . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 . 6h . sub . 2 o 1 . 00water 83 . 2formulation 2zn . sub . 3 ( po . sub . 4 ). sub . 2 . 2h . sub . 2 o 4 . 685 % h . sub . 3 po . sub . 4 water 9 . 225 % p ( aa ) m . w . 60 , 000 2 . 0ni ( no . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 . 6h . sub . 2 o 1 . 0water 83 . 2______________________________________ after mixing all chemical components , the solution is preferably stored at room temperature for a minimum of 18 hours , then modified by incorporating fe ions of 3 . 0 ± 0 . 5 ppm . incorporation of free fe ions into zn . ph solution is accomplished by immersing small steel panels of fe - releasable sacrificed metal in the solution at 80 ° c . the fe - modified solution is preferably stored at 80 ° c . for 20 hours prior to use , the mechanism for the role of fe ions is explored in more detail in t . sugama and n . r . carciello , j . appl . polymer sci ., 45 : 1291 - 1301 ( 1992 ), the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference . table 4 shows effects of various concentrations of free fe ion on salt spray resistance ( astm b117 ) of zn . ph - deposited steels . free fe ions in the content ranges of ˜ 2 . 4 to ˜ 5 . 6 ppm are preferably incorporated into the basic formulations , to obtain a zn . ph coating providing excellent salt spray resistance (& gt ; 400 hr at 90 ° f .). table 4______________________________________effect of free fe concentrations on salt spray resistanceof zn . ph - deposited steelsformulation ppm hr______________________________________1 0 . 0 241 0 . 8 721 1 . 6 1501 2 . 4 4601 3 . 2 4801 4 . 0 4701 4 . 8 4601 5 . 6 4301 6 . 4 2002 0 . 0 242 0 . 8 502 1 . 6 1002 2 . 4 4102 3 . 2 4052 4 . 0 4002 4 . 8 4202 5 . 6 4002 6 . 4 120______________________________________ table 5 shows the effect of elapsed time after incorporation of fe ions in phosphating solution on the salt spray resistance , implying that the fe ion - modified phosphating solution is best stored at 80 ° c . for 20 hr prior to use . table 5______________________________________effect of elapsed times at 80 ° c . after incorporationof fe ion in solution on the salt spray resistance salt spray resistance , hr free fe elapsed times after incor - formu - ion poration of fe in solutionlation ppm 1 hr 2 hr 5 hr 10 hr 20 hr 40 hr______________________________________1 4 . 0 72 100 150 200 & gt ; 400 & gt ; 4002 4 . 0 48 96 120 180 & gt ; 400 & gt ; 400______________________________________ ability of mild carbon steel treated with a transition metal modified conversion solution and top coated with a high temperature polymer , to resist gas furnace exhaust gases and condensates a series of 16 mild carbon steel tubes of 0 . 625 in . outside diameter and 16 gauge wall thickness were degreased and then oven dried at 80 ° c . the tubes were then rinsed in water and oven cured at 150 ° for 30 min . a polyphenylene sulfide topcoat was then applied to the outer surfaces of the tubes by dipping the tubes into a polymerisopropyl alcohol slurry at 25 ° c . and then curing in an oven at ≧ 300 ° c . the coated tubes were then exposed for 60 days to conditions simulating a typical residential high efficiency gas furnace . the gas stream contained 26 parts per million ( ppm ) chloride and 5 ppm fluoride with an inlet temperature of 210 ° c . and the exit temperature of 40 ° c . since the exit temperature was below the dew point , samples were exposed to a variety of environments ranging from dry to completely wet with condensate , exposure visual and metallographic examinations , and mechanical testing showed no discernable degradation . test panels of ase 1006 cold - rolled steel coated with electroplated zinc designated &# 34 ; ford e 60 electrozinc 60 g &# 34 ; were obtained from advanced coating technologies , inc . two zinc - phosphating solutions were prepared : a preferred cobalt - nitrate - containing test solution of the invention and a reference solution . the composition of the two solutions are set forth in table 6 below . table 6______________________________________ test solution reference solutioncomponent ( parts by weight ) ( parts by weight ) ______________________________________zinc orthophosphate 4 . 7 4 . 7tetrahydrateh . sub . 3 po . sub . 4 9 . 3 9 . 3approximately 25 % 2 . 0 2 . 0by weight aqueouscolloidal solutionof poly ( acrylic acid ) co ( no . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 . 6h . sub . 2 o 1 . 0 -- water 84 . 0 84 . 0______________________________________ the average molecular weight of the poly ( acrylic acid ) was approximately 60 , 000 . the aqueous colloidal solution of poly ( acrylic acid ) was obtained from rohm & amp ; haas co . an immersion bath of the test solution and an immersion bath of the reference solution were prepared . the two immersion baths were maintained at approximately 80 ° c . the test panels of electrogalvanized steel were cleaned and , as noted below , immersed in one or the other of the cobalt - nitrate - containing test zinc - phosphating solution bath or the reference zinc - phosphating solution bath . fig1 and 15 show scanning - electron - microscope micrographs of crystalline zn . ph coatings on test panels of an electrogalvanized steel obtained by immersion of the panels in the reference zinc - phosphating solution and the cobalt - nitrate containing test zinc - phosphating solution , respectively , as a function the length of immersion time . with the reference solution , the precipitation of rectangular - shaped zn . ph crystals on the surface of electrogalvanized steel occurred slowly . the scanning electron microscope image of a specimen made after immersion for about 1 minute revealed a random distribution of rectangular - shape zn . ph crystals over the surface of the electrogalvanized steels as shown in fig1 ( a ). an increase in immersion time to about 5 minutes led to an extensive coverage of zn . ph on the electrogalvanized steel surface , while the size of crystals grew significantly , as may be seen in fig1 ( b ). an essentially complete coverage of fully grown crystals was attained after an immersion time of about 30 minutes in the reference solution , as shown in fig1 ( d ). in contrast , the cobalt - nitrate - containing test solution was effective in causing rapid deposition of the zn . ph layers on surfaces or electrogalvanized steel . fig1 ( b ) shows that growth of lameliar - like crystals could be observed after immersion of a test panel in the test solution for only about 2 seconds , which can be compared with the surface texture of the electrogalvanized steel treated by immersion in the test solution for about one second shown in fig1 ( a ). immersion for about 5 seconds in the cobalt - nitrate - containing test zinc - phosphating solution was sufficient to produce dense conversion coatings over the entire substrate surface , as may be seen in fig1 ( c ). a further extension of immersion time to about 10 seconds produced a densely packed conformation of lamellar zn - ph crystals as shown in fig1 ( d ), reflecting that the electrogalvanized steel surface had essentially been altered and now had a rough microstructure . the morphological and topographical characteristics of such crystals produced by the cobalt - nitrate containing test solution were quite different from those of the crystal layers induced by the reference solution . cross sections through electrogalvanized steel surfaces which had been untreated on the one hand and which had been treated with a zinc - phosphating solution of the invention on the other were examined by scanning electron microscopy and by energy - dispersive x - ray spectrometry , as shown in fig1 . a scanning - electron - microscope image of a cross section of the untreated &# 34 ; as - received &# 34 ; electrogalvanized steel of fig1 ( a ) showed that the electroplated zinc layer denoted as the &# 34 ; 2 &# 34 ; layer had a thickness of about 10 μm and was evidently porous . the layer denoted as the &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; layer was the underlying steel layer . as may be seen in an energy - dispersive x - ray spectrum of the &# 34 ; 2 &# 34 ; layer of fig1 ( d ), there was iron as well as zinc in the porous electroplated zinc layer . since the source of the iron would have been the steel , iron had evidently migrated from the steel to the matrix of pure zinc during the electroplating processes . fig1 ( b ) gives a scanning electron microscope image of a cross - section through the zn . ph surface of a test panel immersed for about 2 seconds in the cobalt - nitrate - containing test zinc - phosphating solution . by comparison with the cross - sectional image of the &# 34 ; as - received &# 34 ; electrogalvanized steel of fig1 ( a ), the image indicated that an additional phase , denoted as &# 34 ; 3 ,&# 34 ; was superimposed on the electrogalvanized steel surface . the energy - dispersive x - ray spectra of this superimposed layer shoved the presence of zinc and phosphorous as the principal components , and iron and cobalt as minor ones . because zn . p , and co reflected the formation of a cobalt - modified zn . ph , it is apparent that the partial deposition of a cobalt - modified zn . ph layer onto electrogalvanized steel occurred in approximately the first 2 seconds of immersion . the complete coverage of a cobalt - modified zn . ph layer of about 12 μm thick wan recognizable on the scanning electron micrograph images of specimens after immersion for about lo seconds . the images also suggested that the thickness of the zinc layer was reduced from about 10 μm in the original phase to about 8 μm after coating with zn . ph . such a decrease in thickness at the zinc layer may be due to dissolution of the layer caused by the attack of phosphating solution on electrogalvanized steel surface . although damage of the zinc layer tended to occur at interface between the cobalt - modified zn . ph layer and the electrogalvanized steel , no layer separation and segregation was observed on close examination of scanning electron microscope images in the zn . ph / zn boundary regions ( not shown ). the lack of layer separation and segregation suggested that the adhesive bond of the cobalt - modified zn . ph to zn was good . fig1 illustrates the x - ray diffraction tracings ranging from about 0 . 444 to about 0 . 225 nm of an &# 34 ; as - received &# 34 ; electrogalvanized steel test panel as a control and of the cobalt - modified zn . ph coatings prepared by immersing test panels of electrogalvanized steels for approximately 1 , 2 , 5 , and 10 seconds in the preferred cobalt - nitrate - containing test zinc - phosphating solution of the invention . the x - ray diffraction pattern of the control showed the presence of only a single phase corresponding to a pure zinc crystal . although the intensity of that x - ray diffraction was weak , the zn . ph conversion products formed on electrogalvanized steel after immersion for about 1 second can be identified as a hopeits phase : zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 . 4h 2 o . the intensity of the hopeits lines markedly increased with an increased immersion time , while the strong lines of the underlaying zinc phase remained present in the x - ray diffraction pattern . the data also indicated that zinc orthophosphate dihydrate , zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 . 2h 2 o coexisted as minor phase with the hopeits . similar phase compositions were identified from the unmodified zn . ph coatings prepared by immersing electrogalvanized - steel test panels for about 30 minutes in the reference zinc - phosphating solution ; namely , the conversion coatings consisted of a hopeits phase as a principal phase and zn 3 ( po 4 ) 2 . 2h 2 o as a minor phase . x - ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to investigate the changes in chemical composition of the surfaces of zn . ph coatings from the reference zinc - phosphating solution and the cobalt - nitrate - containing test zinc - phosphating solution as a function of immersion time . the results are summarized in table 7 below . table 7______________________________________surface atomic composition versus immersion time in referencesolution and cobalt - nitrate containting test solution . time , atomic concentration , % solution sec p c o zn p / zn______________________________________control -- -- 46 . 6 39 . 4 14 . 0 0 . 0reference 60 0 . 9 49 . 7 38 . 0 11 . 4 0 . 1reference 300 1 . 1 37 . 3 50 . 1 11 . 5 0 . 1reference 600 4 . 7 35 . 4 42 . 1 17 . 8 0 . 3reference 1200 6 . 9 37 . 2 43 . 1 12 . 8 0 . 5reference 1800 7 . 2 33 . 6 48 . 0 11 . 2 0 . 6test 1 1 . 2 57 . 7 30 . 8 10 . 3 0 . 1test 2 3 . 7 29 . 6 49 . 5 17 . 2 0 . 2test 5 12 . 0 20 . 5 60 . 6 6 . 9 1 . 7test 10 11 . 9 21 . 6 57 . 2 9 . 3 1 . 3______________________________________ for &# 34 ; as - received &# 34 ; electrogalvanized steel , the principal elements occupying the outermost surface sites were carbon and oxygen , and the concentration of zinc was about 14 . 0 %. assuming that carbon reflected the presence of organic contaminants , the zinc and oxygen atoms presumably corresponded to the formation of zinc oxide as a passivating film on electrogalvanized steel surfaces . such a film would be expected to retard the precipitation of embryonic zn . ph crystals on an electrogalvanized steel surface . in fact , using the reference phosphating solution , the percentage of phosphorous atoms was found to be only about 0 . 9 % in approximately the first 60 seconds of immersion . even when the immersion period was prolonged to approximately 300 seconds , there was no significant change in the concentration of phosphorous . this finding verified that the passivating layer of zno tends to inhibit the precipitation of zn . ph . breakage of this passivating film seemed to occur when the electrogalvanized steel was immersed for approximately 600 seconds , because the concentration phosphorous was observed to increase markedly . thus , a phosphorous content of 7 . 2 %, corresponding to a phosphorous - to - zinc ratio of about 0 . 6 , was observed after an immersion of approximately 1800 seconds . in the case of zn . ph coated test panels , the source of carbon was not solely carbon contamination , but also carbon in the poly ( acrylic acid ) present in the reference and test zinc - phosphating solutions and absorbed to the electrogalvanized steel and zn . ph surfaces during the conversion reaction . oxygen , ranging from about 38 . 0 to about 30 . 1 % for the zn . ph coated test panels of electrogalvanized steel , may be attributed to a number of compounds such as zno , zn . ph , organic contaminants , and poly ( acrylic acid ). with the cobalt - nitrate - containing test zinc - phosphating solution , an immersion tame of only about 5 seconds resulted in the formation of conversion coatings having a phosphorous concentration of less than about 10 . 0 %. beyond about 5 seconds , the concentration of phosphorous tended to level off . the phosphorous concentration data tended to support the findings from the scanning - electron microscope image analysis of fig1 and 17 ; namely , that zn . ph essentially completely covered electrogalvanized steel after about 5 seconds . the data also indicated that the phosphorous - to - zinc ratio of the cobalt - modified zn . ph coating made by a 5 - second immersion in the test solution was significantly higher than the phosphorous - to - zinc ratio from an approximately 1800 second immersion in the reference solution , which implies that the zn . ph coating from the cobalt - nitrate - containing test solution gave rise to a surface layer which was enriched in phosphates . fig1 and 19 show the high - resolution x - ray photoelectron spectra of p 2p , zn 2p3 / 2 , and c 1s , core - level excitations from zn . ph coatings produced by immersion in the cobalt - nitrate - containing test zinc - phosphating solution as a function of immersion time . in the p 2p region shown in fig1 , no peak was found on &# 34 ; as - received &# 34 ; electrogalvanized steel , which was denoted as &# 34 ; 0s &# 34 ; in fig1 . the coating made by immersion in the test solution for about 1 second ( denoted &# 34 ; 1s &# 34 ;) exhibited two weak peaks , at about 133 . 9 and about 132 . 4 ev . the higher energy peak presumably reveals the phosphorous originating from the zn . ph , and the lower energy may be due to the formation of a zinc dihydrogen othrophosphate , zn ( h 2 po 4 ) 2 . xh 2 o . the intensity of peak at about 133 . 9 ev markedly increased with an increased immersion time , while the peak at about 132 . 4 ev essentially vanished . the degree of coverage of zn . ph over electrogalvanized steel can be confirmed by comparing the spectral features of the zn 2p3 / 2 region shorn in fig1 . the single peak at the be position of about 1022 . 2 ev for the &# 34 ; as - received &# 34 ; electrogalvanized steel ( 0s ) was due to zinc in the zno layers , forming on the surface of the galvanized coatings . the zn 2p3 / 2 curve of the specimens treated fur approximately 2 seconds -- denoted &# 34 ; 2s &# 34 ; in fig1 -- is distinctive ; an additional weak line at about 1023 . 0 ev appears in the spectrum , separate from the main line . the intensity of this new line dramatically increased as the treatment time was prolonged . after treatment for about 5 seconds -- as shown the curve designates &# 34 ; 5s &# 34 ;-- the peak at about 1023 . 0 ev essentially became the principal lane , while the line at about 1022 . 2 ev , originating from the zinc in zno , essentially disappeared . because the peak at about 1023 . 0 ev evidently belonged to zn originating from zn . ph , this result strongly supported the scanning - electron - microscope images showing that an immersion in the cobalt - nitrate - containing test solution for about 5 seconds was long enough to cover essentially the entire surface of electrogalvanized steel with zn . ph . turning now to fig1 , the c 1s , region of the untreated electrogalvanized steel surfaces had a symmetrical peak at about 285 . 0 ev , reflecting the carbon in the hydrocarbon contaminant &# 34 ; ch a &# 34 ;, as shown in the curve denoted &# 34 ; 0s &# 34 ;. when the electrogalvanized steel surface was treated with the test zinc - phosphating solution for about 2 seconds , the c 1s , spectrum revealed two resolvable gaussian components at about 285 . 0 ev , attributable to carbon of the hydrocarbon in the organic contaminant and to hydrocarbon carbon in the backbone chain of poly ( acrylic acid ). a second peak emerged at about 288 . 7 ev corresponded to carbon originating from the carboxylic acid , cooh , in the poly ( acrylic acid ). increasing the immersion time to about 10 seconds showed the emergence of an additional peak at approximately 287 . 2 ev in the spectrum denoted &# 34 ; 10s &# 34 ;. this additional peak , emerging at the binding energy location between a carbonyl carbon , c ═ o , at approximately 288 . 0 ev and a carbon - oxygen single bond at approximately 288 . 5 ev can be assigned to the carbon in the -- coo - -- zn 2 + -- - ooc -- salt complex formation . nevertheless , both the bulk and complexed poly ( acrylic acid ) polymers appear to be present at the outermost surface site of cobalt - modified zn . ph produced with the cobalt - nitrate - containing test zinc phosphating solution . although the deposition of zn . ph was relatively poor , the presence of poly ( acrylic acid ) was also identified by x - ray photoelectron spectros copy on the electrogalvanized steel surfaces after immersion for about 60 seconds in the reference zinc - phosphating solution without cobalt nitrate . the corrosion resistance of zn . ph coated electrogalvanized steel was estimated from potentiodynamic polarization diagrams using the so - called &# 34 ; tafel &# 34 ; extrapolation technique . fig2 shows a typical cathodic - anodic polarization curve for an electrogalvanized steel test panel in which the polarization voltage ( e ) versus current ( i ) ( tafel plot ) was plotted . based upon this potentiodynamic polarization curve , the absolute corrosion rates of steel could be estimated . corrosion rates are conventionally expressed in the engineering units of milli - inches per year ( mpy ). the following equation proposed by sterm and gery in j . electrochemcial society , vol . 104 , pages 56 and following ( 1957 ) was used in a first step : where i corr is the corrosion current density in μa / cm 2 , β a and β c with the units of volts / decade of current refer to the anodic and cathodic tafel slopes ( see fig2 ), respectively , which were obtained from the log i vs e plots encompassing both anodic and cathodic regions , and r p is the polarization resistance which was determined from the corrosion potential , e corr . when i corr is computed through the preceding equation , the corrosion rate ( mpy ) can be obtained from the following expression : where ew is the equivalent weight of the corroding species in g , and d is the density of the corroding species in g / cm 3 . results for corrosion rates and i corr averaged over three specimens are set forth in table 8 below . table 8______________________________________i . sub . corr and corrosion rate obtained from tafel calculations forzn . ph - coated electrogalvanized steel produced by immersionin the reference solution and the cobalt - nitrate - containing testsolution . zinc phosphating treatment time , i . sub . corr , corrosion rate , solution sec ua / cm . sup . 2 mpy______________________________________control 0 6 . 65 3 . 04test 2 3 . 52 1 . 61test 5 4 . 19 1 . 91test 10 3 . 65 1 . 67test 20 4 . 06 1 . 85test 30 4 . 16 1 . 90reference 300 13 . 82 6 . 32reference 600 14 . 91 6 . 82reference 1200 7 . 11 3 . 25reference 1800 3 . 30 1 . 51______________________________________ as may be seen in table 8 , the average corrosion rate for the &# 34 ; as - received &# 34 ; electrogalvanized steel test panels as control specimens was approximately 3 . 04 mpy ,- corresponding to an averaged i corr of about 6 . 65 μa / cm 2 . the average corrosion rate was significantly reduced by depositing the cobalt - modified zn . ph onto electrogalvanized steel surfaces from the cobalt - nitrate - containing test solution , as may be seen in table 8 . the corrosion rates for the specimens prepared by immersion in the cobalt - nitrate - containing test zinc - phosphating solution of between about 2 and about 30 seconds ranged from approximately 1 . 61 to approximately 1 . 91 mpy , corresponding to from about 52 . 9 to about 62 . 8 % less than that of the untreated control . in contrast , the zn . ph coatings from the reference zinc - phosphating solution appeared to give poor protection . as may be seen in table 8 , the average corrosion rates of the specimens immersed in the reference solution from about 300 to about 600 seconds were more than twice the average corrosion rate of the untreated control specimens . relating this to the scanning electron microscope image analysis and the apparent dissolution of the zinc layer in electrogalvanized steel upon exposure to a zinc phosphating solution noted above in connection with fig1 , there appear to be two reasons for the high rate of corrosion in specimens which had been treated with the reference solution : one is the low rate of coverage by zn . ph over electrogalvanized steel and the other is the damage to the galvanized coating layers caused by an intensive anodic reaction , zn → zn 2 + + 2e - , during long - term immersion . protection of electrogalvanized steel against nacl - related corrosion was improved by immersing the specimens for 1800 seconds in the reference solution , suggesting that once the electrogalvanized steel surfaces were essentially completely covered with zn . ph , the zn . ph layer had a better protective performance than that of the untreated zinc coating itself . although zinc coatings are responsible for delaying the onset of &# 34 ; red rust &# 34 ; in galvanized steels , the attack of nacl electrolyte on electrogalvanized steel surfaces promotes the rate of &# 34 ; white rust &# 34 ; formation . such white rust generally represents a deterioration of the zinc layers of electrogalvanized steel . in general , improved corrosion protection appears to be obtained by increasing the thickness of the zinc layer of electro - galvanized steel . to evaluate the ability of cobalt - modified zn . ph coatings to inhibit the onset of white rust on electro - galvanized steel , test panels prepared by immersion for about 10 seconds in the cobalt - nitrate - containing test zinc - phosphating solution were exposed for up to seven days in a salt - water - spray chamber . for comparison , control test panels of the &# 34 ; as - received &# 34 ; electrogalvanized steel were also exposed to salt - water - spray in the chamber . white rust appeared on the control test panels after about four hours of exposure to the salt water spray . subsequent exposure of the control test panels of up to seven days generated red rust , which implied that the underlying steel had been exposed by anodic dissolution of the zinc protective layers . by comparison , no sign of red rust was observed on the cobalt - modified zn . ph - coated electrogalvanized steel specimens exposed to salt water spray for the same time under essentially equivalent conditions . white rust was not observed to occur on the cobalt - modified zn - ph - coated electrogalvanized steel specimens until after exposure to the salt water spray for about 24 hours . the treatment of electrogalvanized steel surfaces by the cobalt - nitrate containing test zinc - phosphating solution thus significantly delayed the onset of white rust under exposure to salt - water spray . certain of the test panels of electrogalvanized steel were given an elastomeric topcoating . a polyester - modified polyurethane topcoat resin commercially available from the lord corporation under the trade designation &# 34 ; m313 resin &# 34 ; was used for the topcoating . the polyurethane topcoat resin contained a proportion of silica as a filler . the polyurethane topcoat resin was polymerized by mixing with an approximately 50 percent by weight aromatic amino curing agent commercially available under the trade designation &# 34 ; m201 &# 34 ; curing agent . the layer of topcoat on the test panels was cured in an oven at a temperature of about 80 ° c . the thickness of the polyurethane topcoat overlaid on the test panel5 was approximately 0 . 95 mm . the adherent properties of test panels of electrogalvanized steel bearing zn . ph coatings from the reference solution and the cobalt - nitrate - containing test solution to the polyurethane topcoat film were investigated by measuring the 180 ° - peel strength of the topcoat film overlaid on the zn . ph coatings . fig2 shows the variations in peel strength at interfacial joints between the polyurethane topcoat films and either the zn . ph coatings obtained from the reference solution or from the cobalt - nitrate - containing test solution as a function of the immersion time of the electrogalvanized steel test panels in the zinc - phosphating solutions . the average peel strength of polyurethane films removed from the &# 34 ; as - received &# 34 ; electrogalvanized steel surfaces , denoted in fig2 as an immersion time of 0 seconds , was only about 0 . 09 kn / m , suggesting that the chemical and physical affinities of the electrogalvanized surfaces to the polyurethane topcoats were poor . the adhesion of polyurethane topcoat film substantially increased when the electrogalvanized steel surfaces were treated by the cobalt - nitrate - containing test zinc - phosphating solution . the observed average peel strength of approximately 1 . 47 kn / m for the polyurethane - topcoat - film - to - 30 - seconds - treated - electrogalvanzied - steel joints corresponded to an approximately fifteen fold improvement over that of polurethane - topcoat - film - to - untreated - electrogalvanized - steel joints . there was essentially no further gain in peel strength by immersing the test panels in the cobalt - nitrate - containing test solution for longer than about 30 seconds . the data of fig2 also indicated that the surfaces of electrogalvanized steel treated by the reference zinc - phosphating solution for up to about 60 seconds only weakly adhered to the polyurethane topcoat films . although crystal deposition was not seen on the surfaces treated for about 60 seconds with the reference zinc - phosphating solution , the development of a strength of about 0 . 35 kn / m was probably associated with a chemical reaction between the poly ( acrylic acid ) existing at the top surfaces of the zn . ph coated electrogalvanized steel and the polyurethane , rather than with mechanical interlocking bonds caused by the anchoring effects of the polyurethane film penetrating into rough crystal layers . whatever the mechanism of bonding , fig2 shows that elctrogalvanized steel surfaces exhibiting significantly improved bond strength at the metal / polymer topcoat joints can be prepared by immersing the electrogalvanized steel surfaces for about 30 seconds in cobalt - nitrate - containing test zinc - phosphating solution at about 80 ° c . to clarify the cause of good and poor interfacial bonds between polyurethane topcoat films and electrogalvanized steel , x - ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to explore failure surfaces . the results of the x - ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis is set forth in table 9 below . table 9______________________________________chemical composition of the failed side for pu / egs , pu / co - modified - zn . ph coated egs , and pu / zn . ph egs joint systems atomic concentration , % joint system failed side si p c o zn______________________________________pu / egs pu 18 . 7 -- 61 . 1 20 . 2 -- pu / egs egs 0 . 5 -- 45 . 6 40 . 4 13 . 5pu / co -- zn . ph pu 20 . 0 -- 59 . 6 20 . 4 -- pu / zn . ph co -- zn . ph 12 . 0 8 . 1 49 . 5 29 . 0 1 . 4pu / zn . ph pu 17 . 1 -- 61 . 9 21 . 0 -- pu / zn . ph zn . ph 3 . 8 0 . 3 45 . 1 47 . 2 3 . 6______________________________________ pu = polyurethane topcoat film egs = electrogalvanized steel co -- zn . ph = coating from 30 second immersion in cobaltnitrate containing test solution . zn . ph = coating from 30 second immersion in control solution . table 9 presents the elemental compositions for cross - section samples of polyurethane / electrocoated steel , polyurethane - treated co -- zn . ph and polyurethane - treated zn . ph joint systems . the treated surfaces of electrogalvanized steel were immersed for about 30seconds in either the cobalt - nitrate containing test zinc - phosphating solution or the reference zinc - phosphating solution . in the polyurethane / untreated electrogalvanized - steel joint systems , the chemical constituents of the polyurethane and electrogalvanized sides of the interface were generally similar to those of the bulk polyurethane ( not shown ) and the original electrogalvanized steel , although exiguous silicon atoms , revealing the sic 2 used as a filler of the polyurethane topcoat film , eividently migrated from the polyurethane to the electrogalvanized steel . the data for the polyurethane untreated electrogalvanized steel joint system suggested that failure occured at the interface between the polyurethane and the electrogalvanized steel . it is apparent that such an adhesive failure mode reflects the formation of a weak boundary structure at the interface , and a low rate of development of interfacial bonds . there were substantial differences between the finding for the polyurethane / untreated - electrogalvanized - steel joint system and that from the polyurethane cobalt - modified - zn . ph - coated - electrogalvanized - steel joint system . specifically , a large amount of silicon and little oxygen and zinc was detected on the cobalt - modified zn . ph coating side removed from the polyurethane film . essentially no phosphorous or zinc was present on the polyurethane side . thus , failure appeared to be a cohesive mode which occurred through the polyurethane layers . such a failure mode by a favorable affinity of polyurethane with the cobalt - modified zn . ph coating implied that the strength of the interfacial bond structure was significantly greater than that of polyurethane itself . in contrast , in the case of the polyurethane / unmodified zn - ph coating - electrogalvanized - steel joint system , some ellicon evidently adhered to the zn . ph side , while there was a relatively low concentration of zinc at the zn . ph side and essentially no phosphorous or zinc at the polyurethane side . consequently , a similar failure mode to that of polyurethane / cobalt - modified - zn . ph - coated - electrogalvanized - steel joint system might have occurred : bond breaksage might have started through the polyurethane layer close to the metal substrates . considering the absence of zn . ph crystals , a major factor governing the development of interfacial bonds may be the chemical reaction between the polyurethane and the poly ( acrylic acid ) absorbed on electrogalvanized steel . upon reading the subject application various alternative embodiments will become obvious to those skilled in the art . these embodiments are to be considered within the scope and spirit of the subject invention . this invention is only to be limited by the claims which follow and their equivalents .	2
fig1 is a block diagram of an electronic apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention . fig2 a and 2b show an illuminance / luminance table 3 and a luminance / waiting time table 4 of the electronic apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the invention . the configuration etc . will be described below with reference to both figures . the electronic apparatus 100 is configured of a controller 1 , an illuminance sensor 2 , the illuminance / luminance table 3 , the luminance / waiting time table 4 , a display controller 5 , a display module 6 , etc . disposed in a vicinity of the display module 6 , the illuminance sensor 2 measures ambient - light illuminance of the display module 6 and supplies an illuminance 2 a signal to the controller 1 . the illuminance / luminance table 3 ( see fig2 a ) is a table in which optimum light - emission luminance values ( luminance 3 b outputs ) of the display module 6 are recorded in advance for respective ambient illuminance values ( illuminance 3 a inputs ). the luminance 3 b output is data corresponding to power to be supplied to a backlight 62 of the display module 6 , that is , light - emission luminance of the backlight 62 . when the illuminance 3 a is high ( bright ), the viewability is rendered low if the degree of light emission of the display module 6 is low ( dark ) and hence the luminance 3 b is set high ( bright ) to increase the viewability . therefore , the power consumption of the display module 6 is also made high . when the illuminance 3 a is low ( dark ), sufficient viewability is secured even if the luminance 3 b is set low . therefore , the luminance 3 b is set low and the power consumption of the display module 6 is also made low . the luminance / waiting time table 4 is a table in which waiting times ( waiting time 4 b outputs ) to a start of processing of a luminance control function 11 are recorded in advance for respective light - emission luminance values ( luminance 4 a inputs ) of the display module 6 , that is , power consumption values . the waiting time is set short ( e . g ., 1 sec ) when the luminance 4 a input is large ( the power consumption is high ), and is set long ( e . g ., 3 sec ) when the luminance 4 a input is small ( the power consumption is low ). that is , the waiting time is applied weighing so as to vary reversely to the manner of variation of the luminance 4 a ( power consumption ). in the display controller 5 , which is a display controller for the display module 6 , controls display data according to the form of the display module 6 and outputs resulting display data to an lcd 61 . the display module 6 , which is an lcd module , is configured of the lcd 61 , the backlight 62 , etc . the current flowing through the backlight 62 is varied according to a luminance 11 a signal that is output from the luminance control function 11 , whereby the light - emission luminance of the backlight 62 , that is , the light - emission luminance of the display module 6 , is varied . the controller 1 , which is configured of a cpu , a ram , a rom , etc ., performs the luminance control function 11 , a timer function 12 , etc . by running programs stored in the rom . broken lines in the block of the luminance control function 11 indicate input / output relationships between pieces of information that are controlled by the luminance control function 11 . the luminance control function 11 reads an illuminance 2 a signal representing ambient illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor 2 , gives it to the illuminance / luminance table 3 as an illuminance 3 a input and reads out a corresponding luminance 3 b , and supplies it to the backlight 62 as a luminance 11 a signal representing determined luminance . the backlight 62 emits light at this luminance . the processing so far described is conventional processing . then , the luminance control function 11 gives the thus - determined luminance 3 b to the luminance / waiting time table 4 as a luminance 4 a input and reads out a corresponding waiting time 4 b , sets it in the timer of the timer function 12 , and suspends the processing of the luminance control function 11 itself . after a lapse of the waiting time 4 b , the luminance control function 11 is activated again by the timer function 12 . the above processing is repeated thereafter . as described in describing the luminance / waiting time table 4 ( see fig2 b ), the waiting times 4 b are set so as to vary reversely to the manner of variation of the luminance 4 a ( power consumption ). an advantage of this setting will be described later with reference to fig4 . fig3 is an operation flowchart of the luminance control function 11 and the timer function 12 of the controller 1 of the electronic apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the invention . when a state for display on the display module 6 is established by , for example , opening the body of the electronic apparatus 100 , the luminance control function 11 and the timer function 12 start to operate . first , at step s 1 , the luminance control function 11 reads an illuminance 2 a signal representing ambient illuminance from the illuminance sensor 2 and reads a corresponding display module luminance 3 b from the illuminance / luminance table 3 using the illuminance 2 a signal as an illuminance 3 a input , and supplies the luminance 3 b to the backlight 62 as a luminance 11 a signal . as a result , the light - emission luminance of the display module 6 is made high if the ambient illuminance is high and is made low if the ambient illuminance is low . the display module 6 is thus kept easy to see according to the ambient illuminance . the power consumption is high if the light - emission luminance of the display module 6 is high and is low if the light - emission luminance of the display module 6 is low . step s 1 is a conventional step . at step s 2 , the luminance control function 11 reads a corresponding waiting time 4 b from the luminance / waiting time table 4 using , as a luminance 4 a input , the luminance 11 a ( equals to luminance 3 b ) that was supplied to the backlight 62 , and sets the waiting time 4 b in the timer of the timer function 12 . then , the luminance control function 11 finishes its processing . then , the process goes to the part of which the timer function 12 is in charge . at step s 10 , the timer function 12 starts to count to the waiting time 4 b which was set at step s 2 . when the waiting time 4 b has elapsed , the process returns to the part of which the luminance control function 11 is in charge and the luminance control function 11 performs step s 1 again . with the above process , the cycle of the luminance control function 11 is equal to ( waiting time 4 b )+( processing time of steps s 1 and s 2 ). since the waiting time 4 b in on the order of seconds , the cycle is approximately equal to the waiting time 4 b . as described above , step s 1 which is performed by the luminance control function 11 to control the light - emission luminance of the display module 6 by determining light - emission luminance suitable for ambient illuminance is performed only after a lapse of a waiting time 4 b . therefore , if the ambient illuminance varies while the timer is counting to a waiting time 4 b , execution of light - emission luminance optimization process for resulting ambient illuminance is not started until the waiting time 4 b elapses . in addition , the waiting time 4 b is set at step s 2 from the waiting times that vary reversely to the manner of variation of the luminance 3 b ( power consumption ) to be determined and output by the luminance control function 11 . the above operation flowchart is such that the part of which the luminance control function 11 is in charge and the part of which the timer function 12 is in charge are executed in succession . alternatively , the luminance control function 11 may be provided as a separate function and activated by an interruption from the timer function 12 . either of these methods may be employed as long as they attain the above functions . next , a description will be made of a power saving effect of a feature of the embodiment that the waiting times 4 b are set so as to vary reversely to the manner of variation of the luminance 3 b ( power consumption ) to be determined and output at step s 1 . fig4 is a timing chart illustrating a power saving effect of the electronic apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the invention through a comparison with a related case . for the sake of simplicity , in this example , it is assumed that the ambient illuminance varies between two levels ( high and low ). assume that the ambient illuminance varies “ low ” to “ high ” at time t 1 and varies from “ high ” to “ low ” at time t 4 . fig4 , section ( a ) shows how the display luminance ( power consumption ) varies when the ambient illuminance 2 a varies in the above - mentioned manner in the case where a luminance control function is performed which has a constant cycle ( assumed to be 2 sec ). naturally , the variation of the ambient illuminance 2 a is not synchronized with the activation timing of the luminance control function having the cycle of 2 sec . it is assumed that the illuminance / luminance table is the same as the illuminance / luminance table 3 of the invention . at each activation time point that precedes an activation time point t 2 by more than 2 sec , the luminance control function reads ambient illuminance 2 a being low and makes the display luminance low . at time t 2 which is the first activation time point after time t 1 when the ambient illuminance varies from “ low ” to “ high ,” the luminance control function reads ambient illuminance 2 a being high and makes the display luminance high . therefore , the power consumption of the display module 6 is kept high after time t 2 . at each activation time point ( occurring every 2 sec ) after time t 2 , the luminance control function reads ambient illuminance 2 a being high and makes the display luminance high . at time t 6 which is the first activation time point after time t 4 when the ambient illuminance varies from “ high ” to “ low ,” the luminance control function reads ambient illuminance 2 a being low and makes the display luminance low . therefore , the power consumption of the display module 6 is kept low after time t 6 . fig4 , section ( b ) shows how the display luminance 11 a ( power consumption ) varies when the ambient illuminance 2 a varies in the above - mentioned manner in the case where the luminance control function 11 according to the invention is performed whose cycle is variable ( 1 to 3 sec ). naturally , the variation of the ambient illuminance 2 a is not synchronized with the activation timing of the luminance control function 11 whose cycle is variable ( 1 to 3 sec ). in this embodiment , in a state that the display luminance ( power consumption ) is low ( indicated by symbol b 1 ), the waiting time ( approximately equal to the cycle ) of the luminance control function 11 is set long ( 3 sec ) to maintain the low power consumption state as long as possible , that is , to delay , as much as possible , a time point of setting the display luminance ( power consumption ) high in response to a later variation to “ high ” of the ambient illuminance 2 a . in a state that the display luminance ( power consumption ) is high ( indicated by symbol b 2 ), the waiting time ( approximately equal to the cycle ) of the luminance control function 11 is set short ( 1 sec ) to set the display luminance ( power consumption ) low as early as possible in response to a later variation to “ low ” of the ambient illuminance 2 a . next , a more detailed description will be made . at each activation time point that precedes an activation time point t 3 by more than 3 sec , the luminance control function 11 reads ambient illuminance 2 a being low and sets the display luminance 11 a ( power consumption ) low ( step s 1 in fig3 ). in this case , the luminance control function 11 reads a corresponding waiting time 4 b of 3 sec from the luminance / waiting time table 4 and sets it in the timer function 12 ( step s 2 ). as a result , the response speed is slowed in preparation for a later variation to “ high ” of the ambient illuminance 2 a . therefore , in this state , the cycle of 3 sec is maintained until time t 3 which is the first activation time point after time t 1 when the ambient illuminance 2 a varies from “ low ” to “ high .” time t 3 is later than time t 2 which is the activation time point of the case of fig4 , section ( a ) ( cycle : 2 sec ). naturally , because of the asynchronous operations , time t 3 may sometimes be earlier than time t 2 . however , on average , time t 3 is later than time t 2 . the luminance control function 11 reads ambient illuminance 2 a being high at time t 3 and sets the display luminance high ( step s 1 ). from time t 3 onward , the power consumption of the display module 6 is kept high . however , the power is saved in the hatched period between time t 2 and time t 3 relative to the case of fig4 , section ( a ). on the other hand , in this period , since the delay from time t 1 when the ambient illuminance 2 a changes to “ high ” to time t 3 when the display luminance is set to an optimum value is increased , the screen becomes difficult to see . however , this is only an instant and is not problematic . at time t 3 , the luminance control function 11 sets the display luminance high ( step s 1 ), reads a waiting time 4 b ( 1 sec ) corresponding to the high display luminance from the luminance / waiting time table 4 , and sets it in the timer function 12 ( step s 2 ). as a result , the response speed is increased in preparation for a later variation to “ low ” of the ambient illuminance 2 a . therefore , in this state , the cycle of 1 sec is maintained until time t 5 which is the first activation time point after time t 4 when the ambient illuminance 2 a varies from “ high ” to “ low .” time t 5 is earlier than time t 6 which is the activation time point of the case of fig4 , section ( a ) ( cycle : 2 sec ). naturally , because of the asynchronous operations , time t 5 may sometimes be later than time t 6 . however , on average , time t 5 is earlier than time t 6 . the luminance control function 11 reads ambient illuminance 2 a being low at time t 5 and sets the display luminance low ( step s 1 ). from time t 5 onward , the power consumption of the display module 6 is kept low . as a result , the power is saved in the hatched period between time t 5 and time t 6 relative to the case of fig4 , section ( a ). at time t 5 , the luminance control function 11 sets the display luminance low ( step s 1 ), reads a waiting time 4 b ( 3 sec ) corresponding to the low display luminance from the luminance / waiting time table 4 , and sets it in the timer function 12 ( step s 2 ). as a result , from time t 5 onward , the cycle of the luminance control function 11 is kept equal to about 3 sec and the response speed is kept low . as described above , the embodiment of the invention provides a power saving effect when the ambient illuminance varies . since in general the ambient illuminance varies all the time , attaining a power saving effect every variation time point provides a great advantage . where the ambient illuminance does not vary , the embodiment provides the same levels of power consumption and viewability as the conventional case does . although the optimization of the light - emission luminance of the display module is somewhat delayed when the ambient illuminance increases , it is just an instant and does not cause a problem relating to the viewability . although in the embodiment of the invention the display module 3 is an lcd module and the luminance of its backlight is controlled , in self - emission displays such as organic el displays the luminance and the power consumption may be controlled by controlling the supply voltage , for example . the electronic apparatus 100 according to the invention can be applied to cell phones , phs phones , game machines , cameras , etc .	6
in fig1 a cylindrical container 1 closed by a cover 2 is separated into two compartments by a metal partition 3 , disposed parallel to the base of the container 1 and welded both to the container 1 and to the cover 2 . the upper compartment between the cover 2 and the partition 3 contains a deformable metal membrane 5 welded along its periphery to the partition 3 and forming with it a reservoir for the electrolyte 6 before activation of the battery . the lower compartment defined between the partition 3 and the container 1 contains a stack of active constituants schematically represented by a block 10 and electrically insulated from the container 1 by an insulator 11 . the electrodes and separators , constitute a plurality of elementary couples connected in series to form a battery whose output terminals are referenced 12 and 13 . the active constituents all have a central hole which in assembly define and form a central well 14 through which the electrolyte flows during activation after perforation of a central frangible portion 4 of the partition 3 . the partition 3 is supported by a plate 3a having a central hole 3b underlying the frangible portion 4 . the plate3a may be metallic or insulating material . fig2 is a section on a larger scale of the portion marked a of block 10 in fig1 showing a part of three elementary couples , one of which is described below . the negative electrode is constituted by a layer of zinc 25 which is deposited on a disc - shaped copper sheet 26 ; its positive electrode 27 is constituted by silver oxide and is deposited on a copper sheet 26 &# 39 ; analogous to the copper sheet 26 and on whose other side there is deposited the negative zinc electrode 25 &# 39 ; of the adjacent couple . the electrodes 25 and 27 are separated by a paper separator 28 which includes insulative spacers 29 thus providing a gap g between adjacent positive and negative electrodes of each couple . the inner edges 30 of disc - shaped copper sheet 26 and its negative electrode 25 are protected by a first , shaped , washer 31 and a superposed second , plain , washer 32 both having a central hole which is of smaller diameter than the central hole of the copper disc 26 . the inner edge 30 is received in a recess in the first washer 31 . both the washers 31 and 32 are made of an insulative material , e . g ., rilsan , and are integrated or joined together as by ultrasonic welding for example . the welding may be limited to a few welding spots 37 , 38 projecting from one face of one of the washers at regular intervals around their central holes and peferably near to the inner edge 30 of the negative electrode to avoid any displacement of the washers with respect to the copper disc 26 . these welding spots are described in detail below . the shaped washer 31 ( or the analogous washer 31 &# 39 ; which protects the inner edge 30 &# 39 ; of the copper disc 26 &# 39 ; and the zinc layer 25 &# 39 ; of the adjacent couple ) embodies a novel feature of this invention as shown in fig3 a and 3b . in fig2 the washer 31 &# 39 ; is shown in half section on a line b -- b of fig3 a and at a larger scale . the inner portion and the outer portion of the shaped washer 31 &# 39 ; are recessed respectively at 33 and 34 , while an intermediate recess 35 forms , together with the plain washer 32 of the adjacent couple , a narrow curved channel ; this channel enables the electrolyte to pass from central well 14 into the space or gap g between the negative electrode 25 and the positive electrode 27 . as shown in fig3 a , the recess 35 ( and consequently the channel it delimits ) extends obliquely with respect to the diameter b -- b , i . e ., it follows a generally spiral path around the well 14 . the recess 35 widens out at its outer end 36 to even out the distribution of the electrolyte between the electrodes . incidentally , the entry of electrolyte into the channel thus formed is facilitated by its general curvature towards the center of the washer 31 &# 39 ;. a sheet 39 of insulative material which is adhesive on both its faces joins the washer 32 to the face of the washer 31 &# 39 ; which has the recess 35 ( see fig2 ); thereby sealing the edges of the channel defined by this recess and washer 32 . the cross - section c -- c of the washer 31 &# 39 ; of fig3 b ( upsidedown with respect to fig2 ) shows two of the above mentioned welding spots referenced 37 and 38 . they are small conical projections situated near to the inner edge 30 &# 39 ; of the copper disc 26 &# 39 ; and the negative electrode 25 &# 39 ;. as can be seen in fig2 the recesses 35 , 35 &# 39 ; and 35 &# 34 ; formed respectively in three superposed washers , 31 , 31 &# 39 ; and 31 &# 34 ;, are aligned about a single axis parallel to that of the stack 10 of couples . the example of the washer 31 &# 39 ; which has just been described includes two similar recesses 35 and 45 symmetrically disposed about the center of the washer and has the following dimensions : it has been observed that the presence of such washers enables the battery to be activated in five seconds while considerably reducing the electrical leakage currents which pass through the electrolyte as it flows into the couples upon activation of the battery . in order to shorten the activation time , washers can be used which have a larger number of channels such as the washer illustrated in fig4 a and 4b . fig2 could equally well be a half - section on an enlarged scale of the diameter d -- d of the washer in fig4 a . in these figures a washer 51 has four similar narrow recesses 52 , 53 , 54 and 55 , all spirally oriented towards the central hole and regularly spaced at 90 ° intervals around the washer 51 . thus for recesses of substantially the same dimensions as those of the washer shown in fig3 a and 3b the activation time is reduced to three seconds , but naturally the leakage currents are slightly greater . the number and length of channels defined by recesses 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 with a plain washer like washer 32 are thus chosen as a function of maximum acceptable values for the activation time and for the leakage current . the battery may be activated in suitable manner . in the embodiment shown a pyrotechnically operated punch 100 extending into well 14 from the casing bottom 1 includes a piston 101 which punctures a frangible disc 102 and then the frangible portion 4 of partition 3 when the pyrotechnic punch 100 is fired , thus providing an outlet for electrolyte 6 in the upper compartment defined by deformable membrane 5 and partition 3 . an additional pyrotechnic device 110 is mounted in the cover 2 . this device 110 when fired discharges a gas under pressure into the space 103 between the deformable membrane 5 and cover 2 causing deformation of membrane 5 and forcible rapid expulsion of electrolyte 6 from the upper compartment via the ruptured partition 4 into the well 14 and via the channels to the spaces or gaps g between electrodes of opposite polarity thus activating the battery . in the activation operation the pyrotechnically operated punch 100 is fired first and thereafter the pyrotechnic device 110 is fired . other suitable means for rupturing the partition 4 and expulsion of electrolyte 6 from the upper compartment 6 into well 14 and delivery therefrom via channels to gaps g may be utilized . naturally the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments described above without going beyond the scope of the invention as claimed , and any means described can be replaced by equivalent means . in particular the two washers like washers 31 &# 39 ; and 32 or 31 and a washer like washer 32 defining electrolyte passing channels can be made as a single part . there is no intention therefore of limitation to the exact disclosure here - inabove presented .	7

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